Category: Last Days

Signs of the Last Days: Arrogance

The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write down some of the signs of what people we be like in the last days before Christ’s return to earth.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 2 Timothy 3:1–5 (NASB95)

What made Hitler and Napoleon attack Russia despite all sound wisdom and advice to the contrary? What is behind Satan’s thinking that he can defeat God? What motivates atheists to deny God’s existence, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary? One word – arrogance.

"The arrogance of your heart has deceived you... Obadiah 1:3 (NASB)

When we choose to spurn God and his wisdom and try to navigate life independently, God gives us over to darkness and deception, making us incapable of good judgment.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:21 (NLT)

Those who reject God, arrogantly assume that they have the intelligence and ability to guide their own destinies, forgetting that they would not exist without the continued sustaining influence of the Creator.

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:17 (NLT)

They try to control their environment, including other people. This is what is behind what some call the Babel principle of ever increasing government control.

Never for a moment do ungodly people suspect that they are actually being led into a deadly trap by someone who is incredibly clever, but insane – Satan.

Satan lacks any trace of wisdom or good judgment. This will lead to his ultimate defeat, just as Hitler’s and Napoleon’s lack of judgment destroyed them.

The arrogance of evil people relentlessly pushes them to go too far, so that their entire evil plan collapses under its own weight.

Evil never anticipates God’s incredible creativity and wisdom until it has been defeated by it.

Satan tried to displace God and was defeated. Now he wants to drag foolish people with him into the lake of fire.

He is working feverishly to lead the world into a gigantic revolt against God. Like lemmings, people who lack wisdom will be willing to march in lockstep off the cliff in pursuit of a doomed quest to be like God.

The Lord will eventually lose patience and at last will “put his foot down.”

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. Matthew 25:41 (NLT)

We dare not be among that number.

The Antidote

Here is a simple five-step plan to neutralize the poison of toxic arrogance.

  1. There is only one cure for the deception of arrogance. It is summed up in one word – repentance, which means to change the mind. We must humbly admit that we have been arrogant fools and ask God’s forgiveness.
  2. The next very important step is to surrender our lives to Jesus, the only one wise enough to direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
  3. Ask God for his wisdom, and he will give it to you. (James 1:5)
  4. Pray for a love of the truth that will allow you to navigate the perils of the deception during the Last Days
  5. Finally, trust Jesus completely. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)
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Should We Remain Optimistic in the Last Days?

Is it advisable to be optimistic as we are seeming to accelerate toward the Second Coming of Christ and the conclusion of the “last days”? Many people today believe we are on the precipice of descending into what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation. Jesus warned his disciples…

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Matthew 24:21 (NASB95)

There are two distinct ways of viewing what is going to happen on the earth prior to Jesus’ Second Coming: the futurist explanation and the partial preterist viewpoint.

The futurist position, often identified with dispensational theology, gained prominence in the early 1900s with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible. It holds that almost every one of the the biblical prophecies regarding the “end times” is yet to take place, disregarding 2000 years of church history and contradicting the insights of the early church “fathers.” The partial preterist position believes that most prophesied events have already taken place, being fulfilled mainly when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD, but some things still remain to take place in the future. I hold to the partial preterist viewpoint, but I will not be attempting to “prove” its validity in this article. If you wish to explore this position in depth, I recommend reading Victorious Eschatology by Eberle and Trench.

From the context, Jesus’ words quoted above clearly refer to the fall of Jerusalem, which was the most horrific thing that ever happened to the Jews with respect to intensity of suffering over a short period of time.

God’s wrath against the Jewish nation for rejecting and crucifying their Messiah was poured out, just as Jesus prophesied.

As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world—51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation. Luke 11:50–51 (NLT)

Jesus warned believers to leave the city when they saw the abomination of desolation (the Roman army) surrounding the city, which history said they obeyed by fleeing to surrounding areas before the Romans sealed off the city, thus avoiding the starvation and carnage that was experienced by those remaining in the city.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Luke 21:20–22 (NASB95)

If, as I believe, the Book of Daniel is primarily concerned with the first coming of the Messiah, his rejection and crucifixion, the rejection of the gospel by the Jews by and large, and the subsequent destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, then most of the futurist version of the end times (eschatology) falls apart.

The first coming of the Messiah completely surprised all the most learned Bible scholars and students. Only those who hearts were open to God’s surprise introduction of his promised one were able to perceive his true identity. Why would we expect his Second Coming to be any different? God loves to surprise us. His ways and thoughts are so very different from ours, that we are always surprised by how and when he does things.

I feel certain that the Second Coming and everything associated with it will be very different from what is generally expected, especially for those who hold to the futurist position.

Dispensational futurist eschatology holds that things will get darker and bleaker as the Second Coming approaches and we enter a time of great persecution with the advent of the one called the “antichrist.” On the bright side, many futurists believe that the church will be “raptured” (miraculously caught up to be with God) just prior to this time of evil. In fact, many pin their hope on this happening, which I believe is a mistake. There may yet come upon God’s people in the West a significant level of persecution, but can we overcome our cultural bias long enough to realize that God’s people around the world have been going through persecution and pressure (the meaning of the Greek word translated “tribulation”) for centuries? Are we in the West the only ones that God has promised to protect from the expected impending horror? What about those who died in the killing fields of Cambodia or the gulags in Soviet Russia? What about those who were put to death in Muslim nations or during the waves of Roman persecution? What about the many who were martyred by the Roman Catholic Church because they would not recant their stand on the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone during what is called the Counter reformation?

We in the West are often guilty of a kind of historical myopia that cannot see beyond our own experience.

But what if the partial preterist view is true? What if instead of being on the precipice of the Great Tribulation, which I contend already took place in 70 AD, we are on the verge of something wonderful instead? What if we are about to see God pour out his Spirit on “all flesh,” as prophesied in Joel 2:28? Don’t forget that can be considered an end time prophecy, too. What if we are going to see the knowledge of God’s glory fill the earth as the water covers the sea? (Habakkuk 2:14) What if God is about to turn the tide, much as he did when he drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea or when he raised Christ from the grave?

Jesus rose from the dead as the glorious and powerful Son of God and Lord of Lords, having disarmed and humiliated Satan and all his servants. (Colossians 2:15) Nevertheless, he left much for us to accomplish on his behalf. After a short time here on earth with his disciples, he ascended to heaven, where he sits at God’s right hand waiting for his Abba Father to complete the crushing of his enemies.

The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” Psalm 110:1 (NLT)

Jesus and the early church understood this verse to apply to Jesus (Mark 12:36 and Acts 2:34-35), and so should we. The time since Jesus’ ascension and the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost has been a time of Jesus’ waiting for his Father’s perfect timing to complete the process of crushing the head of the serpent. (Genesis 3:15) We, the church, will participate in that final victory, as taught by the apostle Paul.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Romans 16:20 (ESV)

Since the fall of man in the garden, unregenerate humanity, under the inspiration of the chief rebel, Satan, has been trying to throw off God’s rule and be his own god. Babel was a first concerted effort to pull this off, which God crushed.

Today we see another, perhaps final, last days push toward a world-wide anti-God government, but the Lord who sits in the heavens will not have it. He laughs at the futility of it all, and so should we.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. 3  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” 4  But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. 5  Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. 6  For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” Psalm 2:1-6 (NLT)

Jesus is the appointed king who currently rules from heaven, where, incidentally, we also sit. (Ephesians 2:6) His rule will soon be extended and enforced more fully on the earth as well, just as he taught us to pray – thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

God will not allow the nations to succeed in their desire to rid themselves of his appointed king. No matter what plans the devil and his minions put together, it will all come to nothing.

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. 11  But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. Psalm 33:10-11 (NLT)

Our God is shaking everything that can be shaken so that we will finally realize that our confidence must be in Christ alone. (Hebrews 12:27-28)

Those who willingly submit to Christ’s rule will be forgiven for previously participating in the satanic rebellion, made right with God, and brought into his forever family.

Those who refuse to accept this wonderful offer will be condemned. At some point, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! It is far better to do it now willingly than later under duress.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

Christ’s rule is our glorious future, but today we are in the midst of a world-wide “mopping up” operation.

The war was officially won when Jesus rose from the dead, and it will be officially concluded when he returns as the glorious Son of Man to judge the living and the dead. In the meantime, we must encourage ourselves with the thought that “God’s got this.”  We simply have no real idea of just how glorious and powerful he is and how completely able he is to humble and defeat his enemies. (Ephesians 1:19)

We cannot allow ourselves to be mesmerized or paralyzed by fear of what may be coming upon the world.

Jesus asked if he would find faith on the earth when he returned. (Luke 18:8) Who will he find who has kept his or her eyes firmly on God and his promises? Who will he find faithfully carrying out the Great Commission? Let us not be among them who have given up and “forted” up in our local churches awaiting the rapture. Let us continue to reach out to those around us with the gospel. Let us expend ourselves in teaching the next generation to follow Christ. Let us involve ourselves in practical matters of governance, rather than ceding that arena to the godless.

Let me conclude with the following verse.

Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9  He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10  “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” 11  The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalm 46:8-11 (NLT)

Remember: the devil is a liar. He wants us to believe for the worst. He continually broadcasts his narrative to the world in order to demoralize God’s people. But God is greater.

No matter how dark things may seem, we who serve Jesus have a glorious future.

Yes, we must be prepared to endure suffering, and none of us knows exactly how all this will play out; but, let’s be open to the idea that it may be quite different from what we expect. All we know for sure is that God is in control and his plan is glorious. His Son will be exalted in the earth, and we who serve him will rule and reign with him forever!

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Is Dispensational Theology at Odds with the New Covenant? Part 4

As we approach Jesus Second Coming, many people have come to believe dispensational theology which I will attempt to show is at odds with Jesus’ own words and the New Covenant in general. This is Part 4. You can read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 by clicking on the links.

Summary

Below are some guiding principles that have helped me arrive at my own conclusions regarding the end times, which I hold “loosely,” realizing that I certainly do not understand everything.

Principle #1: God does not relate to his people via “dispensations” but according to covenants, something that was clearly understood by the early reformers.

A decent book on this subject is The Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson. Since the beginning God has related to his creatures via covenants from the one made in the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant inaugurated by our Lord Jesus. Each successive covenant built upon the previous ones, and all pointed to Christ, except for the Mosaic Covenant of Law, which was its own entity that would fade away after the coming of the Messiah. The New Covenant fulfills and expands all previous covenants, except for the Mosaic Covenant, which it fulfilled and abolished. This is no small matter because it influences how we view the entirety of Bible history.

Principle #2: Israel in the New Covenant is defined as all those who put their faith in Christ from every people group, including both Jews and Gentiles.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. Romans 9:6–8 (NASB95)

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:29 (NASB95)

Principle #3: The “one new man” in Christ is the focal point of God’s plan going forward.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, Ephesians 2:14–15 (NASB95)

Principle #4: The New Covenant is either the fulfillment and expansion of the previous covenants, or, as in the case of the Mosaic Covenant of Law, its fulfillment and abolition. The New Covenant leaves nothing undone or unfulfilled in the previous ones.

The Bible teaches that the New Covenant is a complete change from what preceded it, especially the covenant of Law under Moses. This is because the Mosaic covenant depended on our faithfulness to keep the Law for us to obtain God’s blessings. The Bible teaches that no one is able to do that; so, the Mosaic covenant brings judgment upon us instead of blessings. The New Covenant depends upon the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus, who kept the Law’s stipulations on our behalf, rather than on our own performance. It is radically different.

For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Hebrews 8:8–10 (NASB95)
If you wish to read more about the New Covenant, click here.

The New Covenant is focused on Christ, not the nation of Israel. What preceded the New Covenant can be thought of as providing us with promises and shadows or types of what was to come in Christ, but not the full revelation.

The true meaning of the previous covenants cannot be understood outside of Christ.

All the covenants before the New pointed to what Christ would accomplish through his death and resurrection. If our teaching or theology of the end times does not feature the centrality of Christ, it is false. (Ephesians 1:10) This means that whatever happens in the end times will glorify our Lord and what he accomplished on behalf of God’s elect.

Just as nothing can pass from this mortal life into immortality unless it is first transformed, all the previous covenants were transformed in Christ and find their eternal significance in him.

Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Christ (Luke 24:27), who fulfilled the types and shadows of the previous covenants.

This means that Old Testament scriptures are interpreted, explained, or expanded by New Covenant revelation.

It can never be the other way around. We do not interpret the New Testament by imposing the Old Covenant scriptures upon it. That would be going backward and away from the centrality of Christ.

Principle #5: What God revealed in Christ and is doing in the end times will fulfill what is revealed in the New Covenant.

The types and shadows of the Old can add texture and depth of meaning for us, but never restrict us to an Old Covenant understanding.

Examples of the Old Covenant Being Fulfilled or Expanded in the New

Descendants

God promised Abraham that he would have descendants and land. These descendants would become the Israelite nation, but even in Genesis, God told Abraham that we would be the father of nations, a clear hint that, through Christ, God would include people from every nation on the earth.

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Romans 4:18 (NASB95)

The Jews in Jesus’ band of disciples also had a narrow view of what he came to do, thinking that it mainly pertained to their own nation. What followed Christ’s resurrection, however, revealed that the gospel would go to the nations.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20 (NASB95)

This was always God’s plan, period, not plan B, as the Dispensationalists claim. Isaiah revealed a conversation between Father and Son at some time immemorial.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)

Land

The promise of land given to Abraham was understood in the Old Testament to include Canaan, extending to the borders conquered during the reigns of David and Solomon. The New Testament, however, reveals that God  expanded that promise of land to include the entire recreated earth.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NASB95)

Some argue that Matthew used the Greek word “ge” for earth, which can also be translated “land,” meaning the promised land of Israel. Interestingly, however, Jesus quoted Psalm 37:11, which uses the Hebrew world “eretz,” which is the same word used in Genesis 1:1, where the clear meaning is the entire earth. In addition, Paul adds that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the cosmos, a word that cannot be limited to Canaan.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world [kosmos] was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13 (NASB95)

Kingship

The messianic promise God made to David that one of his descendants would reign upon the throne of Israel forever has been expanded in the New Covenant.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (NASB95)

Christ now sits at the right hand of God and will return in the clouds in glory at the right hand of power to judge the living and the dead.

But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:31–34 (NASB95)
Examples of the Abolition of Old Covenant Types and Shadows after Christ

Dietary Laws

Old Covenant dietary laws were abolished with the advent of the New Covenant. Jesus taught this, and the Holy Spirit later revealed this to Peter in Acts 11. Jesus makes us “clean” through the offering of his blood. We no longer need to be concerned with maintaining ceremonial purity.

And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. Mark 7:18–20 (NASB95)

Peter, who had been trained all his life to maintain ritual purity by avoiding “unclean” foods, had great difficulty accepting this new freedom provided by our Lord. A word to the wise: we are easily brainwashed into believing lies; so, it is difficult for us to overcome what we have previously believed, even when we are exposed to the truth.

Animal Sacrifices

Old Covenant animal sacrifices were also done away with after Christ offered himself as the Lamb of God for our sins. His perfect sacrifice eradicated the need for animals to be offered.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; Hebrews 10:3–5 (NASB95)

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:18 (NASB95)

The Temple

Some forty years after the crucifixion and resurrection, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, just as Jesus and Daniel had predicted. Animal sacrifice ceased because the Jews no longer had a place to perform them. My personal conviction is that it would be a horrible abomination against Christ to re-institute such sacrifices. They have been abolished by God.

The Old Covenant temple was God’s habitation of sorts, although he cannot truly be contained, but now the Holy Spirit inhabits each individual believer and the church as a whole, which is the new temple of God.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)

God destroyed the old temple because he is no longer concerned with bricks and mortar. The New Covanant temple is made of people. If the temple were rebuilt, as some believe will happen, and if animal sacrifices are re-instituted, it will not honor God the Father or the risen Lamb of God. Their time of significance has passed.

The Role of Israel in the End Times

In the Old Testament, Israel served in a couple of notable ways. First, Paul wrote that God used them to receive and safeguard the scriptures. Secondly, he used them to bring the Messiah into the world. They fulfilled both of these tasks. However, they had a less glorious role, too. They betrayed the Messiah and had him executed. As a whole, the Jewish people still reject their Messiah.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another – the church.

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. Matthew 21:43 (NASB95)

Stephen indicted those in his hearing with the stinging judgment that they always resist the Holy Spirit.

You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Acts 7:51 (NASB95)

His martyrdom effectively ended the gospel being prioritized to the Jews. From then forward it went primarily to the nations, although a remnant of Jews have come to Christ over the centuries. Nothing has changed since then. The Jews by and large still reject their Messiah and resist the Holy Spirit, as do most other people in the world.

It seems to me that Jesus taught that the Jews lost their chance to accept their Messiah as a nation. He gave no indication that they would get another one, although God in his mercy may yet do something amazing with them.

Principle #6: Just as the Law faded away after Christ’s coming, and John the Baptist decreased in significance after introducing the Messiah, I believe Israel’s role diminished greatly, even faded away, after the crucifixion, and certainly after the stoning of Stephen and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

To expect God to raise up the Jewish nation to worldwide prominence in the end times is the same error the early apostles made. That was not Christ’s mission. He came to redeem the elect out of the entire earth and release creation from the bondage of sin.

Dispensationalism has influenced Christians all over the world to give uncritical allegiance to the state of Israel, which is, for the most part, completely ungodly.

It is likely that we will discover that it, like the United States, has committed many atrocities. That nation’s Moussad has likely worked against our nation. Will God yet save a significant portion of Jewish people in the land of Israel at the very end? He may. He is full of surprises and loves to show mercy. I hope that happens, but to make such a happening a central part of our eschatology is probably a mistake. I believe the Lord wants us to keep our focus on Christ and expect him to do exploits through his worldwide church in the last days. Come, Lord Jesus!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
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Is Dispensational Theology at Odds with the New Covenant? Part 3

As we approach Jesus Second Coming, many people have come to believe dispensational theology which I will attempt to show is at odds with Jesus’ own words and the New Covenant in general. This is Part 3. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 by clicking on the links.

Dispensationalists like to point to the following verses to contend for their belief that God is going to eventually save the people of Israel.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved...” Romans 11:25–26a (NASB95)

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:28–29 (NASB95)

“All Israel” in Romans 11:26 is thought by many to mean all those Jews who are alive at that time, at least those present in the environs of Jerusalem when Christ appears. It is indeed possible that Christ will appear to many descendants of Abraham in a special way at the very end, as seems to be indicated by Zechariah.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10 (NASB95)

However, Paul made it clear earlier in his letter to the church in Rome that only a remnant of those descended from Abraham will be saved, those foreknown by him, the elect from among the Jews.

And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed [remnant], We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29 (NKJV)

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew... Romans 11:1–2a (NASB95)

Nowhere does Paul indicate that the entire nation will be saved, except potentially in Romans 11:26. However, we cannot interpret that verse in such a way that would undo what he stated previously, that only the elect remnant will be saved. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself. In addition, we cannot redefine Israel in a different way than Paul already did. The Israel of God now consists of both Jew and Gentile who have reborn of the Spirit. (Romans 2:29, Romans 9:6, Galatians 3:29, and Philippians 3:3)

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. Romans 11:5 (NLT)

God’s plan is to save a remnant from Israel, as he is doing from all mankind. This agrees with the larger idea that Christ redeemed those whom the Father chose from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to be a part of his Body, the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

God’s focus in the end times is on Christ and his bride, the church, which is composed of people drawn from every people group on the earth.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95)

This new creation people is much grander than the Old Covenant nation of Israel.

God has enlarged the narrow Old Testament concept of the kingdom of God under monarchs such as David and Solomon. God’s focus now is King Jesus, the Lord of all, who will reign from the heavenly Jerusalem over a recreated earth, with the Bride, the church, at his side.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 (NASB95)

Paul taught that the Old Jerusalem of his day was still in bondage because it refused to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. Galatians 4:25–26 (NASB95)

Jesus said that the Jewish religious leaders of his day were of the devil.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB95)

John the Baptist and Jesus called them a “brood of vipers.” (Matthew 3:7, Matthew 12:34, and Matthew 23:33) John told them not to count on being physical descendants of Abraham. God is only interested in those who demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, those who are born again. He warned them that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from “stones.” (Matthew 3:9) The new birth transforms any people, no matter whether Jew or Gentile, into spiritual children of Abraham, the only kind of children God accepts. God will take anyone who responds to the gospel and declares allegiance to King Jesus and is fashioning them into a spiritual temple made of living stones.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)

The Book of Revelation reveals that Jesus called those Jews who do not accept his lordship as the “synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews but are not.” (Revelation 2:9) Paul wrote that the only true Jew is one who is spiritually circumcised through the new birth. (Romans 2:28-29) All others are imposters.

Talmudic Judaism has turned its back on the God of the Bible and his Messiah.

Please do not think that I am antisemitic or against Jewish people. I simply do not accept that they are the “good guys” any more than I think any other nation should be thought of in that way. Talmudic Jews, who believe that they are destined to rule the world, think of Gentiles, goyim, as mere chattel to be used by them. They are no different from followers of Islam or communism, the Mafia, cartels, or globalists, who all desire to rule the world and exploit or even destroy anyone who gets in the way. The United States, my own homeland, which is supposedly a bastion of liberty and justice for all, over the years has acted in self-centered and tyrannical ways,  using its money, power, and influence to get our way in the world. No one can claim the moral high ground from which to  judge others. However, it is important that we view the Jews no differently than any other people group, in view of the New Covenant.

God loves Jews and wants to save them through the gospel, but they are not a “special” people with an elevated status. At the foot of the cross, the ground is level.

At this moment, all believers are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:5–6 (NASB95)

Our destiny as the bride of Christ,  composed of Jews and Gentiles is to co-rule with him. (Revelation 21:2)

If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 2 Timothy 2:12 (NASB95)

To believe that the Jews will be elevated to a special status over Gentile believers is a corruption of the gospel’s clear teaching about “one new man” in Christ and is to be rejected. Instead, we are to understand that the mystery is that God will reveal his splendid wisdom through the church, not the nation of Israel.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:4–11 (NASB95)

God’s eternal purpose is bound up in Christ and the church, not the nation of Israel, whose time of importance has passed.

Footnotes
* "Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1)" by Jon Brodhagen.

If you wish to read more about Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology, click here and here.
If you wish to learn more about an alternate view of the end times, I recommend Harold Eberle's book, Victorious Eschatology.
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Is Dispensational Theology at Odds with the New Covenant? Part 2

As we approach Jesus Second Coming, many people have come to believe dispensational theology which I will attempt to show is at odds with Jesus’ own words and the New Covenant in general. This is part 2. You can read part 1 by clicking here.

The covenantal view, which I believe better agrees with scripture, holds that throughout history God has made promises or covenants with mankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden after Adam’s sin. There he promised to send a Messiah who would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15). God expanded this promise when he covenanted with Abraham that one of his descendants would be blessing to the entire earth (Genesis 22:18). The Abrahamic covenant made it clear that the blessing was not to be restricted to Israel. To David God promised that one of his descendants would rule God’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). We now see through the lens of hindsight that Jesus perfectly fulfilled these promises, as the first apostles taught (Acts 2:30-32, Acts 3:25).

The New Covenant fulfilled and extended all the previous covenants, except for the Mosaic Law, which it fulfilled and subsequently abolished (Ephesians 2:15)

Much to the surprise of the early Jewish Christians, the New Covenant includes both Jews and Gentiles. The Body of Christ, which Paul calls “one new man,” is made up of all people who confess allegiance to Jesus the Lord (Colossians 1:26-27).

The New Testament makes it clear that Israel is now defined as those who are born again by the Spirit of God.

There is no distinction any longer between Jew and Gentile, male and female, free and slave, rich and poor, young and old, etc. We are all one in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:28–29 (NASB95)

The above passage in itself destroys dispensationalism. It also brings into question whether the current nation of Israel has any connection whatsoever with the kingdom of God.

Everything in the Bible and God’s historical interactions with people points to Jesus. God’s plan culminates in our Lord, who will have first place in all things.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:18 (NASB95)

The old covenant patterns and types all pointed to Christ. The feasts of Israel point to Christ, who either has or will perfectly fulfill them. (Click here to read more about the feasts.) The sacrifices under the old covenant all pointed to Christ’s perfect sacrifice of himself as God’s Lamb. (Click here to read more about sacrifices.) The Law pointed to Christ in that it showed us how much we need a savior. However, once Christ, the perfect fulfillment of the old covenant patterns and promises arrived, the old covenant faded away.

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB95)

Once a person, nation, or institution fulfills its purpose in introducing our Lord, it is fitting for it to move out of the picture so Christ will be have first place.

This was true in the case of John the Baptist, who receded into the background once he introduced Jesus.

“He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 “He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:29–31 (NASB95)

This was also the case with the Law of Moses. It’s purpose was to define what is righteous and to lead us to Christ. Once it fulfills its purpose, it no longer has the forefront.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:24–25 (NASB95)

The destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army was a giant exclamation point stamped on God’s judgment and rejection of the Jewish nation for its absolute refusal to recognize and come under the lordship of their Messiah, Jesus.

Jesus warned that this would take place.

“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 “But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” Matthew 21:37–41 (NASB95)

“But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. Matthew 22:7 (NASB95)

“What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:9 (NASB95)

The early church clearly understood that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was Jesus’ vindication. God punished those who rejected their Messiah and handed the kingdom of God over to another “nation” or people that would produce fruit for him.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. Matthew 21:43–45 (NASB95)

That other nation or people is the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles, all who have believed the gospel and been born again into God’s kingdom.

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9 (NASB95)

The royal priesthood of the New Covenant offers spiritual sacrifices of praise and obedience to God, rather than the now defunct animal sacrifices. Animal sacrifices were never able to provide forgiveness for sins (Hebrews 10:4). They were always only a picture of the sacrifice that Jesus would make at Calvary as God’s Lamb, who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Now that the perfect has come, the old order of things has become a stench in God’s nostrils because holding on to it represents rebellion and rejection of the New Covenant.

This is why legalism is so deadly. Whenever we try to blend old covenant forms with new covenant grace, we create a hybrid that is something foreign to God. Therefore, to rebuild the Temple and re-institute animal sacrifices would continue the Jew’s rebellion against God and their rejection of his Messiah.

In fact, it can be argued that the present day existence of the nation of Israel is a direct affront to God because it represents their defiance of his judgment against them.

As Jesus prophesied, God destroyed that nation in 70 AD, but Zionists, who are not dedicated to the God of the Old Testament and certainly not to Jesus, have rebuilt it with the help of wealthy bankers, England, and other nations. It is not as if the Jewish people as a whole have ever shown any trace of repentance and faith toward Jesus. Only a relatively small number of those whom God chose before the foundation of the world have turned to Christ. Most people who populate Israel and call themselves Jews are basically secular, having no interest in Jesus at all, except in a negative way.

The whole idea of Christians backing the reestablishment and defense of the nation of Israel is derived from Dispensationalism, which argues that it is our moral duty to support secular Israel, no matter what, on pains of incurring God’s judgment if we fail to do so. Such a threat of being cursed by God is antithetical to the New Covenant. Our loyalty is to Jesus, not the nation of Israel. The promise that God would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who cursed him (Genesis 12:3) cannot be extended to present day unrepentant Israel. Abraham was a man of faith who walked with God through whom God would bring the Messiah. Present day Israel is not serving God, living by faith, or honoring the Messiah.

Those who are called Jews are no different from any other people with regard to their need for salvation through the gospel.

Every person, whether Jew or Gentile, is guilty of sin and stands under God’s judgment. Unless we repent and believe the gospel and acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord, we cannot be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Anyone who properly responds to the gospel will be saved and become part of God’s people, the church, the new nation to whom Jesus has turned over his kingdom. There is no other way to be saved, except through Jesus. The Jews are not a special people with a special way to have a right standing with God. There is only one way for Jew and Gentile alike. (Acts 4:12)

Footnotes
* "Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1)" by Jon Brodhagen.

If you wish to read more about Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology, click here and here.
If you wish to learn more about an alternate view of the end times, I recommend Harold Eberle's book, Victorious Eschatology.
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Is Dispensational Theology at Odds with the New Covenant? Part 1

As we approach Jesus Second Coming, many people have come to believe dispensational theology which I will attempt to show is at odds with Jesus’ own words and the New Covenant in general. 

Dispensationalism arose within the last 150 years; it is a system of interpretation for reading and understanding the Bible. It is distinct from, and incompatible with, the covenant theology held by our Reformed tradition and other Christians over the past 2,000 years of church history. A key aspect of dispensationalism is its unique views regarding the end-times events laid out in the Bible. Yet, more central to its uniqueness is its separation of Israel and the church. While covenant theology holds to the historic view that the Old Testament people of Israel and the Church are one covenant people in God’s redemptive plan throughout history, dispensationalism introduces a unique view: that God has a different plan for salvation for ethnic Israel (the Jewish people) and the Christian church.*

Central to this theology is the contention that God relates to man primarily on the basis of dispensations of grace. This conflicts with the reformed view of scripture, which holds that God has always related to mankind through covenants, about which you can read by clicking here.

Below is a graphic representation of the rather complicated dispensational scheme as developed by Clarence Larkin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Link

As can be seen, the above graphic neatly lays out the dispensational timeline. It seems to fit in many ways, but is generally incorrect because some of its presuppositions are false.

If our presuppositions are incorrect, so will be our conclusions.

The dispensational system of biblical interpretation first crystalized in the mid-1800s due to the ministry of John Nelson Darby with the Plymouth Brethren in Great Britain and Ireland. One of the emphases of the Plymouth Brethren movement was their anticipation for Christ to return at any time (and likely within their generation)… Darby stressed the two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church—a sharp division between the Old and New Testaments in how God dealt with those peoples—and he adopted a futuristic understanding of Revelation, in which God would remove the church from the world and finish his prophetic promises to the people of Israel.*

(I have written elsewhere about the various approaches to interpreting end time scriptures. I personally do hold to a futuristic view because I do not think it comports with most scripture. I recommend the book, Victorious Eschatology by Eberle and Trent, if you want to learn more about the partial preterist position.)

The idea of a “rapture” developed from the combination of this new distinction between Israel and the Church, end-times fervor, and ecstatic revivalism. Out of these, dispensationalists developed the idea that in this rapture (which would occur before the coming tribulation), God would remove the church from the world before their futuristic understanding of the events described in Revelation would occur. The first known articulation of a “pre-trib rapture” came from fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald in the form of an ecstatic prophetic utterance at a prayer meeting in her brother’s home in western Scotland, 1830 (MacPherson). Darby further popularized this view among the Plymouth Brethren and exported it from Great Britain to America. In America, Cyrus Scofield popularized these doctrines with his immensely popular Scofield Reference Bible, which was one of the first study Bibles, and contained dispensational commentary throughout the text of Scripture. The Scofield Reference Bible’s pessimistic views towards the history of the Church in the world, and the timing of its publication on the eve of World War I, cemented the idea into the evangelical psyche that the world was getting progressively more evil and would continue in that way until the Antichrist would arise after the Church was raptured out of the world.*

I have written elsewhere that I think the rapture is a false hope and will not comment further here.

During the Cold War, in the 1960s through the 1980s, dispensationalism went mainstream into the wider culture with the publication of Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth and Edgar Whisenant’s book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. As dispensationalism matured in the 20th century, confidence was stirred in its views when the modern nation of Israel was birthed in 1948, and when it miraculously won the Six-Day War in 1967 against a coalition of Arab states. In light of these historical developments, many dispensational teachers and groups continued the trend from 19th-century religious movements to believe that the current generation was the last generation before Christ’s return. Many dispensational ministers (e.g. Edgar Whisenant, Harold Camping, Chuck Smith, and others) would set specific dates or a range of years for Christ’s expected return. As the year 2000 approached, rapture fever increased and was fueled by the fictional Left Behind franchise of books and movies by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, which presented dispensational end-times views in story form. *

I became a follower of Christ in 1971 and was inundated with this view of the end times. In my early days this was the predominant, if not only, view of the end times to which I was exposed. It was not until later that I became aware of alternate ways of interpreting the Bible regarding the end times.

Dispensationalists believe that the Jews’ official rejection of Jesus Christ was a significant moment in history that essentially stopped the “prophetic clock” in Scripture. They teach that the prophetic promises in Daniel, Matthew 24-25, and Revelation are now on hold during the dispensation or “age” of the Church, which has lasted 2,000 years (from Pentecost to today). According to dispensationalism, the Church exists in a parenthesis in prophetic history, as they believe the prophetic promises described in the Bible are for the people of Israel, and that the “true” Church will be raptured before the prophetic events described by Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostle John are destined to occur (during the Tribulation, and before the Millennium, when according to dispensationalists, Christ will finally rule as the Messianic King on Earth).*

Since dispensationalists are futurists, they do not generally take into account what has already taken place in church history. I have written elsewhere my position that Daniel’s prophecies describe the coming of the Messiah, his crucifixion, and the subsequent destruction of the Jewish nation and Temple.

Having restored Israel to nationhood status in 1948, dispensationalism teaches that God is actively protecting the nation of Israel. In this scenario, Israel is largely the focus of what God is doing in the end times. One could say this is an Israel-based eschatology.

As these dispensations are different ages in which God is doing different things, the dispensationalists believe that God was doing something different during the time of the Mosaic covenant from the New Covenant initiated by Christ. They completely distinguish between Israel and the Church, and believe that they have separate future destinies. According to them, the Church did not exist in the Old Testament and did not begin until Pentecost. Therefore, all the promises made to the people of Israel, in particular the physical blessings, are only for Israel and not the Church. L.S. Chafer wrote:

“The dispensationalist believes that throughout the ages, God is pursuing two distinct purposes: one related to the earth with earthly people and earthly objectives involved, while the other is related to heaven with heavenly people and heavenly objectives involved” (Chafer, Dispensationalism).*

 

Footnotes
* "Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1)" by Jon Brodhagen.

If you wish to read more about Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology, click here and here.
If you wish to learn more about an alternate view of the end times, I recommend Harold Eberle's book, Victorious Eschatology.
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Identifying the Antichrist Spirit

The Bible tells us of a coming Antichrist. How do we identify this individual or individuals? The apostle John wrote the following warning:

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 1 John 2:18 (NLT)

The antichrist spirit resists the rule of our Lord Jesus, the risen lord to whom belongs all glory and authority. Satan hates and opposes God and his rule, and those under his influence do the same. Some who are under Satan’s sway have enormous influence and wealth provided by their dark master. (Luke 4:6) The entire world system is in rebellion (1 John 5:19, James 4:4) to God and operates by deception. (Revelation 12:9) It is a satanic kingdom. (Colossians 1:13) The more a person abandons himself to the antichrist spirit, the more thorough is the satanic influence.

The Bible informs us that a spirit of antichrist actively opposes the gospel and the spreading rule of Christ in the world.

Over the centuries, certain leaders have embodied this spirit in a clear and dramatic fashion. They are always bloodthirsty men who go after God’s people. Entire nations and cultures can come under the sway of this spirit.

Initially, the Jews manifested the antichrist spirit by putting their Messiah, the Christ, to death. They also were the principal persecutors of those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ. Later Rome took up the torch of the antichrist Spirit by violently persecuting Christians. The Emperor Nero fulfilled the 666 warning found in Revelation. That was the number of his name in Hebrew. Revelation was written to the believers who lived during that time of intense suffering for the gospel.

Those of the Scofield Dispensational version of eschatology do not accept that Nero fulfilled the warning in Revelation and from Paul in 2 Timothy 2:3. They believe another antichrist will arise in the Last Days, who will persecute Jew and Christian alike. (You read more about the various eschatological views by clicking here.)

Regardless of which doctrine of the end times we adopt, we know that many antichrists have come and gone because the spirit of antichrist never dies.

It maintains its influence in the earth because there are plenty of people who are willing to sell their souls to the devil to obtain worldly wealth, fame, and power.  What are the characteristics of the antichrist spirit? How can we quickly recognize its activity and ward off its influence?

Denial of the Validity of God’s Word.
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

Denying the truth of the God’s words, the Bible, is a primary way to circumvent God’s authority in our lives.

The serpent injected doubt into Eve’s heart, leading her to question and disobey God’s clear command, which brought death and destruction to the entire earth. This spirit is doing the same thing today. We see its activity in the media, our universities and public schools, the halls of congress, and in mainline denominations, where there has been an embracing of anti-biblical positions regarding creation, marriage, sexuality, gender, and abortion, to name a few.

Once the standard of biblical truth is rejected, the door is open for all manner of deception and evil.

Denial of Christ’s Lordship

There can only be one Lord, and Satan desires to have that position in the world. When people follow a person filled with the antichrist spirit, it amounts to an indirect worship of Satan. Jesus called the devil the prince of this world (John 12:31). At the cross, Satan tried to eliminate Jesus, the lawful heir to God’s kingdom, only to see our Lord completely turn the tables on him by returning to life after three days.

The antichrist spirit still vainly attempts to strip Christ of his glory and honor by denying his identity as the risen Lord and persecuting his followers.

Even if Satan cannot defeat our Lord, he gains a sort of Pyrrhic victory by taking with him to hell as many people as he can. It should astound us that people believe such a liar and follow him into eternal darkness and pain.

And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 1 John 2:22 (NLT)
Persecution of God’s Elect

Jesus taught that the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and that he was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Satan hates and seeks to kill God’s people because they are destined to co-rule with Christ and share the glory of their Redeemer – King.

He tried to usurp that glory for himself (Isaiah 14:13), but was put out of heaven for his rebellion. (Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 12:9, and Luke 10:18) It galls the devil to see God’s people, all those born of the Spirit, be freely given everything for which he lusted. The devil is the quintessential bully. If he cannot have what he wants, he wants to prevent others from obtaining it.

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:19 (NLT)
Massive Deception

Jesus taught us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and there is no truth in him. He is a cunning master deceiver who knows how to lie boldly and to subtly twist the truth.

Those with the antichrist spirit  will be a master deceivers and use intrigue to enslave the masses (Daniel 8:23-25).

Jesus warned us that the end time deception will be so great that even the chosen of God will stand in danger of being swept away.

Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25  See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26  “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27  For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:23-27 (NLT)

The Muslims teach that Jesus did not actually die, but swooned, was revived, and later was assumed into heaven, where he waits to return in order to join their Mahdi or Messiah in converting people to Islam under pain of death. If that scenario plays out, we will need to remind ourselves of Jesus’ warning above. Whoever this person may end up being, it cannot be the true Lord Jesus because he does not serve Mohammad or Allah. Those who are not firmly grounded in the Bible and possess a love of the truth will be in grave peril.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9  This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NLT)
Violence
At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24  He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. Daniel 8:23-24 (NLT)

Wherever Satan reigns, violence and chaos are the order of the day.

The antichrist spirit does not flinch from using violence to accomplish its purposes. That is why Jesus will violently destroy the antichrist, consigning him to the lake of fire along with his master, Satan.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

 

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

No matter if Dispensationalists are correct and a terrible time of tribulation is coming upon the earth or if the Post-millennialists are correct and a time of God’s kingdom expansion is coming, we must be prepared to suffer for the gospel if required. Here are some keys to overcoming by faith during such a time.

  • Faith. The first thing we need to know is that Jesus has all authority, which includes complete sovereignty over Satan, the antichrist spirit, world governments, and current events. Nothing gets by him. Nothing can touch God’s people without God’s permission, limitations, and oversight. In other words, we can trust the Lord, no matter how crazy things may get. (Romans 8:28)
  • Allegiance. We are privileged to declare our allegiance to the one true Lord and King, Jesus the Messiah or Christ. We do this both verbally and through water baptism. Let us make a firm commitment to worship, serve, and tell others about him. We should also make a stand on the validity and truthfulness of the Bible.
  • Courage. It takes courage to stand for truth when the spirit of antichrist mocks and threatens us. The Holy Spirit is our source of comfort and strength, who will see us through.
  • Community. God instituted the church to be a strong community of support. If we are not already of member of a community of believers, we should make it a priority to find one. A wolf always goes after the lone sheep.
  • Mission. The best defense is a good offense. If we make the Great Commission our personal mission in life, it will be a safeguard. Let’s make seeking God’s glory our priority and his kingdom our focus. Everything else will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:33)
Click here to read other articles about the end times.
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Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

We may be on the brink of the long awaited Second Coming of Christ. As we approach the very end of time, many Christians of the Scofield Dispensational theology persuasion pin their hopes on being “raptured” out of a period of great persecution and tribulation. I believe this is a big mistake based on false doctrine.

The various views and doctrines relating to the end times are a branch of theology and doctrine called eschatology or the study of the end times or eschaton. The early church did not adhere to Dispensational theology. In fact, it is a relatively recent addition dating back to the late 1800s, which was introduced by John Darby and Cyrus Scofield. However, its relative young age has not stopped its being believed by many. (If you wish to read more about the various views, click here.)

Even though the word “rapture” is not actually a biblical term, the idea is found in the Bible. It is connected to Christ’s return.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away.

Dispensational theology teaches that God’s people will be raptured, but not at the very end. Depending on the version, it could be prior to, mid, or post Great Tribulation. The “pre-trib” rapture is probably the most popular, for obvious reasons. It hold that believers will be snatched up from the earth before it gets really bad, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this conform to the Bible’s clear teachings on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world as a speaker in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT)

Here Jesus explained that the group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario taught by rapture enthusiasts.

In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will be.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)

Once again Jesus words do not lead us to have an expectation of the rapture of the church out of tribulation. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away first are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, after the wicked were removed.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in various parts of the world right now. Many areas have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB)

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus told us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those which did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman persecutions and has expanded victoriously during the modern version in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of what happens before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB)

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture. Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on the earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will figure everything out ahead of time the second go around?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
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Are We on the Verge of the Apocalypse?

Are we on the verge of the Apocalypse? No one knows for sure. In Greek, apokalupsis simply means a revealing; hence, the last book of the Bible, which reveals Jesus’ glory and authority, is called Revelation (apokalupsis). In fact, Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible, the goal of history, and the absolute Lord of all creation. All of history is being channeled into the time when the Lord will be revealed to all creation.

The Apocalypse will be the final unveiling of Jesus’ identity to the world for all to see.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NLT)

His Second Coming will take place at the conclusion of history, at which time the final judgment of everyone who ever lived will take place, followed by the recreation of heaven and earth, which will inaugurate the final state of things.

But God has been revealing his glorious Son for a long time now. 

Just after the first man and woman fell for the devil’s lie and betrayed their Creator, God told the serpent, the one who led them astray, that one day in the future a descendant of Eve would crush his head.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

We now know that this mysterious person is none other than our Lord Jesus, who defeated Satan at the cross and when he rose again. Jesus’ mission was to restore the human race and all creation to God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20–21 (NASB95)

Much later God promised the then childless Abraham that through his descendants the entire earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3) Paul, who encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, understood that this promise came to pass through one particular descendant by the name of Jesus.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)

Much later, God revealed something further about his coming One. Not only would he descend from Abraham, more specifically he would be the “seed” of King David and inherit his throne – forever. In other words, he would not only be a blessing: he also would rule over God’s eternal kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) This was a second major unveiling of God’s plan for the coming Messiah King.

There were others who “saw” by revelation this coming One. King David wrote Psalms about him, Psalm 22 being a prophetic preview of his crucifixion. Job saw by faith his future appearance on the earth to raise the dead. (Job 19:25-27) Isaiah saw his glory (Isaiah 6:1) and predicted his suffering and death (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah revealed that Jesus would be God’s means of bringing righteousness through a new covenant. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Zechariah saw his glorious appearing to the Jews who would believe in him at the very end. (Zechariah 12:10) All of these people saw something glorious without ever completely knowing what it all meant. That would only be unveiled much later.

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11  They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12  They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NLT)

Let’s skip forward in time to a huge turning point in human history when the angel Gabriel appeared to an unassuming young unmarried woman in Israel with this unprecedented message.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32  "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:31-33 (NASB)

God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah King.

Jesus’ conception and birth initiated a series of remarkable unveilings of his identity.

Contrary to all expectations, God became a human being, a baby born to relatively poor parents with no apparent prestige or standing in the world. He came inauspiciously, hidden from the view of everyone except those whose spiritual eyes were opened by the Spirit of God: Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, as well as Anna and Simeon, who were in the Temple when Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he prophesied:

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30  I have seen your salvation, 31  which you have prepared for all people. 32  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33  Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:29-35 (NLT)

Imagine being able to see past the Messiah’s humble condition as a little baby into his glorious future role!

The ability to see what is true about Jesus, which is hidden to most people, is called revelation, which comes via the Holy Spirit. Only those who had eyes to see and ears to hear the Spirit were able to discern his true identity. The same is true today.

The next key person to whom God revealed the Messiah was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and Elizabeth’s son. God’s choice of John was even more significant because we usually are unable to accept that someone in our own family is especially called and gifted by God. Nevertheless, God used John to reveal to the world Jesus’ true identity as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) God also showed to John that Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who empowers the church to fulfill the Great Commission. In addition, John identified Jesus as the Son of God, which was the same as calling him the Messiah and Lord. John the Baptist saw by revelation Jesus’ entire earthly ministry – Savior, Lord, and Baptizer in the Spirit.

John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33  "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34  "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:32-34 (NASB)

When John’s followers heard these pronouncements, some of them elected to follow Jesus as disciples. They saw something in our Lord that pulled them toward him. Eventually, Jesus asked his followers a very important question: “Who do you say that I am?” He wanted to know what had the Spirit shown them. Peter spoke up.

...“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:16-17 (NLT)

The Bible makes it clear that it is impossible for us to recognize Jesus’ true identity as God’s chosen Messianic King and Lord without our spiritual understanding being opened by the Holy Spirit.

The nature of revelation is that it depends on God. We play a part by responding to the inner working of the Spirit, but we cannot open our own sin-blinded eyes.

Until we receive this divine impartation of revelation from God, we cannot see as we should.

But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16  But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 (NLT)

Most of the people in Israel in Jesus’ day did not know Jesus’ real identity. Some said he was a good man, a prophet, a teacher, or even a blasphemer. Only those whose eyes were opened were able to see that he was and is the Messiah.

God revealed Jesus’ identity a little more on the mount of transfiguration, where three disciples saw him glorified beyond anything seen before by men. (Matthew 17:1-8) His face shined like the sun and his clothes were a dazzling white like light itself. This brief encounter with Jesus’ glory awakened those three disciples to a heavenly reality not before experienced, but they still did not understand. In their minds, Jesus was on a par with Moses and Elijah, not in a class by himself. That would all change at the resurrection.

After Jesus suffered and died as God’s Lamb to expiate our sins, he was buried and after three days rose from the dead. Paul wrote the following summation.

The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:3-5 (NLT)

When God the Father raised Jesus from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus came out of the grave as the glorified Lord of Lords, to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given. (Matthew 28:18)

The only proper response to the gloriously risen Jesus is to acknowledge his supreme authority and lordship and to follow and obey him. That is what God wants us to do.

This takes us back to the Garden of Eden where Adam refused to recognize, honor, and obey his Creator God, causing humanity to plunge into the abyss of rebellion against our Maker. Mankind in general continues to choose slavery to the devil over submission to the Creator. By so doing, humanity has embraced tyranny, evil, destruction, poverty, sickness, and death. By dying in our place and rising again, Jesus conquered the prince of darkness, paid the penalty for our rebellion, and made it possible for us to return to God’s benevolent rule. We do this by turning from our wicked rebellious ways and the wicked one’s rule and by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord. In other words, we switch kingdoms. Paul said it this way.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Those first disciples were given the glorious privilege of personally seeing, touching, and conversing with the risen Lord. Thomas was famous for saying that he would not believe that Jesus rose again unless he personally put his fingers into the nail holes in his hands. Jesus granted this request, at which point Thomas exclaimed, “My lord and my God!” Jesus replied:

..."You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:29 (NLT)

Even when we cannot see with our natural eyes because Jesus has ascended into heaven, we can see with spiritual eyes and believe.

Paul prayed:

[I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might Ephesians 1:16-19 (NASB)

All who are granted the ability to see who Jesus is by revelation and who put their faith and allegiance in him will be saved.

Those who eyes still are blinded by sin will not see, receive, or submit to his benevolent rule. They will suffer the condemnation and punishment that all traitors deserve.

There is soon coming a point in history for the final and most glorious revelation of Christ to the world – the Apocalypse. At this time every eye shall see him for who he really is, the glorious Son of Man, the judge of all the earth.

According to prophecy (Daniel 7:13-14) and Jesus’ own words, already quoted above, he will come in the clouds with great glory. His authority to judge and rule will at that time be apparent to all. The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.( Philippians 2:9-11) For us who have already acknowledged his lordship, it will be a joyous day! For the rest, it will be the acknowledgement of the condemned that they deserve judgment for rejecting his rightful kingship.

Which camp will we be in, those who rejoice to see his coming or those who are terrified?

Now is the time to join the first party, if you have not already. The Bible says that, if we confess that he is the Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) God is more than ready to help us in this matter. Fifty-four years ago this Spring, I made the decision to invite this King into my life. I was not yet convinced that he had really risen from the dead, but I knew that, if he had, it was the most important event to date in the history of the world. I asked him to reveal himself to me, if he were truly the risen Son of God. As you have no doubt figured out, the Holy Spirit soon opened my eyes to that glorious reality. Faith filled my heart, and I experienced God’s presence all around me. As God gave me a new birth, spiritually speaking, everything became new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was filled with an amazing joy and a desire to tell everyone about this God who can be known. I want you to know him, too. We may be on the verge of his appearing. Don’t delay.

Prayer

Jesus, I have heard about you and realize that I have been living as my own little god, calling the shots in my life without regard to you. I have changed my mind and want you to be my Lord from now on. Please come into my life as my Source, my Life, my Peace, and my Lord. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to make me right with Father God. I profess allegiance to you as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Empower me to be your witness to the world. Amen.

If you prayed this sincerely, God will do his part. Find a good church where you can publicly announce your allegiance and faith in Christ to the world through being water baptized. Start reading your Bible, praying, worshiping, and regularly attending meetings with other disciples who can help you grow in the Lord. Be sure to tell others that they can know him, too.

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The only way to escape God’s coming judgment…

We live in the last days. Every day that passes is a day closer to Christ’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment. In the meantime, God continues to execute judgment upon the earth, as he has done from the beginning. We reap what we sow both as individuals and collectives.

When a predominant number of people in a nation embrace God’s truth and believe the gospel, that nation will reap significant blessings. However, when a nation turns its back on God and the truth of his Word, it will encounter God’s judgment in a number of ways.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB95)
Abortion: The Shedding of Innocent Blood

Perhaps one of the easiest examples of how a nation can embrace a sinful lie is how the United States relates to abortion.

Since the Supreme Court Decision of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, we have regarded ourselves as a paragon of freedom and equality for women without batting an eye regarding the mass murder of over 60 million unborn defenseless babies. This has happened in the last 52 years, under the watch of the Baby Boomer generation! Consider that this number equals some estimates of the total number of lives lost in WWII! Let that sink in!

Will God ignore the treachery? Not if the Bible is true. According to it, God innocent blood cries out to God for justice. We see this in Genesis after Cain killed his brother Abel.

He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:10 (NASB95)

We see it again in the history of the kings of Israel. Manasseh brought down God’s judgment by killing innocent people.

Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 2 Kings 24:3–4 (NASB95)

God has not changed. He still judges sin. We should be appalled, ashamed, aghast, disgusted, and fearful of what God will do to such a people. The United States allows us to freely kill an unborn baby without legal consequences, but that does not mean we will escape the Judge of the whole earth, who is not fooled by our unjust laws!

It does not matter what man’s laws say. God’s law trumps human law and is the standard God will use at the Last Judgment.

Women’s reproductive rights is a euphemism for the mother’s right to terminate the life of the defenseless baby in her womb. That is murder, no matter how we slice and dice it. Whether or not we ever consented personally to an abortion, we all bear guilt as a nation since we are part of the collective.

We claim that the baby in the womb is not yet a human to make it easier to erase its existence. We used a similar argument to justify slavery and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans.

Dehumanizing those we enslave, oppress, and murder is an age old ruse.

We now look back with sorrow and shame as we contemplate our forefathers’ reasoning and actions. How will future generations judge us? More importantly, how will God judge us? God is the defender of the helpless and innocent. Should it not terrify us to think how deserving of judgment our nation is? And this is only one sin!

But most of us would rather not think about it. We prefer to live in denial and evade the truth. We may successfully refuse to take responsibility for this sin for a while, but we cannot evade the consequence. We will reap what we sow.

Evolution – Hiding God’s Glory by Suppressing the Truth of Creation

The hypothesis of evolution is a prime example of the suppression of truth, which is being done worldwide. The Bible teaches that God’s existence is clearly evident through observing of his creation. In other words, we have to be willingly blind to miss it.

…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 (NASB)

By denying the existence of the Creator and his work, we attempt to free ourselves from any moral obligation to worship and serve God or keep his commandments.

If man evolved, we are accountable to no one for how we live our lives. We are our own god. No wonder this lie is so popular. It appears to give solid scientific footing to the desire to throw off God’s rule.

Transgenderism – Rebelling against God’s Sovereignty

Another lie that is sweeping our culture is that gender is psychologically determined rather than divinely ordained.

In other words, we are not limited to how God made us. We can choose whatever gender we want. The Bible teaches that God created us as he saw fit, which is male and female, which is determined at conception and permeates our being all the way down to the chromosomal level.

All of us come into this world with most of the really important factors already determined for us by God.

God sovereignly chooses for us our sex, intelligence level, physical strength, race, family, nation, looks, general health, etc. None of us chose to be born and none of us can stop the aging or death process. We cannot undo gravity or much of anything else God has built into his creation, much less our gender.

Nevertheless, many rebel against the idea of anything being predetermined by God and try to undo it.

Rather than accept how God made us, we want to change it. We can change our dress. We can surgically alter our bodies. We can inject unnatural levels of hormones, but we cannot change ourselves at the most fundamental level. Our  chromosomes tell the true story.

We cannot change what God has created. We can only accept it or rail against it.

Is It Too Late?

America seems to have reached, and perhaps passed, a critical point in her history. As a nation, we have turned our backs repeatedly on God and his truth. We are locked in a battle for the soul of the nation.

Many of our nation’s leaders and influencers  -the educational establishment, the main stream media, and Hollywood – are actively suppressing truth, and the American people seem to like it that way.

It is increasingly coming into question whether we are capable any longer of responsible self-government. We are being set up for tyranny. Many of our citizens now believe that there is no God, no absolute truth, no ultimate authority, no coming judgment, and no everlasting consequences for rejecting God and disobeying him. They (we) could not be more wrong! Those who believe there is no God are more than willing to surrender to a human or institution, such as government, which claims to provide what God alone can do. The suppression of the truth about God leads to idolatry.

Will judgment come to America or is it already here? I believe it’s here now. The only question is will it destroy us, or do we still have space for repentance?

Making the Decision to Pursue Truth

Truth seekers are fairly rare it seems. Sadly, the more comfortable we are, the more likely we will be unconcerned about eternal things. My own personal journey to God was a search for truth. I wanted to know if what the Bible says about Jesus and his resurrection is real or not. At one point, I called myself an agnostic, thinking that God cannot be known, simply because I had not yet come to know him. How ludicrous to make a judgment about God based solely on our own experience; yet, how common it is for people to suppose that what we think and have experienced determines reality.

Paul wrote that people grope about in their search for God. (Acts 17:27) Spiritually blind people fall all over themselves and unseen obstacles in their pursuit of reality and truth.

We cannot find God on our own, but, if we seek him, he promises that we will find him. He will make sure of that!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8  “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB)
What the Pursuit of Truth Is Not
  • Seeking truth is not limiting ourselves to some predetermined position.
  • It is not going to be found by going to ungodly sources, especially non-truth seeking groups.
  • It not not necessarily something that will make us feel good or confident in ourselves or that will help us to fit in with the crowd.
  • It’s almost surely not something that is politically correct.
What truth Is
  • Even though Jesus is full of love, truth is always “cold,” in the sense that it is doesn’t care if it pleases us or not.
  • Truth is often “hard” – something that won’t change no matter how much we wish it would, or how hard we try to make it change.
  • Truth causes conflict. It will make our lives less comfortable, less convenient, and less agreeable to non-truth seekers. It cost Jesus his life.
  • Truth will force us to abandon any of our current beliefs and understandings that are wrong.
  • Truth sometimes will embarrass us by exposing our sinfulness, ignorance, or blindness.
Humility

The pride of man resists God and his truth. It comes up with all sorts of alternate versions of reality that will allow us to dodge truth and continue in our rebellion.

It takes humility to believe in God and in the truth of his words in the Bible.

Humility teaches us that we are created beings, not independent operators. Humility teaches us that unless we admit our need for God, we will be lost in the downward spiral of death and deception. It takes humility to admit we need help, and that help is found in Jesus!

The Terrible Day of the Lord

Imagine how the Nazi leaders felt as they faced charges at the post-war trials in Nuremberg, Germany! Some were unrepentant, but I imagine most were afraid and ashamed as their evil deeds were exposed and their sentences imposed. I imagine that many of them felt horribly guilty. Saying, “I am sorry” did not fix things. Justice was meted out. The Last Judgment will be even more terrifying and severe.

“For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations. Ezekiel 30:3 (NASB95)

At the last judgment our pretenses and shams will be stripped away and everything will be exposed in the clear blinding light of God’s truth.

What will we do on that day? Will there be any place to hide? Will there be any safe place?

The Only Safe Place

Jesus identified himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only way to the Father in heaven. (John 14:6) To him God the Father has committed all judgment. (John 5:27) He sees through all pretext and lies. No one can hide from his gaze. No one can escape his scrutiny. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as everything we have ever said or done. He knows what we did not do, but should have. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Absolute truth is also absolute holiness.

His standards do not bend. His righteousness is inflexible. His justice is firm and fierce. His wrath will be released upon all those who reject the truth and refuse his mercy offered through the Gospel in Christ.

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NASB)
How Will We Know Him?

But that is in the future, and this is now. We still have the opportunity of coming into the light of God’s truth about our sin and finding mercy. We also can know the judge as the one who said:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NASB)

Or we can reject his generous offer of forgiveness and one day meet him as the glorious Son of Man coming in the clouds to judge all people, who will say to us:

…Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; Matthew 25:41 (NASB)

This is the same Jesus speaking to different groups of people. It’s our choice of what we will hear and how we will know him. Regardless, we will all bow before him. (Romans 14:11) Why not do it now willingly? Don’t wait until you are forced to cower before him awaiting his judgment and justice!

The Truth Will Set Us Free

Jesus wants to liberate us from death, destruction, deception, and sin. He said:

…“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV)

Those who humbly and courageously pursue truth, no matter what, will indeed be set free, experience true joy, and know God and his mercy. They will see the God of all truth extend his merciful hand toward them with a smile of favor.

Jesus faced the truth about sin when he went to the cross.

Sin nailed the Truth of God to the cross and put him to death.

Sin resulted in God’s pouring out his wrath on the innocent Lamb of God who willingly took upon himself the just penalty for our sins. The Truth died that day to provide us with eternal life.

The only way for anyone to escape the same God’s righteous wrath against sin is to put his or her faith in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and to pledge our loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus.

This is the only way to find safety. It takes courage and humility and faith. The path to truth is narrow and difficult, but definitely worth it!

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:14 (NASB)

The society in which we live may be hell bent on going down the wide road to destruction, but we don’t have to join them!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I  believe that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the only way to the Father. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I deserve judgment, but I joyfully receive mercy from you, who took my punishment upon yourself. I deserve death, but I gladly receive eternal life from you. I deserve to be eternally cut off from God, but I happily accept my reconciliation to Father God through you. I confess that you are the risen Lord of Lords who is coming back again to judge all people.  I thank you that I now can confidently look forward to that day because you have put me in right standing with God the Father. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit to live inside me forever and transform me on the inside. Thank you for setting me free! Help me to serve you the rest of my days on earth and forever in heaven.  Help me to be a faithful witness to Jesus, a proclaimer of the Gospel, and a discipler of men. Amen.

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