Get Ready For Take Off Part 3

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

Here in 1 Thess. Chapters 4-5 Paul is talking about the next event on the Prophetic calendar – RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH { EXPLAIN

Part 1 Concept of the rapture in the Bible

Part 2 7 Reasons why the rapture will happen before the Tribulation starts.

Part 3 Being aware of the times and the seasons.

A) Here in our text we read that the rapture of the Church happens like a thief in the night – Comes at an unexpected time.

B) But Not to believers – Explain why in a minute – but to an unbelieving world it is like a thief.

C) See When a Thief comes – Not looking for it

1) Now when you hear of Robberies in your neighborhood - Alarm System – guard dog

D) Do what My Dad did – This home is protected by Angels – break in at your own risk – Absorb the Judgment of God. - It worked

So If you know a thief is coming or is around – you take precautions – the thing is – you usually don’t

A) A successful thief depends upon the element of surprise – doesn’t send a postcard – On Friday night between 10-12 Rob you driving a black van

B) So to an unbelieving world – The rapture is going to happen like a thief in the night - Catch them by surprise – time saying Peace & safety

1) At a time when – they are thinking –things are going great – it is going to totally catch them off guard.

C) But that is not the case with us –We who are believers - because we know the times & the seasons Consider today

Now a few yrs back I taught a series on Sunday night – called the signs of the times – 7 week in-depth look at Matthew 24-25

A) There Jesus lays out some of the things that would be taking place in the world prior to his coming.

B) Beginning of Birth pangs – in other words – these are things that are occurring NOW that will intensify during the Tribulation time.

1) Like a woman who has labor pains that intensify – once she goes into full blown Labor –

C) Now in that series we looked at a whole different set of signs – that we are not going to talk about today.

1) But if we had the time to include those things – we could talk about

1) Increase in Earthquakes around the world.

2) Increase in deadly diseases – like Aids.

3) Increase in War and terrorism.

4) Increase Famine around the world.

5) Increase in sexual immorality.

6) Increase in the Homosexual agenda.

7) Increase in violent crime.

8) Increase in false religions and deception.

D) Those are some of the things that Jesus hits on there in Matthew 24 – that is why it took us 7 weeks to go thru it –

1) Might want to get the tapes – Packet – Signs of the times

E) Today I want to focus on 3 things:

1) Israel

2) Technology

3) Europe

Start with Israel – When talking about Prophecy – the thing that you need to understand is that Israel is the Focus.

A) God might be talking about what is happening to another nation – but it is always in the context of how it relates to Israel.

B) Bible Prophesied that the nation of Israel would dispersed & would be a nation no more ( Israel is God’s stop watch )

C) Also Prophesied that in the Last days – God would restore them once again as a nation & Bring them back to their Home land .

1) Now in A.D. 70 when TITUS the Roman Gen. Came into Jer. & ransacked the place – Jews were DISPERSED

D) From that point on Israel ceased to be – ceased to exist as a NATION

And it stayed that way for nearly 2,000 yrs / stop watch stopped

1) But God prophesied that they would be brought back.

Jer. 30:3 'For behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' says the LORD. 'And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'"

E) But - May 14 , 1948 Israel was REBORN – did what no other nation or people has ever done – after almost 2,000 yrs – REFORMED

1) At that time THE STOP WATCH STARTED TICKING AGAIN –

Now even though Israel was a nation again – there was still a problem – Israel did not control it’s capital city of Jerusalem

A) But Jesus Prophesied that would be the case – in Luke 21

Luke 21:24 And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.{ Gentiles would control Jerusalem

B) TIME FOR THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

C) Although Israel had regained their land in1948 – they still did not have possession of their capital city - CONTROLED BY GENTILES

1) But in 1967 6 day war - recaptured Jerusalem

D) At that Point Prophetically speaking the RAPTURE COULD HAVE happened – TIMES OF THE GENTILES WAS FULFILLED

1) Now we are in period call overtime )

E) Those were 2 very significant – EVENTS THAT HAPPENED

REGATHERING OF ISRAEL

Isaiah 11:11

11 It shall come to pass in that day

That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time

To recover the remnant of His people who are left,

From Assyria and Egypt,

From Pathros and Cush,

From Elam and Shinar,

From Hamath and the islands of the sea.

A) Turn of the century, fewer than a hundred thousand Jews in all of the land of Israel, today they number into the millions.

B) And the numbers are growing rapidly with the immigrants coming from Russia.

C) Ezkiel 36:9 God would bless Israel again Agriculturally.

The mountains of Israel basically are going to yield fruit again.

D) You go over to Israel, and you are impressed by the agricultural development. The mountains of the Golan covered with apple orchards.

1) The hills around the Galilee, covered with banana trees, kiwi trees, avocado trees.

E) The hills around the Sharon plain and all, covered with citrus trees, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and all. { Hills Green

1) Tremendous agricultural development in the land.

ISRAEL a problem for the nations !

Zech. 12:2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.

A) Over the yrs a major focus in meetings of United Nations Leaders

Leaders of the European Union – Leaders of NATO

B) President Bushes – recent trip abroad the focus has been on this little tiny piece of real state called Israel.

Area: total: 20,770 sq km land: Area that is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey

Picture

CNN

Bush: Meeting with Jacque Chirac French President

"Our greatest opportunity, and our immediate goal, is peace in the Middle East," adding that "lasting successful reform in the Middle East will not be imposed from the outside. It must be chosen from within."

C) Bush in Belgium – EU leaders

1) Brussels Belgium is the seat of the European Union and the NATO Alliance.

D) Again the focus was Peace in the middle east.

After many false starts, and dashed hopes, and stolen lives, a settlement of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is now within reach. America and Europe have made a moral commitment: We will not stand by as another generation in the Holy Land grows up in an atmosphere of violence and hopelessness.

Our efforts are guided by a clear vision: We're determined to see two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

The Palestinian people deserve a government that is representative, honest and peaceful. The people of Israel need an end to terror and a reliable, steadfast partner for peace. And the world must not rest until there is a just and lasting resolution of this conflict.

Last week British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas answered media questions about the conference.

According to Blair, the conference was a big success. The entire international community came together in support of the Palestinian cause and the creation of a Palestinian state.

He said in the years that he had been involved in the Middle East peace process, he had never seen such clarity in what had to be done to achieve peace.

The European Union pledged $330m over the next year to help the Palestinians rebuild their economy and the US promised $350m.

So there is all this emphasis being placed on helping to make Palestine it’s own independent state.

Israel Loses – Problem with Jerusalem – Palestinians don’t want to share and neither does Israel { Both want for capital

A) Talk now is the Palestinians will have their capital in East Jerusalem

Israel in the West-

B) In Dan 9 Anti Christ is going to make a treaty with Israel for 7 yrs –

1) Most believe involve solving this conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians over the temple mount – some how Co-exist there

C) Ask an orthodox Jew today – how they will recognize the messiah –

He will be the man who helps us rebuild our temple.

1) So the Anti Christ is going to sign a seven year treaty with Israel

D) 31/2 Yr mark – Anti- Christ breaks the treaty – goes into the temple – Abomination of Desolation

Temple rebuilt – Plans underway – Utensils

TECHNOLOGY

A) In the last days after the rapture – Anti Christ is going to come on the scene – 1 World GOVT – cashless society –

B) Mark on Forehead or right hand will not be able to Buy or sell with out this mark - Revelations describes as the number 666 –

1) Bar Code – number 3 divisions each having 6 characters

C) Because of the problems today in the world today with – Credit card theft and Identity theft - Gaining Acceptance –

1) Also Law enforcement agencies are really behind this – because it could almost eliminate – drug trafficking – which is all cash operation

Recent things – Human implants

Applied Digital has created and successfully field-tested a prototype of an implant for humans with GPS, or global positioning satellite, technology.

Once inserted into a human, it can be tracked by GPS technology and the information relayed wirelessly to the Internet, where an

individual's location, movements and vital signs can be stored in a database for future reference.

Published: February 1, 2005,

A Thiftway supermarket in Seattle WA has given its customers the choice of paying by fingerprint.

Two and ½ yrs ago the store began Experimenting with a Biometric system that would allow customers to do finger tip shopping !

Here is how it works:

Once people have enrolled in the Pay By Touch system, they have their fingerprint scanned as verification of identity at the checkout.

They then choose which credit card they want to pay the bill with, having already registered the credit cards with the store.

The fingerprint payment system was initially scheduled for a 60-day trial, but "people were quick to warm up to it...after 60 days, they made it part of their payment package,"

Result

"During the last two, two-and-a-half years...there's not been a single fraudulent transaction on this system".

And overall Fraudulent transactions have dropped dramatically due to the system, which now makes up 30 percent of Thriftway's electronic payments,

So right now in Seattle WA there is a Thriftway store using a pay by touch system

Posted: April 14, 2004 Family Circle / USA TODAY

Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain. – Microchip Implants

All it takes is a syringe-injected microchip implant " that recognizes their identity, credit balance and even automatically opens doors to exclusive areas of the club for them.

Europe

A) When the Anti Christ comes on the scene – Create A 10 nation confederacy Revival of the old Roman empire

B) He is going to be the Leader – Military force – Religious side – Monetary side { Pay close attention to the EU

C) Currently the EU is made up of 25 nations –

1) But within that group of 25 nation is the WEU – Western European Union

WEU – Made up of 10 nations – all of which were a part of the old Roman empire –

A) The focus of the WEU is on the Military issues and the Monetary issues involving all of Europe – that is their soul Focus

B) Now in the EU – revolving Presidency – every six months pick a new leader from with in their group to be it’s head for six months

C) But the EU has elected to change that Practice – starting in Jan 1 of 2007 they have selected a president – Javier Solana

1) Ratified into their Constitution in Jan of 2005

Javier Solana, is the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Secretary General of the 10-nation Western European Union, vice- president of the European Commission.

A) The EU has already adopted his 10-page security doctrine titled, A Secure Europe In a Better World.

B) Solana's paper had three basic parts.

1) It called for establishing economic and political stability in the EU's neighborhood,

2) strengthening the EU's civil and military capabilities,

3) and creating a new world order.

C) It's this last part we should especially notice. Why? Because, it makes Solana's security doctrine global.

Now this is where it gets really interesting – In the EU recommendations are made over a period of a given time –

A) Recommendation’s are numbered - Recommendation 1,2,3,4, --------- Currently in the 800’s

B) Well when the recommendation was made to move to a permanent President instead of a temporary one –

1) the Recommendation # as they were going in order was – Recommendation 666 –

C) that is the number of the Recommendation that says beginning in Jan 1 2007 Javier Solana is going to be President of the EU

D) Now listen I am not saying today that Javier Solana is the Antichrist

I am not saying he isn’t

So those are some of the signs that are indicators that we are getting closer to the Rapture- happen at any moment

A) An event that catches the world by surprise – when the World is saying peace and safety –

B) When the world is saying – we are getting stronger – more organized more sophisticated – Then it hits { Turn to Matt 24 – closing

v.36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be

38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

"and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

43 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

WATCH

A) Early Church lived like the Lord could come at any minute

Alexander Maclaren: They were not looking for a cleft in the ground, called the grave, but a clearing in the sky called glory! They were not watching for the undertaker but the upper taker!

B) Now there has been some debate as to what Jesus was talking about in v.40-41 when he describes some taken and some left.

1) Because Jesus links this with the Judgment of the days of Noah – some think that is what He was referring to here – Judgment in the tribulation.

C) Some take to be Martyred some left

But those who believe this is speaking about Judgment ignore a key aspect of the Greek text

A) V.39 Says " Flood came & took them all away !"

B) Took = airo common / but then in V. 40 & 41 ' Two in the field one taken / Mill one taken other left

C) Now this is an entirely different Greek word used here taken / Paralamboni ( Look up in Vines or concordance)

D) And it is this word that is used specifically in 3 other places that has significance

It is used in Matt. 1:27 Where Joseph is told not to be afraid to take

Mary as a Bride / Paralomboni - Take a bride

A) it is used in Mark 9;2 Jesus is going up on the Mt. of Transfig. where He was shinning glory was unveiled & it says

B) He took w/ Him Peter James & John He took them there so that they might see His glory !

C) 3rd place used is in John Ch. 14 where Jesus is talking to Discip.

on the night if His betrayal

1) There He says " Let not hearts be troubled you believe in

God ..... Me ...... Fathers house ......... come again & receive..

2) Receive is Paralomboni

See the pattern here: Taking a bride / taking up to the Mt.

to see Glory / taking to heaven!

A) Not talking judgment or damnation we are talking bride, glory

and heaven !

B) What will the rapture involve ? The bride ( us the Church) being

taken to heaven to see The Glory of the Lamb

C) Question is then – Will you be taken or are you going to be left behind ?

ANSWER : Where do you stand with Jesus today.

Man and wife asleep in Bed – turns her head he is gone.