Quarantined? Amen!

Quarantined_ Amen!

(Sunday message for House Church and individual use: preached 10/25 – 10/31/2020)

“The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.”

(Isaiah 24:10, read it twice)

What does it say?

“Every house is shut up.”

What does the verse say?

“Every house is shut up, that no man may come in.”

What does it say?

“Every house.”

Are you quarantined? Is your house shut up? Yes, it is, isn’t it? Your “house is shut up, that no man may come in?” No man, no woman, friend, no family, no neighbor, no child, no baby… no guests of any kind may come in.

The subject of this message, which we are delivering to you right now, is… quarantine. Here in the United States, we are now in our seventh month of quarantine – due to the current global pandemic; due to the rapidly growing infection and death resulting from the spread and continual increase of the Coronavirus, of COVID-19.

Please allow us to make this message as brief and to the point as possible by presenting to you simply, from the Word of God, four distinct moments, in time, in which quarantine was not only recorded but was actually commanded by the Lord God himself.

First, we present to you the Word of God’s record of…

I. The Greatest Instance of Quarantine in the History of a Nation!

“And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:22-23)

A. Why did they quarantine? God commanded them to quarantine.

B. Why did they quarantine? God told them why they should quarantine.

For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:23)

C. Why did they quarantine? They quarantined and were delivered from God’s judgement.

“And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” (Exodus 12:28-30)

Second, the Word of God presents…

II. The Greatest Instance of Quarantine in the History of the World!

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:5-8)

A. Why did they quarantine? God commanded them to quarantine.

“And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1)

B. Why did they quarantine? God told them why they should quarantine.

“For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.” (Genesis 7:4-5)

C. Why did they quarantine? They quarantined and were delivered from God’s judgement.

“And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.” (Genesis 7:15-16)

“All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” (Genesis 7:22-23)

Third, with the recorded words of our Lord, God’s Word reveals to us all…

III. The Greatest Instance of Quarantine in the History of the Church

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)

A. Why did they quarantine? Because Jesus, who is the Son of God, who is God commanded them to quarantine.

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (Acts 1:4-5)

B. What did they do while they were quarantined? They did what you should do while you are quarantined.

“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1:12-14)

C. What happened when they both allowed themselves to be quarantined and did what they were supposed to do while they were quarantined? There in that house, they quarantined, they prayed, they fellowshipped, and they received from Heaven an answer to their prayers: power to avert the judgement of God.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Then finally, in looking not too very far ahead, the Lord God of the Universe, yea, even of Heaven and Earth reveals…

IV. The Greatest Instance of Quarantine to Come – in the Immediate Future!

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

A. Our CDC, the governor of our nation, our President, our King is coming to quarantine us!

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

B. He will quarantine us with him in the air!

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Yes, we are speaking about what is commonly known as the Rapture of the Church. According to the well known and well documented Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible,

“The meaning of the word “rapture.” The term is derived from the Latin verb rapere, which means “to transport from one place to another.” Thus the next great scheduled event predicted by the Bible will take place when the Lord Jesus comes in the air to catch up his own.” (“The Theological Method: Doctrine of Prophecy.” Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, by H. L. Willmington, Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, pp. 825–826.)

The rapture? Yes! The quarantining of God’s people is finally enacted, carried out by the entire Trinity of the Almighty Triune God. Ordered by God the Father, conducted by God the Son, the persecuted hated blood washed people of God and the very despised and very disregarded Spirit of God, with their mission now complete – are utterly removed from the face of the Earth.

Will this really happen before the judgements from God (which have for so long been prophesied) – before these judgements during the Great Tribulation, which even now is closer than ever – before these awful and horrifying judgements finally occur, will this rapture really occur? And if so, then… why? Dr. H.L. Wilmington elaborates, as follows, with an answer to both of these questions.

“Up to chapter 6 of Revelation the church is mentioned many times, but from chapter 6 to chapter 19 (the period of the tribulation) there is no mention whatsoever of the church on earth. In fact, the only godly group which Satan can find to persecute is the nation Israel! See Revelation chapter 12.

“In Revelation 4:1 John declares, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither. . .” We are told that Christians are God’s ambassadors on earth (2 Cor. 5:20) and that he will someday declare war on this earth. The first thing a king or president does after he declares war on another country is to call his ambassadors home! Thus we conclude that the church will escape the tribulation.

“The purpose of the rapture.

1. “To judge and reward the church of God.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body . . . whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

2. “To Remove the Spirit of God.

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way” (2 Thess. 2:7, NASB)

“Many theologians believe the “he” in this verse is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Thus the Spirit of God has been acting as a divine dam, faithfully holding back the waters of sin. But at the rapture his blessed influence will be removed to a large extent in order to prepare the way for the tribulation.” (Ibid.)

C. Then shall that great global pandemania begin. Then shall those prophesied pandemic judgements occur; that and even still, far worse more!

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

“2:7 he who now restrains will do so until. Antichrist is now being held back by a restrainer. Some understand this to be God indwelling his church [his called out ones] by the Holy Spirit … According to [this] view, the removal will be at the rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:13-18).” (Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Ryrie Study Bible : New American Standard Bible. Chicago, Moody Publishers, 2012, p. 1489.)

Oh, Holy Spirit of God! The world did not deserve you. The world did not regard you. As it is written of you,

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

But now you are gone. The world did not deserve you. The world did not regard you. The world is now judged… without you.

No more being “kind one to another.”
No more being “tender hearted.”
No more “forgiving one another”; and no more “as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Now there is only “bitterness.”
Now there is only “wrath.”
Now there is only “anger.”
Now there is only “clamour.”
Now there is only “evil speaking.”
Now there is only… “malice!”

And oh, the judgements, oh the plagues, oh, the misery, oh, the starvation in every city! The riots in every street, your houses repeatedly broken into! Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.

Now you know. Now you know! You always knew.

Too late. Too late! Jesus was the only way! Jesus is coming again… now! Too late!

What was written in Revelation 1:7 is now true!

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” (Revelation 1:7)

“All the kindreds of the earth shall wail.”
“Shall wail!”
“Shall wail because of him!”

Too late! Too late! You were warned. You were warned. You were told what “they” would do… and… now… you… are… them!

As it is written in Revelation 6:15-17,

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

What is the conclusion of the matter – for you? Today…

The Bible says in…

2 Cor‌inthians 6:2:

“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

Hebrews 3:8:

“Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”

Hebrews 3:15:

“While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

Hebrews 4:7:

“Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

Psalm 95:7-8:

“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”

It doesn’t matter what sins you have committed. It doesn’t matter what false God you had set up in your heart. Jesus gave his life willingly. Jesus paid for all of your sins on that cross. As that wicked filthy thief up there. As that criminal, as that sinner who deserved to be where Jesus did not!

Be quarantined. Be quarantined with Jesus! He will save you! He still calls you. “Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart!”

“Harden not your heart!” What Jesus said to that thief that day, as recorded in Luke 23:43,

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

“Today”, the Savior said, “shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Jesus will quarantine you safely to evermore always be with him.

How? Look. Look! Look to Jesus!

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:22)

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

OUTLINE:

Quarantined? Amen!

(A Message to the Multitudes)

“The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.” (Isaiah 24:10)