Good morning, kind friends and brethren present, ministers from here, from Guatemala, and the rest of the nations in Latin America, North America, the Caribbean, and other nations as well; and especially the church in Puerto Rico, The Great Tent Cathedral, and the pastor, Minister José Benjamín Pérez there in Puerto Rico. Congratulations for the work you’re carrying out there in Puerto Rico, the construction of The Great Tent Cathedral.
Sunday is a very special day for human beings; it is the day that commemorates the resurrection of Christ, which was on a Sunday. And on Sundays, Christians back then gathered with the apostle. And when the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected —on a Sunday— He gathered with them; and then He appeared to them every Sunday for a period of time of about forty days;[1] let’s say, He would appear to His disciples every Sunday of the week during those forty days. And then we find that the Day of Pentecost was also on a Sunday.
In other words, Christianity has enough of a reason to gather on Sundays to worship God in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to hear His Word, and to ask God for His blessings upon their family and their neighbor.
The only hope for the human being is Jesus Christ, and the only hope that the human race has is the Second Coming of Christ at this end time.
Christianity has already been waiting for the Second Coming of Christ for about two thousand years. But why has it seemingly taken so long? If He had come in His Second Coming during the days of the apostles, we wouldn’t be here worshipping God and believing in Christ. It’s because during this time period of about two thousand years, God has been on the Throne of Intercession in Heaven, as the High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek, making intercession for every person written in Heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
They are the ones who would form the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, from stage to stage, from age to age, and we have been given to live at this time and to know the reason for our existence here on Earth.
We are on Earth to come in contact with Eternal Life through Christ our Savior, so that He may give us Eternal Life. That is the human being’s purpose.
Christ rightly stated: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you.”[2] And He also said: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His Angels, and then He shall reward every man according to his works.” Saint Matthew, chapter 16.
And now, it’s important for us to know why we exist, why we’ve come to this Earth without us asking to be here. Therefore, the Divine Hand has brought us to this Earth. We have come from a different dimension: from God’s dimension, to live on this Earth to serve Christ and enter into the Program of Redemption to seal our eternal destiny with Christ in His eternal Kingdom.
Let’s read in Saint Luke, chapter 21, verse 25 and on. It says:
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
May God bless our souls with His Word and allow us to understand It.
“IDENTIFYING THE END OF TIME.”
It’s important to know which time we are living in. Anyone may say: “The day in which we are living is Sunday, July 10, 2016,” that’s according to the Gregorian calendar, but according to God’s calendar, based on that calendar, we want to know what day it is in the Divine Program; because this Earth and all its inhabitants are subject to God’s calendar.
Therefore, Christ, on one occasion when the Pharisees and Sadducees approached Him to tempt Him, notice what took place there. Chapter 16 of Saint Matthew, verse 1 and on, says:
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”
Human beings look at the sky and see that it’s cloudy, and they say: “It’s going to rain.” And whoever doesn’t recognize the sign of rain, leaves without taking his raincoat or his umbrella, and gets wet; but whoever sees the sign that it’s going to rain, prepares himself, because he knows what the sign of rain is, because there can be no rain without clouds; clouds are full of water to pour rain out upon the Earth.
And this is what Christ speaks about here; He compares the signs of the weather ―the physical things― with the signs of the time of God, the time of the Divine Program, in which God has promised to carry out certain things.
During the time of Jesus, the promise was the Coming of the Messiah as the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist introduced Him when he said: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”[3] Just like in Egypt God commanded Moses that each father of a household should take a lamb and sacrifice it on the day of Passover, and apply the blood on the door, on the lintel and the doorposts of the home – of their homes, to preserve the lives of the firstborn, and the paschal lamb.[4]
Saint Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 5, verse 7: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
Just as the lives of the Hebrew firstborn in Egypt were spared: they didn’t die when death came upon the firstborn in Egypt; yet the firstborn Egyptians, including the son of the king, of the Pharaoh, died;[5] they didn’t know the sign of the time for the preservation of the life of the firstborn.
And that Lamb represents Christ, who is our Passover, which was sacrificed for us on Calvary’s Cross to preserve life, so that we may preserve our lives throughout eternity. Therefore, without Christ and His Sacrifice, no one can preserve his life for eternity.
Christ Himself says that he who believes in Him has Everlasting Life, and that He will raise him up at the Last Day. (Saint John, chapter 6, verses 39 and on.)
Now, He speaks to us of a specific Day: the Last Day. Remember that one day before the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.[6] The Last Day is the seventh millennium since Adam. And the human race has already been going into the Last Day, which is the time when Christ will raise up the dead believers in Him, and He will transform the living believers; and therefore, they will have eternal, immortal, glorified bodies like the glorified body that Christ our Savior has.
At the Last Day is when Christ established that He would resurrect all the believers in Him who have physically died.
And Saint Paul, who is knowledgeable of that mystery, in First Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 49 to 58, tells us: “Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (in other words, we won’t all die); but we shall all be changed, at the Last Trump: for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ will resurrect first, and then we who are alive shall be changed.”
There is a Divine Promise for the Last Day, of resurrection, for all the believers in Christ who have died in past ages; and of our time as well, who have departed; and for those who are alive, the promise is that they will be transformed. And they will obtain the physical immortality that we need so much and that will fill us with joy, through which we will all become in the image and likeness of Christ our Savior.
Therefore, we must know which is the Last Day; we already know that it’s the seventh millennium since Adam. “For one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (Second Peter, chapter 3, verse 8.)
And we also know that there will be a Trumpet sounding: that is the Voice of God speaking the Message of Great Voice of Trumpet to His Church at the Last Day, to give them the faith to be transformed and taken with Christ to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, in the rapture or catching away of First Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 49 to 58; and First Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 13 and on. And this will be the redemption of the soul and of the spirit and of the body, and especially, the redemption of the body, to become physically immortal. It is also called the adoption of the sons and daughters of God, according to Romans, chapter 8, verse 14 and on, where it says [verse 16]:
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
The redemption of the body, where those who died, believers in Christ, will resurrect in glorified, young, and eternal bodies, and the believers in Christ who are alive will be transformed; and then we will have physical Eternal Life according to the Divine Program, according to God’s prophetic Word.
Saint Paul also speaks to us about that in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 30, when he says:
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Sealed by the Spirit of God until the Day of (what?) Redemption.
Therefore, it’s important to know that the Day of Redemption will be the day of the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the transformation of those who are alive; which will be in the Second Coming of Christ at the Last Day; for Christ is the One who says that He will do this at the Last Day.
And that is why it is so important to know these Divine Promises, so that we are prepared for our adoption: the redemption of our body, to be able to live in the Kingdom of Christ for the Millennium and for all eternity.
We are in the most glorious time of all times, the time in which the prophets and the apostles desired to live.
Notice, in Saint John, chapter 6, verses 39 and on, it says:
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Christ is the One who says He will resurrect the believers in Him at the Last Day; and Christ’s followers of that time knew this well, because when Christ went to resurrect Lazarus, He had a conversation with one of the sisters of Lazarus there, where it says in Saint John chapter 11, verse… verse 21 and on, of Saint John, chapter 11, it says:
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Since those times, the believers in Christ knew that at the Last Day is when the resurrection of the believers in Christ would take place.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
And now, Martha and also Mary believed that Christ would resurrect the believers in Him at the Last Day; therefore, she knew Lazarus will resurrect at the Last Day, but she didn’t know that at any time Christ can resurrect any believer who departs but whom He wants to remain alive for a while longer.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, therefore He can resurrect anyone whenever He wants; but the resurrection in eternal, immortal, and glorified bodies is at the Last Day, it’s not for a different time. That pertains to the first resurrection. And there was already a resurrection of the believers of the Old Testament when Christ resurrected on Sunday morning. Therefore, Christ is the One who will carry out the resurrection of all the believers in Him; He typified it, represented it, by resurrecting Lazarus from among the dead, when he had already been dead for four days.
It doesn’t matter how much time passes since a believer in Christ departs, it doesn’t matter if years go by, Christ will resurrect them at the Last Day; and we already know that the Last Day is the seventh millennium from Adam to now.
Therefore, Christ is the human being’s only hope for Eternal Life, and He is the only way to reach God. He said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father, but by Me.” (Saint John, chapter 14, verse 6.)
Therefore, the only hope for the human being is the Second Coming of Christ, for the resurrection of the dead believers in Him and the transformation of those who are alive on this Earth, to obtain physical immortality and go with Christ to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven; which will last three and a half years; which corresponds to the time of the great tribulation for the human race here on Earth, while mankind will be going through the great tribulation, which is the second part of the seventieth week of the prophecy of Daniel, chapter 9.
Because the first part of that seventieth week was already fulfilled by Christ during His earthly ministry of three and a half years; and three and a half years are left of that week, which is the end of time of the seventy weeks of Daniel, and therefore, it is the end of time for the Gentile kingdom.[7]
We are very close to the adoption, to the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the transformation of the believers in Christ who are alive. We are seeing the signs in the sky, in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, in the sea, the volcanoes as well, earthquakes, tsunamis, tidal waves, wars; all these signs which Christ Himself said would be manifested at the end time. Therefore, Christ said that when we saw these things, we should understand that the Kingdom of God is near.
The Kingdom of God will be established or restored on Earth.
And which is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is Kingdom of David that will be restored on Earth, and the Throne of David, upon which the Prince Messiah will sit on to rule over the Hebrew people and over all the nations. Therefore, the kingdom of the Gentiles, which has been going through different stages, is currently in the stage of feet of iron and clay, and that is why at this time we can see the situation that countries are in.
Therefore, we have the signs that we are at the time for the fulfillment of the Coming of the Lord, to resurrect the dead believers in Him and transform those who are alive, and take them with Him to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Christ said that the people of that time didn’t see, didn’t understand, didn’t know the signs of the times.
When a person goes to another city, he must take the road or path that will take him to that place, and for that there are also signs he needs to see and follow in order to reach that place. And it’s the same way in order to reach the Divine Program relevant to our time: there are signs which Christ indicated would take place, and we already see them manifested on Earth. Therefore, Christ said that when we see these things taking place, know that summer is near,[8] the Kingdom of God is near.
The Kingdom of David will be restored, as Ezekiel, chapter 37, says, and as Ezekiel, chapter 34, says.
And the Kingdom and Throne of David will be restored, and the kingdom of the Gentiles will removed, it will be broken to pieces (as it says in Daniel, chapter 2), with the Coming of the Stone cut out without hands, which will smite the image, the Gentile kingdom, in the feet of iron and clay; and the Kingdom of God will be established on Earth.
The capital will be Jerusalem, the Federal District will be the territory of Israel; and from there, the Prince Messiah, the Son of David, will rule over the human race. And that will be the Kingdom of God, according to Isaiah, chapter 9, which will bring peace for and among human beings.
People seek peace, but there are always problems, there are wars in different places; for Christ said that we would have wars and rumors of wars.[9]
True everlasting peace will come in the Kingdom of the Prince Messiah, because He is the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Peace of Isaiah, chapter 9; and He is the only One who can bring peace to all of mankind. Just as He brings it to the soul, He will bring it to the nations.
That is why in the Kingdom of the Messiah, war weapons will be turned into work tools,[10] for agriculture and for other work in favor of the human family; and which won’t contaminate the environment nor contaminate the human being. It will be a Kingdom of peace, of happiness, for all those who have received Christ as their Savior.
We are at the time in which the signs of the times, the signs of the Messianic times, are being seen in all the nations. Therefore, it is important to be IDENTIFYING THE END OF TIME through the signs that Christ said would be seen on Earth, in the time before going into the end of time; meaning, the three and a half years of the prophecy of Daniel, chapter 9, which are the last three and a half years of the seventy weeks of Daniel and of the seventieth week; because Christ already fulfilled the first three and half years of the seventieth week.
Each week consists of seven prophetic years; and now, Israel still needs three and a half years of God dealing with Israel or for God to deal with Israel; that is why He will turn to Israel to fulfill those three and a half years left of the seventieth week.
And that is when the Hebrew people will be awakened to the reality that there is a Sacrifice of Atonement for sin; and they will be converted to God, and God will deal with the Hebrew people again. But until then, He is dealing with the people of the New Covenant, which is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ; that is why Christ said: “This is the Blood (My Blood) of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Saint Matthew, chapter 26, verses 26 to 29.)
And now, there is a New Covenant, which God spoke about in Ezekiel and in Jeremiah as well, and in Isaiah. Therefore, it is a great blessing, a great privilege, to be in the New Covenant, because that means (for the person) that he belongs to the people of the New Covenant, that he has been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, and that he has promises of Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God.
Later on, the Hebrew people will understand. In the meantime, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, has been in the midst of His Church since the Day of Pentecost, making the call to every person written in Heaven, in the Lamb’s Book of Life, calling them into the Fold of the Lord.
May God bless you greatly, keep you, and protect you; and we will see each other eternally in the Kingdom of Christ our Savior.
The subject of our Bible study was:
“IDENTIFYING THE END OF TIME.”
[1] Acts 1:3
[2] Matthew 6:33
[3] John 1:29
[4] Exodus 12:1-28
[5] Exodus 12:29-30
[6] Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8
[7] Daniel 9:24-27
[8] Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:28, Luke 21:30
[9] Matthew 24:6
[10] Isaiah 2:4