Life & Times of Jesus #14 — Jack Hibbs

Christ and the Tribulation Period

Would you grab your Bibles this morning and turn, if you would, to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 24. Matthew Chapter 24, we're going to be looking at verse 21 this morning. And if you're joining us for the very first time, maybe you're visiting church for the first time, we are in Part 14 of a series that we are calling The Life and Times of Jesus Christ.

And this morning we come to a very, very unpopular, never talked about, rarely ever seen on Christian TV or heard on Christian radio, a topic concerning Christ and the Tribulation Period. Right now there's some buzz about it, there's some books that are being sold about it, but churches don't want to talk about it.

In fact, a lot of churches are very happy that Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have put out this Left Behind series that is now just rocketing up to the charts there. In fact, it's become now number one best-selling book in non-Christian bookstores.

And I was amazed to find out and to see with my own eyes that in Germany, in a bookstore there, they have the Left Behind series. Isn't that amazing? Well, a lot of churches are happy about Tim LaHaye taking that on because a lot of pastors won't.

In fact, Tim LaHaye is a wonderful, great man of God. And his doctrine is healthy and strong and very clear. And it's the very void of the message that we're talking about this morning that led Tim LaHaye to bring forth this series that you can buy.

And of course, as you can see, Colossians chapter 2 verse 9 is the verse theme, theme verse for our series, for in Christ, this is baby Jesus, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form. And so this morning we approach this topic, Christ and the tribulation period.

We saw last time, last week together about the rapture of the church and how in chronological order we now step through the end time events. The church will be removed from the earth, the Bible talks about, in a very, very mysterious and secretive way.

The Bible says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the rapture will take place and those who are real Christians, I'm not talking about pretend Christians, I'm talking about real believers, true Christians, those who have the Holy Spirit that is dwelling within them, they love God, you.

The Bible says we who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord will be caught up into the air and it will be a mysterious event and we will be transformed. We will go from somewhat of this physical state that we're in to an incredible, fantastic.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 15 beginning at verse 50 describes this amazing transformation that will take place in our bodies and it's going to be something that is spectacular to say the least. After that great and imminent event, by the way, it could happen today according to Bible prophecy, there's no warning needed for the rapture of the church, but right after that, some point in time after, will begin what is called the day of the Lord.

Those of you who are notetakers, you can put on your left side of your page, the day of the Lord begins when the church is raptured. From that time on, the day of the Lord will continue all the way out until the end of the millennial age, the millennium reign of Christ and we'll talk about that in following studies.

But very, very importantly, this morning we look at Christ and the tribulation period. What is it all about? And I have to tell you this morning, it is impossible to cover all that the Bible says about it.

In fact, keep this in mind, out of the 66 books of the Bible, 17 books of the Bible give incredible amounts of its attention and time to the events of the tribulation period. Specifically, Revelation chapter 6 through 19 deals with it in great detail.

The tribulation period, will you go through it? Will you see it? That all depends if you're a Christian or not. It's a very serious time. We'll be looking at three points this morning, but a couple of things that we want to bring up.

And that is, that when you talk about this tribulation period, you've got to understand something. When you talk about the tribulation or you go outside these walls, the world out there, they've got this sense.

In fact, in a recent poll I read, I don't have the exact statistics, but a recent poll showed that over 50 of the people polled via internet worldwide, believed that the end of the world was near. And some 35 of them believed that the end of the world was coming at the change of this millennium.

Now that's not going to happen. That will not happen. We can say that with absolute authority, because the tribulation period is 7 years long, and it hasn't started yet, so you know that the millennium has nothing to do with the end of the world.

Except, we're one day closer to Christ coming back. Amen? What an exciting moment that will be. But we don't have to worry about the year 2000 or the changeover. I mean, computers and all that stuff, we'll see what will happen about that.

But concerning the end of the world, that's not going to happen for at least 7 years. And that is the world as we know it. And then Christ will come back and establish His thousand-year reign from Jerusalem anyway.

But the world out there, when you talk about Christ coming back, they panic. When you talk about the tribulation period, they get scared and nervous, because they think the world's going to come to this almost nuclear end.

There'll be this great fireball and away with it all. Well, in Matthew chapter 24, verse 21, Jesus says,. For then there will be great tribulation such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The tribulation period will be something that will be absolutely devastating to this entire globe. Not only the globe, but the atmosphere and the celestial heavens, the stars that we see. Can you imagine?

I don't know about you. But I love stargazing. I'm not very good at naming everything, but I love getting out there with my little chart and my map and I look and I enjoy and I love it. Can you imagine during the tribulation period, the Bible says those stars are going to move.

Some of them are going to fall. Some, as it says at the end, they'll almost act as though they're being rolled up like a scroll at the great and notable day of the Lord. Now, I am fully aware that this morning you may be visiting church for the first time and you're thinking, my gosh, I thought I was going to hear a little baby Jesus make me comfortable, send me home, happy message.

Listen, this message can change your life this morning. If you listen carefully, this message can absolutely do you good because it does have to deal with the baby Jesus. It has to, listen, are you listening?

It has to deal with baby Jesus having come to deliver you from what the Bible calls the wrath that is to come. That is the tribulation period. Of course he died to save us from hell, but he also came and it's very clear throughout each of the five chapters of 1 Thessalonians that Jesus Christ has come to deliver us from the tribulation period.

And that's a promise that he has made. So if you're a note taker this morning, I want you to jot down a few things. And number one, we'll begin right here this morning, and that is the tribulation is future.

It is still future. The tribulation period is future. It's ahead of us. So boy, Jack, that's encouraging. That's all I needed to hear. Well, it's only bad news to you, again, if you're not a Christian.

If you're a Christian, not only is it still futuristic and it's exciting, but just the very hints of things that speak of the tribulation period get us who know the Bible, get you, right, who know the Bible, excited.

What do you mean? Well, I mean things like this. I don't want to get too sidetracked, but maybe you have your little mobile speed pass. Do you have that? I've got that. And I've got the one that goes on my keychain.

And a friend of mine was with me a couple of months ago, and I took it off and I put it in the palm of my hand, and I swiped it in front of the little mobile pony, you know, the little mobile horse. You know what I'm talking about?

Okay. And I just put my hand in front of the horse, and the whole pump, you know, lights up. You know, I'm ready to pump. And I go, hey, watch this. And pumped. And the guy goes, he was from some other country.

And how did you do that? I said, it's all right here, man. It's in my hand. Well, you know, those of you who know the Bible, you know what I'm talking about. The Bible says during the tribulation period, everybody will buy and sell and pump their own gas with a mark that's going to be on their right hand or on their forehead.

Now, I don't know if you're going to, you know, drag your head on that thing or not. I don't know. But your right hand, and by the way, it's interesting, the right hand. Did you know biologically, for some reason, the right hand, they have been able to measure that the right hand is warmer than your left hand.

And a biocompatible chip like the United States Marine Corps, over 4 ,000 of them now have been implanted with, have been implanted not on their left hand, but on their right hand. Interesting. Futuristic things.

We see things that speak about the Bible saying, no man will buy or sell without such advanced technology. We see it visiting us now. How close are we? Well, we know though that it is futuristic. It is still coming.

Do I believe personally that it's far away? No, not at all. The Bible says in the book of Daniel, in the last days, right before the end as we know it, that knowledge shall increase exponentially. And what have we seen?

In less than a hundred years, man's fastest mode of transportation less than a hundred years ago was what? Horseback. In fact, if you wanted to mail something, what was the fastest way to mail? Horseback.

Now you get on the computer and you talk to the world in seconds. Amazing. Knowledge shall increase. And Daniel also said that in the last times as a warning to those who are living, that's us, that men will travel to and fro.

We have global travel. Isn't it amazing? I've told you this once before. One of the most amazing days I've ever had in my life is that I woke up and I had breakfast in Moscow. I had a early lunch in London.

I came home and I had an early dinner and spoke here the same night. All in one day as I chased the sun home. What a day! Men will travel to and fro. The Bible tells us that it's futuristic. The Bible tells us that when the tribulation period is unfolding upon the earth, that obviously to us who are believers, Jesus is enthroned in heaven.

In fact, the Bible says that He is the Lamb of God. In Revelation chapter 6, the Bible tells us that the people of the earth during the tribulation period will weep and mourn. By the way, it says, all those who dwell on the earth will weep and mourn and say to themselves some sort of prayer, hide us from the wrath of the Lamb.

And it says that they will actually try to seek shelter in mountains and in caves within the mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb of God who's in heaven. Now that to me seems a little bit paradoxical to you.

Or to me. How about to you? The wrath of the Lamb. Have you ever seen a lamb go nuts on somebody? My gosh, look, there's a lamb. No. This is a warning. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

But if that lamb, if Mary's little lamb whose fleece was white as snow be rejected and said, we will not have this Christ to rule over us or I will not have this Jesus be the reason for my season. Then this wrath will come pouring out of this lamb.

Very interesting. Couple of prophetic things to keep in view and we need to run through these things. I say that every week, don't I? And I lie to you. Every week I lie to you. But I tell you, I'm sincere about trying to get through these things quickly.

It's myself I have a hard time with. The tribulation is yet future. Note this. Prophetically, Israel is God's appointed timepiece. According to Bible prophecy, you cannot have anything to do with the tribulation period until Israel is a nation again.

Israel as God's Prophetic Timepiece

And the prophet Isaiah said, in one day shall God bring forth a nation? And he says, yes. He says Israel will be brought forth in one day. And on May 14th, 1948, God brought forth Israel as a nation in one day.

God has put Israel as the timepiece for prophecy. We need to be alert. You know, we have become so jaded to the fact that Israel exists. Do you guys realize that Israel was a nation, that it was obliterated, and then it became a nation again?

No other country, no other people, no other nation in the world can claim such a thing. And yet, not only did it happen. Hey, are there any skeptics out here? Any doubters? Well, you better listen up buddy, or girly.

The Bible said, in history past, it's called prophecy, God's power to tell the future in advance. He says, hey, Israel is going to cease to be a nation. It will go into all of the nations of the world as an outcast.

It will be dispersed. But in the latter days, Isaiah chapter 43, he says, just before I come back to earth, I'm going to bring my people back from all nations of the world, and I will assemble them together in their own land again, and make them a nation.

He said that thousands of years ago. Man, if you're a skeptic, you better stand up, or sit up, or listen up, and face the music. God's in control. And Israel is the timepiece. Isn't it funny that a little tiny...

What is Israel? About the size of New Jersey. A country so seemingly insignificant has got the attention of the world. By the way, you want to hear some prophecy? It's only going to increase. The demand for your attention upon Israel is only going to increase.

That's the way God has put it forth in His word. The tribulation is future still. Israel is God's appointed timepiece. But there must also be according to the Bible, a unification of the Roman Empire.

Daniel's Prophetic Empires and the Reunified Roman Empire

Daniel chapter 2, you can read it later. The Bible says that as Daniel the prophet looked, he saw these four great ruling empires of antiquity. Antiquity to us, future for Daniel. And as God showed Daniel what was to come, God told Daniel, Daniel listen up.

Concerning your people Israel and concerning the nation, concerning the world. Daniel chapter 9 verses 24 through 27. He says, listen. He says, first of all, this great Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar, the king, is going to be overcome by the Medo-Persian Empire.

The Medo-Persian Empire, Daniel, is going to be overcome by Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire. And Daniel, after Alexander the Great, there's going to be a fourth empire that is going to be the most ferocious of them all.

In fact, I'm going to show you, Daniel, what it's going to be like. It's going to be this grotesque beast. It's going to have ten heads and it's going to rise out of the sea. And Daniel watched this vision and God began to explain to him in great detail.

He says, these ten heads are ten kings that represent all the peoples of the world that rise up symbolically out of the sea. And that kingdom shall crush into pieces all other kingdoms. And that kingdom, it says, would reign over the earth.

But that kingdom would not be destroyed. What would happen first is that the Messiah would be born into that kingdom period of time. Let me ask you, historians, what kingdom was ruling and reigning at the birth of Christ?

The Roman Empire. When Christ came the first time, the Roman Empire was in power. And I got news for you. The Bible says again, when Christ comes the second time, a revised or reunified Roman Empire will be in power again.

You might say, that's ridiculous. Well, you want to bet? We heard it again last week in Europe. The U .S .E. The United States of Europe. Some of you have been asking me, where have I heard this term?

On European news, they're calling themselves the U .S .E. It used to be called the European Communion or the EU or the Common Market. Remember, years ago it was considered or called the Common Market.

Now it's the European Union. In fact, the Europeans that are in it, the nations that are in it, they affectionately call it the Union. Which grabbed my attention. What was this nation once called when it was coming together?

The Union. The United States of Europe. And that United States of Europe, the Bible tells us, the Book of Daniel again, that out of this United States of Europe, out of the ancient Roman Empire, it will not be destroyed until God comes the second time to earth.

That will be revised. It will be resuscitated. Or let me say resurrected, so to speak. And there will be a unification of the ancient Roman Empire. The Book of Revelation chapter 17 tells us that it will have at least its religious headquarters, anybody know?

In a certain city that was in power then. And that city then still ruled over, at that time, the religious nations that it controlled. Do you know what the name of that city is? Rome. The Book of Revelation chapter 17 says that the religious seat of this revised Roman Empire will be in the city that sits upon seven hills.

There's one city in the world that boasts that it sits upon seven hills and that's Rome. The revised Roman Empire must come to pass. The next thing that we see is that there will be a global cry for peace and safety.

The Global Cry for Peace and Safety

Now listen carefully. Look to the screen. Israel is God's appointed timepiece. Israel is a nation today. Number two, there's going to be a reunification of Europe. Not only has that happened, but their electronic currency is already in effect and the Euro in 2001 will go into hard currency.

The third thing, the cry for global peace and safety. Everybody in the world right now is crying for peace and safety. That's the big agenda. In fact, listen. The United States Armed Forces have become the chief orchestrator of the peace keeping forces of the world.

Did you know that much of your tax dollars goes to the safety of other nations? We police other countries. That can't happen for long by the way, nor will it continue. The United States is on the verge of decline.

And I don't mean in the next ten years. I mean soon. America, something will go awry. America and the dollar must come down. And you'll see the Euro and you'll see the revised Roman Empire ascend. But you'll hear throughout it all a cry for peace and safety.

And let me suggest to you, the Bible makes it clear there will be no peace and safety until the Prince of Peace comes. But the world is crying out for peace. Isn't it amazing that who in the world, I honestly admit, I had never heard of East Timor before in my life.

And yet I watched on News World International in real time, people being shot to death on satellite television as mayhem and turmoil broke out in the streets of Timor in that country or in that region.

And it was horrible. And I sat in the office. In fact, I brought some of the staff in. I said, look at this. In real time, people were having plastic bags put over their heads and they were tied around their necks with their arms behind their backs, left in the streets to smother to death.

In real time, I saw it sitting in the comfort of my own office what age that you and I live in of technology. And there's a cry for peace and safety. The world, the western world is spreading itself so thin because there's so many fire spots or hot spots that demand peacekeeping forces.

Some of you have informed me. You're not the only one. I've gotten phone calls from people who live in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and East Washington State that they have seen UN vehicles on maneuvers going through certain tactics in these states.

And yes, it is true. Not too long ago, there was a piece done, I believe, on Ted Koppel's program. Is that Nightline or Dateline or whatever that show is? And the excuse for the UN vehicles, you know the white ones, UN in Israel.

I love it. When you're on a tour in Israel, the tour guide, Amir, our tour guide will say, Oh, look everyone, all of you Americans on the bus, look, here comes your tax dollars. And the UN stands for the United Nothing.

And that's exactly what it is. Yet the United Nothing has invited foreign forces over to the northern portions of the United States to practice and to go through peacekeeping activities. And the excuse is given that this is the region where they're practicing because it's peaceful, calm and advantageous.

Or do you think, do you ever think, could it ever be that the UN, you would see a UN vehicle drive down your street? Wouldn't that make you feel a little funny? Why is it that they did that incredible thing that we saw, some of us saw it, with the terrorist activity practice in Monterey, California?

The people are still upset about what happened there in that beautiful little town. Regarding martial law, the cry for peace and safety. Seattle right now is scratching its head thinking, what went wrong?

The police chief resigned because he says, we handled things wrong when news was let out about the breakdown of the economic conference. People went nuts. The world is looking for an excuse to go off, isn't it?

Have you noticed? And yet the Bible said in the last days, the world would cry out, we need peace. We need safety. And the Bible says that there will be a man called the Antichrist, the great political ruler that comes out of the European Union, who will promise the world peace and prosperity.

And Daniel says, through these tools, the two of them, peace and prosperity, he will deceive the world. Interesting, isn't it? Secondly, we see this this morning, the tribulation is owed. It's owed to the earth.

The Tribulation as Judgment for Rebellion

What do you mean owed? It's owed to the earth in that the Bible says in Galatians chapter 6 verse 7, Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Graphically and simply put, if you go over here and lick this wall socket, you're not going to be a happy camper.

Your tongue is in your mouth and it works just fine. That light socket is on the wall or that wall socket is on the wall and it's got power to it and it works just fine. But when you connect the two, you have a negative reaction and it could hurt you.

Whatsoever a man sows, that's what's going to pop up out of the ground. If you lick a wall socket, you're going to get electrocuted. If the world says, I don't want God, get God out of the Supreme Court, get God...

Are you ready for this? Are you ready for this, Chino Hills? We don't want Jesus in our Christmas programs. The school system announces, the city declares, what is this? Yet it's perfectly prophetic. In fact, you'll see the sign, just people that just can't even, can't even stand the name Christ, they put X-mas.

Thinking that, it stands for Christmas. Hey, put Christ, it should say Jesus Christ Mass. Do you know what that means? Christmas, you know, the gathering mass around Christ. I asked, I stood on the steps of the mayor's office a couple of weeks ago, or a week ago, and yelled out to the people, we were on microphone, and we have permission, don't worry, it was legal, we had the permit.

But there were hundreds, if not several thousands people there enjoying themselves. And I said, what's Christmas all about, Stuttgarters? And they went, hmm, what? And I heard some faint person from the crowd say, money!

Must have been an American there in the crowd. We will not have God to rule over us. This baby Jesus born, what was the first thing that came against that baby's life? Was the ruling powers of the world.

Oh, Herod says, let me come, when you find him, let me come and worship him too. Yeah, with a knife behind his back. He wanted to kill the baby Jesus. People want to kill the baby Jesus today and get him out of the nativity scene.

There are cities and counties in this government of ours that has ruled nativity scenes to be unconstitutional. I tell you, America is so ripe for judgment and she deserves everything she gets. Don't think for a moment that a country that has been given so much light that until 1954, the United States Congress allocated money to send the Bible around the world.

Did you know that? Until 1954, this nation supported and helped energize evangelistic outreaches of the gospel of Christ. And now the nation has not only stopped that, but President Clinton is trying and has had as an agenda, according to Focus on the Family, to have the church excluded from tax exempt status so it can start to tap into the money of the church.

I say, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, but to God the things that are God's. They may take our money. They can have it. It's going to, in the end, be theirs anyhow. But they can't take our hearts and they can't take our salvation and they can't take our lives.

The tribulation is a time of unparalleled devastation to earth. Read later Revelation 6 -19 in your afternoon reading today and you'll see what I mean. It's owed to earth. We'll look at three things concerning that.

Global Judgment and the Rise of the Antichrist

The tribulation is owed to earth. Global judgment from heaven. The Bible talks about God will intervene. You say, I don't believe it. You, if you are not a believer in Christ Jesus, you will possibly see it in your lifetime.

I believe personally that if I live, I'm 42 years old, I believe that if I live a natural life span that in that time frame these things will come and visit the earth. Secondly, the global leader must arise.

We talked about him a moment ago. Did you know that the Bible says that he's going to arise out of Europe somewhat insignificantly. The Bible says that what's going to catapult him to power. Are you hanging on to your seat?

Man, I hope I have your attention because I'm paraphrasing tons of Bible verses here for you. What's going to catapult this man to fame is that he will mastermind a brilliant contract called a peace treaty in Daniel chapter 9.

And who's he going to make the peace treaty? Gee, let's guess. According to the Bible some 3 ,000 years ago, who do you think it says he makes the peace treaty with? Yeah, Israel. Does that kind of ring a bell?

Peace treaty, peace talks, Israel. Are you saying Bill Clinton's the Antichrist? Are you kidding? The Antichrist is going to be brilliant and persuasive. The Antichrist the Bible talks about. The Bible talks about the Antichrist.

People will not be able to go against his words. He will speak pompous words even against the God of heaven and he will deceive masterfully, it says. A global leader must arise. We're living in those days.

Jesus said, you, I've come in my own name and you Israel, you've rejected me. But another will come in his own name and him you will receive. Jesus spoke of the coming Antichrist. The false shepherd. He's going to be a fake Messiah to Israel.

The Global Religious System and the Harlot

Breathe deep. Get some air into your head and capture this one please. We must move according to prophecy. We must move ecumenically and politically together. Don't get me wrong. Am I for it? I'm against it.

Have you heard? Have you read any part of the ecumenical union message that religious leaders are signing around the world? The Pope and others? I regret to say Billy Graham signed it. I've heard there's petitions to have Billy Graham remove his name from it.

Chuck Colson did sign it and then have his name taken off of it to bring all faiths together as one. Revelation chapter 17 and 18 speaks of that very thing that there'll be a political ruler who's very sensitive to an ecumenical union, to a religious union and he will be very tolerant.

In fact, in the first three and a half years very, very accommodating of all faiths worshiping together and being united. We'll talk about more on this in a moment. Global judgment from heaven. A global leader must arise.

And a global church must ascend. And you might say, Jack, are you sure you put the word church in there right? Yeah, guess what everyone? According to the Bible, according to the Bible prophecies from Genesis to Revelation, it is not a global mosque that arises.

Hear me out loud and clear. Test these things in your Bible to see if it's true. It's not a global mosque. It's not a global synagogue. It's not a global club. It's not a global rotary. It's an imitation church.

It's called the harlot. The great harlot that practices Babylonianism. Revelation chapter 17. Just embrace all faiths. And you might say, wow, boy, you're stepping on my toes. My friend, you better check your shoe size again and look at your toes and make sure that they're even connected to the rest of your body because you are to never sacrifice unity at the expense of truth.

But right now, we are being fed as a world to sacrifice everything for unity. Aren't we? You hear it in buzzwords like this. We must be tolerant. It's amazing. Everyone's tolerant about everybody until you mention Christ Jesus.

And now, that's it. Tolerant is a very, very politically correct word for compromise. Don't make a mistake between the word tolerant and compassionate. Those are two different things altogether different.

The Seven-Year Tribulation and Israel's Restoration

Thirdly and finally, the tribulation is dedicated. What do you mean by that? I want you to hang on your seats for a second. This will be very exciting if it works. If it doesn't, you may see a mushroom cloud form from this pulpit with my computer meltdown here.

The tribulation period is dedicated. You know how long it is, don't you? It's seven years. It has to be seven years. I'm gonna ask the guys to just stay on this screen here at this time. It's dedicated.

It's a seven-year period tribulation of time and all seven years of it is judgment. It's bad news to the world. Don't think that the first three and a half years is okay. The first three and a half years is massive global deception and judgment by the Antichrist riding in on a horse, a white horse, by the way.

And he's gonna deceive the world again, as I said, by peace and prosperity. It's a seven-year period of time, but it is all about a certain nation, isn't it? It's called, in the Old Testament, the time of Jacob's trouble.

What's Jacob's other name? Israel. And God said, this is all about Israel in the last days. God says, the seven years, I will cause you to come back into your land, put life back into your body again.

You will be a nation and you will call out to me and I will come to you. Follow with me. Israel must have national status. Does it? Yes, it does. Even the Palestinians have got to confess that. It has national status.

Israel must agree to a peace plan. Is it being primed and conditioned to agree to peace plans? I said this a couple of weeks ago. I hope you took me up on the challenge. I'm gonna say it again. I want you to do some homework and you find out concerning these peace plans, what Israel has had to give up versus what Yasser Arafat has had to give up.

I challenge you. Arafat has given up nothing, nor will he. And Israel, just again this last week, has given up more, the Golan. Last year we took a tour to the Golan. We may not be able to take one again because if this goes through, it will no longer be Israeli territory.

But don't worry. God says, when my people are brought back into the land, they shall never again be uprooted. Israel must rebuild their temple. Israel must rebuild their temple. The Bible says, concerning the tribulation period, the temple must be rebuilt.

Listen, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 tells us that the Antichrist, the European ruler, will make a visit to Jerusalem. He's gonna stand in the temple that's in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. Now you would think, well, what kind of an idiot would first of all go do something like that and second of all agree with him?

What you wind up reading a little bit further on is that the reason why this happens is because God is gonna send an unbelieving world strong delusions so that they shall believe the lie. You say, wait a minute, there is no way that the tribulation period or the Antichrist can even come on the scene soon because the Dome of the Rock, you know, the mosque or the...

Actually, it's not even a mosque. The mosque is to the left of the Dome of the Rock. You know the big shiny dome? People say that that's gotta be removed before Israel can build the temple and that hasn't happened yet.

I got news for you. For millenniums, millenniums, when the Jews buried their dead in their sepulchers, listen, this is so cool because, you know, you being a Christian or if you're Jewish this morning, your Judaism and our Christianity agree and that is we believe the Bible, resurrection from the dead.

And if you're a good kosher Jew and if you're in the area of Israel, when you're buried, you're buried feet first toward the Temple Mount. Did you know that? Gershon Solomon, you know him? He's been here before.