Christ’s Return Part 3

Israel, Magog, and the Rapture

Eze 39:8 That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign LORD. Everything will happen just as I have declared it.

INTRODUCTION

Good Evening!! We are on part 3 of Christ’s Return. I want to talk to you tonight on a few things concerning the last days.

You know when I first became a Christian, I noticed that there was a lot talk about the return of Jesus Christ. I became a believer in 1980 and there were so many books floating around about Christ’s return.

But there was this one Hal Lindsey wrote called the “Late Great Planet Earth.”

This book spoke in depth about sings of the times and you would see people with bumper stickers on their cars with slogans like “Maranatha,” which means Jesus is coming.

Or another one was “In case of rapture this car will be left unmanned.” Or “Get right or get left.”

There was a sense of expectancy among so many of us that we could be the generation that would see the return of the Lord.

The Word of God say this:

1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thess 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Well that was 40 years ago. So is my hope misplaced? Was I wrong to believe that we would be that generation? Did we misread the signs of the times?

No, Listen, God is not late, and the Lord will return to this earth at the appointed hour that has already been predetermined.

But there may be a reason why Jesus did not come when we were hoping He would in the 1980.

And I think that everything is set and ready for Jesus to come even in the 1980’s but I think I know one of the reasons.

How many of you have come to believe in Jesus Christ since 1980?

You were one of the reasons!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

God is waiting for that last person to believe, and when that person becomes believers in Jesus we are out of here.

Can you imagine if you knew who that person was? What would you be doing?

I do believe that somewhere on this planet there is a man or woman that the Lord is waiting for and when they put their faith in Jesus Christ we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, what we call the rapture.

But listen to this tonight, I believe that all around us there are signs of the times. One of the super signs was the regathering together of the nation Israel to their homeland. May 14, 1948

All odds was against this happening, but God said it would.

David Jeremiah wrote in his book, “What in the Word is Going On,” Never had a decimated ancient people managed to retain their individual identity through almost 20 centuries and reestablish their nation and their original homeland. This event was specifically prophesied and it happened exactly as foretold. It was clearly a miraculous act of God.”

Isa 43:5 "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.

Isa 43:6 I will say to the north and south, 'Bring My sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth.

This happened on May 14, 1948, the prophetic clock started to tick.

Jesus said this also:

Matt 24:33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know His return is very near, right at the door.

Matt 24:34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.

So this is a very important date in Bible prophecy.

But the Bible not only said that the Lord would gather the Jews back to their homeland again. But He said that Jerusalem would be theirs and that Jerusalem would end up being the source of conflict in the end times.

This is what very interesting that Jerusalem was not possessed by Israel on May 14, 1948.

That didn’t happen until in the war of 1967, were the Israeli forces captured the old city and reunified all of Jerusalem, and was under Jewish control for the first time in many centuries and Bible prophecy had been fulfilled to the “T”.

But there has been years of wars and fight over this:

On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the planning of the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

President Donald J. Trump Keeps His Promise.

May 14, 2018 - FULFILLING A PROMISE: President Trump kept his promise by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and opening the U.S. Embassy there.

This really make the Verses of Jesus saying this generation will not pass away that see these things happen.

But let’s look at a checklist of events and see what has already transpired.

The Bible said that Israel will be scattered to the four corners of the earth. Did that happen? yes.

Deut 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Isa 11:12 And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Done.

Israel will regain the city of Jerusalem: done.

Israel will be isolated from the other nations of the world. done.

Israel will be attacked by a nation to her north to destroy her. It isn’t yet but in the process.

Jerusalem will be at the center of the conflicts of the World. Not Rome, not Paris, not London, Not New York city, but the little tiny city of Jerusalem.

Luke 21:20 "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.

God says this:

Zec 12:2 I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah.

Zec 12:3 On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs will focus more and more attention on Jerusalem. In all of the situations Jerusalem is the city to watch.

God is telling us that Jerusalem will be at the center of the end times events.

Now we know that in Ezekiel 37 God tells his prophet to prophesy to the valley of dead bones which is the children of Israel. And they come up out of their spiritual deadness.

God brings Israel back together and they are alive and well. But then we see something happening in Ezekiel 38:

Eze 38:1 This is another message that came to me from the LORD:

Eze 38:2 "Son of man, turn and face Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

Eze 38:3 Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: Gog, I am your enemy!

Eze 38:4 I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with your whole army—your horses and charioteers in full armor and a great horde armed with shields and swords.

Eze 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons.

Eze 38:6 Gomer and all its armies will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north, and many others.

Eze 38:7 "Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them.

Now look at verse 8

Eze 38:8 A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.

Who could Magog possibly be? Many believe that it is speaking of Modern day Russia.

Josephus and ancient historian Magog was the second son of Japheth who settled north of the Black sea.

But also in the Bible directions are given in relation to Israel. And if you look north of Israel today you will find the mighty nation of Russia.

Show the map>

You see, Russia and we have Ethiopia: which is the modern day Sudan.

And Libya and guess what Libya is Libya. And they have anti-Israeli feelings. But another one that is interesting: Persia, Persia changed her name in 1935 to Iran.

This the alliance that God says will form.

So all of these things are coming together in an amazing way. the return of the Jews to their homeland. The return of Jerusalem to the Jews in their homeland.

And this large force from the north of Israel marching toward her with the ally of Iran and who has only recently become an ally of Russia.

In New York times Newspaper:

Russia’s achievements in the Middle East go way beyond the success in Syria. Moscow benefits from flexible semi-alliances with Turkey and Iran, oil price arrangements with Saudi Arabia and newly revived military ties with Egypt.

It is again a player of some consequence in Libya, a power to which many Lebanese look to help them hold their country together, and a would-be security broker between Iran and the Gulf States — all this while maintaining an intimate relationship with Israel. (END OF QUOTE)

And then just recently a top official with Iran’s revolutionary force warned Iran will blow up the heart of Israel if the United States or the Jewish state attacks it first.

And he went on to say, “Should a single American or Zionist missile land in our country before the dust settles Iranian missiles with blow up the heart of Israel.”

In a briefing recently, a top ranking general with the Israeli military, said, We take these very threats very seriously. We don’t think they are empty threats. And we will respond appropriately.

So Israel is saying in so many words, they will do what needs to be done with or without the help of the United States to stop this threat.

We are living in dangerous times! Here is what we do know: A large force from the north of Israel will attack her and it will be know as Magog, which is very much know as Russia.

And when this happens God will intervene and God will destroy the Russian army and all the other army in this plot.

Because of this the Jewish people are going to give glory to God.

Now this is what we need to know there are very few believers in Jewish people.

Very few that believe that Jesus Christ is their Messiah.

But when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon Israel after God drives back the invading armies of Magog there will be a revival in Israel and many Jewish people will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

But I believe that this can’t happen, the Outpouring of the Spirit on Israel until the full gathering of the Gentiles.

Rom 11:25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.

Now I want to come back to the point that I had earlier. When that person finally believes in Jesus. That last one the Lord is waiting on, our work here is done.

The closing of the gentile dispensation is the Rapture of the Church.

So this means that when we see these events happen we need to look up for our redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"

So I want to close out tonight on this great event!

1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Now if you are looking for the word Rapture in the Bible, it is not there, the event sure is. And the word is in the Bible if you have Latin Translation.

Because the word Rapture is from the Latin word “rapturus” which means being caught up.

So this event that we call the Rapture is presented in”

1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And it also talk about in

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

We have use this verse on many funeral, but the proper use is not about death here. But Jesus said, I will come again and receive you unto myself.

The words: Receive you unto myself means to take you by force.

Apostle Paul speaks of it:

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Next week I am going to talk more about the rapture of the church.