Okay, in a couple of weeks, maybe next week, I don't know yet. We're going to begin a series on the Book of Revelation. It's going to take a while because we're going to go through a lot of books in the Bible. Revelation is the culmination of the entire Bible, frankly. And so we're going to spend a lot of time on it. But in the meantime, we're going to take one more Sunday. Today at least one more day and lay the foundation for the reason for the book of Revelation, the tribulation, the seven years. One of these days soon, I believe, the Lord is going to take His church out of this earth, even though we don't deserve it. There's not a person in this room that deserves to be taken at the rapture. However, being that we live in something called the age of grace, the church age, God will keep His promise. If you're a member of the church, if you've trusted Christ as your Savior, you're automatically a member of the church. You are saved. You will be taken at the rapture. Doesn't matter what kind of a life you live. If you've trusted Christ as your Savior, you'll be taken out of this earth at the rapture. rapture, and then immediately following that, the Lord will usher in seven years off terrible, terrible time in history, the most terrible time this earth has ever known. Fortunately, we will not have to endure that. We will not have to endure the mark of the beast. Don't worry about it. We'll not happen to you. The mark of the beast will not be instituted until the middle of the seven-year tribulation. Don't worry about the number six, six, six, it will not affect you. Don't worry about the anti-Christ. You will not be subjected to His tyranny. The earth will face for seven years. However, there's a reason for all of this seven-year tribulation, for all the wrath of God. So this morning we're going to continue that little study. One of the reasons is before Jesus Christ sets up His kingdom, she promised to the nation of Israel, 1,000 years he will keep his promise to the nation of Israel, set up his kingdom, their kingdom actually. But before he does that, the earth needs to go through a sort of a cleansing. And that's one of the reasons for the seven-year tribulation. Always the main reason for anything that takes place in the world today is sin. Sin is the ultimate reason for almost everything that takes place. So beginning this morning, the first reason we're going to look at for the 7-year Tribulation, the wrath of God, what the first reason is Israel's rejection of God, their king. So let's begin this morning, if you will, and first Samuel 8, we've been there a hundred times, so we won't spend a lot of time here. But this is one of the main reasons for the 7-year Tribulation. First Samuel, chapter 8, if you will. I know that you're all familiar with these verses, but oftentimes we have to cover these verses over and over again. So we're going to lay the foundation for 1st Samuel chapter 8. So pay close attention if you will. By the way, can everybody hear me all right with the air conditioners going? Well, if you can't, I'm going to speak up. I'm going to yell, okay? I'm going to be like John Hagee and all that I'm going to print the floor and scream and shout, okay? Stop. Now, huh? You want me to do that? I'm rich? See, you've got to do it. And I'm like this. Well, when I first started preaching, I used to do that. But for some reason, I calmed down. I don't know why. So anyway, Samuel was the very last judge over the nation of Israel. Israel was ruled by judges. A judge was an intermediary between God and the nation of Israel. Samuel was the last judge a lot of terrible things took place here. In verse 1, verse Samuel chapter 8 he made his sons judges over Israel. That was a stupid mistake. Just because your son's a preacher doesn't mean your son will take your place. God isn't charged to that. He's the one that replaces the preacher. And in verse 3 his sons walked not in his ways but turned aside after lucre, money, and took bribes and perverted judgment. What? Sound like the USA to date it sounds like the federal government to me. Then all the others of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Raymond and said unto him, be hold, thou art old, and thy sons walked not in thy ways now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Big, big mistake. Big mistake. First of all, they used the sons of Samuel to make their decision with just an excuse. They didn't care about the Samuel sons didn't bother them at all. The real problem was they didn't want to be ruled by God for six. Now remember, God God was their ruler. God made their decisions. God would go to the judge and say, here you go Samuel, you go tell Israel this is what I want them to do. This is what I will expect. They get tired of living under the rule of God. Sounds like the United States today done. Let's remove all the 10 commandments. Let's remove all references to the cross. Let's give rid of all Bibles and this and that. We'll give rid of the good Bibles and we'll replace them with corrupt Bibles. That's That's good. Sounds like the world we live in today. In verse 6, the thing displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge us and Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, harken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. Big mistake, wouldn't you think? Let me ask you a question. How many of you want God to reign in your lives? I do. Because when God doesn't reign in your life, your life is a disaster. For a lot of people I know personally, in my family, and my wife's family, whose lives are disasters because God does not reign in their life. They're probably good people, but they're really a disaster. God said they have rejected me. That's the reason they want to king. Verse 10, all the way down to verse 10. Well, we have to read verse 8, OK? According to all the works which I have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even into this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods. So do they also unto thee. Why did they not want God to reign over them? False religion. When we get into false religion, God does not rain over. Now therefore, harbing unto their voice, how be it, yet protest solemnly unto them and show them the manner of the King who shall reign over them? And Samuel told all the words of the Lord and to the people who ask of him a king. Verse 11, now he goes and explains the kind of king they're gonna get. So pay attention, if you will. This will be the manner of the King who shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, to be his horsemen in some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself captains and so forth. He will do this and he will do that. Down to verse 18, all the way down to verse 18, if you will. And ye shall cry out in that day, because of your king whom ye shall have chosen, and the Lord will not hear you in that day. What days are you talking about? Seven-year tribulation. The seven-year tribulation. Absolutely. You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye shall have chosen. Think about that. They have already chosen the antichrist to be their king. long ago. When this took place, when Samuel was judging Israel, Israel chose their king the anti-crust. God will judge them for that. Go to Mark chapter 1 if you will. Remember for Samuel chapter 8, they had a king requested. Remember that. The king requested. We want a man to rule over us. We don't want God to rule over us. God said someday you'll get that man and you won't like it. Mark chapter 1 verse 14 if you will. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Can someone tell me what the gospel of the kingdom is by the way? Anybody? King was present at hand. Okay, Esther, you had something? The gospel that Christ died was buried and also got burned for him in the suburbs. That's right, the gospel of the kingdom. To same gospel we preach today, and Christ died, was buried and rose against the forgiveness of sin. Same gospel, just a different dispensation. Okay, back to the Bible, if you will. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, change your mind and believe the gospel. What would happen to the nation of Israel if they had believed the gospel? They would have gotten the kingdom. They would have had to nail the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross because it was already prophesied. Wasn't it? Absolutely. It was already prophesied. They would have had to nail him to the cross with love this time, but they would have had to put him on the cross. Nevertheless, they rejected their king. Remember 1 Samuel 8, they requested a king and in Mark 1 verse 14 and 15 they denied their king. Turn over if you will to Matthew, chapter 23. I think it's where I'm gonna go. Verse 37. Matthew 23, verse 37, old Jerusalem. Jerusalem, bow that kills the prophets and stonest him. Who are sent unto thee? How often would I have gathered thy children together? Even as a hand gathered her chickens under her wings and you would not. You would not. He did say, you could not. He said, you would not. Behold, your house is left unto you, Desala. For I say unto you, you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, blessed is he that come in the name of the Lord. So, in 1 Samuel chapter 8, they requested a king in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They denied their king and had him nailed to the cross. They could have had their kingdom, they could have had peace, joy, contentment with all these things. But 2000 years ago, they denied their king and that's one of the reasons for the 7-year tribulation. Turn it if you will, to 1st Timothy chapter 3, if you will. Reason number 1, Israel rejected their king and requested a man to rule over them. And he will. In 1st Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. What is the mystery of godliness? Well it goes on to tell us. God was manifest in the flesh. The mystery of godliness is God was manifest in the flesh. What was His name. Jesus Christ. God was manifest made seen in the flesh. God was made seen that is called the mystery of godliness. Turn back in your Bible to 1st or 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 4. In verse 3 the man of sin, the son of perdition, who is the Antichrist, who will be the king, Israel requested. They requested a king. They're going to get more than a man, the Antichrist. They're going to get Satan, who will rule over them. The Antichrist, in verse four, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worship so that he, as God, siteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. That's the king they're going to get. Verse 7. Notice the first part of this verse. For the mystery of aniquity that's already worked. Look up here for just a second. Did we just read in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, that the mystery of godliness is God manifest in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the mystery of aniquity will be Satan manifest in the flesh. Who will he be? The Antichrist. He will be a man. He will be the man that Israel requested over 2,800 years ago. He will be the man that Israel wanted to rule over there. He will be the man that they wanted instead of God for seven terrible years. The seven year Tribulation is God's judgment upon the nation of Israel. Turn over if you will. Let's see here. What do we want to go? Romans chapter 11. Hold your place right there. I'll be right with you. Romans chapter 11. In chapter 11, Romans chapter 11, verse 26. And so all Israel shall be saved. That is written. There shall come out of Zion the deliverer. and shall turn away on Godliness from Jacob. Now then with that thought in mind, turn over to Jeremiah, chapter 30, if you will. Jeremiah, chapter 30. And Jeremiah, chapter 30. How much time I have here? I'm doing okay. First one, the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, thus speak of the Lord God of Israel saying, right all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For low the days come say at the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah say at the Lord and I will cause them to return to the land that's the kingdom that I gave to their fathers and they shall possess it. However notice the next few verses and these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah On down of verse 7, Alas, for that day is great so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob's trouble. But he shall be saved out of it. Imagine that, if you will. Jacob's trouble is real. Israel's trouble. You might ask yourself, well, jeeves, I thought all they had was trouble. Well, they do. It seems like every nation in the world hates Israel, don't they? Every nation in the world is constantly against Israel. Every nation in the world at one time or another has had their army and their troops in Israel. And yet God said that this time will be the time of Jacob's trouble. Do you know how many Jews were murdered by Russia, Germany, and so many other people? Millions. You can't even count them. Millions of Jews, the world has been trying to eradicate the Jew from our society, from our lives for hundreds and thousands of years. But the time of Jacob's trouble, the seven-year tribulation, will be the worst time they have ever lived through and they deserve it. Isn't that sad? Reason number one is real first and second rejection of their God, the God of Israel, Jesus Christ. Reason number three or number two is God's judgment upon the nation. so turn in your Bible if you will to the book of Joel right over here. The book of Joel just after the book of Daniel. Joel chapter 3, actually we want to go to Joel chapter 2. Joel chapter 2, let's see let's go to verse 1 if you will. You know there's something I don't understand about the nation of Israel, I really don't. When they can read their Bible the Old Testament, you know they reject the New Testament, but when they can read their Bible and they don't understand all of the prophecy against them, I just don't get it. I really don't. Look at you, Ellen chapter 1 of Joel, verse 15. It says, Alas, for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, the day of the Lord, by the way, covers everything from the seven-year tribulation all the way through the thousand year reign, but notice if you will, the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come, then in chapter 2 verse 1, blow the trumpet and Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land of Trimble. For the day of the Lord comeeth, it is nigh at hand, a day of darkness and gloominess. The whole world will go through this day of the Lord. And then in chapter 2, go if you will, let's see here, let's go to, well, let's skip some of these verses, so I'm going to be running out of time here. Go to chapter 3, if you will. In chapter 3, Joel, chapter 3, we'll be holding those days and in that time, when I shall bring forth, when I shall bring again, the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. By the way, look up here for just a minute, let me point out something if I may. You need to get this clear. Old Testament, there's nothing in the Old Testament about the church age. From the cross, or immediately after the cross, until the rapture there is nothing in the Old Testament about the church. It was a mystery. So everything that takes place in the Old Testament was either before the cross or after the rapture. Always remember that. And if you do, the Bible is easy to understand. In those days, and at that time, after the rapture, and then looking verse two, we already saw that God is going to judge Israel. He's going to give them the king that they requested all the way back in 1 Samuel chapter 8. They're not going to like this king. He's going to be called the Antichrist. He's going to sit on the throne claiming to be God. And right in the middle of the seven-year tribulation he will be literally indwelt by Satan, their king, the man that they chose, the Antichrist will be literally indwelt by Satan and Israel you have it coming. And in my opinion the church has it coming but we will not. The church deserves to go into the seven-year tribulation but we will not. The so-called preachers in our society the day deserved to face the unackpriced by their lying, lying words that they preach about the gospel. I'm at a person yesterday at a flea market and we're talking about going to Florida and I said, I can't go. I'm a pastor of the church. I just wanted to get that in. I wanted to break out that that's the reason I did it. I said, I'd love to go to Florida every winter. I hate winter time but I'm a pastor of the church and I can't go. Well that started the conversation and the lady said, oh really what church and I told She said, well, would you be interested? We're having something in Pangeville called the convoy of hope or some stupid thing. And I said, I'll tell you what, I might get involved if I could just do one thing, come down and talk to those stupid preachers you got involved. Boyard, look on her face, which is… I said, I hate these preachers of preach of false gospel. If I come down and offer my services, that's all I'm going to do is talk to those preachers. And I might just do it and I said you know we got it and then she said something about habitat for humanity and I said oh yeah yeah you mean Jimmy Carter that jackass and then that really set it off. I said that guy's a complete absolute idiot he's no more a Christian than a dead rock and he hates everybody and before long I got some wound up I said well I'll see you talk you later I got pretty wound up. But anyway, I don't know what my point was, I just thought I'd bring the whole thing out. But the whole world, one of these days because of false religion, false doctrine, hates and rejects the Lord Jesus Christ, one of these days because everyone rejects the cross, rejects the gospel, rejects the Bible, rejects Jesus Christ, rejects all of that. One of of these days God is going to judge this world. He's going to judge Israel for seven terrible violent years and if you're a safe born against Christian you don't have to worry about it. You should but you won't. I should go into the seven year tribulation. I should be persecuted. I should be punished. I should be whipped beaten but I won't. God's going to me out of here because it's called the Age of Grace. I don't deserve it. But you know there's going to be a lot of people left behind to face the Antichrist who think they're Christians today. They think they're Christians because they had an emotional experience. I know God because I had an experience. God is not an experience. It's not an experience. God is faith in his finished work. on the cross. It's not an emotional experience. It's not flashing lights. It's none of those things. God is simply the Lord Jesus Christ and you have eternal life by simple faith in His finished work. Verse two and then we'll close with this. This is the final reason I'm going to give for God's judgment of on the nations. Well, there's one more reason. I will also verse two, John, Joel, chapter three, gather all nations and we'll bring them down into the Valley of Gehosa fat. And we'll judge my people there, plead with, judge, should be judge my people and we'll judge them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land. Now think about that. Let me ask you a question. If you thought about that, who is it that has parted Israel's land? All the nations. All the nations. Particularly the Arabian nations. But all the nations. What's that? They're trying to take that land away from the Jews now. Yeah well that won't happen, but they're trying. And so God is going to judge the nations during the seven-year tribulation. He's going to judge Israel, he's going to give them the king, they requested all the way back then, he's going to judge the rest of the nations, and he is also going to judge false religion. Do you know God hates false religion? Do you know what false religion is? Do you know what God calls it? Babylon. Babylon is false religion. I'm going to explain a couple of things briefly and then I'll close. Do you know what Egypt is a type of? False religion of bondage. Egypt is bondage, that's the word. Egypt is bondage to the world. Bondage, I lost, when I'm lost without Christ, I'm in Egypt. Bondage to the world. False religion is bondage. False religion is bondage. Those people don't know that. And then when I put my faith in Christ, I go across the Red Sea. The Red Sea is a type of mixing the Word of God, water, with the blood of Christ, the Red Sea, and then when I get across the Red Sea, that's the Word of God. I'm saved. God puts me into a place called the testing ground. It's called the wilderness. And he puts me in the testing ground to see if I will serve him. And if I do, then he takes me across the river Jordan, which is a type of getting into the Word of God, and he puts me in the Promised Land, Kanan, if I serve him. If I don't, I'll wander in the wilderness the rest of my life. But if I serve him, and for some reason I fall again into false religion, he puts me into place called Babylon, which is bondage to false religion. You follow me now. You follow me. Do you need to get all that? Babylon is being in bondage to false religion. But you know what God told Israel? In Acts chapter 7, God said, I will take you beyond Babylon. Wow. You see, for a Christian to get saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then to get into some false religion after that, and say, well, I need to do some good work to keep saved. And if I say, and I'm not saved, and all this garbage, God calls that Babylon because that's not faith. That's not faith in Christ, that's false religion. And when I go beyond that, that is really, really sad for a Christian. Right now today, Israel is beyond Babylon. There's no remedy for the nation of Israel until after the seven year tribulation. And you know what? Most Christians are in the same place Israel is today. All you have to do is watch a TV preacher. Now why take me up a book the other day I'm going to relate this to you then I'll close by Chuck Swendoll. Now I've got a couple of his books and they're not bad. But I opened up the cover and in the cover he said some quotations are from the NIV and then he said other quotations are from the NIV, the New English version. Some quotations are from the New King James. quotations are from the living Bible. You know what I did with that book? I don't want that book in my library. How in the world can you translate different verses from all these different Bibles that don't agree that were translated by not trans-denominational preachers, 100 preachers who don't agree and you're going to interpret verses in your book from at least six different Bibles. Why don't you pick out one Bible that you believe in, and you trust and use that Bible? Make that money. Yeah, money. It's good. Pick it up and the answer is lost. Pick it up and the answer is you want. That's right. And there's another money. The first we read the church today, the first same as the sons were close to the judge of Israel. They gave themselves up the money and bribe. Yep, money and bribe. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing what a person will do for fame, fortune, glory, money, and pervert the word of God? I don't know about you. I just soon stay a poor preacher. You can't serve two masters. You have to serve God or money. You can't serve both. Yep. I know a couple of preachers that don't have any money and don't want any money. They rather serve the Lord Jesus Christ and let him pay them whatever he thinks they're worth. That's fine with me. I don't know about you. In closing we have to do this. We do it every Sunday. What we don't have to but we do anyway. God says this represents me. I'm a sinner. My sin. I can go to hell and pay for it. God will allow me to do that. He'll honor that. Or God said Christ died on the cross was buried and rose again. That's the gospel. All you have to do is believe it. You have eternal life. If Israel would have done that two thousand years ago, they would be in their kingdom today, but they didn't. Most Christians today call themselves Christians. They claim to believe that, but they really don't. Well, yeah, but you have to do something. It's not that easy. Oh, yes, it is. If you had anything that that simple message Christ died with buried and rose again to the forgiveness of sin all you have to do is believe if you get anything to that it's called Babylon. Babylon, along with the rest of the world, would be judged during a seven-year tribulation. I'm glad I'm not gonna be. I don't know about you. Let's have word of verbal close. Dear Lord, we thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ. He paid for our sins on the cross. Was rose again for the forgiveness of sin. And all we have to do is believe it, just believe it, plus nothing. You don't have to repent that would be a works, and a works just never works. You don't have to do anything, just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, dear Lord, give us the ability to keep it that simple. faith serve the Lord Jesus Christ. In His name we pray a man.