These days will also be accompanied by many signs in the heavens—the sun and moon will go dark, stars/meteors will fall from heaven and the powers/forces that are in the heavens will be shaken. Many of the seal, trumpet and vial judgments described in Revelation are accompanied by these types of events. Luke adds that men will be anxious and fearful because of the roaring waves of the sea. The tsunami of December 2004 was a vivid example of the destruction that can be caused by the seas.
The Lord is very clear that His coming will be visible from one end of the world to the other. It won’t be as He came the first time, as a man working miracles. He will appear in the heavens in all His glory as the King of kings. Anyone who presents himself as the Messiah as a man with miraculous abilities will be a pretender, a false Christ.
When Jesus returns, He is going to gather together His elect from all over the planet. Matthew 25:31-46 explains how He is going to separate the sheep (believers) and goats (unbelievers) in determining who will get to enter the kingdom. Only believers will get to enter the kingdom. This section of scripture makes me think of the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 7.
Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
This is a very sobering thought. There will be “many” that will claim to have been serving God and presenting the fact that they cast out demons and worked miracles (from the Greek) as proof of their position. These people have been deceived by Satan to believe in their works. Works do not save a person; only faith in the crucified and resurrected Son of God as your Savior qualifies one for His Kingdom. Jesus will declare that He never knew (as part of the family of faith) these workers of iniquity.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
A Future Temple and the End of Days
The next sign given regarding the soon coming of Jesus to earth as King of kings is the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet.” Jesus is referencing a specific prophecy recorded by the prophet Daniel,
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
This prophecy requires that there be a functioning temple in Jerusalem at which sacrifices are made. It also requires this event to be future to the time Jesus is teaching His disciples. In context there is reference to a specific timeframe between the abomination and “the end of days,” the end of Satan’s rule and the beginning of Messiah’s Kingdom. That refutes the notion that many have of this prophecy referring to the destruction of the temple by Titus and his armies. This event is yet future and corresponds to events in Revelation 13 that describe the beast gaining complete control on earth for 42 months after Satan is thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12) and an image is erected that men will be forced to worship. This image will probably sit in the temple in fulfillment of this prophecy. If my understanding is correct, there will be a temple built in Jerusalem in the not too distant future and the priesthood and sacrificial system will once again become functional.
Jesus makes the point that this future desecration of the temple will usher in a time of great tribulation on planet earth that is far worse than any time previous in the history of the world. Neither will there be a time like it ever again in the future. Point is also made that this is the time of God’s vengeance that will fulfill the message of the prophets of old. God is very clear throughout His word that every word of scripture will be completely fulfilled. This time references the 42 months that Satan will rule planet earth in the person of the Antichrist, the last 3.5 years before Jesus establishes Himself on the throne of David to rule for 1000 years before defeating Satan and rebellious humanity one final time. This last 3.5 years will complete the times of the Gentiles. During the Messiah’s Kingdom, the Jews in Israel will be the most honored among the nations. Jesus declared that had the Lord not intervened to cut this time short, all flesh on earth would be destroyed.
Frankly, that last statement is one of the main reasons I believe we are so close to this time. The ability for man to destroy himself is fast becoming more of a probability than a possibility. Add that to the rebirth of Israel as a nation, continual wars and rumors of wars, the increase in earthquake frequency and intensity, and the alignment of the nations as predicted in Ezekiel 38-39 (which will be addressed in future posts), it’s hard to understand how everyone doesn’t see the handwriting on the wall.
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
This prophecy requires that there be a functioning temple in Jerusalem at which sacrifices are made. It also requires this event to be future to the time Jesus is teaching His disciples. In context there is reference to a specific timeframe between the abomination and “the end of days,” the end of Satan’s rule and the beginning of Messiah’s Kingdom. That refutes the notion that many have of this prophecy referring to the destruction of the temple by Titus and his armies. This event is yet future and corresponds to events in Revelation 13 that describe the beast gaining complete control on earth for 42 months after Satan is thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12) and an image is erected that men will be forced to worship. This image will probably sit in the temple in fulfillment of this prophecy. If my understanding is correct, there will be a temple built in Jerusalem in the not too distant future and the priesthood and sacrificial system will once again become functional.
Jesus makes the point that this future desecration of the temple will usher in a time of great tribulation on planet earth that is far worse than any time previous in the history of the world. Neither will there be a time like it ever again in the future. Point is also made that this is the time of God’s vengeance that will fulfill the message of the prophets of old. God is very clear throughout His word that every word of scripture will be completely fulfilled. This time references the 42 months that Satan will rule planet earth in the person of the Antichrist, the last 3.5 years before Jesus establishes Himself on the throne of David to rule for 1000 years before defeating Satan and rebellious humanity one final time. This last 3.5 years will complete the times of the Gentiles. During the Messiah’s Kingdom, the Jews in Israel will be the most honored among the nations. Jesus declared that had the Lord not intervened to cut this time short, all flesh on earth would be destroyed.
Frankly, that last statement is one of the main reasons I believe we are so close to this time. The ability for man to destroy himself is fast becoming more of a probability than a possibility. Add that to the rebirth of Israel as a nation, continual wars and rumors of wars, the increase in earthquake frequency and intensity, and the alignment of the nations as predicted in Ezekiel 38-39 (which will be addressed in future posts), it’s hard to understand how everyone doesn’t see the handwriting on the wall.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Comparing Olivet and Revelation's First 5 Seals
The first thing Jesus tells the disciples is that “many” will come on the scene claiming to be the Messiah, and they will deceive many. The question becomes, “How will they be so convincing?” The answer is found in Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” We are a people that tend to embrace the adage “seeing is believing.” The truth is that you can’t believe everything you see. What you see can be deceiving, and the time is coming when these false Messiahs and false prophets will become more and more convincing. They will do great miracles, but these miracles will be of Satanic origin.
Next the Lord tells the disciples that they will hear of “wars and rumors of wars.” The Lord then states that this should not terrify them because these things are necessary to the fulfillment of God’s overall plan. Jesus goes on to state that these conflicts will involve nation vs. nation and kingdom vs. kingdom. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Jewish Christian biblical scholar, this is a Jewish idiom referencing world war—an event unique to the 20th century.
Along with these world conflicts, humanity will also experience famines, pestilences, earthquakes, troubles, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Matthew and Mark record that these signs are identified as the “beginnings of sorrows,” a term that in the Greek is a reference to the pains of childbirth. This indicates that they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time for fulfillment draws near.
The disciples are then told that they will experience persecution, some to the point of death, because of their testimony and commitment to the Lord Jesus. The sad truth is that many will be betrayed by their parents, their brothers and sisters, and their children. Why will family turn on family? I think one of the keys is found in Matthews 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Iniquity is transgression of the law, and in context the reference would be to God’s law. When God’s law is ignored, then wickedness and unrighteousness become more prevalent. That in turn moves one further and further from the source of love. Another key is the impact of the teaching of false prophets. Religious impostors are always going to lead one away from the truth of God’s word. The further we get from God and His word, iniquity becomes more prevalent, and the more love vanishes from our way of life and the value of human life lessens. The apostle John summarized this truth in 1John 4:8, “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.”
It’s at this point that I can’t help but make a connection to the first five seals that are opened in Revelation 6. The birth and rise to power of the Antichrist will introduce the final false messiah and his false prophet and is represented by the first seal. History records the 20th century as the bloodiest century ever, and it began with the first “world” war. Wars and rumors of wars have steadily increased since that time. This readily corresponds to the rider on the red horse that is released with the opening of the second seal. According to Wikipedia, approximately 70 million people died from famine in the 20th century. As of December 29, 2007, the world’s population has exploded to over 6.5 billion people. A shortage of food for such a huge world population along with continuing inflation of world currency coincide directly with the release of the rider on the black horse at the opening of the third seal. Pestilence is a reference to plague and disease. An internet search will quickly reveal that diseases are on the increase worldwide and that new diseases are emerging as a result of man’s impact on the world’s ecology and environment. The opening of the fourth seal releases a rider on a pale horse that represents the deaths of one-fourth of mankind due to wars, hunger (resulting from famine and a large poor population), and diseases. The opening of the fifth seal is a picture of the martyred believers throughout the church age. The connection between these “signs” and the first five seals are too strong for coincidence in my opinion. I believe the first seal was opened when the future Antichrist, whom I believe is already on the world stage, was born or when he first became a player in national or international politics. I don’t think the exact timing can be known except in retrospect. When that timing is known, the obvious parallel between these signs identified by Jesus and their increase in frequency and intensity will fit the prophetic outline to the smallest detail.
Next the Lord tells the disciples that they will hear of “wars and rumors of wars.” The Lord then states that this should not terrify them because these things are necessary to the fulfillment of God’s overall plan. Jesus goes on to state that these conflicts will involve nation vs. nation and kingdom vs. kingdom. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Jewish Christian biblical scholar, this is a Jewish idiom referencing world war—an event unique to the 20th century.
Along with these world conflicts, humanity will also experience famines, pestilences, earthquakes, troubles, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Matthew and Mark record that these signs are identified as the “beginnings of sorrows,” a term that in the Greek is a reference to the pains of childbirth. This indicates that they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time for fulfillment draws near.
The disciples are then told that they will experience persecution, some to the point of death, because of their testimony and commitment to the Lord Jesus. The sad truth is that many will be betrayed by their parents, their brothers and sisters, and their children. Why will family turn on family? I think one of the keys is found in Matthews 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Iniquity is transgression of the law, and in context the reference would be to God’s law. When God’s law is ignored, then wickedness and unrighteousness become more prevalent. That in turn moves one further and further from the source of love. Another key is the impact of the teaching of false prophets. Religious impostors are always going to lead one away from the truth of God’s word. The further we get from God and His word, iniquity becomes more prevalent, and the more love vanishes from our way of life and the value of human life lessens. The apostle John summarized this truth in 1John 4:8, “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.”
It’s at this point that I can’t help but make a connection to the first five seals that are opened in Revelation 6. The birth and rise to power of the Antichrist will introduce the final false messiah and his false prophet and is represented by the first seal. History records the 20th century as the bloodiest century ever, and it began with the first “world” war. Wars and rumors of wars have steadily increased since that time. This readily corresponds to the rider on the red horse that is released with the opening of the second seal. According to Wikipedia, approximately 70 million people died from famine in the 20th century. As of December 29, 2007, the world’s population has exploded to over 6.5 billion people. A shortage of food for such a huge world population along with continuing inflation of world currency coincide directly with the release of the rider on the black horse at the opening of the third seal. Pestilence is a reference to plague and disease. An internet search will quickly reveal that diseases are on the increase worldwide and that new diseases are emerging as a result of man’s impact on the world’s ecology and environment. The opening of the fourth seal releases a rider on a pale horse that represents the deaths of one-fourth of mankind due to wars, hunger (resulting from famine and a large poor population), and diseases. The opening of the fifth seal is a picture of the martyred believers throughout the church age. The connection between these “signs” and the first five seals are too strong for coincidence in my opinion. I believe the first seal was opened when the future Antichrist, whom I believe is already on the world stage, was born or when he first became a player in national or international politics. I don’t think the exact timing can be known except in retrospect. When that timing is known, the obvious parallel between these signs identified by Jesus and their increase in frequency and intensity will fit the prophetic outline to the smallest detail.
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Olivet Discourse
The next section of prophecy in scripture I want to write about is popularly known as “The Olivet Discourse.” It is found in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. This is the last major teaching that Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion. I think it is important because in it, the Lord tells believers how to recognize the signs that indicate that His second coming is near. Many people in the church seem to think that it isn’t necessary for Christians to be knowledgeable in this area. I am convinced they are wrong. Jesus was very clear in His first coming that the religious leaders in particular should have recognized Him from the teaching of the prophets.
Matthew 16:1-4 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 lowring. 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.
We need to be able to recognize that time is short and share the message of salvation with as many as possible as soon as possible.
Again, I am going to summarize my understanding of these sections of scripture using Matthew as the base text. A more detailed parallel verse-by-verse study can be found at my website.
I think it is important to note that Jesus is talking to His disciples about His second coming to earth to establish His earthly kingdom—not the rapture. The teaching of the “rapture” was introduced by the Apostle Paul. “Rapture” is the term applied to the time when Jesus will come to take the church, His bride, home to the Father’s house (as described in John 14) before expending His wrath on the inhabitants of planet earth. Although there are no signs given that are associated with the rapture, common sense dictates that if we are seeing the signs of the second coming, the rapture is to be expected prior to that. Though the rapture could occur at any time, I believe it will not occur until just prior to the last seven years before Jesus establishes His earthly kingdom. God never leaves mankind without a witness to His message of salvation. The true church is God’s witness at this time. Once it is removed, He will send the two witnesses we learned about in Revelation 11 and will raise up the 144,000 Jewish witnesses we learned about in Revelation 7.
Matthew 16:1-4 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 lowring. 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.
We need to be able to recognize that time is short and share the message of salvation with as many as possible as soon as possible.
Again, I am going to summarize my understanding of these sections of scripture using Matthew as the base text. A more detailed parallel verse-by-verse study can be found at my website.
I think it is important to note that Jesus is talking to His disciples about His second coming to earth to establish His earthly kingdom—not the rapture. The teaching of the “rapture” was introduced by the Apostle Paul. “Rapture” is the term applied to the time when Jesus will come to take the church, His bride, home to the Father’s house (as described in John 14) before expending His wrath on the inhabitants of planet earth. Although there are no signs given that are associated with the rapture, common sense dictates that if we are seeing the signs of the second coming, the rapture is to be expected prior to that. Though the rapture could occur at any time, I believe it will not occur until just prior to the last seven years before Jesus establishes His earthly kingdom. God never leaves mankind without a witness to His message of salvation. The true church is God’s witness at this time. Once it is removed, He will send the two witnesses we learned about in Revelation 11 and will raise up the 144,000 Jewish witnesses we learned about in Revelation 7.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Prophecy Perspectives Revisited
I decided to review this list before beginning the next section of study on this blog. The list has been reordered and clarified as follows:
My prophetic perspectives according to scripture at this time:
1. Jesus is coming to reign as King on planet earth for 1000 years before ushering in His eternal kingdom that will only be enjoyed by those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
2. God will fulfill His covenant to Abraham through the nation of Israel.
3. The church has not replaced Israel; it has been grafted into special relationship with Israel to God through the provision of Jesus Christ.
4. The 70th week of Daniel is a 7-year period during which God will refine Israel to produce a believing remnant that will enter Christ’s millennial Kingdom and experience the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. This period of time is often called the tribulation.
5. There is a time coming during which God will pour out His wrath on all the wicked on planet earth. This time of wrath will occur during the 7-year tribulation period.
6. The true body of believers will be delivered from that wrath through an event popularly known as the rapture.
7. A leader commonly identified as the Antichrist will emerge on the world stage to broker a covenant of peace between Israel and her enemies during the 7-year tribulation sometime after the rapture of the church.
8. Damascus will experience complete future destruction.
9. A Russian-led alliance of predominantly Moslem nations will attack Israel in the not so distant future and be miraculously destroyed by God’s supernatural intervention.
My prophetic perspectives according to scripture at this time:
1. Jesus is coming to reign as King on planet earth for 1000 years before ushering in His eternal kingdom that will only be enjoyed by those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
2. God will fulfill His covenant to Abraham through the nation of Israel.
3. The church has not replaced Israel; it has been grafted into special relationship with Israel to God through the provision of Jesus Christ.
4. The 70th week of Daniel is a 7-year period during which God will refine Israel to produce a believing remnant that will enter Christ’s millennial Kingdom and experience the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. This period of time is often called the tribulation.
5. There is a time coming during which God will pour out His wrath on all the wicked on planet earth. This time of wrath will occur during the 7-year tribulation period.
6. The true body of believers will be delivered from that wrath through an event popularly known as the rapture.
7. A leader commonly identified as the Antichrist will emerge on the world stage to broker a covenant of peace between Israel and her enemies during the 7-year tribulation sometime after the rapture of the church.
8. Damascus will experience complete future destruction.
9. A Russian-led alliance of predominantly Moslem nations will attack Israel in the not so distant future and be miraculously destroyed by God’s supernatural intervention.
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