(Common Market) the Finish — Willie Mullan

Well, it's seven this evening, and we have been looking in the past six weeks at the so-called unity of the common market. And I've pointed out again and again that this unity is not just as strong as some of the politicians try to make out.

Only yesterday it was discovered that the Italians were going to have a war with the French because the French had put a tax on their wine. And they were not too pleased about it. So you can see they're having little wars of their own, even in the common market of the present moment.

And we looked at the so-called unity. And then we looked up the policies that the common market will follow in a day or two. And some of these are diabolical, in fact they're inspired by the devil himself.

The Beast and the Religious System of the Common Market

And then one or two nights we looked up the coming presidency of this common market. And we saw this man of sin appearing, this king of his countenance, this one who's called the beast. And then we looked up the religiosity when the Roman church will come to the forefront and for a very, very short time be the religion of the common market.

And then, of course, the common market countries will devour this Roman system. But a worse religious system will take its place. Now we're going to see the market finished this evening. It will be smitten, you know, one day, and smashed and broken.

And we're looking up the stone that will smash it. And we shall have a moment or two to look at the smashing. And we shall look at the sector. Let's go back to the book of Daniel, and we're at the second chapter, please.

Book of Daniel, chapter two. Now you remember the dream that the king dreamed, king Nebuchadnezzar. And you remember that Daniel got down on his knees before God, and God gave him the king's secret. And here is Daniel in before the king.

We don't want to waste time here, but we've got to bring others with us. We're at Daniel two, verse thirty-one. And Daniel is speaking to the king and telling him all about the dream. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before me, and the form thereof was terrible.

The image's head was of fine gold, and we discovered afterwards in the interpretation that the head of gold was really typifying or representing or symbolizing, whatever way you like it, the old Babylonish Gentile world empire.

Thou art this head of gold, he eventually said to Nebuchadnezzar. And then this image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver. And we found out that the next Gentile world empire to take over was the Medo-Persian empire, and we saw this empire in operation.

And then this image, his belly and his thighs were of brass. And we found out that this is the great Grecian empire under Alexander the Great. And then, as Daniel looked on, he could see the legs of iron.

Let's get that bit in, because that makes four. The Babylonish empire, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, and we found out that the legs of iron, the fourth one, was the fourth great Gentile world power, and it was Rome.

It was the Roman empire. And I believe that as Daniel looked at this image, he could see the head, he could see the arms and the breasts, he could see the belly and the thighs, he could see the legs. And I believe there was a space between the legs and the feet, because the legs are of iron.

But notice this. Verse thirty-three, at the last part of the verse, his feet, part of iron and part of clay. Thou sought, he's talking to the king, thou sought till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image upon his feet.

That's the bit we want to get the hold of, you know. The stone coming to smite the image on the feet. And when we discover, without any trouble this evening, who the stone cut out without hands is, then we shall find that the Lord Jesus, who is the stone, he never came to destroy the Roman empire.

Nay, it was Roman soldiers that placed him on the cross at the first coming. And we'll have to find just exactly when he will come to destroy the feet. And when we talk about the feet, we talk about the toes, don't we?

You see, at verse forty-two it says, and of the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay. That brings in the ten toes. And it says in verse forty-four, and in the days of these kings, because these ten toes are ten kings, ten powers, and in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.

But we're just speaking about the stone coming to smash the feet and the toes. Now, let's think about this word stone. Let's go back to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter forty. And in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter four, you'll find that Peter and John, the two apostles, were arrested because they were preaching to the people, and they had to stand before the old Jewish Sanhedrin.

It was the old Jewish court, and the high priest of Israel sat in the center seat. I'm sure they had trouble that morning because, unfortunately for Israel, there were two high priests in Israel at that time.

One was Caiaphas, and the other was Annas, who was called Annas the high priest. I don't know how they solved it. That was their problem. But Peter and John had to stand before this venerable court, being tried for their lives.

In fact, the court was determined to put them to death. And when these men stood before them, verse seven, and when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power or by what means had you done this?

They're inquiring about the miracle that was formed on the man that lay at the beautiful gate of the temple. Then Peter, well, this is worth watching, filled with the Holy Ghost. If you're going to be questioned for your faith, take your time and see that you're filled with the Holy Ghost before you answer.

In case you get off on the deep end, and lose your temper, and say things you should never say. And we're all capable of doing that, you know. So good old Peter just took a second breath, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, now I'll tell you this, when you're filled with the Holy Ghost, you always answer with respect.

If the magistrate is on the bench, you will respect his office. And the judge too. And the king on the throne. God tells us just how to go about things. And so Peter is standing before them, he knows their mind and their heart and their ideas and ambitions that they want to take his life.

But because he's filled with the Holy Ghost, he says, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, Oh how we Christians need to learn our manners. Sometimes we think we can fool our way about. Oh you'll be doing better for God if you're mannerly and respectful.

Then he answered this court, he said, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom he crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you all.

He didn't put a tooth in it, you know. When you're filled with the Holy Ghost, you may be respectful, but I tell you there's no mumby-tumby business about it. You don't need to mumble, you know. Speak out.

What are people like it or not? He said, if you want to know, by Jesus Christ of Nazareth, just making sure they get their dress right, whom he crucified, I think he looked at them, whom God raised from the dead, for not one of them believed in the resurrection.

A great many of them were Sadducees. He really walked into them, didn't he? There he is now, alive and well. Praise the Lord. Now watch, when he got there, he says, By him doth this man stand here before you all.

And then he seemed to raise his voice a little bit, This is the stone. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This is the stone. I hope you're getting it all right. You can't make a mistake in it, can you? This is the stone, which is set at naught of you builders.

All they did was reject him, set him at naught, which has become the head of the cause. You know, he was the rejected stone for a while, but at that moment he was the exalted stone, made the head of the cause.

You know, it's quite clear that Peter didn't have any sort of funny ideas about who the foundation was. Yes. Upon this rock I will build my church. And let me tell you, dear Roman Catholics who come to this meeting, that the Apostle Peter, or Saint Peter if you want it, he didn't have any miscalculations about us.

He knew, as you don't, who the foundation was. He says, This is the stone. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, not Peter. In that case, you think I'm just taking a bet out on you. Well, let's go to Peter's writings now.

Christ the Living Stone and the Sure Foundation

And we're at 1 Peter. This is his own letter, so he ought to know. 1 Peter, and we're at the 2nd chapter. And he's pleading with these saints to whom he's writing. He said to them, verse 1,. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,.

And the saints ought to be able to leave those things aside. As newborn babes desire the sincere look of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if the only way you will grow, if fully ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming?

As unto a living stone is the Lord the living stone. Watch it again. Disallowed indeed of men. Now, that's true. Yes, they said to him, but not so. But chosen of God and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, have built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corn of stone, elect precious, and he that believeth on him. He never pointed to himself once. I think it's a pity when you can't read the thing.

All Jesus Christ was the rejected stone and the exalted stone and the precious stone. Go back to Isaiah 28 just for a moment. The prophecy of Isaiah 28, and it's only a few Sunday nights since I preached on this.

Isaiah 28, verse 16, and it is Jehovah himself who is speaking, Therefore doth saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tribestone, a precious corn of stone, a sure foundation, and he that believeth shall not make haste.

And you can see the performance of Jehovah, I lay in Zion. And you can see the proclamation, or hear the proclamation of Jehovah, a sure foundation. Let me say to you just now, there is no other foundation that can be laid than that which is laid, which is Christ.

Oh, he's the stone. I think you've got this. You see the notes? He's the rejected stone. There's no argument there. He's the precious stone. He's the sure foundation stone. He's the exalted stone. And when we get over now to Daniel, you're going to find that he's the coming stone.

He's the stone that's going to wreck the common market and crush the church. So I don't think that we have any trouble at all with this. I think that you want to get this into your mind. You know, when we think just now this evening about how we've been watching these ten powers, these ten kings, these ten horns, and that means power, these ten authorities, these ten rulers, how we've been watching them sort of uniting together.

How we've been watching all the policies that they're going to go in for, and then the presidency that's going to arise out of them. For out of the ten shall arise one, a king of fierce countenance. Man of sin.

Son of perdition. Beast of revelation. Now, we've got to get this very careful. When is the Lord coming to smash this? Now, I think that one thing that you ought to do, it's a great little study, and I'll do a bit of it for you, and then you can do it right sometime.

You know, one of the greatest studies you can ever do in the Old and New Testaments is to gather up all the titles, the wonderful titles of our wonderful Lord, and you'll find that there are a set of titles that just belong to him when he came the first time.

I can get you them all just now. And then our Lord Jesus is coming to the earth one of these days or nights for his own children, and there's a whole lot of titles that belongs to that coming. And then we're going to see him coming later on right to this earth, and there are a whole lot of titles that belong to that coming too.

You see, you're bound to know this, that when he comes to there, you remember the men in white, we'll get to it when we're in Acts chapter 1, as our Lord Jesus ascended right on up through the clouds, and his disciples stood amazed, you know, and they watched him going up out of sight, and gravity had no hold on them at all.

And these two men in white said, Why stand ye here gazing into heaven? This same Jesus shall so come in like man or as ye see him go. Now, it'll be this same Jesus, make no mistakes. When he comes to the earth again, it'll be this same Jesus.

But we also know this, that we are taught in this book, that our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior. You know, it'll be the Savior that will come back. And that word's very specially put in there.

You see, this body needs to be saved. Oh, I know I'm saved. I was saved 42 years ago, and I know that every day I live I'm being saved. Oh, he saves me from this and that and everything else every day.

But this whole body needs to be saved. It's whole to pieces, you know. When I have the glasses off, I can't half see. And I haven't a tooth in my head that belongs to me. And the bottom bar's empty altogether, but you don't know that.

You're not supposed to know. And look at the thatch. The thatch is the way on the roof. And God to pieces, I tell you. Yes, the outward man perishes. The inward man's all right. He's enjoying himself.

He enjoys the Lord all the time. Yes, but you know, I'm waiting for the Savior. You see, when he comes to the air, it will be the redemption of the body. That's why I'm looking for the Savior. But you see, it will not only be this same Jesus.

It will not only be the Savior.

It will be the Lord himself.

The Coming Lord, Savior, Judge, and Chief Shepherd

That shall descend from heaven with a shout, My Lord is coming back. You know, it's a great thing to see these titles, this same Jesus, the Savior of the body, the Lord of the church. Yes, sir. You know, I want you to get this.

When we rise to meet him, we shall meet the righteous judge. Paul says, Henceforth there is laid out for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge,.

Shall give to me at that day, and not to me, only to all them that love his appearance.

You know, there's been weak things done in assemblies, and they were never put right. Somebody goes off on a huff, you know, they're not just as fast as you think they are. They're not just as unmovable as they try to make out sometimes.

And they go off on a huff, and it's never put right.

Oh, well, before you take your place in heaven, it'll be put right. You're not getting into the marriage supper of the Lamb, and you're not sitting down at the table until things are put right. And the righteous judge will say who's right.

There's a few scores that I've got to whet till the judgment seat of Christ comes. The poor won't be put level, but level they will be.

Make you no mistakes about that.

And if you know you're in the wrong, and you've tossed it up for years for the Lord's sake to make the home and put it right, because one of these days we're meeting the righteous judge. And I'll tell you this, it's not only this same Jesus, it's not only the Savior of the body, it's not only the Lord of the church, it's not only the righteous judge.

It says when the chief shepherds shall appear. Oh, what a moment that will be. Yes, some of us are just ordinary shepherds. But when the chief shepherds shall appear. You see, these titles belong to his coming to the earth.

And you can't take them anywhere else. Well, it's just the same when he comes to the earth. He's got a lot of titles that belong to him, and you can't take them anywhere else. You see, this stone cut out without hands that smashes the feet.

You know, this is a title that belongs to him. And it will come to the very forefront when he comes to earth. He's going to smash the commonwealth. You'll see the ferocity of the Lord just then. See the notes I've laid out for you.

When Jesus comes to earth and to Israel, of the stone. You know, we'll see his ferocity. They take no nonsense then. My, he'll crush these folks. We'll see that just in a moment. Let's go to Luke's gospel, chapter 17.

The Kingdom of God and the Day of the Son of Man

The gospel by Luke, and at chapter 17. This is the chapter that we could easily spend all the evening on. Luke's gospel, chapter 17, verse 20. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees. Pharisees are always asking questions.

When the kingdom of God should come. They will always want to know about the kingdom, you know. They believe that when the kingdom of God would come, that Israel would be in the forefront. In fact, when we go to the Acts of the Apostles, you will find that his apostles were always thinking along this line.

While it is true they were saved and they were apostles, they were only nationalists. They said, will God at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Well, they never knew about the church. Didn't get the message properly.

They just wanted the kingdom for Israel. We hear a whole lot of nationalists groaning. Yes, and here are these Pharisees demanding of him when the kingdom of God should come. Watch the answer, it's a very wonderful one.

He answered and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, Lo, here or, Lo, there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And that's a very true answer. Make no mistakes about that.

You see, when you talk about the kingdom of God, you would need to know exactly what you're talking about. Two Russellites at the door one day, knocked the door, I opened the door, he says to me, do you know anything about the kingdom of God?

Yes, I do. I said, are you two boys in? He says, we are, yes, we're both in. I said, the book that I'm reading on says, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. As far as I can see, you two boys are flesh and blood.

Put them in a fix right away. That's the way the monster was answering. He's putting them in a fix. You see, they didn't know the subject. If you're going to come to talk to me about the kingdom of God, I'll warn you before you come.

The kingdom of God is in this book in a spiritual sense. Oh, it's within us, they said to me. Every fib one. That's in the spiritual sense. Then the kingdom of God is in this book in a millennial sense.

Oh, yes, that's the kingdom they were asking questions about. Then the kingdom of God is in this book in an eternal sense. And in the eternal sense, flesh and blood cannot, flesh and blood don't dwell in the kingdom for all eternity.

You would be immortal. You'll need to be changed. Of course, the two boys did the door, didn't they? So, I was just doing what my master did. Knew right well the answers, but put them in a fix. And that's exactly what he did with these fellows.

Now, when they went away, you know, he said unto his disciples in verse 22. Did you notice that? He waited until the other boys were around the corner. The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man ye shall not see.

And then he said this in verse 26. I don't want to take the whole chapter. And as it was in the days of Noah, it's the old Greek way of spelling Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.

They did eat, you know, in those days. They drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.

They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Now watch that very carefully. In that day he which shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away. And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek the field in life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one shall be taken and the other left.

Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall be taken and the other left. Two men shall be in the field. The one shall be taken and the other left. Now you be very careful about this, because if you're going to apply that there to the Lord's coming to the earth, you're going to be in a fix.

You see, when he's talking, he's talking about the day and the hour when the Son of Man... Oh no, not as the Son of Man is not coming to the church. As the Son of Man, he walked about this old earth and walked about this nation of Israel.

Ah, well, as the Son of Man, he's coming right back to the earth. And when he comes right back, the one that will be taken, let me tell you, is the one that's going to be taken away in judgment, and the one that's going to be left is going to go into the kingdom.

Oh, I hear the preachers preaching it outside, because they don't know. This is one of the titles of Christ when he comes to the earth. It's the Son of Man, and the whole Jewish nation, and all who are going to go into the kingdom, who are going to be his for that whole millennial reign, they will see his perfect humanity.

Oh, it'll go further than that. I know that the common market will see this ferocity. Ah, but the nations will know his humanity. Let's go way back to the last book of the Old Testament, book one. It's Zechariah.

Malachi is the last one. Zechariah is the one before the last. Now, this is something we need to take time with. We're at chapter fourteen, Zechariah, last book, book one, and it's the last chapter of Zechariah.

Chapter fourteen. Now, watch it carefully, and you won't miss it at all. The prophet says, Behold, the day of the Lord cometh. When you're talking about the day of the Lord, what are you talking about?

You see, when you're talking about the tribulation period, you're talking about the day of the Lord's wrath. This is the day of his wrath. But when you get through the tribulation period, and the Lord is about to come back to deal with the Antichrist and the false prophets and the nations and set up a millennial kingdom, then it's the day of the Lord's reign.

So, be careful now in distinguishing the day of the Lord's wrath, the day of the Lord's reign. And the prophets getting round to the day of the Lord's reign. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil is brought into Jerusalem, shall be divided in the midst of thee.

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And mind you, when it says all nations, it means all nations. Because, you know, we're moving on to a place where the nations are really going to go for Jerusalem.

I think the Far East are thinking about it just now. And this book instructs me that the kings of the East will come. Of course, we know that the communist country will send tremendous crowds down into Palestine one day.

Of course, Egypt, you know, has only blossomed away just now. It should come back up again. And, of course, this man that will arise in the common market will make a covenant with Israel and then break it.

And they'll all gather together. Now, that's just before the Lord comes to reign. All nations will be gathered together against Jerusalem to battle. It was here a long time ago. Now, watch what happens.

It's the Lord's doing, you know. That's true. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And the cities shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished. And half of the city shall go forth into captivity.

And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then, just at that psychological moment when they all gather together and they think they've got it all finished, then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle.

Some old fellow said to me once, Is it right to go to war? I said, You know, the Lord will go to war, mister.

The Lord's Return to the Mount of Olives

The Lord's going to go to battle as when he fought in the day of battle. Now, watch this bit. Get this bit. This was on his feet. Always get that in. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.

Just put in there so that you can't spiritualize it. It's given you the geographical dimensions. And if you go to Palestine, you'll find that the Mount of Olives is just over on the east there. That's where it is, and that's exactly where the Lord, and that's where he went away from, and that's where he will come back to.

And his feet shall stand in that particular day at that particular moment on that particular mount. No problem at all. Which is before Jerusalem on the east. Now, watch this. This is something that's amazing to me.

And the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley. You know, that mount that's sitting out there when you go to Jerusalem and you're out in the courts and you look over the wall and you look down into the valley of Jehoshaphat and you can see the keepers and everything down there and there's Gethsemane over there,.

And up there, there's the Mount of Olives.

And, you know, that's going to pass into one of these days. Now, this is amazing that the scientists, now, let's give science its place at times. They have found out that there is a grain of rock that goes right through that mount from north to south.

And one of the scientists who found it said, this thing will fall apart one day. Well, he doesn't know how right he is. He never saw this. But he did see the grain and the rock. It's all set up, you know.

And it will happen. Now, watch this. In the middle of verse four, there shall be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains.

God is going to use this valley. For the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Esau, where ye shall flee like as he fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And the Lord thy God shall come.

Who's come? Ah, that will tell you who he is. When you say the stone is coming, you see his ferocity. When you say the son of man is coming, you can see his humanity. When you say the Lord thy God is dead, oh, there'll be no problems at all.

Man will be frightened of him. He'll come in glory, you know. Yes, now, let's get this. Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee. You know, they talk to me sometimes that there'll be a general judgment and a general resurrection at the last moment, and that's all there is.

I would like to know how he would come with the saints if he hadn't come for them before that, if he's come and with them. He must have come to take them. He must have come for them before he can come with them.

Yes, he's going to bring us back to have a look at this. He won't bring us back to Ephraim. Let that bit settle. You see, the moment that we rise one of these nights to meet the Lord, at that very second, we shall be changed.

This body will be changed like unto his glorious body. Oh, what a moment that will be. You know, his glorious body, when he rose from the dead, he came into the upper room, he said, Behold my hands and my side.

When he looked at them, more frightened, he said, Look, I'm not a ghost, a spirit half-naked flesh and bones. I'm no blood, no blood. The blood was shed. The unemitting force of my body tonight is blood.

And if I get down in the blood cut, or if I get leukemia, or if I get wounded and I lose my blood, then I'll die. That's quite simple. I'm a mortal being. And I'm depending on the quality and quantity of my blood.

Oh, but the Lord Jesus rose again, and he had a body, flesh and bones. And the spirit was the unemitting force, so that it's a spirit body now. You know, it's really amazing. And when we rise to meet him, we'll be like him.

And so he's not bringing spirit bodies back to dwell with mortal bodies, is he? That would make a bit of a mix-up, wouldn't it? Oh, yes. When you rise and you're changed enough, oh, there'll be no more relationships.

No more. We'll know each other. It's quite true. But there'll be no sex and no marriage and no children. Oh, I think you would know that without me saying it. But you can't bring this God back in upon mortal standing.

Because I'll tell you this, when the disciples were in the upper room and the doors were barred and they're sitting quiet and afraid of the Jews, you know, he can walk through the wall. That's what a spirit body can do.

You see, they tell me that that's solid. I used to believe. It's not solid at all. Now I'm beginning to learn, this piece of wood, it's made up of atoms. The boys who know best, they say, they say, it's moving.

And if I should get the blood out of that hand, the flesh and the bones are just atoms. And there is a way of passing the one through there. You see, that's how the Lord passed through the wall into the room.