The Glenn Beck Program - September 21, 2024


Ep 228 ｜ Max Lucado’s End Times Survival Guide ｜ The Glenn Beck Podcast


Episode Stats

Length

1 hour and 10 minutes

Words per Minute

147.20532

Word Count

10,403

Sentence Count

776

Misogynist Sentences

1

Hate Speech Sentences

30


Summary

Four out of ten Americans believe we are living in the end times. Is there something extra unique about our time that warrants the extra attention being paid to ancient prophecies? My next guest describes the days that we live in as the fourth quarter. If he s right, how do we prepare? What happens next?


Transcript

00:00:00.980 And now, a Blaze Media Podcast.
00:00:04.640 Four out of ten Americans believe we are living in the end times.
00:00:09.100 Is their belief justified? I'm one of those four.
00:00:13.400 Is there something extra unique about our time that warrants the extra attention being paid to ancient prophecies?
00:00:21.240 My next guest describes the days that we live in as the fourth quarter.
00:00:26.400 If he's right, how do we prepare? What happens next?
00:00:33.840 To answer these questions, I brought in one of my dear friends,
00:00:38.380 the kindest, gentlest man I could find to guide us through the end of the world
00:00:42.740 with love, truth, and maybe even something to look forward to.
00:00:47.940 Welcome best-selling author and pastor, Max Lucado.
00:00:56.400 Max, as always, good to have you. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
00:01:11.800 Glenn, it's a great honor, and I hold you in such high regard.
00:01:15.860 Thanks for letting me be a part of this special conversation.
00:01:19.780 Yeah. Now, you are known as being a very positive guy, very happy.
00:01:27.520 I don't think you have really talked in depth about end of days,
00:01:35.840 and you just wrote a book on what's next, and it's all about end of days.
00:01:43.020 You're right. I have never tackled this topic, but I have in the last two or three years for two big reasons.
00:01:56.380 Number one, I'm getting old, and so I know that there's a lot more sand in the bottom of my hourglass than on the top.
00:02:02.760 And, Glenn, I'm just genuinely curious about what's about to happen.
00:02:07.160 I'm about to turn 70. I'm in good health, Lord willing.
00:02:10.500 I have a lot of years left, but I know the clock is ticking, and I just want to know.
00:02:16.400 I just want to know, and I'm so excited about what I'm discovering.
00:02:20.780 And then number two, not only am I curious about the future, I'm really concerned about the present.
00:02:26.700 These are really severe times in which we find ourselves.
00:02:30.520 We've got conflicts, almost too many to count, but major conflicts involving Israel,
00:02:37.320 and that's really a key point for those of us who interpret the present through the Scripture.
00:02:45.320 But then also we've got massive, a pandemic of anxiety and concern and just a sense of division and unsettledness.
00:02:54.620 Now, I know we've seen that all through history,
00:02:56.700 and I know that people will quickly say, yeah, that's just been a part of time.
00:03:01.300 And yet, I hope we'll have the opportunity to discuss that there are certain things about this particular era in history
00:03:07.460 that cause a person to perk up and look up and have hope.
00:03:12.380 But I'm still optimistic. I'm still highly optimistic.
00:03:15.800 Right. So, I think, Max, you and I are coming from the same time, by the way.
00:03:21.060 Read your book. It's really fabulous.
00:03:24.360 I think we come from exactly the same place, which is, I hope this isn't the time.
00:03:33.940 I don't want to go through what we have to go through,
00:03:36.700 and I don't want my kids to go through it,
00:03:40.580 but it actually kind of gives me some hope because there's more certainty.
00:03:47.240 You know what I mean?
00:03:48.580 There's a clock. There's more certainty.
00:03:51.760 And in the end, maybe we get to see Christ here, not just up there.
00:03:58.340 Absolutely.
00:03:59.460 In the book, I unpack what I call heaven's timeline,
00:04:02.580 and I do not like the idea of living with a worldview that says there is no timeline,
00:04:09.060 there's nobody in charge, no sovereign hand directing the flow of history.
00:04:14.060 And while we cannot know every detail about the future,
00:04:17.660 and while Scripture is very careful to instruct us that nobody knows the day that Christ will come,
00:04:23.280 we are given specific seasons and signs.
00:04:27.660 We pay attention to those seasons.
00:04:29.680 We pay attention to those signs.
00:04:32.920 And like you, Glenn, I find assurance in the fact that we have a heavenly Father who has promised
00:04:39.960 to guide us through the timeline of history
00:04:43.240 and also promised to establish an age in which everything will be set right.
00:04:49.920 Everything will be set right.
00:04:51.460 I do think we have to be careful.
00:04:54.160 Some people claim like they know even more than Christ does,
00:04:58.000 but we can know what we can know and find hope in that.
00:05:01.740 Yeah, it always puzzles me.
00:05:04.340 You know, I know nobody's going to know the date and the time.
00:05:07.140 However, maybe the generation that goes through it might know the general area on when it's coming,
00:05:17.860 because why would he give us so many signs to look for?
00:05:23.460 You know?
00:05:24.440 You may not know the date, but you're going to know the general movement, are you not?
00:05:29.340 Absolutely.
00:05:29.820 Absolutely.
00:05:31.460 And it seems to me that the most profound prophecy in all of the Bible,
00:05:37.300 except for the one that Jesus would, he himself, be raised from the dead,
00:05:42.560 is that promise that God would regather the children of Israel to their homeland.
00:05:48.060 And that happened in May 1948.
00:05:50.820 And so I find myself agreeing with those scholars who say,
00:05:56.100 you know, a page of prophetic history turned in May of 1948,
00:06:01.280 because several of the prophecies have to,
00:06:06.500 Israel has to be returned to its homeland in order for those prophecies to be fulfilled.
00:06:12.520 And there are multiple prophecies in the Old Testament
00:06:15.480 that say that God will regather his people to their homeland.
00:06:19.980 Now, I can imagine for nearly 2,000 years,
00:06:23.700 serious students of the Bible would read those prophecies and say,
00:06:27.260 well, that could never happen.
00:06:29.140 But then it did happen.
00:06:30.540 It did happen.
00:06:31.560 And so now that that has happened,
00:06:34.280 that to me signals that we're in a unique season,
00:06:38.480 an era that should cause us to keep our eyes up,
00:06:42.660 our Bibles open, our hearts open,
00:06:45.160 and our hope open.
00:06:46.940 So it's going to get crazy before the end,
00:06:50.060 but we're getting close to the end.
00:06:52.400 So what are the signs that you say we should be looking for,
00:06:58.360 or the ones that you say,
00:07:01.520 I think this one, this one, and this one are happening right now?
00:07:06.280 Yeah, well, the one we just mentioned is absolutely essential.
00:07:11.740 It's often called the super sign,
00:07:14.080 and that is the regathering of the children of Israel to the land of Israel.
00:07:19.340 It's the only nation that has ever been banished from its homeland for nearly 2,000 years,
00:07:25.740 and then restored or regathered to its homeland.
00:07:30.040 And this prophecy is found multiple times in the Bible.
00:07:35.500 Specifically, I'm looking here in my notes from Ezekiel,
00:07:40.420 650 years before Christ, God said to the Israelites,
00:07:45.340 I will take you from the nations,
00:07:47.120 and I will gather you from all the lands,
00:07:49.880 and I will bring you into your own land.
00:07:52.200 And then here's a prophecy, 740 years before Christ,
00:07:57.320 he will raise up a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel.
00:08:02.700 He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.
00:08:09.120 That's through Isaiah.
00:08:11.140 Now, May 14, 1948, saw that page turn in the calendar of prophetic history,
00:08:18.720 and circumstances changed.
00:08:20.500 It's still happening.
00:08:22.900 People are still, the gathering of Israel is still happening at a greater pace than any other time.
00:08:29.600 More than ever.
00:08:30.660 You're absolutely right.
00:08:32.300 In fact, I read from the Jerusalem Post, it's been about several months,
00:08:36.960 a quote that said that more people are returning to Israel now than in the history of Israel.
00:08:44.740 And then you overlay that with prophecies from the Old Testament that in the end days,
00:08:50.080 Israel, now a regathered nation, would be surrounded, encircled by its enemies.
00:08:57.120 And that's a part of the news every day, how Israel is increasingly encircled by enemies.
00:09:03.380 In fact, I think it was the head of Hezbollah or Hamas that said,
00:09:08.260 our encirclement of Israel is almost complete in the last few weeks.
00:09:14.240 That was their exact language.
00:09:16.320 My goodness.
00:09:17.900 I didn't see that.
00:09:19.260 But it's enough to cause us to really pay attention.
00:09:23.720 Right.
00:09:25.600 So the gathering happens.
00:09:29.480 We know that wars and rumors of war, and boy, oh boy, are we on the, we're in the rumor
00:09:36.440 of war right now, but could we not see a war of biblical proportions, biblical proportions?
00:09:45.560 It could happen in a heartbeat, Glenn.
00:09:48.040 I don't know what else we would need to convince us.
00:09:52.360 All we're waiting on is somebody to press the wrong red button on the wrong side of the border.
00:09:59.340 And things are going to go sideways really, really quickly.
00:10:03.520 And that's why I think it's so important for us to be looking at this, not just from a geopolitical
00:10:08.600 viewpoint, but a spiritual point, as the Bible gives us this timeline to help us understand
00:10:15.580 how to interpret these difficult times in which we find ourselves.
00:10:19.420 So you start with the biblical covenants.
00:10:25.960 So why don't we go over there?
00:10:27.540 Because you do a great job of covering all the covenants and why they matter.
00:10:31.060 Can you share the basic rundown?
00:10:33.580 I can.
00:10:34.500 Thank you again, Glenn, because most, many people, we have interviews and they have no clue what
00:10:39.600 a covenant is.
00:10:40.520 I think those covenants are so essential, primarily because God governs history through covenants.
00:10:48.360 He governs history through covenants.
00:10:51.180 And he made a covenant with Adam and Eve.
00:10:54.080 Now, Adam and Eve did not keep that covenant, but that does not mean God has broken it.
00:10:58.960 The fancy term for this is the Edenic covenant or the Garden of Eden covenant, in which God
00:11:05.900 promised that Adam and Eve and all their children would reign and rule with him in a perfect
00:11:11.280 paradise, in perfected bodies, in perfect relationships with each other and with him.
00:11:16.860 And so that's a promise God has made.
00:11:19.740 Now, the fact that Adam and Eve did not keep it does not mean God has abandoned it.
00:11:24.640 That's why the book of Genesis is really the most prophetic book in the Bible.
00:11:28.880 It gives us a picture of our end.
00:11:31.020 God knows the end from the beginning.
00:11:33.000 So if you want to know the end, go to the beginning.
00:11:35.680 That's promise covenant number one.
00:11:37.940 Covenant number two is given to Abram.
00:11:39.920 Later, his name changed to Abraham.
00:11:41.920 And it's a covenant that includes seed and soil.
00:11:46.680 He would bless the seed of Abraham.
00:11:49.800 And boy, did he ever.
00:11:51.160 Thanks to the seed of Abraham.
00:11:53.020 We have the Bible.
00:11:54.220 We have Jesus.
00:11:55.880 We have the church.
00:11:57.120 We have faith.
00:11:58.720 And so he blessed the seed and he'll continue to do so.
00:12:02.580 And then soil.
00:12:03.900 That's what we're talking about now.
00:12:05.820 He gave a chunk of land.
00:12:08.400 It's the only country to whom God has ever given land.
00:12:11.880 He gave soil to Israel.
00:12:14.360 And then there's a promise God made to David.
00:12:17.280 Wait, wait, wait.
00:12:18.200 Before we leave.
00:12:19.040 Hold on just a second.
00:12:20.620 Before we leave Abraham.
00:12:22.920 That one is unique, is it not?
00:12:25.220 Because that is unilateral.
00:12:27.880 That's God getting up and going, you know this Abram guy.
00:12:31.600 I really like him.
00:12:33.280 I'm going to do this.
00:12:34.320 So there's no performance on that.
00:12:37.000 Because usually you've got to hold up your side with God.
00:12:41.920 Right?
00:12:42.080 Boy, are you nailing it, Glenn.
00:12:43.900 Absolutely.
00:12:44.380 In fact, the story of God confirming this, ratifying this covenant by this peculiar practice
00:12:52.720 that existed back in the day of slicing an animal in half and walking between that animal,
00:12:59.180 that was a way of saying, I will keep this promise.
00:13:02.420 And if I don't, may what has happened to this animal happen to me.
00:13:06.100 Now, Abram did not walk through the animal.
00:13:09.840 Only God did.
00:13:11.640 The flaming torch and the smoking pot.
00:13:13.640 It's a beautiful story.
00:13:15.380 And so God has made a unilateral covenant with Israel that he will keep this.
00:13:20.800 I may not get it.
00:13:22.160 I may not like it.
00:13:24.500 But it's there.
00:13:25.500 And I believe in the end of the end days, and what we call the tribulation, that Israel
00:13:32.120 will have a specific role.
00:13:34.080 They'll be their finest hour.
00:13:35.740 But God will keep that covenant.
00:13:38.100 Okay.
00:13:38.740 So now the David covenant.
00:13:40.940 The Davidic covenant God made to David, and that is a descendant of his, would sit on David's
00:13:48.300 throne in Jerusalem and reign over Israel.
00:13:52.800 And the angel Gabriel referred to this covenant when he told Mary that she would give birth to
00:14:01.220 the Messiah.
00:14:01.980 So we know exactly that this covenant will be fulfilled at some point through Jesus.
00:14:09.160 He will sit in Jerusalem, I believe a physical Jerusalem, and reign over the earth.
00:14:15.000 I believe that'll be fulfilled.
00:14:16.540 And what we see on the timeline is that that reign of Christ.
00:14:21.680 And then there's lastly, a covenant with the children of Israel made two times, one through
00:14:27.140 Jeremiah, one through Ezekiel, that the children of Israel, the Jews themselves, would experience
00:14:32.960 a spiritual revival, a revival in which would be so great they wouldn't even have to say
00:14:39.320 to one another, hey, you need to know the Lord, for all shall know me, God says.
00:14:44.440 And so that's in the bank as well.
00:14:47.340 All of these, as you pointed out, are unilateral covenants that God has made, and he is guiding
00:14:53.220 history according to these covenants.
00:14:55.780 So is the last one, do you think, fulfilled?
00:14:59.540 No, sir.
00:15:00.260 I don't think so, but I think it will be.
00:15:03.560 Forever, as a believer, as a Christian, I would read that covenant and say, oh, God fulfilled
00:15:08.560 that in me.
00:15:09.800 But then as a closer reading of those covenants, God is speaking to the Jewish people.
00:15:16.260 And so there is a Jewish revival.
00:15:18.520 I believe it will be a return to Christ in the last of the last days during the time of the
00:15:25.120 tribulation.
00:15:26.880 Okay.
00:15:28.020 So people who don't know tribulation, don't know about the rapture, et cetera, et cetera,
00:15:33.460 let's get there.
00:15:34.680 But tell me what we are to look for as signs before we get there.
00:15:41.740 Yeah.
00:15:42.220 Before we get there, and by the way, many people don't understand this language that
00:15:47.340 we're using today.
00:15:48.500 And that's why I wrote this book.
00:15:50.700 I'm hoping it's an end times 101.
00:15:53.400 If somebody wants just an overview of these important seasons, this might be a go-to book
00:16:01.320 for you, the signs that will come.
00:16:04.020 Now that the super sign has happened, in the end times after the super sign or after Israel
00:16:11.320 is restored to its land, there will be, according to Jesus, deception.
00:16:16.100 There will be economic turmoil.
00:16:19.780 There will be seismic activity.
00:16:22.840 There will be persecution of Christians.
00:16:25.600 More Christians right now are being martyred or persecuted for their faith at any time of
00:16:30.700 history.
00:16:31.620 There will be complete political conflict.
00:16:35.320 There will be famines, pestilences, pandemics, ethnic conflicts, false prophets, fearful signs,
00:16:42.400 wars and rumors of wars.
00:16:43.780 Now that's a collection of the teachings of Jesus in what's called the Olivet Discourse
00:16:50.440 or the Sermon He Gave Right Before His Crucifixion, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
00:16:57.700 When you compile all of those signs, it sounds like the daily news.
00:17:02.760 Yeah, I was going to say, it's also a combination of everything I read in the paper today.
00:17:07.760 Yes, sir.
00:17:08.280 But haven't we had, except for the super sign, haven't we had those same signs before?
00:17:15.320 I mean, I can't imagine fighting the Nazis not thinking, that guy's the Antichrist.
00:17:20.780 Absolutely.
00:17:21.620 And I think that is a very, very valid point.
00:17:24.680 We have seen these signs since Jesus first gave the sermon.
00:17:28.160 That's why to go back to the super sign makes us say, okay, so we have truly entered into
00:17:35.680 a season of turbulence.
00:17:38.420 Now, Jesus did say that in the end times, all these signs are the beginning of labor pains.
00:17:46.180 I've never had a labor pain, but I've watched my wife.
00:17:49.120 I've watched them.
00:17:51.980 Labor pains come with increasing intensity and frequency.
00:17:57.520 And so, according to this prophecy, beginning in May 1948, we should see increasing frequency
00:18:04.200 and intensity of these signs as we get closer and closer to the end.
00:18:09.720 I do not know the day.
00:18:10.980 I do not know the hour.
00:18:12.200 But I do think all of these signs are increasing in intensity and frequency.
00:18:17.040 We've never seen Israel surrounded and threatened in such a fashion like this as a nation.
00:18:23.940 It's unlike anything we've ever seen.
00:18:26.400 And I know people will want to dismiss it, but I'm thinking we've got to be very careful
00:18:30.340 and pay close attention to what's happening.
00:18:33.220 Yeah, we've also, we haven't seen this kind of evil.
00:18:39.360 You know, when the darkness is so strong, when the shadows are so strong, it's only because
00:18:46.360 the light is getting brighter.
00:18:50.460 And it's very, very dark, what's going on in humanity.
00:18:55.840 And it's really old pagan rituals from the Bible.
00:19:00.980 The sacrifice of our children.
00:19:03.080 I mean, it's bad.
00:19:04.420 It's bad.
00:19:05.580 And the questions we're wrestling with, Glenn.
00:19:07.740 I mean, our children are wrestling with gender issues that I never, never even crossed my mind.
00:19:14.540 The question of what bathroom, what pronoun to use.
00:19:18.360 These are things that were unthinkable just a couple of decades ago.
00:19:23.700 And it's almost like the speed of immorality is increasing.
00:19:29.120 And the consequence of this is devastating.
00:19:32.960 Did you know that 22% of teenagers in 2021 literally considered orchestrating their own departures, committing suicide?
00:19:44.500 22%.
00:19:45.100 That's, if you see 10 teenagers, that means two out of 10 gave serious thought to just, you know, cashing out.
00:19:53.320 These are tragic times in which we live.
00:19:55.700 And I cannot help but think that a large reason is that people don't know what's about to happen.
00:20:02.920 They feel like all of life is what's on a YouTube or what's on their social media page,
00:20:07.840 as opposed to the great and exciting future that God has in store for everybody who would call out to him.
00:20:16.060 You know, I think Satan has been trying to win for a very long time.
00:20:21.620 And every time he thinks he's going to win, he's, he's thwarted it, but it always starts with the killing of the, of the Jews.
00:20:29.900 Um, you know, we look at the things and we think this is so unique with this transgender stuff.
00:20:37.000 It was happening in ancient times, but it also, uh, is the reason why people in Germany started burning books.
00:20:45.760 And this is a real important point, especially for Christians.
00:20:50.320 And I would love your comment on it.
00:20:52.300 Back in 1925, the first transgender surgery happened in the Weimar Republic in Berlin.
00:20:58.760 And they started a sexology, uh, university and it was all about transgenderism.
00:21:06.240 It was about, uh, gay, lesbian, all of this stuff.
00:21:11.100 And, uh, you know, the Weimar Republic was very hedonistic and it started to embrace some of this stuff and it was being taught in the schools.
00:21:20.040 The Christians were so concerned and didn't know what to do.
00:21:24.900 So they reached out to some of the Nazis when, as they were just starting to form, they knew they would get the books burned.
00:21:36.060 And so they encouraged them to go into the university to burn, to stop this from being taught to their children.
00:21:44.500 What they didn't know is they gave them an opening and I'm, I'm so concerned about, we don't know history.
00:21:53.100 We don't know what time we're living in.
00:21:55.240 And I'm, I'm very concerned that, uh, Christians may not follow Christ in, uh, these times.
00:22:06.480 They will want to swing back.
00:22:08.900 They will want to fight.
00:22:10.740 And I'm not sure the Lord, if these are indeed the times, we only elongate because it's innocent blood that has to be shed.
00:22:21.960 Correct?
00:22:23.640 Yes, sir.
00:22:24.280 Does that make sense to you?
00:22:25.620 Yeah, no, that makes perfect sense.
00:22:27.800 And I think the way you're describing it is absolutely accurate.
00:22:31.280 The transgender question is one that goes right at the, uh, core of whether we trust a good God in the way that he made us.
00:22:41.720 Did God know what he was doing when he gave us the gender that he gave us?
00:22:47.800 And if I, at my heart, at my core say, well, no, he didn't, then everything's up for grabs.
00:22:55.540 But if I say, you know, I believe in a good God and the narrative, the worldview I have of life says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and he made them male and female, that I'm going to trust him.
00:23:09.120 I'm going to trust him.
00:23:10.280 And I'm going to acknowledge that what he did was right.
00:23:13.520 So we're getting right at the core of whether we, uh, believe that there is a good God, a sovereign God or not.
00:23:21.920 And the consequence is the narrative that we have about ourselves.
00:23:27.160 You know, the narrative is what we say to ourselves and the way we see ourselves.
00:23:31.480 And if we see ourselves as mistakes or accidents or, uh, just, uh, you know, surprising appearance of flotsam in the universe, no purpose, no plan.
00:23:42.160 Well, then we're going to, uh, have, have, have a narrative that's so negative about ourselves that no wonder anxiety is off the charts.
00:23:51.360 But if I can have the narrative, embrace the biblical worldview narrative that says there is a good God, the world is in trouble, but he's still in control and he's going to set everything right.
00:24:03.300 And that he loves me.
00:24:04.680 He knows me.
00:24:05.380 He's coming for me.
00:24:06.820 Well, that's it.
00:24:07.440 That's a game changer.
00:24:08.480 That turns the light off, right.
00:24:10.280 In the way I live and the way I treat other people.
00:24:15.420 More with Max Lucado in just a second.
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00:25:12.940 Can you talk about the prophecy of Daniel?
00:25:19.500 It talks about 490 years.
00:25:23.340 Can you break that down and explain why God stopped the clock at 483?
00:25:30.420 Boy, that is a great question.
00:25:35.020 And I'm going to cheat.
00:25:36.660 I'm going to make sure that I have my manuscript open here because the book of Daniel is the backbone of Bible prophecy.
00:25:46.880 And understanding what God said through the angel Gabriel to Daniel, as recorded in Daniel chapter 9, is really important.
00:25:57.820 He gives three promises.
00:25:59.640 First of all, that a Messiah is on the way.
00:26:03.320 That's in Daniel chapter 9 and verse 25.
00:26:06.980 He alludes to a period of time, an appointed leader who will come at the end of a total of 483 years.
00:26:17.080 These 483 years begin with the construction of Jerusalem during the days of Nehemiah.
00:26:24.340 So you flip your calendar, 483 years from the beginning of the construction of the temple in the days of Nehemiah.
00:26:33.620 And you landed the very day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.
00:26:39.760 It's one of the most compelling prophecies in all of the Bible.
00:26:44.680 But seven years remain because Gabriel told Daniel that he's going to, at the end of 483 years, I'm sorry, at the end of a total of 483 years, that there will be an antichrist or an evil person.
00:27:05.140 A tough time is coming, according to Daniel chapter 9 and verse 27.
00:27:10.780 This is an important prophecy because it alludes for the very first time to a period of seven years, as well as an antichrist or an evil person.
00:27:23.280 The events that have happened described in verse 29 have not happened.
00:27:28.280 We have yet to see a moment in which sacrifices to the temple are disallowed.
00:27:33.640 There is no temple currently.
00:27:35.400 And we've yet to see a seven years that will fulfill these final 490 years.
00:27:42.560 But I believe those days are coming.
00:27:45.140 And I believe those days that seven years will happen at the end of history.
00:27:50.440 It's something that's about to happen.
00:27:52.260 It's called the tribulation.
00:27:54.140 Was I confusing enough in trying to do that?
00:27:57.140 No, I thought it was.
00:27:58.080 No, I think it was.
00:27:58.880 I think it was great.
00:27:59.960 Now, on the tribulation, Max, some people believe it.
00:28:04.620 Some people don't.
00:28:05.440 I personally don't.
00:28:06.460 But I so want to, because that means you're not going through it.
00:28:12.120 I so want to believe.
00:28:14.500 So convince me.
00:28:16.800 Well, can I zoom out for just a second?
00:28:21.820 Yes.
00:28:22.280 And get to the tribulation kind of through the back door.
00:28:25.340 To me, the big question is, will there really be a thousand-year reign of Christ?
00:28:32.200 One of the most disputed and discussed passages in all of the Bible is in Revelation chapter 20.
00:28:38.460 And this is the one in which the seer or the prophet John six times describes and alludes to a thousand-year period of peace and prosperity.
00:28:52.080 Now, some people read that and say, oh, that's just metaphorical.
00:28:57.200 That's symbolic of a time that we're in right now.
00:29:01.060 Now, others of us have come to believe, no, that's a literal time in which God will actually fulfill that covenant that he set up in the Garden of Eden, a perfect paradise, perfect people in perfect relationship.
00:29:15.620 Now, I've come to believe that that is a literal promise.
00:29:19.460 I believe, number one, because of the promises.
00:29:22.260 Number two, because Satan said, I'm sorry, John says that Satan will be overthrown.
00:29:27.700 He's not overthrown right now.
00:29:29.200 I believe in the word-for-word interpretation.
00:29:32.280 There's a thousand years referred to six times.
00:29:34.760 I believe those six times.
00:29:36.520 Curiously, the early church fathers for the first 300 years of the church believed in a literal millennium.
00:29:43.500 And then lastly, there are two resurrections referred to in Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 6.
00:29:50.280 One of those who died during the tribulation and one of the evil people who, at the end of the thousand years, will be resurrected to be judged.
00:29:59.200 So, if you put a real thousand-year reign on your timeline, then you back away from that and something happens that sets up that thousand-year reign.
00:30:09.200 And that's the prior chapters in the book of Revelation, chapters 4 through 19.
00:30:16.700 And that is describing what I think is the darkest day in all of human history.
00:30:22.060 It's a time in which the Holy Spirit will lift the church, having raptured the church, off the presence of the earth, and the earth will feel the full effect of judgment.
00:30:34.820 And society will fall into a time of chaos, moral chaos, economic chaos.
00:30:42.380 The culture, the climate, everything will just spin out of control.
00:30:51.140 And the reason for that chaos is because of the rapture.
00:30:54.920 The church has been raptured.
00:30:56.520 Believers are gone.
00:30:57.740 And what happens to a world when millions, maybe billions, of tax-pearing, paying, God-fearing, hard-working people suddenly disappear?
00:31:08.580 Well, the consequence will be that chaos.
00:31:10.680 And that will open the door for some ruler, what the Bible calls or who the Bible calls the Antichrist, to step up onto the world stage to negotiate that seven-year peace treaty referred to in the book of Daniel.
00:31:25.160 Now, midway through, he will break the treaty, he'll demand to be worshipped, and then things will spiral even further out of control.
00:31:34.020 So this is a time in which a person does not want to be on planet Earth.
00:31:38.580 As I point out in the book, you don't have to be.
00:31:41.380 You don't have to be.
00:31:42.560 When a person is a person of faith, God will rescue them.
00:31:46.720 He will come for them, and he will rapture them from the earth before that time of tribulation happens.
00:31:55.160 So what should we, how should we prepare?
00:31:58.560 I have some friends that believe deeply in the rapture, and I feel, I worry about it a little bit.
00:32:09.120 Because they're only preparing spiritually, and this may not be the time, or the rapture may not be true.
00:32:19.040 One of the two could happen, and they're just now just like, I'm just working on my relationship with the Lord.
00:32:27.880 That's good, but it may not be this time.
00:32:33.100 So how does somebody prepare, not just spiritually, but do you prepare?
00:32:39.600 Are you prepared for this not being the time, Max?
00:32:42.160 I think that that is a key and a core question.
00:32:47.720 Number one, I think nobody has it all figured out.
00:32:51.500 I have my best thinking hat on.
00:32:54.640 I've done my hardest work.
00:32:56.120 I've studied.
00:32:56.800 I've come to this conclusion.
00:32:58.320 But I could be missing it.
00:33:00.480 I could.
00:33:01.080 Because I've got a limited three-pound brain, and it has not the capacity that I need to understand all the questions.
00:33:10.620 So, yes, I am prepared, if need be, to go through the tribulation.
00:33:17.360 Or not even the tribulation, but not even.
00:33:19.580 I'm a bit of a prepper.
00:33:21.400 I've even got some food stored.
00:33:23.320 I've got some gold coins stored.
00:33:25.300 If it happens, I'm very confident God is going to get me through it.
00:33:29.740 I'm very optimistic that I'll be raptured before it happens.
00:33:33.980 Now, those of us who, regardless of your interpretation of the timeline, the sequence of events, those of us who believe in Christ, we need to be living with hope and compassion.
00:33:46.460 Hope, because we know that the greatest days lie ahead, and these brief and momentary struggles are not worth comparing with the glory that far outweighs them all.
00:33:56.800 And then compassion.
00:33:58.440 Compassion on the world.
00:33:59.420 No wonder the world stinks.
00:34:01.040 No wonder people are in such turmoil.
00:34:03.300 They don't know what we know.
00:34:05.200 They need to have hope.
00:34:06.460 We need to be as generous as we can, as benevolent as we can, give as much life and love and hope and encouragement as we can.
00:34:14.920 And this is the time for us to be the best Christ followers and hope givers that we can possibly be.
00:34:21.440 I tell you, I have a hard time with compassion at times.
00:34:29.480 I always come back to it.
00:34:31.700 But I know a lot of people who are like, you're crazy.
00:34:34.760 You can't have compassion.
00:34:36.400 They're my brothers and sisters.
00:34:37.740 And I know if God is my father, and he's your father as well, and everybody's father, I can't imagine my kids coming home and I say, where's your sister and your other brother?
00:34:52.860 They were just too far gone, Dad.
00:34:54.920 We just left them.
00:34:56.320 I would be a little upset.
00:34:57.620 But I want all of my children.
00:35:01.040 And if they choose not to in the end, but we have to show compassion all the way up to the end.
00:35:09.220 Do we not?
00:35:10.620 We have to.
00:35:11.900 And Christ within us will do so.
00:35:15.380 That's our assignment.
00:35:16.520 It's not my assignment to pick fights or to argue or to get in endless wrestling matches with people about things that are going to pass so quickly.
00:35:29.160 What matters so much is that I love people just the way God loves people.
00:35:34.240 And that is he loves them to the very, very end.
00:35:37.620 And I'm praying that we can do better at that.
00:35:40.160 So the tribulation is because a lot of people would say, if you don't really know the tribulation, some people would say, well, we're already in it, buddy, because these are bad times.
00:35:52.140 What are the signs that the tribulation is beginning?
00:35:55.040 Because it's a very specific clock, is it not?
00:35:59.400 Once we hit the tribulations, it's seven years, period.
00:36:02.880 At some point, again, my best understanding is at some point after the rapture, and the rapture could occur at any moment.
00:36:12.940 It could occur at any moment.
00:36:14.240 We're not waiting on any other events for that.
00:36:17.580 At that moment, when the church is lifted from the earth, then I believe Satan, who does not know when the rapture will take place,
00:36:29.080 we'll see that as his cue with the sheep gone, he will step in to attack what remains of the people on the planet.
00:36:38.900 And he will embody the Antichrist, just like he embodied Judas just prior to the crucifixion.
00:36:46.300 He entered Judas.
00:36:48.220 And so Satan will enter the body of the Antichrist.
00:36:51.540 Every generation has had a candidate to be the Antichrist, since Satan does not know when the rapture will take place.
00:36:59.720 He's just waiting on God's timetable.
00:37:02.760 And then at some point, and I do not know how long after the rapture the tribulation will begin,
00:37:09.020 but it seems to me it won't be long.
00:37:11.740 I mean, the world will be in freefall.
00:37:14.220 There will be such chaos on the planet as a result of the sudden disappearance, the vanishing of so many people,
00:37:22.820 that it will be a perfect opportunity for the Antichrist to step up onto the world stage.
00:37:29.520 But, you know, Glenn, even during that time of tribulation, during this darkest time on earth,
00:37:35.440 the book of Revelation has the most interesting teaching,
00:37:38.640 and that is 144,000 Jews who are sealed by Christ.
00:37:46.860 They are sealed by Christ.
00:37:48.420 This I find so fascinating.
00:37:50.840 So there will be, during the time of tribulation, 12,000 Jews from each of the 12 tribes of Israel,
00:37:57.500 and they will declare their allegiance to Christ.
00:38:01.240 And this will be yet further fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham
00:38:05.480 that he would bless both the seed and the soil.
00:38:09.420 And these 144,000 Jews, according to Revelation 7, will evangelize.
00:38:15.700 They will go out, and the result will be the greatest revival ever.
00:38:21.080 There will be people from every tongue, every tribe, every nation,
00:38:24.660 and they will, at great personal risk, because of the threat of the Antichrist,
00:38:30.500 they will become followers of Christ.
00:38:32.260 Many will be martyred for their faith, but many will survive.
00:38:37.020 So even during those dark, dark times, there will be times of great hope and renewal.
00:38:43.440 And I believe that's the promise of that prophecy that God made through Ezekiel and Jeremiah,
00:38:49.280 that in the end of the end days, there will be a spiritual revival among the Jews.
00:38:55.220 Max, I want to make it really clear.
00:39:00.760 I'm not saying this is the mark of the beast.
00:39:04.000 But what I'm about to say is at least a candidate, I believe, the technology that the beast will use,
00:39:13.220 and that is cryptocurrency of some sort, where you embed the chip either in your hand or on your forehead,
00:39:21.960 which is already happening now in some areas.
00:39:27.480 When do you know it's the mark of the beast,
00:39:30.040 or do you just never put something in your hand that you can purchase items with?
00:39:34.100 I believe that you're exactly right, Glenn.
00:39:37.880 I believe that the cryptocurrency or some type of embedded chip would be something if a person happened to be around during the tribulation.
00:39:49.200 And by the way, it could very well be that if those of us who believe in the rapture are correct,
00:39:54.920 those are people who will someday pull this message and other messages from the past and listen to them again.
00:40:02.320 And they'll say, now, what were they talking about then?
00:40:04.740 Because I think it's happening.
00:40:06.100 And my urgent message to you then, if you're listening to this message someday in the future is,
00:40:12.200 put your trust in Christ and whatever the Antichrist or whatever this evil world leader tells you to do,
00:40:18.880 do just the opposite, even at risk of life and limb.
00:40:23.140 And one of those things might be to put some type of device under your skin,
00:40:29.360 because that is what they are telling you is necessary in order for you to buy and sell.
00:40:36.640 Another major concern, I don't quite understand how AI can be anything short of a powerful tool used during the,
00:40:48.880 tribulation.
00:40:51.200 I mean, even my book that we're talking about today, somebody took,
00:40:54.960 I just got an email this morning that somebody has created an AI counterfeit version of the book.
00:41:02.680 And it's, I believe, illegal.
00:41:05.660 I don't believe it's appropriate.
00:41:07.180 I believe it's certainly unethical.
00:41:08.700 But that's the kind of stuff that AI can do.
00:41:12.220 And this is all happening so fast, I can hardly keep up with it.
00:41:15.840 Oh, I know.
00:41:17.320 And it's just begun between, if AI were around, you know,
00:41:23.460 IBM doesn't get enough credit for the Holocaust that they deserve.
00:41:28.720 They were the ones with the punch card system that knew exactly where the Jews lived,
00:41:34.200 and they could round them up in one night.
00:41:36.380 But with AI, it is, it's way beyond, way beyond that.
00:41:42.700 They can now really, without us even knowing,
00:41:47.140 change what we think is our free will.
00:41:52.940 They can convince you to make decisions that you wouldn't have made if it wasn't for
00:41:59.720 the manipulation of your world and your information.
00:42:05.200 Earlier in the program, you and I discussed that prophecy of Jesus,
00:42:09.140 that in the end times, it will be like the beginning of birth pains.
00:42:13.560 Again, signs coming with increasing intensity and frequency.
00:42:18.120 Who could have imagined 100 years ago what a Bitcoin was or what AI was?
00:42:23.200 10 years ago, most of us were not even conversant on these topics,
00:42:28.000 and some of us still feel like we're catching up.
00:42:30.720 But it's all moving so quickly.
00:42:33.200 Now, I need to be very, very careful, though, Glenn.
00:42:35.740 It's never my desire to stir fear.
00:42:38.900 In fact, I believe the Lord tells us what's about to happen,
00:42:42.200 not so we'll be scared, but just so we'll be prepared.
00:42:45.560 Be prepared.
00:42:46.040 Jesus said, during times when you see these signs, lift up your eyes,
00:42:51.800 for your redemption is near.
00:42:54.420 Your redemption is near.
00:42:55.740 So when we see signs, we don't freak out.
00:42:58.500 We say, oh, he told us this would happen.
00:43:01.500 And so we make sure our heart is right with God.
00:43:04.400 We've given him our eternal destiny,
00:43:06.400 and we do our best to serve our fellow man.
00:43:09.360 And we trust that he will make everything happen
00:43:12.220 in the right time, in the right way.
00:43:14.560 Yeah, I've had a really hard time, Max, with my job,
00:43:20.400 because I feel my job is to warn.
00:43:25.280 And being the guy on the wall warning,
00:43:32.420 that can be construed as instilling fear in people.
00:43:38.520 But it's not.
00:43:39.660 It's not my intent.
00:43:41.200 As I know, fear doesn't come from the Lord, ever.
00:43:47.040 And it's hard to warn and hard to alert
00:43:54.480 when you're looking for the, if you will,
00:43:58.760 the road signs, the exit signs,
00:44:01.400 as we pass them each on the highway.
00:44:03.340 You know, just saying, okay, well,
00:44:06.880 you've got one more exit in front of you,
00:44:08.960 and then no gas for 48 miles or whatever it is.
00:44:14.220 And it's difficult.
00:44:17.360 But I get such great peace out of the signs.
00:44:24.260 Look for the signs.
00:44:25.580 If these things are happening, I am close.
00:44:30.200 Great.
00:44:31.500 Great.
00:44:32.300 It shows, it's, to me, I always found when I was a kid,
00:44:36.860 Book of Revelation, really frightening.
00:44:39.180 But I don't now.
00:44:40.640 I find it giving me hope that he knew all this.
00:44:47.360 This is all part of the plan.
00:44:49.340 We are lucky enough to serve at this time.
00:44:52.820 I mean, how lucky are we?
00:44:54.440 People have been waiting for thousands of years.
00:44:56.800 We're serving at this time.
00:44:59.060 All we have to do is not fear.
00:45:02.060 Do what he tells us to do.
00:45:04.320 And, I mean, we're at the finish line.
00:45:07.020 We're at the finish line.
00:45:08.520 I could not say amen loudly enough
00:45:12.040 to echo what you just said.
00:45:14.740 I believe it just makes all kinds of difference
00:45:17.300 in the lives of people.
00:45:19.600 In the book, I tell kind of a funny story.
00:45:22.160 I served as a missionary back in my college days in Brazil,
00:45:26.300 and I'd never ridden on a subway before.
00:45:29.320 And one of the missionaries gave me an assignment
00:45:31.360 to deliver something to the other side of the city,
00:45:34.100 Sao Paulo, and he gave me a ticket to get on the subway.
00:45:37.680 And, Glenn, when I got on the subway,
00:45:39.240 I didn't know how to read the signs.
00:45:41.840 I didn't know what to do.
00:45:43.360 I knew just enough to pay the token
00:45:45.360 to get on the train, and then off we went.
00:45:48.720 I grew up in a small West Texas town.
00:45:50.740 We had no subways.
00:45:52.700 And I panicked, but I didn't speak the language either.
00:45:57.380 And, gratefully, there was an English-speaking Brazilian
00:46:00.760 who saw the anxiety on my face,
00:46:03.320 and he pointed to that list of that linear line
00:46:07.540 that's at the top of the subway car
00:46:10.020 that points out all the stations.
00:46:12.540 You know what I'm talking about, right?
00:46:13.960 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:14.600 And he said, okay, and he's speaking to me in English.
00:46:17.280 He says, now, here's where you are,
00:46:19.620 and here's what's about to happen.
00:46:21.540 Here's where we'll stop.
00:46:22.620 And he pointed out one stop after the other,
00:46:25.560 and he said, when we reach this one, get off.
00:46:28.740 And all of a sudden, I could relax.
00:46:31.380 Right.
00:46:31.440 And I think that's what end times is all about.
00:46:34.300 We're doing our best to keep our eye on the timeline
00:46:40.200 or the linear line that our Heavenly Father has provided.
00:46:44.680 None of us have it all figured out, but this makes sense.
00:46:47.440 I think I'm going to believe that.
00:46:48.940 What we all know, though, is that God is in control,
00:46:52.540 and it's up to us to be faithful between now and then,
00:46:55.340 and he'll get us off at the right time.
00:46:58.980 Who do you think the two witnesses are
00:47:00.560 that are described in Revelation?
00:47:05.400 Yeah, that's a good one.
00:47:09.580 I think Enoch could be one of them.
00:47:12.500 I think Elijah could be one of them.
00:47:14.520 And those would be part of this evangelistic crusade.
00:47:18.420 Tell people what they do, why they're important.
00:47:21.460 Well, they're important because as they give witness to God
00:47:27.280 in the city of Jerusalem during the time of the tribulation,
00:47:30.740 they are slain.
00:47:32.420 But then they come back to life,
00:47:34.800 and they give testimony to the power of God,
00:47:37.800 even in the middle of these dark, dark days.
00:47:41.400 And so they are a part of the ongoing declaration of the gospel
00:47:45.900 that God gives in the time of the tribulation
00:47:49.220 to those who will listen.
00:47:51.460 What do you say, Max, to people who are Jewish
00:47:55.960 that say,
00:47:58.000 so I'm going to be left behind,
00:48:01.160 and I have to convert to Christianity?
00:48:05.180 Otherwise, what?
00:48:06.700 What do you say?
00:48:09.060 Well, I would say you don't have to.
00:48:11.480 You don't have to.
00:48:13.020 God is ever the gentleman.
00:48:14.460 And he knocks on the door of our hearts.
00:48:18.340 He doesn't pound at the door of our hearts.
00:48:21.480 He invites us.
00:48:23.140 And I would also say that God bless you,
00:48:25.920 because you are a part of a chosen lineage of people
00:48:28.920 that has played such an instrumental role.
00:48:31.760 You've been unfairly persecuted and judged
00:48:34.480 and indeed massacred in ways that most of us cannot imagine.
00:48:39.100 And I would also remind you that the most famous Jew
00:48:42.880 in the history of the world is Jesus Christ.
00:48:46.060 And that when he died on the cross,
00:48:48.400 he died for all of our sins,
00:48:49.900 every single person in all of history.
00:48:53.360 And he authenticated his act of sacrifice
00:48:57.240 by stepping out of the tomb
00:48:59.400 and proving that he indeed is the Son of God.
00:49:04.080 He's the Messiah.
00:49:05.380 He's the Messiah.
00:49:06.600 I believe that with all of my heart.
00:49:08.840 And I would hope and I would pray
00:49:10.820 that you'd say yes to him.
00:49:12.360 Just say yes to him.
00:49:13.900 But if you don't,
00:49:15.200 and you find yourself here
00:49:16.600 during that time of dark and terrible struggle,
00:49:19.700 then you just stay faithful.
00:49:21.200 He who endures to the end,
00:49:22.920 Jesus said, will be saved.
00:49:25.520 Turn your heart toward him.
00:49:26.840 Now, and you won't pass through that time of tribulation.
00:49:31.680 But if you choose not to
00:49:33.320 and find yourself in the time of tribulation,
00:49:35.720 it's not too late.
00:49:37.040 Never too late.
00:49:38.800 Turn your heart toward him.
00:49:40.020 Let him pay the price for every sin
00:49:42.160 that you've ever committed
00:49:43.180 and know that your name will be written
00:49:45.400 in the book of life.
00:49:47.360 You know, Glenn, there's one other final event
00:49:49.160 that we've not mentioned yet.
00:49:50.440 I'll do so in 30 seconds.
00:49:52.560 And that is the break by the throne judgment.
00:49:54.960 At the end of the millennium,
00:49:56.340 which is that time in which God will set everything right,
00:49:59.700 there will be a time of reckoning,
00:50:02.180 a time of reckoning.
00:50:03.560 And the Bible calls this
00:50:04.760 the great white throne judgment.
00:50:07.580 This is not a time in which believers
00:50:09.520 will stand before God to be judged.
00:50:12.760 We are judged not guilty
00:50:14.240 because we put our faith in Christ.
00:50:16.220 But everyone who has rejected God throughout their lives
00:50:20.420 will stand before God
00:50:22.720 because the rule is clear.
00:50:24.900 If you spend your life telling Jesus to leave you alone
00:50:27.640 in the end, he will do just that.
00:50:30.060 And on that day, two books will be open.
00:50:32.680 A book and a set of books will be open.
00:50:35.260 The book is the book of life.
00:50:37.300 And the book of life is where the name is written
00:50:39.420 of every person who is called out to Christ for salvation.
00:50:42.500 And the books, the books are the deeds,
00:50:46.260 the works, the actions of every person.
00:50:49.200 So when God opens the book,
00:50:51.220 if a person's name is not found written in the book of life,
00:50:54.560 then the books are open
00:50:56.180 and all of their deeds will be declared.
00:50:59.360 And no one wants to stand before a holy God
00:51:01.980 expecting to be saved according to their deeds.
00:51:05.020 I don't.
00:51:05.500 I don't because my deeds are enough to convict me.
00:51:09.980 And that's why this message is so urgent.
00:51:12.460 When you say yes to Christ,
00:51:13.880 he writes your name in that book of life
00:51:15.820 because the great white throne judgment
00:51:17.720 is that moment in which those who have dismissed Christ
00:51:21.360 will be dismissed forever from the presence of Christ.
00:51:25.160 The final moments with Max Lucado in just a minute.
00:51:31.340 First, let me tell you about the Berna launcher.
00:51:35.260 The Berna launcher is, I think,
00:51:37.460 one of the best things for self-defense.
00:51:40.400 You know, self-defense can be handled with a gun,
00:51:42.640 but, and I believe in those, I carry a gun.
00:51:46.080 But there are times the Berna launcher is fine
00:51:48.340 because you don't want to have to make that decision.
00:51:51.320 Do I kill them or do I hit them with tear gas?
00:51:54.200 You can stop an attack.
00:51:59.480 You can stop somebody from doing something
00:52:01.640 that they're not supposed to be doing
00:52:03.260 with a Berna launcher at 60 feet.
00:52:06.600 Now, deadly force is needed sometimes,
00:52:12.060 but not always.
00:52:15.500 You use deadly force, you better be right.
00:52:18.940 Incapacitate an attacker for up to 40 minutes
00:52:21.280 with a Berna launcher.
00:52:22.100 Police departments are starting to use it.
00:52:24.420 You can check it on a plane.
00:52:25.600 It's legal in all states.
00:52:26.780 As long as you're over 18, you don't need anything.
00:52:30.400 And you are protected.
00:52:32.020 Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
00:52:34.000 it's Berna, B-Y-R-N-A dot com slash Glenn.
00:52:37.920 Berna dot com slash Glenn.
00:52:39.980 Get a 10% discount now.
00:52:42.620 Berna dot com slash Glenn.
00:52:44.320 Let me talk about another section in your book,
00:52:50.440 why our world is upside down.
00:52:52.760 I wonder, as I watch what's happening in the world,
00:53:01.640 for instance, the Olympics.
00:53:03.780 That was a nightmare opening and closing ceremony.
00:53:08.180 And I think there are those who knew exactly what they were doing.
00:53:13.640 And I feel like we are experiencing people doing ancient rituals,
00:53:23.180 even if they don't know they're doing ancient rituals.
00:53:27.000 You know, the murder of their child, sacrifice.
00:53:31.420 It seems to be all around.
00:53:38.380 And we've gone from a society that chased God out of our schools,
00:53:46.140 out of our town square, chased him out of our life,
00:53:50.200 to a society that is actually, in a way,
00:53:56.180 bringing him back to the town square
00:53:58.840 so we can mock and ridicule him.
00:54:02.740 And God will not be mocked.
00:54:05.840 Is there a way to turn this around?
00:54:10.320 Let me ask you this way.
00:54:14.220 I could find 50 good men in America.
00:54:19.240 Is there a way to turn this judgment that we deserve around?
00:54:28.840 We can't, but God can.
00:54:31.600 God can.
00:54:33.600 I'm holding out hope that there will be a return,
00:54:37.420 that there will be a revival.
00:54:39.200 I agree with you.
00:54:40.480 There is such a mockery of God in the public square.
00:54:44.420 People claim it as a right and inherit inalienable right to destroy pre-born
00:54:54.440 and really build a whole platform upon that one idea.
00:54:59.900 It's deeply, deeply concerning.
00:55:02.620 I'm holding out hope that there will still be a great revival
00:55:08.200 that will call people back to a sense of reverence for God
00:55:12.300 and respect for human life.
00:55:15.140 I do not have a secret sauce to make that happen.
00:55:19.760 And if I did, I would have produced it a long time ago.
00:55:23.380 What does matter is the people of faith do their very best to keep praying,
00:55:29.480 keep seeking.
00:55:30.780 Let's avoid cynicism.
00:55:32.760 Let's don't get bitter.
00:55:34.100 Let's don't give up.
00:55:35.520 Let's trust that the God who has brought about revival in the past,
00:55:39.440 remember, we serve a God who rescued the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.
00:55:45.140 We serve a God who destroyed the worshipers of Baal during the times of Elijah.
00:55:52.560 We serve a God who became a human being and walked on the earth.
00:55:56.760 We serve a God who activated a movement on the day of Pentecost.
00:56:01.300 We serve a great and powerful God of intervention and action.
00:56:05.620 Let's all join our hearts, keep our hopes high,
00:56:09.080 and trust that he can do it again and that he will do it again.
00:56:12.520 I never thought this before until recently,
00:56:18.940 but we have taken all of the blessings of our country.
00:56:26.580 We've turned them upside down.
00:56:29.240 We've become greedy, and we've really sold our souls for things and stuff.
00:56:37.560 Do you think there's a chance, Max, that we might be the great whore of the earth?
00:56:47.980 Hmm.
00:56:49.340 Hmm.
00:56:51.280 Well, we're certainly having a hard time behaving, aren't we,
00:56:55.800 in accordance with the blessings that we have been given.
00:56:59.620 I mean, there are generations upon generations who would love to have the blessings that we have as a people,
00:57:10.820 access to education, medical care, opportunity to study scripture without fear of reproach or martyrdom.
00:57:21.040 There are many cultures all around the world right now who would cherish what I think many of us just take for granted.
00:57:31.260 This is a time, however, in which we can become, again, people of great gratitude and people of deep faith
00:57:37.580 and keep looking up to our Heavenly Father.
00:57:40.400 So I suppose the best thing we can do is repent, just repent and say, Lord, we're sorry.
00:57:46.920 You've called your listeners, you've called society to a time of repentance more than once.
00:57:52.640 And I think that's this posture that we have to take, and that is the promise of scripture.
00:57:58.960 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and repent of their sins,
00:58:04.800 then I will come back and I will heal their land.
00:58:07.960 In that thousand-year reign of Christ, Satan is bound.
00:58:18.760 He has no influence for a thousand years.
00:58:23.700 What are we going to be doing, and what will that be like?
00:58:29.420 I love talking about the millennium.
00:58:32.480 And again, what we're discussing when we say the millennium is a promise in Revelation 20
00:58:37.580 of a thousand years, in which Satan will be bound and Christ will be crowned.
00:58:44.060 Satan will be dismissed.
00:58:46.320 He will have no influence on the earth, and Christ will be crowned.
00:58:50.880 And we, as his children, will reign and rule with him for those thousand years.
00:58:58.360 We were made to reign and rule with Christ.
00:59:00.660 People often forget that in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were set over creation to tend and to care for it.
00:59:09.880 They were not second or below creation.
00:59:13.220 They were placed over creation.
00:59:15.720 We see Adam exercising his rightful role as a co-regent when he named the animals.
00:59:21.680 But Adam and Eve did not continue in their part of the covenant, but God never abandoned his.
00:59:29.460 And for that reason, I think we can be sure that there will be a thousand years of peace and prosperity
00:59:34.500 in which you and I will have a role in which we're reigning and ruling with Christ during that time.
00:59:41.540 One of the great parables of Christ concludes with Jesus saying to a good landowner or to a good steward,
00:59:50.280 well done, good and faithful servant.
00:59:53.800 You've been faithful over a few things.
00:59:56.760 I will now make you ruler over many.
01:00:00.520 I'm not sure exactly what you're going to rule over, Glenn, what I'm going to rule over,
01:00:04.740 but I'm honored at the thought that I will have a part in this thousand-year period in which God will have his garden
01:00:12.740 just as he promised way back as recorded in the earliest chapters of the Bible.
01:00:19.340 I don't know about ruling over, but I want to be the taste tester for the bakeries in that thousand years.
01:00:24.820 What is, when the thief on the cross said, surely you are innocent, will you help me?
01:00:41.840 And Jesus said, today you will be with me in paradise.
01:00:47.600 What's the difference, if there is, between paradise and heaven?
01:00:52.240 Yes, there is a difference.
01:00:53.540 On the timeline, as we lay it out, we've already pointed out that the next major event is the rapture.
01:01:02.400 But what happens if a person dies before the rapture?
01:01:05.640 What if today I take my final breath?
01:01:08.160 What will happen to me?
01:01:09.680 Well, according to the passage you just referred to, when Jesus said to the thief on the cross,
01:01:14.780 today you'll be with me in paradise, we go immediately into paradise.
01:01:20.000 Now, John Wesley famously said that paradise is almost, that he said, paradise is the front porch of heaven.
01:01:29.160 In other words, it's almost heaven, but not quite.
01:01:33.200 Paradise is a place where we enjoy conscious fellowship with the Father, conscious fellowship with one another.
01:01:40.460 And yet we're still separated from our physical bodies.
01:01:44.420 At the rapture, that's when our physical body will be reunited with our spirits.
01:01:51.120 Our bodies will be glorified.
01:01:52.920 They will be healed once and forever.
01:01:54.840 And this, by the way, includes the healing of all those babies who never exited the womb.
01:02:00.380 It includes the healing of all those who did not have the mental capacity to make a decision for or against crimes.
01:02:07.520 It includes the healing of friends of yours and mine who spent all of their life in a wheelchair
01:02:12.360 or unable to operate in a 100% healthy body.
01:02:19.260 That healing is going to happen, but that healing will happen at the rapture.
01:02:25.160 In the meantime, we go to paradise and our spirit is in the presence of Christ.
01:02:30.300 And there we enjoy fellowship with God.
01:02:32.920 We enjoy fellowship with one another.
01:02:35.540 And to some degree, we comprise what the Bible calls a great cloud of witnesses.
01:02:41.320 In other words, there's a great cloud of witnesses rooting us on, cheering us on.
01:02:46.720 I do not believe that we pray to them, but I do believe in some way that they can see us and they're encouraging us.
01:02:54.940 And I find such great hope in this.
01:02:57.980 In the green room at the church where I preach, we have a painting.
01:03:04.140 And it's a painting of a preacher, just a good old-fashioned preacher, standing behind a pulpit, holding an open Bible, wearing a coat and tie.
01:03:12.060 And he's surrounded by preachers who have gone before.
01:03:15.860 Elijah's there.
01:03:16.820 Moses is there.
01:03:17.840 Paul is there.
01:03:18.700 Peter is there.
01:03:19.720 And it's called the great cloud of witnesses.
01:03:22.780 And whenever I'm about to preach, I always look at that painting and I can just almost hear him saying, give them heaven, Max.
01:03:28.660 Go get them, you know.
01:03:29.760 And I take comfort in knowing that our loved ones who have preceded us in death are in that great cloud of witnesses.
01:03:38.040 Their emotions are healed.
01:03:40.080 Their souls are healed.
01:03:41.440 Their hearts are happy.
01:03:42.880 And they're just waiting until that moment in which the new heaven and the new earth will happen.
01:03:49.040 We will all enter that new Jerusalem in our perfected bodies to reign with Christ forever.
01:03:54.700 Let me ask you a kind of an unrelated question, kind of.
01:04:04.300 You and I have known one particular pastor for a very long time.
01:04:10.740 And I think you were probably as surprised as I was when we found out that some things were happening.
01:04:19.740 And now you're the interim pastor there.
01:04:23.000 How do you deal with good people doing really bad things and then having to – I mean, what are you supposed to do with that information, I guess?
01:04:42.160 Yeah.
01:04:44.760 And I find instruction as I open the Bible and read the stories of King David, who did amazing work.
01:04:55.940 Yeah.
01:04:56.660 Led Israel to a time of amazing peace and prosperity.
01:05:00.660 Wrote many of the psalms that we cherish.
01:05:02.920 And yet one of those psalms is Psalm 51, in which he's begging the Lord for a renewed spirit because he's confessed to that horrible sin with Bathsheba.
01:05:13.840 By the way, a sin he kept covered up for well over a year until he was finally confronted.
01:05:20.920 Stories like David.
01:05:22.960 Stories like Peter, who denied Christ.
01:05:25.980 Stories like Paul, who persecuted the church.
01:05:29.060 I mean, Scripture is, how shall we say, littered with the testimonies of men and women who could have done better, should have known better, but they didn't.
01:05:43.320 And yet God used them anyway.
01:05:46.000 Yeah.
01:05:46.600 I'm disappointed when that happens.
01:05:48.560 It's heartbreaking.
01:05:49.460 Yeah.
01:05:49.860 And it's really tough on the church.
01:05:52.520 But it's not new.
01:05:54.220 It's not new.
01:05:54.900 It's, I feel kind of, you know, it bothered me early on, you know, in 2015, when people would look to Trump and say, you know, he's God's anointed or whatever.
01:06:14.600 I don't look at it that way.
01:06:16.220 I look at it as, you know, Martin Luther King was not the first guy they asked to lead that movement.
01:06:24.000 He was just the first to say yes, knowing what could happen to him.
01:06:31.780 And I think that's the same kind of thing with Trump.
01:06:34.320 There's been a lot of people who have stood up and said they would take it.
01:06:39.660 And I think the Lord could have used a man that is much closer to him.
01:06:44.880 But maybe they didn't stand up.
01:06:47.380 And he did.
01:06:50.280 When you.
01:06:51.620 Go ahead.
01:06:52.460 No, I was just going to say in my devotional reading this morning, I was in the book of second Corinthians and the apostle Paul wrote, we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
01:07:05.360 And I couldn't get beyond that.
01:07:07.520 We have a treasure.
01:07:08.860 What is that treasure?
01:07:10.540 Well, the treasure is what we're talking about.
01:07:12.820 That this life is passing quickly.
01:07:14.900 But the greatest life awaits us all.
01:07:17.540 That's a treasure.
01:07:18.620 It's the gospel.
01:07:20.320 But we have it in earthen vessels.
01:07:22.960 Here I am talking to you with COVID.
01:07:26.700 I've got a raw throat.
01:07:29.120 I've got a body that's getting old.
01:07:31.080 I have an earthen vessel.
01:07:32.420 And so God's message through that scripture to me is, even though your earthen vessel is just like a clay pot, I can still get the message out.
01:07:44.440 And so the power lies not so much in the earthen vessel, but in the message itself.
01:07:51.320 And I'm just going to trust that he's going to keep getting that message out through us to have earthen vessels.
01:07:57.240 When you saw the assassination attempt of Donald Trump, and you saw how close that bullet came, and he turned his head.
01:08:07.920 Stunning.
01:08:08.800 It gave a lot of people a lot of hope that maybe God's not done with us.
01:08:14.640 Do miracles like that happen, Max?
01:08:20.480 I think everything is under the sovereign hand of God.
01:08:24.300 And everything is intended to get our attention.
01:08:27.240 Now, we need to be very careful and remember that we exist to make a big deal out of God.
01:08:33.880 God does not exist to make a big deal out of us.
01:08:37.120 And that his ultimate goal is to establish a kingdom with which he's going to reign and rule forever, forever, with those who say yes to him.
01:08:50.120 Now, he may use the United States to accomplish that goal.
01:08:53.980 I believe he has.
01:08:55.420 I believe thanks to the United States, people like me had the opportunity to hear the greatest news in the history of the world.
01:09:03.040 But I do believe that the United States is simply a tool in his hand.
01:09:08.520 He doesn't exist to make a big deal out of our country.
01:09:12.660 He exists to make a big deal out of this promise, this promise.
01:09:16.820 Yes.
01:09:17.040 That he wants every man and woman, every child to say yes to him.
01:09:21.440 And that these brief and momentary days are passing quickly.
01:09:25.940 And I know our fascination right now is on the election.
01:09:30.120 Well, it should be.
01:09:31.140 We should be prayerful and careful.
01:09:33.460 But we need to be even more concerned about serving God and showing our ultimate allegiance to him.
01:09:44.140 I just love you so much, Max.
01:09:46.140 It's always a pleasure to talk to you.
01:09:48.640 Well, I know I stuck my foot in my mouth a few times, so forgive me in advance or in retrospect for what I did.
01:09:56.440 Yeah.
01:09:56.800 I love you too.
01:09:57.580 No, not at all.
01:09:59.080 God bless you, Max.
01:09:59.920 We'll be together in person maybe next time.
01:10:03.620 Yeah, we will.
01:10:04.440 Thank you so much.
01:10:05.900 Thank you, my friend.
01:10:13.100 Just a reminder, I'd love you to rate and subscribe to the podcast and pass this on to a friend so it can be discovered by other people.
01:10:29.920 Bye.
01:10:31.240 Bye.
01:10:32.640 Bye.
01:10:33.100 Bye.
01:10:33.620 Bye.
01:10:33.720 Bye.
01:10:34.240 Bye.
01:10:34.760 Bye.
01:10:35.460 Bye.
01:10:36.440 Bye.
01:10:36.760 Bye.
01:10:37.060 Bye.
01:10:37.920 Bye.
01:10:38.240 Bye.
01:10:38.580 Bye.
01:10:38.760 Bye.
01:10:38.960 Bye.
01:10:39.220 Bye.
01:10:39.340 Bye.
01:10:39.740 Bye.
01:10:39.800 Bye.
01:10:40.180 Bye.