Donate

What's Next Part 1

September 30, 2017

27:31

The Connection with Skip Heitzig

Closed captions

What's Next Part 1

Show timecode

Hide timecode

[m
00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:00.150
[mus
00:00:00.150 --> 00:00:00.160
[music
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.170
- Pastor Skip Heitzig: What
00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:03.150
does the future hold?
00:00:03.150 --> 00:00:05.220
In ancient times, people looked
00:00:05.220 --> 00:00:07.280
at signs in the sky as omens.
00:00:08.100 --> 00:00:11.100
It's one of the reasons people
00:00:11.100 --> 00:00:13.140
look at horoscopes today, is to
00:00:13.140 --> 00:00:15.120
find out what the future holds.
00:00:15.130 --> 00:00:18.130
So, what's next?
00:00:18.190 --> 00:00:21.190
Well, I would ask,
00:00:21.190 --> 00:00:22.100
what's next for you?
00:00:22.230 --> 00:00:25.230
The book of Revelation predicts
00:00:25.230 --> 00:00:26.240
the future.
00:00:26.240 --> 00:00:29.090
The more you read it, you'll
00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.120
discover God's plan for your
00:00:32.120 --> 00:00:34.100
future.
00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:35.000
This is the only book of the
00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.280
Bible that has such a direct and
00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.000
unique promise of blessing to
00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:43.100
those who read it, hear it, and
00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:45.060
do it.
00:00:45.060 --> 00:00:47.150
This is God's eventual unfolding
00:00:47.150 --> 00:00:49.060
revelation for how it will all
00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.040
end.
00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:52.210
Some of you desperately need
00:00:52.210 --> 00:00:53.180
Some of you desperately need
00:00:53.180 --> 00:00:56.020
[m
00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:56.030
[mus
00:00:56.030 --> 00:00:56.040
[music
00:00:56.040 --> 00:00:56.050
[music]
00:00:56.050 --> 00:00:56.210
- Skip: The future does not
00:00:58.230 --> 00:01:01.250
need to be a mystery.
00:01:01.250 --> 00:01:03.180
While we can't know everything
00:01:03.180 --> 00:01:05.040
about what lies ahead, we've
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.020
been given enough information in
00:01:07.020 --> 00:01:08.290
the Bible to prepare ourselves
00:01:08.290 --> 00:01:10.220
for it.
00:01:10.220 --> 00:01:11.270
The book of Revelation is
00:01:11.270 --> 00:01:13.280
avoided by some people, and
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.270
that's unfortunate because there
00:01:15.270 --> 00:01:18.070
are so many important promises
00:01:18.070 --> 00:01:20.030
and predictions to be found in
00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:22.030
that book.
00:01:22.030 --> 00:01:22.260
In fact, there's a specific
00:01:22.260 --> 00:01:24.220
command not to seal up the words
00:01:24.220 --> 00:01:27.100
found in this book.
00:01:27.100 --> 00:01:28.240
That's why I recently taught a
00:01:28.240 --> 00:01:30.080
series of messages through the
00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:32.030
book of Revelation, because we
00:01:32.030 --> 00:01:34.140
can understand it.
00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:36.000
On this, "What's Next?"
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:37.120
special, we are presenting
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.010
highlights from this series.
00:01:39.010 --> 00:01:40.200
So let's open up to the book of
00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:43.020
Revelation in our Bibles, and
00:01:43.020 --> 00:01:44.290
let's discover what's next
00:01:44.290 --> 00:01:47.170
- Skip: The first feature I
00:01:50.160 --> 00:01:51.140
want you to see about the book
00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:52.180
of Revelation is that this book
00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:55.060
predicts the future.
00:01:55.080 --> 00:01:58.080
Notice what is called in verse
00:01:58.080 --> 00:02:00.030
3: "Blessed is he who reads and
00:02:00.030 --> 00:02:02.250
those who hear the words of
00:02:02.250 --> 00:02:04.030
this," what?
00:02:04.030 --> 00:02:05.180
"Prophecy."
00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:06.250
It's called a prophecy.
00:02:06.250 --> 00:02:09.220
It is called that five times in
00:02:09.220 --> 00:02:12.020
this book.
00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:12.220
It is not an allegory.
00:02:12.220 --> 00:02:14.100
It is not a fantasy.
00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:16.120
It is not poetry.
00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:17.170
It is not legendary prose.
00:02:17.230 --> 00:02:20.230
It is predictive prophecy.
00:02:20.230 --> 00:02:23.230
This book predicts the future.
00:02:23.230 --> 00:02:26.100
In fact, the book of Revelation
00:02:26.100 --> 00:02:28.250
contain more details about the
00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:31.090
end times and the coming of
00:02:31.090 --> 00:02:32.220
Christ than any other portion of
00:02:32.220 --> 00:02:35.220
the Bible, and it will amplify
00:02:36.230 --> 00:02:39.230
it in the greatest detail.
00:02:39.230 --> 00:02:41.270
There are 22 chapters.
00:02:41.270 --> 00:02:44.140
It will amplify things like the
00:02:44.140 --> 00:02:46.130
7-year tribulation period, the
00:02:46.130 --> 00:02:49.110
final world war in the Middle
00:02:49.110 --> 00:02:51.040
East, the arrival of a
00:02:51.040 --> 00:02:53.210
mysterious figure typically
00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:56.000
called, "The antichrist," though
00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.110
he is known by 50 titles in this
00:02:57.110 --> 00:02:58.290
Scripture.
00:02:58.290 --> 00:03:00.240
It will detail the Second Coming
00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.100
of Christ, the millennial
00:03:02.100 --> 00:03:03.140
kingdom, and finally, the
00:03:03.140 --> 00:03:04.190
eternal state.
00:03:04.190 --> 00:03:06.180
And so, we'll read about the
00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:08.220
emergence of the antichrist,
00:03:08.220 --> 00:03:10.120
followed immediately by the
00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.130
tribulation, the abomination of
00:03:12.130 --> 00:03:15.080
desolation, the great
00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:16.160
tribulation, Armageddon, the
00:03:16.160 --> 00:03:18.180
return of Christ, et cetera.
00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:19.270
They're just gonna, like,
00:03:19.270 --> 00:03:20.280
tripping dominoes, fall very
00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.180
rapidly.
00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:24.180
And this is what I believe Jesus
00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:25.290
meant when he said, "Unless
00:03:25.290 --> 00:03:27.170
those days be shortened, no
00:03:28.060 --> 00:03:31.060
flesh would survive.
00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:32.270
But for the elect's sake,
00:03:32.270 --> 00:03:33.260
they will be shortened."
00:03:33.260 --> 00:03:34.220
So, this book predicts
00:03:34.220 --> 00:03:36.140
the future.
00:03:36.140 --> 00:03:37.290
Listen, it's a revelation.
00:03:37.290 --> 00:03:39.160
Look at the second word,
00:03:39.160 --> 00:03:40.240
"The revelation."
00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.100
It's not some cryptic,
00:03:43.100 --> 00:03:44.220
mysterious, veiled book.
00:03:44.220 --> 00:03:47.060
It's a revelation.
00:03:47.070 --> 00:03:50.070
It's a revelation, and you can
00:03:50.070 --> 00:03:52.000
understand it.
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:53.060
The devil doesn't want you to
00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:54.090
understand it.
00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:54.290
God certainly does want you to
00:03:54.290 --> 00:03:56.210
understand this book.
00:03:56.210 --> 00:03:57.170
I wrote a book called, "You Can
00:03:57.170 --> 00:03:58.290
Understand the Book of
00:03:58.290 --> 00:03:59.250
Revelation," and the other
00:03:59.250 --> 00:04:01.140
night, just for kicks, I got on
00:04:01.140 --> 00:04:02.220
Amazon to read what reviewers
00:04:02.220 --> 00:04:04.100
were saying about the book.
00:04:04.100 --> 00:04:05.150
One reviewer was kind and said,
00:04:05.150 --> 00:04:08.050
"It's true, after reading this
00:04:08.050 --> 00:04:09.220
book, you can understand
00:04:09.220 --> 00:04:12.050
the book of Revelation."
00:04:12.050 --> 00:04:13.260
That's the intention of the book
00:04:13.260 --> 00:04:15.070
of Revelation, that you can
00:04:15.070 --> 00:04:17.240
understand it.
00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:19.110
But the joy is promised to those
00:04:19.110 --> 00:04:21.000
who read it, those who hear it,
00:04:21.110 --> 00:04:24.110
and it says right there, you can
00:04:24.110 --> 00:04:25.220
look at it, "Those who keep it."
00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:28.020
The book of Revelation will tell
00:04:28.020 --> 00:04:30.020
you about the future.
00:04:30.020 --> 00:04:31.060
It will tell you about the
00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:32.100
tribulation.
00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:33.060
It will tell you about what's
00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:34.060
coming on the earth.
00:04:34.060 --> 00:04:35.020
But more than anything else, it
00:04:35.020 --> 00:04:37.010
will reveal to you Jesus.
00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.040
He's the person highlighted in
00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:41.250
this book.
00:04:41.250 --> 00:04:44.170
Picture a statue that is covered
00:04:44.170 --> 00:04:46.140
up, veiled with a covering, a
00:04:46.140 --> 00:04:48.100
cloth, at city hall.
00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:51.030
An artist has made it.
00:04:51.030 --> 00:04:52.120
The day has come.
00:04:52.120 --> 00:04:53.200
The mayor comes and gives a
00:04:53.200 --> 00:04:54.240
speech.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:55.140
The band plays a song.
00:04:55.140 --> 00:04:56.210
The artist describes his work,
00:04:56.210 --> 00:04:58.090
and at the precise moment, the
00:04:58.090 --> 00:04:59.260
veil is pulled off the statue,
00:04:59.260 --> 00:05:01.170
and people clap as they see the
00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:03.250
work of art.
00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:05.050
Think of Revelation like that.
00:05:05.050 --> 00:05:07.000
God is pulling the veil off and
00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.010
saying, "Ladies and gentlemen,
00:05:09.010 --> 00:05:11.190
let me introduce to you
00:05:11.190 --> 00:05:12.250
Jesus Christ."
00:05:12.250 --> 00:05:15.180
He is clearly seen.
00:05:15.180 --> 00:05:18.060
Jesus is saying, "I am the
00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:19.280
Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning,
00:05:19.280 --> 00:05:21.270
the End, the First,
00:05:21.270 --> 00:05:23.140
and the Last."
00:05:23.140 --> 00:05:24.210
And one of the
00:05:24.210 --> 00:05:25.110
unmistakable features of the
00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:27.120
book of Revelation is that it
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.100
affirms the deity of
00:05:29.100 --> 00:05:31.230
Jesus Christ.
00:05:31.230 --> 00:05:34.100
He and the Father share some of
00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:35.270
the same characteristics.
00:05:35.270 --> 00:05:38.180
We notice that his eyes were
00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:39.280
like a flame of fire.
00:05:39.280 --> 00:05:41.040
Simply, that's his penetrating
00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:42.160
gaze.
00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:43.250
He sees everything in you
00:05:43.250 --> 00:05:45.210
and in me.
00:05:45.210 --> 00:05:46.120
He knows everything.
00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:48.280
The writer of Hebrews says,
00:05:48.280 --> 00:05:49.290
"All things are exposed, naked,
00:05:49.290 --> 00:05:52.230
and open before the eyes of
00:05:52.230 --> 00:05:54.160
the one with whom
00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:55.070
we must give an account."
00:05:55.070 --> 00:05:57.020
What's next for you, I
00:05:57.020 --> 00:05:59.050
hope, some of you, is found in
00:05:59.050 --> 00:06:01.200
verse 5, where it says at the
00:06:02.090 --> 00:06:05.090
very end of that verse: "To him
00:06:05.090 --> 00:06:07.180
who loved us and washed us from
00:06:08.150 --> 00:06:11.150
our sins in his own blood."
00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:16.220
I want you to know that Jesus
00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:18.000
loves you, and he wants to wash
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.210
you of your sins, and he
00:06:21.200 --> 00:06:24.200
has provided his blood.
00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:27.050
That's why he came the first
00:06:27.050 --> 00:06:28.130
time, to deal with sin, to shed
00:06:28.130 --> 00:06:31.120
his blood, to forgive you.
00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.260
That's what's next
00:06:33.260 --> 00:06:35.250
- male announcer: That's
00:06:38.170 --> 00:06:39.060
Skip Heitzig on
00:06:39.060 --> 00:06:40.010
the "What's Next?" special.
00:06:40.010 --> 00:06:41.030
No need for you to look anywhere
00:06:41.030 --> 00:06:43.130
else for information about
00:06:43.130 --> 00:06:44.230
the future.
00:06:44.230 --> 00:06:45.140
Horoscopes won't help, and
00:06:45.140 --> 00:06:46.240
so-called experts are wrong
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:48.040
more than they are right.
00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:49.130
The Bible has proven to
00:06:49.130 --> 00:06:51.250
be dependable and accurate.
00:06:51.250 --> 00:06:53.200
So, will you respond to
00:06:53.200 --> 00:06:56.020
the offer of a secure future
00:06:56.020 --> 00:06:57.110
in Jesus Christ?
00:06:57.110 --> 00:06:58.130
That is the most important
00:06:58.130 --> 00:07:00.100
question in your life.
00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:01.230
You can take action right now.
00:07:01.230 --> 00:07:04.010
Go to SkipHeitzig.com and look
00:07:04.010 --> 00:07:06.000
for the "Know God" section.
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.290
Next on the "What's Next?"
00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:08.290
special, Skip will highlight
00:07:08.290 --> 00:07:10.230
what heaven's like, and you'll
00:07:10.230 --> 00:07:12.290
hear some important information
00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:14.210
- male announcer: What in the
00:07:17.010 --> 00:07:17.200
world is next for us?
00:07:17.200 --> 00:07:19.020
You cannot trust horoscopes,
00:07:19.020 --> 00:07:20.260
look to future experts, or
00:07:20.260 --> 00:07:22.160
depend on Nostradamus.
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.030
But you can examine one book
00:07:24.030 --> 00:07:25.220
that has never been wrong, the
00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:27.240
Bible.
00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:28.140
And here is a special offer from
00:07:28.140 --> 00:07:29.240
"The Connection" that offers
00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:31.070
access to what's next in our
00:07:31.070 --> 00:07:32.280
world.
00:07:32.280 --> 00:07:33.280
The "What's Next?"
00:07:33.280 --> 00:07:34.210
package includes these resources
00:07:34.210 --> 00:07:36.050
from Skip Heitzig: the book,
00:07:36.050 --> 00:07:38.140
"You Can Understand the Book of
00:07:38.140 --> 00:07:41.060
Revelation," a full CD message
00:07:41.060 --> 00:07:43.150
about the coming deception,
00:07:43.150 --> 00:07:45.110
and two booklets, "Jesus Loves
00:07:45.110 --> 00:07:47.200
Terrorists," and "Standing
00:07:47.200 --> 00:07:49.010
Firm in Unsettling Times."
00:07:49.010 --> 00:07:51.010
All this for any donation
00:07:51.010 --> 00:07:52.130
of $25 or above.
00:07:52.130 --> 00:07:54.210
Call now, 1-800-922-1888, or go
00:07:55.110 --> 00:07:58.110
- Skip: Here is the first
00:08:05.090 --> 00:08:06.090
characteristic of heaven.
00:08:06.090 --> 00:08:07.250
First, heaven is a real place.
00:08:07.250 --> 00:08:10.040
It's not something somebody made
00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:11.250
up to pass on to people who were
00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:13.260
suffering to give 'em a little
00:08:13.260 --> 00:08:15.020
bit of hope in this life.
00:08:15.020 --> 00:08:16.220
It's a real place, and the Bible
00:08:16.220 --> 00:08:18.110
describes it as such.
00:08:18.110 --> 00:08:20.180
Heaven is found, that word, 532
00:08:22.030 --> 00:08:25.030
times in the Bible.
00:08:25.030 --> 00:08:27.040
It is a huge subject.
00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.120
And whenever it's spoken about,
00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.040
it's spoken about something that
00:08:32.040 --> 00:08:33.140
is a real place.
00:08:33.140 --> 00:08:34.160
How did Jesus speak about
00:08:34.160 --> 00:08:35.260
heaven?
00:08:35.260 --> 00:08:37.050
He spoke about it as
00:08:37.050 --> 00:08:38.000
a real place, right?
00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:38.270
He said, "In my Father's
00:08:38.270 --> 00:08:40.050
house are many mansions.
00:08:40.050 --> 00:08:41.220
If it were not so,
00:08:41.220 --> 00:08:42.270
I would have told you.
00:08:42.270 --> 00:08:45.080
I'm going to prepare
00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:46.190
a place for you."
00:08:47.130 --> 00:08:50.130
Heaven, then, is a real place.
00:08:50.130 --> 00:08:52.280
It's so real that Paul said,
00:08:52.280 --> 00:08:54.250
"Our citizenship is in heaven."
00:08:55.290 --> 00:08:58.290
Think of heaven as
00:08:58.290 --> 00:09:00.230
home sweet home.
00:09:00.230 --> 00:09:02.290
It really is your
00:09:02.290 --> 00:09:04.050
home sweet home.
00:09:04.050 --> 00:09:05.060
Everything that is important to
00:09:05.060 --> 00:09:07.130
a believer is in heaven.
00:09:07.210 --> 00:09:10.210
Second characteristic, heaven is
00:09:10.210 --> 00:09:13.020
a relevant place.
00:09:13.020 --> 00:09:15.020
Notice in verse 1: "I saw in the
00:09:15.020 --> 00:09:16.290
right hand of him who sat on the
00:09:16.290 --> 00:09:18.250
throne a scroll, it was written
00:09:18.250 --> 00:09:21.140
inside and on the back, it was
00:09:21.170 --> 00:09:24.170
sealed with seven seals.
00:09:24.170 --> 00:09:26.010
And then I saw a strong angel
00:09:26.010 --> 00:09:28.130
proclaiming with a loud voice,
00:09:28.130 --> 00:09:31.110
'Who is worthy to open the
00:09:31.110 --> 00:09:33.090
scroll and to loose its seals?'
00:09:33.210 --> 00:09:36.210
And no one in heaven or on the
00:09:37.070 --> 00:09:40.070
earth or under the earth was
00:09:40.070 --> 00:09:42.000
able to open the scroll,
00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:43.140
or to look at it."
00:09:43.140 --> 00:09:46.050
What is this scroll?
00:09:46.050 --> 00:09:48.070
Whatever this scroll is, number
00:09:48.070 --> 00:09:50.000
one, it's highly significant
00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.090
'cause it's in the right hand of
00:09:52.090 --> 00:09:53.190
God.
00:09:53.190 --> 00:09:55.050
That makes it important.
00:09:55.050 --> 00:09:57.000
Number two, it involves the fate
00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:58.120
of everybody on the earth, and
00:09:58.120 --> 00:09:59.280
even heaven is looking and
00:09:59.280 --> 00:10:01.160
wondering at it.
00:10:01.160 --> 00:10:02.210
That's verses 3 and 4.
00:10:02.210 --> 00:10:04.200
And also, jubilant praises erupt
00:10:04.260 --> 00:10:07.260
in heaven when, finally,
00:10:07.260 --> 00:10:09.130
somebody meets the requirements
00:10:09.130 --> 00:10:12.090
to redeem something, to take
00:10:12.270 --> 00:10:15.270
that scroll.
00:10:15.270 --> 00:10:17.130
I suggest to you what we are
00:10:17.130 --> 00:10:19.140
looking at is the title deed to
00:10:19.140 --> 00:10:22.010
the earth, the title deed
00:10:22.010 --> 00:10:24.040
to the earth.
00:10:24.040 --> 00:10:25.020
We would call chapter
00:10:25.020 --> 00:10:26.050
5 of Revelation,
00:10:26.050 --> 00:10:27.070
in real estate terms,
00:10:27.070 --> 00:10:29.030
"The closing of the deal."
00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:33.220
Some of you might hear
00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:34.200
that and go, "Nah,
00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:35.160
I don't know about that.
00:10:35.160 --> 00:10:36.070
I mean, why would God, who
00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:37.140
created the earth to begin with,
00:10:37.140 --> 00:10:39.130
and maintains it with his power,
00:10:39.130 --> 00:10:41.110
need to buy it back, need to do
00:10:41.110 --> 00:10:43.120
this?"
00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:44.020
Now, listen carefully, here's
00:10:44.020 --> 00:10:46.000
why.
00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.000
Because the earth, though it is
00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.000
God's by creation, was lost to a
00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:53.100
usurper.
00:10:53.100 --> 00:10:55.020
Adam, in effect, turned over the
00:10:55.020 --> 00:10:57.070
title deed to the earth to Satan
00:10:57.070 --> 00:10:59.240
in the garden of Eden.
00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:02.110
That's why Paul said in Romans
00:11:02.110 --> 00:11:03.210
5: "Through one man," that's
00:11:03.210 --> 00:11:05.110
Adam, "through one man,
00:11:05.110 --> 00:11:06.090
sin entered the world,
00:11:06.090 --> 00:11:07.240
and death through sin,
00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:09.060
and death spread to all."
00:11:09.060 --> 00:11:11.150
But it wasn't just
00:11:11.150 --> 00:11:12.070
mankind that was affected.
00:11:12.070 --> 00:11:13.210
It wasn't just people
00:11:13.210 --> 00:11:14.200
that was affected.
00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:15.250
Property was affected.
00:11:15.250 --> 00:11:17.100
The earth itself
00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:19.010
came under a curse.
00:11:19.010 --> 00:11:20.190
Romans chapter 8, it says,
00:11:20.190 --> 00:11:23.030
"This creation was made subject
00:11:23.030 --> 00:11:25.170
to futility,
00:11:25.170 --> 00:11:26.290
and all of creation,"
00:11:26.290 --> 00:11:28.050
he said, "groans and travails,
00:11:28.050 --> 00:11:30.170
wanting to be delivered."
00:11:30.170 --> 00:11:33.150
So, the scroll is the title
00:11:33.150 --> 00:11:35.260
deed to planet Earth.
00:11:35.260 --> 00:11:37.290
And as each seal will be broken,
00:11:37.290 --> 00:11:40.140
as you see, beginning in chapter
00:11:40.140 --> 00:11:41.290
6, as each seal is broken open,
00:11:42.130 --> 00:11:45.130
the earth gets purged through
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:49.240
unimaginable tribulation
00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:51.260
judgment.
00:11:51.260 --> 00:11:53.100
So, the question comes in
00:11:53.100 --> 00:11:54.120
heaven, and it's a very,
00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:55.150
very critical question,
00:11:55.150 --> 00:11:57.140
"Who is worthy to open the
00:11:58.060 --> 00:12:01.080
scroll and to loose the seals?"
00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:06.240
It's a very important question.
00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.020
Who has the right?
00:12:08.020 --> 00:12:08.220
Who has the authority
00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:09.260
to take it?
00:12:09.260 --> 00:12:10.160
Who has the innate virtuous
00:12:10.160 --> 00:12:12.060
worthiness of character,
00:12:12.060 --> 00:12:13.170
the divine right to
00:12:13.170 --> 00:12:15.060
take that scroll?
00:12:15.250 --> 00:12:18.250
Who has the power to defeat
00:12:18.250 --> 00:12:20.050
Satan and wipe out the effects
00:12:20.050 --> 00:12:22.060
of sin on the earth, to reverse
00:12:22.060 --> 00:12:24.150
the curse put on all creation?
00:12:24.150 --> 00:12:27.110
Who is worthy?
00:12:27.110 --> 00:12:28.080
And then something very
00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:31.120
troubling appears, verse 4, or
00:12:33.040 --> 00:12:36.040
verse 3: "And no one in heaven
00:12:39.140 --> 00:12:42.140
or on the earth or under
00:12:42.140 --> 00:12:44.220
the earth was able to open
00:12:44.260 --> 00:12:47.260
the scroll, or to look at it."
00:12:48.040 --> 00:12:51.040
In other words, the question
00:12:51.040 --> 00:12:52.050
is asked, and the answer is
00:12:52.050 --> 00:12:53.270
dead silence.
00:12:53.270 --> 00:12:56.190
"Who is worthy to take the
00:12:56.190 --> 00:12:57.250
scroll?"
00:12:57.250 --> 00:12:58.250
Nobody steps forward.
00:12:58.250 --> 00:13:01.240
Of all the millions of angels,
00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:03.150
not one of 'em, Gabriel,
00:13:03.150 --> 00:13:04.220
Michael, none of 'em say,
00:13:04.220 --> 00:13:06.070
"I can do it."
00:13:06.070 --> 00:13:08.130
Abraham, father of faith,
00:13:08.130 --> 00:13:10.010
he didn't say anything.
00:13:10.010 --> 00:13:10.270
He didn't step forward.
00:13:10.270 --> 00:13:12.170
Isaac, Jacob, the prophets,
00:13:12.170 --> 00:13:14.130
Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Amos,
00:13:14.230 --> 00:13:17.230
Zephaniah, Zechariah, David,
00:13:18.020 --> 00:13:21.020
nobody says a word.
00:13:21.040 --> 00:13:24.040
No one says, "I'm worthy, I've
00:13:24.040 --> 00:13:26.160
got the power, I've got the
00:13:26.160 --> 00:13:27.190
right," dead silence.
00:13:27.190 --> 00:13:30.070
Which takes me to the third
00:13:30.070 --> 00:13:31.080
characteristic of heaven.
00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:32.080
Heaven is a real place, heaven
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.010
is a relevant place, and heaven
00:13:34.010 --> 00:13:35.220
is a redemptive place.
00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:38.000
You'll notice, verse 4: "So I
00:13:38.220 --> 00:13:41.220
wept much, because no one was
00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:43.010
found worthy to open and read
00:13:43.010 --> 00:13:44.230
the scroll, or to look at it.
00:13:44.230 --> 00:13:47.070
But one of the elders said
00:13:47.070 --> 00:13:48.210
to me, 'Do not weep.'"
00:13:49.060 --> 00:13:52.060
Literally, "Stop crying,"
00:13:52.060 --> 00:13:55.040
and he points to
00:13:55.040 --> 00:13:56.110
and describes in well-attested
00:13:57.190 --> 00:14:00.210
Old Testament language
00:14:00.210 --> 00:14:03.100
the Messiah.
00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:05.030
Notice, he's called, "The Lion
00:14:05.030 --> 00:14:06.250
of the tribe of Judah."
00:14:06.250 --> 00:14:09.080
I hope some of your minds are
00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:10.150
going back to Genesis 49, where
00:14:10.150 --> 00:14:12.100
the tribe of Judah is described
00:14:12.210 --> 00:14:15.210
as a lion.
00:14:15.210 --> 00:14:17.130
Hence the term, "Lion of
00:14:17.130 --> 00:14:18.180
the tribe of Judah."
00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:19.170
The term is to convey
00:14:19.170 --> 00:14:21.110
a ferocity, a roar,
00:14:21.110 --> 00:14:24.010
a real menacing presence.
00:14:24.010 --> 00:14:25.250
That's what a lion does.
00:14:25.250 --> 00:14:26.290
This is a picture of Jesus in
00:14:27.170 --> 00:14:30.170
heaven.
00:14:30.170 --> 00:14:32.020
When Jesus rose from the dead,
00:14:32.020 --> 00:14:34.210
he still bore the marks of
00:14:34.210 --> 00:14:36.040
his Crucifixion, right?
00:14:36.040 --> 00:14:37.040
He had to say to Thomas,
00:14:37.040 --> 00:14:38.000
"Reach your hand here.
00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:38.210
Look, see that it's me.
00:14:38.210 --> 00:14:40.010
Put your hands in my wounds."
00:14:40.010 --> 00:14:41.110
So he had those wounds in his
00:14:41.110 --> 00:14:42.190
glorified resurrected body.
00:14:42.190 --> 00:14:44.180
He ascended into heaven in that
00:14:44.180 --> 00:14:45.290
body.
00:14:45.290 --> 00:14:46.190
He is at the right hand of the
00:14:46.190 --> 00:14:47.250
Father's throne in that
00:14:47.250 --> 00:14:50.040
crucified body, and this is why
00:14:50.040 --> 00:14:52.030
he's worthy.
00:14:52.030 --> 00:14:52.270
This is why he's qualified to
00:14:52.270 --> 00:14:54.270
take the scroll.
00:14:54.270 --> 00:14:55.190
Remember what I said?
00:14:55.190 --> 00:14:56.170
There's three requirements in
00:14:56.170 --> 00:14:58.100
antiquity to redeem back a title
00:14:58.100 --> 00:15:01.100
deed, a piece of property that's
00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.260
been lost.
00:15:02.260 --> 00:15:03.160
Three requirements:
00:15:03.160 --> 00:15:04.060
You have to be related.
00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:06.210
You have to be willing.
00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.200
You have to be able.
00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:12.230
That's why the anthem in heaven
00:15:12.230 --> 00:15:14.090
down in verse 9 is: "'We've
00:15:14.090 --> 00:15:16.000
been redeemed by your blood.
00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:17.140
You are worthy because
00:15:17.140 --> 00:15:18.240
you spent your blood.'"
00:15:18.280 --> 00:15:21.280
"And I looked, and
00:15:21.280 --> 00:15:22.190
I heard the voice of many angels
00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:24.030
around the throne, living
00:15:24.030 --> 00:15:25.040
creatures, and elders; the
00:15:25.040 --> 00:15:26.200
number of them was ten thousand
00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:28.040
times ten thousand, and
00:15:28.040 --> 00:15:29.230
thousands of thousands," do a
00:15:29.230 --> 00:15:31.110
little math, you discover it's
00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:33.000
100 million plus, plus, "saying
00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:36.120
with a loud voice: 'Worthy is
00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:38.100
the Lamb who was slain to
00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:40.290
receive power, riches, wisdom,
00:15:40.290 --> 00:15:43.100
strength, honor, glory, and
00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:44.190
blessing!'
00:15:44.190 --> 00:15:46.010
And every creature which is in
00:15:46.010 --> 00:15:47.060
heaven and on the earth and
00:15:47.060 --> 00:15:48.090
under the earth, such as are in
00:15:48.090 --> 00:15:49.270
the sea," all of God's creation,
00:15:49.270 --> 00:15:51.130
all of his animate creation,
00:15:51.230 --> 00:15:54.230
"and all that are in them, I
00:15:54.230 --> 00:15:55.230
heard saying: "Blessing and
00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:57.120
honor and glory and power be to
00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:59.100
him who sits on the throne, and
00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:01.240
to the Lamb, forever and ever!'"
00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:05.000
The fitting response to taking
00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.170
the title deed, redeeming the
00:16:07.170 --> 00:16:09.240
world at the cross and through
00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:12.060
the tribulation judgments, to
00:16:12.060 --> 00:16:13.150
get it back from the control of
00:16:13.150 --> 00:16:14.240
Satan, the fitting response is
00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.200
worship, worship.
00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:18.280
So, he got the paycheck.
00:16:18.280 --> 00:16:20.160
Jesus took the paycheck of
00:16:20.160 --> 00:16:21.270
death, and he died in your
00:16:21.270 --> 00:16:23.210
place.
00:16:23.210 --> 00:16:24.210
So he took the death paycheck
00:16:24.210 --> 00:16:26.120
and he gave you the Powerball
00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.220
paycheck.
00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:29.120
He let you cash in on heaven.
00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:32.040
So the first and fitting
00:16:32.040 --> 00:16:34.040
response is, "Worthy is the Lamb
00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:37.200
who was slain, you took
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.160
the debt and you paid it."
00:16:39.210 --> 00:16:42.210
And I don't care
00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:43.120
who you are or what you
00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:44.100
have done, how bad your sins are
00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:46.220
in the past, that's why he's
00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:48.120
called, "Savior," and that's
00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.180
- male announcer: Well, for
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:54.230
some, that is breaking news
00:16:54.230 --> 00:16:56.010
about heaven.
00:16:56.010 --> 00:16:57.080
Imagine that scene.
00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:58.210
As Skip said, you can be there
00:16:58.210 --> 00:17:00.280
and know for sure by placing
00:17:00.280 --> 00:17:02.290
your faith in Jesus Christ.
00:17:02.290 --> 00:17:04.280
If you would like to see the
00:17:04.280 --> 00:17:06.060
full series of messages from the
00:17:06.060 --> 00:17:07.190
book of Revelation, go to
00:17:07.190 --> 00:17:10.060
SkipHeitzig.com and look for
00:17:10.060 --> 00:17:11.000
"What's Next?"
00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:11.200
You will find a full series of
00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:13.280
14 teachings through the book of
00:17:13.280 --> 00:17:15.290
Revelation.
00:17:15.290 --> 00:17:16.190
It's all free for you to see at
00:17:16.190 --> 00:17:19.020
SkipHeitzig.com.
00:17:19.020 --> 00:17:19.220
Now, have you wondered why the
00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:20.240
small nation of Israel is so
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.080
often the center of
00:17:22.080 --> 00:17:23.230
international attention?
00:17:23.230 --> 00:17:24.150
In our next segment, Skip will
00:17:24.150 --> 00:17:26.240
clearly explain the answer.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.100
That's comin' up on
00:17:28.100 --> 00:17:30.030
- female announcer: Once we
00:17:33.290 --> 00:17:34.190
understand the future in the
00:17:34.190 --> 00:17:36.040
light of the Bible, our first
00:17:36.040 --> 00:17:38.210
urge is to let friends and
00:17:38.210 --> 00:17:39.180
family know what we've
00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:40.210
discovered.
00:17:40.210 --> 00:17:42.030
This can be frustrating.
00:17:42.030 --> 00:17:43.290
"The Connection" has developed
00:17:43.290 --> 00:17:45.150
this special package for you.
00:17:45.150 --> 00:17:47.210
It is, "What You Want Them to
00:17:47.210 --> 00:17:49.040
Know," ten full-length messages
00:17:49.040 --> 00:17:51.120
by Skip Heitzig, answering
00:17:51.120 --> 00:17:52.210
questions such as: "Can God be
00:17:52.210 --> 00:17:55.170
known?"
00:17:55.170 --> 00:17:56.070
"How does heaven work?"
00:17:56.070 --> 00:17:57.090
And about heaven, salvation,
00:17:57.090 --> 00:17:58.240
and what happens after we die.
00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.160
This package also includes
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:01.280
Skip's booklet "New Year's
00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:03.250
Revolution," explaining what
00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:05.260
steps to take as a new believer.
00:18:05.260 --> 00:18:07.170
Get this full package for any
00:18:07.170 --> 00:18:08.220
donation of $30 or more.
00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:10.250
Order this collection by calling
00:18:10.250 --> 00:18:12.130
800-922-1888 or by visiting
00:18:12.130 --> 00:18:14.270
ConnectionOnline.org/offers.
00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:18.220
This is what
00:18:18.220 --> 00:18:19.070
- Skip: We're always looking to
00:18:26.110 --> 00:18:27.240
find out what the future
00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.150
is going to hold.
00:18:29.150 --> 00:18:30.270
And, you know, if we could get a
00:18:30.270 --> 00:18:32.060
newspaper that was called, "USA
00:18:32.060 --> 00:18:33.280
Tomorrow," instead of, "USA
00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:35.130
Today," everybody would want it.
00:18:35.130 --> 00:18:37.160
Everybody would buy it because
00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:38.270
we wanna know what's going to
00:18:38.270 --> 00:18:40.230
happen tomorrow.
00:18:40.230 --> 00:18:43.010
When it comes to knowing what's
00:18:43.010 --> 00:18:44.130
next, what our future holds, we
00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:46.140
need more than medical
00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:48.090
ultrasound or a meteorologist
00:18:48.090 --> 00:18:50.260
telling us what the weather is
00:18:50.260 --> 00:18:52.060
like.
00:18:52.060 --> 00:18:53.010
But, you know, we need something
00:18:53.010 --> 00:18:54.160
more accurate than somebody just
00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:56.160
guessing at what the weather is
00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:57.260
gonna be.
00:18:57.260 --> 00:18:58.170
And one of the great attributes
00:18:58.170 --> 00:18:59.180
of God is that he knows the end
00:18:59.180 --> 00:19:02.180
from the beginning.
00:19:02.180 --> 00:19:04.040
He has omniscience, and he can
00:19:04.040 --> 00:19:06.040
tell what's going to happen
00:19:06.040 --> 00:19:07.200
before it even happens.
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:09.070
It's one of his calling cards.
00:19:09.070 --> 00:19:10.180
In the Prophet Isaiah chapter
00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:12.160
46, the Lord said: "'Do not
00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.220
forget the things that I have
00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:16.070
done throughout history, for I
00:19:16.070 --> 00:19:18.160
am God, I alone, I am God and
00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:21.190
there is no one else like me.
00:19:21.190 --> 00:19:23.280
Only one can tell you what is
00:19:23.280 --> 00:19:25.190
going to happen even
00:19:25.190 --> 00:19:26.260
before it happens.
00:19:26.260 --> 00:19:28.150
Everything I plan
00:19:28.150 --> 00:19:29.290
will come to pass,
00:19:29.290 --> 00:19:30.290
for I do whatever I wish.'"
00:19:31.030 --> 00:19:34.030
So one of the hallmarks
00:19:34.030 --> 00:19:35.090
of God is that he does know
00:19:35.090 --> 00:19:37.060
what's next, and he predicts it
00:19:37.060 --> 00:19:39.240
throughout the Scriptures.
00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:41.150
Now, I say that because what God
00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:43.050
does throughout the Scriptures
00:19:43.050 --> 00:19:44.210
is he stacks the odds against
00:19:44.210 --> 00:19:46.260
himself.
00:19:46.260 --> 00:19:47.260
He makes hundreds of detailed
00:19:47.260 --> 00:19:50.190
predictions so that when they
00:19:50.190 --> 00:19:52.240
come to pass, people will look
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.170
at the fulfillment and look back
00:19:54.170 --> 00:19:56.150
at the great God who made them
00:19:56.150 --> 00:19:58.200
and place their faith and trust
00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:00.160
in him.
00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.010
The most exciting thing about
00:20:02.010 --> 00:20:03.240
what's next, the most exciting
00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:05.140
thing about the future is the
00:20:05.140 --> 00:20:07.080
fact that Jesus Christ is
00:20:07.080 --> 00:20:08.280
coming.
00:20:08.280 --> 00:20:09.180
And the Bible says he's coming
00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:11.140
back to this city when he makes
00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:13.160
his Second Coming to the earth.
00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:15.270
Jesus, in Matthew 24, gives an
00:20:15.270 --> 00:20:18.180
outline of what we've been
00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:20.090
looking at in the book of
00:20:20.090 --> 00:20:22.110
Revelation.
00:20:22.110 --> 00:20:23.010
Let me read just a few verses.
00:20:23.010 --> 00:20:25.030
This is Matthew 24, beginning in
00:20:25.030 --> 00:20:27.050
verse 1: "Then Jesus went out
00:20:27.050 --> 00:20:29.070
and departed from the temple,
00:20:29.070 --> 00:20:31.030
and his disciples came up to
00:20:31.030 --> 00:20:33.010
show him the buildings of
00:20:33.010 --> 00:20:34.220
the temple.
00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:35.190
And Jesus said to them, 'Do
00:20:35.190 --> 00:20:37.080
you not see all these things?
00:20:37.080 --> 00:20:39.140
Assuredly, I say to you, not one
00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:42.090
stone will be left upon another,
00:20:42.090 --> 00:20:44.200
that shall not be thrown down.'
00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:46.050
Now as he sat on the Mount of
00:20:46.050 --> 00:20:49.000
Olives, the disciples came to
00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:51.080
him privately, saying, 'Tell us,
00:20:51.080 --> 00:20:53.120
when will these things be?
00:20:53.120 --> 00:20:55.050
And what will be
00:20:55.050 --> 00:20:56.150
the sign of your coming,
00:20:56.150 --> 00:20:57.230
and of the end of the age?'
00:20:57.230 --> 00:20:59.220
And Jesus answered and said
00:20:59.220 --> 00:21:01.060
to them: 'Take heed
00:21:01.060 --> 00:21:02.160
that no one deceives you.
00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:04.160
For many will come in my name,
00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:06.030
saying, "I am the Christ,"
00:21:06.030 --> 00:21:08.060
and will deceive many.
00:21:08.060 --> 00:21:09.290
And you will hear of wars
00:21:09.290 --> 00:21:11.050
and rumors of wars.
00:21:11.050 --> 00:21:12.140
See that you are not troubled;
00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:13.270
for all these things
00:21:13.270 --> 00:21:15.040
must come to pass,
00:21:15.040 --> 00:21:16.070
but the end is not yet.'"
00:21:16.070 --> 00:21:18.110
The city of Jerusalem
00:21:18.110 --> 00:21:20.260
is mentioned in the Bible
00:21:20.260 --> 00:21:22.270
821 times.
00:21:22.270 --> 00:21:25.000
It is the most frequently talked
00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:26.290
about city in the Scriptures.
00:21:26.290 --> 00:21:29.150
And this section of Matthew 24
00:21:29.150 --> 00:21:31.140
is called, "The Olivet
00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:32.190
Discourse," simply because Jesus
00:21:32.190 --> 00:21:35.080
was on the Mount of Olives,
00:21:35.080 --> 00:21:37.070
which you can see in the scene
00:21:37.070 --> 00:21:38.180
behind me to your right.
00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:40.260
He was on the Mount of Olives,
00:21:40.260 --> 00:21:42.110
and the disciples came to him,
00:21:42.110 --> 00:21:44.070
and they asked him, "What is
00:21:44.070 --> 00:21:45.280
gonna happen in the future?
00:21:45.280 --> 00:21:47.070
What is next?"
00:21:47.070 --> 00:21:48.210
And so Jesus predicts the
00:21:48.210 --> 00:21:50.040
future, the future of the Jews,
00:21:50.040 --> 00:21:51.230
the future of Jerusalem, the
00:21:51.230 --> 00:21:53.140
future of the world, and his
00:21:53.140 --> 00:21:55.180
future coming.
00:21:55.180 --> 00:21:56.250
Israel is the very center of
00:21:56.250 --> 00:21:58.160
God's plan for the future, and
00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:00.120
that's why it's the center of
00:22:00.120 --> 00:22:01.290
Satan's spiritual attack.
00:22:01.290 --> 00:22:04.220
There's a great old quote in the
00:22:04.220 --> 00:22:07.030
Midrash, some of the
00:22:07.030 --> 00:22:08.160
commentaries about the Torah,
00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:10.170
the Old Testament law, and it
00:22:10.170 --> 00:22:12.140
says: "The land of Israel is at
00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:15.060
the center of the world, and
00:22:15.100 --> 00:22:18.100
Jerusalem is at the center of
00:22:18.100 --> 00:22:19.280
the land of Israel, and
00:22:19.280 --> 00:22:21.260
the temple is at the center
00:22:21.260 --> 00:22:23.180
of Jerusalem."
00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:24.250
All of that to say
00:22:24.250 --> 00:22:26.010
that the temple and the Temple
00:22:26.010 --> 00:22:28.140
Mount is at the very epicenter
00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:30.180
of God's plan for the future.
00:22:31.070 --> 00:22:34.070
I want you to think of it this
00:22:34.070 --> 00:22:35.130
way, in sort of four sections.
00:22:36.280 --> 00:22:39.280
Jerusalem is the geographic
00:22:39.280 --> 00:22:42.030
center of the earth biblically.
00:22:42.030 --> 00:22:44.210
I don't know if you know that or
00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:45.140
not, but I grew up in American
00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:46.210
schools, where the United States
00:22:46.210 --> 00:22:48.120
was always at the center
00:22:48.120 --> 00:22:49.220
of the map.
00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:50.290
And we grew up thinking we're
00:22:50.290 --> 00:22:51.280
the center of the world,
00:22:51.280 --> 00:22:53.160
but not from God's perspective.
00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:56.060
In Ezekiel chapter 5, verse 5,
00:22:56.060 --> 00:22:58.060
God said: "'I have set Jerusalem
00:22:58.060 --> 00:23:00.090
in the midst,'" or in the
00:23:00.090 --> 00:23:02.060
middle, "of the nations and
00:23:02.060 --> 00:23:03.290
the countries all around her."
00:23:03.290 --> 00:23:06.090
Any student has to just simply
00:23:06.090 --> 00:23:08.250
look at a map and see that
00:23:08.250 --> 00:23:10.200
Jerusalem is on a land bridge
00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:12.150
that connects Asia,
00:23:12.150 --> 00:23:14.120
Africa, and Europe.
00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:16.000
And when you read the Bible,
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.090
north in the Bible is always
00:23:17.090 --> 00:23:19.060
north of Jerusalem.
00:23:19.060 --> 00:23:20.170
South is always
00:23:20.170 --> 00:23:21.200
south of Jerusalem.
00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:22.270
West and east are always taking
00:23:22.270 --> 00:23:24.240
their reference point from
00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:25.210
the city of Jerusalem.
00:23:25.210 --> 00:23:27.150
So, Jerusalem is the geographic
00:23:27.150 --> 00:23:29.230
center of the earth biblically.
00:23:29.230 --> 00:23:32.030
Second, Jerusalem is
00:23:32.030 --> 00:23:33.060
the salvation center
00:23:33.060 --> 00:23:34.200
of the earth spiritually.
00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:36.140
Third, it's the storm center of
00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:38.070
the earth prophetically.
00:23:38.070 --> 00:23:40.020
If you go to Jerusalem,
00:23:40.020 --> 00:23:41.210
there's a feeling of tension
00:23:41.210 --> 00:23:43.180
that is in the air.
00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:45.130
People have learned to live with
00:23:45.130 --> 00:23:46.230
it and manage it and cope with
00:23:46.230 --> 00:23:48.060
it, but it's still here
00:23:48.060 --> 00:23:49.280
nonetheless.
00:23:49.280 --> 00:23:50.180
There's just that political and
00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:52.060
spiritual tension.
00:23:52.060 --> 00:23:54.040
Leaders around the world are
00:23:54.040 --> 00:23:55.130
always aware that Jerusalem is a
00:23:55.130 --> 00:23:57.160
potential tinderbox, not Asia,
00:23:57.190 --> 00:24:00.210
not Europe, but always Israel.
00:24:00.210 --> 00:24:03.180
And there's a reason for that.
00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:05.080
God said in the prophecies of
00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:07.080
Zechariah in the Old Testament:
00:24:07.080 --> 00:24:09.030
"I will make Jerusalem
00:24:09.030 --> 00:24:10.060
a very heavy stone
00:24:10.060 --> 00:24:12.060
for all the peoples around."
00:24:12.130 --> 00:24:15.130
But then finally,
00:24:15.130 --> 00:24:16.230
it's the glory center
00:24:16.230 --> 00:24:18.090
of the earth ultimately.
00:24:18.090 --> 00:24:20.120
You see, the Prophet Isaiah said
00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:22.140
that "all the nations of the
00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:24.120
world will flow into Jerusalem,
00:24:24.120 --> 00:24:27.040
and there's coming a time
00:24:27.040 --> 00:24:28.090
when the law will go forth
00:24:28.090 --> 00:24:30.090
from Zion."
00:24:30.090 --> 00:24:32.220
Zion is right behind me in this
00:24:32.220 --> 00:24:34.180
setting that you are seeing.
00:24:34.180 --> 00:24:35.210
The law will go forth,
00:24:35.210 --> 00:24:36.280
and all peoples will
00:24:36.280 --> 00:24:38.030
flow into this city.
00:24:38.030 --> 00:24:40.120
So, we've looked at the place,
00:24:40.120 --> 00:24:42.060
and then the prediction
00:24:42.060 --> 00:24:43.290
that Jesus made, but I wanna
00:24:43.290 --> 00:24:45.170
end with a promise.
00:24:45.170 --> 00:24:46.190
Because throughout Matthew 24,
00:24:46.190 --> 00:24:49.080
as tough as some of these
00:24:49.080 --> 00:24:51.170
predictions are of what is
00:24:51.170 --> 00:24:53.110
coming, war, and famines, and
00:24:53.110 --> 00:24:54.280
pestilence, et cetera, imbued
00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:58.000
within this text is also
00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:59.150
an incredible promise.
00:24:59.150 --> 00:25:00.230
Jesus speaks about his coming.
00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:03.060
The disciples ask him
00:25:03.060 --> 00:25:04.170
the question, "What
00:25:04.170 --> 00:25:05.090
is the sign of your coming?"
00:25:05.120 --> 00:25:08.120
Matthew 24, verse 3.
00:25:08.120 --> 00:25:09.290
Jesus also says, "Watch,
00:25:09.290 --> 00:25:12.160
for you do not know when
00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:14.110
the Son of Man is coming,"
00:25:14.110 --> 00:25:16.100
later on, down in verse 42.
00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:18.010
So, there's this mention of the
00:25:18.010 --> 00:25:19.240
coming of the Lord, and that
00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:22.030
really is the culmination
00:25:22.030 --> 00:25:23.160
of all prophetic hope.
00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:25.120
And the glory of the world will
00:25:25.120 --> 00:25:26.260
be the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:25:26.260 --> 00:25:28.210
Jesus is coming back.
00:25:28.210 --> 00:25:30.270
You need to know that.
00:25:30.270 --> 00:25:31.220
That needs to fill your
00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:32.240
heart with hope.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.170
Jesus Christ, your Savior,
00:25:33.170 --> 00:25:35.060
is coming back.
00:25:35.060 --> 00:25:36.060
And even Jesus promised his
00:25:36.060 --> 00:25:38.100
disciples, "I'm going away
00:25:38.100 --> 00:25:39.290
to prepare a place for you.
00:25:39.290 --> 00:25:41.110
And if I go, I will come again
00:25:41.110 --> 00:25:44.070
and receive you to myself;
00:25:44.070 --> 00:25:46.180
that where I am,
00:25:46.180 --> 00:25:47.140
there you may be also."
00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:49.100
So you can take heart
00:25:49.100 --> 00:25:51.040
as you look forward
00:25:51.040 --> 00:25:52.080
to the coming of the Lord.
00:25:52.080 --> 00:25:54.000
Boy, it's been exciting to be
00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:55.050
here in Israel, and especially
00:25:55.050 --> 00:25:56.270
in the city of Jerusalem.
00:25:56.270 --> 00:25:58.140
I get amped up just to walk
00:25:58.140 --> 00:26:00.100
around the streets of Jerusalem
00:26:00.100 --> 00:26:01.200
and hear the buzz and see
00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:04.040
the sights and think of
00:26:04.040 --> 00:26:05.280
all the Scriptures that speak
00:26:05.280 --> 00:26:07.250
about this incredible place.
00:26:07.250 --> 00:26:10.150
But the question is for you,
00:26:10.150 --> 00:26:11.230
are you ready?
00:26:11.230 --> 00:26:13.140
You've heard these things.
00:26:13.140 --> 00:26:14.190
Some of you have heard these
00:26:14.190 --> 00:26:16.090
things all your life.
00:26:16.090 --> 00:26:17.020
You've grown up in church, but
00:26:17.020 --> 00:26:18.210
you haven't received Christ yet.
00:26:18.210 --> 00:26:20.140
You haven't asked him to be
00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:22.010
your Lord, your Master.
00:26:22.010 --> 00:26:23.210
You have that choice right now
00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:26.040
to place your faith in Jesus
00:26:26.040 --> 00:26:28.220
Christ, who came to this place,
00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:31.020
and died for your sins, and
00:26:31.020 --> 00:26:33.060
rose bodily from the grave,
00:26:33.060 --> 00:26:35.120
and ascended into glory,
00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:37.130
and one day is coming back.
00:26:37.130 --> 00:26:38.270
- male announcer: How will you
00:26:41.010 --> 00:26:41.260
answer that question from Skip?
00:26:41.260 --> 00:26:43.010
It's the most important issue
00:26:43.010 --> 00:26:44.180
in your life.
00:26:45.120 --> 00:26:48.120
For those looking for concrete
00:26:48.120 --> 00:26:49.240
evidence of the Bible's
00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:50.260
accuracy, the history of Israel
00:26:50.260 --> 00:26:52.290
- Skip: I hope you pay close
00:26:56.170 --> 00:26:57.190
attention to the offer of
00:26:57.190 --> 00:26:58.260
security in our chaotic world.
00:26:58.260 --> 00:27:01.110
Jesus promises peace that can be
00:27:01.110 --> 00:27:03.240
found nowhere on this earth.
00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:06.020
If you would like to know more
00:27:06.020 --> 00:27:07.060
information about making
00:27:07.060 --> 00:27:08.170
this important decision,
00:27:08.170 --> 00:27:10.080
go to SkipHeitzig.com and look
00:27:10.080 --> 00:27:12.180
for the "Know God" section.
00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:15.010
You will find clear steps that
00:27:15.010 --> 00:27:16.180
you need to take to prepare
00:27:16.180 --> 00:27:18.120
yourself for the future.
00:27:18.120 --> 00:27:20.210
Thanks for joining me
00:27:20.210 --> 00:27:21.230
[m
00:27:24.250 --> 00:27:24.260
[mus
00:27:24.260 --> 00:27:24.270
[music
00:27:24.270 --> 00:27:24.280
[music]
00:27:24.280 --> 00:27:28.230

Menu Top

What's Next Part 1

What's Next Part 1

Video Keywords

Menu Top

What's Next Part 1

What's Next Part 1

Video Keywords

Stay Up to Date With Our Newsletter