Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:05:01 -0800WeeblyThu, 12 Aug 2010 16:44:30 -0800http://www.calvarychapeljonesboro.org/4/post/2010/08/no-title.htmlThere is an interesting practice among those of us who are prophecy wonks.  That is the tendency by our writings to make people think that Revelation is all about the wild and wacky things that are happening in the latest news headlines.  One would think that “Revelation” meant – the revelation of the latest theory about what was happening in our world right now - or the revelation of our latest guess on who the antichrist is – or the latest thing we consider to be the mark of the beast.  I will have to admit these things do sell books and tapes much better than simple Bible exegesis.  The question though is whether that is what we are supposed to be doing in the church?

The book of Revelation is actually a book about the revelation of Jesus Christ to this world.  This revealing of God’s Son is seen in His return – and the events leading up to it.  If I were to get picky – I would insist that the entire Bible is actually about this revealing of God’s Son – and how God has been working in the past and the present to eventually sum up all things in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  In light of this, I just want to ask a question of all the prophecy wonks out there.  Are we doing a service to the body of Christ – or a disservice by our constant clamor about what we see in the news – and its direct relation to the return of the Lord?  Are we ultimately pointing them to Him – or just to us as the authority on all things prophetic? 

The book of Revelation is about revealing Jesus to us.  So, I want to take a few moments (probably more than just a few – as I tend toward a windiness or wordiness that is somewhat long) and take a quick walk through Revelation and how Jesus is revealed to us through this wonderful book. 

First we come upon Jesus in the opening words of Revelation and are introduced to someone far different in appearance that the Jesus we knew through the gospels.  Jesus is glorified in this revelation – and that sight is enough to lay John at his feet like a dead man.  This teaches us right off the bat that Jesus Christ is not coming in His earthly humiliation when He comes again.  We had better be ready ourselves for a “glorious and powerful Lord Jesus Christ” who is coming to judge, rule, and reign.

Next, we run into a Jesus who is concerned about His church.  For the next couple of chapters Jesus has something to say to the 7 churches of Asia.  For those who believe this is also a commentary upon the church through the ages as various churches represent the various ages the church has had since Pentecost, there is much to learn from what Jesus reveals here.  He is deeply concerned about His church – and in some cases deeply sickened (Laodicea, at least the lukewarm brethren among them, made Him want to puke).  We learn that our Lord is coming for a spotless bride who loves Him more than they love the world.  We also learn that the church is His, not ours.  We would be wise to seek out His Word for its guidance rather than the latest cool trends that promise to fill seats – even though hearts may remain untouched.

Chapters 5-6 bless us with a revelation of our Lord in glory.  Surrounded by myriads of angels and adoring elders – this scene is one that takes our breath away.  John weeps as he wonders who can open a mysterious scroll – which many believe to be the title deed to earth.  Then he rejoices when he sees Jesus revealed as the One who can open this scroll because of His sacrifice on the cross.  All heaven erupts in praise of this One Who has overcome and Who now takes center stage to open the scroll and claim His place as the rightful Messiah of Israel – as well as Lord of all the universe.  What do we learn here?  We learn that not just the church is His – it ALL is.  Once again the wise among us see this as a reason to seek Him – not the gurus of modern religion – or the Al Gore’s of the world who think our purpose is to save mother earth.  Hope they find out that He is going to destroy this world the second time by fire – cause that will really bum out those who think our greatest danger is global warming.  

From chapters 7 on through 19 we watch as the events unfold revealing how God uses a 7 year period of great tribulation to bring judgment upon the earth, as well as bring Israel to recognize and embrace her rightful Messiah.  The Lord promised such in the Old Testament. This section of Scripture reveals to us the heart of our Lord in keeping His Word – both to the wicked and to His chosen people.  This section also involves the most favorite characters and events of the prophecy world.  We watch as the antichrist rises and tries to mimic what God has done in Jesus Christ.  Yet his deception falls eternally short – and his kingdom becomes nothing more than a clearing house for lies, death, and destruction.  This really shouldn’t shock us because Jesus warned us that he comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.  We watch as a one world government, a one world economic system, and a one world religion are established by him and his minions only to fail miserably because they have one serious, fatal flaw – their efforts  are not centered in glorifying Jesus Christ.  Note to self . . . maybe we should be building all we build to glorify Him?

Chapters 7 through 19 also reveal to us the utter horror of God’s judgment.  We watch as this world rejects God for the final time – and does so in the midst of the most awe-inspiring judgments we can imagine.  This is a reminder to us, as well as a revelation, that Jehovah is God – and Jesus Christ is His Son, the world’s only Savior.  The wrath of the Lamb is enough to make us fear with trembling what is coming upon the world for its rebellion against God.  Would that we would focus more on this revelation rather than graspimg at straws as to the identity of the antichrist.  

We watch the end draw near as mankind gathers together in one last insane attempt to overthrown Jesus Christ – and dethrone God.  They gather for war thinking that they can take out God.  Gloriously, Jesus Christ comes to put an end to their madness – destroying them with the sword that comes from His mouth.  We watch in astonished amazement as God, who started everything by speaking our world into existence, now speaks to destroy those who have opposed Him in it.  We are reminded quite graphically that what matters in the end is the Word of God.  Those who stand on it – will not have to be destroyed by it!

As we move into the final chapters of this Revelation of Jesus Christ, we watch an initial judgment followed by a thousand year reign of Christ on the earth.  Fascinated, we watch as God gives mankind a perfect world in which to live.  He gives them a world in which Christ is reigning on earth.  The only imperfection in the world is those who survived the great tribulation who are still on the earth.  One would think this would be the perfect situation and time for man to show that all he needed to make it was a “perfect world.”  But the sin nature rises up again – and as the devil is loosed for one last time to deceive mankind, man (now in a near perfect environment) rejects Christ and follows the wicked one.  What is revealed to us is that fallen mankind MUST have a Savior.  The human heart is wicked and in need of redemption and regeneration no matter what environment he is in.  Jesus is revealed as the ONLY SOLUTION for the problem of mankind.  

The final chapters are dedicated to revealing Jesus as Judge – both of the wicked and the righteous.  The wicked are cast into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever and ever.  Hopefully, we learn from this that, whereas it is not that important if we guess the identity of the antichrist – or whether Rome or Babylon is where he is centered – or what the mark of the beast really is – or whether the descriptions in Revelation are all literal or refer to military helicopters and tanks – we do know this, “You better KNOW the identity of your Savior.  Get that wrong and you will face eternity in the lake of fire.  It is far better to know Who is being revealed in this book – and Why He is being revealed – than it is to try to know things we won’t until they actually come to pass.  

We also see in these final chapters that heaven is glorious. And yep, you got it, it’s all due to the presence of God and Jesus Christ in heaven.  Even our light bill in heaven is a matter of knowing Jesus Christ, since He is the source of its illumination.  We learn that our days will be spent in a place far more glorious than we can imagine.  Once again, though, we also learn heaven’s greatest glory is the presence of the One Who has been revealed to us throughout this book. 

Interesting journey through Revelation, wasn’t it.  Maybe it was because it was a journey that was all about Jesus.  Funny that we tend to major on the minors and minor on the major about this book.  Even this exercise in itself reminded me to keep my eyes on Jesus – not the latest headlines and what they may or may not mean in reference to His coming.  Regardless of what is on the front page of the newspapers I can know based on what is on the back pages of my Bible what is important.  What IS important saints is that we radically give ourselves to Jesus Christ – and radically live to spread His gospel while we can.  The clock on this world is running down saints.  Whether the world (or the church) chooses to recognize it or not, time is running out for men and women to hear the gospel and respond in repentance and faith.  Time is running out for men to be clothed in the only wedding clothes that will be acceptable at the wedding supper of the Lamb.  Time is running out for us to be clothed as a bride in the finest white garments of His righteousness.  Revelation was meant to reveal Him – and to make us long for His return.  May we once again study this book and come away with that truth.  May we once again gaze upon Him and only give a momentary glimpse to the events and secondary characters of this volume.  May we find ourselves captured by His beauty, His grace, and His glory.  That, dear saints is why Revelation was written – to reveal and draw us to Him!]]>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:06:34 -0800http://www.calvarychapeljonesboro.org/4/post/2010/06/what-is-going-on-in-the-gulf.htmlAnyone who has followed the news lately knows that we have a growing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.  Therefore, some are asking the question, “What is going on in the Gulf of Mexico with the oil leak?”  The implication behind their question is whether this oil leak has anything to do with the “end times.” 

Some have even quoted Revelation 8:8-9 which says, “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”  Their assertion is that this is a fulfillment of Scripture and that this situation shows that we are in the last days.  This presents a wonderful opportunity to teach about what is and is not “last days” fulfillment of prophecy.

In order for us to know what is and is not fulfilled prophecy we need to start with the understanding that Scripture is true – and it says what it says so we can understand the truth and know specifically things that are going to happen prior to Christ’s return.  Too many want to loosely deal with the facts of the Word when it comes to prophetic statements.  They want to be able to take any situation and make it a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.  This is just not the case – and it leads to horrific exegesis of biblical prophetic passages.  Let’s take a look at Revelation 8 and see what it says – and how this proves to us that the current Gulf situation is NOT a specific fulfillment of prophecy.

Revelation 8:8-9 says that “a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea.”  OK . . .  here’s our first problem.  Did any of you hear of a burning mountain hitting the Gulf of Mexico?  I sure did not.  But some say that when the rig exploded it was like a big mountain of fire.  But that just does not cut it when exegeting Scripture.  This passage speaks of something like an asteroid (which by the way, looks like a mountain burning with fire being thrown from the sky).  But this is not the only problem here.  The passage also says that 1/3 of the sea became blood.  Now I know that the Gulf has been stained with the oil from this blown well – and – that the coagulated oil in the water has a deep red-like look – but we have two very serious problems here.  First, the entire Gulf of Mexico is no where near a third of the sea – and in fact the areas that have been polluted don’t come near to being a third of the Gulf itself.  Next problem is that the ocean becomes blood in this passage – and that is NOT happening in the Gulf.  Since we’re dealing with problems – we also have the problem that a third of the creatures in the sea have not died – neither have a third of the ships been destroyed either.  Thus we have numerous problems with saying that the Gulf situation is fulfillment of Revelation 8. 

Then what is going on in the Gulf?  Is it related to the last days?  Let me give you my opinion on these questions.  First of all we read in 2 Timothy 3 that in the last days “perilous times will come.”  What I find fascinating is that these perilous conditions will exist because, “men will be lovers of self, lovers of money . . . “  Well, that certainly has something to do with this situation.  We have learned that BP, the group responsible for the well, were the worst safety violators of all the oil companies working in the Gulf of Mexico.  Their record was worse than all the other companies working in the Gulf combined.  Sounds like a love of self and money was a huge reason this happened.  We also learned that a waiver was given from the Obama administration 5 minutes after it was requested on an unsafe and dangerous well.  Why would that happen?  Maybe it was because the administration received very large contributions from BP?  Ah, once again we see love of self and money at work.  These things are not nearly as exciting as thinking Revelation 8 has been fulfilled, because . . . well, because we watch the love of self and money messing things up all the time!  Yes we do – and it is a sign that we are living in those perilous times – but not that we’ve experienced a specific fulfillment of prophecy. 

There is a second interesting thing we might see at work here as well.  This explosion had interesting timing.  On April 19th a very significant event happened in the United States concerning our foreign policy and our view of Israel.  It was reported on the news that day that the Obama administration was signaling that Israel could no longer depend on the United States to use its veto power in the United Nations to protect Israel from some of the anti-Israel resolutions that come up there for a vote.  This was a huge shift in our foreign policy and another sign that the United States was walking away from Israel.  The reason the date of April the 19th is so important to recognize is that this was the day before the oil rig exploded on April 20th.  Some may call it a coincidence – but what is fascinating is how many of these coincidences have taken place right after we have turned against Israel.  

God’s Word has a promise made to Abraham and his offspring (i.e. Israel) – “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."   Genesis 12:2-3 (NASB).  Once again, this is not a direct fulfillment of a prophecy in Revelation – but a fulfillment of God’s Word in that the protection for our nation continues to come down every time we turn away from Israel.  

In conclusion what is going on in the Gulf?  First, there is NOT a direct fulfillment of any specific prophecy made about the events surrounding the return of Christ.  Second, there is the continued peril of living in a time when the selfishness and greed of fallen men.  That peril has now extended to the Gulf region now being damaged by this oil leak.  God is trying to get our attention by allowing the sin of men in this evil age to affect us negatively.  We need to learn to turn from sin and wickedness, especially the sin of selfish, money-driven living.  By the way, the only way we can be delivered from these sins is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The third thing going on in the Gulf is discipline upon our nation for continuing to turn away from Israel.  

Hopefully we will learn the harder lessons from what is going on in the Gulf.  These are lessons that require us to turn away from our selfishness and greed for money.  Hopefully we will learn that it is not wise for us to turn from our ally Israel – even if it means standing with them alone while the rest of the world criticizes us.  It is better for us to know God’s blessing and protection upon our land – than to have the approval of the very nations He will destroy in the end for opposing Him as He brings Israel to salvation through Jesus Christ.]]>Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:36:00 -0800http://www.calvarychapeljonesboro.org/4/post/2010/06/what-is-prophecy-all-about.htmlWhat is prophecy all about?  That is the question I hope to address in this first post. 

Prophecy is about God telling us things in advance.  That is what prophecy is in the most basic definition possible.  But this answer honestly stirs up as many questions as it answers.  Why does God go to the trouble to tell us what is going to happen in the future?  What is He after in doing this . . . is He just showing off His foreknowledge and omniscience? 

Prophecy has a major function according to what is written in Scripture.  God is actually doing something here - and He is doing it for a very specific reason.  Listen to these words from Isaiah 46,

8 "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';  (Isaiah 46:8-10, NASB)

God tells us here that He is giving us prophecies of the future to prove to us that He is God.  No one can give an exact representation of the future without error - unless He is a being who sees the future - or as we grasp with God's eternity - He dwells in the future, past, and present all at once.  God gives prophecy to prove to us that He is God.  That is one of the most important reasons for prophecy.  It is also one of the reasons we need to take great care in dealing with it.  Too many make prophecy look cheap and tawdry by making prediction after prediction as to who is the antichrist - as well as hundreds of other ignorant guesses as to what prophecy is telling us.  The first - and in many ways most important - purpose for prophecy is to watch as God predicts with perfect accuracy - the events that are going to take place in history.  God's accuracy at doing this is beyond stunning - it is perfect. 

A second reason God gives prophecy to us is for our instruction concerning judgment and correction for His people.  We read in Amos 3:7, "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets."  Here we see that God announces ahead of time what He is about to do - and does it through His prophets.  In the vast majority of cases this involved judgment upon His people.  They needed to know that their disobedience and rebellion against His Word was going to bring consequences.  Since they were already disregarding His commandments and ordinances - they needed to see and hear something that would remind them He is God.  Thus God offered His judgments to them in advance - letting them know what was going to happen.  When it did happen - they would be reminded that He is God - and that their rebellion was a serious matter. 

The last reason I want to lay before you for prophecy - is that God has chosen to reveal to us what will happen prior to the return of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This God has laid out for us in Scripture.  Jesus Christ will come back to this earth just as God says He will.  We are watching these things unfold right before our very eyes.  We've been watching them for years - and it seems that events are speeding up in our day.  Regardless whether Jesus comes back in our generation or not He is coming - and Scripture tells us - He is coming to judge the earth.  There is something for which we need to be prepared. 

Therefore, be careful about those who want to make prophecy into a "who's the antichrist" guessing contest.  As we look at the unfolding of God's perfect history - know this.  God is moving this world toward two inevitable events.  The judgment of mankind - and the summing up of all things in Christ.  Ultimately, this is what prophecy should point us toward.  Therefore, rather than having our prophecy site be a "prediction center" for the latest fad in the religiously ridiculous, we're going to try to stick to these things - and to how present history seems to be matching up to the history God told us is going to happen.

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