Robert Jeffress - Jesus the Prophet - Part 2
Hi, I’m Robert Jeffress, and welcome again to «Pathway To Victory». The accuracy and reliability of God’s Word can be clearly seen in the fulfillment of biblical prophecies. Throughout history, every single prophecy about Jesus Christ’s First Coming came to pass exactly as foretold. And today we’re going to examine what Jesus revealed about his Second Coming, including the Rapture, the end-times, and his millennial kingdom. My message is titled, «Jesus the Prophet,» on today’s edition of «Pathway To Victory».
How do we know it’s gonna happen? Because Jesus said it’s going to happen and you can trust him completely. Now you know there have been people who have tried to time when the Rapture is going to happen. Some people believe it happens before the Tribulation. Some people believe it happens after the Tribulation. Sometimes people believe it happens halfway during the Tribulation. I believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture, that this happens before, not problems, but before the Great Tribulation. Every Christian has experienced problems and tribulations throughout history, but there’s a special Tribulation coming that I believe we’re exempt from.
Why do I say that? Why do I believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture? Let me give you three reasons. First of all, the absence of tribulation-like language in 1 Thessalonians 4. Now you would think if the Tribulation were coming first, Paul would have described the Tribulation and how awful it’s going to be, but saying, «Just hang on because when you’re through this, you’re gonna be raptured». But he doesn’t do that. The Thessalonians were suffering persecution, but not the Great Tribulation yet. That’s a special period of time.
Instead, Paul starts with the Rapture, but then, as he says, «Comfort one another with these words». Then he begins chapter 5, verse 1, with these words: «Now concerning the day of the Lord». That phrase translated «now concerning» is the Greek phrase peridai. It always means in the Bible, a new subject. And I’ve described the Rapture for you. Now let me tell you the next thing that’s gonna happen, the Day of the Lord. Now, the Bible is clear, the Day of the Lord is always a day of judgment. It’s not a hopeful thing. It’s a day of terrible judgment, it’s a day of vengeance, and it begins in chapter 5 after the Rapture in chapter 4, and I think that’s a strong argument for a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Secondly, the absence of the church in Revelation 6 through 18.
The church is a prominent subject in Revelation chapters 1 through 5. You find it prominently in Revelation chapter 19 through 22, but there’s no mention of the church in Revelation 6 through 18. You say, «Well, why is that significant»? Because Revelation 6 through 18 is the description of the Tribulation: a detailed description of the seal, the trumpet, the bowl judgments, and not once is the church mentioned. Why? Because the church isn’t here during the Tribulation. We’re in heaven at that time. But I think the promise, the strongest argument for a pre-Tribulation Rapture is the promise of God to keep believers from his wrath. We never have to fear the wrath of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 says: «Jesus came to rescue us from the wrath that is to come». In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says, «God has not destined us for wrath». In his letter to the church at Philadelphia, Jesus said in Revelation 3:10: «I will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth». Now listen to me carefully. Jesus is not promising to keep us out of problems. In fact, he guaranteed we’re gonna have problems. He said in John 16:33: «In this world you will have tribulation,» pressure, problems, «but be of good cheer; I’ve overcome the world». No, being a Christian is a guarantee you’re gonna have problems, but the problems of this world are nothing compared to the wrath of God. And that’s what we’ve been exempted from.
If we have to fear some future judgment anger by God being poured out upon us, then the death of Jesus Christ was totally worthless. The reason Jesus suffered on the cross was he took that wrath that you and I deserved. «Upon that cross where Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied». We’ve seen that often. It’s a theological truth. There is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. That’s why I believe we’re gonna get out of here before the Tribulation, aren’t you glad for that? We don’t have to fear the wrath of God. Jesus made a prediction about the future. First of all, the Rapture of the church, and that ushers in the second event, and that is Jesus predicts the end-times. The end-times technically begin after the Rapture.
We see the end-times outlined in Matthew chapter 24. Remember, Jesus had just taken his disciples on a tour of the temple, and he says, «Not one of these stones will remain untouched. Every stone of this place will be toppled over». After they took their tour of the temple, they walked across the Kidron Valley, that many of us have walked across, and sat on the Mount of Olives. And the disciples said, «Now, Jesus, about this temple thing, when will these things take place and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age»?
Well, Jesus skipped over the when question. That wasn’t for them to know, but he gave a detailed explanation of what would happen, and it seemed to follow exactly what Zechariah in the Old Testament prophesied: that Jerusalem would be destroyed, Messiah would come, and he would establish his keeping. And what Jesus said in Matthew 24 is in keeping with what Daniel predicted 700 years earlier in Daniel 9:27. Remember Daniel was talking about the Antichrist, and he said, «And he,» that is the Antichrist, «will make a firm covenant with the many,» that is Israel, «for one week». We’ve studied before how he’s talking about a week of years, 7 years.
Why is that important, 7 years? Because remember, God had told Daniel from the time that the decree goes out to return from Babylon to Jerusalem, from the time that order goes out until Messiah is presented will be 483 years. But then there’s gonna be a pause. Messiah will be killed. Terrible things will happen, but God still has 7 years on that time clock to be fulfilling God’s plan for Israel. Seven years remain for God to finish up his work with Israel, and that period of time is what we call the Great Tribulation. He will make a treaty with Israel for 1 week or 7 years, but in the middle of the week, after the first 3 ½ years, he’ll put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate. Halfway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist will turn against Israel and then will be unleashed the final judgments on the earth by God himself.
Now Jesus said the same thing. He talks about the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation and then the last 3 ½ years. Look at the beginning of birth pangs. That’s how he describes the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. You ladies know that when those labor pangs appear, it doesn’t mean you’re going to deliver right then, but it means you better stay near a hospital because something big is about to happen, right? That’s how Jesus described the end-times. They’ll be the birth pangs. What are those birth pangs? Well, the rise of a false Messiah. «Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ and will mislead many.'» Secondly, there’ll be rumors of war. And again, you say, «That’s nothing new. There have always been wars».
Well, Thomas Hobbes, the British philosopher, said: «War is the natural state of mankind, but like birth pangs, these wars will increase in frequency and intensity». There are hotspots all over the world right now and nuclear weapons that could blow this world apart. There’ll be a rise in natural disasters. Chapter 24, verse 7: «Jesus went on to say, 'And in various places there will be famines and earthquakes, but they will become more intense.'» That’s the first 3 ½ years, but the second 3 ½ years marks the end of the Tribulation. And I want you to notice the 5 characteristics of those final 3 ½ years. There will be an intensification of persecution of Christians.
Verse 9: «Then they,» unbelievers, «will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of My name». Now again, Christians have been persecuted in every age, and yet it’s intensifying. There were more martyrs in the 20th century than all the other centuries put together. It is increasing. It just hasn’t hit the United States yet. But make no mistake, it’s on the way. It’s coming. We need to be prepared for it.
Secondly, the inclination toward apostasy, verse 10: «At that time many will fall away, and will betray one another and hate one another». We see this all the time. Christians who are no longer followers of Jesus Christ, they call themselves ex-evangelicals. They’re giving up the beliefs, the basic beliefs, they’ve had in the past.
Thirdly, the inflation of falsehood. Verse 11: «Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many». The rise of artificial intelligence will make it possible for people to be deceived. Remember, even the Antichrist will appear to have been assassinated and will appear to rise from the dead. I think all of that will be a deception that very well could be fueled by AI. The increase of lawlessness, verse 12: «Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold». Lawlessness will increase because of the man of lawlessness. That’s how the Antichrist is described. He has no regard for the rule of law and neither will his followers. And fifthly, an interesting twist. The influence of the gospel will actually increase in the end-times.
Matthew 24:14: «This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come». How will the gospel go out? It will go out mainly through the witness of 144,000 Jewish missionaries who are saved and supernaturally sealed at the beginning of the Tribulation, and they will preach the gospel. Now this is just conjecture on my part, but I think it’s grounded in reality. You know, I say to you often, and this church believes, that one of the greatest platforms we have to preach the gospel is through media, through «Pathway To Victory». We’ve got an unprecedented opportunity right now. We have an open door to preach the gospel to everyone. But I believe it’s a temporary window.
Why do we put so much emphasis on it? Because I think the time is going to come when that door of opportunity to broadcast is gonna be over and it’s gonna be during the reign of the Antichrist. He will put a stop to it. We’re already seeing that begin to happen right now by some smaller Antichrists that have arisen. I think the time is coming soon when we’ll have no longer the opportunity to broadcast. That’s why Jesus said, «Work while it’s still day, because the night is coming when you’ll not be able to work».
And so I think in these last days, the only way the gospel will be preached will be old school with these supernatural missionaries that will go around proclaiming, but we need to take advantage right now to share the gospel with everyone we can, while we can. The influence of the gospel. These are gonna be terrible times. In fact, in Matthew 24:21, it says that so terrible will be this last half of the Tribulation that «these things have not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, or ever will».
The extermination of 6 million Jews was horrific, but it’s again nothing compared to what is yet to come, the persecution of believers. And Jesus makes a curious comment in verse 22 of Matthew 24. He said, «Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved». If he didn’t cut it short, everybody would have been killed during the Great Tribulation. Well, what is it that cuts short those days of judgment? That’s the third event Jesus predicted, and that is his Second Coming. The Second Coming will result in Earth’s last days being cut short, Matthew 24:27, and his return visibly to Earth. Listen to Matthew 24:29: «But immediately after the tribulation of those days 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».
And then we have the descent from heaven in glory of Jesus Christ. When he comes, Matthew 24:30, «The whole world will mourn who have not accepted Christ, his Coming». Everybody will see him as King of kings and Lord of lords, but if they’ve waited until then, it will be too late. And then finally, there’s a gathering of his people at the Second Coming, when all of the resurrected saints he brings back with him and all those who have survived the Tribulation and the Jewish patriarchs in their resurrected bodies all will be invited to come into the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus foretold all of these things and treated them as absolute fact. The question is, how should we be living now in light of these prophecies that we know are going to come true? May I, in closing suggest three words for you to write down. First of all, we need to be vigilant, watchful, attentive, observant, just put down the word «be vigilant». Jesus gave four parables at the end of Matthew 24 to tell us why we ought to be vigilant. We ought to be on guard. We ought to be watching. You get no points with God for being ignorant of what’s happening in the world. We’re to observe the signs.
If we see these things starting to take place for the Tribulation and the Second Coming, then we know the Rapture is even closer than it’s ever been. And that leads us to a second application: to be prudent. That means to be sensible, careful, and wise. The fact that he’s coming back soon means that we need to be sensible in how we live.
Ephesians 5, verses 15 and 16: «Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil». Knowing how short of time we have here on earth, we ought to make sure we’re investing our treasure and our time in those things that will outlast our life here on earth. And finally, be faithful. Jesus gave a parable about two servants and the parable of the talents in this passage, reminding us we need to be loyal, true, diligent, and most importantly, obedient. That’s how we remain faithful.
Last week, I had a man come to visit me. I’d never met him before. He lives in another city. But for years and years, he’s watched our «Pathway To Victory» broadcast, and he talked about the impact our church has made on his life. He was very soft spoken, a very humble man. But he said, «I have been diagnosed with cancer and I don’t know how much longer I have». He said, «I’m not a wealthy man, but I want to be sure that the gospel gets out to as many people as possible, as soon as possible». And he handed me a check for $100,000 to say, «Use this to spread the Word of Jesus Christ».
Now there’s a man who’s vigilant, who’s prudent, and who is faithful. Are you being faithful to do that one thing Jesus commanded you to do before he left? Go into all the world and make disciples. Jesus is the perfect prophet. Everything he said is going to happen, can be trusted to happen. His intelligence is not artificial, it’s omniscient. That’d be enough to frighten us, what we’ve gone through this morning. But remember, Jesus is not only our prophet, he’s our Savior. He’s the one who promised to rescue us from the wrath that is to come.
«Let not your heart be troubled,» Jesus said. «Neither let it be afraid. You believe in God, believe also in Me. For in My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be always».