Month: April 2018

(originally published August 22, 2011)

Quite frankly, because Jesus told us to, so we would be prepared for what’s coming and can be ready.

Many Christians automatically think of the Book of Revelation when they think about End Times prophecy (for those that aren’t Christians, this is the last book in the Bible).  But this book can be daunting to study because many people consider it filled with symbolism, which makes it difficult to understand.  Suffice it to say, I’ll address the Book of Revelation in greater detail at a later time.  But Jesus himself warned his disciples repeatedly in what’s known as the Olivet Discourse about what would happen at the “end of the age.”  The Olivet Discourse is a private discussion that Jesus had with his disciples while sitting on the Mount of Olives about what would happen in the end times.  This teaching of Jesus is repeated in three books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark and Luke.  To make this study easier, I’ve attached a comparison compiled by Debbie Blank, which shows the text of these three books side-by-side (Olivet Discourse Comparison).  Just so you know who she is, Debbie Blank is a popular Bible teacher, author and speaker located in Omaha, Nebraska.  She and her husband, Bob, are co-founders of Living Word Ministries (www.livingwordministry.org).

Let me stop here for just a moment and say that it is my sincere hope that you would take nothing I say as truth without taking the time to read it for yourself in your own Bible and think on it and pray about it for yourself.   Gods tells us in Proverbs 2 that if we accept His words and ask for His wisdom and insight, if we take the time to search for it (in the Bible), then we are promised that we will understand the fear of the Lord and will find the knowledge of God.  In other words, He will begin to open your eyes to what He’s trying to say to you in His Word and He will give you greater understanding.  This is the power of the Holy Spirit working in you, if you are a born again Believer (a.k.a a follower of Jesus).

Back to the Olivet Discourse . . .

When comparing these texts together, we see some high level instructions to Believers:  1) we are told what the signs of His coming will be, 2) we are told not to be afraid, and 3) we are told not to be deceived.  We are even told that Believers will be persecuted, and some put to death, because of our affiliation with Jesus.  We are warned that many false prophets will arise and mislead many (and how are we to know the counterfeits if we don’t spend time getting to know the true Jesus?  There’s that communication thing again!).

We are even warned that in the end times lawlessness will increase, and because of this, most people’s love will grow cold.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been seeing a lot of news stories lately about flash mobs and rioting, people breaking out into fights at sporting events (some with guns), people being brutally attacked in public for no apparent reason, etc.  Yes, we’ve always had various types of crime to contend with, but I’m seeing a disturbing trend of a new level of violence that’s coming to the forefront more and more frequently.  In some cases, this violence is even taking over large portions of cities like Philadelphia, or even London.

Jesus goes on to tell us in the Olivet Discourse that when we “see the abomination of desolation  . . . standing in the holy place” (or when we “see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand”), then there will be a “great tribulation” such as the world has never seen before, or ever will again (pause to think on the Nazi regime and the atrocities it poured out on the Jews – it will be worse than that).   Jesus goes on, and foreshadows the Rapture, or gathering up, of the Church, warning us “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Jesus goes on to compel us to be on alert and to be ready.  We’re instructed to watch for these things to happen and to discern the “season” (that He is close – right at the door!).

Well, I know that’s an awful lot of information to cover in one blog post, but I’d encourage you to spend some time reading over the scripture comparisons for yourself.  This is only the beginning, but we need to dive in somewhere.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be found ready when He returns.  I’m also comforted to know that, even though such horrible things will take place, we have been informed, so we’re not caught by surprise (although we may have to purposely work at not being afraid).  But God will surely help us with that if we just ask Him.

Until next time . . . be blessed!

(originally published August 20, 2011)

If you haven’t spent much time in church, you may not have heard this phrase before.  Perhaps you’re starting to hear more people use the phrase “end times” when they talk about things they’re seeing on the news, like when the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks happened in New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., or the various Arab uprisings in the Middle East over the past several years.  Perhaps you’ve heard it mentioned when folks talk about the devastating earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, the outbreak of spring tornadoes in the U.S. this year, the faltering European economy, the faltering U.S. economy, the massive flooding of the Missouri river or the unbelievable drought going on in the southern U.S. this summer [2011].  Such cataclysmic events, especially when they occur so rapidly, cause many people to feel apprehensive and they begin to search for answers.

The good news is that God has given answers in the Bible that will aid us in our understanding.  According to Tim LaHaye, a nationally recognized speaker on Bible prophecy and the co-author of the best-selling Left Behind series, 28% of the Bible was prophetic when it was first written over 3,000 years ago (in other words, what the Bible said would happen had not happened yet).  In fact, there were over 1,000 passages of Scripture that were prophecies when they were written, and more than half of those have already been fulfilled.  This track record tells us that it’s just a matter of time before the remaining prophecies are fulfilled as well.  In fact, many Bible scholars say that our generation has witnessed the fulfillment of more “end times” prophecy than any other generation before it.   This stands to reason when you understand that Jesus taught about the end times saying,

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these things are the beginning of birth pangs.”Matthew 24:4-8

I’m sure you’re thinking that these things have always happened, why would this be any different?  Might I suggest that it is the timing and frequency with which we are seeing all these things happening together at the same time?  Jesus described these events as “birth pains.”  What happens when a woman is about to give birth? She begins to have contractions, and as the birth event draws closer, those contractions come more frequently and with much greater strength.  This is how it will be during the “end times.”

There are many Scriptures to explore on this subject, and there’s just too much information to cover in this one post.  But I hope I’ve whet your appetite on this topic because I plan to dive in much deeper and share some exciting information with you. You might want to pick up the book, Understanding Bible Prophecy for Yourself  by Tim LaHaye.  This was the basis for an exciting Bible study I attended over the summer, and it’s a resource I’ll refer to from time to time.  And if you don’t have a Bible of your own, I’d strongly encourage you to get one.  There are many modern translations which make the Bible easier to understand than the traditional King James version.  Your local Bible bookstore should have an adequate selection and should be staffed with folks who can help you choose the right translation for you.

Until next time, be blessed!