Will the church be in heaven coming with her Bridegroom? Or on earth waiting for her Bridegroom?

LOOK AT MT 24: (Click here for another Lecture by Kay Arthur on Mt 24)
 

Context in Mt 23:37‑39 is that Jesus was telling the Jews that they were not willing to come to Him and so the Temple would be destroyed. He was the Shekinah glory and when He left the Temple this time it was to be crucified.

And so He said in Mt 23:39 "For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say,' BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'" To whom is Jesus speaking? Jerusalem (Jews).

REVIEW OF MT 24

In Mt 24:4 ‑5 Jesus talks about "false messiahs" who will seek to mislead many. Then wars. Then rumors of wars & kingdom against kingdom. These things are just the BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS (Mt 24:7). "THEN they will deliver you" ‑‑If Jesus is indeed talking to the JEWS that will be believers during that time, then what Jesus is saying is that these people will be delivered to tribulation and at that time (when they are delivered to tribulation), many will apostatize (Greek word "skandilizo", English "scandal") Or fall away, etc. And the gospel will be preached as a witness to ALL THE NATIONS (remember that "nation s)" is a key word you should be marking in some distinctive manner all through the Bible). THEN THE END shall come.

THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION REVEALED

Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place( let the reader understand),

So the Abomination of desolation (the Antichrist) stands in the Temple when they deliver "YOU" up to tribulation. So the Antichrist is now revealed for who he really is as he walks into the holy place declaring himself to be God.

In 2 Thes 2:14 Paul is writing to the church who is upset be they think that they are in the Day of the Lord. Paul is instructing them that the Day of the Lord has not yet come.

MAN OF LAWLESSNESS REVEALED

2Th2:2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless THE APOSTASY CONES FIRST, and THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS IS REVEALED, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so‑called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

If there are Jews who have not fallen away but have held their faith in the One True God, then what they will see is this man walk in the Temple and say '7 am god". So the Day of the Lord cannot begin until (1) The Apostasy occurs (2) the man of lawlessness is revealed. If this is what happens in Mt 24:15, then you know that the Day of the Lord begins and it is a day of destruction & of gloom, when God judges the earth.

BACK TO Mt 24:

In Mt 24:4‑14 Jesus is giving a "OVERVIEW" of the things that lead to the end, the coming of Jesus Christ, and He clearly marks when things really get difficult (Mt 24:15).

JEWS WARNED TO FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS

Mt 24:16 THEN (draw a line from "when" in v15 to "then" in v16) let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains 17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; 18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. 19 "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! 20 "But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; (Jews that held to the belief in God would not travel. Note that there is no mention of the church. Yes Jesus was speaking to the disciples but He was also speaking to Jerusalem. Kay believes therefore that Jesus was speaking to Jewish believers.)

THE (GREAT) TRIBULATION

Mt 24:21 FOR THEN there will be a GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (Remember that in Mt 24:4‑14 we hear of false messiahs, wars & rumors of wars and nations against nations ... THEN many Jews will fall away ... THEN they will deliver you Jews to tribulation. Some there will be a time like none other on earth, a time Daniel 12:1 referred to as "a time of distress such as never occurred" and in Joel 2:2 as "A day of darkness and gloom ... There has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it .. ", and Mk 13:19 "a time of tribulation such as has not occurred."

So this is a VERY DEFINITE TIME that is synonymous with the TRIBULATION (more accurately the "Great Tribulation") because no where in God's Word can you find any other time period referred to as "tribulation" except the time period we are discussing! Yes, we have been taught and we have ourselves taught that "The Tribulation" begins at the breaking of the first seal and went for 7 years until the Lord returns. Kay relates that she previously taught that the entire 7 years was the "Tribulation" and the last 3 1/2 years were the "Great Tribulation'. After studying Daniel inductively, every time the coming of the Lord Jesus was discussed, the emphasis was always on the last 3 and 1/2 years, "time, times, half a time" or 1260 days or 42 months. So what does this have to do with the Church? You will soon see. Here in Mt 24:21 the specific length of time is not given but it is given in Daniel and Revelation.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE ELECT

Mt 24:22 "And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the ELECT (this could be us but in context of this chapter more likely refers to Jewish elect) those days shall be cut short. 23 "THEN if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ (Messiah) 'or 'Here He is,' do not believe him. 24 "For false Christs (Messiahs) and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even THE ELECT. 25 "Behold, I have told you in advance. (Don't think that the New Testament is just for the Church ... it is also for the Jews.) 26 "If therefore they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go forth, or, Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

We know from Rev 12:6,14 the WOMAN (JEWS) flees into the wilderness where she had a place prepared for her for time, times and 1/2 a time. When the Antichrist stands in the Temple in Jerusalem and makes the proclamation, Israel, the true Jews, not those who have apostatized, who have come over to the side of the Antichrist, but those Jews who are holding to their belief in a coming Messiah take off and flee toward the South, toward Jordan, the one country that is at peace with Israel at the time these tapes were cut in the early 1990's. These Jews will be waiting for the Messiah. And they will say "I heard the Messiah is in the wilderness, in the inner rooms, etc". But Jesus is clearly warning them DON'T CONE OUT OF HIDING. Why?

WHO IS THE "CORPSE" & WHO ARE THE "VULTURES" IN MT 24:28?

Mt 24:27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. (Lightning is OBVIOUS ... you won't have to seek Messiah in the wilderness or in inner rooms ... His return will be like lightning.) 28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Who is the "corpse"? Kay believes the "corpse" is in essence Israel and that the Antichrist gathers all the nations in the valley of Har-Mageddon. Then the armies of all the nations march on Jerusalem (where the "corpse" is located, the nations in essence being the "vultures" that are seeking to demolish the nation of Israel).

THE ELECT AT THE RETURN OF CHRIST

Mt 24:29 "But IMMEDIATELY AFTER the TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS (what "days"? note that Jesus had said that they would be delivered up to tribulation and then the end will come. So Tribulation begins with the Antichrist standing in the Temple and continuing until Jesus returns). THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, (these cosmic descriptions are not mentioned directly in the Revelation but they are mentioned elsewhere in God's Word.) 30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (not in the wilderness), and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. (What happens when Jesus returns?)

Mt 24:31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT (If these "elect' are Christians then where is the church when Christ returns? On the earth. Right? On the other hand if instead of the "Church", the ELECT here spoken of is the JEWISH ELECT, it is the Jews who will be gathered from the 4 comers of the earth. where they have been scattered.) from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Mt 24:32 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves (Jesus is not speaking allegorically so He is not equating the "fig tree" with the birth of Israel.), you know that summer is near; 33 even so you too, WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS, (What things? Well what did they ask the Lord Jesus? They asked what would be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age. And so He told them the various signs we have discussed above. So here the "YOU" Jesus is referring to is the Jews recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 "Truly I say to you, THIS GENERATION will not pass away until all these things take place.

Which "GENERATION"? In the context it is the generation which sees ALL of these things. So what this is saying is NOT that all the signs marking the end began way back in time. But He is saying that this has to be a generation that lives at that specific time, and who see THE BEGINNING (cf, "beginning of birth pangs') as well as THE END.

COMING OF THE SON OF MAN LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH

Mt 24: 35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (So if someone sets dates you know it is NOT from God.) 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. (What were they like? read on) 38 "For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, UNTIL the day that Noah entered the ark, (When Noah entered the ark who was left on the earth after the flood? the believers would be the only ones to survive the flood. Only those in the ark were safe.) 39 and they did not understand (Who? the unbelievers) until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

40 "Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. (Who was "taken from the face of the earth" in the days of Noah? the unbelievers. The ones that were left on the face of the earth after the flood were the believers. The question then is: Are those who are still present on the earth when the Lord returns the Church or are they others who have believed during the time of the Great Tribulation.)

42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "For this reason you (WHO IS HE SPEAKING TO? Jews or the Church?) be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE SHEEP & GOATS

Mt 25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all gels i Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate th one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, (THE SHEEP) 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Is He referring to the Church or is that Jews? ) 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; ... 37 "Then the RIGHTEOUS will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? ... 40 "And the KING will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these BROTHERS OF MINE, (the Jews) even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been

prepared for the devil and his angels;

TO RECAPITULATE:

There is Great Tribulation when the Abomination of desolation stands in the holy place. There is tribulation such as the world has never seen. The Jews are told to flee into the wilderness. Then Christ comes and gathers His elect from the 4 comers of the earth. He sends some into judgment and some He keeps. Two are grinding at the mill. One is taken and the other is left. Then he JUDGES ALL THE NATIONS and separates the SHEEP, the ones who live on (entering into the millennial reign of Christ on earth) and the GOATS are cast into the lake of fire.

WHEN & WHERE DOES HE SIT IN JUDGMENT?

Are the SHEEP the church? Or is the church separate from the SHEEP? When He comes to sit in judgment, is this the church that has been kind to the Jews and they get to stay on the earth? Or are these Gentile nations that are not part of the church but yet who are righteous in that they have protected the Jews and therefore God is letting them go into His Kingdom bc what they did to the least of these His brethren, he did to Him? So these are the questions to consider when Jesus Christ returns.

Rev 19:1 After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude IN HEAVEN, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF IRS BOND‑SERVANTS ON HER." 3 And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER."

THE 5TH, 6TH & 7TH BOWLS

Rev16:10 "And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast..." his kingdom is darkened and they are IN AGONY. Rev 16:12 "And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates (in present day Iraq, with Babylon on its banks); and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east."... 14 ... spirits of demons ... go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together... " to come against Jerusalem. The 7^th Bowl is poured out and Babylon is judged.

WHAT IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AT THE LORD'S RETURN?

1). Nations of world gather in the valley of Har‑Mageddon to prepare to come against Jerusalem.

2) Babylon is destroyed (The 7^th Bowl ... Rev 19 describes her destruction by fire ... yes, it was the Beast and the 10 Kings coming against Babylon but God was using them to execute His judgment having put it in their heart.) The nations are wailing at the site of Babylon Burning. God had told His people to come out of Babylon and Jews who are there will come out and say "Jews return to Jerusalem and seek our God." So He is bringing the Jews to their knees.

3). Then the nations come against Jerusalem (Zech 14, et al)

Rev 16:19 And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST, THE BRIDE & THE ARMIES

Rev 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF READY." 8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (From Ephesians & 2 Cor 11:2 we know that the CHURCH is the BRIDE.) 9 And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" (Jesus Christ – 2 Cor 11:2 "... that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.') And he said to me, "These are true words of God." 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. " I I And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. (Who is this? Rev I describes this One as Jesus) 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And THE ARMIES WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

WHO ARE THE "ARMIES"?

Rev 19:8 shows us the BRIDE = the CHURCH is in linen, white and clean, so it could be the church.

Go to Rev 17:14 where John is writing t the Beast and the 10 Kings who give their authority to the Beast.

CALLED, CHOSEN & FAITHFUL

Rev 17: 14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and THOSE WHO ARE WITH HIM are the CALLED and CHOSEN and FAITHFUL."

Cross‑referencing Eph 1:4 we see that "He chose us in Him (in Christ) before the foundation of the world... ". Eph 1:5 tells us we are adopted as God's sons.

Eph 5 tells us we are the Bride of Christ.

Eph 2 & 3 gives you the mystery of the Church, Jew and Gentile in one body of those who have believed. SO WE ARE CHOSEN.

John 15:16 "You (speaking to the disciples who are the first part of the church) did not choose Me, but I CHOSE you, & appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

HOW DO WE KNOW THE CHURCH IS FAITHFUL?

Rev 2 & 3, Jesus said to every church, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches." Then He said "BE WHO OVERCOMES." I John 5: 5 And who is the one who OVERCOMES the world, but he who BELIEVES that Jesus is the Son of God?

So in summary when Jesus returns it looks like the church the Church is coming with Him.

Rev 19:15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the NATIONS; Is the CHURCH part of these NATIONS? It does not appear that way from Scripture. So when did the Church get up to heaven? So Kay believes that when Jesus returns to the earth, the Church is not here. There are Jewish believers, the offspring of the woman, Israel, who have believed holding the testimony of Jesus Christ and they have kept the commandments of God.

WHEN JESUS COMES TO EARTH WHERE DOES HE GO FIRST?

We know when the nations came against Jerusalem, Zech 12‑14 teaches us that the city was captured, the houses plundered, the women ravaged

Isaiah 34:1 Draw near, 0 nations, to hear; and listen, 0 peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. 2 For the LORD'S indignation is against all the nations, And His wrath (so clearly this is a time of wrath‑is the church going to endure the wrath of God?) against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter .... 5 For My sword is satiated in heaven, Behold it shall descend for judgment upon EDOM, (So it appears that Jesus is going to return first to Edom to where the Jews have fled into the wilderness. After the Antichrist plunders Jerusalem, the armies of the nations will move toward Edom to destroy the Jews hidden there.) and upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction. 6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, It is sated with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 Wild oxen shall also fall with them, and young bulls with strong ones; thus their land shall be soaked with blood, And their dust become greasy with fat. 8 For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Dan 11:41 the Antichrist is not allowed to go against Edom.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Up to this point the Jews have not believed that Jesus Christ is their Messiah. And God has blinded their eyes that they might not see and

believe.

Isa 6:9‑10 God tells Isaiah to go and preach even though the Jews refuse to see and hear. When Christ returns, the Nation has to repent in a day and as Christ comes to Edom, all of a sudden their blind eyes are opened and they see that Christ is the Messiah. Their ears are opened and they hear the truth of the word of God and they believe as He comes to Edom and the nation is saved in a day.

WHO TRAVELS THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS?

Isa 35:8 And a highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS. (In Mt 24:31 it says they will be gathered from the 4 comers of the earth. And it is on this Highway of Holiness that the redeemed Jews will be coming.) ... 9....These will not be found there. But the REDEEMED will walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the LORD will return, and come with joyful shouting to Zion, (So if He is coming 4 Zion, He is not in Zion.) with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? (Rev 14:20) 3 "1 have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. 4 "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come. 5 "And I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me; and My wrath upheld Me. 6 "And I trod down the peoples in My anger, and made them drunk in My wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

If you go to Habakkuk 3 you see that the Lord comes from Teman (Edom), trampling the nations

Hab 3:3 "God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise."

So from Edom, the Lord returns to Jerusalem, standing on the Mt of Olives overlooking Jerusalem and is there proclaimed and recognized for Who He is. He goes down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat between Mt of Olives and Jerusalem where all the nations of the world are gathered. Kay believes it is here that the Judgment of the Nations described in Mt 25:3 1 ff takes place.

Where is the Church when Christ returns? Kay believes they are with Jesus.

THE QUESTION FOR US TODAY IS...

Oh Bride are you ready for your Bridegroom?

Have you prepared your wedding garments?

(The righteous acts of the saints.)

SO THAT

When our Bridegroom calls
and the dead in Christ are raised to meet Him in the air,

you will be properly clothed to meet your Bridegroom.