Frankie Mazzapica - End Times Timeline - Part 3
We are in part three of a series called «The Timeline for the End Times.» I want you to know that Jesus is coming back very, very soon. Oftentimes, people live as if He isn’t, but I assure you that He is returning soon. For those of us who are ready, those of us who have been living for the Lord, you will be caught up in the air. For those of us who are not, you will be left behind. Let me show you a timeline of where we are at. I discussed this in part one and part two, so I won’t go into detail. If you want to watch it, you can go to our YouTube channel and check it out.
This is when Jesus died and rose again. This is the church age, which is where we are right now; this is where the disciples were in Acts chapter 2. I talked about certain signs that would happen before this occurs. It should happen at any moment; it could happen today. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened in 10 years. Personally, I don’t believe that I will die before that happens. Again, there are certain signs that have never happened before that indicate this.
This brings us to the rapture of the church, which is when people will be left behind. This will be a very, very, very bad time. Those of us who are raptured will stand before God at the Judgment Seat, but this will not be a bad moment; it will be an awesome one for believers. God does not remember your sins, so you will not be judged for those; you are honored and receive rewards. There are many who fell away from the faith, many who ignored the Lord while facing troubles and hard times, yet you continued to believe in Him. You will be rewarded for that.
While they are going through seven years of tribulation, you will be at a wedding feast enjoying spaghetti, meatballs, lasagna, and the whole nine yards. I’m Italian, so I will be looking for that side of the table. This is Christ’s second coming; I’m not going to go into it. This is when Satan is thrown into Hades. He won’t torment anyone; if you’ve ever been tormented, you know what that feels like: when your mind and emotions go to a place that isn’t natural, Satan is controlling those emotions. During this Millennium Reign, we will be on Earth, and there will be no Satan. We won’t be tormented; it will be wonderful, beautiful.
For a thousand years, people will be born during this time. Babies will be born, and people will grow up. We will be here for a thousand years. It’s not fair for you and I to live our lives, while all those who have ever lived are tormented by Satan, and those born during the Millennium Reign will never have to deal with any of that. That’s not cool. But here’s the deal: Satan will be released during this time, and he will torment people. This is his last chance to lead people to hell.
After a short time, every single person who has ever lived will stand before God. This is horrible; all these people will go to hell. Satan and the sinners will go to hell, and then there’s New Jerusalem. Oh, you got that first. I love you; is that Zoe back there? I love you! Even if you don’t know Zoe, give her a big round of applause.
Let me tell you what the rapture looks like, and this is in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. I’m going to share a lot of verses, but I won’t make you read all of them. However, I do want you to read this one and the next. Now, if I catch someone not reading—Lissa, Cor, if I catch you not reading Luke, we’re going to do it all over again. Are you with me? Here we go.
«For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout.» What are we saying here? In the twinkling of an eye, in a blink: you can’t do anything faster than a blink. In a blink, you are here, and then you are leaving the earth. You leave and meet God—Jesus—in the air. This is the rapture: you’re up; you’re gone; you’re up in the air in a moment, in the twinkling.
Now, I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this because I already did in the last two weeks, but I do want to talk about what heaven is going to look like. In 1 Corinthians 2:9, Paul had a near-death experience where he went to heaven and saw things. Then he came back and said, «What I saw was inexpressible; I didn’t have words to explain it.» So, this is what we’re going to do: I’m going to discuss seven things that you’re going to see in heaven, but just know it is a horrible attempt to describe what it really looks like, but we’re going to try.
Paul had a near-death experience and wrote scripture about it. There are people today who have had near-death experiences, and when they describe what happened, clearly some are crazy. But then there are others whose experiences echo what the Bible says, filling in the blanks a little. Are you with me? Say yes! Come on, let me hear you say yes!
All right, let’s dive into the first one: the light in heaven. There is an overwhelming light throughout heaven. It’s kind of like the earth, where the sun is not throughout the entire earth. If you get into an Elon Musk rocket and go really fast to Asia, there’s no light; it’s dark there. On the other hand, in Australia, it’s also dark.
Now, let me share a scripture about this: Revelation 21:23 states, «The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp,» referring to Jesus.
Now, let’s go to some people who went to heaven; when they came back, they described what they saw, and it echoes what we just read. Dean Braxton said, «There was no need for the sun because the glory of God was the light.» Next, Kat Kerr said, «The light is alive—the sun we see coming from the sky is not alive; it’s just on. The light is alive; it doesn’t just illuminate; it flows like a river.»
I can’t understand this either, but through everything, it gives life to all creation. This is insane, right? So, that’s the light, but I also want to talk to you about the music. Now, the first service was horrible at this. If you’re watching and loved the first service, I just want you to know, you all need to drink espresso or something. I’m going to sing part of a song, and I want you to sing the rest. You know it!
Look at the person next to you and say, «If you don’t sing, you’re out of here!» We’re literally kicking you out! So, don’t sing it like the first service. They knew it, but they were trying to match my volume. Here we go: «Sweet Caroline, good times never felt so good!»
That’s what I’m talking about! See, there’s music here; it doesn’t matter if it’s rap or country; it all has the same kind of energy. In heaven, it’s music we cannot even imagine. Let me share a point on music: Revelation 5:13 states, «And then I looked and heard the voice of many angels circled around the throne and singing in a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb.'»
Angels are not humans; they do not have to breathe, so this song is constantly taking place. But for us in heaven, when we look at the Lord, we won’t be able to control ourselves. We will join in with the angels and sing; there will be lots of praising. It’s not like you’re singing the entire time, but when you look at Him, you won’t be able to help it, and neither will you need to breathe.
Let me tell you what Don Piper said when he went to heaven. «It wasn’t just music; it was thousands of voices singing in perfect harmony, blended with instruments I had never heard.» Have you ever wondered that? The flute has been around for a thousand years; can’t we come up with some new instruments? There are instruments in heaven you’ve never seen before, all in perfect harmony.
Jesse Duplantis said, «Even the wind in heaven sings, even the babies echo.» Just kidding! I love your baby! «Every step I took, I could hear worship coming from everywhere; the whole place was alive with music.»
Let me share another one from Kat Kerr: «Every object—trees, water, even the flowers—seemed to create music. It was like everything in the heavens was part of a divine symphony.» If you’ve ever heard a symphony, you have flutes over here, horns over here, strings over here, and it all comes together. You can’t really pick out one specific sound; it all goes together. Our voices will all go together.
That’s just the music. When I tell you to be serious about your relationship with God, this is where we’re going! I’m only talking about seven things you will see.
Let’s go to the next one: the colors of heaven! Heaven has a spectrum of colors never seen on earth. Let’s read this scripture: «The wall of the city was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass,» referring to the foundations of the wall adorned with every kind of jewel.
In heaven, there are colors that don’t exist here. On earth, there are really only three colors: red, blue, and yellow. If you look at your shirt, see if anyone is wearing something that isn’t red, blue, or yellow! How did that color come about? They took those three colors, mixed them like a cocktail, and came up with what you have. But in heaven, there are colors you have never seen before.
Let me share what Don Piper said: «The flowers weren’t just red or yellow; they were colors I had never seen before, like they existed in a different spectrum of light.» Jesse Duplantis said, «Everywhere I looked, the colors moved; they shifted and changed, not randomly, but as if they were responding to the presence of God.»
Now, let’s talk about people: what will you look like? I have great news; you will look awesome! My grandmother wore dentures and often forgot to wear them. She would leave them in a cup floating. I wanted to take the cup and be like, «Please!» But I didn’t want to touch it. In heaven, her teeth will look perfect. She will be her perfect self again.
Let me share a scripture with you: «He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.» Like Jesus’s glorious body, that’s what the Bible says. Don Piper said, «People looked perfect—not like mannequins, but like the best version of themselves, radiant with joy.»
One more quote: «I saw my grandpa, but he looked like he was in his 20s.» That’s what I’m talking about! There was a conference I attended, and the speaker said, «Raise your hand if you’re 25 years or older.» I raised my hand, and he said, «Somebody needs to tell you this: you are not cool anymore.» That really bothered me!
But in heaven, we are cool again! Don Braxton said, «Every person I saw glowed from the inside. Their joy was visible.» When they worshiped, their robes shimmered in beautiful new colors.
Now, let me talk about the landscape. The landscape in heaven is like the landscape here but more awesome. The best way I can describe it is if I find a rock and pick it up, and then I chip out a diamond this size from the side of a mountain. They’re both rocks, but the diamond is awesome, while the regular rock is trash.
You will see things in heaven where you think, «That’s a mountain, that’s water, that’s grass,» but it’s not like here. Look at those trees outside; that’s rubbish! When you get to heaven, the trees will sparkle. I don’t have the adjectives but let me read a scripture: «The twelve gates of heaven were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl.»
Kat Kerr said, «There are parks, waterfalls, and places of joy that never fade.» She also said, «I saw rivers of life, trees that sparkled.» Can we just look at those trees one more time? How do you see fields of light?
Now, the communication in heaven is different. Let me read a verse before I unpack it. «Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.» It’s as if you can talk in heaven and know fully about what someone is trying to communicate.
Let me illustrate: my wife, who is the love of my life, mentioned we’ve been married for 24 years. I looked into her eyes and thought about how crazy it is that she loves me. You know how sometimes when you say something, you feel like you’re saying it wrong? I looked at her and said, «Wow, I haven’t kissed a girl in 26 years,» and her face changed; she didn’t need to say a word; I knew.
Sometimes, when I look out and I see faces, I can tell that some don’t want to be here. The only reason they came is because someone made them come. But when I see some of you, I also see that you want to be here; you truly want more of the Lord in your life.
In heaven, when I see Adam and Eve, I might be a little ticked about them eating the apple. But when I see them, they’ll know that God does not remember any sins in heaven. Yet, I think I may still be a little annoyed! Just kidding.
Lastly, I want to discuss the appearance of Jesus. He is not going to look like the sorry paintings we’ve seen. He is not a human being anymore. In John 10:30, Jesus says that if you’ve seen Him, you’ve seen God.
He’s not a man anymore. When you finally see Jesus, He is overwhelmingly loving and radiant. Pontius Pilate was the one who said, «Crucify him, crucify him.» He read accounts of Jesus, and according to writings, he wanted to meet Him. Pilot arranged a meeting, and when he looked into Jesus’s eyes, he said they were like liquid love.
Now you may say, «That’s not in the Bible.» But remember what we read before: «He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun.» His eyes were like pools of love, deep and filled with an understanding beyond words.
The next quote says Jesus had a purple sash, a golden crown, and the most beautiful blue eyes. His robe was white but so bright it looked like it was glowing from the inside. I am doing my best to describe heaven, but even if I had every word in the English language at my command, I still could not come close.
Paul, after his near-death experience, wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that what he saw was inexpressible. Many quotes I shared were from Don Piper, who was in a car accident in Texas, which killed him instantly. Some of you have asked where your loved ones are after they died; the Bible says that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.
On their last breath, they are looking at Jesus. So, Don dies and sees Jesus. If you’ve seen the movie «90 Minutes in Heaven,» you know his story. He was recently interviewed about his experience, and his words are more powerful than mine. Take a listen:
«I was just there. It was just like that. I took my last breath on the bridge, and I took my next breath at the gates of heaven. There are 12 of them, and I was at one set of them. They looked like the inside of an oyster; it was so dazzling.
The light was reflecting off the gate, and I was dazzled by that. But then I looked into the eyes of my grandfather, whom I adored and had been close with. When he died, it broke my heart. The last time I saw him, he was in a casket, and he didn’t look good.
Now, in heaven, he was there to greet me. He was missing fingers on both hands, but when he extended his hands to me, he said, 'Welcome home, Donnie, ' in a language I had never heard before but fully understood.
I looked down at his hands, and they were whole again! I don’t think you sneak up on heaven. I believe everyone up there knows who is coming; they don’t miss us. I was greeted by those who played a part in my spiritual life, the people who took me to church and told me about Jesus.
What a great family reunion! But I left there thinking, 'Who am I going to greet? ' That’s why we’re still here, to help everyone else get there. Everything about it is life—the aroma is beyond anything I’ve ever smelled here, the colors are beyond anything I’ve ever seen here. The embraces, the music—everything is beyond what I have ever experienced.
There were thousands of songs in heaven at the same time without chaos; I could distinguish each one of them, except for one song that rose above all: 'Holy, holy, holy.'
If you are not living for the Lord, if you don’t find yourself saying, 'God, if I do this, is it going to hurt you? '—you’re living for Him when you want to please Him. If you know you’ve done something that doesn’t please Him, the Holy Spirit tells you. You back up and say, 'I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you.'
There is a difference between wickedness and weakness. God sends wicked people to hell, but those who say, 'I’m weak—I need Your help, ' are different.
But I also want you to know: the enemy will whisper in your ear, saying you have asked for forgiveness so many times. To the Lord, He doesn’t remember any of those times you asked for forgiveness. You know you are a Christian when you live to please Him, and you talk to Him.
Just because you believe in God means nothing to the enemy. Satan believes in God; that means nothing. But if you live your life saying, 'I love you, I love you, ' then you have a relationship with Him.
I want to share this with you: if this topic bores you, it should alarm you. It is concerning that when I talk about God, it bores you—it’s uninteresting. It should alarm you! Life is not a picnic; it’s warfare.
Satan’s number one job is to get you to believe that he does not exist. If that doesn’t work, he will make you believe that he is not involved in your life. If your heart is cold, if you are uninterested in the things of God, Satan is laughing at you.
If you feel your heart getting cold, come to God: 'I should be more serious than I am! ' The Bible states in Revelation 3:16 that if you are not hot nor cold, He will spit you out of His mouth. Have you ever put something in your mouth that you couldn’t take? That’s what He does to people who are lukewarm.
Let’s stand on our feet, please. Close your eyes. Let me ask you: if your heart were to stop beating in the next five minutes, are you 100% sure of where you would spend eternity? If you are not, you are the most important person in this room.
I beg you, don’t leave without getting that sorted out! In a moment, when I say let’s all pray, I want you to tell the Lord, 'I’m sorry for my sins. From this moment forward, I’m going to worship You.'
The second group I want to talk to is about what Don Piper said. Everyone who had anything to do with encouraging him toward the Lord greeted him. You need to ask yourself, 'Who am I going to greet? '
Maybe you are ready to see the Lord, but is it a priority for you to share and invite, to be like Jesus? For those ready, you will greet many people.
How you live shouts louder than words! Put your hands out, picturing that you hold your life and your heart. Tell the Lord whatever is on your mind. Whisper to Him, or talk softly so that the person next to you cannot hear you.
Holy Spirit, move in this room and touch Your people. There’s no official dismissal; you can leave whenever you’re ready. But let’s sing this song one time through before anyone goes. May the Lord bless you and keep you; may His face shine down upon you and be gracious to you. May His countenance be lifted upon you and bring you peace in Jesus’s name. Amen.