Sound Biblical Teaching - Pastor Conferences - Crusades - Topical Studies - Music Ministry
|
Sound Biblical Teaching - Pastor Conferences - Crusades - Topical Studies - Music Ministry
|
|
|
Understanding the future is an in depth
course and book that combine "History and The Bible", "The Mystery Of the
Rapture" and "The Wrath of The Lamb" into a detailed description of End Times.
We start with building a solid foundation on History and present evidence on how
the Bible has predicated the future. After building a foundation on prophecies
that have come to pass, we then look at Prophecies that are predicted to happen
in the near future! Introduction: The Holy Bible: what a glorious piece of literature, some might say! Inspiring, filled with wisdom, knowledge and truth, a road map to living a good life. Does the teaching of the Holy Bible parallel the writings of the Qur’an and the teachings of Buddha? Or is the Bible a divine revelation from the creator of the universe, giving us insight on the past, present and future? The Bible claims to be God’s revelation to man. Its purpose is to reveal God’s nature to all mankind so that we can have fellowship with Him, the creator of all things! The Bible teaches that all Scripture is inspired by God; God put His words into the hearts of His prophets and disciples so that we may know His nature, His plans and His Word. Keeping this in mind, before we get started I would like to point out that the Bible has been preserved in time over thousands of years. There have been 24,633 manuscripts discovered of the New Testament alone. Some of these manuscripts, such as the Gospel of Mark, which is an eyewitness account of Jesus, date back to 68 ad. May I also add that the entire New Testament (except eleven verses) has been reconstructed from the early Church Fathers’ writings and sermons. This consists of 86,489 quotes. What a bold testimony! Our Lord and Savior has preserved His Word throughout thousands of years. Therefore, we can conclude that what we read today is the same text that was written by the prophets and the apostles. Most of these men proclaimed the gospel of Christ unto death and did not renounce their faith, even under severe torture and persecution. Now, let’s get started. First of all, as born-again Christians, we have our own testimonies, which are our life-changing experiences. When Christ entered our lives, we became new creations: old things passed away, and we were given a new beginning (2 Cor. 5:17), hence the term born again. Yet this time we were not born of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of the living God, the Holy Spirit. We feel His presence dwelling in our hearts, and we have the conviction of His power, guiding us in all ways and thoughts. Our old natures have been crucified at the cross, and we now have the promise of everlasting life. As one man (Adam) brought sin into the world, we have Christ, the only Redeemer, who has conquered sin (1 Cor. 15:22). As Christians, we experience His presence, but what about the non-believer? How can one who has never received our Lord nor experienced the power of His Spirit have assurance that God is real? As stated before, God has preserved His Word so that we can get to know Him, His ways and His nature, which is loving and merciful. For the people who have not experienced our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God has carefully preserved His Word to reveal the past, present and future so that they can understand all things. The Word of God will speak to a person, and then the Holy Spirit will start revealing Scriptures, so that all who read may understand this mystery (John 14:26). We have to remember that knowing God is not about religion but about a relationship with Jesus, and the best way to know Jesus is by reading the Scriptures. To start off, I would like to point out some prophetic Bible passages that we have seen fulfilled over the last century and then move into some passages that are promised to happen in the near future. As Christ stated (Matt. 24:36), no man knows the day or the hour when the Son of Man will return, but you will know the season, when the time is near. Keep in mind that the most prayed prayer in the world is the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6), and we are all praying for “Thy Kingdom come.” So let’s talk about what God’s Word has revealed to us by sharing some of God’s prophecies and their fulfillment as recorded in history. Chapter One: History and the Bible As we have recently entered a new millennium, it is obvious that man, in his emptiness, is reaching out, searching for truth. Through the New Age movement, man has turned to meditation, Eastern philosophy and other ways to become self-reliant. Since man is searching for the truth, I felt it appropriate to start this series by sharing some of God's prophecies and their fulfillment as recorded in history. I encourage you to go to the library and read up on the early leaders in world history as well as the nation of Israel—you will learn some very fascinating facts. History shows that the first world empire was that of Babylon (586 bc), under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who was then conquered by the Medes and Persians under the command of Cyrus. Next came the Grecian Empire, under the command of Alexander the Great. Finally, the last world empire was Rome, headed by Julius Caesar, among others. Rome in the first century conquered the civilized world. Since the Roman Empire, we have not had a world empire, although many leaders have tried (for example, Napoleon and Hitler). In the book of Daniel, chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that Daniel, a prophet of God, was given the interpretation of in a vision from God. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2:31-35), he saw a large statue with a head of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron and its feet made partly of iron and partly of clay. He saw a rock being carved out, but not by human hands. The rock smashed the statue on its feet, destroying it without leaving a trace, and then the rock that destroyed the statue became an awesome mountain and filled the earth. Disturbed by this vision, the king sought advice from his counsel. He gathered his advisors and commanded them to interpret his dream without revealing the dream to them. They asked him how they could interpret a dream that had not been described to them. He replied to them that they could, if they were indeed wise. They responded by saying that there was not a man alive who could fulfill such a request, nor had any ruler ever demanded such. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain (Dan. 2:12-13). Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men…shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days (Dan. 2:27-28). God revealed the dream to Daniel as well the interpretation. The interpretation (Daniel 2:36-45) was that the head of gold represented King Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, Babylon. In the vision, the chest and arms represented two kingdoms combining their strength, and we now know that these two kingdoms were the Medes and the Persians. Daniel continued with the interpretation, telling the king that a third kingdom would rule the earth, as represented by the belly and thighs of bronze. This kingdom ended up being that of Greece. Finally, a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, would rule and crush all. Clearly this describes the Roman Empire, whose brute force dominated the world. The Roman Empire would later collapse from within and become the individual countries of Europe. This fulfilled the next prophecy, which Daniel explained as a kingdom that would divide into smaller and weaker nations as iron and clay. He then added: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Dan. 2:44). So as we can see, the Bible actually foretold history —which leads us to another astonishing prophecy that is found in the book of Isaiah, describing how Cyrus would conquer Babylon. This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut (Isa. 45:1 NIV). This prophecy was written 150 years before the event and shows how Cyrus would enter into the city. History records that Babylon was a city with walls so high and wide that it could not be captured. Cyrus (of the Medes and Persians) conquered Babylon by backing up the Euphrates river and going under the walls, where he found the gates of the city left opened. He then took the city by surprise. When Cyrus came to power, Daniel showed Cyrus that his name was written in the scrolls of Isaiah’s writings. Cyrus was so in awe of this that he allowed the Jews to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem. Continuing on with Bible prophecies, Psalm 22 contains a prophecy that predicts the crucifixion of Christ, thousands of years before crucifixion was even thought of. In the book of Matthew, Jesus gave a prophecy as He was leaving the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matt. 24:2). History records that in 70 ad, when Titus took the city of Jerusalem, a soldier set fire to the temple and all the gold melted into the cracks of the rocks. The soldiers then disassembled the temple by each stone individually, gathering up all the gold—fulfilling yet another prophecy. Before I was a believer in Christ, I was quite skeptical about the Bible and passages like these. My question was, how do I know that the Bible was not written after the fact? I mean, it would not seem like a difficult task to predict something that has already happened. As this question kept entering my mind, I felt a need to do some research into history. I was amazed to find that in 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. These consist of nearly 500 scrolls and fragments (including the complete book of Isaiah) that archaeologists have dated back well over 2,500 years. I then started researching the nations of Israel, both ancient and modern-day. I found that in the 1800s the land in the region was neglected by the Arabs and Turks. They cut down all the trees, creating marshland. In the 1930s, during the Zionist movement, the Jews gradually purchased back the land and started planting trees. Today Israel is the fourth-largest producer of fruit in the world. In fact, Israel produces fruit for all of Europe during the winter.1 In Ezekiel chapter 36, the Lord states: This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited. Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it (Ezek. 36:35-36 NIV). Could this passage be a coincidence? Or was God telling His people that He had spoken it and it would happen? Do you realize that Israel is the only country in the world that has lost its land yet never lost its citizenship? The Jews were dispersed around the world and yet, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation, fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 37:21: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land (NIV). Again, I would ask the question, is this a coincidence? Or did the Lord forewarn His people of events that would take place? In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel again defended its land. Yet again God’s Word was fulfilled: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3 NIV). In October of 1973, during Yom Kippur, Syria and Egypt attacked Israel from opposite ends. Since Yom Kippur is the Jews’ holiest day of the year, the Israelis were not militarily prepared for battle. The Syrians attacked a twenty-mile area with nearly 1,200 tanks, while Egypt had 3,000 tanks and heavy artillery. With minimal support, the Israeli army managed to again overthrow their attackers. Incidentally, Jerusalem has had more wars fought at its gates than any other city in the world.2 We are living in very exciting times, seeing the fulfillment of the Lord’s words coming to pass. In the early 1900s, a British scholar condemned the Bible as a hoax because of a verse (Revelation 11:9) stating that every nation, tribe, language and people will witness an event that takes place. This was impossible, of course, before TV was invented. We are seeing biblical prophecy unfold in front of our eyes. Recently I was on a flight coming back from Europe, and a young student from Switzerland was sitting next to me. He saw me reading my Bible and told me that his grandmother had been saying for years that Christ is coming back, which to him seemed like a myth. I quickly pointed out that the Bible says that knowledge will be increased in the end times and that when we see and hear of these events stated in the Bible, that we should look up, for our redemption is near (Luke 21:28). Actually, in the book of Revelation where it states “what must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1), in the original Greek language the word soon means rapidly, similar to a domino effect. This means that once it is ready to happen, it will happen quickly. I then showed him Revelation 13:17, which talks about a cashless society: “so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark” (NIV). If you had considered the idea of a cashless society twenty-five years ago, you would have said, “No way…not possible!” However, today, with ATMs, point of sale, electronic banking, etc., one would never say that there is no way that it will not come to pass. Think about the advantages: the crime rate would decrease greatly, banks and merchants would not have to worry about checks bouncing and drug lords would be left with large amounts of cash that they would not be able to account for. As you can see, the list goes on and on. On a governmental level, the concept of a cashless society might seem very attractive—especially to the IRS. The consumer might find it extremely convenient. When I travel abroad, I find it easiest to use ATM machines to receive that country’s currency. That way I do not have to pay a bank commission fee and I get the current international market exchange rate, which is a higher rate. Revelation 13:17 speaks of the new world leader giving everyone a mark on their right hand or forehead. Could this mark be a computer chip or possibly a laser tattoo? There are several states in the US that tag animals by injecting a device in them. In Singapore, during the spring of 1998, it was documented that a microchip was installed in a man’s forehead. That same spring, Time Magazine also reported on the benefits of a cashless society. Just imagine going to buy groceries and having the cashier scan your forehead to deduct your payment. It is also interesting to note that the FDA will not approve a drug, medicine or technology until it has been tested for a seven-year period. If this type of technology were under development now, perhaps in a testing period, could we be within seven years of this kind of cashless society? So today, as we watch the news and read the paper, we find that current events are in line with Bible prophecy. Looking again at the book of Daniel, we have already discussed the world empires that have already reigned; however, what about the rest of the prophecy, referring to the feet of the statue made of iron and clay and the rock cut from a mountain, yet not by human hands, that crushes the feet and toes of the statue (Dan. 2:41-45)? Well, let’s examine the prophecy by looking at the feet and toes of the statue that emerge from the legs of iron, which history has defined as being the Roman empire. We believe that this prophecy tells us that the fourth empire (Rome) will reunite, with ten nations joining together, stronger and weaker nations forming a united community. This is extremely fascinating, because we know that, before the 1990s the Berlin Wall came down, and then the European countries started forming trade associations, resulting in what is now known as the EU or the European Union. In the past, as a traveler through Europe, one would have to stop at border patrols in each country and receive a passport entry. But today, your first port of entry into Europe is the only passport stamp needed. This makes it easy to travel around Europe without any other documents needed. Also, as of January 1, 1999, the Euro was adopted, giving Europe only one currency (excluding the UK, Sweden and Switzerland). Looking back fifty years at Nazi Germany and how Hitler attacked and destroyed most of Europe, would anyone have imagined that these countries would unite and give up their military and currency and join forces? Well, the Bible has predicted it, and in our lifetime, we have seen this with our own eyes. The Lord has spoken it and it has happened. We must also note that the Lord said that He has given His Word to “show his servants what must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1 NIV). In other words, the word coincidence is not in the Lord’s vocabulary! In the New Testament, the Pharisees asked Jesus to perform a miracle and Jesus answered them: A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:39-40 NIV). The Bible clearly lays out history, including the past, present, and most importantly, the future. Jesus also stated, “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him” (John 5:43 NIV). Could this perhaps be the next world leader? Daniel’s prophecy declares that the next world leader will come out of the Roman empire (or be of Roman descent) and will establish a one-world government. This world leader is known as the Antichrist. The word anti in Greek means instead of or other than. We see this leader appearing on the scene in Revelation 6:2, identified as the rider of a white horse. In Daniel chapter 9, there were seventy seven-year periods declared upon the nation of Israel. Sixty-nine of the seventy seven-year periods have been fulfilled by Christ appearing, suffering and dying for our sins, which gave everlasting life to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The last seven-year cycle has not started yet, and it will be ushered in by the world leader. Daniel refers in several passages to the world leader, saying that he will make a treaty with the nation of Israel and rebuild their temple, but after three-and-a-half years he will walk into the temple and claim that he is the Christ, which, in biblical terms, is the “abomination of desolation.” So, according to the book of Daniel, this world leader will come from the Roman empire and bring peace to Israel. If you ask a Jewish scholar who their Messiah will be (for Jews do not believe that Christ is the Messiah), they will tell you that the Messiah will bring peace to Israel and rebuild the temple. The Bible describes this new world leader as a charismatic man who brings peace to the earth and seems to be the answer to economic problems. The world will love this charismatic leader and participate in his one-world government. Think about this scenario: in the last fifty years, we have seen NATO emerge as a world peacekeeper (to some degree), the Soviet Union collapse and the United States of America close down military bases and decrease their military manpower. Could this all be part of God’s plan to allow a one-world government? I realize this is hard to visualize, but after World War II, who would have thought that all the nations of Europe would be joining forces with Germany, as we see today? Revelation 13:3 talks about the world leader surviving an assassination attempt on his life, miraculously recovering from a fatal wound, and the people of the earth being astonished and worshiping him. Revelation 13:11-13 refers to the world leader having a sidekick, who could perhaps be a religious figure, performing miracles and wonders. Referring to the end times, Daniel 12:11 states that when the world leader steps into the temple (the “abomination of desolation”), there will be 1,290 days until the end. After this event, the wrath of God will be poured out upon the earth (as described in Revelation chapters 6 to 19). And then the final battle will take place in the valley of Megiddo, which is the event described as Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). And from here, we go back to the conclusion of Daniel’s prophecy: the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed…It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands (Dan. 2:44-45 NIV). Revelation 19:11 says “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” The Bible teaches that man is made for eternal life. Although our flesh only lives for so long, our spirits and souls shall live for eternity in either heaven or hell. It is so hard to be in this world and not of this world: “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:8). As children of God, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us, and we can understand spiritual things. Remember, the flesh seeks this world’s realities and does not understand the power of our Lord. Chapter Two: The Mystery of the Rapture So you say you’re a good person, you believe in God, you live your life showing respect to others and you enjoy the pleasures of life, yet you wonder if this is all there is. As you watch TV, you notice current events, movies and lifestyles that promote violence, sex and pleasure. Music, movies and commercials advertise the pleasures of man’s flesh, which leads to the decay of our society due to media corruption. It makes you think, what is this world coming to? As a minister and Bible teacher I often get asked the same questions. Is the end near? Is the earth going to be wiped out? Why would a God of love do this to man? On the other hand, I get the questions answered by people saying, “I do not think God would destroy the earth,” “ I believe that good people will go to heaven,” or “I think there are many ways to heaven and being a good person is all that counts. After all, Jesus says if you believe in Him, you will be saved.” These are all questions and answers that we will be addressing in this chapter. When asked about the end, I first start with the past, something that has already taken place. I usually start with history and the Bible, showing past and current events that have taken place, details of which can be found in libraries, encyclopedias, newspapers, media and of course, the Bible. Once we have a sense that what God said would happen has actually happened, then end times prophecies are more tangible and acceptable. Let’s start with a synopsis of the end times, while reviewing some previously discussed doctrines. According to the Bible, the next prophesied event will be the Body of Christ (Christians) being removed from the earth. This is referred to as the rapture of the Church. After the rapture happens, then a world leader will emerge for a seven-year period, bringing peace to the earth. He will confirm a treaty between Israel and Palestine, issuing orders for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. According to the book of Daniel, this world leader will be of European descent. The Bible says that this world leader will be a charismatic man who brings about economic prosperity, and the world will embrace him. He will set up a one-world government as well as a one-world religion (with the help of a partner or sidekick) and also usher in a cashless society. The Bible says that this world leader will have an assassination attempt made on his life and will lose his right eye and the use of his right arm (Zech. 11:17). He will make a miraculous recovery, and the world will marvel over him (Rev. 13:12-15). After three and a half years, he will walk into the temple in Jerusalem and demand to be worshiped (this is known as the “abomination of desolation”). At this time, the wrath of God will be poured out upon the earth for a final period of three-and-a-half years (completing a total of seven years), bringing earthquakes, famines, pestilence and wars. At the end of this seven-year period, the nations of the earth will gather for a battle, which will take place in the valley of Megiddo (also known as Armageddon) in Israel. Then the Lord Himself will come down with His Church (the Christians) and wipe out the armies of the world. After this, there will be what is known as the millennium reign of Christ, where Christ rules on the earth with His saints (or believers) for one thousand years. After the thousand years will come the final judgment. Wow, you say, pretty heavy! To really get a grasp of this, as mentioned earlier, you need to realize that everything that God has predicted has happened; so therefore, since our Lord has been 100 percent accurate thus far, then end times prophecy will be right on as well. You need to stop thinking only of the things of this world and look at creation, the universe and beyond to understand what our creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, is capable of. In Genesis 1:1-19, the Bible states that the Lord spoke into existence the heavens and the earth. Isaiah 40:12 refers to God measuring the universe with the span of His hand. What we have to realize is that we as humans can only comprehend a three-dimensional world whereas God is outside the domain of time and can do things that we are not capable of understanding. Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” In other words, the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars declare to us the awesome power of our Lord. It is also interesting to note that with modern day technology (NASA, satellites, etc.) we seem to discover more and more about our universe, which just shows us how great our God really is. The Bible tells us that God knows everything from beginning to end (Rev. 22). To better understand this, let’s use the analogy of a street parade. We, as viewers, standing at a particular corner, can only witness the parade as it passes by, whereas God sees everything from start to finish, all at one time (like a newscaster or emcee would see the entire parade from a blimp or helicopter while providing commentary on the parade). Let’s get back to the rapture of the Church. “The rapture of the church,” you say, “what is that? The word rapture is not even in my Bible.” Well, in a sense, you’re right, the word rapture is not in the English Bible; however, you can find it in the Latin Vulgate as the word rapturous, from which we get our English word rapture. In the original Greek language, the word is harpzois, which means snatched away (or taken by force), which is also paraphrased as caught up in English. We are not sure how this will happen; either we Christians will leave our bodies or our bodies will be taken away, but what we do know is that the Bible says we will be caught up (harpzois) in the clouds to meet the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). In other words, there is a generation that will never die. I would imagine that if our bodies are physically taken, then the world would attribute that event to aliens or some kind of phenomenon. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 states: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Christ says that we will get our new bodies and meet Him in the clouds. From my knowledge of Scripture, it seems to me, since heaven is out of this world (2 Cor. 12:2), that perhaps as an astronaut puts on a suit to enter space, we shall put on our new bodies to be with the Lord in paradise. So your next question is, “When will this happen?” The answer is that no man knows the hour or the day (Matt. 24:36). However, Jesus spoke of watching for signs of the end: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Some of the signs that the Bible has prophesied include Israel becoming a nation (Ezek. 37), Israel becoming like the garden of Eden and producing fruit for the world (Ezek. 36), Europe joining forces and becoming a nation (Daniel) and the development of a cashless society (Rev. 13:16). Jesus also stated, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26 NIV). In the days of Noah, man was corrupt, filled with evil, and had no fear of God. Noah preached repentance for 120 years as he built his ark. People looked at Noah as if he were crazy, for in those days it had never rained—the earth was surrounded with a light mist (Gen. 2:6). Can you imagine how crazy it would be to see a man building a huge ship, saying that a flood was coming? No one believed Noah, yet the flood did come (archaeologists have acknowledged a worldwide flood). According to my studies on end times, Revelation 4:1 starts out with the word metatosa, which is a Greek word meaning after these things. We would then ask, “After what things?” Prior to this word metatosa, Revelation chapters 2 and 3 talked about “the seven churches.” The seven churches represent church history, speaking of the past as well as present-day churches. So in Revelation 4:1, after the Church is discussed, the writer is “caught up” (harpzois). We believe this refers to the rapture of the Church. After this verse, the events of chapters 4 and 5 take place in heaven, where Christians are worshiping together as Christ’s bride, preparing for the wedding supper feast. It is interesting to note that, when Christ comes back for His Church, He will meet us halfway, in the clouds (Acts 1:9-11) and then bring us to His Father’s home for a seven-year period, and then we shall return with Him, and He will introduce His bride (the Church) to the world. This is similar to the Jewish traditions of marriage. After a Jewish boy confirmed his engagement with his bride-to-be, he would leave her and go to his father’s home to prepare a house for him and his new wife. The custom was that the son would live on his father’s estate. The father would watch and inspect as the son would build, and finally, upon the father’s approval, the son would be sent to get his bride. In the meantime, the bride would have chosen her bridesmaids, who would have been watching the progress of the boy’s house. When they see that it is almost finished, they let the bride know, and they watch for the coming of the groom. (Jesus gives a parable of this in Matthew 25, about the ten virgins.) At the time when the bridegroom is coming, the bride meets him halfway. They then have a marriage ceremony and a honeymoon for seven days, and then they are introduced to their guests as husband and wife. In John 14:2, Christ stated that in His Father’s house there are many mansions and that He would go and prepare a place for us. When God is ready and has gathered His people (the fulfillment of the Gentiles, as described in Romans 11:25), then God will send His Son, Jesus Christ, to meet us (the Church) in the clouds (halfway, if you will) (Acts 1:9-11). From there, we will enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb for a seven-year period, and then come back with Christ, so that Christ can introduce His Bride to the world (Rev. 19:14). Meanwhile, during this seven-year period, there will be peace on Earth, lead by the new world leader, for three-and-a-half years, and then the wrath of God will be poured out upon a Christ-rejecting earth for the remaining three-and-a-half years (completing the seven-year period). You have to remember that our God is a loving God, and He will not require the Christians to endure the great tribulation that will be poured out upon the earth, but He will save us from that great hour of tribulation. Revelation 3:10 states: Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial [or tribulation] that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (NIV). Luke 21:36 states, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass.” As a side note, events in the New Testament can also be found in the Old Testament. The rapture is a good example of this. We all know of Noah and the flood. Now, if you recall, Noah was saved or protected from the flood by God. Noah was a representation of the 144,000 Jews that go through the tribulation yet are protected by Christ (Rev. 7). Noah’s ancestor Enoch was a man who “walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Gen. 5:24). Enoch was a representation of the Church, those people who walk with Christ, who are Christlike. Enoch was raptured or caught up, as the Church will be. Another example of the rapture can be found in Daniel chapter 3. In this chapter, we read about King Nebuchadnezzar, who commanded all the people to bow down to his statue or they would be cast into a furnace. As we read on, we find that all the people bowed down except for three young Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three Hebrew boys were then cast into a furnace that was heated up seven times hotter than normal (representing the seven years of tribulation). We then read that one like the Son of Man was walking in the furnace with them (Dan. 3:25). The Hebrew boys are a representation of the 144,000 Jews that the Lord will protect during the tribulation (Rev. 7:4). An interesting question arises from this story: where was Daniel during the events? He is not mentioned here. We know that he was a godly man and that he would not have bowed down to the image, so therefore he was taken out of the situation (a representation of the rapture). Another illustration of the rapture can be found in Genesis chapter 19, when Lot was spared from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angel of the Lord took his hand and snatched him out of the city. It is interesting that the word for snatched in the Hebrew is translated as taken by force. In the New Testament, in 2 Corinthians 2:24, we see Paul, who was caught up into the third heaven and had a view of paradise that was too awesome to describe. As a side note, Bible scholars believe that this incident occurred when Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). Another model of the rapture occurs in Revelation 4:1, when John is told to “come up hither” and he sees the throne of God. So as you can see, the rapture of the Church has been modeled throughout Scripture. Do you have a hard time believing that such an event will occur? When the disciples asked Jesus about the end times, Jesus said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44 NKJV). Additionally, we are told, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Matt. 24:40-41 NIV). Christ warned us to watch and be ready. He then added, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into” (Matt. 24:43 NKJV). Concerning the end times, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-7 says, The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly…But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you (NIV). Throughout the New Testament, “the day of the Lord” is mentioned hundreds of times. It is comforting to know that our Lord is long suffering and does not wish for us to perish but that we should come to repentance. In other words, the Lord is waiting to gather in His Church. He is waiting for the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:25), that they give their lives to Him, and then He will send His Son to gather us together. The Holy Spirit is convicting people of their sins, and Christians are spreading the gospel so that the world will know God’s plan. In Revelation 1:1, where it refers to these things taking place quickly, the word quickly in the Greek means soon or suddenly. This means that, once the Lord is ready, it will happen like a domino effect (all at once, one event after another). The Bible was written so that we would not be ignorant of things to come. We need to live our lives in anticipation that our Lord and Savior will come at any time. Jesus says in Luke 19:13, “Occupy until I return.” What Christ is intending is that we go about His Father’s business and be ready for His return. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, the Bible says that before the lawless one can come to power (referring to the Antichrist), the Church (the body of Christ) must be removed (raptured). Once this happens, there will be looting and rioting in the streets. Just imagine hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world disappearing! This would cause world chaos, and cities would be in a panic. (Remember the Los Angeles riots, where the city was uncontrollable?) This would be the perfect scenario in which a world leader could come to power and bring peace to the world. It is interesting that the Bible describes all of these events in such detail. As stated earlier, before I talk about the future I must first talk about the past and how God’s prophecies have been fulfilled. Each day we see more and more of God’s plans coming to pass. In 1970, if I had talked to you about a cashless society, you would have said that I was crazy and that there is no way that we would ever do away with cash as currency. Yet today, you can see how the world is moving in that direction, as predicted in Revelation 13:16. A friend of mine has an old Bible that was printed in 1820. Every time I see that Bible, it brings joy to my heart. That old Bible was printed almost two hundred years ago, and since then we have seen many of God’s words come to pass. There is no other book in the world that has accurately predicted the future 100 percent. Until recently, it was hard to understand Ezekiel 38, which lists all of the countries that will oppose Israel but never mentions Iraq. Prior to the United States taking Saddam Hussein out of power, it would have seemed that Iraq would be the first to lead a war against Israel, yet the Bible omitted Iraq from the picture. It also amazes me that Iraq is modern-day Babylon, and the Bible states that Babylon will be a world economic center, the “Wall Street” of the Middle East! I am not asking you to understand the rapture; I am simply asking you to believe that it will happen, according to Scripture. Our job as Christians (for the word Christian means to be Christlike) is to tell people about our awesome Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His plan for the future. Just imagine: you wake up one morning, turn on the news and hear that millions of people have vanished. Would you then believe? Some people might believe; still others will fall into this world’s media corruption and believe this world’s lie. You have to remember that, even as Christ walked the earth, there were people who saw miracles and still did not believe. Even the disciples themselves doubted our Lord at times. Judas, being compelled by the power of Satan, denounced our Lord and was cast into hell. So the question is, what will you do with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Will you receive Him or reject Him? The Bible says that you are either for Him or against Him. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” Then He added, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33 NKJV). In Revelation 3:20, Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is a gentleman—He will not force Himself into your life. Chapter Three: The Wrath of the Lamb It’s early Sunday morning. You put on a pot of tea, and as you open up the newspaper, the headlines scream “7.9 Earthquake in Argentina Kills 23,000!” Next, you read that a volcano has erupted in the Philippines, killing 18,000; a flood in the Midwest wiped out 7,000 people; and an earthquake in New York City has taken down the Statue of Liberty. Wow, you say, what is going on? Every year it gets worse and worse. Is the world catastrophically changing? What’s happening? As you go about your typical routine—work, golf, gym, parties and a little Sunday R and R—week after week, the same old things occur. Until one morning you open up the newspaper and read: “Millions of People Have Vanished From all Over the World!” You quickly turn on the television—CNN, ABC, CBS, BBC—on every station they are reporting on this phenomenon, yet the real issue is that the whole world is in an uproar. Complete chaos on Earth. Planes, automobiles and trains have crashed; vehicles, houses and stores have been left abandoned; while gangs, criminals and the poor are looting and rioting in the streets. The United Nations enacts Global Military Law as the military, police and reserves gear up for battle. Hospitals are full; paramedics, firefighters and emergency teams from all over the world are in panic. There is so much disaster that the focus is on the chaos and not the phenomenon. For weeks, this goes on and on, and finally, a charismatic leader emerges and reunites the world. But you experience déjà vu. For you remember a friend years ago telling you about an event in the Bible known as “the rapture of the Church.” You scroll through your Rolodex and call up your Christian friend, yet there is no answer. Is that just a coincidence? According to the Bible, the next prophetic event is the removal of the Christians, and then there will be seven years left of world history. Revelation 4:1 is a passage that we believe shows the rapture of the Church. After that, the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation talk about a feast in heaven and a great multitude of people worshiping with praise. Revelation chapter 6 introduces the rider on the white horse, the first of the five horsemen mentioned in Revelation. This is actually the Antichrist. The word Antichrist in Greek means other than Christ or pseudo Christ. (Note that this is not the same rider of the white horse that is found in Revelation chapter 19, for that “rider” is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom I refer to as the fifth horseman.) The Antichrist or world leader will, according to the book of Daniel, come to power and bring peace to the world. He will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and be considered a wonderful and powerful man who seems to be the answer to the world’s problems. This charismatic man will be praised and accepted by the whole world. It is amazing to me—and history teaches us—that man learns nothing from history. All the leaders in history that have come to power and gained control have done so under the same conditions—when nations were weak and in economic crisis. When Hitler came to power, he won the people over with his ideas and leadership. Yet later on, once he was in control, he showed his true self. The Bible prophesies that this world leader will come to power for a seven-year period. During this time, he will set up a one-world government and a one-world religion and also bring about a cashless society. If these scenarios seem farfetched to you, then just imagine what it was like fifty years ago. If, in 1950, I was to tell you that Europe would join together and establish what is now known as the European Union (which is prophesied in Daniel as smaller and weaker nations joining together from within the Roman Empire), you would say it was impossible. There is no way that Holland, Belgium, France and others would join sides with Germany after Hitler’s brutal attack and destruction of these countries! Yet, we see it today. Now let’s consider how each of these countries has given up the sovereignty of their own currency, entering into a one-currency system, using the Euro. If I had proposed such a suggestion to you back then, you would have said that I was crazy! And what about a cashless society, as prophesied in Revelation 13:17? Imagine living in 1960 and trying to grasp the concept of electronic banking, ATMs, point of sale, etc. It is amazing that today we have seen and experienced the convenience of a cashless society and its benefits. The Bible teaches in Revelation 13:16 that the world leader will require everyone, both great and small, to have a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without the mark, no one will be able to buy or sell. These days, laser tattoos and microchip tagging of animals are realities. This sounds right in line with Bible prophecy. So the world leader will come to power, uniting the world and bringing peace to Israel by rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews will praise him as the Messiah, which is interesting, given that in John 5:43, Jesus stated, “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him” (NIV). After the temple is rebuilt, according to Scripture (Dan. 12) the world leader will walk into the temple and demand to be worshiped, which is the “abomination of desolation.” From that point on, the world leader will show his true colors. All hell will break out upon the earth, and God will pour out His wrath upon a sinning people. The wrath of the Lamb will come crushing down on all the earth—the great tribulation will begin. The wrath of God, you say? What is that? Well, the Bible talks about the wrath of God in both the Old and New Testaments. It can be described as the Lord pouring out His anger and causing tribulation such as the world has never seen nor will ever see again. In the Old Testament, this is referred to as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), while in the New Testament, it is referred to as the great tribulation. There will be great earthquakes, famines, wars and destruction. In the book of Revelation, chapters 6-19 talk about the plagues and destruction that will be poured out. We read of the rider on the red horse having the authority to make war and remove peace from the earth: Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword (Rev. 6:4 NKJV). We then read about a black horse that causes inflation and famine—where a day’s work will only buy a single meal. Then comes a pale horse, causing death by disease, hunger and plagues: So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth (Rev. 6:8 NKJV). We then read about the seven trumpets that God gives to His seven angels to herald and release horrible destruction. The first angel blew his horn, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, was thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, and one-third of all the grass and trees was burnt. Can you imagine this? Can you recall images of vast forest fires on TV, such as in Indonesia in recent years, and how the day became like night because of the smoke? What would it be like if one-third of the earth’s forests were on fire? Would the earth be in darkness? This could be what Christ was talking about in Matthew 24:29, where He stated, in reference to the tribulation, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” (NKJV). Throughout the books of the Bible, we read of global catastrophes and disasters. In Zechariah 14:12, we read of end-times destruction that causes men’s eyes to melt in their heads and their tongues to curl up and melt. Could this, in fact, be a description of nuclear war? The book of Revelation speaks of the great battle of Armageddon that will take place in the valley of Megiddo. In this battle, we are told, the kings of the east will march with their army of 200 million soldiers. This is an incredible prophecy to fulfill, because when John wrote the book of Revelation, there were not even 200 million people on the earth! Yet today, we know that China has an army of 200-million soldiers. Could China be the “kings of the east?” In Matthew chapter 24, the disciples asked Jesus about the end times. Jesus told them, Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows…When you see the "abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet…then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:4-30 NKJV). This passage tells us that Christ will be coming back with His Church, the Christians. He is saying that the tribulation is going to be so bad that He will have to come back and defeat the enemy. It is interesting that Matthew chapter 24 parallels Revelation chapters 6 and 19. In Revelation chapter 6, the rider on the white horse comes and brings peace. That sounds like what Jesus refers to as the man who will deceive many and claim to be the Christ (Matt. 24:4-5). Then there is the rider of the red horse, who is granted the power to take peace from the earth. As Jesus states in Matthew 24:6, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Then we read about the riders of the black and pale horses who bring famine and pestilence. And ultimately, we have Revelation 19:11, talking about the fifth horseman—our Lord and Savior—coming in the clouds with His saints, just like Jesus alludes to in Matthew 24:30. So we can see that Jesus gave His disciples a briefing on the end times. The wrath of the Lamb can be described as the worst time that this earth will ever experience. The Bible even talks about demonic powers and demons being released upon the earth, as well as Satan worship. Think about this: fifty years ago, people would never have imagined that man would openly worship Satan as we’re seeing today, through music, cults, and Satanic rituals. Now think of what has happened in America in the last decade. Youth of all ages in America—elementary school age, high school age and college age—have become mass murderers, going into public functions and schools with the intent to kill many. We even have youths killing their parents, friends and family members! Looking back to the founding of America, you will realize that America was established on biblical principles and the constitution was based on the ten commandments. Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s forefathers, said, “I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us in this book.” And George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Our forefathers prayed and asked God for guidance, whereas today, the ten commandments have been taken out of the schools and courts, and man has set his own earthly laws—the results of which can be viewed each night on the evening news. In the times of Noah, the world was so corrupt that God had to destroy the earth with a global flood. It is interesting that modern scientists can prove that there was a global flood. They estimate it to have occurred about 5,000 years ago and believe it was caused by a polar axis shift. God spared Noah and his family and then made a covenant with Noah, stating that He would never judge the earth with water again (Gen. 9:11). He then gave Noah a rainbow as a confirmation of His covenant. Christ said in Matthew 24:37 that “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” God always gives us warning of His actions. He is a loving God, and He does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). In Noah’s day, God gave the world 120 years to repent, yet only Noah and his family believed and were saved. I believe that is why God gave the Apostle John the vision to write the book of Revelation, so that we can see what the Lord has planned for this sinning world. The doctrine of Christianity is based on Christ dying for our sins and then, three days later, rising from the dead. Christ washed us clean with His blood and gave us the chance to live eternally in the presence of our Lord. We have the promise of salvation through the shedding of His blood. All over the world, throughout all denominations of Christianity, we pray for the return of Jesus Christ and for His Kingdom to come. These words are preached in sermons and church services every Sunday, yet how many of us really believe that Christ could come at any time? The Bible teaches that we are to be ready and anticipate that He could return at any minute. The second coming of Christ is preached more than any other event in the Bible. Jesus even alludes to His coming over and over again throughout the New Testament. In Matthew 24:13, Jesus says, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (NKJV). And in Revelation 22:7, Jesus tells us, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (NKJV). Our selfish world is so busy worrying about “What’s in it for me?” that they lose sight of why we are here on this earth—to worship our living God who created us. The believers in Christ are storing up their treasures in heaven and awaiting their rewards. It is amazing to me that Jesus Christ is the most talked about man who ever walked the face of this earth. His presence is so strong that we base our yearly calendar on this remarkable man—not to mention that the most celebrated event in the world is Christmas. And remember that the Bible is the most widely read book in history. So, with His words having such an impact on the world, how many of us really believe and follow them? I cannot understand why anyone would choose to go through the great tribulation that the Bible promises to the non-believing world. The wrath of the Lamb will happen as described in Revelation chapters 6 to 19. I realize that it is hard to understand that Christ will return as promised, but His Word has been 100 percent accurate thus far. The Bible has foretold the future, and we have seen, in the last fifty years, many Bible prophecies come to pass—not to mention the progress being made on prophecies to be fulfilled in the future. For instance, on December 15, 1999, a press release was issued to NASDAQ, introducing a new e-commerce technology company whose aim is to implant a microchip in humans. This miniature digital transceiver will be able to act as a tracking device for e-business and for storing records. You can bank on this technology being a winner. Revelation 13:16 foretold this taking place and states that, in order to live, you must accept this format. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark. With modern-day technology, we can now understand what the Bible is referring to. Just think, when believers 100 years ago read the book of Revelation, what faith they must have had to trust in Christ! It is amazing to think that, 100 years ago, the method of transportation was horse and buggy. There was no way that someone could imagine airplanes, rockets and space shuttles. What about the concept of wiping out the world with a single bomb or with chemicals that can kill millions of people, as the Bible predicts? Can you imagine sitting in on a Bible study on the book of Revelation back in 1895? These passages would have seemed like fiction—people must have thought Christians were crazy to even believe such nonsense! Well, today we see that it is not nonsense at all but reality. In Daniel 12:4, Daniel was told to seal up the book until the end, when knowledge and understanding would increase. Could this be the time when knowledge has increased, and we now understand what is in store for the future? The Bible has described the last seven-year period with so much detail and such precision that we must wake up and realize that we are getting closer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Always remember that the Bible was given to us so that we would not be ignorant of things to come. Our Lord is a gentleman and does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance and accept His grace and forgiveness (2 Pet. 3:9). We are washed clean by His blood, and all we have to do is ask Him to come into our hearts, admit that we are sinners, repent of our sins and walk in His Spirit. If you have not yet done so, you can ask Christ to come into your life, forgive you of your sins and give you the promise of everlasting life. May the peace, grace and joy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wash and cleanse you of your sins. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
|
|