Even at the Doors blog

(June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar activity and attempts by some to link it to Mayan Prophecy. There seems to be a diverse opinion on the meaning and nature of the Mayan Prophecy. The Mayans observed several calendrical cycles for their various social, agricultural, commercial and administrative endeavors and each of which had a religious element in or religious aspect to them. One of the calendars, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, is the one that pertains to the Mayan Prophecy. This Long Count calendar constitutes a period of time consisting of 5125 years. The current Great Cycle of the Long Count will conclude on December 21, 2012. What happens after that seems to be open to conjecture. Beginning in the 1960s some Mayan researchers suggested that some type of apocalyptic event would occur at that time. Since then others have stated their belief that a new age of enlightenment will come upon mankind and the earth. Some believe that there will be some form of Milky Way galactic alignment on the Winter solstice (December 21) of 2012. As I pointed out in my last post, Hollywood has taken the Armageddon approach to 2012 and this is the idea which seems to have taken root in popular American culture. Therefore, I am interested in seeing how the months and weeks leading up to December 21, 2012 play out. The media hype may surpass that which occurred prior to the Y2k scare of 1999. I have read that modern-day Mayans themselves attach no import to the Mayan Prophecy. I believe they have the correct approach to this “event”.

From a Christian perspective I think it is possible that on December 22, 2012 people will use the failure of the falsely perceived Mayan prophecy to disparage Biblical End-Times prophecy. The two are completely unrelated. Bible prophecy concerning the first coming of God’s Messiah was 100% accurate. So too will Biblical prophecy concerning the Messiah’s second coming be 100% accurate. I’m not talking about my or other prophecy commentators’ interpretation of End-Times prophecy coming true but the Biblical events themselves will happen however they develop. People should not look to Nostradamus, New Age prophecies, psychics, oracles, or any other form of prophetic avenues to see what the future holds. The Devil has a general, if not specific, knowledge of God’s plans for the future (“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.” - Revelation 12:12). I believe he has used and will continue to use false prophets of the world in order to diminish the efficacy of God’s prophetic word. Some have accused Dispensationalist Christians of detracting from the primacy of preaching the Gospel in favor of stressing End-Times prophecy.

Should Christians talk about the End-Times?

I wrote an article on my website titled Should Christians talk about the End-Times?. In this article I answered this question:

[beginning of my article] “There are Christians who do not agree with me that the End-Times should be discussed as a topic of the Christian faith. I do not mean to single out any one leader as holding this position because there are other Christian leaders who subscribe to this belief. However, I believe that one pastor’s point of view is representative of some of these other leaders. In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren broaches the issue of End-times prophecy:

“Today there’s a growing interest in the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. When will it happen? Just before Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples asked him this same question, and his response was quite revealing. He said, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’“ [He footnotes Acts 1:7-8] “When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. He wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. He said in essence, ‘The details of my return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission I’ve given you. Focus on that!’ Speculating on the exact timing of Christ’s return is futile, because Jesus said, ‘No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ [He footnotes Matthew 24:36] Since Jesus said he didn’t know the day or hour, why should you try to figure it out? What we do know for sure is this: Jesus will not return until everyone God wants to hear the Good News has heard it. Jesus said, ‘The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.’ [He footnotes Matthew 24:14] If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy.” ["The Purpose Driven Life", by Rick Warren, pp. 285-286, Zondervan]

Pastor Warren’s application of the quote of Jesus just before His ascension into heaven is somewhat in error. He is correct in that God’s mission for the first disciples was to spread the gospel throughout the world. That mission continues to this day for the followers of Jesus Christ. However, is Pastor Warren’s contention that Christians should not discuss the End-Times consistent with the rest of the New Testament?

I find it ironic that the two scripture passages he quotes to support his belief come from chapter twenty-four of the gospel of Matthew. That entire chapter is about the second coming of Jesus and the events that lead up to it. It starts with the disciples asking Jesus the very question concerning the End-Times. In His response, did Jesus tell His disciples that it was “none of their business”?

“1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple. 2 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. 3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before.” (Matthew 24:1-25)

Why did Jesus tell the disciples what the signs of the end would be if He didn’t want them to discuss it? Why did the Holy Spirit inspire Matthew to include this chapter in his gospel if He didn’t want future generations to know about the End-Times? The answer is that God does want His followers to know what is going to happen at the end for at least two reasons. One is that Christians are to find hope and comfort in the return of the Lord. The second is that Christians are to warn humanity that one day God is going to judge the world and its inhabitants.

The First Century Christians in the Church of Thessalonica, Greece, were concerned that their dead brethren would miss the second coming of Jesus. The apostle Paul responded to their fears in one of the first letters he ever wrote:

“13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Paul is describing an End-Times event that Christians call the Rapture. In verse 13 he expressly tells the believers, that unlike unbelievers, Christians have hope. He tells them to “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope“. In verse 18 Paul tells Christians to “comfort one another with these words“. Here Christians are told to take hope and comfort in these End-Times events. It doesn’t mean the Thessalonians were to ignore spreading the gospel and meeting the needs of others. As a matter of fact, the verses preceding this passage tell the believers how they are to live their lives:

“1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His holy Spirit. 9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; 11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12)

In another letter Paul told a fellow Christian leader that believers were to look for the return of Jesus Christ:

“11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)

Again, the verses immediately preceding this passage instruct believers on how to live their lives in a Christian manner. However, Paul stated that they were to look for the second coming, not ignore it, because it would give them hope.” [end of my article]

In the Book of Revelation Jesus told His servant John to write down the things he saw. Why? Because like the rest of the prophecies of the Bible future generations of Believers were to learn what God had done through fulfilled prophecy and what He will do in the future leading to Jesus’ second coming and the events that occur afterward. In Isaiah chapter 46 God states, “9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Why would God declare the end if He didn’t want humans to know what was going to take place in the future? The answer is that God does want us to study prophecy since He stresses that it is one proof that He is God. At the same time He also wants us to preach and live the gospel until all the world has heard it.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come”

Jesus Himself said His followers were to “42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:42,44) We cannot know the day or hour of Jesus’ return but we can look for signs that it may be close. The apostle Paul wrote,“1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-6) Therefore, as “children of God’s light” we should watch for the signs of His second coming. What are some of the signs to look for?

I believe one of the most important signs has already come to pass: The formation of the modern state of Israel. Several End-Times events revolve around the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. That was not possible until the Jews returned to the land in 1948. Since then the Jews have made all the utensils, priestly garments, and items to be used in the Temple services (see The Temple Institute website). Also the Antichrist is going to enter the rebuilt Temple and show or declare Himself God.

I believe the signs Jesus said to watch for would happen after Israel’s rebirth. One of these signs was to look for the rise of false messiahs. Some believe that a leader will come to prominence in Europe. Walid Shoebat thinks the Antichrist will come out of Turkey and that Turkey plays a large role in events leading up to the battle of Armageddon. It is interesting that Israeli authorities allowed the Turkish flag to be displayed on the Temple Mount last week. If Mr. Shoebat is correct then watching news events (like Turkish-led flotilla incident two weeks ago) that involve Turkey and Israel might prove revealing.

Revelation chapter 13 indicates there will be a global economy, global government, and global religion. Obviously the groundwork for globalization in each of these areas has occurred in our lifetimes with the advent of the computer/information age.

We need to keep an eye on Israel to see how isolated it becomes from the rest of the world. If its staunchest ally America turns its back on Israel (as seems to be happening) then that would clear the way for the Gog/Magog invasion prophesied by Ezekiel to take place. Zechariah chapter 12 states that at the end the entire world will come against Israel.

Some think the Rapture will occur before any of these signs occur. They maintain the Day of the Lord begins with the Rapture and there are no more signs that have to take place before that event. However, there is an interesting prophecy in the last book of the Old Testament that garners little attention or discussion in prophecy circles, “5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6) Because the Jews of Jesus’ time knew this prophecy they were questioning the fact that the prophet Elijah was to come before the Messiah appeared. (Jews to this day set out a cup of wine for Elijah during the Passover Seder hoping he will come through the door and usher in the Messianic Age). Jesus responded to the Jews’ question saying, “’11 Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17 :11-13) Notice that Jesus said Elijah came (in the form of John the Baptist) but also that he is coming in order to restore all things. Clearly the second reference speaks of the End-Times when the Messiah comes and restores the Kingdom (Acts 1:6-8). Thus, it is possible that either the prophet Elijah himself (since he never died) or someone who, like John the Baptist, comes in the form of Elijah before the Day of the Lord. The question is when does the Day of the Lord begin. If at the beginning of the Tribulation Period then his appearance may be next on God’s prophetic calendar.

I believe with the formation of Israel we are living in very interesting times. As Christians we need to look to God’s word for what His plans are for the future of the world. The world will continue to look outside the Bible for the answers concerning future events but they will be deceived as Jesus warned would happen. As children of God’s light Christians need to keep their eyes on Jesus, preach and live the Gospel, and warn others of the wrath to come either in this life or the next one.