David Jeremiah - The Rapture of the Church

May 25, 2025 | 57:29

The great disappearing of God's children could happen at any time. Learn about this imminent event, the Rapture.

#Church #Religion #Jesus #EndTimes #DavidJeremiah #Praise&Worship #Death #EternalLife #LastDays #Rapture #SecondComing #Hymns

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Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah | David Jeremiah - The Rapture of the Church | May 25, 2025

...
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Male announcer: the future isn't a mystery, it's a masterpiece.
00:00:00.984 --> 00:00:02.052
In "60 days of prophecies" by dr. jeremiah,
00:00:04.788 --> 00:00:07.424
You'll see how scripture connects the past,
00:00:07.424 --> 00:00:09.192
Present, and future.
00:00:09.192 --> 00:00:11.027
Designed for seekers of knowledge with limited time,
00:00:11.027 --> 00:00:13.596
You'll gain a clearer understanding of god's plan,
00:00:13.596 --> 00:00:16.066
Discovering peace for today and hope for tomorrow.
00:00:16.066 --> 00:00:19.702
Dr. jeremiah will send you his book, "60 days of prophecies,"
00:00:19.702 --> 00:00:23.506
In appreciation of your gift of any amount
00:00:23.506 --> 00:00:25.875
In support of "turning point."
00:00:25.875 --> 00:00:27.343
Request yours today.
00:00:27.343 --> 00:00:29.245
Dr. david jeremiah: museums.
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Within the walls of these institutions,
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The signs of our history are preserved
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Through collections of artistic, cultural,
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And scientific importance.
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Exhibits chronicle the people, places, and events
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That have shaped our world.
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There is coming a series of events so apocalyptic
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It will put a period behind the world as we know it
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And not one museum will be left standing
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To memorialize its destruction.
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But what if we could visit such a place?
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A museum containing the signs of what is to come,
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Exhibits and remnants of the end times.
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What could we learn?
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How would it change the way we live today?
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Though in truth, a museum of this kind will never be built.
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Through the lens of god's word,
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Our imagination can catch a glimpse
00:01:33.309 --> 00:01:35.411
Of not what has happened, but will happen.
00:01:35.411 --> 00:01:40.283
Come with me on a tour of bible prophecy,
00:01:40.283 --> 00:01:43.219
And we will discover the signs god has laid out in scripture,
00:01:43.219 --> 00:01:47.557
Signs that assure us god has a plan
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For the future and for eternity.
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♪♪♪
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Dr. jeremiah: on today's program,
00:01:54.797 --> 00:01:56.166
We explore a future event
00:01:56.166 --> 00:01:57.534
That will be one of earth's most traumatic experiences
00:01:57.534 --> 00:02:01.037
For those who are left behind,
00:02:01.037 --> 00:02:03.373
But a glorious experience for those who are taken.
00:02:03.373 --> 00:02:06.776
That is the day when millions of people will be evacuated
00:02:06.776 --> 00:02:10.079
From this world in the blink of an eye.
00:02:10.079 --> 00:02:13.616
Stay tuned for today's edition of "turning point,"
00:02:13.616 --> 00:02:16.452
"the rapture of the church."
00:02:16.452 --> 00:02:18.221
Announcer: from huntsville, alabama,
00:02:20.723 --> 00:02:22.292
This is "turning point" with dr. david jeremiah.
00:02:22.292 --> 00:02:25.328
♪ oh, yes, i'm leaning, oh, i'm leaning ♪
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♪ i'm safe and secure from all alarms ♪
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♪ oh, i'm leaning, yes, i'm leaning ♪
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♪ i'm leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
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Charles billingsley: yeah.
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All right, come on!
00:02:48.451 --> 00:02:50.486
Sound good.
00:02:50.486 --> 00:02:51.821
Let's take it up a key, guys. come on, everybody.
00:02:51.821 --> 00:02:53.590
Yeah, do the next verse now, everybody.
00:02:53.590 --> 00:02:56.893
"oh, how sweet to walk."
00:02:56.893 --> 00:02:58.394
♪ oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way ♪
00:02:58.394 --> 00:03:03.433
♪ leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
00:03:03.433 --> 00:03:08.538
♪ oh, how bright the path grows from day to day ♪
00:03:08.538 --> 00:03:13.743
♪ leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
00:03:13.743 --> 00:03:18.114
♪ oh, yes, i'm leaning, oh, i'm leaning ♪
00:03:18.114 --> 00:03:24.287
♪ i'm safe and secure from all alarms ♪
00:03:24.287 --> 00:03:29.259
♪ oh, i'm leaning, oh yes, i'm leaning ♪
00:03:29.259 --> 00:03:34.697
♪ i'm leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
00:03:34.697 --> 00:03:41.104
Charles: all right, now, y'all, we're gonna do one more verse.
00:03:41.104 --> 00:03:42.772
C'mon, here we go.
00:03:42.772 --> 00:03:48.678
Charles: c'mon, sing it with us, everybody.
00:03:48.678 --> 00:03:50.013
"what have i to dread."
00:03:50.013 --> 00:03:51.347
♪ what have i to dread, what have i to fear ♪
00:03:51.347 --> 00:03:56.085
♪ leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
00:03:56.085 --> 00:04:01.424
♪ i have blessed peace with my lord so near ♪
00:04:01.424 --> 00:04:06.529
♪ leaning on the everlasting arms ♪
00:04:06.529 --> 00:04:10.933
♪ oh, yes, i'm leaning, oh yes, i'm leaning ♪
00:04:10.933 --> 00:04:16.773
♪ i'm safe and secure from all alarms ♪
00:04:16.773 --> 00:04:21.878
♪ oh, i'm leaning, oh yes, i'm leaning ♪
00:04:21.878 --> 00:04:27.150
♪ i'm leaning on ♪
00:04:27.150 --> 00:04:29.352
♪ the everlasting arms ♪♪
00:04:29.352 --> 00:04:39.362
[vocalizing]
00:04:39.362 --> 00:04:42.198
[audience applauding]
00:04:43.599 --> 00:04:47.570
Announcer: coming up on "turning point."
00:04:47.570 --> 00:04:49.872
Dr. jeremiah: one day we'll be going through our motions,
00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:51.741
Living our lives, and that sound will be heard.
00:04:51.741 --> 00:04:54.043
You say, "how will i know it?"
00:04:54.043 --> 00:04:55.378
Well, it's going to be a sound like a trumpet,
00:04:55.378 --> 00:04:57.013
Like the voice of an archangel.
00:04:57.013 --> 00:04:58.581
It's gonna be that kind of sound,
00:04:58.581 --> 00:04:59.916
Like you've never heard before.
00:04:59.916 --> 00:05:01.250
I promise you, when you hear it, you'll know it.
00:05:01.250 --> 00:05:02.852
Announcer: a timeless classic from dr. david jeremiah,
00:05:04.821 --> 00:05:07.857
"the book of signs:
00:05:07.857 --> 00:05:09.192
31 undeniable prophecies of the apocalypse."
00:05:09.192 --> 00:05:12.562
Drawing from decades of experience
00:05:12.562 --> 00:05:14.197
As one of the world's most respected scholars
00:05:14.197 --> 00:05:15.865
Of bible prophecy,
00:05:15.865 --> 00:05:17.367
Dr. jeremiah brings his signature wisdom, depth,
00:05:17.367 --> 00:05:20.336
And compassion to "the book of signs,"
00:05:20.336 --> 00:05:22.705
His masterwork on prophecy.
00:05:22.705 --> 00:05:24.707
You'll come to understand the profound implications
00:05:24.707 --> 00:05:27.043
Of 31 major signs of the end times.
00:05:27.043 --> 00:05:30.012
And most importantly, you will walk away with hope
00:05:30.012 --> 00:05:32.582
And confidence for the future,
00:05:32.582 --> 00:05:34.484
And a renewed sense of purpose for your faith today.
00:05:34.484 --> 00:05:37.687
A must-have volume for anyone interested
00:05:37.687 --> 00:05:39.689
In end-times theology.
00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:41.391
"the book of signs" will be sent to you in appreciation
00:05:41.391 --> 00:05:44.060
When you support this program with a gift of any amount.
00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:47.463
Also available, "the signs" set containing "the book of signs,"
00:05:47.463 --> 00:05:51.634
The 31-message "signs" cd collection
00:05:51.634 --> 00:05:54.103
With three correlating study guides,
00:05:54.103 --> 00:05:55.838
And "the revelation prophecy chart,"
00:05:55.838 --> 00:05:57.974
Plus "the prophecy interview" dvd.
00:05:57.974 --> 00:06:00.510
Watch and learn as sheila walsh interviews dr. jeremiah
00:06:00.510 --> 00:06:03.613
About the series of events coming in the end times.
00:06:03.613 --> 00:06:06.816
"the signs" set is yours in appreciation of your generous
00:06:06.883 --> 00:06:09.919
Gift of $135 or more, or three monthly payments of $45.
00:06:09.919 --> 00:06:15.091
"the book of signs" and "the signs" set,
00:06:15.091 --> 00:06:18.094
Dr. jeremiah's legacy work on bible prophecy.
00:06:18.094 --> 00:06:21.230
Contact turning point today.
00:06:21.230 --> 00:06:22.865
♪ open the eyes of my heart, lord ♪
00:06:25.935 --> 00:06:28.638
♪ open the eyes of my heart ♪
00:06:28.638 --> 00:06:35.945
♪ i want to see you, o lord ♪
00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:40.416
♪ lord, i want to see you ♪
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♪ high and lifted up. ♪
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♪ to see you high and lifted up ♪
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♪ shining in the light of your glory ♪
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Charles: "pour out your power, lord."
00:06:56.098 --> 00:06:57.667
♪ pour out your power and love ♪
00:06:57.667 --> 00:07:01.137
♪ as we sing holy, holy, holy ♪
00:07:01.137 --> 00:07:07.643
Charles: oh lord, you are holy.
00:07:07.643 --> 00:07:08.978
Let's sing that together.
00:07:08.978 --> 00:07:10.780
♪ holy, holy, holy ♪
00:07:10.780 --> 00:07:15.451
♪ you are holy, holy, holy ♪
00:07:15.451 --> 00:07:21.324
♪ holy, holy, holy ♪
00:07:21.324 --> 00:07:25.695
♪ i want to see you ♪♪
00:07:25.695 --> 00:07:32.168
♪ and we cry holy, holy, holy ♪
00:07:32.168 --> 00:07:52.889
♪ is the lamb ♪
00:07:39.075 --> 00:07:57.760
Charles: "we fall down, we worship you, lord."
00:07:57.760 --> 00:08:01.130
♪ we fall down, we lay our crowns ♪
00:08:01.130 --> 00:08:06.536
♪ at the feet of jesus ♪
00:08:06.536 --> 00:08:13.643
♪ the greatness of mercy and love ♪
00:08:13.643 --> 00:08:19.215
♪ at the feet of jesus ♪
00:08:19.215 --> 00:08:24.420
♪ and we cry holy, holy, holy ♪
00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:43.639
♪ is the lamb ♪♪
00:08:30.626 --> 00:08:48.678
Charles: let's do one more together.
00:08:48.678 --> 00:08:50.646
♪ and it's rising up ♪
00:08:50.646 --> 00:08:54.050
♪ it's all around ♪
00:08:54.050 --> 00:08:57.119
♪ it's the anthem of the lord's renown ♪
00:08:57.119 --> 00:09:03.092
♪ oh, it's rising up ♪
00:09:03.092 --> 00:09:06.662
♪ it's all around ♪
00:09:06.662 --> 00:09:09.498
♪ it's the anthem of the lord's renown ♪
00:09:09.498 --> 00:09:15.738
♪ oh, it's rising up ♪
00:09:15.738 --> 00:09:19.075
♪ it's all around ♪
00:09:19.075 --> 00:09:21.911
♪ it's the anthem of the lord's renown ♪
00:09:21.911 --> 00:09:27.550
♪ oh, it's rising up ♪
00:09:27.550 --> 00:09:31.654
♪ it's all around ♪
00:09:31.654 --> 00:09:34.023
♪ it's the anthem of the lord's renown ♪
00:09:34.023 --> 00:09:42.131
♪ and together we sing ♪
00:09:42.131 --> 00:09:44.934
♪ oh, everyone sing ♪
00:09:44.934 --> 00:09:51.641
♪ oh, yes, lord ♪
00:09:51.641 --> 00:09:54.577
♪ holy is the lord god almighty ♪
00:09:54.577 --> 00:10:01.150
♪ the earth is filled with his glory ♪
00:10:01.150 --> 00:10:11.327
Charles: let's sing it one more time.
00:10:06.989 --> 00:10:13.129
♪ the earth is filled with his glory ♪
00:10:13.129 --> 00:10:17.500
Charles: sing it again.
00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:19.435
♪ the earth is filled with his glory ♪♪
00:10:19.435 --> 00:10:27.777
[audience applauding]
00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.484
Announcer: dr. david jeremiah
00:10:37.186 --> 00:10:38.521
Is delivering the unchanging word of god every month
00:10:38.521 --> 00:10:41.490
To more than half a million homes
00:10:41.490 --> 00:10:43.426
Through "turning points" magazine and devotional.
00:10:43.426 --> 00:10:45.895
Read articles and devotionals from dr. jeremiah each month
00:10:45.895 --> 00:10:48.931
That will encourage, challenge,
00:10:48.931 --> 00:10:50.566
And strengthen your walk with the lord.
00:10:50.566 --> 00:10:52.535
As you explore the pages of "turning points" each month,
00:10:52.535 --> 00:10:55.071
You'll find inspirational articles
00:10:55.071 --> 00:10:56.505
From dr. jeremiah on biblical themes
00:10:56.505 --> 00:10:58.808
He believes are most relevant for today's times,
00:10:58.808 --> 00:11:01.477
As well as daily devotionals,
00:11:01.477 --> 00:11:03.179
Including an uplifting thought from dr. jeremiah,
00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:05.748
A powerful verse to remember,
00:11:05.748 --> 00:11:07.383
A recommended scripture reading for deeper study,
00:11:07.383 --> 00:11:09.819
And a yearly bible reading plan.
00:11:09.819 --> 00:11:12.188
It's also the perfect way to stay connected
00:11:12.188 --> 00:11:13.823
With the ministry of turning point,
00:11:13.823 --> 00:11:15.458
Including a monthly schedule of radio and television,
00:11:15.458 --> 00:11:17.993
The latest study resources from dr. jeremiah,
00:11:17.993 --> 00:11:20.496
And ministry news.
00:11:20.496 --> 00:11:22.064
Join more than half a million people
00:11:22.064 --> 00:11:23.999
Who are inspired and encouraged
00:11:23.999 --> 00:11:25.701
By "turning points" magazine and devotional each month.
00:11:25.701 --> 00:11:28.904
Request your first three issues of "turning points"
00:11:28.904 --> 00:11:31.407
Completely free from turning point today.
00:11:31.407 --> 00:11:34.076
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:11:36.445 --> 00:11:43.219
Charles: "age to age he stands."
00:11:43.219 --> 00:11:46.322
♪ age to age he stands ♪
00:11:46.322 --> 00:11:51.627
♪ oh, and time is in his hands ♪
00:11:51.627 --> 00:11:57.199
♪ beginning and the end ♪
00:11:57.199 --> 00:12:04.140
♪ the godhead three in one ♪
00:12:00.136 --> 00:12:11.147
♪ father spirit son ♪
00:12:11.147 --> 00:12:15.518
♪ the lion and the lamb ♪
00:12:15.518 --> 00:12:22.558
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:12:18.788 --> 00:12:27.930
♪ sing with me, how great is our god ♪
00:12:27.930 --> 00:12:33.769
♪ and all will see ♪
00:12:33.769 --> 00:12:35.471
♪ how great, how great is our god ♪
00:12:35.471 --> 00:12:45.314
Charles: the bible says in philippians chapter 2
00:12:45.314 --> 00:12:47.583
That at the name of jesus every knee shall bow,
00:12:47.583 --> 00:12:50.286
Every tongue confess that he is lord
00:12:50.286 --> 00:12:52.721
To the glory of god the father.
00:12:52.721 --> 00:12:54.723
This little bridge in this song is such a wonderful lyric
00:12:54.723 --> 00:12:57.593
To sing: "name above all names, worthy of all praise.
00:12:57.593 --> 00:13:03.199
My heart will sing how great is our god."
00:13:03.199 --> 00:13:06.769
Come on, let me hear you just lift your voices, everybody.
00:13:06.769 --> 00:13:09.205
Just you this time.
00:13:09.205 --> 00:13:10.639
All right, let me hear you.
00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:12.107
♪ oh, name above all things ♪
00:13:12.107 --> 00:13:17.413
Charles: "worthy of all praise."
00:13:17.413 --> 00:13:19.215
♪ worthy of all praise ♪
00:13:19.215 --> 00:13:24.753
♪ my heart will sing ♪
00:13:24.753 --> 00:13:27.690
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:13:27.690 --> 00:13:34.530
Charles: lift the name of jesus again.
00:13:34.530 --> 00:13:36.332
Sing it again.
00:13:36.332 --> 00:13:37.967
♪ name above all names ♪
00:13:37.967 --> 00:13:44.240
♪ worthy of all praise ♪
00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.877
♪ my heart will sing ♪
00:13:47.877 --> 00:13:52.014
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:13:52.014 --> 00:13:58.020
Charles: he's the name above all names, worthy to be praised.
00:13:58.020 --> 00:14:00.623
Sing it again.
00:14:00.623 --> 00:14:02.458
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:14:02.458 --> 00:14:06.395
♪ sing with me, how great is our god ♪
00:14:06.395 --> 00:14:12.101
♪ and all will see ♪
00:14:12.101 --> 00:14:13.869
♪ how great, how great is our god ♪
00:14:13.869 --> 00:14:21.176
Charles: sing it one more time--lord jesus.
00:14:21.176 --> 00:14:24.947
♪ how great is our god ♪
00:14:24.947 --> 00:14:29.952
♪ sing with me, how great is our god ♪
00:14:29.952 --> 00:14:35.758
♪ and all will see ♪
00:14:35.758 --> 00:14:37.459
♪ how great, how great ♪
00:14:37.459 --> 00:14:42.364
♪ is our god ♪♪
00:14:42.364 --> 00:14:52.241
[audience applauding]
00:14:53.409 --> 00:14:57.079
Announcer: a timeless classic from dr. david jeremiah,
00:14:57.146 --> 00:15:00.182
"the book of signs:
00:15:00.182 --> 00:15:01.517
31 undeniable prophecies of the apocalypse."
00:15:01.517 --> 00:15:04.887
Drawing from decades of experience
00:15:04.887 --> 00:15:06.522
As one of the world's most respected scholars
00:15:06.522 --> 00:15:08.190
Of bible prophecy,
00:15:08.190 --> 00:15:09.692
Dr. jeremiah brings his signature wisdom, depth,
00:15:09.692 --> 00:15:12.661
And compassion to "the book of signs,"
00:15:12.661 --> 00:15:15.030
His masterwork on prophecy.
00:15:15.030 --> 00:15:17.032
You'll come to understand the profound implications
00:15:17.032 --> 00:15:19.368
Of 31 major signs of the end times.
00:15:19.368 --> 00:15:22.338
And most importantly, you will walk away with hope
00:15:22.338 --> 00:15:24.907
And confidence for the future,
00:15:24.907 --> 00:15:26.809
And a renewed sense of purpose for your faith today.
00:15:26.809 --> 00:15:30.012
A must-have volume for anyone interested
00:15:30.012 --> 00:15:32.014
In end-times theology.
00:15:32.014 --> 00:15:33.716
"the book of signs" will be sent to you in appreciation
00:15:33.716 --> 00:15:36.385
When you support this program with a gift of any amount.
00:15:36.385 --> 00:15:39.788
Also available, "the signs" set containing "the book of signs,"
00:15:39.788 --> 00:15:43.959
The 31-message "signs" cd collection
00:15:43.959 --> 00:15:46.428
With three correlating study guides,
00:15:46.428 --> 00:15:48.163
And "the revelation prophecy chart,"
00:15:48.163 --> 00:15:50.299
Plus "the prophecy interview" dvd.
00:15:50.299 --> 00:15:52.835
Watch and learn as sheila walsh interviews dr. jeremiah
00:15:52.835 --> 00:15:55.938
About the series of events coming in the end times.
00:15:55.938 --> 00:15:59.141
"the signs" set is yours in appreciation of your generous
00:15:59.208 --> 00:16:02.244
Gift of $135 or more, or three monthly payments of $45.
00:16:02.244 --> 00:16:07.416
"the book of signs" and "the signs" set,
00:16:07.416 --> 00:16:10.419
Dr. jeremiah's legacy work on bible prophecy.
00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:13.555
Contact turning point today.
00:16:13.555 --> 00:16:15.190
Announcer: in appreciation of your viewership today,
00:16:18.827 --> 00:16:21.096
Dr. jeremiah would like to give you
00:16:21.096 --> 00:16:22.965
The revelation prophecy chart,
00:16:22.965 --> 00:16:25.200
A visually stunning fold-out chart that will walk you
00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:27.936
Through the events found in the book of revelation.
00:16:27.936 --> 00:16:30.639
Plus, two informative prophecy-related articles
00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.575
From dr. jeremiah.
00:16:33.575 --> 00:16:35.177
Receive the revelation prophecy chart completely free
00:16:35.177 --> 00:16:38.180
When you contact turning point today.
00:16:38.180 --> 00:16:40.983
Now, here is dr. jeremiah with his message,
00:16:40.983 --> 00:16:43.952
"the rapture of the church."
00:16:43.952 --> 00:16:45.454
Dr. jeremiah: all of you know that we live
00:16:47.089 --> 00:16:48.690
In southern california,
00:16:48.690 --> 00:16:50.759
And all of you know that every part of the country
00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:52.494
Has its own issues.
00:16:52.494 --> 00:16:56.432
We don't have too many tornadoes in california.
00:16:56.432 --> 00:16:59.001
We have earthquakes.
00:16:59.001 --> 00:17:01.837
We don't have many floods.
00:17:01.837 --> 00:17:04.273
We have fires.
00:17:04.273 --> 00:17:07.142
And it was back in october of 2007
00:17:07.142 --> 00:17:10.646
When the fires created what has been described
00:17:10.646 --> 00:17:13.148
As the biggest evacuation in state history:
00:17:13.148 --> 00:17:17.453
350,000 homes were vacated in southern california
00:17:17.453 --> 00:17:23.125
As 16 simultaneous wildfires swept through our community.
00:17:23.125 --> 00:17:28.997
I will never forget it.
00:17:28.997 --> 00:17:31.400
Strange as it may seem, i was preaching at that time
00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:34.703
On "the prophetic word."
00:17:34.703 --> 00:17:37.873
And that sunday after the fires,
00:17:37.873 --> 00:17:40.576
I was scheduled to give a message called "the rapture."
00:17:40.576 --> 00:17:46.014
And early in the week, because of the fires
00:17:46.014 --> 00:17:48.383
And because of the prominence of our church in the community,
00:17:48.383 --> 00:17:51.120
A newspaper reporter from "the union tribune" called me
00:17:51.120 --> 00:17:54.823
And wanted to know what i was going to preach on
00:17:54.823 --> 00:17:57.960
To all of the people in our community
00:17:57.960 --> 00:17:59.795
Because of the fires.
00:17:59.795 --> 00:18:01.763
And as i focused my attention on the scheduled message,
00:18:01.763 --> 00:18:05.367
I was awed by the strange similarity
00:18:05.367 --> 00:18:07.736
Of a massive evacuation at the beginning of a wildfire
00:18:07.736 --> 00:18:11.874
And another massive evacuation before a future time
00:18:11.874 --> 00:18:14.910
Of earthquakes, fire, and chaos.
00:18:14.910 --> 00:18:18.313
And so, my message was scheduled to be "the great disappearance,"
00:18:18.313 --> 00:18:22.684
And on the spot, i changed it to "the great evacuation."
00:18:22.684 --> 00:18:26.989
Everybody came to church that sunday.
00:18:26.989 --> 00:18:31.293
The bible tells us that there is coming a day when millions
00:18:31.293 --> 00:18:34.396
Of people will be evacuated from this world in a moment.
00:18:34.396 --> 00:18:40.102
It will be a time of chaos never before experienced
00:18:40.102 --> 00:18:43.238
In this earth.
00:18:43.238 --> 00:18:44.806
Those of us who are watching what is happening in the world
00:18:44.806 --> 00:18:47.476
Today believe that the time for that event is drawing near.
00:18:47.476 --> 00:18:52.281
The event that i'm describing
00:18:52.281 --> 00:18:54.583
Is what the bible calls the rapture.
00:18:54.583 --> 00:18:58.554
Before we look at the passage of scripture
00:18:58.554 --> 00:19:00.155
That describes this event,
00:19:00.155 --> 00:19:02.324
I want to answer a question that a little girl
00:19:02.324 --> 00:19:04.793
Asked her mother after she heard me preach
00:19:04.793 --> 00:19:06.862
A similar truth at shadow mountain.
00:19:06.862 --> 00:19:09.464
It was a very insightful question, and the mother told me
00:19:09.464 --> 00:19:12.334
As i was working out the next day in the gym,
00:19:12.334 --> 00:19:14.770
"here's what my little girl asked me,
00:19:14.770 --> 00:19:16.638
And you need to give me an answer
00:19:16.638 --> 00:19:17.973
So i can go home and tell her what the answer is."
00:19:17.973 --> 00:19:21.043
Here was her question: "dr. jeremiah
00:19:21.043 --> 00:19:23.011
Keeps talking about all the signs that are developing
00:19:23.011 --> 00:19:25.681
Concerning the lord's return.
00:19:25.681 --> 00:19:28.083
And then in the next breath he says,
00:19:28.083 --> 00:19:29.751
'and nothing needs to happen before jesus comes back
00:19:29.751 --> 00:19:32.654
To take us home to be with him.'
00:19:32.654 --> 00:19:34.523
Now, mom, that doesn't make any sense to me.
00:19:34.523 --> 00:19:36.892
Either there are signs or there aren't signs.
00:19:36.892 --> 00:19:39.361
What does the pastor mean?"
00:19:39.361 --> 00:19:41.830
It's a very insightful question that demands an answer,
00:19:41.830 --> 00:19:44.833
And the best way for me to answer it
00:19:44.833 --> 00:19:46.268
Is to show you a little diagram on the screen behind me.
00:19:46.268 --> 00:19:49.871
This diagram will help you understand
00:19:49.871 --> 00:19:51.640
That there is coming a time when some events
00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:54.576
Are going to take place and they're going
00:19:54.576 --> 00:19:56.812
To be sequenced.
00:19:56.812 --> 00:19:58.380
The first thing that you see on this chart
00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:00.382
Is the first coming of christ.
00:20:00.382 --> 00:20:01.984
And of course, then after the first coming of christ
00:20:01.984 --> 00:20:04.386
Comes the next event.
00:20:04.386 --> 00:20:05.954
The next event is the church age.
00:20:05.954 --> 00:20:07.489
That's where we are right now.
00:20:07.489 --> 00:20:08.957
We're living in the church age, the age between
00:20:08.957 --> 00:20:12.361
The coming of christ the first time
00:20:12.361 --> 00:20:14.129
And the coming of christ the second time.
00:20:14.129 --> 00:20:16.231
How many of you know what the next thing is?
00:20:16.231 --> 00:20:18.166
Right after the church age, what's going to change
00:20:18.166 --> 00:20:20.469
Everything forever is this event we call the rapture.
00:20:20.469 --> 00:20:23.805
Notice, the rapture shows jesus coming from heaven,
00:20:23.805 --> 00:20:26.675
But he doesn't come all the way to the earth.
00:20:26.675 --> 00:20:28.543
The bible says we're going to be caught up into the heavens
00:20:28.543 --> 00:20:30.612
To be with him,
00:20:30.612 --> 00:20:31.947
And then we're going to go back to heaven with him
00:20:31.947 --> 00:20:33.448
In the rapture.
00:20:33.448 --> 00:20:34.883
After the rapture, a period of great tribulation
00:20:34.883 --> 00:20:36.685
Will take place on this earth for 7 years.
00:20:36.685 --> 00:20:39.421
At the end of the 7-year tribulation,
00:20:39.421 --> 00:20:41.323
The second coming of christ takes place.
00:20:41.323 --> 00:20:44.293
Now here's where the disconnect is for most people
00:20:44.293 --> 00:20:46.762
Who get confused about the future.
00:20:46.762 --> 00:20:48.864
The rapture and the second coming of christ
00:20:48.864 --> 00:20:50.966
Are not the same thing.
00:20:50.966 --> 00:20:52.534
The rapture is when jesus comes back to take his people
00:20:52.534 --> 00:20:56.104
Back to heaven with him,
00:20:56.104 --> 00:20:57.706
Then tribulation on the earth takes place,
00:20:57.706 --> 00:20:59.875
And then the second coming is when jesus comes back
00:20:59.875 --> 00:21:02.678
And the bible says he comes with all of the people of god
00:21:02.678 --> 00:21:06.548
And with all the angels and sets up his kingdom on this earth.
00:21:06.548 --> 00:21:10.752
Now here's the answer to that young girl's question.
00:21:10.752 --> 00:21:13.622
There are no signs for the rapture.
00:21:13.622 --> 00:21:16.358
The rapture could happen at any time.
00:21:16.358 --> 00:21:18.827
But the new testament is filled with signs
00:21:18.827 --> 00:21:20.629
For the second coming.
00:21:20.629 --> 00:21:22.397
But guess what?
00:21:22.397 --> 00:21:24.032
Every event casts its shadow before us.
00:21:24.032 --> 00:21:26.401
So if there are signs for the second advent,
00:21:26.401 --> 00:21:30.672
And they tell us that the second advent
00:21:30.672 --> 00:21:32.507
Is coming,
00:21:32.507 --> 00:21:33.842
That means the rapture is 7 years before that,
00:21:33.842 --> 00:21:35.744
So the rapture is surely coming, isn't it?
00:21:35.744 --> 00:21:37.913
So when we study the prophecies of the bible,
00:21:37.913 --> 00:21:40.349
And we see the regathering of israel,
00:21:40.349 --> 00:21:42.384
And we see the collection of the nations of europe,
00:21:42.384 --> 00:21:44.920
And we see all the things that are happening
00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:47.122
On the prophetic scene, what we know is this:
00:21:47.122 --> 00:21:50.125
Our redemption is drawing nigh.
00:21:50.125 --> 00:21:52.361
The bible tells us that jesus is going to come back,
00:21:52.361 --> 00:21:54.629
And i know i might embarrass myself a little bit
00:21:54.629 --> 00:21:57.399
By saying this, but i tell people everywhere i go
00:21:57.399 --> 00:22:00.102
I expect to be here when jesus comes back
00:22:00.102 --> 00:22:02.137
For the rapture.
00:22:02.137 --> 00:22:03.605
I believe that things are so close that if the lord lets me
00:22:03.605 --> 00:22:05.574
Live out my life, i'm going to see the rapture.
00:22:05.574 --> 00:22:08.944
And i've come up with a little slogan,
00:22:08.944 --> 00:22:10.612
"i'd rather see the upper-taker than the undertaker,"
00:22:10.612 --> 00:22:12.581
Wouldn't you?
00:22:12.581 --> 00:22:13.915
I'm really looking forward to that.
00:22:13.915 --> 00:22:15.417
I am.
00:22:15.417 --> 00:22:20.122
Now, according to the book of revelation, when jesus comes
00:22:20.122 --> 00:22:22.724
Back for the second advent, every eye shall see him.
00:22:22.724 --> 00:22:25.927
But when the rapture happens, it's going to be very quickly,
00:22:25.927 --> 00:22:29.531
Very quietly happening.
00:22:29.531 --> 00:22:31.533
And it is the answer to the promise that jesus made
00:22:31.533 --> 00:22:34.503
In john chapter 14.
00:22:34.503 --> 00:22:36.037
Do you remember when jesus was about to go away
00:22:36.037 --> 00:22:38.874
After his disciples had understood his death,
00:22:38.874 --> 00:22:41.410
Burial, and resurrection a little bit,
00:22:41.410 --> 00:22:43.278
And jesus was preparing them for what was to happen.
00:22:43.278 --> 00:22:46.515
And they didn't understand it, and some of them said,
00:22:46.515 --> 00:22:48.316
"lord, where are you going?"
00:22:48.316 --> 00:22:50.585
And "lord, how do you get there?"
00:22:50.585 --> 00:22:52.854
And jesus said to them in john 14:
00:22:52.854 --> 00:22:54.723
"don't let your heart be troubled;
00:22:54.723 --> 00:22:56.691
You believe in god, believe also in me.
00:22:56.691 --> 00:22:59.394
In my father's house are many mansions;
00:22:59.394 --> 00:23:01.496
And if it were not so, i would have told you.
00:23:01.496 --> 00:23:04.699
I am going to prepare a place for you.
00:23:04.699 --> 00:23:07.502
And i go to prepare this place for you so that i can come again
00:23:07.502 --> 00:23:11.173
And receive you unto myself; that where i am,
00:23:11.173 --> 00:23:15.277
There you may be also."
00:23:15.277 --> 00:23:17.712
And the rapture is the fulfillment
00:23:17.712 --> 00:23:19.815
Of that promise of the lord jesus.
00:23:19.815 --> 00:23:21.883
He has gone to heaven.
00:23:21.883 --> 00:23:23.485
He is preparing a place for us, and one day soon he's going to
00:23:23.485 --> 00:23:27.088
Come back and he's going to take us up to meet him in the air,
00:23:27.088 --> 00:23:30.859
And we're going to go to the place that he's been preparing.
00:23:30.859 --> 00:23:34.162
Now if the lord created the earth in six days
00:23:34.162 --> 00:23:37.032
And rested on the seventh,
00:23:37.032 --> 00:23:38.700
He's been working on heaven for several thousand years.
00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:41.069
Can you imagine what kind of place that's going to be?
00:23:41.069 --> 00:23:43.438
I mean it is going to be a place like anything
00:23:43.438 --> 00:23:45.407
You have ever seen in your life.
00:23:45.407 --> 00:23:48.210
And the hope of the believer is this,
00:23:48.210 --> 00:23:50.612
That before tribulation breaks out on this earth,
00:23:50.612 --> 00:23:53.148
The lord jesus christ is going to return.
00:23:53.148 --> 00:23:56.651
Now the real--the real text that teaches this truth
00:23:56.651 --> 00:24:01.790
Is found in 1 thessalonians chapter 4.
00:24:01.790 --> 00:24:04.759
The christians who lived in this little city of thessalonica,
00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:08.163
They had heard about jesus coming back,
00:24:08.163 --> 00:24:10.866
But they didn't understand it.
00:24:10.866 --> 00:24:12.801
In fact, they thought that jesus was going to come back
00:24:12.801 --> 00:24:15.570
In their lifetime, and their thought was,
00:24:15.570 --> 00:24:17.272
"well, what about our parents who already died
00:24:17.272 --> 00:24:19.441
And they're in the grave?
00:24:19.441 --> 00:24:21.176
What about our grandparents, our godly friends
00:24:21.176 --> 00:24:22.911
Who've already died?
00:24:22.911 --> 00:24:24.246
What about them?
00:24:24.246 --> 00:24:25.580
They're not going to be here when jesus comes back,
00:24:25.580 --> 00:24:26.915
So what's going to happen to them?"
00:24:26.915 --> 00:24:28.950
And so, the writer of the book of 1 thessalonians wrote
00:24:28.950 --> 00:24:33.188
This letter to them to explain to them
00:24:33.188 --> 00:24:35.557
The answer to their question.
00:24:35.557 --> 00:24:37.492
And i want you to open your bibles, if you will,
00:24:37.492 --> 00:24:39.661
To 1 thessalonians and the 4th chapter.
00:24:39.661 --> 00:24:43.164
And i want to ask you to listen to it as if you had never heard
00:24:43.164 --> 00:24:45.634
It before, because this is the answer that paul gave to the
00:24:45.634 --> 00:24:50.372
Thessalonians concerning what was going to happen
00:24:50.372 --> 00:24:53.642
To their loved ones,
00:24:53.642 --> 00:24:55.176
What was going to take place if jesus came back
00:24:55.176 --> 00:24:59.180
And their loved ones had already died.
00:24:59.180 --> 00:25:01.116
So here we are in 1 thessalonians chapter 4,
00:25:01.116 --> 00:25:03.385
And listen to his words.
00:25:03.385 --> 00:25:05.620
"but i do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,
00:25:05.620 --> 00:25:08.290
Concerning those who have fallen asleep,
00:25:08.290 --> 00:25:10.959
Lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
00:25:10.959 --> 00:25:14.229
For if we believe that jesus died and rose again,
00:25:14.229 --> 00:25:17.999
Even so god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus.
00:25:17.999 --> 00:25:22.170
For this we say to you by the word of the lord,
00:25:22.170 --> 00:25:24.306
That we who are alive and remain
00:25:24.306 --> 00:25:26.074
Until the coming of the lord will by no means
00:25:26.074 --> 00:25:29.144
Precede those who are asleep.
00:25:29.144 --> 00:25:31.813
For the lord himself will descend from heaven
00:25:31.813 --> 00:25:33.815
With a shout,
00:25:33.815 --> 00:25:35.183
With the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of god,
00:25:35.183 --> 00:25:37.586
And the dead in christ shall rise first.
00:25:37.586 --> 00:25:40.522
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together
00:25:40.522 --> 00:25:44.059
With them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air.
00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:47.162
And so we will always be with the lord.
00:25:47.162 --> 00:25:49.431
Comfort one another with these words."
00:25:49.431 --> 00:25:52.434
Now, the writer of this passage begins by giving to his readers
00:25:52.434 --> 00:25:58.373
A preview of what's going to happen in the future,
00:25:58.373 --> 00:26:00.909
Sort of a little overture of these events.
00:26:00.909 --> 00:26:03.912
And he begins by trying to dispel their ignorance.
00:26:03.912 --> 00:26:07.182
He begins in verse 13 by saying,
00:26:07.182 --> 00:26:09.985
"i don't want you to be ignorant, brethren."
00:26:09.985 --> 00:26:12.854
And i've observed that whenever that passage is referred to
00:26:12.854 --> 00:26:15.657
In the scripture, whenever that little phrase
00:26:15.657 --> 00:26:17.425
Is in the scripture, you know what it means?
00:26:17.425 --> 00:26:19.794
They're ignorant brethren.
00:26:19.794 --> 00:26:21.830
It means they don't know what they need to know.
00:26:21.830 --> 00:26:23.865
In fact, j. vernon mcgee once said
00:26:23.865 --> 00:26:25.567
That the largest congregation in the world was the congregation
00:26:25.567 --> 00:26:28.203
Of the ignorant brethren.
00:26:28.203 --> 00:26:29.604
I don't know if that's true or not.
00:26:29.604 --> 00:26:31.239
He was a little more edgy than i would be.
00:26:31.239 --> 00:26:34.709
But the apostle begins by using this phrase
00:26:34.709 --> 00:26:37.212
That shows that the thessalonians didn't understand
00:26:37.212 --> 00:26:40.181
What was going on.
00:26:40.181 --> 00:26:42.183
So he's writing this to dispel their ignorance.
00:26:42.183 --> 00:26:45.420
And you know, one of the reasons we study the bible
00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:47.055
Is so we can learn things we don't know.
00:26:47.055 --> 00:26:49.491
And people say, "well, i don't believe
00:26:49.491 --> 00:26:51.226
In the prophetic scriptures,"
00:26:51.226 --> 00:26:52.961
Or "my pastor doesn't preach from prophecy."
00:26:52.961 --> 00:26:55.030
Did you know that about a fourth of the bible is prophetic?
00:26:55.030 --> 00:26:57.899
You decide not to preach on prophecy,
00:26:57.899 --> 00:26:59.334
You're not going to know a lot of stuff.
00:26:59.334 --> 00:27:01.036
You're going to be part of that congregation
00:27:01.036 --> 00:27:02.404
That dr. mcgee talked about,
00:27:02.404 --> 00:27:04.039
The congregation of the ignorant brethren.
00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.341
So we need to open our bibles and ask god
00:27:06.341 --> 00:27:07.876
To help us understand what the scripture says.
00:27:07.876 --> 00:27:11.413
The first thing that he does after he dispels their ignorance
00:27:11.413 --> 00:27:13.948
Is he describes a believer's death.
00:27:13.948 --> 00:27:16.284
And this is a very interesting thing.
00:27:16.284 --> 00:27:17.852
Notice what he says.
00:27:17.852 --> 00:27:19.187
He says, "i don't want you to be ignorant concerning those
00:27:19.187 --> 00:27:21.856
Who have fallen asleep."
00:27:21.856 --> 00:27:25.193
The word that is used of christians who have died
00:27:25.193 --> 00:27:28.329
In the text of the new testament is a word which is--
00:27:28.329 --> 00:27:32.867
The meaning of the word is to sleep, but to sleep in death.
00:27:32.867 --> 00:27:36.638
In fact, if you go through the scriptures in the new testament,
00:27:36.638 --> 00:27:39.207
You'll be surprised how many times that word is used
00:27:39.207 --> 00:27:41.576
For death, and you don't even think about it
00:27:41.576 --> 00:27:43.511
Because you just sort of assume it.
00:27:43.511 --> 00:27:45.613
Let me explain to you, let me give you some verses.
00:27:45.613 --> 00:27:47.282
We'll put them up on the screen quickly.
00:27:47.282 --> 00:27:49.451
John 11:11 concerning lazarus: "these things jesus said,
00:27:49.451 --> 00:27:53.555
And after that he said to them, 'our friend lazarus sleeps,
00:27:53.555 --> 00:27:58.326
But i go that i may wake him up.'"
00:27:58.326 --> 00:27:59.994
Now let me ask you a question.
00:27:59.994 --> 00:28:01.329
Was lazarus sleeping?
00:28:01.329 --> 00:28:02.764
No, the bible said he'd been in the grave
00:28:02.764 --> 00:28:04.099
And he'd already started to stink.
00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:05.967
He wasn't sleeping, he was dead.
00:28:05.967 --> 00:28:07.802
But sleep is the term that is used for death of christians.
00:28:07.802 --> 00:28:12.107
Once again in acts chapter 7 we read:
00:28:12.107 --> 00:28:14.075
"then stephen knelt down and cried out with a loud voice,
00:28:14.075 --> 00:28:17.445
'lord, do not charge them with this sin.'
00:28:17.445 --> 00:28:19.848
And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
00:28:19.848 --> 00:28:23.284
Did stephen take a nap?
00:28:23.284 --> 00:28:25.153
No, he was stoned to death.
00:28:25.153 --> 00:28:26.621
He died.
00:28:26.621 --> 00:28:27.956
He fell asleep.
00:28:27.956 --> 00:28:29.624
In acts 13:36 we read this about david.
00:28:29.624 --> 00:28:32.060
This is the clearest one of all.
00:28:32.060 --> 00:28:34.095
"for david, after he had served his own generation
00:28:34.095 --> 00:28:36.965
By the will of god, fell asleep,
00:28:36.965 --> 00:28:40.034
And he was buried with his fathers,
00:28:40.034 --> 00:28:42.203
And saw corruption."
00:28:42.203 --> 00:28:43.538
So what happened to david? did he take a nap?
00:28:43.538 --> 00:28:44.906
No, he died.
00:28:44.906 --> 00:28:47.208
And in 1 corinthians 15:20 we read:
00:28:47.208 --> 00:28:49.677
"but now christ is risen from the dead,
00:28:49.677 --> 00:28:51.980
And has become the firstfruits of those
00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:53.948
Who have fallen asleep."
00:28:53.948 --> 00:28:56.451
Did you know that if you're a christian,
00:28:56.451 --> 00:28:58.353
Death is just like falling asleep?
00:28:58.353 --> 00:29:00.789
Just like falling asleep.
00:29:00.789 --> 00:29:02.123
That's what the bible says.
00:29:02.123 --> 00:29:03.591
And we're gonna learn why in just a moment.
00:29:03.591 --> 00:29:05.827
The early christians had this wonderful word
00:29:05.827 --> 00:29:09.497
For the burying places of their dead.
00:29:09.497 --> 00:29:12.600
The greek word is koimeterion,
00:29:12.600 --> 00:29:14.969
And don't get caught up in that word,
00:29:14.969 --> 00:29:16.671
But it means a rest house for strangers, a sleeping place.
00:29:16.671 --> 00:29:20.608
Now hang on, it is the same word
00:29:20.608 --> 00:29:22.977
From which we get our english word, "cemetery."
00:29:22.977 --> 00:29:27.048
The same word was used in that day for inns or hotels
00:29:27.048 --> 00:29:31.352
Or motels, like the ramada inn or the holiday inn.
00:29:31.352 --> 00:29:37.392
The same word that was used for cemetery was used for hotels.
00:29:37.392 --> 00:29:42.363
And you expect to get up the next day
00:29:42.363 --> 00:29:44.299
When you go to a hotel and continue your journey.
00:29:44.299 --> 00:29:47.135
And this is the picture of the place where you bury
00:29:47.135 --> 00:29:49.437
Your believing loved ones.
00:29:49.437 --> 00:29:51.139
The body of the believer's just been put into a hotel
00:29:51.139 --> 00:29:54.008
Until the resurrection.
00:29:54.008 --> 00:29:55.677
Isn't that an interesting thought?
00:29:55.677 --> 00:29:57.245
So where's my loved one?
00:29:57.245 --> 00:29:58.580
Oh, they're in the hotel down here at the cemetery.
00:29:58.580 --> 00:30:00.882
I mean that'll open some people's eyes.
00:30:00.882 --> 00:30:02.684
It'll start a conversation for you if you want one.
00:30:02.684 --> 00:30:06.221
One day the lord is going to come back and that body
00:30:06.221 --> 00:30:09.224
Is going to be raised up.
00:30:09.224 --> 00:30:10.892
And the main truth here that we need to remember
00:30:10.892 --> 00:30:12.927
Is just as physically we sleep
00:30:12.927 --> 00:30:15.763
And we expect to awake tomorrow in the hotels
00:30:15.763 --> 00:30:18.166
Where we're staying, so as christians
00:30:18.166 --> 00:30:20.735
When we die we can be assured
00:30:20.735 --> 00:30:23.004
That one day we'll be awakened by the return of the lord,
00:30:23.004 --> 00:30:26.040
We'll come out of those hotels and will go to be
00:30:26.040 --> 00:30:28.276
With the lord in the heavens.
00:30:28.276 --> 00:30:29.811
What a great truth.
00:30:29.811 --> 00:30:31.579
Now, after he dispels their ignorance
00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:35.350
And he describes their death,
00:30:35.350 --> 00:30:37.352
He defends the believer's hope and this is what he says:
00:30:37.352 --> 00:30:40.989
"lest you sorrow,"
00:30:40.989 --> 00:30:42.523
He says i want you to know this truth
00:30:42.523 --> 00:30:44.058
So you won't sorrow, "like others who don't have any hope.
00:30:44.058 --> 00:30:47.962
For if we believe that jesus died and rose again,
00:30:47.962 --> 00:30:50.832
Even so god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus."
00:30:50.832 --> 00:30:58.106
Now paul says to these people in thessalonica,
00:30:58.106 --> 00:31:00.508
He says, "i don't want you to sorrow like others
00:31:00.508 --> 00:31:03.645
Who don't have any hope."
00:31:03.645 --> 00:31:04.979
He didn't say, "i don't want you to sorrow."
00:31:04.979 --> 00:31:06.648
He said, "i just don't want you to sorrow
00:31:06.648 --> 00:31:07.982
Like those who don't have any hope."
00:31:07.982 --> 00:31:09.417
How many of you know there's a difference
00:31:09.417 --> 00:31:10.785
Between sorrowing without hope and sorrowing with hope?
00:31:10.785 --> 00:31:14.622
You know, i was a chaplain-- when i was a student
00:31:14.622 --> 00:31:16.457
At dallas seminary,
00:31:16.457 --> 00:31:18.059
I was a chaplain at the baylor university hospital
00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:20.061
For about 2 years.
00:31:20.061 --> 00:31:21.663
I didn't know what i was doing.
00:31:21.663 --> 00:31:23.131
It was a job.
00:31:23.131 --> 00:31:24.465
I needed a job, and so i went there.
00:31:24.465 --> 00:31:25.800
And i'll tell you, it was the scariest place
00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:27.135
I'd ever been for a long time in my life.
00:31:27.135 --> 00:31:29.704
I was on duty with a little beeper, and every time something
00:31:29.704 --> 00:31:32.073
Bad happened in the hospital,
00:31:32.073 --> 00:31:33.608
They called me and said, "get to the family room."
00:31:33.608 --> 00:31:36.010
And i met people from every imaginable place.
00:31:36.010 --> 00:31:39.447
Most of the time, people who were brought there,
00:31:39.447 --> 00:31:41.649
Families who were there, whose family members
00:31:41.649 --> 00:31:44.052
Were in deep trouble.
00:31:44.052 --> 00:31:45.586
Some of them had been killed in accidents.
00:31:45.586 --> 00:31:48.823
I was a young seminary student trying to figure out life,
00:31:48.823 --> 00:31:51.259
And i made a wonderful observation during those years.
00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:54.429
I got to the place where i could walk in the family room
00:31:54.429 --> 00:31:57.165
And tell you if the people involved were christians or not,
00:31:57.165 --> 00:32:00.501
And i didn't even have to ask a question.
00:32:00.501 --> 00:32:03.538
Because you see, christians sorrow.
00:32:03.538 --> 00:32:05.707
They sorrow just as genuinely as others.
00:32:05.707 --> 00:32:08.176
And don't let anybody give you this nonsense
00:32:08.176 --> 00:32:09.944
That if you're a christian
00:32:09.944 --> 00:32:11.379
You shouldn't cry when people die
00:32:11.379 --> 00:32:12.947
Or shouldn't be sad when things go wrong.
00:32:12.947 --> 00:32:14.515
That's not true.
00:32:14.515 --> 00:32:15.850
The bible says jesus wept.
00:32:15.850 --> 00:32:17.986
But here's the difference.
00:32:17.986 --> 00:32:19.354
It's not sorrow without hope.
00:32:19.354 --> 00:32:22.023
And if you've ever seen anyone's sorrow without hope,
00:32:22.023 --> 00:32:25.426
There's a sense of despair in their sorrow.
00:32:25.426 --> 00:32:28.162
I remember one day walking into that family room
00:32:28.162 --> 00:32:30.898
And seeing a woman down on her knees
00:32:30.898 --> 00:32:33.167
Pounding her head into the carpet
00:32:33.167 --> 00:32:35.636
Because of the despair she felt over the loss of a loved one.
00:32:35.636 --> 00:32:39.874
Listen to me, ladies and gentlemen,
00:32:39.874 --> 00:32:41.376
The lord jesus came into this world
00:32:41.376 --> 00:32:42.977
To take the sting out of death.
00:32:42.977 --> 00:32:44.846
And what that means is that though we do sorrow
00:32:44.846 --> 00:32:47.115
When we lose somebody we love,
00:32:47.115 --> 00:32:48.916
We don't sorrow like the other part of the world
00:32:48.916 --> 00:32:51.185
Who doesn't know him, because we know that death
00:32:51.185 --> 00:32:53.755
Is not the end.
00:32:53.755 --> 00:32:55.289
In fact, it's the beginning of something much better
00:32:55.289 --> 00:32:57.525
Than we've ever experienced before.
00:32:57.525 --> 00:32:59.794
Now, here's why we don't have to sorrow.
00:33:02.797 --> 00:33:05.266
Here's where our hope is.
00:33:05.266 --> 00:33:06.634
Notice what he says in verses 13 and 14.
00:33:06.634 --> 00:33:08.970
He says, "if we believe that jesus died and he rose again,
00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:13.608
Is it too hard to believe that he can perform the same miracle
00:33:13.608 --> 00:33:16.411
In your life and in mine?"
00:33:16.411 --> 00:33:18.246
I mean, this explains how christ took the sting
00:33:18.246 --> 00:33:21.015
Out of death for believers.
00:33:21.015 --> 00:33:22.717
He's changed what would have been death into sleep
00:33:22.717 --> 00:33:26.220
By his own death.
00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:28.089
This then is the cause for not grieving.
00:33:28.089 --> 00:33:30.992
I'm not afraid to die.
00:33:30.992 --> 00:33:32.393
I don't want to die.
00:33:32.393 --> 00:33:33.728
I'm like the little boy in the class
00:33:33.728 --> 00:33:35.063
Who the teacher said,
00:33:35.063 --> 00:33:36.397
How many of you want to go to heaven when you die?
00:33:36.397 --> 00:33:38.566
Everybody raised their hand but one little boy in the back row,
00:33:38.566 --> 00:33:40.835
And she went back and she said,
00:33:40.835 --> 00:33:42.170
"son, don't you want to go to heaven when you die?"
00:33:42.170 --> 00:33:43.971
"oh," he said, "yeah, when i die,
00:33:43.971 --> 00:33:45.506
But i thought you were getting up a load
00:33:45.506 --> 00:33:46.841
For tonight, you know?"
00:33:46.841 --> 00:33:48.443
I don't want to go to heaven tonight.
00:33:48.443 --> 00:33:49.777
You know what i'm saying?
00:33:49.777 --> 00:33:51.212
I want to go to heaven when god's ready
00:33:51.212 --> 00:33:52.547
To take me to heaven,
00:33:52.547 --> 00:33:53.881
And i'm not afraid to go to heaven
00:33:53.881 --> 00:33:55.349
Because i know that there is something far better
00:33:55.349 --> 00:33:58.753
Awaiting us because of our faith in christ.
00:33:58.753 --> 00:34:02.323
Now, in the next part of this section of scripture, verse 15,
00:34:02.323 --> 00:34:07.428
We've already seen the careful preview of the rapture.
00:34:07.428 --> 00:34:09.530
Now we're going to see the promise of the rapture.
00:34:09.530 --> 00:34:11.399
Notice verse 15: "for this we say to you
00:34:11.399 --> 00:34:13.901
By the word of the lord,
00:34:13.901 --> 00:34:15.570
That we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord
00:34:15.570 --> 00:34:19.107
Will by no means precede those who are asleep."
00:34:19.107 --> 00:34:22.743
Paul introduces this verse with a statement of divine authority.
00:34:22.743 --> 00:34:25.880
Notice he said, "by the word of the lord."
00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:28.449
This means that paul got this truth
00:34:28.449 --> 00:34:30.017
Directly from almighty god.
00:34:30.017 --> 00:34:32.120
It means that this is a statement of great importance
00:34:32.120 --> 00:34:36.791
That was communicated to paul directly.
00:34:36.791 --> 00:34:39.794
Paul tells these people that not only will those who have died
00:34:39.794 --> 00:34:43.030
In christ be present at the return of the lord,
00:34:43.030 --> 00:34:47.301
But they actually will have the place of prominence.
00:34:47.301 --> 00:34:50.671
Remember what they were worried about?
00:34:50.671 --> 00:34:52.240
Their loved ones had died.
00:34:52.240 --> 00:34:53.674
They knew jesus was coming back, but what about mom and dad?
00:34:53.674 --> 00:34:56.444
What about grandma and grandpa?
00:34:56.444 --> 00:34:57.778
What about uncle jerry and aunt judy?
00:34:57.778 --> 00:34:59.780
What about them?
00:34:59.780 --> 00:35:01.182
They were christians, and they're dead.
00:35:01.182 --> 00:35:02.717
What happened to them?
00:35:02.717 --> 00:35:04.152
And jesus said, "paul, you tell those folks.
00:35:04.152 --> 00:35:06.387
Don't worry about that.
00:35:06.387 --> 00:35:07.788
In fact, let them know that those who have gone on in the
00:35:07.788 --> 00:35:11.626
Grave are actually going to take first place in the rapture.
00:35:11.626 --> 00:35:15.263
They're going to be raised first."
00:35:15.263 --> 00:35:18.432
Isn't that what it says?
00:35:18.432 --> 00:35:20.134
Somebody said, "why do they have to go first?"
00:35:20.134 --> 00:35:21.769
Well, they've got 6 feet further to go, right?
00:35:21.769 --> 00:35:23.604
They have to have a little head start, right?
00:35:23.604 --> 00:35:26.040
God's going to raise them up first.
00:35:26.040 --> 00:35:29.243
What an encouragement that must have been to those people
00:35:29.243 --> 00:35:31.112
In that church who never had heard this truth before.
00:35:31.112 --> 00:35:33.814
Where are our parents?
00:35:33.814 --> 00:35:36.317
Jesus is coming back, but where are they?
00:35:36.317 --> 00:35:38.886
And paul said, "listen, god's already provided for that."
00:35:38.886 --> 00:35:42.290
And then he gives them this incredible story
00:35:42.290 --> 00:35:45.026
Of what's going to happen.
00:35:45.026 --> 00:35:46.561
He says, "they shall not precede," and he begins in
00:35:46.561 --> 00:35:49.397
Verses 16 and 17 to outline how things are going to happen
00:35:49.397 --> 00:35:54.202
When the rapture occurs.
00:35:54.202 --> 00:35:55.536
So let's go through this little chronological--
00:35:55.536 --> 00:35:57.838
This little chronological program of the rapture,
00:35:57.838 --> 00:36:00.074
Verses 16 and 17.
00:36:00.074 --> 00:36:01.609
Notice first of all, first thing,
00:36:01.609 --> 00:36:03.811
There's going to be a return, verse 16:
00:36:03.811 --> 00:36:05.813
"for the lord himself will descend from heaven
00:36:05.813 --> 00:36:09.450
With a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
00:36:09.450 --> 00:36:12.320
And with the trumpet of god."
00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:14.388
The bible says the next thing that's going to happen for
00:36:14.388 --> 00:36:16.123
Everyone who's a christian is the skies are going to be parted
00:36:16.123 --> 00:36:19.193
And jesus christ is going to come back.
00:36:19.193 --> 00:36:21.596
He's going to return to take those who have trusted in him
00:36:21.596 --> 00:36:25.633
To heaven.
00:36:25.633 --> 00:36:28.636
And notice, it's the lord himself who is coming.
00:36:28.636 --> 00:36:31.239
He's not sending the holy spirit.
00:36:31.239 --> 00:36:33.107
He's not sending his angels.
00:36:33.107 --> 00:36:35.009
He's not sending any of the disciples who've gone on ahead.
00:36:35.009 --> 00:36:38.012
He himself is coming.
00:36:38.012 --> 00:36:40.348
In fact, you remember when he was taken up in the ascension
00:36:40.348 --> 00:36:44.118
That the angels said, "men of galilee,
00:36:44.118 --> 00:36:46.053
Why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
00:36:46.053 --> 00:36:48.856
This same jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
00:36:48.856 --> 00:36:52.226
Is going to come in the same manner
00:36:52.226 --> 00:36:54.061
As you saw him go into heaven."
00:36:54.061 --> 00:36:55.596
How did they see him go?
00:36:55.596 --> 00:36:57.064
They saw him go physically, they saw him go personally.
00:36:57.064 --> 00:37:00.635
So how should we expect him to come back?
00:37:00.635 --> 00:37:02.737
Physically and personally.
00:37:02.737 --> 00:37:04.205
Jesus christ is coming back very soon.
00:37:04.205 --> 00:37:07.375
Now the detail of this passage is very complete.
00:37:07.375 --> 00:37:10.211
In fact, we're even given the sounds
00:37:10.211 --> 00:37:11.879
That we're going to hear before this happens.
00:37:11.879 --> 00:37:13.814
It says: the shout, the voice of the archangel,
00:37:13.814 --> 00:37:17.151
And the trump of god.
00:37:17.151 --> 00:37:18.786
Three sounds.
00:37:18.786 --> 00:37:20.454
We should be listening for these sounds, the bible says.
00:37:20.454 --> 00:37:23.958
One day we'll be going through our motions, living our lives,
00:37:23.958 --> 00:37:26.427
And that sound will be heard.
00:37:26.427 --> 00:37:28.029
You say, "how will i know it?"
00:37:28.029 --> 00:37:29.363
Well, it's going to be a sound like a trumpet,
00:37:29.363 --> 00:37:31.032
Like the voice of an archangel.
00:37:31.032 --> 00:37:32.433
It's going to be that kind of sound
00:37:32.433 --> 00:37:33.768
Like you've never heard before.
00:37:33.768 --> 00:37:35.102
I promise you, when you hear it, you'll know it.
00:37:35.102 --> 00:37:38.539
There's going to be a return.
00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:40.041
And then the bible says there's going to be a resurrection,
00:37:40.041 --> 00:37:42.276
And the dead in christ shall rise first.
00:37:42.276 --> 00:37:46.380
In a split second, the lord is going to call
00:37:46.380 --> 00:37:49.417
All believers to himself to share his glory.
00:37:49.417 --> 00:37:52.453
Not one will remain behind.
00:37:52.453 --> 00:37:55.489
Now isn't it hard to imagine what this would be like?
00:37:55.489 --> 00:37:58.626
Now god has given me a fertile imagination,
00:37:58.626 --> 00:38:00.428
So let me share some of my imagination
00:38:00.428 --> 00:38:02.563
About what this would be like.
00:38:02.563 --> 00:38:04.565
Millions of people from all parts of the earth are going to
00:38:04.565 --> 00:38:06.834
Feel a tingling sensation pulsating through their bodies.
00:38:06.834 --> 00:38:10.638
They are all suddenly energized.
00:38:10.638 --> 00:38:12.840
Those with physical deformities will be healed.
00:38:12.840 --> 00:38:15.309
The blind suddenly will see.
00:38:15.309 --> 00:38:17.478
Wrinkles will disappear on the elderly
00:38:17.478 --> 00:38:19.347
As their youth is restored.
00:38:19.347 --> 00:38:21.082
As these people marvel at their physical transformation,
00:38:21.082 --> 00:38:24.985
They are lifted skyward.
00:38:24.985 --> 00:38:26.587
Those in buildings go right through the ceiling
00:38:26.587 --> 00:38:28.723
And roof without any pain or damage.
00:38:28.723 --> 00:38:31.225
The flesh and bones seem to dematerialize,
00:38:31.225 --> 00:38:34.061
Defying all known laws of physics and biology.
00:38:34.061 --> 00:38:37.631
And as they travel heavenward, some of them see and greet those
00:38:37.631 --> 00:38:40.401
Who have risen from their graves,
00:38:40.401 --> 00:38:42.436
And after a brief mystical union,
00:38:42.436 --> 00:38:45.005
They all vanish from sight.
00:38:45.005 --> 00:38:47.174
You say, "dr. jeremiah, you have been staying up too late
00:38:47.174 --> 00:38:50.644
At night reading too many mysteries."
00:38:50.644 --> 00:38:52.880
No, no, i don't know if it'll be exactly like that,
00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:56.283
But the scripture gives us enough information to know
00:38:56.283 --> 00:38:59.353
It will be very much like that.
00:38:59.353 --> 00:39:01.856
The bible says that we are going to be changed, in a moment,
00:39:01.856 --> 00:39:04.992
In the twinkling of an eye.
00:39:04.992 --> 00:39:08.062
The bible says we shall not all sleep,
00:39:08.062 --> 00:39:11.332
But we shall all be changed.
00:39:11.332 --> 00:39:13.868
Now the bible says that this is going to happen
00:39:13.868 --> 00:39:16.270
As surely as we are here.
00:39:16.270 --> 00:39:18.305
You say, "is there any illustration
00:39:18.305 --> 00:39:19.940
In the bible of what a rapture is going to be like?"
00:39:19.940 --> 00:39:22.376
And i want to tell you, salted in the scripture from the
00:39:22.376 --> 00:39:25.579
Beginning of the old testament throughout the scripture,
00:39:25.579 --> 00:39:27.648
There are little pictures, little vignettes,
00:39:27.648 --> 00:39:30.451
Little examples, and i'm just going to share them
00:39:30.451 --> 00:39:31.919
With you quickly.
00:39:31.919 --> 00:39:33.254
Here's what the bible says about enoch
00:39:33.254 --> 00:39:35.222
In hebrews chapter 11, verse 5:
00:39:35.222 --> 00:39:37.558
"by faith enoch was taken away so that he did not see death,
00:39:37.558 --> 00:39:44.432
'and he was not found, because god had taken him';
00:39:44.432 --> 00:39:48.602
For before he was taken he had this testimony,
00:39:48.602 --> 00:39:52.206
That he pleased god."
00:39:52.206 --> 00:39:54.141
One of these days, friends, we're going to be taken.
00:39:54.141 --> 00:39:57.344
God's going to take us to heaven.
00:39:57.344 --> 00:40:00.147
What about elijah?
00:40:00.147 --> 00:40:01.482
You remember elijah?
00:40:01.482 --> 00:40:02.817
"then it happened, as they continued on and talked,
00:40:02.817 --> 00:40:04.919
That suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire,
00:40:04.919 --> 00:40:08.189
And separated the two of them; and elijah went up to heaven
00:40:08.189 --> 00:40:11.192
In a whirlwind," and he didn't die.
00:40:11.192 --> 00:40:14.028
He bypassed death like we will when the rapture happens.
00:40:14.028 --> 00:40:17.865
And what about the apostle paul?
00:40:17.865 --> 00:40:19.233
He had a little visitation to heaven, didn't he?
00:40:19.233 --> 00:40:21.969
He said in 2 corinthians: "i know a man in christ
00:40:21.969 --> 00:40:24.705
Who fourteen years ago--
00:40:24.705 --> 00:40:26.040
Whether in the body i do not know,
00:40:26.040 --> 00:40:27.908
Or whether out of the body i do not know,
00:40:27.908 --> 00:40:30.377
God knows--such a one was caught up into the third heaven.
00:40:30.377 --> 00:40:35.216
And i know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body
00:40:35.216 --> 00:40:37.485
I do not know, god knows--how he was caught up into paradise
00:40:37.485 --> 00:40:43.290
And heard inexpressible words,
00:40:43.290 --> 00:40:45.159
Which is not lawful for a man to utter."
00:40:45.159 --> 00:40:48.262
We are going to be taken.
00:40:48.262 --> 00:40:50.631
We are going to be caught up.
00:40:50.631 --> 00:40:52.733
That's what the scripture says.
00:40:52.733 --> 00:40:55.169
And then what about jesus christ?
00:40:55.169 --> 00:40:57.571
The bible says: "and while they looked steadfastly
00:40:57.571 --> 00:40:59.807
Into the heavens, jesus christ in his ascension went up.
00:40:59.807 --> 00:41:07.314
He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
00:41:07.314 --> 00:41:10.518
Who also said, 'men of galilee, why do you stand gazing up
00:41:10.518 --> 00:41:13.420
Into heaven?
00:41:13.420 --> 00:41:14.855
This same jesus, who was taken from you, is going to come back
00:41:14.855 --> 00:41:17.424
In the same manner as you saw him go into heaven.'"
00:41:17.424 --> 00:41:19.727
The bible says jesus went up.
00:41:19.727 --> 00:41:22.830
So if you just look at those little illustrations,
00:41:22.830 --> 00:41:25.065
Enoch was taken and jesus went up.
00:41:25.065 --> 00:41:29.570
Just like it's going to be for us when the rapture happens.
00:41:29.570 --> 00:41:33.374
One of these days we're going to be taken.
00:41:33.374 --> 00:41:36.710
One of these days we're going to be caught up.
00:41:36.710 --> 00:41:38.913
The word "rapture" is not in the bible as a word.
00:41:38.913 --> 00:41:42.416
It is coined because the word means to seize
00:41:42.416 --> 00:41:45.753
Or to catch up into another dimension.
00:41:45.753 --> 00:41:49.356
So there's going to be a return, jesus is going to come back.
00:41:49.356 --> 00:41:52.092
What's the second thing?
00:41:52.092 --> 00:41:53.561
The dead in christ are going to be raised
00:41:53.561 --> 00:41:55.029
And they're going to go up first,
00:41:55.029 --> 00:41:56.630
Then we who are alive and remain,
00:41:56.630 --> 00:41:57.998
We're going to be caught up to be with them in the heavens.
00:41:57.998 --> 00:42:02.303
We're going to meet our loved ones who've gone on
00:42:02.303 --> 00:42:04.538
Before us who are in the grave.
00:42:04.538 --> 00:42:06.707
They're going to get--they're going to check out
00:42:06.707 --> 00:42:08.208
Of their motel,
00:42:08.208 --> 00:42:09.610
And they're going to be caught up with us.
00:42:09.610 --> 00:42:11.278
And the bible says we're going to meet together in the air.
00:42:11.278 --> 00:42:14.882
So there's not only a return, a resurrection, and a rapture,
00:42:14.882 --> 00:42:17.384
But there's going to be a reunion.
00:42:17.384 --> 00:42:19.620
I remember as a little boy growing up in my daddy's church,
00:42:19.620 --> 00:42:21.956
We used to sing this song, "there's going to be a meeting
00:42:21.956 --> 00:42:24.358
In the air in the sweet, sweet by and by."
00:42:24.358 --> 00:42:26.727
You remember that?
00:42:26.727 --> 00:42:28.195
Well, that's not just a good lyric for a good hymn,
00:42:28.195 --> 00:42:30.097
That's the truth of the word of god.
00:42:30.097 --> 00:42:32.099
One of these days we're gonna go to heaven,
00:42:32.099 --> 00:42:33.901
And i take great joy in this because, listen to this,
00:42:33.901 --> 00:42:38.472
While those who die today go to the place
00:42:38.472 --> 00:42:40.407
Where they're going to await the resurrection,
00:42:40.407 --> 00:42:44.645
The bible says that none of us is going to get a priority
00:42:44.645 --> 00:42:48.582
To see the actual final heaven before anyone else.
00:42:48.582 --> 00:42:53.153
We're going to enjoy that experience together.
00:42:53.153 --> 00:42:57.591
I've always been a great sports fan.
00:42:57.591 --> 00:43:01.095
I love basketball,
00:43:01.095 --> 00:43:02.663
Especially because that's what i played when i was in college.
00:43:02.663 --> 00:43:05.566
On the west coast, we had this wonderful experience.
00:43:05.566 --> 00:43:08.936
Because of the time change, when michael jordan was in his prime,
00:43:08.936 --> 00:43:13.040
We used to get wgn and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
00:43:13.040 --> 00:43:16.710
I'd come home from work and i could watch the chicago bulls.
00:43:16.710 --> 00:43:19.313
Every game was on wgn.
00:43:19.313 --> 00:43:22.116
And you all remember michael jordan, you know,
00:43:22.116 --> 00:43:23.984
He might not have a great game every night,
00:43:23.984 --> 00:43:25.719
But you always knew somewhere in that game
00:43:25.719 --> 00:43:27.721
He was going to break out and do something heroic
00:43:27.721 --> 00:43:29.823
That you'd never seen anybody do before.
00:43:29.823 --> 00:43:32.926
And so i would sit there with my two sons
00:43:32.926 --> 00:43:34.528
When they were growing up,
00:43:34.528 --> 00:43:36.764
And when michael jordan would take off at the foul line
00:43:36.764 --> 00:43:39.099
And go flying through the air and slam dunk, you know,
00:43:39.099 --> 00:43:41.402
We'd jump out of our chair and we'd high-five each other
00:43:41.402 --> 00:43:43.837
And we'd be so excited to watch that.
00:43:43.837 --> 00:43:45.639
How many of you know, there's something about
00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:47.374
Enjoying something together with people
00:43:47.374 --> 00:43:49.510
That's not the same when you're by yourself?
00:43:49.510 --> 00:43:51.078
Now i'm home by myself at home.
00:43:51.078 --> 00:43:53.747
Who do i high-five?
00:43:53.747 --> 00:43:55.883
And i want to tell you something, when the lord jesus
00:43:55.883 --> 00:43:58.352
Comes back and he catches us up to be with him,
00:43:58.352 --> 00:44:01.588
Our moms and dads and friends and loved ones
00:44:01.588 --> 00:44:03.757
Are going to be caught up together with us,
00:44:03.757 --> 00:44:05.392
And we're gonna reunite,
00:44:05.392 --> 00:44:06.827
And then we're going to heaven together, amen?
00:44:06.827 --> 00:44:09.029
Amen, and the bible says that the lord
00:44:09.029 --> 00:44:11.999
Is going to come and take us to heaven.
00:44:11.999 --> 00:44:14.635
You know, in the old testament, new testament cultures,
00:44:14.635 --> 00:44:16.704
When somebody came to a city, somebody of great prominence,
00:44:16.704 --> 00:44:20.307
They would send someone out of the city to meet them
00:44:20.307 --> 00:44:22.876
And bring them in.
00:44:22.876 --> 00:44:24.478
The lord jesus christ is coming out of the city to meet us.
00:44:24.478 --> 00:44:28.315
We're going to be reunited in the air,
00:44:28.315 --> 00:44:30.117
And we're going to go to heaven together.
00:44:30.117 --> 00:44:32.152
There's going to be a great reunion.
00:44:32.152 --> 00:44:34.788
The bible says that "we who are alive and remain
00:44:34.855 --> 00:44:37.524
Shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
00:44:37.524 --> 00:44:39.793
To meet the lord in the air.
00:44:39.793 --> 00:44:42.029
And so we shall always be with the lord."
00:44:42.029 --> 00:44:46.100
Ladies and gentlemen, that's our final place.
00:44:46.100 --> 00:44:48.535
Our final place where we're going to be
00:44:48.535 --> 00:44:49.937
Forever and ever with the lord jesus christ.
00:44:49.937 --> 00:44:52.539
Now, i want you to notice that the passage doesn't end
00:44:52.539 --> 00:44:56.443
With this chronological organization of the rapture.
00:44:56.443 --> 00:45:00.681
The passage says that there's a purpose for us
00:45:00.681 --> 00:45:03.283
To know this truth.
00:45:03.283 --> 00:45:05.219
Verse 18 says:
00:45:05.219 --> 00:45:06.754
"therefore, comfort one another with these words."
00:45:06.754 --> 00:45:12.059
The word "comfort" is the same word that is translated
00:45:12.059 --> 00:45:14.762
Elsewhere in the bible by the word "encouragement,"
00:45:14.762 --> 00:45:17.865
So we could read that text this way,
00:45:17.865 --> 00:45:19.867
"therefore encourage one another with these words."
00:45:19.867 --> 00:45:26.240
I want to tell you something, a lot of people
00:45:26.240 --> 00:45:28.575
Need to be encouraged with these words.
00:45:28.575 --> 00:45:31.245
We seem to have lost the doctrine of god's plan
00:45:31.245 --> 00:45:33.814
For the future.
00:45:33.814 --> 00:45:35.349
We don't seem to preach very much on the rapture anymore.
00:45:35.349 --> 00:45:38.318
So oftentimes in our churches, our fellow believers face death
00:45:38.318 --> 00:45:42.322
Just like they didn't know the lord.
00:45:42.322 --> 00:45:44.725
And people go to the hospitals
00:45:44.725 --> 00:45:46.193
And they don't have a word of hope.
00:45:46.193 --> 00:45:48.929
As many of you know, some years ago
00:45:48.929 --> 00:45:51.799
I went through two bouts of lymphoma cancer.
00:45:51.799 --> 00:45:54.868
I was treated at scripps hospital,
00:45:54.868 --> 00:45:57.604
And my doctor is a wonderful man, an incredible physician,
00:45:57.604 --> 00:46:01.542
And he's a south african jew.
00:46:01.542 --> 00:46:03.477
He's a wonderful man.
00:46:03.477 --> 00:46:04.978
We've had some great discussions.
00:46:04.978 --> 00:46:07.247
I was going through lymphoma at the very same time as his rabbi
00:46:07.247 --> 00:46:10.818
Was going through lymphoma, almost exactly the same kind
00:46:10.818 --> 00:46:13.921
And the same treatment.
00:46:13.921 --> 00:46:15.255
And so when we got into remission,
00:46:15.255 --> 00:46:17.825
Dr. saven got this idea that he should have a night
00:46:17.825 --> 00:46:21.161
At the hospital where his rabbi and i
00:46:21.161 --> 00:46:24.431
Would talk about our cancer and our faith.
00:46:24.431 --> 00:46:28.802
Now, i had met this rabbi, and i want to tell you something.
00:46:28.802 --> 00:46:30.904
He was brilliant.
00:46:30.904 --> 00:46:32.339
He used words i'd never heard before.
00:46:32.339 --> 00:46:34.441
I mean, i talked with him and i thought,
00:46:34.441 --> 00:46:35.809
"oh my goodness, i don't belong in his category."
00:46:35.809 --> 00:46:38.645
So, when he asked me if i would come
00:46:38.645 --> 00:46:40.247
And we could have this little discussion about our cancer
00:46:40.247 --> 00:46:43.116
And our faith, i was a little intimidated by it.
00:46:43.116 --> 00:46:47.387
But it didn't last long.
00:46:47.387 --> 00:46:50.490
I was asked to speak first.
00:46:50.490 --> 00:46:53.827
And i got up and i talked about how people had prayed for me
00:46:53.827 --> 00:46:56.763
And how god had been so real to me and how he had helped me
00:46:56.763 --> 00:46:59.800
And how i knew that i was in his hands and that i win either way.
00:46:59.800 --> 00:47:03.537
If i get to stay around, i'm okay.
00:47:03.537 --> 00:47:06.006
And if i go to heaven, i'm okay.
00:47:06.006 --> 00:47:07.875
And had really hope.
00:47:07.875 --> 00:47:09.409
And i just lifted up jesus christ.
00:47:09.409 --> 00:47:12.412
And i remember on our way over there,
00:47:12.412 --> 00:47:13.847
Donna and i were in the car
00:47:13.847 --> 00:47:15.415
And i was kinda nervous and i said, "honey, we gotta pray."
00:47:15.415 --> 00:47:18.518
I didn't know what to pray and this is what i prayed:
00:47:18.518 --> 00:47:20.120
"lord jesus, help me to bring your presence
00:47:20.120 --> 00:47:22.789
Into this room tonight.
00:47:22.789 --> 00:47:24.191
That's all i know how to do."
00:47:24.191 --> 00:47:25.559
So i tried to bring the presence of jesus into that room.
00:47:25.559 --> 00:47:27.861
And then my friend got up and he talked about
00:47:27.861 --> 00:47:29.963
How since god didn't have anything to do
00:47:29.963 --> 00:47:32.199
With him getting sick,
00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:33.600
Why should he ever ask god to do anything to get him better?
00:47:33.600 --> 00:47:35.836
There wasn't any life after death.
00:47:35.836 --> 00:47:37.371
There wasn't any hope.
00:47:37.371 --> 00:47:38.739
There wasn't any reason for us to get all revved up.
00:47:38.739 --> 00:47:40.807
People get sick.
00:47:40.807 --> 00:47:42.175
You should just deal with it, et cetera, et cetera.
00:47:42.175 --> 00:47:45.012
And i thought to myself, "if that's all the hope we have,
00:47:45.012 --> 00:47:47.915
Why would you want to be a priest?
00:47:47.915 --> 00:47:49.383
Why would you want to be a rabbi?
00:47:49.383 --> 00:47:50.751
Why would you want to be a preacher?"
00:47:50.751 --> 00:47:53.020
And i noticed at the end of the time when it was all over,
00:47:53.020 --> 00:47:56.023
And i'm not being critical of anybody here tonight,
00:47:56.023 --> 00:47:58.625
I'm just telling you what happened.
00:47:58.625 --> 00:48:00.360
There was a whole line of folks, because all the people
00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:02.329
From the hospital were involved, all the nurses and people
00:48:02.329 --> 00:48:04.765
Who were not on duty, and they were all asking me questions
00:48:04.765 --> 00:48:07.968
About my faith.
00:48:07.968 --> 00:48:09.369
And i looked over, and my friend was all by himself
00:48:09.369 --> 00:48:13.440
In the corner over there.
00:48:13.440 --> 00:48:15.475
Because how many of you know you can't go through life
00:48:15.475 --> 00:48:17.544
Without hope?
00:48:17.544 --> 00:48:18.912
You can't go through life without faith?
00:48:18.912 --> 00:48:20.681
If you don't believe god has a plan for your life,
00:48:20.681 --> 00:48:22.816
You're going to have a miserable life.
00:48:22.816 --> 00:48:24.518
And it's not just think so, hope so, whomp up your faith.
00:48:24.518 --> 00:48:27.421
The bible says faith is the bedrock truth of life.
00:48:27.421 --> 00:48:33.360
Hebrews 10 says: "the just live by faith."
00:48:33.360 --> 00:48:36.930
I want to tell you something, the rapture of the church
00:48:36.930 --> 00:48:39.967
And the coming of christ is the most encouraging doctrine
00:48:39.967 --> 00:48:43.804
You can ever preach to people who are going through trouble.
00:48:43.804 --> 00:48:48.041
You know, we're living in some pretty difficult times
00:48:48.041 --> 00:48:51.378
Right now, are we not?
00:48:51.378 --> 00:48:52.980
People having kinds of problems they never had before
00:48:52.980 --> 00:48:55.282
In their life.
00:48:55.282 --> 00:48:56.616
So in light of what paul has presented,
00:48:56.616 --> 00:48:58.952
Here's the question we need to ask: how shall we live?
00:48:58.952 --> 00:49:03.056
If we believe that jesus is coming back to take us
00:49:03.056 --> 00:49:05.559
To be with him, how shall we live?
00:49:05.559 --> 00:49:07.494
Well, first of all, we should be looking for the lord,
00:49:07.494 --> 00:49:09.262
Shouldn't we?
00:49:09.262 --> 00:49:10.664
If we believe that, we should be looking for him.
00:49:10.664 --> 00:49:12.165
We should anticipate it.
00:49:12.165 --> 00:49:13.567
When was the last time you even thought about the fact
00:49:13.567 --> 00:49:15.402
That jesus was coming back?
00:49:15.402 --> 00:49:16.937
The bible says in titus 2:13,
00:49:16.937 --> 00:49:18.805
We're to be "looking for the blessed hope
00:49:18.805 --> 00:49:21.842
And glorious appearing of our great god
00:49:21.842 --> 00:49:25.045
And savior jesus christ."
00:49:25.045 --> 00:49:27.280
Philippians 3:20 says: "for our citizenship is in heaven
00:49:27.280 --> 00:49:31.485
From which we also eagerly wait for the savior."
00:49:31.485 --> 00:49:37.124
And 1 thessalonians 1 says we "wait for his son from heaven."
00:49:37.124 --> 00:49:41.828
Are we looking for jesus?
00:49:41.828 --> 00:49:44.264
You know, one of the things that helps you deal with life
00:49:44.264 --> 00:49:46.066
On earth is to remember that there's life elsewhere.
00:49:46.066 --> 00:49:50.203
It's life in heaven that god has provided.
00:49:50.203 --> 00:49:52.739
Keep your eyes on jesus.
00:49:52.739 --> 00:49:54.541
Not only should we be looking for jesus, but the scripture
00:49:54.541 --> 00:49:56.576
Says we should be living for jesus, shouldn't we?
00:49:56.576 --> 00:49:59.546
In fact, one of the interesting things about prophecy
00:49:59.546 --> 00:50:01.648
Is wherever you see a prophetic truth in the bible,
00:50:01.648 --> 00:50:04.184
Almost inevitably, married to it, is some practical admonition
00:50:04.184 --> 00:50:08.422
That has been given to us to tell us what to do.
00:50:08.422 --> 00:50:11.425
For instance: "for the grace of god that brings salvation
00:50:11.425 --> 00:50:14.995
Has appeared to all men, teaching us that,
00:50:14.995 --> 00:50:18.065
Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
00:50:18.065 --> 00:50:21.068
We should live soberly, righteously, and godly
00:50:21.068 --> 00:50:23.603
In this present age, looking for that blessed hope
00:50:23.603 --> 00:50:27.808
And glorious appearing of the lord jesus christ."
00:50:27.808 --> 00:50:30.677
Somebody said, "well, if you believe jesus is coming back,
00:50:30.677 --> 00:50:33.146
You can just live any way you want."
00:50:33.146 --> 00:50:34.848
No, you can't.
00:50:34.848 --> 00:50:36.416
If you really believe that jesus is coming back,
00:50:36.416 --> 00:50:38.185
You don't want to be ashamed at his coming.
00:50:38.185 --> 00:50:41.388
Did you ever, when you were growing up, have your parents
00:50:41.388 --> 00:50:43.090
Leave you at home alone to take care of things?
00:50:43.090 --> 00:50:46.226
You thought they were coming back on a certain day?
00:50:46.226 --> 00:50:49.162
You let things kind of go, and i remember doing this.
00:50:49.162 --> 00:50:52.365
The day before they were to come back, boy,
00:50:52.365 --> 00:50:54.568
You cleaned everything up the best you could.
00:50:54.568 --> 00:50:56.369
If your parents could only have seen like it was the day before,
00:50:56.369 --> 00:50:58.905
They'd never have left you alone again.
00:50:58.905 --> 00:51:02.042
But you know the way you keep that from happening?
00:51:02.042 --> 00:51:05.846
You just take care of things every day.
00:51:05.846 --> 00:51:08.148
Something happened in our community
00:51:08.148 --> 00:51:09.816
During those fires i mentioned at the beginning of my message,
00:51:09.816 --> 00:51:12.486
Something that never happened before.
00:51:12.486 --> 00:51:14.855
Pretty amazing if you want to know the truth.
00:51:14.855 --> 00:51:18.291
We had a lot of people that had been told to get out
00:51:18.291 --> 00:51:20.293
Of the community because fire was coming their way.
00:51:20.293 --> 00:51:23.597
And some of them didn't.
00:51:23.597 --> 00:51:25.165
In fact, you probably remember reading about some
00:51:25.165 --> 00:51:27.167
Of the tragedies of people who lost their lives in that fire
00:51:27.167 --> 00:51:30.770
Because they waited too long and they couldn't get out.
00:51:30.770 --> 00:51:34.341
So they called together a group of experts and they put together
00:51:34.341 --> 00:51:38.078
A program called reverse 911.
00:51:38.078 --> 00:51:41.815
It's really interesting what they did.
00:51:41.815 --> 00:51:43.950
As i understand it, they put people's names
00:51:43.950 --> 00:51:46.386
Who lived in the fire zones on a phone list
00:51:46.386 --> 00:51:49.789
That was called in case the fires
00:51:49.789 --> 00:51:51.992
Threatened their homes and safety.
00:51:51.992 --> 00:51:53.827
In other words, when the fire officials thought that area was
00:51:53.827 --> 00:51:57.230
In danger, they set in motion a massive calling process
00:51:57.230 --> 00:52:01.935
That alerted the homeowners that it was time to leave.
00:52:01.935 --> 00:52:06.439
For reasons unknown, some homeowners
00:52:06.439 --> 00:52:09.743
Didn't put themselves on the list,
00:52:09.743 --> 00:52:12.312
And so they didn't get the call.
00:52:12.312 --> 00:52:14.481
Others were called, but by the time the call came,
00:52:14.481 --> 00:52:17.384
Their phone lines were down,
00:52:17.384 --> 00:52:18.985
So they didn't hear the call either.
00:52:18.985 --> 00:52:21.388
I remember hearing the call was, simple, "fire, get out."
00:52:21.388 --> 00:52:27.861
That's all the call said.
00:52:27.861 --> 00:52:29.529
So when the fire was moving toward an area
00:52:29.529 --> 00:52:32.098
In southern california in san diego county,
00:52:32.098 --> 00:52:35.035
All of these 911 names had been programmed into,
00:52:35.035 --> 00:52:38.772
And they just had to go to the computer and push a button,
00:52:38.772 --> 00:52:41.041
And all the phone numbers that were in that list were called
00:52:41.041 --> 00:52:44.277
And when they picked up the phone what they heard
00:52:44.277 --> 00:52:46.446
Was, "fire, get out."
00:52:46.446 --> 00:52:50.784
And they were warned about coming tragedy.
00:52:50.784 --> 00:52:55.755
But if people didn't have their name on the list,
00:52:55.755 --> 00:52:58.558
They didn't get the call.
00:52:58.558 --> 00:53:01.428
In many ways, the rapture operates
00:53:01.428 --> 00:53:04.431
Like the reverse 911 system.
00:53:04.431 --> 00:53:07.601
If your name's on the list, you'll be evacuated
00:53:07.601 --> 00:53:11.204
Before the tribulation.
00:53:11.204 --> 00:53:13.106
But if your name is not on the list,
00:53:13.106 --> 00:53:15.375
You're gonna be left behind.
00:53:15.375 --> 00:53:18.144
The bible teaches that jesus christ is coming back
00:53:18.144 --> 00:53:21.281
For all those who have placed their faith in him.
00:53:21.281 --> 00:53:24.651
If you have not done that, you will be left behind.
00:53:24.651 --> 00:53:29.990
Today you can get your name on the list.
00:53:29.990 --> 00:53:33.126
You can say, "lord jesus, i want to receive you as my savior.
00:53:33.126 --> 00:53:37.464
I don't want to be left behind.
00:53:37.464 --> 00:53:39.099
I want to go to heaven.
00:53:39.099 --> 00:53:40.767
When you come back for your own,
00:53:40.767 --> 00:53:42.302
I want to be included in that number."
00:53:42.302 --> 00:53:44.537
You say, "well, pastor jeremiah, that's a strange thing
00:53:44.537 --> 00:53:48.508
That you say, that you need to trust jesus christ
00:53:48.508 --> 00:53:51.811
So you can go to heaven."
00:53:51.811 --> 00:53:53.880
I'm not saying that.
00:53:53.880 --> 00:53:55.482
I'm just reporting to you what jesus said.
00:53:55.482 --> 00:53:57.417
Do you remember what he said?
00:53:57.417 --> 00:53:59.152
He said, "i am the way, the truth, and the life.
00:53:59.152 --> 00:54:03.990
No man comes to the father except through me."
00:54:03.990 --> 00:54:08.862
Do you wanna go to heaven when you die?
00:54:08.862 --> 00:54:11.331
The only way you're gonna get there is through jesus christ.
00:54:11.331 --> 00:54:13.933
There's not plan a, plan b, and plan c.
00:54:13.933 --> 00:54:16.336
There's only one plan, it's god's plan.
00:54:16.336 --> 00:54:19.005
I know that we live in an age of pluralism,
00:54:19.005 --> 00:54:21.141
And toleration is the key word, but i don't care very much
00:54:21.141 --> 00:54:24.244
About being tolerant, or don't even care about being liked.
00:54:24.244 --> 00:54:27.380
I just want to be truthful.
00:54:27.380 --> 00:54:29.115
The bible is very true.
00:54:29.115 --> 00:54:30.817
And the bible says god has a plan
00:54:30.817 --> 00:54:33.586
Whereby you can go to heaven
00:54:33.586 --> 00:54:36.089
And spend eternity with him forever and ever and ever.
00:54:36.089 --> 00:54:39.492
And you can execute that plan right here, right now,
00:54:39.492 --> 00:54:43.396
Right here in this place.
00:54:43.396 --> 00:54:45.165
You can put your name on god's 911 list
00:54:45.165 --> 00:54:48.535
And when the rapture comes, you will hear the call,
00:54:48.535 --> 00:54:51.404
The voice of an archangel, the shout, and the trump of god,
00:54:51.404 --> 00:54:56.309
And you will be called up to be with him.
00:54:56.309 --> 00:54:58.411
Announcer: dr. jeremiah will return to close today's program
00:55:00.680 --> 00:55:03.450
Right after this.
00:55:03.450 --> 00:55:05.118
Announcer: thank you for watching today.
00:55:07.287 --> 00:55:08.855
Dr. jeremiah would like to offer you "the book of signs,"
00:55:08.855 --> 00:55:11.891
His masterwork on bible prophecy.
00:55:11.891 --> 00:55:14.294
A must-have volume for anyone interested
00:55:14.294 --> 00:55:16.329
In endtimes theology,
00:55:16.329 --> 00:55:18.064
"the book of signs" will be sent to you in appreciation
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When you support this program with a gift of any amount.
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00:55:23.803 --> 00:55:27.807
The 31-message signs cd collection
00:55:27.807 --> 00:55:30.410
With 3 correlating study guides,
00:55:30.410 --> 00:55:32.145
And the revelation prophecy chart,
00:55:32.145 --> 00:55:34.280
Plus the prophecy interview dvd,
00:55:34.280 --> 00:55:36.583
Yours in appreciation of your generous gift
00:55:36.583 --> 00:55:38.918
Of $135 or more, or 3 monthly payments of $45.
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00:55:43.923 --> 00:55:46.626
Dr. jeremiah's legacy work on bible prophecy.
00:55:46.626 --> 00:55:49.996
Contact turning point today.
00:55:49.996 --> 00:55:51.631
Announcer: and now, with one last word for today's program,
00:55:53.633 --> 00:55:56.569
Here is dr. jeremiah.
00:55:56.569 --> 00:55:58.805
Dr. jeremiah: paul's purpose in writing to the thessalonians
00:55:58.872 --> 00:56:01.374
About the rapture is expressed in his final words:
00:56:01.374 --> 00:56:05.378
"comfort one another with this truth."
00:56:05.378 --> 00:56:09.182
So i have to ask you, were you comforted by this message
00:56:09.182 --> 00:56:12.252
About the rapture?
00:56:12.252 --> 00:56:14.220
If you're a christian, you should be assured
00:56:14.220 --> 00:56:16.489
About the future.
00:56:16.489 --> 00:56:18.057
But perhaps the idea of death and christ's return
00:56:18.057 --> 00:56:21.261
Was a bit discomforting.
00:56:21.261 --> 00:56:23.196
If so, i hope you'll exchange discomfort for comfort
00:56:23.196 --> 00:56:28.067
By putting your eternal trust in jesus christ
00:56:28.067 --> 00:56:30.770
As your lord and savior.
00:56:30.770 --> 00:56:33.173
I can help you toward that decision with two free gifts
00:56:33.173 --> 00:56:36.443
From "turning point."
00:56:36.443 --> 00:56:38.111
One is our booklet called "your greatest turning point,"
00:56:38.111 --> 00:56:40.847
And the other is our monthly devotional magazine
00:56:40.847 --> 00:56:43.783
Called "turning points."
00:56:43.783 --> 00:56:46.352
We will gladly send them both to you, free of charge,
00:56:46.352 --> 00:56:49.489
If you will contact us here at turning point today.
00:56:49.489 --> 00:56:52.592
Announcer: next time on "turning point."
00:56:54.894 --> 00:56:57.464
Dr. jeremiah: there is a wonderful truth
00:56:57.464 --> 00:56:59.666
That god loves us and he's able to save us.
00:56:59.666 --> 00:57:02.469
And even in the midst of the stress of this world,
00:57:02.469 --> 00:57:05.405
We can live a positive, christ-honoring, productive life
00:57:05.405 --> 00:57:10.610
That will bring joy to our hearts and glory to his name.
00:57:10.610 --> 00:57:13.246
Announcer: join dr. jeremiah next time for his message,
00:57:15.081 --> 00:57:17.750
"the 144,000 rescued," here on "turning point."
00:57:17.750 --> 00:57:27.126

David Jeremiah - The Rapture of the Church

May 25, 2025 | 57:29

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