Sign #3: The Rise Of A World Dictator

In the Hofburg Library in Vienna there is a spear believed by some to be the spear that was used to pierce Christ’s side. Now you need to understand in this Library of the Imperial Treasury there are many different rooms. As a matter of fact, my wife and I were there several years ago, and we saw this spear.

When Hitler was a student in Vienna, actually he was a student but also doing some painting along the side. At the age of 20, he lived in Vienna for four years. When he was there, he would go into the Hofburg. He overheard a tour guide say that whoever unlocks the mystery of this spear will rule the world. Hitler said that changed his entire life. He began to study the spear and discovered there are 43 spears that claim to be the one that was used to pierce Christ’s side, but he concluded this one was authentic. According to observers he would stand in front of the spear, inviting its spirit to possess him. A man by the name of Doctor Stein who was a friend of Hitler oftentimes stood beside him, and he said “Adolf Hitler (as he stood there) was filled with ghostly experiences and sometimes engulfed in ectoplasmic light.”

When Hitler left Vienna, of course, he was a runner in World War I. Then after Germany lost World War I, he became a member of the Thule Society, seeking a way to make Germany great again. It was there he was taken to the deepest levels of occult transformation.

Dietrich Eckart, one of his mentors, said regarding Hitler, “Follow Hitler, for he shall dance, but it is I who have written the tune. Because I have introduced him to the powers, I shall have influenced German history more than any other German.”

Of course, you know he became der Führer, and later on Austria was annexed. He was able to go into Vienna, and that night before he slept in the Imperial Hotel—when he was there at the age of 20 to 24 in Vienna, he used to shovel snow to get a little bit of money in the front of the Imperial Hotel. Now he went there as conqueror, as king. That night he went into the Hofburg, took that spear, held it to his bosom, and said it was as if he was holding the world in his hands.

I mention Hitler because I believe he is a kind of prototype of the Antichrist for several reasons. First of all, he began a program of peace and prosperity at a time when the economy was in bad shape. People were willing to work up to 20 hours a day. They were so obsessed with the revival of German nationalism and the greatness of Germany. Hitler used to say, “Peace is all I want. Peace, peace, peace. That’s all that I desire.”

There’s a second reason and that is because he became an enemy of the Jews. His final solution. The intention was, of course, to finally take care of the Jewish question, and to blot out the Jews from Germany, and hopefully the world.

The final reason is because there’s no doubt he was the pawn of the devil. Those who knew him well said his body was but the shell of the spirit that inhabited him. There he was, as the leader of the world, hoping to bring about a thousand-year Reich.

Perhaps some of you know I’ve written a book about Hitler, and I was amazed to see the parallels he always had between himself and Jesus. At the age of 33, that was the age in which he began. Actually I should say at the age of 30 he began his call and his greatness as der Führer, and he made associations in his own speeches between him and Christ. If anything, of course, Antichrist.

The Bible says there is going to be a ruler who is going to arise at the end of time. As you know, this is a series of messages titled, Seven Signs of Christ’s Return. Today we get to message number three, “The Rise of a World-Wide Dictator.”

Many of you might know when we talk about these things there is, of course, a difference of opinion. For example, many of us believe we will not be here when Antichrist actually arises. When some of the events we are reading about today—and we are going to read many scriptural passages today. Some of us think the rapture of the church will already have happened, and we are going to be in heaven, and it is after that period of time that Antichrist arises. It is somewhat after that period of time the seven-year tribulation begins, and then Jesus comes in glory at the end of that time.

There are really two aspects of His coming: a coming for His church, a coming for His saints, and then a return in glory with His saints. Of course, not everybody believes that. There are those who believe the church will go through this period of tribulation. Then there are those who don’t believe there is a specific period of tribulation at all. They look at Antichrist either symbolically or they see Him as the culmination of various nations, and the Scriptural references to Him are otherwise explained.

I am convinced the Bible teaches the rise of Antichrist. I believe there is a man who is going to come from the European Confederacy, as we shall see in just a moment, who eventually is going to receive the worship of the entire world, and what a day that is going to be.

I’m going to tell you how we’re going to proceed. This is going to be very simple. We’re going to talk about the Antichrist’s career. I am going to ask you to turn to passages of Scripture, and we shall read them, and I shall make some comments. In this way we will sketch what he is about to do or will be doing when he appears on the scene, and it will help us hopefully to put all of this into some kind of a perspective.

I invite you to begin with the book of Daniel 7. Daniel has many visions. If you were with us last time you know Daniel talked about the vision Nebuchadnezzar had, and the interpretation of that vision. You remember the head of gold was, of course, Babylon. Then you had Medo-Persia. Then you had Greece. Then you had Rome. Daniel receives now, personally, a similar vision, except more details are added.

In Daniel 7 he talks about four beasts that come out of the sea, and the beasts parallel the figure we spoke about last time. For example, it says in Daniel 7:4, “The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings.” Daniel 7:5, there was a second beast which looked like a bear. Daniel 7:6, “After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard.” Daniel 7:7–9, “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. ‘As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.’”

What you have here is the coming of Jesus Christ establishing His kingdom. One of the questions you might ask is, “Why is it you go into the book of Daniel, and why is it you go into the book of Revelation, and you read all these passages as prophecy?” Well, the answer, my friend, is the context in which they are given is the context of the return of Jesus Christ. It’s during the days, you see, when this little horn. You remember in Daniel’s vision there were ten toes. Now we have similar truth conveyed but it happens to be ten horns. It is during that period of time the Ancient of Days comes and establishes His kingdom. That’s why we know this is prophetic and it has not yet happened.

Daniel is very troubled by this experience. In fact, he says in Daniel 7:19–22, “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High.”

Daniel says, “I’m trying to figure this out.” If you’re a new Christian, or if you’ve been a Christian for many, many years and prophecy is very difficult for you, as it is for all of us, myself included, we too would like to know more. We say, “God, teach us more.”

So, God comes and gives Daniel an interpretation in Daniel 7:23. This is the deal now, “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth (this is Rome, as we learned last time) which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time (That’s two-and-a-half years, or I should say three-and-a-half years). But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

This is a reference to the fact that Antichrist is going to subdue three of those ten kings we talked about last time and that are represented here. So, the first stage of Antichrist is this, as we look very briefly at his career.

Number one, he will emerge from a ten-nation confederacy. He will emerge from the ten-nation confederacy, which I believe is going to be the revived Roman Empire, and he will emerge speaking words of peace. He’ll be a peace candidate. We know this because in the next chapter Daniel predicts Antiochus Epiphanes’ coming, and Antiochus prefigures Antichrist as well, and it says, “Through peace he shall destroy many.” Or another translation says, “While people are at ease, he will destroy them.” He’s going to be a peace candidate.

I believe Antichrist is going to sign a covenant with Israel that will be a peace covenant. Israel is weary with war. It is tired of the battles and its hassles. So you can imagine a tremendous power developing in Europe, and a man arising who is beginning to have authority over all of the other kingdoms and the countries of Europe, and he is the one who can guarantee the security of Israel. He can guarantee the fact that if there is war, this European union will stick up with Israel and finally impose some kind of a peace on the Middle East which has been so wracked by war and terrorism throughout these many, many decades.

He’s going to begin with peace. I can’t imagine he’s going to begin talking about war. So the doves of peace will fly. The whole idea will be now there is going to be a union, we can finally come together and we can solve our problems. That’s step number one. He emerges from the ten-nation confederacy speaking words of peace.

The second step in his career is he will become an enemy of the Jews. Take your Bibles now and turn to Daniel 9. You understand once again we cannot go into the context and discuss every single verse, but in Daniel 9:27 (NIV), it talks about the covenant he makes: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’” Some Bibles say for a week because in Hebrew the word “week” is seven. It really means for seven years. “In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” I take it by that time you will have a temple in Jerusalem, and sacrifices will be offered, and he will be there, and he will come and proclaim himself to be God—Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. [Continuing in Daniel 9:27], “And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

What is that abomination that causes desolation? I believe it is the image he puts up there, expecting all of the Jews now to bow down and to worship this image. To break the first commandment with himself being declared to be God. So he’s going to turn against the Jews.

In the book of Revelation, it talks about the fact that unless God were to hide Israel in the desert, symbolically speaking, all of the Jews would be destroyed. Because the same hatred Hitler had, the same desire to exterminate the Jewish people, as has existed from time to time throughout the last seasons of history, will finally be culminated in a man who hates the Jews and desires their destruction. He will become an enemy of the Jews.

Thirdly, he will begin worldwide worship. For this take your Bible now and turn to Revelation 13. I believe God gave to John a vision that again recapitulates some of the same information Daniel received. But here we have an interesting story, an interesting vision, as to how the Antichrist is going to do his work. It says John saw a beast coming out of the sea and essentially this beast has similarities to Daniel’s beast. In fact, the animals are even the same. Even though they are in a different order because Daniel is looking at them as future, and it’s as if John is looking at them in the past.

But you’ll notice it says he in Revelation 13:2, “Its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.” I need to pause here and say a few things.

It has always been the devil’s intention to duplicate the work of Jesus, to mimic God. Of course, you know when Lucifer fell, he fell because he said, “I will be like the Most High.” Well, in what sense can he be like the Most High? Not in the sense he is omnipotent and omnipresent. He knows he cannot be like God in that regard, but he said, “I want to be like God in this, that I will be independent and make my own rules.” But, of course, the universe cannot handle two gods. What the devil would like to do is to duplicate the religion that is found in the Scriptures. In so duplicating it so he can dupe people to believe he is the true God, he is the one who is supposed to be worshipped. That’s the agenda.

Now think this through. If that’s what the devil wants to do, it only makes sense he would have a trinity just like there is the Trinity God has—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What you find in Revelation 13 now is a trinity as well. Let’s look at the text. Let’s find the three personalities that try to take over at the end of time.

I already read it there a moment ago in Revelation 13:2, the last part of the verse [says] the dragon gave the beast his power. There’s two of them. The dragon is the devil. He is the one who is also worshipped here, as we shall see in a moment. He gives power to the beast. The beast is Antichrist. You’ll notice it says in Revelation 13:3, “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed.”

I don’t think it’s supposition to suggest what’s really happening here is Antichrist would like to duplicate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it appears as if he’s been killed. In fact, later on it talks about the wound that was made with the sword. It looks as if he’s dead, and lo and behold, the whole world wanders after this, and is concerned about it, and is astonished because this person who appeared to be dead is raised again.

You’ll notice it says, [Revelation 13:3–4] “The whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’” They worshipped both the Father, as it were the dragon, which is Satan, and they worshipped the Antichrist, who stands in the place of Jesus. They worship both of them just like we worship God the Father, and we worship God the Son. In the very same way people worship this unholy trinity.

Notice in Revelation 13:5–8, “And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” Awesome.

The worship during that period of time is so important, that’s why the next message I preach is going to be simply on end time religion, and the kind of religion that will operate during period of time. It’s too important to simply deal with in passing. But I want you to notice the authority of the beast is absolutely overwhelming, and all worship him. Now I believe there will be saints during the Tribulation period because they will be converted sovereignly by God. The everlasting gospel will be preached and so forth. That’s why you have saints that appear here, even though many of us think we ourselves are going to be snatched away and already in heaven. But I want you to notice the authority he has. Men and women throughout the whole world worshipping him. Finally, at last, the religions of the world will be unified except there are some—God’s people—who do not worship the beast. As a result of that, as we shall see in a moment, they are in terrible, terrible difficulty.

We’ve talked about the dragon who corresponds to God the Father. We’ve spoken about the beast, the Antichrist, who corresponds to Christ. Who then is the one who corresponds to the Holy Spirit? Well, he’s mentioned here in Revelation 13:11. He is the one who later on is called the false prophet. You’ll notice it says in Revelation 13:11–12, “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast.”

Let’s pause here for a moment and remind ourselves the responsibility of the Holy Spirit is to point to Christ. Jesus said, regarding the Holy Spirit, “He will not speak of Himself, but He shall speak of me.” Notice how this beast now does not want to attract any personal attention, but he causes other people to worship the first beast, and he does miracles to prove it.

You’ll notice it says that he is able. Revelation 13:12–14, “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.” That’s maybe the Abomination of Desolation when there is an image set up there next to the temple, as Daniel said, and Jewish people are supposed to bow down and worship that image. They are to worship the beast.

Notice it says, [Revelation 13:15] “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.” Does that mean Satan has the ability to give life? I don’t think so. It could be that this is some kind of fakery, trickery, where he takes an image and actually appears to give the image life. That is proof everyone should worship the image, and to worship the beast that the image represents, and if not, they are put to death.

Well, thank you for hanging in. We’ve been quoting a lot of Scripture, or I should say, reading a lot of Scripture. Antichrist is going to set up a worldwide religion, and most will follow it.

Let me give you stage number four in his career. He will maintain economic controls. Notice, we’re just continuing to read at Revelation 13:16–17, “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Oh boy, is Revelation 13:18 ever true, “This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

Of course, you know, there’s been a lot of speculation as to how Antichrist will control the world and control economics because if you control economics, you control the world. Hitler personally was terribly exasperated that he could not control people more than he could. He was bothered by the fact that there were people even within his empire who were not bowing to him and who were not following his orders. There was really nothing he could do because the people personally and privately in their hearts, you see, were able to stand against him, even if they didn’t do so publicly. This bothered him to think—when you are a control freak, when you are so demonized, it troubles you to know there are subjects within your realm who are not under your authority.

Of course, as I mentioned last time, Newsweek Magazine had an article which I quoted. In which they said experiments are being done where you can have chips, biochips, that are actually in your hand or on your forehead. In this way scanners will enable you to do business, and maybe, it says, even a cashless society would be best. All we would have is electronic money. Whether or not the beast is going to do it that way, all we know is technology today is in a place that has never happened before in history where it would be possible to control people economically. If you control them economically, you control their fate, at least in this world.

What happened to those who do not submit? What about those who say, “No, I would rather not buy anything if it means allegiance to the beast.” Look at Revelation 14:9–12, “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.’ Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” So, what’s going to happen is those who follow the beast may win in this life, but they most assuredly are going to lose in the life to come. He will maintain strict economic controls.

Number five, and I think this is the best part, he will end in the lake of fire. Take your Bible, and you’re already in the book of Revelation, and turn just a few more pages to Revelation 19. In Revelation 19, Jesus Christ comes to earth. We’ll be reading the first part of the chapter when we talk about his return in another message. But notice in Revelation 19:19–21, this is how it all ends, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” It’s a terrible, ugly scene.

But notice now. You’re in chapter 19. Look at Revelation 20:10, “The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

I hope this very quick tour of Antichrist’s career has been somewhat helpful, but what I’d like to do now is to make some summary lessons we can apply and recognize in our own lives based on what we’ve said.

Number one, the first lesson is a lesson on submission. My dear friend, if there’s anything Antichrist teaches us, no matter what view we may hold of him. If there is anything that is clear, it is this. No will pitted against God is able to stand. Nobody who takes on God will ever win. Notice where the beast and the false prophet and the devil end up. I need to remind you of that.

I talked to a person one time who was so angry at God because of suffering that he, and his family, and his relatives had endured that he said, “If there is a God, and if I have to stand before Him, and if I will be judged by Him, I will spit in His face.”

You know there are three different responses we can have to God and His mysterious ways in the world. One is atheism. It’s a terrible response. Atheism creates far more problems than it ever solves, and no one is really an atheist. It is impossible to hold that point of view rationally.

So, atheism is one possibility. The other is anger. You can say, “If that’s the way God is I want nothing to do with Him because look at the way in which He is running His world. I don’t like what God is doing in my life.”

There’s a third response and that is awe. To say, “O Lord, in light of the fact that you are so great. In light of the fact that I am so small, and you are God and I am simply a created being. O Father, I yield to you in every area of my life that you bring to my attention, because I recognize my will standing against you will never succeed, and that your way is best.” What a lesson there is to teach us. The first one is the lesson of submission.

Let me give you a second lesson. The second lesson is the power of the economy. Notice how the Antichrist controls his subjects. They have to take his name. By the way, we do not know what 666 represents. There have been all kinds of suggestions. Maybe it just means the number of a man, one less than seven, which is the perfect number. But what does seem to be clear is the mark of the beast has to be taken on the hand or the forehead. If you want to go to Dominick’s and buy a loaf of bread, you will not be able to do it unless you take the mark of the beast, which is symbolic of the fact that you are on his team, and you are worshipping him. That’s the way it’s going to be set up.

My dear friend, I want you to know something. Once you begin to tangle with the economy, you have people who are going to be obedient. A few years ago, there was a presidential candidate whose slogan was, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Now that is bad statesmanship, but it is excellent politics. It is always the economy. Whether it’s a law-breaking president in America, or whether it is the rise of Antichrist in Europe, it will always be the economy.

Listen to the words of William Shirer in his monumental book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. He says this. “It would be misleading to give the impression that the persecution of Protestants and Catholics by the Nazi state tore the German people asunder, or even greatly aroused the vast majority of them. It did not. A people who had so lightly given up their political and cultural and economic freedoms were not, except for a relatively few people, going to die or even risk imprisonment to preserve freedom of worship. What really aroused the Germans in the thirties were the glittering successes of Hitler in providing jobs, creating prosperity, restoring Germany’s military might, and moving from one triumph to another in his foreign policy. Not many Germans lost much sleep over the arrest of a few thousand pastors and priests, or the quarreling of the various Protestant sects. And even fewer paused to reflect that under the leadership of Rosenberg, Bormann, and Himmler, who were backed by Hitler, the Nazi regime intended eventually to destroy Christianity in Germany, and to substitute the old paganism of the early tribal Germanic gods and the new paganism of the Nazi extremists.”

As Bormann, one of the men closest to Hitler, said publicly in 1941, “National socialism and Christianity are irreconcilable.” So, under pressure of economics, needing to live, excited about jobs, Mein Kampf was put on the altar of churches as a substitute for the Scriptures. Swastikas adorned the German churches because they said, “That’s the only thing we need to do in order to live.”

I want to tell you today whenever people are hungry, they will always act as if their souls are of less importance than their bodies. They will take care of their bodies. They will say, “I will live, and if I need to compromise and if I need to worship the beast in order to live, I shall do so.”

It’s very easy for us to be critical of the church in Nazi Germany. After doing some studying on the topic, I have concluded I’m not sure we would do any better. Because, you see, we too want to live. We, too, want to have our Christianity, but we too want to hang onto that which is very dear to us. And sometimes we are willing to compromise because of it.

You know there are students in our universities and colleges today who love Jesus Christ, but who will not witness in any way, shape, or form because they don’t want to rock the boat. They want to make sure they get their degree. Then there are Christian nurses, who perhaps participate in abortions because they say to themselves, “If I do not, why indeed I may lose my job.”  So, you have compromises being made in the workplace, compromises being made at every level of society on the part of Christians because we say to ourselves, “I need to compromise in order to get to where I’m going.”

I just have to ask you this question as I ask myself. If we are so easily willing to compromise when our lives are not at stake, would we really have taken the side of righteousness when our lives were at stake and the possibility of being thrown into a concentration camp was a real live possibility? That’s an important question to ask. The economy will always determine where people are at because people say, “Let us be fed well. Let us have our nests. Let us be willing to surrender whatever needs to be surrendered because a person has to live.”

You and I know the whole history of the church is based on the premise throughout history that people don’t have to live. There were people who gave their lives for Jesus Christ saying, “There’s something more important than living, and that is following the Lord Jesus Christ.”

There’s a lesson about submission. There’s a lesson about the economy. There’s also a lesson about preparedness. Now we don’t know when Jesus Christ is going to return. We cannot be in any way dogmatic as to how God is going to exactly wrap up history. There’s always been those dangers of making predictions that have not come true, and we try to avoid that. But at the same time the Bible is very clear that in an hour when we think not, the Son of Man is going to come.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells an interesting story that relates to the time of Christ’s coming, but it has application to us today. He says the nation of Israel is like ten virgins. He says five of them had oil in their lamps and the other five did not. So, the rumor was that the bridegroom was coming. Those who did not have oil said, “Would you give us some oil so we can be ready for the bridegroom?” And the five who were wise said, “No, we can’t give you any of our oil. You have to go where it is sold so you will be ready.” While they were on their way, the Scripture says, to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went into the banquet, and the door was shut. Later the others also came saying, “Sir, open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you the truth. I do not know you.” And Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day nor the hour.”

Even if Christ doesn’t come in our lifetime, we are accountable to Him for all we do. For every day we live, so either way, when He comes we need to be ready because in an hour when you don’t think so, He will come. Two questions. Are we ready for His coming? Secondly, are we faithful in anticipating that day?

Let’s pray together.

Our Father, we want to thank you today for your faithfulness. We thank you Jesus was willing to die because to Him there were things more important than living. And we pray, too, Father, whether we experience the kind of thing we’ve talked about today or not, that in our own individual lives you might make us faithful. Help us to remember we are accountable to you. Father, we think of the great deception that is going to take place upon the earth even as we shall discuss in the next message. And we pray, Father, that you will make us people who are not deceived.

For those, Father, who may be here who have never received Christ as Savior, they’ve never believed on Him. We pray even now they might come under the protection of Christ. Cause them, Lord, to believe we pray.

Even as I close this prayer now, in silence why don’t you pray to God and tell Him whatever it is that you need to tell Him? If you’ve never received Christ, do that right where you are seated. Say, “Jesus, I’m a sinner. I receive you as my Savior.” If you know Him, yield everything that is on your mind to His care.

Our Father, we ask the work that have begun in us would not end until it is finished, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Editor’s Note: In this transcript, the verbatim intelligent transcription process simplifies and enhances spoken content by eliminating redundant words, unnecessary sounds, fixing grammar errors, and clarifying meaning while preserving the author's original intent. All Scripture quotes are according to the biblical text, not as they were originally spoken.