Building Up to the Day of the Lord

Brethren, things can change from one day to another. Suddenly. Suddenly things can be different. And from one day to another, if we're not awake, the day of the Lord could be up.

But we are not amongst those that are sleeping, so it should not catch us and away us. And that is the message that you and I can read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. And I want you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. And start reading in verse 1. He says, But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. And I feel the same way. Concerning the time that we live in, I really probably don't need to give you this message, because we should be awake.

For verse 2, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. What is the day of the Lord? Is it clear in our minds what the day of the Lord is in this context? And then it says, will come as a thief in the night.

Now, brethren, quite often we just read that, and quite correctly we read it from the point of view as a thief in the night. But have you considered looking at the word night from the point of a spiritual night? And from the point of whether we are spiritually in the daytime, or whether we are spiritually in the nighttime? Because the day will come as a thief in the night if we are spiritually in the nighttime. In other words, asleep. Are we today spiritually in a daytime? Awake!

And then we continue reading in verse 3. For they say... Wait, wait, wait! Wasn't it in verse 2 saying, for you, yourselves know. But now it's saying, for they say. Also it's addressing two different people, groups of people. You, members in the church, and they, those not in the church. They say, peace and safety. Well, it's like for instance I say, well Afghanistan was reasonably peace and safe. It was. Nobody had died there for a number of years, at least over the American forces. Things were calm, were under control. Peace and safety. Or could we say, well, we can just get out because they can't handle it quite well. Peace and safety. Or could we just say, well, just give the perception that everything is looking good. A bunch of liars.

Or you could say, well, it was a success. Meantime, you know, it was at a failure. Peace and safety. They say. And continue reading. Then sudden destruction. Sudden destruction.

Look at it says, we'll come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. Once those pains come and they really come, you can't stop them. At least that's what my wife tells me. I couldn't speak for myself, but I'm sure we all agree with that. Once they come, they come. And you cannot stop it. And it says, and they shall not escape. You can't stop it. It means something bigger than yourself has been unleashed. And you can't stop it. But you know, it's peace and safety.

Brethren, this is only the beginning. This is only the beginning of sorrows. Greater consequences will follow. Continue verse 4. But you, brethren, now it's addressing to us as members in the church. Not at all, but you, brethren, are not in darkness. Are not in darkness. In spiritual darkness. In other words, you are on spiritual light. You in the day. You're not at night. So that this day, that's the day of the Lord, should not overtake you as a thief at night, because you are in the day. You are not of darkness. You, verse 5, are the sons of light. And the sons of the day. Spiritual day. So not in spiritual darkness. We are not of the night, spiritually speaking, or of darkness. Verse 6. Therefore, therefore, let us not sleep. Why? Because it's daytime. If you and I are spiritually in the light, it's daytime. It's not time to doze. Like some people maybe call sleepy Joe, right? But we are not sleepy Joes. We need to be awake.

Therefore, let us not sleep as others do. But let us watch, because it's daytime. Watch and be sober, because it's daytime. Don't do the little daddle. Don't act around as if nothing is happening. Watch.

As we heard in the sermonette, choose life. Watch. Choose life. Be awake.

Verse 7. For those who sleep, sleep at night. Yeah, spiritually speaking, they're sleeping at night. They are in the night, because they're spiritually asleep. And those who get drunk are drunk at night. Now, those who get some people, they get drunk at night too. But it's just the day we live in. Verse 8. But let us, who are of the day, spiritually speaking of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. You know, 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. And at the end, it says, these three abide, faith, hope, and love. Isn't it interesting? That's the same three that's talking about here. But it says, the greatest is love. We have, as it's cited in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15, we have to speak the truth. But you know, as I mentioned in the sermon a couple of weeks ago, the word speak is not in Greek. You have to be truthing, because the word truth in Greek is a verb. So you have to be truthing. You have to be following the truth. You have to love the truth. You have to be truth. You have to act truth. Yes, you've got to speak. You've got to act. You've got to behave as truth in love. In love. And that's our challenge. Because if you're not, if you're not of truth and you have love, you're a licentious. If you have no truth and no love, you're worldly. If you have truth but no love, you're a dictator. You're a legalist. But you have to have truth with love. Because God is truth and God is love. God is infinite truth. Christ said, I'm the way, I'm the life, I'm the truth, and God is love. So they are infinite truth and infinite love, and that's what you and I need to be aiming to be perfect, to be growing in that graciousness of love. And in the knowledge, the truth of who Christ is. That's what we're going to be growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. And so we have these three faith, hope and love.

We also know that, for instance, after the faith chapter, which is Hebrews 11, we got, guess what? Hebrews 12. So let's go to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12. We start in verse 1. So it's just after the faith chapter. Therefore, so it's talking about the faith and these people that died in faith, and they did not receive the promises, they're waiting for us. Chapter 12 verse 1. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses of faithful people, let us lay aside every wake and the sun which so easily ensnares us. In other words, let us be sober. Let us be watching. Let us be awake. And let us run within. Here is the race. What is the race? The race of faith. That's what it is, of faith. And that's why we read, put on the breastplate of faith. We have to run this race of faith. Looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. You see, Christ is the author of faith. You and I are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Not by my faith or your faith, because my faith or your faith is useless. We are justified. We are made right with God by his faith. He trusted absolutely in the Father. He came to earth. He died and trusted absolutely the Father that the Father would resurrect him. So, he's the author and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before him, what is the joy set before him? Is the hope, the hope of what? That you and I would repent. That you and I would see that example and make a change.

But not only that, that then we would be eternally in the family of God because of what he did. Because he opened up the way for it. And that's why he then endured the cross, despising the shame, and all that. So, you can see he's the author and finisher of our faith. And then we go on, still continuing this context of faith, look at chapter 13 verse 5. Let your conduct. So, this is building up this concept of faith and good behavior. And it says, therefore let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. That for us is that we need to have an act of faith. We need to have an act of faith that God does not lie. That it's impossible for God to lie. It's impossible for Christ to lie. And he says, you'll never leave us or forsake us. So, where am I going? Brethren, I would give the title of this sermon, Building up to the Day of the Lord. That's what I would title the sermon. Let me see if I can get a slide up here that you can see.

Building up to the Day of the Lord. Brethren, the days are around us. That things are developing around us. That it's building up to the Day of the Lord. And you know what we need?

We need faith. Because the days are going to be difficult. Times are going to be difficult. And God says, I'll never leave or forsake you.

Do we trust that? Do we believe that? So, what do we see around us? We see a wall that is getting more and more evil. Look at Matthew 24 verse 12. Matthew 24 verse 12. It says, because lawlessness will abound. And brethren, and we see wrong things, what people doing things wrong, what is it of people saying things that are just outright lies. Don't you just feel like doing something to them and sorting them out?

Because of wickedness, it's growing. Because lawlessness is abounding the love of many will wax cold. If you and I get wrapped up with the things of the world, and all we thinking and listening is seeing these things without having a correct context. Without having a correct context, we're just going to go wrong. And we're going to lose the love. And yeah, we can have the truth. But if we lose love, what's the good? We become legalists. We're going to have true thing in love.

That's why it says, verse 13, But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Quite often we think we endures to the end these trials and the legalties. But what about enduring to the end by not losing our love? When we see these things and the weakness around us, what about enduring to the end in which that we are not becoming cold?

We must endure in love. For one, amongst other things, of course. That is why Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5, which we did read a little while ago, says, Put on the breastplate of faith and love. Because he says, we need the breastplate of faith. We need to trust God and we need not to grow cold. But then he adds, And as a helmet, have the hope of salvation. You see, we need that hope of salvation. We need that hope. Hope helps us to hold on beyond what's happening today. Because if we don't have hope, if we lose hope, we'll give up and we'll not persevere. We need hope and hope of salvation. And you can read salvation as eternal life, but for us, at this end time, you could also read as a hope of protection. God says you'll protect these faithful ones. Those that are counted worthy to escape those things that will come and to stand before the Son of Man. So we need to have that hope and we need to have that trust, faith, confidence in God that He does not break His promises. And on the other side, we need to continue growing enough and concern the love for other people. So as we look towards the time of the end, let me just turn to a scripture in Revelation 22. Revelation 22.

And that is in verse 7. And it says, Be all, I'm coming quickly. Brethren, quite often you and I read that and we say, but you know, it's taking so long. It's taking so long. When is it coming? It says it's coming quickly. You know what? The word in Greek also has an additional meaning, which may be, I believe, is what should have been translated here, which says, or put it another way, says, Be all, I'm coming suddenly. Be all, I'm coming suddenly. Quickly, you know what? Suddenly, when it comes, it'll be quick. Well, as you know, it was written in the year 90 of the current era, so that was like 1,900 years ago. And from there until today, it's not quickly in our minds. But what I was saying is, when it does come, it will be sudden. And as I mentioned right at the beginning, things can change from one day to another suddenly. That's why it says, Be awake that the day of the Lord does not come to you as a thief. In the night, why? Because it will be sudden.

But let's continue reading in verse 7 of Revelation 22. It says, Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. You know, it's like there are various number of statements of blessing. It will be interesting for you to do a study and look at the number of times Blessed is he in the book of Revelation. Because you know there's like the Beatitudes, Blessed is he that does, Blessed is he that does. There's also, if I remember correctly, seven Blessed is he in the book of Revelation. That will be an interesting study for you. But the point here is, there's a blessing for he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. What do you mean keeps the words of the prophecy? That means, I mean, we gotta just understand the prophecy? Yeah, true. But you know, the prophecy of this book has got the seven letters to the churches and there are certain things that we need to keep and be aware. And the very first one is don't lose the first love, isn't it? Interesting, isn't it? And there are others that it also says things like, be aware, don't have the mark of the beast. You know, that basically is this obedience to God. And the book of Revelation quite clearly says, O by God! Look at Revelation 14 verse 22. Revelation 14 verse 22, it says, I beg your pardon, 14 verse 12, not 22 verse 12, 14 verse 12. Revelation 14 verse 12, Yea is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God. So, on one side, he's talking about the mark of the beast, which are those that basically don't keep the commandments of God and specifically the Sabbath. And the eye is about those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Very, very powerful. And it's saying, O by, blessed is he that keeps the words of the prophecy of this book, meaning that we obey, that we have the faith of Jesus, and that we have that love.

But it's also a blessing because these prophecies give us a roadmap of certain major events to happen so that you can have hope. And so that you can put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. Because you can see, well, this is kind of that, that is still to happen and that is still to happen. So, you are not going around in different ideas or whatever, you know, and there's so many fake ideas out there. It's just unbelievable. But if you keep anchored to the word of God, and specifically talking about the prophecies in the book of Revelation, you will then have this hope of salvation. But it's not just the hope of salvation, it's the helmet, which is something that's going to protect your head, that you're going to put around in your brain protect around your brain, protect you from all these darts of doubt and confusion and lies and things like that.

So part of that hope of salvation is protection. Protection. Protection. If we close to God. If we keep the words of this book of prophecy, and that's a blessing. Look in Revelation chapter 1, right at the beginning. Similar words, but right at the beginning of Revelation chapter 1. So, we saw in 22, it's kind of the closure, but look at chapter 1 verse 3. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near. It is a blessing. And you know that in this vision, as we say, the hour of the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show his servants, and then he's sent, he's semi-fided by his angel to John. So John the apostle had this vision, and in this vision, he was taking forward to a time, as you read in verse 10, and he says, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day. He was taken into the future, like back to the future type of thing, in a vision, and he was in the Lord's day. So what is the Lord's day?

Look at Isaiah chapter 13 verse 9. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 9. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 9. Beyond the day of the Lord comes. Yeah, so it's a day of the Lord. It's very specific, comes. Cruel with wrath and fierce anger. So it's a day of wrath. It's a day of God's wrath. Look also at Joel chapter 2. Joel chapter 2, and we're going to read verse 31. Joel chapter 2 verse 31. It says, the sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Ha! So now we have a sequence. The heavenly signs will happen before the day of the Lord. So let me see if I can put this slide, this hand out for you.

So you can see, because I have given you handouts, and the handouts are milestones to watch for. I have them sent them also to the Portuguese. So the Portuguese brethren have the Portuguese version as well. And then I've also sent to you a detailed version, because this version is nice because it's simple. That might not look simple, but it does not have a lot of stuff in it, so it's not confusing. But I sent to you, and I gave you, and to the Portuguese brethren as well, one more detail with all or a number of scriptural background details of those events. And I have it in English, and I have it in Portuguese. So both of you that are listening English or Portuguese have got this handout. I am basically going to be focusing on the short version, and obviously you can go to the more detailed version as a study row, but the short version would be useful to follow today to give an overview. And if we look at the section here where it says the seven trumpets in the middle, if you look at the screen there, you can see where the mouse is going there. If you look at the screen, that section there, which is the seventh seal, you see you've got all these little red markers there, and the seventh seal, then you've got a square. There are seven trumpets. That's the day of the Lord in this context. That's the day of the Lord. Now, we have just read in Joel chapter 2 that the day of the Lord is after the heavenly signs, and that's what you can see. There's the heavenly signs clearly marked there. I marked it as a little flag for you to see. And then you can see also the heavenly signs there on the picture, and you can see after that is the day of the Lord. So that's just to give you an idea. Now brethren, where are we in time now? We in time, yeah, before the abomination of desolation, before the man of the false prophet and the beast, so we somewhere around this area. It's very important, and that's why I gave you the section with all the let's call it all the detailed scriptures so you can go home and study. I also want to draw your attention to one or two other things here very briefly. Can you see that there this section, yeah, the seventh seal represents the day of trumpets. Then we have the last trumpet, the coming of Christ, right at the end there. And then you can see after that we've got a tournament at the bottom. So you've got one of the festivals, a tournament. And then you can see right at the end after that you've got the Feast of Tabernacles, which represents the kingdom of God, which goes beyond that. So I just wanted to show you that from a point of view that that gives you a fairly good overview picture of points ahead.

Now, one point I want to draw to your attention is Revelation chapter 6. In Revelation chapter 6, starting from verse 12 through to verse 17, we've got the heavenly signs. Revelation chapter 6 verse 12 through 17, you've got the heavenly signs, which is basically the sixth seal, as if you're looking at that chart I've given you. If you look at that, that is the sixth seal. So we've got the heavenly signs in the sixth seal. But watch at the end of the heavenly signs says, at the end of verse 16 and at the beginning of verse 17, and it says the people are saying, fall on us, because the wrath of the Lamb, from the wrath of Jesus Christ, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? So we can see at the end of the heavenly signs it says the day of the Lord is coming, because the wrath is coming, that is the day of the Lord, and that is coming. So that coincides beautifully with the explanation that I gave you in Joel chapter 2. Now, it is vitally important for us to understand two key things to understand prophecy. It is vitally important to understand two key things about to understand prophecy. Number one, that the day of the Lord is the seventh seal in this context. It is very important to understand that. And that's the time when John was taken in a vision to that, and he could look back at events, and then you can see most of the book of Revelation is about events afterwards from there. Now, today's message, today's sermon, is focusing on events before the day of the Lord.

Building up to the day of the Lord. And I'm just going to highlight specific points for you to go home and study more. On the day of trumpets, next Tuesday, God willing, we will cover them events during the day of trumpets, the seventh seal.

So the question is, as we start, where are we today? Where are we today in these events? Brethren, we are in no other than in the section of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. So I'm going to put that chart up again so you can see it.

We are in the section here. And there are certain things that are violated that we have to watch. Certain things for us to watch. So, the second point which is important for us to understand, prophecy, I mentioned there's two important points to understand prophecy. One, that the day of the Lord is the seventh seal. Another very important point to understand prophecy is who are specific nations? Particularly, who is the United States and Britain in prophecy? And we've got booklets, the United States and Britain in prophecy and equivalent in Portuguese as well. That clearly, clearly goes through detail by detail to prove that the United States and Britain are respectively Manasseh and Ephraim as tribes of Israel.

They are not the Jewish people. The Jewish people today in the country called Israel, they actually are the Jewish nation, not the Israelites nation. America and Britain and English-speaking nations are basically those children of Joseph. So, that is important for us to understand prophecy. And also, it is critically important for us to understand who are the other kings, like King of the North and King of the South. And we've got two important booklets that address that extensively.

The Middle East in prophecy. I have two, sorry, it's one, but it's two. I have two yarn in my hand because I got the English and Portuguese versions, so I'm just sorry for misspeaking. But we've got a very important booklet that addresses in detail Daniel 11, in detail the developments of the King of the North and of the King of the South and who those nations are and that confederacy that will attack Israel. It's all clearly proven publicly from the Bible. So, use these Bible study guides to study the Bible. It's not these booklets that are important.

It's what the Bible says. But these study guides guide you through a careful Bible study to prove those points. It is important for us to understand the identity of these nations. Therefore, when you look at things to watch, we've got things to watch, and we have one of them, very important, is the loss of honor or the loss of pride of the United States and Britain. The loss of pride of the United States and Britain.

Other things to watch is the coming of the King of the South. Other things to watch is the coming of the King of the North. Basically, what will become known in the Book of Revelation as the Beast. And also Judah, the nation of Israel today, Judah, and daily sacrifices which have not started. And all this will have to happen before the abomination of desolation to happen. So, it is important to have this in focus.

Okay, now, I want to take you to something which is outside of the Book of Revelation, but it's very significant because it's talking about the Stein-Premier of seven things to watch. Quite often we forget to look at this as things to watch in the Stein-Frame. And therefore, we get confused with sequences of events as they build up to there. Another thing I want to highlight to you is that once the four horsemen ride, they keep riding, riding, riding, riding, riding all the way to the coming of Christ.

Once the Great Tribulation starts, even though its effectiveness or its power is cut short, because it says it will be cut short, but that will continue running all the way till that power is destroyed at the coming of Christ. So, we need to understand once the seals are open, once those things happen, they keep going. So, when it says, for instance, on the fourth seal that there will be, if I remember correctly, a fourth of the world's population that will die, it may be mean into areas like the Great Tribulation, not necessarily before the Great Tribulation.

I'm not saying it is for sure, but I'm just saying keep a watch that it could be. But quite often we neglect to look at these seven things to watch here, and we don't have a time sequence of those events. I am going to show you a scripture that shows a time sequence of those events. And that is in Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26.

In Leviticus 26, it's a section that gives you blessings and cursings for Israel. It's the second last chapter of Leviticus. And the first part is blessings if you will obey, if you keep my Sabbaths, if you obey my laws, bang! But then, starting from verse 14, Yah is if you do not obey, you will be punished. And it gives five waves of punishment. That to me is a sequence. You get the first one, and if you don't listen, the next one will be seven times more stronger. And if you don't listen, the same next one will be seven times stronger. And if you don't listen, the next one will be seven times stronger. And if you don't listen, the fifth one, do you know what it is? You look at it. We're going to go through them in a moment. But the fifth one is the Great Tribulation. So now you have a time sequence of events till the Great Tribulation. So what is the first one? Verse 16. If you don't obey, I'll even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever. Terrorism. Now, this is where we know that the first wave is terrorism. This is where now I am guessing. Right? So it's my guess. I believe that was 2001-9-11. I could be wrong. But that means the first wave. The second wave. It's in verse 18 and 19 and it says, obey me and I'll punish you seven times more and I'll break the pride of your power. Do you know what happened? Coincidentally, 70 years after 9-11, the market crashed in 2008. And you know what? I will never forget that Monday evening, September 29th, 2008, just before, because Monday night after sunset, was the beginning of trumpets.

Monday night to 29th of September, on the wall of the stock market was written 777. A market crash of 777 on the evening before the day of trumpets. Exactly coincidentally, seven years after 9-11. Oh, it's just a coincidence.

Well, some people said to me, oh, it was not exactly 777, was 777.68. Yes, it was. You add 6 plus 8 makes 14. Divide that by 2 is 2-7.

Well, the pride of the power was the beginning of the break of the power of the American dollar. And yeah, mankind has done things. It's printing money. Printing money. But it's all veneer.

And then we get to a little later. To a little later. To the third wave.

Look at verse 21. If you don't walk according to my ways, I'll bring on you seven times more points. Huh. What happened last year? Isn't that kind of seven times more than what the market crash was? And you know what?

2020. Do you realize it was 12 years after 2008? Well, so the first one was seven years, now the second one is 12. That is coincidence as well, isn't it? And you know, 12 plus 7 makes 19. Oh, it's a 19-year cycle. Oh, what a coincidence. Huh. Has there been repentance? And remember, once these things start, like I said, they just keep going. So I'm basically saying that this thing will just keep going.

Has there been repentance?

What is the fourth one? The fourth one is in verse 23 and 24, and it says, and if these things, by these things you are not reformed by me, but well contrary to me, I will also well contrary to you, and I'll punish you seven times more for your sins, and I'll bring a sword against you.

I don't believe this has happened yet. I don't know when it will happen.

But I ask a question. Are we setting ourselves up for a sword against us?

And that will be seven times worse than this current pandemic. And brethren, that's not yet the Great Tribulation. We look at what's happening in our country, corruptions in elections, whatever way you look at it. Southern borders open, you can just walk freely. And you know what? We've got the situation of Afghanistan. Are these things compounding and getting worse? Are we setting ourselves up for a sword against us? Let me ask you a thing. Is God removing the blessings from Israel? And if you and I understand that Israel is America, and the English-speaking nations, which includes Australia and Canada and the UK, and other nations that speak English, is God removing the blessings or not? Are we in the day? Are we in the night?

No man knows the day or the hour. And we know these things will be like birth pangs, which means they get nearer and stronger. Yeah, in the beginning, maybe they come, and then they give a little extra space, but then once they're there, then they start coming, and they really come one after the other.

And then we got the fifth and last wave, which is in verses 27 through 33. And it says, And if you, after this, you do not obey me, or walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in a fury. And I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons.

That is terrible, brethren. You shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your eye places. I'll cut down on your sense altars and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your eyelids. And your soul shall abor you, and I'll lay your city's waste. And bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I'll bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished. I'll scatter you amongst the nations. Brethren, I believe that is the Great Tribulation.

Brethren, we have escalated through, I believe, through the set of punishments. Through these waves of punishments. Till the Great Tribulation. And you know what? I mean, I'll tie these two specific events, and I did say, that's my speculation. When I tie, I said, this could be 9-11, that could be the market crash, right? That is my speculation. I could be wrong. But if I'm right, there is one wave to go before the Great Tribulation. That's the fourth wave. That's the sword.

So what's our job today, brethren? Isaiah 58. Isaiah 58, verse 1-3.

Isaiah 58, verse 1-3.

Cry aloud. Spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Oh yeah. I can shout yeah, and scream and shout, and then I go home, my wife will tell me, George, you were shouting.

But, you know, brethren, sometimes pausing is more effective. So tell my people their transgression. Who's my people? Oh yeah, you and I can say it's Israel, it's America, it's... have you thought that it could be the Church of God?

Have you thought that we have a responsibility to cry aloud to the Church of God and wake up? You know the story of the Ten Virgins, and they were all slept, they all slept. It's time to wake up!

Yes, they seek me daily, and delight in my ways as a nation that did righteousness. Yes, and they look at verse 3, and yes, they fasted.

Are we fasting? Just to demand things from God? Or as we heard during the announcements by Mr. Kirby, are we fasting to go close to God, and to humble ourselves?

It's time to warn the people, it's time to wake up!

So, let's get to point number 4. Are we setting ourselves up for a sword against us? The disaster in Afghanistan is the most disastrous ever imaginable. You and I could not have thought of the scenario, and you and I cannot think of the scenario of the wave number 4. All we know it's going to come, because God just gives us the major milestones, and we will be able to do that. But you know what we've created in Afghanistan? Just consider.

We created a nation that is fully equipped from one day to the other. Which nation? The king of the south. We have started building up the first steps of the king of the south, because before that, oh yeah, we thought, well, ISIS was the king of the south, but they were practically eradicated. So, where's the king of the south?

Let me ask you a question. If you wanted to arm them to be the king of the south, I mean, if you had that evil mind, would you have considered what happened? Would you have planned what happened? Do you know what happened? We needed to vote to have a president that would be strong and build a military, and that president had to put that military in Afghanistan. When you look back, and then we needed to vote for a president, or maybe we didn't vote, but maybe there was corruption there. None of it matters at this moment. The point is, there is a president that just gave it away. So, we put all the ammunition out there, the most advanced, the most well-developed stuff, and we just left it out there. Gratas!

Now, I ask, what effect was our votes? Because in the end, God allows certain things to punish the nation that is sinning. That's what it is. Think about it. God is in control, and he prophesied that the nation, that sin, would be punished for its sins, and we can see prophetically that he is the king of the south to come, and you read things that they're going to destroy us. But you know what? Who's destroyed us? We have destroyed ourselves. We have destroyed ourselves because of our sins. Look at Isaiah chapter 13. Let me put it another way. You want a better outcome of elections? Then repent, nation! Repent! Look at Isaiah chapter 13.

Verse 6. Isaiah chapter 13. Start reading in verse 6. I am the verse 6. And when they had posture, they were full. Look, we've had blessings. Blessings all over. They were full, and their heart was exalted. They became proud. We have done this. We have built this nation. God blessed you with this nation. Not we have done it. Therefore they forgot me, says God. So I'll be to them like a lion, like a leopard on the road. I'll look, I'll meet them like a bear deprived of a cubs. I'll tear open their ribcage, and there we'll devour them like a lion. Those punishments are coming, and we saw them in Leviticus 26.

Now in verse 9, this is very interesting. I'm going to read it to you from the King James Version, or the authorized version. It says, Oh Israel, you have destroyed yourself.

That's in the King James Version. Oh Israel, you have destroyed yourself. I mean, other versions say, oh well, oh Israel, you are destroyed. They have diluted the real meaning.

We have destroyed ourselves.

Do you know what else we've created with Afghanistan besides the beginnings of the King of the South? Do you know what else have we created? The beginnings of the King of the North.

How come? Because a number of European allies said, no, we can't leave Afghanistan. And when they saw America leaving, they couldn't do a thing. They had to get out, because they didn't have the power. And what they realized, a number of things. Number one, we can't trust America. And number two, we got to build ourselves up. We have started the beginnings of the King of the North, which then will be energized, which is being exposed by Russia and China. And with these refugees and terrorism that will increase in Europe, there's going to be a major change in Europe from democracy to dictatorship. We have begun the beginnings of the King of the North. So you can see there are still a few things to develop.

You see, when I talk about the King of the South and the King of the North, I'm talking about scriptures of Daniel 11. Now, I mentioned earlier on that Daniel 11 is explained verse by verse in this Bible study guide. Study it, please. Please.

Look at Daniel 11 verse 40. Daniel 11 verse 40. I apologize, I'm going terribly overtime today, but we don't have anything else to do today, so I hope it's okay. Daniel 11 verse 40. At the time of the end, the King of the South shall attack him. It was the King of the South will push against the King of the North, and the King of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind. So we see this King of the South, probably between inverted commas, a Sunni alliance, a Sunni alliance of Sunni people, not Shiites, but Sunnis. And this King of the South will then push against the King of the North, which is Europe, which is, will become the beast. As we read, King of the North is in Daniel 11 terminology. In Revelation, terminology is the beast. That means a dictatorship. They'll come along and they'll push.

But I do believe that before that, this will happen, which is Psalm 83. Psalm 83, verse 4 through 8. Psalm 83, Psalm 83, verse 4 through 8.

They said, They said, Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. Now understand the name of Israel is more than the Jewish nation called Israel today.

It's the whole Israel, all 12 tribes, which includes what today is, the United States, and what it is, nations like Canada and Australia and New Zealand and others. Look at verse 5. For they have consulted together with one consent, they form a confederacy against you, in the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites and Moab and Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalak, Phylicia and the Inhabits of Tyre, and Assyria has joined with them. And it was mentioned early on, who do we believe to be Assyria? So it is important to understand who these nations are. So this confederacy will develop as the hatred for Israel is just gonna grow.

And brethren, I've only touched a few points about, for instance, Afghanistan. I have not even talked to you about other areas like weather patterns, fires, tornadoes, bad cyclones, disasters. I have not talked to you about much about COVID-19 and the disease. But you know what? As I say, never waste a disaster as a wonderful opportunity to create more troubles. Do you know what's the next one with the weather? You just go and need to go onto the World Economic Forum's website. In fact, the latest Beyond Today magazine has got a whole section about that. And it's on their website that says in 2020, 2030, I think it is, in 2030, you will own nothing and you'll be happy. And there they talk about terminology. And this has been out there in this World Economic Forum. They talk about the terminology, build back better, build back better. And you're gonna hear politicals and people like that talking about build back better. That is a plot. I'm not even talking about that, brethren.

You look at other scriptures like Hosea 5, there it says the nation will be destroyed in one month, which is 30 days. And then you go back to Daniel 12 verse 6 and it says, the power of the holy people be utterly shattered and then it will be 1,260 days, three and a half years. Read with me Psalm 12, I beg your pardon, Daniel 12 verse 6. Daniel 12 verse 6. Daniel 12 verse 6. He says, how long will these things be in verse 6? And then look at in verse 7. And then I heard a man clothed with linen was above the waters of the river and he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and his sword to him with us forever that it shall be for a time, times and half a time. That is three and a half years. That is 1,260 days. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things will be finished or shall be finished. So that means, that's the beginning of Great Tribulation, three and a half years, the power of the holy people is completely shattered. You can read it both ways, physically and spiritual, which is Israel, physical and Israel, spiritual and the power of the holy people is utterly shattered, which means the nation is destroyed and the work of the church is stopped. Utterly shattered. All these things shall be finished. And then you read a little bit later in verse 11, it says, and from that time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and abomination set up, there shall be 1,290 days, which is 30 days longer. So the Great Tribulation starts, but 30 days before the Great Tribulation, there's the abomination of desolation. And that means that it's exactly the 30 days. And those are the 30 days that you read in Isaiah 5, verse 5 and 7, that Israel will be utterly destroyed. So it all jowls. It all jowls. And that means that we're talking about 1,290 days to the coming of Christ. That means at that time you know how many days to go and Christ is coming. Today nobody knows, but there will be a time, if we reverse according to the Scripture, that we'll know the day. Because it also says elsewhere, it says those things are held that tell heed that all the fact is allowed to go and it will be released. And we're also reading in, for instance, let's just finish here in Daniel 12 and then we'll go on to what the other thing is. It says, verse 12, Daniel 12, 12, Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days. So that 45 days before the abomination of desolation, there's going to be something else that will happen. And it says, Blessed is he who waits.

So brethren, there are certain things that we don't know what that is. That is one of them. It doesn't say what it is and it says it's sealed. Neither to the time will understand. Could it be the end of the work? Could it be that two are in the field? One is taken, one is left, and things like that. And blessed are they that wait. So there's things that we don't know. But we do know that there will be a time, there will be a war in heaven, that Satan will be released. He will come to earth and cross havoc. That's the time of the Great Tribulation. And we know that at that time the church will be protected. Or at least a portion of the church. If you read Revelation 12 says, Satan, verse 13 and 14 says, Satan persecutes the church for three and a half years. But the remaining members of the church, then he goes and go after them because the others were protected. He goes after them and those are the ones that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. So part of the church will be protected. In other words, part of the church will be considered worthy to be protected and part of the church will not. In other words, some will be considered, let's call it Philadelphia, and some will be considered Laodiceans. And that's what we get from that. So brethren, I have covered a lot of stuff, but all that I'm saying is, I just touched the surface. And I've given you handouts for you to use to study. And I've given a second handout with all the scriptures behind them for you to study and to put it together. I can't put this into your head. You're going to have to do the elbow work, the grease work done. Homework the study to prove these things from the Bible. If I've made any mistake here, tell me where it's wrong. But I put this together over 10 years ago, and I've shown it to many people, and nobody has been able to identify anything wrong, because it's all biblical. It's all from the Bible. It's all from the Bible. But what it does give us is an idea that there are still a few things to happen, and brethren, this is bad, but it's even going to get worse before the church will be protected. As we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 8, which I'm just going to... We read right at the beginning. I'm just going to restate it again. But let us, let us, who are of the day, be sober. In other words, we are all of the day. We must not be sleeping. We must be sober. In other words, we must choose life. We must choose to do the right things, and we need to put on the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of the hope of salvation. Brethren, we have to trust in God that He will intervene. We have to trust in God that these things will happen, and we have to trust in God that He will protect us. In the meantime, we have to act in love. Because, brethren, the day of the Lord will come suddenly.