Stephen Whitehouse - Class 8: To gather together his elect

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1. 0:01

   Well, the Johnny has just been looking at Matthew chapter 24, and I think it’s really important that Jesus makes this statement. Let’s just open up our Bibles and and look at these words together, that Jesus makes this statement that the son of man is coming in clouds and we should really emphasize the point that they are.

2. 0:20

   You standing upon the Mount of Olives and he speaking about the son of man coming in clouds. There’s a, there’s a certain Beauty about that. Jesus is going to ascend into heaven from that very Mount. And we’ve already seen in Zakaria and chapter 14 that his feet are going to stand upon that man that when he returns. So let’s just read these words again, in Matthew chapter 24 verse 30, we’ve seen a few times and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see.

3. 1:01

   The son of man coming in the Clouds Of Heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet. And they shall gather together his elect from the Four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other. Hopefully, you can remember yesterday that I said, there’s two aspects of clouds.

4. 1:21

   The first one, the glory of God, his divine presence. And the second one, the regathering and here you get the regathering verse. E1. So it’s part of this theme of the son of man coming in clouds and he has gathered and he’s going to regather them. Now, when you look at verse 30 and it’s the end of a long weekend, but when you look at verse 30, it would appear wouldn’t, if that this is describing the Lord, Jesus Christ, return in a cloud of angels.

5. 1:58

   I’m then Gathering the elect. The Saints are perhaps we have this View. But hopefully you have seen at the end of this weekend that when you come across, that loaded phrase, the son of man coming in clouds, as he’s revealed upon the Earth. It is always without exception. The Lord Jesus Christ with his glorious bride.

6. 2:27

   So with that, thought in mind go back to Matthew 24 verses 30 and 31. It doesn’t quite work, does it? It causes a bit of a problem, you’ve got the Lord Jesus Christ revealing himself with the Saints. And then, in verse 31, you’ve got him Gathering the Saints. Well, the saints were already with him, so they don’t need to be gathered. Can you see that?

7. 2:51

   So this little bit of a problem there. Well, that the one thing I want you to notice right away that there is something quite important. It says there in verse 30 that all the tribes of the Earth shall mourn. And all these verses are so interlocked. Look what it says there in Revelation 1 verse 7. Hopefully, you can remember what we looked at yesterday, behold? He cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him? Can you see how these words dovetail together? It is the same dramatic scene.

8. 3:25

   And then in verse 31, he shall send his angels to gather the elect from the Four Winds. So before we look at that, let’s just reflect stand back and reflect upon these words, these words are Majestic, aren’t they? And we shouldn’t Overlook them. When the Lord, Jesus Christ here appears with his bride.

9. 3:44

   The Saints us the appearance of Christ will change the world. There will never be in the history of time, such an industrious group of men and women who are who are granted immortality at the full revelation of Christ and the Saints upon the Earth, it is going to change the world at each man. And woman that day will help her That’s The Power of angels. And it’s a humbling thought of think isn’t it there upon the mount the Mount of Olives in Zechariah Chapter 12 where Christ reveals himself with the saints that we can see ourselves are just as we’re looking at the Sonic photo and the first thing we look at is how we’re looking and then we say it’s a great phone so it wasn’t it and we have no idea who else was on the photograph.

10. 4:33

    It’s something very similar. Can you spot on Zechariah Chapter 12? Can you spot your own face? Because they’re Jesus Christ, is with all the saints and all the Actions will be hold it. And the Saints are the faithful of all. They are the Bible characters. They are men and women that you love that a fallen on sleep and they are all there in God’s good grace.

11. 4:59

    But we need to reconcile. These verses are all about, we need to understand. So let’s just think a little bit about what the elect refers to who are the 11th, because it’s going to be the elect that are going to be gathered. If we conclude that Jesus Christ is kind with the same things so he’s not there for Gathering the Saints, then who then is he Gathering. And as I said, this aspect of gathering is really crucial to this theme of the son of man what it says there. The elect and let’s just think a little bit about the elect. When we look at the Old Testament, it’s very clear that the elect speak of God’s people.

12. 5:38

    For example, Isaiah 45 for Jacob, my servants say and Israel, mine elect, I’ve even be called the by name. I have surname thee, thou Hast not known all the way through the Old Testament. It is God’s elect. He’s Nation his people. He’s beloved children, but what? What is it when we come to the New Testament?

13. 6:00

    So let’s have a look. Romans chapter 11. And as you know, this chapter is all about the Olive Tree of Israel, how the natural branches are broken off because of unbelief, but they do get grafted in once again, you can see there that they get broken off in unbelief in verse 17. They grafted it again, in verse 23, but there’s a big message and let’s just look at this big message here of this metaphor of this Israeli. True first Fun things for I would not Brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery. Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits. That blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in and so, all Israel shall be saved as it is written, there shall come out of Sion, the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Okay, so it’s telling us that God’s Grace will be extended to the Gentiles after the Lord.

14. 6:59

    Jesus Christ was crucified by the Jews but there will come a time at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Gentile bride has been gathered to the Lord that God’s attention will once again, turn to God’s people because of the father’s sake, because the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, brother, Peter mentioned it in his prayer.

15. 7:18

    In his opening remarks, the promises that we’re involved in that we’re bound up in Now, what’s also rather fascinating on all of this, I think the Clincher is verse 28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies. This is the nation of Israel. They are enemies for your sakes. Speaking to this, a romanick Leisure but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.

16. 7:47

    So even in the New Testament, it’s speaking very clearly here that the elect the election belongs to God’s people naturally important, is it because we thought about the Angels Gathering up the elected. He’s telling us very clearly that it is. God through the work of the Lord. Jesus Christ is going to gather up the nation of Israel. And so, then when we look at Matthew chapter 24, we think about the Four Winds and you think about where the Jews have scattered today.

17. 8:16

    Nine million Jews in the Earth today. Six million of them in America. They’ve all got to be gathered up. They’ve all got to be rounded up. They’ve all got to be brought back to the land. This is huge drama and it’s all part of this theme. The son of man coming in Cloud.

18. 8:32

    This is why it say it says, in verse 26, all Israel shall be saved. That the language is very consistent. Another problem. Coming back to Matthew chapter 24. Who are the Angels? Who are the Angels, who are the Angels? Who are going to gather God’s people, God’s elect the children of Israel, but I think he’s rather confusing that we really Angels is God’s angels.

19. 9:01

    The Greek is Angeles. I’m sure you all know and it’s simply means one who is sent a messenger so they are God’s Messengers but they’re not actually God’s Messengers because who are they, They all the son of man’s Messengers. Do you see that? That’s really important. It snapped pretty times, we read these two verses.

20. 9:20

    It’s the son of man’s Messengers. It’s his people, his brethren. He’s alive that go forward to gather God’s elect from the four corners of the earth and so we don’t have time in in 15-20 minutes but what we’re coming across now is the second Exodus and exodus that is going to be led by the Saints as they March back into the land to re-establish the kingdom of God. And this is not to be confused with what’s happened since 1948 and the establishment of the state of There. However dramatic it was the month of May in that particular year.

21. 10:01

    This is something else. This is talking about all the Jews from around the world. They need to be truly converted into the gospel of Christ. And re-established into the homeland of Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob, this is what we’re talking about and it’s a huge, huge thing. I just want to touch on this just to whet your appetite.

22. 10:24

    Let’s look at the final Prophecy in the Old Testament and it’s in Malachi chapter 4. And this work is going to be the future work of Elijah. and all I want to do is just to make a few connections with Romans 11 and Malachi 4, and you can do some studying in your own time if you so wish, so Malachi, then chapter for these closing words of the Old Testament, And we read these words Behold Old Testament closes.

23. 10:59

    I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and Dreadful day of the Lord, and what’s his role? He shall turn the heart of the father’s to the children and the hearts of the children, to their fathers, lest I come and smite the world with a curse. Now, you may have noticed if you haven’t heard it off that, the words are very similar to what we’re seeing in Romans, chapter 11, when all Israel I’ll be saved. Can you remember?

24. 11:25

    You can got it on the overhead here that in this work when all Israel shall be saved. That Jacobs ungodliness will be turn. And here we get the language turn, the hearts of the father’s to the children, the children to the father’s. There’s a, there’s a work of turning. In fact, Elijah the tishbite in 1 Kings, 17 verse 1, the word tishbite comes to the root of the Turner, you can refer to Elijah as the great Turner.

25. 11:53

    And this is why it’s going to turn the hearts of the father’s to the children and the children to the father’s. So that they believe in the promises through the son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, however, hard that is to imagine Elijah and the Saints. Now embark on a huge undertaking of going to the four corners of the earth and rounding up the juice and bringing them back into the land.

26. 12:22

    You might be thinking, well, why is this the theme of the son of man coming in clouds will come to that in a moment. But what I want to do now is to show you that these prophecies are alive. I’m not just looking at a few chapters in isolation. This is a live thing.

27. 12:38

    Have a look at Jeremiah chapter 3, have a chat with me afterwards if you want some further references, but Jeremiah chapter 3 and here Jeremiah the prophet, he speaking to the diaspora that the scattered House of Israel and he speaking about them going back into the land of promise and he’s language is powerful and direct. Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse 14.

28. 13:03

    Turn. That’s the language of Elijah. That’s a language of Malachi 4. That’s a language of Romans chapter 11. Turnovers backsliding children set the Lord for I am married unto you. And I will take you one of our city and two of her family and I and I will bring you to Zion and I will give you pastors according to my heart, which are feed you with knowledge and under standing So we’ve got this role here Elijah who is going to be the Turner and notice that this is to backsliding Israel.

29. 13:41

    You can pick out that phrase there in verse 6, halfway down verse 8, verse 11, and verse 12. Okay? So this is to the D Aspera to the scattered House of Israel and he’s saying you are going to turn But there’s something interesting here, because he says, they’re halfway down verse 14. I will take you one of our city and to have a family and I will bring you to science.

30. 14:09

    So not everyone is going to make the course not. Everyone is going to finish. It’s a it’s a similar journey to Moses who led the first Exodus when only a Remnant entered into the land and something. Very similar is happening here, one of our city and to of a family will be brought to Zion.

31. 14:28

    And and these juice just imagine it. They hear the Elijah. And they have to forsake everything like Disciples of Jesus. For those in California and New York, that’s going to be incredibly difficult as it is with us, but they will respond to the call. And verse 17, you might be thinking, well, perhaps these words were fulfilled.

32. 14:56

    Well, they’re not because look at verse 17 when this happens. Look, what else happens at that time. They shall call Jerusalem. The Throne of the Lord and All Nations. Shall be gathered unto. That’s very similar to ice. I too, isn’t it? Come you? Let us go up to the mountain, the Lord to the house, the god of Jacob, to learn of his ways and walk in his paths as I had two languages and this is Kingdom language. This is prophecy yet to be fulfilled. And look at these pastures.

33. 15:33

    Have a look in your margin. In verse 15. God’s going to send these Jews pastures. And these are Shepherds with knowledge and understanding. With knowledge and understanding. And I believe these Shepherds that are sent or Elijah and the Saints on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will feed God’s flock with righteousness. and I believe, brothers and sisters in young people that the past is there and the Shepherds Are the Angels of Matthew 24 and verse 31.

34. 16:20

    Those that are sent on behalf of one and the one who is King, who is Sovereign is the Lord Jesus Christ. And so then they are working on behalf of him, what a wonderful picture to finish our weekend with And all these Jews being brought back into the land. And the scales will fall off their eyes, and they will recognize the Messiah we’ve already seen that, haven’t we, that, that amazingly touching scene, when they recognize, this is the one they have pierced.

35. 16:53

    We’re not going to be alone. Elijah in the Saints are not going to be loan. However, look at Isaiah chapter, 16, Isaiah chapter 16. And here we read of certain Gentile Nations. So we’re right in the kingdom of God. Now, what reading of certain Gentile Nations that will support Jesus and Elijah in bringing these Jews back, Isaiah chapter, 60, then.

36. 17:22

    And and look at verse 3 and right away. You’ll get a, an appreciation of the context. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy That’s language of Malachi for, isn’t it? This is implicitly. The son of man coming in clouds with the sun of righteousness. This ball lift up, thine eyes round about and see all they gathered themselves together, that the Gathering, they shall come to thee, thy son shall come from afar and they daughter shall be nursed at thy side, and Southern.

37. 17:59

    We’ve got a representative group of Nations who recognize the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and they respond positively and what do they do? They do two things. They bring gold and silver to Jerusalem to establish the temple. The house of God.

38. 18:16

    But they also bring Jews. They bring Jews from around the world to bring them back into the land. Now, have a look at verse 4. What a powerful metaphor we have here. We see in verse 4, as Jerusalem as a mother, Lots of mums here this weekend. Jerusalem, is this mother and she’s crying.

39. 18:43

    But she’s weeping for Joy because her sons and daughters are being brought back. Can you see that that the nations are assisting Jerusalem? This this metaphor of a woman who’s weeping over a children and they’re coming back to her. And notice here that she’s a nursing mother, you may have in your margin, she’s nursing them at her side.

40. 19:09

    And so then you’ve got this lovely picture as the sons and daughters. Bakshi. She grabs them and she Embraces them and she brings them close to her chest and she loves them, she’s missed them, they had been away from her for so many years. Two thousand years isn’t this lovely? And there’s other snapshots of this glorious picture just jot down the references here.

41. 19:37

    It’s the different snapshots of the same Glory seen. You’ve got Isaiah 49 and verse 22 where we’re sons of carried in the arms and daughters on the shoulders of the Gentiles. And then we’ve got I-66 and verse 20, where the Gentiles bring the Jews on horses. And and and chariots, and mules and and camels. And there’s this great Exodus.

42. 19:58

    The second Exodus is line. And the whole world stands back. In amazement. In amazement. Well, realize I has 60 there. However, look at verse 6, just want to pick out a few little items when this is going on. Notice in Isaiah 60 and verse 6 that there’s gold, you see that near the end of the verse and there is incense There is gold and there is incense in Jerusalem.

43. 20:34

    Now some of you may have a different translation to incent, you may have frankincense So interesting this time there is gold and there is frankincense what does that remind you of that? That’s above the largest surprise isn’t it? But what’s missing? No, and myrrh is a symbol of suffering and there’s no suffering for Jerusalem anymore. She’s no longer morning for her children. They are back, she celebrates and what’s in Jerusalem? Is gold gold.

44. 21:08

    Purified faith and incense a symbol of the prayer of the Saints. And that is what exists within the land. And so what triggers that They are in the midst of the Lord. Jesus Christ. The Lord. Jesus Christ is King and he’s enthroned in Jerusalem. So just picture this then not Moses leading the children of Israel, but Elijah and the Saints and perhaps you could spot yourself in faith, you’re involved in that work. What would an amazing job that is? You’re involved in that work?

45. 21:42

    In converting the the Jewish diaspora and grafting them back in again into the olive. This is Romans 11. This is not just a siren Jeremiah prophecies. This is Romans 11. This is language that we all understand. but I’ve said, That the Nations will be absolutely astonished at the power of the Jews, just as the, the Egyptians were. And and when Rahab met Joshua, she knew all about the power of Yahweh.

46. 22:10

    And look at these words. No need to turn them up. But Micah chapter 7, as a little glimpse of the future, According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will I show unto him marvelous things? The nation shall see and be confounded all their might. They shall lay their hands upon their mouth. Their ears shall be death.

47. 22:32

    They shall lick the dust like a serpent. They shall move out of their holes. Like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord. Our God and shall fear because of the inner. Another translation has these words and Nation shall see that they may turn pale at their This is another Moses. Exodus isn’t it?

48. 22:55

    We’ve got to believe these things brothers and sisters. It’s recorded in God’s word. But the reason why I really brought you to chapter 16 is is found in Verses 89. Let’s just read these words together. Remember, we’re trying to pick out this theme Christ coming in clouds here. We’ve got it. Who were these? That fly as a cloud and as the doves to their Windows, surely the aisle shall wait for me in the ships of tarshish first to bring my son.

49. 23:25

    From Far, they’re silver and their gold with them unto the name of Yahweh, thy God and to the Holy One of Israel because he hath glorified thee and Sir here. Isaiah in the distance spot, some activity and it’s really exciting and he eats his attention is drawn to it and what does he say? A flotilla of boats for the four corners of the earth and they’re bringing Jewish Sons and Daughters back into the land. And why?

50. 23:54

    Because they know Jesus Christ. As their Revelation, 1 verse 7, every eye shall see him and the nations of the earth will respond, and here’s the Lord. Jesus Christ no longer wearing the Stefano’s. He’s wearing the diadem. He is king of kings, and he is, Lord of lords.

51. 24:16

    We’ll just imagine those ships. So many ships are involved. That their sales fill the sky. I want you just to imagine this the sails fill the skies. These ships are being brought back as I as I sees this flotilla of boats being brought into the land. And there are so many Salem’s that Isaiah sees that he Likens the sales that are flapping in the sky. As clouds and these clouds are loaded with Jews. God’s people, just as Jesus Christ, went into heaven, just as the, the same to take into judgment. Now, there’s another aspect of Jesus Christ coming in clouds, something else is within these clouds and it’s the Jewish brothers and sisters are now being brought back into the land and what a lovely description.

52. 25:09

    It is that these clouds are described as doves, the swiftness of does. And if you know anything about jobs, you’ll know that they cover, huge distances and they know their way home There’s nothing like them, they are unparalleled in the animal kingdom. And they know their way home, in fact, some translations have their Windows as their nests. And who’s guarding?

53. 25:35

    Surely the Lord, Jesus Christ, Shirley till I join the Saints, navigating all the nations of the earth to bring it about his purpose in the lamb. And so then this as we finish now this this breathtaking moment With the, the Skies of Heaven being filled with these clouds, loaded with the Sons and Daughters of Israel. And Jerusalem is this metaphor.

54. 26:01

    She’s weeping over her children. She’s rejoicing and she, she Embraces them as a nursing mother and they come back home. And can you imagine? Can you imagine the sweetness of the moment when these Jews from the four corners of the Earth? They meet the law. It will be a seem very reminiscent of Zechariah 12 and 13, where they will weep over him, whom they pierced and any expectation, any understanding any appreciation, they’ve got of the Son of God will not be realized because this will be a man who will meet them with open arms. He will be an extension of Jerusalem. He’s the one who’s going to gather them up and love them and embraced them.

55. 26:46

    And receive them back home. and so, brothers and sisters, then, this dramatic weekend but very Pacey speed that we’ve had with all the Johnny and this series it finishes now and it finishes the final chapter of Christ coming in clouds. Is the branches are finally grafted in to the Olive Tree of Israel. The Jews are home.

56. 27:16

    God’s kingdom has been established. Jesus Christ is enthroned in Jerusalem. That people have got a now United separated. For so many years now, United as one and Christ is Sovereign over the Earth, brothers and sisters, young people. Let’s not miss out on this opportunity. Christ is coming. He’s coming in clouds and this is the final chapter of this unfolding, ongoing drama. one day, one day, the door is going to know Let’s make sure, let’s make sure this very day that we will be ready for it.