Peace On Earth?

December 22, 2011 3 Comments

What was it that those angels said on the night of Christ’s birth? The New King James Version renders it: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14) That translation simply follows the classic King James Version. Other translations, however, do a better job of conveying the meaning of the original Greek. Consider the following:

-The New America Standard: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

-The New International Version: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

-The Revised Standard Version: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

-The Holman Christian Standard: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!”

In case you are wondering why it’s important to nail down the translation so precisely, it’s because there are those who try to make something of the fact that Christ’s birth really didn’t bring peace on earth. Obviously, there have been untold numbers of wars since His birth, just as there were untold numbers of them before His birth. But as we see in these various other translations of the angels’quote, this argument reads something into the quote that actually isn’t there. The angels weren’t saying that there would be peace on earth. That wrong idea sprang from the inferior translation of the cherished King James Version. If the angels really were saying that Christ’s birth would bring peace on earth, why did Jesus Himself prophesy that the future would bring “wars and rumors of wars” and that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”? (Matthew 24:6-7) Even more than that, why did He flatly say, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword”? (Matthew 10:34)

Still, what we need to understand is that there will come a time when there will be peace on earth, and Jesus will be the cause of it. That time will be His 1,000 year reign upon this earth. Isaiah 2:4 describes it this way:

He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Of course, Christ’s 1,000 year reign isn’t here yet, is it? And according to Bible prophecy, a lot has to happen before it gets here. A detailed list of events and proof texts would go on for pages, but here at least are the major highlights:

-There has to be Christ’s snatching away of His people in what is called the Rapture. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

-There has to be the rise of the Antichrist and his right hand man the False Prophet. (Revelation 13:1-18)

-There has to be a seven-year Tribulation period. (Daniel 9:20-27, Revelation chapters 6 through 18)

-There has to be a battle of Armageddon that climaxes the Tribulation period. (Revelation 16:12-16, 19:19)

-There has to be Christ’s Second Coming to literally walk this earth again and win the battle of Armageddon. (Revelation 19:11-21)

-There has to be the capturing of the Antichrist and the False Prophet and their banishing to the eternal lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20)

-There has to be the binding of Satan and the imprisoning of Him in the bottomless pit for the 1,000 years of Christ’s earthly reign. (Revelation 20:1-3)

-There has to be the great dividing between the living “lost” (those who took the so-called “mark of the beast” during the tribulation period and lived to see the end of the period) from the living “saved” (those who accepted Christ as Savior during the Tribulation period and lived to see the end of the period). (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 13:11-18)

-There has to be Christ’s formal establishing of His Kingdom throne in Jerusalem. (Psalm 2:6-12, Zephaniah 3:14-15, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Daniel 2:44)

And so, you see, this world isn’t anywhere near ready for Jesus to reign over it in peace. As a matter of fact, the death tolls that will come from the battles and wars during the Tribulation period will be almost beyond belief (Revelation 6:3-8, 7:9-17, 9:13-19). This isn’t to say, though, that world peace isn’t one day coming. And who will bring it in? Not surprisingly, it will be the One who was born on that starry night so long ago. He is, after all, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Filed under Angels, Christ's birth, Christ's Second Coming, Christ's Return, Christmas, Coming Judgment, God's Timing, King James only, Prophecy Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

G.P.S. and Armageddon

July 26, 2011 Leave a Comment

For our vacation this year, Tonya and I borrowed a G.P.S. from her parents to help us with the driving. For anyone out there who doesn’t know, G.P.S. stands for Global Positioning System. Basically, a G.P.S. is a small computer that attaches to your windshield or dash and gives you highly specific directions on what roads to take and when to turn. It will even list local stores and restaurants in the area. All this is made possible by the fact that the computer links up to a satellite somewhere out in space and computerized information is relayed via the connection. I don’t want to understand the device much more than that because, frankly, it gets a little too creepy for me.

“What do you mean by that last statement?” Okay, I’ll tell you. First, the fact that the data concerning virtually every interstate, highway, and site location in the United States can be stored in a satellite system that mounts in your car is too Star Trek for me. When did we get smart enough to devise such technology? Second, if a satellite up in space can tell exactly where my Dodge Caravan is at any given time and place, who knows what else the powers that be know about me and mine? That’s too Big Brother for me. Third, by living in a world that has become so dependent upon computers, we seem to have ripened ourselves for some kind of cataclysmic technological meltdown in the future. And that’s a little too book of The Revelation for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really not the type to go around playing Chicken Little by saying, “The sky is falling.” I’m also not the type to grow a long beard, dress in weird clothing, and stand on a street corner holding a sign that reads, “The end of the world is near.” With that said, though, there is something about The Revelation that has aroused my curiosity for years. That something is the fact that the book seems to go out of its way to make mention of horses being used in battle in the future.

The passage I have in mind is Revelation 19:17-18, two verses which are found in the context of the book’s classic passage on the famous battle of Armageddon. They read:

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

The bloody carnage that will be on display in the wake of the battle of Armageddon will be unfathomable. Revelation 14:20 speaks of blood flowing as high as the horses’bridle (about four feet high) covering a distance of 1,600 furlongs (the approximate distance between the site of the battle of Armageddon and Edom in the south). Then, in addition to that verse, the words of Revelation 19:18 speak of untold numbers of corpses and carcasses that will become a great feast for the vulturous birds of the air. And here’s the point I’m trying to make: A bird can’t eat the remains of a tank, jeep, helicopter, fighter jet, or transport truck, but it can eat the remains of a horse. Because of this, how can we not interpret the horses at the battle of Armageddon to be literal horses?

Of course, I realize that this interpretation hinges upon the idea that the events of The Revelation are future events, and not everyone holds with this idea. But after studying the book for several years now and preaching through it twice, I side with the now predominantly held belief that the events are still to play out in the future. This world simply hasn’t yet seen the likes of all that is described in The Revelation.

And that brings us back to the matter of the literal horses at the coming battle of Armageddon. The question is, why will this world’s future soldiers be relegated to mounting horses? Could it be that there is coming a time when our vast array of military technology, technology which is based upon computers, will cease to function? Will someone invent a weapon that will render computers inoperative? Will this world one day be forced to endure a true Y2K-type event? While I freely confess that this is all mere speculation on my part, it’s certainly something to think about.

If it does happen, I suspect (and again I’m not preaching any of this as indisputable fact) that it will not take place until after the man the Bible calls the Antichrist has instituted his worldwide identification program known as “the mark of the Beast” (Revelation 13:16-18). That will take place at the midway point of the coming seven-year tribulation period. Students of prophecy puzzled for centuries as to how the Antichrist would be able to pull off such a worldwide program, but now, with computers having the power to store oceans of data and give us a cashless society, the puzzle is solved. So I’m guessing that all our computer technology will still be up and running at the half way point of the tribulation period.

You see, this is the kind of stuff that I think about when I use a device such as a G.P.S. I know, I know, I should just sit back and enjoy the ride, right? But give me credit for at least trying to understand how all of today’s computer wizardry factors into Bible prophecy. I may not have all the answers right, but at least I’m trying to take the test.

Filed under Bible Study, Christ's Second Coming, Coming Judgment, God's Word, Prophecy, Scripture Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Power of One

May 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

…one sinner destroys much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)

Wow, you talk about a statement with truth to it! These words from Ecclesiastes punch us right in the face, don’t they? What a sad but very real fact it is that just one person, acting in an ungodly manner, can ruin a ton of “good.”

And I’ll openly admit that I hate this about life. I mean, if God is really trying to fix this world, then He shouldn’t let one sinner destroy much good, right? We’re certainly never going to get much accomplished with that setup.

Ah, but there, you see, is the foundational flaw in our thinking. Please pull up close while I let you in on a secret the vast majority of people don’t know: God isn’t trying to fix this world. The noted preacher and author Warren Wiersbe is the man who helped me understand this. He says that rather than trying to save this world, God is saving people out of this world. I have to say that once I got a hold of that idea, life on planet Earth made a lot more sense to me.

Listen, I’m glad that Osama bin Laden has now been brought to his final justice, at least for this life. I’m also happy to hear that gas prices are expected to fall over the next few weeks. And the news that the economy is recovering and employment figures are on the rise is music to my ears. But make no mistake, this world (and that includes America) is still in an irreversible death spiral. Consider the following verses:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come… (2 Timothy 3:1)

But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

I assure you that the Bible is crystal clear in its teaching that this world is headed for dark, dark times. The climax of these times will be a seven-year period commonly referred to as “the tribulation period.” Getting even more specific, the last three-and-a-half years of that period will be the worst of the worst. How bad will those days be? Jesus said that unless they are shortened no one will be left alive on earth (Matthew 24:22). In other words, if God didn’t put a cap (a time limit) on those days, mankind would completely wipe himself off the face of the earth. Think about that!

“When will these perilous times begin?”, you ask. Well, would you believe that passages such as Hebrews 1:1-2 teach that the “last days” actually began when Jesus came into this world? This means that the momemtum for them has been building for some two thousand years now. Some day, perhaps today, Jesus will miraculously rapture His people away from this world (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; John 14:1-3). Sometime shortly after that moment in time, God’s official clock for the seven-year tribulation period will begin ticking. That clock will see the prophesied events of Revelation chapters 6 through 18 come to pass upon the earth. And that clock won’t stop ticking until Christ’s Second Coming at the famous Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:1-21). It is that battle that will finally signal the end of this age as Christ then establishes His one-thousand-year kingdom upon this earth (Revelation 20:1-6).

Now, tell me, does all of that sound like God is really working hard right now to fix the mess we have made of life on earth? No, it doesn’t. And that’s why He doesn’t always stop it when “one sinner destroys much good.” Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that God always lets the troublemaking sinner get away with his deeds. Neither am I saying that God wants us to just throw up our hands and give up on making this world a better place. But what I am saying is that we must always remember that this world has major Biblical prophecies hanging over it, and God isn’t going to cancel those out simply because one sinner now has the power to destroy much good.

Filed under Christ's Second Coming, Coming Judgment, Current Events, God's Timing, God's Wrath, God's judgment, Human Life, Influence, Prophecy Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Man’s Soul

February 17, 2011 Leave a Comment

In my last post, I talked about man’s spirit. With this post I want to say some things about his soul. I suppose I should begin by pointing out that some people teach that the “spirit” and the “soul” are simply interchangeable terms. For you theological experts out there, this view of man is known as the dichotomist view. But, as I study the Bible, I find that it really does differentiate between the two. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, the apostle Paul makes a point of listing each one separately. So I find myself in agreement with those who hold to the trichotomist view of man.

Actually, the fact of the matter is that each person doesn’t have a soul; each person is a soul. Consider the following passages:

1. Genesis 2:7 says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living nephesh (the Hebrew word for “soul”).”

2. Genesis 12:5 describes the servants that Abram had acquired in Haran as “the souls (nephesh) whom they had acquired.” This is just one of numerous places in the Old Testament where groups of people are referred to as groups of “souls.”

3. 1 Peter 3:20 says that eight “souls” were saved by way of Noah’s ark.

4. James 5:20 talks about saving a “soul” from death.

5. Romans 13:1 commands that every “soul” be subject to the governing authorities. Obviously, this means that every “person” should be subject to the governing authorities.

6. In Revelation 6:9, John sees heaven’s altar and under it the “souls” of many martyrs. Then, in 6:10, he hears those souls actually speak.

7. In Revelation 20:4, John sees the “souls” of those who had been martyred for Jesus during the Tribulation period.

When you understand that each person is a soul, you’ll understand how the Hebrew behind Amos 6:8, which says “The Lord God has sworn by Himself,” can rightly employ the word nephesh. The point is that God Himself is a soul. Furthermore, you’ll also understand why the Bible talks about the need for the human soul to get saved. You see, the term “soul saving” is just another way of saying “person saving.” Passages that speak of “the saving of the soul” are: Hebrews 10:39; James 1:21; and 1 Peter 1:9.

For the record, I should also mention that creatures and animals are also “souls” in the strictest technical sense. Verses such as Genesis 1:21,24; 2:19; and 9:10,12,15,16 all use the Hebrew word nephesh and translate it as “creatures.” Unlike the case of man, however, this doesn’t mean that creatures go to any kind of afterlife. Believe me, I like to think of my favorite dog, Tramp, as being out there in eternity waiting for me, but the Bible really doesn’t teach that he is. It does mention animals as being a part of Christ’s future 1,000-year reign upon this earth (Isaiah 11:6-9), and if you take Revelation 19:11-14 literally (and I do) there will be horses in heaven. But all that is not the same as saying that the souls of animals depart to an afterlife at death. I know there is a movie called “All Dogs Go To Heaven,” but I can’t find that verse in the Book.

But where does the soul of the individual go in the afterlife? Since the soul is eternal it must go somewhere, right? Well, first let me say that, like the spirit, the soul immediately departs from the body at death. Genesis 35:18 describes Rachel’s death in this way:

“And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin.”

There is, however, a serious difference concerning the spirit’s departure and the soul’s departure. As I said in my previous post, each person’s spirit returns to God at death (Ecclesiastes 12:7). But the soul passes on to one of two locations. It either goes to a place of eternal salvation with God or a place of eternal damnation apart from him. The proof texts here are: Luke 16:19-31; Acts 2:27,31; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 8:16-18; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:41; and Romans 2:5-9.

And so, when everything is said and done, the main thing that you need to pull from all this is that you are a soul and you are going to spend eternity either with God in perfect bliss or separated from Him in indescribable torment. And the deciding factor on where you end up is your belief in or lack of belief in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. 1 Peter 2:24-25 says this to Christians:

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

Jesus really is the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul. I wonder, can the same be said of your soul?

Filed under Belief, Bible Study, Christ's Second Coming, Coming Judgment, death, Evangelism, God's Wrath, God's judgment, Government, Heaven, hell, Human Life, Prophecy, Reward, salvation, Scripture, The Bible, Witnessing Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The True Meaning Of Meekness

February 10, 2010 Leave a Comment

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

The word “beatitude” is not found anywhere in the Bible, but it is used in reference to each of the instances where the Bible says ”Blessed is…” or “Blessed are…” The word comes from beatus, which is the Latin word for “blessed.” While beatitudes can be found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, far and away the most famous list is the one that begins Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

The Greek word for “blessed” is makarios. The word carries with it multiple shades of meaning. It can mean happy, fortunate, to be envied, satisfied, joyful, or spiritually prosperous. Needless to say, the word packs quite a punch. To be “blessed” in this way is no small thing!

Of all the beatitudes, perhaps the one that has historically been the worst understood is: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The problem has always stemmed from the false notion that meekness equates to weakness. The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth.

In the K.J.V., Numbers 12:3 says:

Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

If you think Moses was a ninety-pound weakling who couldn’t take care of himself, you really need to read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses was a man’s man, an outdoorsmen who had a hot temper and could singlehandedly kill an Egyptian.

In addition to Moses being described as meek, would you believe that Jesus described Himself in the same way? In the K.J.V. of Matthew 11:29, He says:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls.

This was Jesus, who spent forty days and nights fasting in the Judean wilderness. This was Jesus, who oftentimes slept on the ground. This was Jesus, who lived through a brutal Roman scourging. The idea of Him being weak is preposterous.

In light of Moses and Jesus, it is obvious that meekness means something other than weakness. But what does it mean? I’ll tell you. It means strength under control. The Greek word that is translated as “meek” is praus. It is the word the Greeks used to describe a horse that had been broken. The horse was far from weak, but its strength had been brought under the control of a rider.     

You see, Jesus wasn’t calling His followers to lay aside their strength and become milquetoast peons. He wanted them to be strong, especially in terms of spiritual might. But He challenged them to inwardly harness their power and bring it under self-control. Just as a rider can’t use a horse that hasn’t been broken, Jesus can’t do much with a person whose strength isn’t under control.

He did, however, promise an awesome reward for the meek Christian. But that promise would be a long time in fulfilling. As a matter of fact, the world still awaits the fulfillment. One day, though, after Christ has returned to this earth (Revelation 19:11-21) and established His 1,000-year kingdom upon it (Revelation 20:1-4), Christians will indeed inherit the earth and reign with Christ as His bride (Revelation 2:26-27; 5:8-10; 19:6-9).

I feel safe in saying that those who heard Jesus make that promise didn’t truly grasp the correct meaning of it. It was just too far off in the future. But how they must have liked the sound of it! Think of it, a time when the Romans didn’t rule the known world. Dare they dream of such a time? Oh, yes. The time wouldn’t be brought in with military might, though. Yes, strength would be involved, but it would be strength under control. Who else but Jesus would preach such a radical idea? And who else but Him has the power to make it reality?

Filed under Christ's Second Coming, Prophecy, Reward, The Sermon On The Mount Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 30 other followers