We come across two extremes in Christendom today with regard to the subject of Bible prophecy.
One approach ignores it altogether, deeming prophecy irrelevant to modern life as a Christian. The other overemphasizes it, to the point where more fundamental doctrines are forgotten and prophetic timelines play an outsized importance in all discussions.
One approach ignores it altogether, deeming prophecy irrelevant to modern life as a Christian. The other overemphasizes it, to the point where more fundamental doctrines are forgotten and prophetic timelines play an outsized importance in all discussions.
Neither represent the
mindset of believers in the New Testament churches.
I can’t open YouTube without
yet another video announcing the impending Gog-Magog war. It’s almost as if a
group of believers think that merely by stoking feverish interest, the second
coming of Christ will be expedited. As if God the Father would determine the
best time for his Son to re-enter history, this time as Judge and Avenger,
blazing with glory and power, based on the sum total of views, likes and shares. Conspiracy
theorists vie to come out with startling pronouncements. The title of their
videos are pure click-bait, too often suspensefuly unveiling the name of the antichrist and
the exact date of his return. The variety of positions is staggering, ranging
not only from the traditional camps of pre-tribulation vs post-tribulation
rapture, but to several devious offshoots with zero Biblical grounding, such as
the so-called ‘blood moons theory’.
Recently, the
self-proclaimed doomsday prophets went into overdrive, after the July 2017 attacks on
Israeli policemen on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Several theorists heralded
the coming of Christ, as an imminent occurrence. They proclaimed that the
building blocks of the third Jewish temple were being laid, even as the video was buffering.
This is certainly not to say that these aren’t fascinating times to live in, especially for believing Christians awaiting the return of their Lord and Savior. We do seem to be hurtling toward the fulfilment of several Old and New Testament prophecies.
Ever since the creation of
an independent state of Israel for the Jewish people on May 14, 1948 – events have seemed to
occur at a rapid pace. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has
ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be
brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth
to her children”.
After nearly 2000 years, God
gathered his people, the Jews, and brought them back to their homeland in
Palestine. He kept His promise. It took a long time coming, but it wasn’t a
moment late. That event was a linchpin for a build-up of tensions around the
world, and particularly in the Middle East.
On the other end of the
spectrum, is a dangerously foolish disregard for God’s prophetic calendar. Several mega
churches do not teach prophecy from the pulpit; others like Rick Warren have
branded it a distraction. This egregious error lulls Christians into a naïve
sense of well-being, content to believe that God’s entire agenda is to prosper
them on this earth. Another unbiblical teaching within certain Charismatic
churches, is the Kingdom Now theology, which promulgates that God’s kingdom and
His control will be re-established here on earth through His reliance on a
special group of believers. They deny that the rapture of believers will occur.
They adopt an activist stance toward the problems of this world, seek to overrun
social and governmental institutions, and oppose separation between church and
state.
In this context, it is indeed right to ask if there
is a balance that can be struck between expecting the world to burst into
flames at any moment, and a wilful ignorance of the abundance of prophecies in
the Bible, and taught by Christ to His disciples.
Yes, the world is a tinderbox, ready to ignite violently at the flaring provocations among nations.
Yes, the stage is being set
for a new world order, and people are looking for a persuasive deliverer to
usher in peace.
But no - Christians do not
need a hard-line stance on times, dates and hours.
They do not need to be militant in defending their view of the rapture and the second coming of Christ, when the Bible is not explicit about the sequence of several events and their time-frames.
They do not need to be militant in defending their view of the rapture and the second coming of Christ, when the Bible is not explicit about the sequence of several events and their time-frames.
They do however, need to be
vigilant, and with sanctified wisdom rightly search the Scriptures and interpret
the signs of the times. Jesus implored his disciples to learn this lesson from
the fig tree – “As soon as its branches
become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also,
when you see all these things, you know that He is near, right at the
door”.
We should be active in good works, prompt in repentance, and alert as we prepare
ourselves for the persecution that surely lies ahead.
God has indeed appointed
individual believers and His church, to act as the preservative to societal
decay, the salve for hardened eyes, and the balm for aching souls.
Even as we
stand ready to shed blood, sweat and tears in the service of our servant Leader,
it’s important to be assured of this truth - this world is never going to know
real peace, until the Prince of peace returns.
