Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
GOD DOESN’T WARN US TO SCARE US BUT TO PREPARE US.
God has never left mankind without a warning. That’s what the prophets and prophecy were for!
Noah’s Ark and Sodom and Gomorrah are prophetic pictures of the Rapture of the Church BEFORE WRATH OR JUDGMENT ARE POURED OUT.
Noah prophesied and begged the people for 120 years to repent. He built a boat despite never seeing a drop of rain because God had warned him of judgment to come. ALL WENT THROUGH THE DOOR, THEN THE LORD HIMSELF SHUT THE DOOR.
Genesis 7:16 – So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
God removed the righteous before the flood of Noah so they would not experience his judgment:
Jasher 5:5-6 – And all who followed the Lord died in those days, before they saw the evil which God declared to do upon the earth.
Sodom and Gomorrah
When the Lord could only find Lot among the righteous of Sodom, he didn’t destroy Lot. He sent angels to warn him and remove him (and his daughters) from the judgment to come.
Genesis 19:13-21 – And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
Jericho & Rahab – Rahab and her family were rewarded for HER faith by escaping the wrath to come.
Joshua 6:23 – And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.
GOD WANTS NONE TO PERISH. HE GAVE JERICHO A 7 DAY WINDOW TO REPENT!
Joshua 5:13-14 (The Commander of the Army of the Lord) – And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “Neither, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
7 year window of repentance for those left behind before Tribulation or maybe during?
Elijah
THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS KNEW ELIJAH WAS BEING RAPTURED. THEY EVEN TAUNTED ELISHA ABOUT IT.
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 Kings 2:2-3 – And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”
2 Peter 3:3-4 – knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
WARNING TO THE END TIME GENERATION
Luke 21:28 – “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
BEING TOLD TO LOOK UP HINTS AT A RAPTURE OR CATCHING AWAY.
PROOF OF A RAPTURE
Daniel 12:1-3 – “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (Those raptured do not die?)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Luke 17:34-37 – I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
EAGLES ARE THE HIGHEST FLYING BIRDS! HIGHEST ALTITUDES!
Luke 21:34-36 – But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
WE ARE NOT MEANT FOR WRATH OR JUDGMENT
1 Thessalonians 5:8-10 – But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Revelation 3:10 – Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 4:1-6 –Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. 6 In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.
WHAT IS THIS A PICTURE OF? A KINGS CHAMBERS. HEAVEN GETTING READY FOR A WEDDING FEAST!
JESUS: “I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU…”
NEXT WEEK, PROOF OF THE RAPTURE IN THE PICTURE OF THE GALILEAN WEDDING FEAST.