End-Time Birth Pangs

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This is Today With Derek Prince. The internationally recognized Bible teacher and author presents to you Keys To Successful Living.

In yesterday’s talk Derek Prince continued with his topic ‘At the End of Time,’ by showing us the importance of biblical prophecy as a light in a dark place, and that we can expect its literal fulfillment. Today as he continues this week’s theme he will focus on the tribulation on earth before the return of Jesus and what the church must do to complete her task. Be sure to stay tuned at the end of today’s program for our address and this week’s special offer.

Derek Prince:

“Revelation 22:10–12:
He [the angel that brought the revelation] said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.’”

That’s a remarkable statement since it comes from God. God is saying, in effect, if you want to be unrighteous, go on, you don’t have long, live it up. If you want to be filthy, be still more filthy. But if you’re righteous be still more righteous, if you’re holy be still more holy, because this is the parting of the ways. And then Jesus says in the next breath:

“‘Behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to give it to everyone according to his work.’”

So this is immediately before the return of the Lord. The wicked and the righteous are side by side, the wicked getting more wicked; the righteous getting more righteous.

Let me say in the spiritual light there is no standing still. You cannot remain static. You have to be either going forward or backward. The book of Proverbs says the pathway of the righteous is like the shining light which shines more and more unto the perfect day. Righteousness is not a standstill, it’s a pathway. It’s something you move in. If you’re moving in that way the light is getting brighter every day. If you’re living today by yesterday’s light you’re beginning to be a backslider, you’re not in the pathway of righteousness.

“All right. So those are two things.”

Then in the midst of all this Jesus offers us some beautiful words of comfort in Luke 21:25–28, speaking about the close of the age:

“‘There will be signs in the sun, in the moon and the stars, on the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring. Men’s hearts failing them for fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.’
The whole globe is going to be shaken.
‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.’ That’s the coming of Jesus. This is what He says, He’s speaking to His disciples:
‘When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.’”

So how do you react to all the turmoil and the conflict? Do you get depressed and discouraged or do you say, ‘Praise God, our redemption is very near?’ You see, your reaction tells you where your heart is. Jesus spoke about birth pangs of a new age and He described them in Matthew 24. We may look there a little later. They’re very unpleasant. I’ve never given birth to a baby but I understand it’s never an easy experience. Birth pangs are associated with it. The question is do you want the baby? If you want the baby, you’ll put up with the birth pangs. No birth pangs, no baby. So again you can check your own attitude by how you respond. If you say things are getting worse and worse, ‘Oh, this is so depressing, I feel so miserable. Where is God? I don’t see Him doing anything?’ you’re rejecting the birth pangs. What it really means is you’re not waiting for the baby. What is the baby? It’s the birth of the kingdom of God on earth. It won’t come without birth pangs. The birth pangs are guaranteed. What we have to determine is how we will respond to them.

Meanwhile, as I’ve said, in all of this the church has a task to complete. What is that? I didn’t hear you. Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to all nations. Let’s look at the picture of the birth pangs in Matthew 24, beginning at verse 7:

“‘For nation will rise against nation . . .’
That’s ethnos against ethnos, ethnic conflicts.
‘. . . kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pangs.’
You see? So, you want the baby? You have to endure the birth pangs. There’s no alternative. And then Jesus says, and there’s a series of thens.
‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.’”

Who’s you? That’s right, you is us. That’s not good grammar, but it’s the truth. They will deliver you is you and me, Christians. We will be hated by all nations for the sake of Jesus’ name. Verse 10:

“Then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another.”

Many who? Many Christians. The pressure will be too great, they’ll give up. To save their own skins they’ll betray their fellow believers. This has been happening in China and the Soviet Union for a

generation or two. It’s not confined there, believe me.

Verse 11:

“‘Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’”

And believe me, the world is full of false prophets and a lot of them are inside the church. We won’t go into that, I’ll just make that statement for you to ponder on.

“And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold.”

Do we see lawlessness increasing in the world today? Yes or no? I don’t think anybody would say no. That’s what Jesus said. Lawlessness will abound and He said what will be the result? The love of many Christians will grow cold. The word for love there is agape, the word used specifically for Christian love. So, under the pressure of the lawlessness in the world some of us will let our love grow cold.

“The next verse is very significant, verse 13:
‘But he who endures to the end shall be saved.’”

Actually the Greek is more specific; it says ‘He who has endured to the end shall be saved.’ So how do you stay saved? You have to endure, that’s right. You’re saved now but to remain saved you have to endure. And I tell people, and nobody really blesses me for saying this, there’s only one way to learn to endure and that is enduring, that’s right. So if you’re in the midst of enduring right now, bear in mind God is training you to live it through to the end of the age. You see? And then it says:

“‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations . . .’”

You say, ‘Well, when times get easier we’ll go out and preach the gospel.’ No, no, no! Times are going to get harder and harder and harder. It’s going to take guts to go out and preach the gospel. Do you like that rather vulgar word guts? It’s very American. Do you know the American translation of that? Intestinal fortitude. That’s what we need. Christians with guts. The situation is not going to get any easier, it’s going to get harder. You think it’s too hard now, well move in quickly before it gets harder.

You see, the church that Jesus wants is not going to be deterred by opposition or persecution. It’s committed to Him and His purposes and to His tasks.

Now, let’s go on to the events that are associated with the return of Jesus, and I’ll give you a little list of events, not necessarily in the correct order. Do you know why? Because I don’t really know what the correct order is. I’ve met some Bible scholars that believe that they did know the correct order. The trouble is they didn’t agree with one another so they couldn’t both be right. I’m prepared to leave it with the Lord. See? I’m not a busybody, I don’t badger God for answers. David said at one point, ‘My soul is like a weaned child within me. Let Israel hope in the Lord.’ He said other things I can’t solve.

This is so vivid to me, I hope you won’t think I’m vulgar. But years ago I used to preach regularly to large audiences of Africans. The front two rows would be occupied by nursing mothers and whenever the baby started to squawk the mother would begin to nurse it right there in front of me. So I learned to look over the first two or three rows. But you know what I noticed? An unweaned child just makes a fuss when it wants food but a weaned child waits for the mother to prepare it. David said, ‘My soul is like a weaned child. I don’t badger God with my problems. I just let Him show me the things He wants to show me.’ The key to understanding Biblical prophecy is to let the Holy Spirit focus your attention on the things He wants to show you at any given time. Don’t be an unweaned child.

All right. Now here are some of the events. The resurrection and judgment of true Christians. First of all, the rapture. How do you feel about the rapture? First Thessalonians 4. Some Christian scholars will tell you the word rapture isn’t found in the New Testament. That’s rather a naive statement because it depends on what translation you use. I could use a translation that contains the word rapture; it would be a perfectly accurate translation. This is what the Lord says through the apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:15:

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep . . .”

Those who have died. In other words, the fact that we’re alive when the Lord comes will not mean that we get there sooner than the ones who’ve died. On the contrary, Paul says:

“. . . for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God . . .”

I don’t know how people believe in a secret rapture. To me there’s nothing that could be more public than something that’s announced from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God. I mean, what secrecy is left at the end of that?

“. . . and the dead in Christ will rise first . . .
Before we who are alive are changed.
. . . then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them . . .”

Now ‘caught up’ could perfectly well be translated raptured. The word rapture comes from a Latin word which means ‘to seize something forcibly.’

Announcer:

On tomorrow’s program Derek Prince will continue his topic ‘At the End of Time,’ by looking at events following the return of Jesus, specifically the rapture and judgment of Christians and the overthrow of antichrist and his forces. This week’s message is available on audiocassette No. RC4167 and also on video. Our special offer this week is Derek Prince’s book Prayers and Proclamations, in which Derek and Ruth share treasured Scriptures for almost every situation that life brings your way. The secret to their effectiveness is this: they are the power of God’s word proclaimed through believing lips.

To receive your copy of ‘At the End of Time’ write today and include a contribution of $5.00 or more for audiocassette RC4167 or $14.95 for the video teaching. Include a gift of any amount for the book Prayers and Proclamations.

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