What Is This World Coming To? Part 7: Those Left Behind at the Rapture

If you would take your Bibles, turn if you would to Matthew chapter 24. That's where we will be first. We will be turning a little bit in your Bibles this morning. So, just have your fingers exercised and nimble. The passages are usually several verses.

So, not able to put them on the screen this morning but very important to the message. We have been the last three weeks counting this Sunday have been the messages have been on the rapture. First of all, the fact of the rapture. The rapture is going to happen. The Bible is very clear.

Christ is returning to meet those who know him in the air. He is coming to raise the bodies of those who have died and gone before, who know Jesus Christ, who savior, who will be reunited with resurrected, immortal, incorruptible bodies at the rapture and we who alive and remain will be taken up, changed in the moment, in the twinkling of the eye, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The Lord promised his disciples, I go to prepare a place for you. I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also.

The fact of the rapture and then last week, we talked about the time of the rapture. The Bible makes it very clear. No man knows the day or the hour. Christ coming will be so to speak as a thief in the night. In other words, there's not going to be any forewarning.

There's not going to be announcements. You've got three weeks left or you've got a year left. That's what these people doing that are trying to to give dates and forewarnings. The Bible makes it clear there won't be any forewarning other than the fact that there will be wars and rumors of wars and that type of thing going on in the world but not a specific time or date. We need to be ready.

We need to be prepared and it seems to be very clear to me that the rapture is going to happen before the tribulation begins. The seventy week of Daniel because before Christ can come, before before the antichrist comes and takes control during the tribulation period. First, the church and the work of the Holy Spirit in the church that is restraining him will be taken out of the way and until the church and the Holy Spirit's work in the church is taken out of the way, the antichrist will not come and so the rapture happens and then following the rapture, we have the tribulation, the seventieth week of Daniel. And then following that, the return of Christ to the earth to destroy the armies of the enemy and to set up his kingdom. So that's the win of the rapture, the time of the rapture.

It could happen any moment. Are you ready? And then the third thing is this, we're going look out this morning. What about those left behind? What will happen to those?

There's been a lot of speculations. I mentioned a lot of books written, a fictional stories about what might happen, movies, when the rapture happens. What will happen to those that are left behind? Well, the Bible does give us some very clear indication as to what will happen to those that are left behind and those passages will be looking at today. You need to be ready.

You do not want to be one of those left behind. Have you ever been told to meet somebody at a certain time, certain place to catch a ride, to catch a flight, maybe you're coming home from the amusement park and you all were supposed to gather at a certain place and and you didn't show up and then, you got left behind. Kind of scary especially when you're little. The thought of being left behind. A couple years ago, there was a a little girl in our church.

Her name was Ellie. She was hiding in the nursery somewhere and her parents and her uncle and aunt both went to church here and sometimes some of the kids would ride with the uncle and sometimes the kids would ride with the parents and and then we'd meet up just a mile down the Road at at mom and dad's house and she got locked in the nursery and the parents thought the uncle had her and they got to the house and low and behold, Ellie wasn't there. Where is she? So, they called back frantically. Well, have you seen Ellie?

You know, she was like, what? Two? Two, three years old? And I said, no, I haven't seen Ellie. Well, somebody, one of the kids heard something going on through the door in the hallway and it was Ellie and Ellie, when we opened that door, Ellie was crying so hard.

She couldn't hardly breathe. Tears running down her cheeks, and face was all red, and just scared to death because she had been what? Left behind. And as as as frightening and as terrible as it was for her for those few minutes where she was locked in that room and left behind. It will be worse for those that are left behind at the rapture.

Let's pray and then we'll look in Matthew 24. Lord, we thank you for your word and what it tells us, Lord. So, we can be prepared. We can be prepared to meet you. Lord, whether it is in in death or whether it is at the rapture.

Lord, I pray for those today that aren't ready. I pray if there be one here today that isn't absolutely sure of their salvation in Jesus Christ. Doesn't know for sure if the rapture should happen that they would go. To meet you in the air, that they might be left behind. Lord, I pray that you would open their heart and their eyes to the truth of your word that they might recognize the importance of receiving you as savior and Lord now.

And making sure that they are prepared. I pray Lord for those of us who are Christians that we would be reminded of the importance of telling our neighbors and friends about Jesus. And Lord that we too would be prepared not only and that we know Christ but that we would prepare to give an account what we done with the life that you have given us. As we will stand before you face to face someday. Lord, we need to be about our master's business.

Remind us of that if you would. And encourage us with the promises of your word. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. So, what will it be like for those on Earth who are left behind at the rapture?

Well, first of all, they will endure a time of judgement on humanity like none before. Billions will die or suffer suffer terribly from disease, starvation, war, terrible natural disasters, other plagues, and martyrdom. Look if you would in Matthew 24 and beginning in verse 15. Matthew 24 verse 15. When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.

Whoso readeth, let him understand and let them which be in Judea flee unto the mountains. Let him which is in a housetop not come down to take anything out of his house neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes and woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days but pray you that your flight be not in winter neither on the Sabbath day for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall be and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Bible tells us here in Matthew 24 that in the middle of this terrible period called the tribulation that God will unleash judgments upon the world like has never been seen before and the suffering of the people that are here will be beyond imagination. The fiction books cannot properly depict the judgment of God upon the kingdoms of men and of the antichrist in this world during the time of the tribulation. In Revelation chapter six, if you'll turn, hold your place in Matthew.

We're gonna flip back and forth between these two a little bit. Turn if you would to Revelation chapter six. Revelation chapter six and we're going to look at two passages quickly. Don't have a lot of time to expound upon them but I think you'll get the idea. As John describes for us, what is going to be happening during this time called the tribulation or the seventieth week of Daniel?

What those will experience here that are left behind? Verse one, Revelation six, and I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see. And I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown and was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer and when he had opened the second seal, by the way, the first seal, the rider of the white horse is not Jesus in this case, it is the antichrist who will conquer the world for a very brief time. Verse three, and when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, come and see and there went on another horse that was red and power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword. Verse five, when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, come and see and be and I beheld and low a black horse and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand and I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

This is speaking of famine. The cheapness of the the wheat and things mentioned here is not because it will be an ample supply. It is because people will have no money with which to buy. Verse verse seven, when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come and see and I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed with him and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the with sword and with hunger and with death and with beasts of the earth. This is describing the kind of things that are going to be happening during this time period.

Look if you would in chapter 16. Chapter 16. Of Revelation and I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, go your ways and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth and the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell an a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of dead man and every soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters and they became blood.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, thou art righteous, oh Lord, art and and was and shall be because thou hast judged us. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy and I heard another out of the altar say, even so Lord God almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments and the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire and men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the name of God which had power over these plagues and they repented not to give him glory and the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seed of the beast and his kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds and the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates and the water thereof was dried up that the way of kings of the East might be prepared and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon that is the devil and out of the mouth of the beast that is the antichrist and out of the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of devils working miracles which shall go forth under the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to battle against the battle of that great day of God almighty.

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed he is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments. Lest he walk naked and they see his shame and he gathered them together into the place called in Hebrew tongue Armageddon and the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying, it is done and there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great and the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath and every island fled away and the mountains were not found and there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven. Every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. Now, these are what's called the vile judgments in the latter half of the tribulation period.

There is much more. We don't have time to go into this morning but it will be a time of terrible judgment and of terrible suffering and of much death. It's not something that you want to be here for. And no matter how terrible the suffering of the tribulation, it does not begin to compare. With hell in the lake of fire.

It is just a very little and brief taste of what is to come for those who refuse salvation in Jesus Christ. This is what will come upon humanity that is left behind. The second thing is this, during this time of great judgment, some will be saved. There will be Jews and Gentiles saved during the tribulation. But many of them will be slain by the antichrist for their refusal to take upon themselves the mark of the beast.

Let's divide it up. Let's first look at the Jews. Look if you would in Revelation chapter seven. Revelation chapter seven. Revelation seven tells us of a very specific group of people that will be saved during the tribulation period.

These are a 144,000 Jews. They will be saved during the tribulation period and they will serve a very specific purpose during the tribulation period. If you would look in verse one, Matthew said, Revelation seven one and after these things, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel descending from the east, having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given, to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel, of the tribe of Judah were were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Reuben were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Gad were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Asher were sealed 12,000, the tribe of Naphtali were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed 12,000, the tribe of Simeon were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Levi were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Issachar were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Joseph were sealed 12,000, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed 12,000.

These are a 144,000 Jews of Israel, 12,000 from every tribe that will be sealed by the Lord during the tribulation period. One is a seal. Well, a seal in ancient times was a ring usually or it could be another piece of metal, a medallion or something and the seal would be pressed into wax to seal a document or an envelope or something of some kind. In order to declare its authenticity that it came from the person that sealed it. It it it indicated declared ownership that was something was sealed by this person belong to them.

It bore their seal. It was theirs and it also declared, also bought protection for that item until it got to where it was supposed to go. Today, when you send a letter in the mail, you seal the letter closed and it's not to be opened by law until the person to whom it is sent opens that piece of mail. It is against the law. This is similar type of thing.

The Bible says, we who are Christians in Jesus Christ today are sealed by whom? The Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our God's seal upon us. We belong to him. We are truly his children and he will protect us and keep us until the day that we stand before him in heaven someday to receive our inheritance that he has kept for us.

In this day, in in the tribulation period, there will be a 144,000 Jews thus sealed as belonging to the Lord and protected by him. In Revelation 14 and verse one, it indicates that this seal is the name of God, the father. Verse fourteen one says, and I looked and low a lamb stood on Mount Zion and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand having the father's name written in their foreheads. Now, some say, well, pastor, this can't possibly be be literal. And for instance, go ask a Jew today what tribe they belong to.

They can't tell you. A few of them think they know. But those records were lost in 8070. There was a depository in Rome where those records were kept. Particularly for the sake of finding those who were worthy to be priests in Jesus' day.

That was destroyed, and all those records were destroyed when Rome leveled Jerusalem in 8070. So the Jews today do not know what tribe they belong to. So, they say, well, this can't be literal. This 144,000, it can't necessarily assume to be Jews. But let me ask you this question.

Just because the Jews don't know what tribe they belong to, does that mean that God doesn't know? God doesn't need records on paper in a building in Jerusalem to know what tribe someone is descended from and I see no reason not to believe that these are literally a 144,000 Jews, an exact number, twelve, zero from each tribe that God seals for a specific purpose to protect them through the tribulation period, it would appear based upon the text that follows to be missionaries, to represent him, and to spread the gospel even during this very terrible time called the tribulation. 144,000 Jewish missionaries sealed. However, those are not the only Jews saved during the tribulation. There are more saved than the 144,000.

Hold your place in Revelation if you would turn back to Romans 11. Romans 11. Romans 11, look at verses 25 to 27. I mentioned this a couple weeks ago. During this time, we called the church age.

God has taken Israel and put them on a, help me out. He's put them on a shelf, okay? Israel has been put up on a shelf so to speak because they rejected the Messiah when he came. They rejected him before he died. They rejected him after after he resurrected.

They rejected him as a group, as a nation, and therefore, God has put them on a shelf and has sent the gospel throughout all the world to the Gentiles that all who trust in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike might be saved through faith in Jesus but the nation has been put upon a shell but one day, God is gonna take Israel back off the shelf and God is once again going to work among his people during the seventieth week of Daniel during the tribulation period to redeem them as a people and as a nation back to himself once again. In Romans eleven twenty five, it says, Paul writes, for I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, that you should be wise in your own conceits, that the blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written, there shall come out of Zion, the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Jacob is another name for Israel. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins.

At during the latter half of the tribulation, Israel as a nation will turn back in faith to their Messiah before he returns and as a nation, they will once again be saved. They will be redeemed. And they will come into the kingdom that God has promised them when he returns. Look if you would in Zechariah chapter 12. Zechariah.

Now, this is at the end of the Old Testament. Just before Matthew, you have Malachi. Before Malachi, you have Zechariah. Look if you would in Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10. Zechariah twelve ten.

And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they will look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. God says here that when he returns, when Israel, as a nation, sees him, that they will mourn. For having rejected him and hung him on a cross and pierced his side. They will see it and they will know him as he is. In Revelation chapter 12, turn back there.

Revelation 12. Keep Revelation Mark because we're going be back here quite a bit. Revelation 12, look if you would in verse one. In chapter 12, God uses a metaphor concerning the nation of Israel and the Messiah and the devil. The devil is seen as a dragon.

Jesus as a child, the woman is the nation of Israel. Verse one, and there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of 12 stars, the 12 tribes of Israel. And she being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pain to to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, behold a great red dragon, that's the devil, having seven heads and 10 horns and seven crowns upon his heads, and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven that cast them to the earth, and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, who devoured her child as soon as it was born. The child is Jesus Christ.

What did Herod do? Not long after Jesus was born. He killed all the babies in Bethlehem under the age of two. Who do you think put that in his head? Look if you would verse five, and she brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne and the woman fled into the wilderness where she had the place prepared of God that she should be fed that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.

Look if you would over at verse 13 and when the dragon saw that he was cast under the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. This will be during the tribulation period. And the woman were and to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness or the desert into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and a half time. This is the last two and a half years of the tribulation from the face of the serpent and the serpent cast out of his mouth waters of flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood and the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth and the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The woman is Israel and God will protect Israel in the last two and a half years of tribulation from being completely wiped out by the antichrist and the devil.

That when he returns, they might receive the kingdom of which he promised to them. So, a 144,000 Jews sealed. The nation of Israel redeemed and returning to the Lord during the tribulation period and then, many Gentiles shall be saved during the tribulation. Yes, Gentiles. I I was told when I was a kid that if the rapture happened and you were left behind, it was over.

It was done. You could not be saved. You were doomed to suffer the rest of the tribulation and all eternity in hell if you were left behind. Well, there's a reason I was taught that and I will get to that before we close this morning but the Bible does clearly tell us that there will be a multitude of Gentiles saved during the tribulation period. Look, if you would, in Revelation seven.

Again, Revelation seven nine through 17. Verse nine, and this I beheld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice saying, salvation to our God which siteth upon the throne and on the lamb and all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worship God saying, amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which were arrayed in white robes and whence came they?

And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest and he said unto me, these are they which come which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sunlight on them nor any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. These are those who are saved out of great tribulation that will be before God in heaven, still during the tribulation.

Why will they be before God in heaven during the tribulation? Well, because they have been murdered. For receiving Jesus and refusing the mark of the beast. Revelation six verse nine says, and when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them which were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying, how long, oh Lord? Holy and true does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth and white robes were given unto everyone of them and it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.

Now, these that were saved were also martyred. There will be many Gentiles saved during the tribulation period. They will refuse to take upon themselves the mark, the seal of the beast, having the seal of Jesus Christ their hearts and they will be martyred for it. There are some, I do believe, from scripture of every nation that will enter into Christ's kingdom when he returns of Gentiles that will not be killed during the tribulation. Many will be but some will be not.

Look if you would in Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. Matthew 24, look if you would in verse 30. Twenty four thirty, it says, and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew tells us when Jesus shall return that he will gather together his elect, those who are saved in Christ Jesus during the tribulation, who have not yet been murdered to be gathered together unto himself at his return. Furthermore, in chapter 25, just turn the page over, twenty five thirty one. Twenty five thirty one. It says, when the son of man shall come in his glory and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left, then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

So, there will be many Gentiles slain during the tribulation who will be saved and refuse the mark of the beast. There will be others that will be saved and will not be slain but will be gathered together and enter into the kingdom of the Lord at his return. So, you say, well, that doesn't sound too bad. Well, you're forgetting about all the judgments, but you're also not including a very dire warning in second Thessalonians chapter two. Please turn there.

Second Thessalonians chapter two. What will happen to those left behind? Well, some of the Jews, many will be saved. Some of the Gentiles will be saved, But the vast majority of people on the earth will take upon themselves the mark of the beast, choosing to reject the true Messiah for the antichrist, the false one and will be lost forever. They will believe a great lie That will be perpetrated on them.

And they won't see the truth Second Thessalonian second Thessalonians chapter two beginning in verse five. Remember you not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things and now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. I spoke last week that I believe that which withholds or which is restraining the antichrist from coming is the church, the work of the Holy Spirit through the church which when it will be taken out of the way will make way for the antichrist. Verse eight, and then shall the wicked, that is the antichrist be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming.

Even him who's coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause, verse 11, God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned to believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Those who did not choose the fear of the Lord and rejected God's offer of salvation prior to the rapture, It would seem to indicate here We'll believe what? We'll believe a lie. So, you would think those that had heard the story of the rapture, those that had maybe sat in church or listened to their grandparents and heard about the tribulation and the rapture and all of this who'd heard about Jesus Christ that when the rapture happened, immediately, they they would go, It happened. Just as the Bible said it would and that they would immediately repent but God says, don't count on it.

No. Instead, they believe a lie. There's many different people have conjectured on what that lie will be. I know as of twenty some years ago, one day a year, the new age movement people gather to transcendentally meditate at different places throughout the world to pray in what they call the new age. In which they believe all the Christians and others who are in the way and who are withholding the new age from coming will be taken out of the way.

A lie of the devil. There are those today that are talking about aliens. You know, when you're a kid and you watch the movie about UFOs and aliens and you laugh because that that was just a bunch of silliness. There are scientists today, world renowned scientists today that really do believe that there are aliens and many that will believe possibly that when this happens, that the aliens have taken us away. I don't know what the lie will be.

There are several possibilities. That the Bible says, don't have a wait and see attitude. Because if you tell God no then you will believe a lie and it may be too late for you when the rapture happens and some of those fiction books that are written, people that have been in church and heard the gospel many many times and rejected it flatly. Get saved. I don't know that that's realistic.

Because God warns here. It uses words that they believed past tense. They rejected past tense. The gospel and they will believe a lie because they would not believe the truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man cometh unto the father. But by me. They chose instead the path of unrighteousness. They chose to believe the lie of the devil. They heeded neither the cry of their conscience nor the testimony of creation nor the clear message of the gospel choosing instead the pleasure of sin for a season to the promises of heaven and an eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Matthew seven verses thirteen and fourteen tell us there's a broad way that leads to destruction and many there be which are on that path. There is a narrow way that leads to life and few there be that find it. The narrow path and the gate to the narrow path is one and the same. He is Jesus Christ. And if we reject Jesus Christ in the only way of salvation, and Christ comes to take his children home.

Which seemed from this passage that you will very likely believe the lie and be lost forever. Those who take upon themselves the mark of the beast, who are deceived by his miracles and his signs will be lost forever. In Revelation chapter 14, it tells us this, and the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast in his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoke of their torment ascending up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. This all began with the lie of Satan in Genesis three.

It will end with another lie of the antichrist who will deceive the world, who in mass with some exceptions will believe in the false Christ and be lost forever. The choice which is before you is the same choice they will have to make. Will you choose to follow Jesus or Satan's counterfeit? His counterfeit saviors, his counterfeit promises, his counterfeit religions, his counterfeit happiness. Which will you choose?

It will determine your eternity. Sin in the way of the devil will never bring joy, peace, or particularly eternal life. Those things are only found in following, believing, and trusting in Jesus alone. What will it be? The judgment is coming.

What will you choose today? Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you. For your word, for the promises that we find therein, The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord, that you will come again to receive us unto yourself, know Christ as savior, that where you are, there we will be also.

But Lord, you also say in your word that those who reject you believe the lie of the Antichrist, the lies of the devil today will be lost forever in a place of torment, in a lake of fire where there is no hope, and there is no peace, there is no second chance. Lord, I pray. If there's one here today that is unsure, that before they leave this place, they would make sure today. In Jesus' name we do pray, Amen.