Why the End Times (The New Covenant part 5)

"So shall it be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons; then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you and from there He will bring you back. The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Deuteronomy 30:1-6 NASB 

Israel has had a long history of departure from following the LORD God who has chosen and covenanted with them. The LORD Himself told Moses that this would indeed happen as they prospered in the land they were about to possess (Deuteronomy 31:15-22).

While the covenant God made with Abraham was an irrevocable covenant, the Mosaic covenant placed stipulations upon their ability to remain in the land. If they would depart from following the commandments of the LORD, He would scatter them as a nation. If they would then turn back to Him in repentance they would be restored back to the land promised to them. 

In the above passage we find that God would do something that would enable them to walk faithfully in obedience to Him. The law itself could not ensure their faithfulness, they needed a change of heart, just like anyone of us do. 

In a passage speaking of the return of Christ to bring Judgement upon an evil world we find this,

"A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD. "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "From now and forever." 

Isaiah 59:20-21 NASB

It is interesting to note that this passage begins with an indictment against the nation of Israel, followed by a confession of their guilt, leading to the LORD Himself coming to bring vengeance to the wicked, and restoration to the repentant. At the end of this passage, which also foretells of the millennial age to come,  we read that all of the nation will be righteous, and they will inhabit the land forever, planted by God Himself (Isaiah 59:1-60:22).

It is the "New Covenant" that provides the answer for man's rebellious tendency. All of us who have entered into this covenant through the new birth can attest to this fact. We have found that our lives have been transformed from slavery to sin, to a life of freedom to serve Christ in faithfulness.

We read of this New Covenant being made with the House of Israel and the house of Judah. Both kingdoms of the divided nation are mentioned here. 

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their father's in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." 

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NASB

This is the answer to the dilemma posed by the stipulations in the Mosaic Covenant. God has made an irrevocable covenant concerning Israel and the land on the one hand, but has decreed that they must faithfully obey Him to remain in it. 

Many people of Jewish descent have entered into this new covenant ever since the day of penecost two thousand years ago. And multitudes of gentile believers have been grafted in as well through their trust in Jesus Christ. However Israel as a nation has not entered as a whole. That day is yet to come, but make no mistake, it will.

"This says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar, the LORD of hosts is His name: if this fixed order departs from before Me," declares the LORD, Then the offspring of Israel will also cease from being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:35-37 NASB

I think that many Christians fail to look at this section in its entirety. We see the new heart and the law written upon it, and that is true, and vital to our salvation, yet we fail to see that in this covenant God is once again pledging that Israel will always be His chosen people. He will not cast them away. He will allow the curse of the law to bring them to the end of themselves, where they will cry out to Him in repentance. At this point as we read in Isaiah 59:20, "A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD.

And then in the next chapter we read again of the New Covenant.

"Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me 

 I will rejoice over them to do them good, and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. For thus says the LORD, 'Just as I brought all this disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.'"

Jeremiah 32:37-42 NASB

As previously stated, Israel has faced periods of apostasy, driven out of the land, yet brought back into it years later. However, we have yet to see the day when they, as a nation, have one heart and purpose to serve the LORD their God with all their heart and soul. When that day comes we see the fulfillment of the New Covenant for them as God's chosen people. They will be regathered one final time, brought back to the land originally sworn to Abraham, and settled there never to be uprooted again. 

The New Covenant is the capstone so to speak, of the previous covenants we have looked at. It brings to pass all that God has promised Israel. It confirms the covenant with Abraham, brings resolution to the blessings and curses of the law, and ushers in the Davidic kingdom. Look at Jeremiah 33:14-17, where we read that at the time of Israel's salvation, a righteous Branch of David will set up His kingdom, the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.

Finally I would like to look at a passage found in Ezekiel 36. A chapter where the desolation of the land of Israel is described, a desolation that occurs because of God's wrath towards His people on account of their rebellion against Him. I recommend you read the chapter in its entirety, as I will only quote part of it here. 

Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.' 

"But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went."

Ezekiel 36:16-21 NASB 

God is a faithful and just God. He will not allow sin to go unchecked. There are consequences for sin. Sin among God's people is especially devastating, as it brings a reproach to the name of God as well. When the lost around us see sin and hypocrisy among those who profess to serve Christ it reflects upon Him. God will not tolerated that, judgement does begin in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17). 

Again, a dilemma. Does God destroy the nation on account of their sin? If He does, He is not faithful to the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet as a holy God He must judge sin.

The context of the surrounding chapters in Ezekiel is the tribulation of the last days, culminating in the return of Christ to defeat "Gog" (the antichrist) at the Battle of Armageddon (see Ezekiel 38-39). At this point Israel has gone through an invasion that sparks the great tribulation, a time of unequaled distress that will come upon the world. Yet through this terrible event Israel will be brought to a place of repentance when their Messiah (Jesus) comes to deliver them from their enemies. The prophecy of Ezekiel 36 is set to occur at this point in time.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the LORD GOD, when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God."'"

Ezekiel 36:22-28 NASB

God will be vindicated through His deliverance of Israel from her enemies in the last days. All the nations who have come against Israel, will know that He is the LORD when Israel turns back to Him, and he brings them back into their land. His faithfulness to His covenant will be obvious to all. No one will be able to question Him from this point on. Israel will now live in peace, in obedience to their God forever, as a witness to the world around them.

Why the End Times? (The Davidic Covenant part 4)

At the birth of John the Baptist, his father Zacharias, uttered this prophetic word,

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant -as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-SALVATION FROM OUR ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; to show mercy toward our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you child will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God. With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:67-79 NASB

Around one thousand years previously, God made a covenant with a king named David. It starts with the ultimate establishment of Israel in their land, and the final overthrow of their enemies.

"I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be removed again; and the wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies."

1 Chronicles 17:9-10 NASB

Up to this point Israel had  experienced times of conflict with various enemies, but had yet to experience removal from the land.

By the time of Zacharias, the Assyrian captivity, followed by the Babylonian captivity, had occured, and now although they were back in their land, they were subject to the Roman empire. So this is looking to a time yet future.

"Moreover I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you. When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father and he shall be My son;and I will not take My loving kindness away from Him, as I took it from him who was before you. But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."

1 Chronicles 17:10-14 NASB

The day is coming when Israel will be delivered from all who seek to destroy them, and be established in their own land in peace and security. The LORD will be their God, and they will be His people. One is coming to set up His kingdom in Jerusalem and reign over them forever. He is the Son of David, Jesus the Messiah.

Matthew's gospel begins by tracing the genealogy from David to Jesus, establishing the fact that Jesus is indeed Israel's Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17).

At the birth of Jesus the angels announced that a savior, Christ (Messiah) the Lord had been born in the city of David (Luke 2:10-11).

Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, went back to the Psalms to show that David prophetically spoke of the day that Jesus would rise from the dead and be exalted, the fulfillment of the covenant that God had made with him (Acts 2:22-36).

As Jesus was about to ascend back into heaven His disciples asked if this was now the time that He would restore the kingdom back to Israel. I have often heard various Bible teachers pass off these disciples as ignorant, as not really understanding Jesus true mission. However their question only shows that a major prophetic theme, found in the writings of the scriptures that they would have been thoroughly steeped in, was in fact the restoration of the nation, by an individual who would be their Messiah. It's interesting that Jesus did not rebuke them, or correct their "error",  He told them that it was not for them to know the "when", they must be His witnesses in the "now" (Acts 1:6-8).

One could go on, the scriptures are filled with passages proving that Jesus Christ is the one who will put down evil and reign in righteousness forever. 

I will finish this post with a fabulous passage found in Ezekiel 37, the "dry bones" chapter. The context is the regathering of Israel back into the land after being scattered among the nations. The two kingdoms will be united as one, and the nation as a whole will be born again.

"My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. They will live in the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they and their sons, and their son's sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant with them, and I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."

Ezekiel 37:24-28 NASB

Why the End Times (The Blessings and Curses of the Law. part 3)

We have seen the choosing of Abraham as the one through whom the ultimate seed (Jesus) would come. God made a covenant with him, and through him, to his son Isaac, and then Jacob to multiply their descendants after them, and give them what is known as the "promised land."

 

The next covenant that needs to be looked at is the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai, the Mosaic covenant. 

'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

Exodus 19:5-6 NASB 

This covenant unlike the Abrahamic covenant required obedience from Israel if they were to be blessed by God. What I would like to focus on in this post is how Israel's faithfulness to the LORD would affect their ability to remain in the land. All of this is spelled out in a couple sections that pertain to the blessings for obedience, and the curses for disobedience. 

According to these passages Israel's ability to remain in the land promised to them in the covenant made with Abraham was contingent upon their faithfulness to the covenant God made with them at Sinai. Here is what many perceive to be a dilemma. If the land promise was an irrevocable promise, how can Israel's obedience or disobedience effect this promise?

Is God unfaithful?

There are several passages of scripture that show how this works out. Leviticus 26:1-13, and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 contain blessings that Israel can expect if they as a nation walk in obedience to the LORD.  And the consequences for disobedience can be found in Leviticus 26:24-39, and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. 

To briefly sum it up, if Israel turns from the LORD and falls into idolatry they will face various disasters and ultimately be driven from their land and dispersed among the nations.  Their ability to remain in the land hinges upon their obedience. Yet as we read on we find that if they repent of their sin God will forgive them, and bring them back.

"If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me-I also was acting in hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies-or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land."

Leviticus 26:40-42 NASB 

"So shall it be when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you, if your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you and from there He will bring you back. The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it, and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers."

Deuteronomy 30:1-5 NASB

God's covenant with Abraham remains in spite of the fact that Israel turns away from Him. The giving of the Law ( the Old Covenant) does not negate the covenant with Abraham (Galatians 3:16-18). They might not be able to remain in the land, but because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the land is still theirs. His judgement is not only punitive, it is the  means to bring them to the end of themselves, to the point of repentance. Then, the LORD will restore them to their land again.

We have seen this play out through history. The Assyrian empire took away the northern ten tribes of Israel followed by the Babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom of Judah years later. Yet we read Daniel's prayer of confession in Daniel 9:1-19, and then read of their release from Babylon. Israel was dispersed by the Roman government in 70 AD and for almost two thousand years scattered among the nations where they suffered times of immense persecution. Yet in more recent times they have returned to the land where they remain today. The Bible foretells of one more time of desolation that is to come. This is time of tribulation will be the event that brings Israel as a nation to the point of repentance. Read what is prophecied in Deuteronomy 4:25-31

"When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and acted corruptly, and make an idol  in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. There you will serve gods the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.

For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you not destroy you not forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them."

Why the End Times? (The Abrahamic Covenant part 2)

To understand why, and how the events of the last days will play out we need to go back to the beginning. Last post we briefly looked at the fall of man and the resulting consequences that followed. People were now looking for one to come and reverse the curse (see Genesis 5:28-29).

God had foretold of one who would come and restore all things, and now this was being put into place one piece at a time.

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your fathers house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and  you shall be a blessing; 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 12:1-3 NASB

God chose a man through whom he would bring the Messiah, the one who would reverse the curse and destroy the serpent. He called Abram out of his country, and away from his family to become a mighty nation in a land that he would give him and his descendants.

The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7 NASB 

The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."

Genesis 13:14-17 NASB

Now it needs to be mentioned that Abram, who was 75 when he departed from Haran, was childless. And Sarai, his wife, was barren. Imaging how Abram must have felt. A promise like this would be an incredible thing. 

In Genesis 15 we read of the actual covenant that the LORD made with Abram. The LORD took Abram outside and asked him to look at the stars and try to number them, and nd then told him that that was how numerous his descendants would be. Abram believed the LORD, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen 15:1-6).

The LORD had Abram bring a heifer, a female goat, a ram, and a turtle dove and pigeon. He cut the animals in half and laid them out opposit from each other. The birds he left whole. At sundown Abram fell into a deep sleep. Then what appeared as a smoking oven and flaming torch passed in between the animals (Gen 15:7-17).

In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite."

Genesis 15:18-21 NASB 

This covenant was made by God, to Abram, without stipulations on Abram's part. The LORD Himself walked through the pieces of the slain animals in making this covenant. What He was signifying by this act was that if He did not indeed fulfill this covenant by giving this land to the descendants  of Abram as an eternal possession, then may what happened to these animals happen to Him. Bear in mind that Abram did not pass between these animals, he was in a deep slumber. God has pledged this land to Abram's descendants. This chapter alone absolutely refutes the idea of "replacement theology", the teaching that God has rejected Israel, and now these promises are symbolically applied to the Church. If this false teaching is true, then a major part of end times prophecy makes no sense at all, and leaves a huge portion of Christians in the dark on the topic of the last days.

In Chapter 17, Abram is now ninety-nine years old. The LORD appeared again to him and reaffirmed this covenant. Again, Abram, whose name has been changed to Abraham, is promised to become a mighty nation, and the land was promised to him and his descendants after him as an eternal possession. God would be their God, and they would be His people (Gen 17:1-8). 

It is also at this time God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, as the sign of the coven between them. Any disobedient male, refusing circumcision, among them would be cut off from his people for breaking the covenant (Gen 17:9-14). So, an individual may fail to remain within the covenant, but yet the promise still remained for the nation. This is a major theme, and has ramifications for what will transpire in the last days. I will go deeper into this in a post discussing the Mosaic covenant given at Mount Sinai.

We also read in this chapter that Sarai, Abraham's wife will bear a son whom they will name Issac. It will be through Him that the covenant made with Abraham will be passed down (Gen 17:25-21).

In Genesis 26:1-5 we now read of the covenant made with Abraham being passed down to his son Isaac. 

"Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham."

Genesis 26:3 NASB 

And from Issac we see the same covenant pass down to his son Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob had a dream. In it he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it (Gen 28:10-12).

And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Genesis 28:13-14 NASB 

As one reads through the Old Testament numerous references are made to God being faithful to the covenant made with Abraham and the fathers. God chose a people through whom a deliverer would come, fulfilling prophecy, destroying the serpent and reversing the curse. God has sworn an oath, and He will fulfill that oath. That plays a huge part in the events that unfold in the last days. 

It must also be mentioned that Abraham had other son's. In fact his eldest, Ishmael was sent away. The covenant was not to pass to him. And Jacob had a twin brother named Esau. The covenant went through Jacob and not Esau. Tragically Jacob relied on trickery to gain Isaac's blessing, and it created a rift that exists to this day. These two events play a significant part in what is to come in future days. 

These are topics for future posts as I lay out a case for the how and why the end time events will play out.

 

Why the End Times? (Intro part 1)

The end time events portrayed in scripture seem daunting to so many people. Many find the symbolism found in much of prophecy confusing, others avoid it out of fear. Many theories exist, based primarily upon denominational bias, to exactly why and how all of these events will unfold, if at all, as some even hold.

However I believe it is pretty important, even necessary to get into these texts and study it out. These prophetic passages have been written into our scriptures under divine inspiration, not to confuse us, but to prepare us and give us hope.

It all starts at the beginning with the fall of man. As a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience, death entered the world, and a curse was placed upon the woman, increasing pain in childbirth, and upon the ground that Adam must now work for food (Genesis 3:16-19). This curse extends throughout the generations, and today we also feel the effects of it in our lives which are also fleeting. We are not immortal, and our days are spent in toil.

The serpent was cursed as well (Genesis 3:14-15). The part I want to focus on is found in verse 15.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.

 This verse is speaking about one who would come and ultimately defeat the serpent who is none other than Satan,  reversing the curse on all of mankind, and restoring things back to how it was in the garden, where man had unhindered fellowship with God his creator.

In Numbers 24:17 we read a similar prophecy about one who is to come and bring judgement to His enemies in the last days.

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down the sound of Sheth."

In Psalm 74 we read a Psalm lamenting the destruction of Israel's temple and the affliction of the people. While this no doubt was written in the immediate context of the Babylonian captivity during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, it telescopes out to the future, when something similar but yet more cruel will take place in the land once again. Against this backdrop we read this,

Yet God is my king from of old, who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth. You decided the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You gave him as good for the creatures of the wilderness.

Psalm 74:12-14 NASB

And in Isaiah 27:1, a verse found within the context of end time prophecy concerning the great tribulation, God's judgement against His enemies and ultimate restoration of all things. 

In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, even Leviathan the twisted serpent; and He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.

This is speaking of the same things that we have seen in the previous verses. A day is coming when the promised seed, who we know as Jesus the Messiah, will destroy the seed of the serpent as well as the serpent himself. 

In Revelation 21:1-5 we read of a new heaven and a new earth without any death, pain, or tears. All things are now made new again

 Revelation 22:3 adds that there will no longer be any curse, and God's people will see Him face to face in eternal fellowship.

To get from Genesis 3 and the fall of mankind to the restoration of all things found in the last few chapters of Revelation we must go through a time of intense tribulation, where evil reaches its ultimate intensity in a man empowered by Satan, who is often referred to as the antichrist. 

This is where we need to study, we need to find the truth, and we need to prepare. 

I have written many posts on this sight concerning these events.  I have tagged them, so feel free to search them out and prayerfully contemplate them. I plan to continue this topic over the next several posts the Lord willing, as I feel we need to be grounded in these things.

.

The Great Falling Away

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron...

1 Timothy 4:1-2 NASB

The Bible is clear, it is a prophetic certainty, that a great falling away from the faith will occur in the last days. This is something that every believer should take to heart. It deserves our utmost attention, yet I fear that the average Christian doesn't spend much time on a topic like this.

Consider the following verse taken from 2 Timothy 3:1-5,

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these. 

When one reads these verses it's hard to imagine that people whose lives are marked by sins such as these would consider themselves Christians at all. However, we read that they hold to a form of godliness, but without the power. It's like Jesus said, "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me." (Mark 7:6)

But look around you, we are seeing this coming to pass even now. A large segment of the professing church fits this description perfectly.

Again, the very fact that scripture foretells of a great departure from the faith occurring in the last days, should cause us to seriously consider our lives and faith in Jesus Christ. We dare not be careless about this. What if we fall away? It is a possibility that we must be diligent to avoid.

I believe that even now we are witnessing a falling away, that will only progress until it reaches its climax during the time of tribulation that will come upon the world prior to Christ's return.

Paul adresses this issue in his second letter to the Thessalonian Church. It seems that they had heard a report that the day of the Lord had already come. In his correction of this misunderstanding he says this,

Let no one in any way decieve you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB

And it gets worse. As we read on we find that those who have no regard for truth will be easy prey for deception. In fact we find that God, in an act of His judgement, sends a delusion on those who reject truth.

Then that lawless one, will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

2Thessalonians 2:8-12 NASB

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.

2 Timothy 4:3 NASB

It matters how we receive truth. Do we accept it, and act upon it, even when it might be hard? Or do we take the easy things, and ignore the rest? 

We hear so much these days of popular Christian figures who are "deconstructing" their faith. What happened to them? Or what about what about "pop star Christianity", you know those famous people who claim to be born again, but their lives are always embroiled in the same sinful turmoil that they have always embraced?

The danger is real. A dumbed down Christianity where grace is proclaimed to the exclusion of commitment, repentance, the crucified life of following Jesus etc. Teachers are gathered to tickle our ears, but sadly provide us with no foundation to weather the storms of life.

It isn't just the popular people in the news who are prone to fall. We are all faced with the real possibility of apostasy. A Christian faces trials and temptations daily. We are constantly in danger of deception. Persecution is guaranteed for one who follows Jesus. All of these things work together to destroy our faith. We must be on guard, and by God's grace confront them diligently if we are to persevere to the end. It was Jesus who said that the love of many would grow cold in the last days. He also warned that endurance to the end is required.

"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved 

Matthew 24:10-13 NASB

Rejecting Wisdom

The Bible is filled with warnings against deception and the rejection of truth. To be unknowingly decieved is one thing, and can indeed be fatal to our spiritual well being, however, to be "willfully ignorant" is quite another thing. This tragic condition opens us up to a judgement of the severest kind. Sadly, many fall into this category, and the Bible expressly warns us that many more will as this age comes to a close (2Thess 2:7-12).

This principle is set forth in the first chapter of Proverbs.

20. Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

21. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city, she utters her sayings:

22. "How long, O naive ones, will you love simplicity? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?

23. "Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you

24. "Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention; 

25. And you neglected all my council, and did not want My reproof;

26. I will even laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,

27. When your dread comes like a storm, and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you,

28. "Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they shall not find Me, 

29. Because the hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

30. "They would not accept My council, they spurned all My reproof.

31. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satisfied with their own devices. 

33. "For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall destroy them.

34. "But he who listens to me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil."

Proverbs 1:20-33 NASB

When we are given spiritual wisdom, the  demand upon us is great. We are faced with the choice to either recieve and act upon it, or to ignore it, refusing to act upon it, and therefore rejecting it. This is much like Pharaoh, who hardened his heart against the command of God, until God finally hardened his heart for him (See Exodus chapters 7-14).

God will only allow an individual to spurn wisdom so long, before He lets him go his own way, and bear the fruit of his own disobedience. This seems like a hard thing to hear, but God gives us this warning so that we would be careful with the wisdom He gives us.

Jesus likewise warned His disciples to be careful with how they received His teaching through the parables He told them. I will quote Luke 8:18 out of the Amplified Bible as it really clarifies what I'm trying to say here.

     Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.

Again, when confronted with truth, what will we do with it? To act upon it is life, to refuse it leads to a spiritual deafness and ultimately destruction. 

This is much more than not understanding something we come across in the word of God, or not being quite sure of how to proceed in obedience to a particular thing God may be dealing with us about. This is a careless disregard for spiritual truth/ godly wisdom. To continue on with this willfull ignorance will cause a hardening of the heart over time, until the day comes when you find yourself past a point of no return with a heart turned over to every kind of deception.

    

Are you Living the Crucified Life?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

Matthew 16:24 NASB

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Luke 14:27 NASB

Much of what is passed off as Christianity today is not Christianity. As a result many are decieved into following a false gospel, and others are turned off by the hypocrisy that they observe in those who are not living according to the Biblical standard.

Jesus describes two gates. One is small, the entrance to a narrow path leading to eternal life. The other is a wide gate and a broad path. The majority of people will find themselves on this broad path that ultimately leads to destruction. Sadly few find the true way. He warns us to beware of false prophets who come to lead people away from the truth. Unfortunately many who consider themselves Christians will discover that they were on the wrong path someday. It is not enough to call Jesus "Lord" if you are not living an obedient lifestyle (Matt 7:13-23).

The issue according to Jesus is lawlessness, a life not surrendered to His control. An individual may pick and choose what areas of his or her life to hold back, or they may have their own personal priorities that they are living for, God however, demands our all, our absolute commitment.

Jesus describes this as taking up our crosses and following Him. A man on his way to be crucified carried the heavy upper beam of the instrument he was to die on. This individual was as good as dead at this point. He no longer had any plans of his own. All of his hopes and dreams were over. 

We are invited to follow Jesus into this death to self. When we surrender our lives to Him we are giving up our plans and purposes in exchange for His will for our lives. Nothing we possess, none of our relationships, can stand in the way of our service to Him (Luke 14:26-33). This is what Jesus is teaching us, and this is what He requires of those who would follow Him. It is a narrow gate to squeeze through if we truly desire to be a follower of Jesus.

This death to self is necessary if we are to experience a resurrection to a new way of life.

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 6:5-7 NASB

It isn't as simple as just saying a prayer but living your life according to how you want to live it. Self on the throne is the problem to start with.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Romans 8:5-8 NASB

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another so that you may not do the things that you please.

Galatians 5:16:17 NASB

There are two paths to take, pursuing the flesh or following the Spirit. What does this look like?

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:19-26 NASB

So look at what so many pass off as Christianity today. So much of what is seen is described in the first section of this passage. The deeds of the flesh are quite evident, with very little love, patience, gentleness, self control, etc. I do not mean to be judgemental, I am sounding an alarm. This passage tells us plainly that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh! There are many on the broad path and few on the narrow. 

The cross is a barrier between the follower of Christ and the world (Galatians 6:14). If we have truly been crucified with Christ we are no longer the ones living our lives out. It is Jesus, living through us as we follow Him by faith (Galatians 2:20). And if Jesus is living through us our lives will bear the fruit of that reality. 

     

The Obedience of Faith

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal."

Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?"

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

John 6:27-29 NASB

The setting is the day following the feeding of the five thousand. The people, expecting another miraculous sign (perhaps another meal) from Jesus, found Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 

In these verses Jesus instructs them to get their priorities right. The temporal things in this world are nothing compared to living for the kingdom of God. This is similar to the passage in Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus warns us that life is not about food and clothing, but about seeking as our priority His kingdom and righteousness.

Of course the people seeking Jesus that day were now desirous to know what kind of work they should be doing then. Maybe a few good deeds, some things that appeared "religious"?

Jesus tells the crowd that the work required was to believe in Him. I think many people today misunderstand this belief as an acknowledgement of the existence of Jesus. They are content to believe biblical facts about Him, and let it go at that. After all, faith and works are often portrayed as two opposing things that we must be careful not to mix up. But what does it mean to believe, in a truly biblical sense of the word?

In Romans we read of the "obedience of faith". The apostle Paul, speaking of Jesus, the resurrected Lord who had called him said this,

     Through whom we have recieved grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles for His names sake.

Romans 1:5 NASB

And again at the close of this epistle we read the following,

     Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith.

Romans 16:25-26 NASB 

Paul the apostle to the Gentile nations stated that the gospel foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures, that he now proclaimed, led to the obedience of faith among all who received it. 

I think that the message Paul proclaimed is often misunderstood. To many, the emphasis is placed upon faith and not works, a concept which Paul also preached. In a passage which teaches that all have sinned and are guilty before God we read that no one will be justified by the works of the law because the law has proven that we are all sinners (Romans 3:9-20). And this is true. There is no possible way that we can be good enough, or perfect enough to undo all the guilt we have encured in our lifetimes. By the time we realize we need to live right we have already become guilty, and are estranged from God. We can't fix that by amending our ways. That is abundantly taught in the Bible.

However a mere assent to some facts about Jesus will never save us either. That is an insufficient faith. Paul writes this as well in Romans 2:12-13. 

     For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Faith is more than knowing and holding certain facts to be true. Faith and obedience are two sides of a coin. It is often stated that a person who believes will obey Jesus out of a thankful heart, and I believe that there is truth to this statement. Jesus Himself stated that one who is forgiven much will love much (Luke 7:47). But it goes even deeper than this. 

Faith is a loyalty to Jesus as Lord of our lives. In an act of repentance we turn from our past when we were in control, living in opposition to God and His will for our lives, and now submit our lives by faith, under His absolute rule for our lives. Therefore faith is an ongoing submission to Jesus that we live out daily. Faith cannot be separated from obedience. Every act of obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is an act of faith. This is quite the opposite of selfishly performing some good works in the hope that we can somehow earn God's favor.

The life of Abraham shows this. What began in Genesis 15:5-6 where Abraham believed God's promise that he would have an heir, and God counted that belief as righteousness. This belief found it's culmination years later in Abraham's obedience in offering up Isaac, the promised heir.

 

It tells us in Romans 4:17-22 that Abraham believed God's promise against all the odds. We all know the story of Hagar, how early on, Sarai his wife, who was barren gives her maid to Abraham as a wife and she conceived and bears him Ishmael. They attempted to fulfill God's word to them in the flesh. That was not God's plan. He allowed Abraham to grow older until it was now impossible for him as well as for his wife to conceive and give birth. Yet Abraham still believed God's promise without wavering. 

Some time later Abraham faced the biggest test yet. God commanded him to take his son Isaac, the fulfilment of the promise that he had unwaveringly held on to, and offer him as a sacrifice to the LORD (Genesis 22:1-19). 

Abraham, motivated by the same faith that brought him this far, obeyed. We read in Hebrews 11:17-19 that even though he was about to offer up his son Isaac, the promised heir, he obeyed, considering that God was able to raise the dead. We know how it went. As Abraham was at the point of slaying his son the angel of the LORD stopped him and told him, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Genesis 22:12)

Obedience and faith are intertwined. You cannot escape this fact.

     Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

James 2:21-23 NASB 

Jesus is the risen, exalted Lord. He has been given the name that is above every name. One day every knee will bow to Him, like it or not. In response to this inescapable fact how are we to live out our lives? Do we try to do good deeds, hoping that we will have enough in our favor to "tip the scales" on the day of judgement? Or do we bank on a head knowledge of Jesus and some biblical facts about His life, death, and resurrection, thinking that this is faith? This passage in Philippians 2:6-12 ends with an exhortation to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If we believe we will submit and obey by faith. Just like Abraham, our faith and our works will work together in obedience. This is true saving faith.

     

Faithfulness

But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house - whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

Hebrews 3:6 NASB 

In my previous post I examined what true saving faith consists of. It is more than a head knowledge, and more than agreeing with some biblical facts about Jesus. True saving faith is a faith that moves us to obey Christ. We become those who follow Him in a loving submission to His will for our lives. 

This faith is expressed in a loyalty to Jesus. It's not a matter of doing some good things, but a faithful, ongoing lifestyle. Habakkuk 2:4 defines faith as faithfulness. To paraphrase it we could say, "The just shall live by their faithfulness." 

To continue with this topic I would like to look at a passage in Hebrews that expresses the same concept of ongoing faithfulness and how it is a vital part of saving faith.

     Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME." For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest , but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. 

Hebrews 3:12-19 NASB

The first point I would like to make is that unbelief and disobedience are used interchangeably in this passage. We read how God had led the people out of Egypt, yet they sinned and fell in the wilderness. 

The story of the exodus should give us warning. They saw the miracles and power of God. They experienced His presence with them along the way. They were at Mount Sinai when God descended in fire and the mountain quaked. They should have believed right? 

Hebrews 4:2 tells us that they had the good news preached to them, just like we have. The problem was that they did not unite faith with what they heard. Those who had heard the good news of the promised land failed to enter in because of disobedience (Hebrews 4:6).

Those who were disobedient failed to enter in because of their unbelief. This is the exact opposite of faith. Faith and obedience are two sides of the same "coin," while disobedience and unbelief are the two sides of a "coin" as well. 

My second point is this. True saving faith is ongoing. One may stumble, but he or she will get back up and press on. The text we have looked at admonishes us to hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. One well known Christian author wrote that once you have received Jesus you are eternally secure. Every sin, past present and future is now forgiven. He goes on to say that even if you fall away into a sin such as drunkenness or even apostatize and become an atheist, you are still secure in Christ. 

But look at the example we have here in Hebrews. We are to encourage one another daily so that we do not fall into unbelief as ancient Israel did. Faithfulness is a lifetime thing. Our allegiance to Jesus Christ is not something to try for a while, but we are still good if we quit. That is not faithfulness, but fickleness. 

It doesn't matter what side of the eternal security debate you fall into. A true Christian will live a consistent life of obedience to Christ. An individual who does not must question the validity of their faith.

 

Saving Faith

Salvation, God's gracious gift, comes to us through faith (Ephesians 2:8). This is something that I would assume most of us who claim to be Christians believe. John 3:16 is a verse that we hold dear. It speaks of God's love for a sinning world; a love that sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him could be set free from death, and have eternal life. 

Our definition of faith then becomes vital. If we miss this, we miss it all. And tragically I fear that a large number of Christians have indeed adhered to and propagated a faulty definition of saving faith.

Countless gospel tracts have been distributed, sermons preached, and altar calls given that instruct the sinner to only believe. The belief required involves something to the effect of believing that Jesus is the Son of God, or believing that He died on the cross and rose again. While these facts are indeed true, and belief in them is important, is that enough?

Is it sufficient to mentally assent to some facts about Jesus?

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder.

James 2:19 NASB

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!"

Mark 1:23-24 NASB

I am quite certain that none of us would consider these "believing demons" to be Christians. But yet it leaves us with a point to grapple with. The demons believe! That is, they are very much aware of Jesus, and who He is. They believe it, they know it to be true.

There is also emphasis placed upon works. Instructions are often given to individuals seeking salvation to cease from their works and place their trust in Christ's perfect righteousness. Now there is truth to this. Any attempt to earn our salvation by our good works is futile. Christ was our perfect sacrifice, and there is no amount of good works that we can do to earn our way to heaven. Unfortunately people are led to believe that good works have nothing to do with our salvation, that although it's fine to do good things, and God desires us to do good works, an absence of good deeds has no bearing on our salvation. As a result faith and works are pitted against each other, and for many, there is no real effort put forth when it comes to living a sanctified lifestyle. 

The issue goes much deeper than a mere assent to some biblical truths about Jesus and and His death and resurrection. That kind of faith is not only inferior, it is also misplaced. What I have described is often referred to as "easy believism" or "cheap grace." It is taught by many popular pastors and Bible teachers. 

It is easy to focus on verses such as Ephesians 2:8-10 
    

      For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

This passage affirms the truth that God's salvation comes to us as an act of His grace. We don't deserve it, neither can we achieve it by our own efforts. and it also affirms that God has created us to live a righteous and obedient life for Him. But for many the emphasis is on the grace and faith without works, and the good works that should follow are an afterthought.

Compare this passage found in James with the one quoted above,

     Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:17-24

Instead of standing in opposition to each other, faith and works are part of the same process. What begins as a belief culminates in obedience. As it states in Galatians 5:6, faith expresses itself through love. Works done out of obedience to Christ are not an "afterthought," but an essential part of our faith in Him. If we love Him, we will obey Him (John 14:23-24).

Jesus calls us to follow Him. Nowhere in the Bible do we find a place where absolute submission to His will is a good idea, but optional. But that is what we so often hear taught. I remember sitting in a service once where the pastor proclaimed that you can accept Jesus as Savior, and decide later if you want Jesus to be Lord. There are those who teach that "Lordship salvation" is a heresy. They claim that it involves "works" and negates faith. 

In Romans we read about the faith we are to profess.

     But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart" - that is the word of faith which we are preaching, that is if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Romans 10:8-11 NASB

This involves more than a mental assent to some facts about Jesus. It is a surrender from the heart to the rule of Jesus Christ over one's life. To confess something is to express our agreement with that thing. If we believe that Jesus has been vindicated, all of His claims and teachings validated by His resurrection from the dead, and He is therefore now the living Lord, we are faced with two things. Do we put it off as some nice but unnecessary step to take in our Christian journey, or do we fall to our knees in humble submission? Jesus agrees with Paul, or to properly put it, Paul is in agreement with the words of Jesus.

     And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with  the holy angels.

Mark 8:34-38 NASB

We are starting to see what true saving faith consists of. In Romans 1:17 Paul, quoting from Habakkuk 2:4 states that the righteous man shall live by faith. It is important to understand the definition of faith here. The Hebrew word translated faith in Habakkuk 2:4 speaks of fidelity, faithfulness, a loyalty to the one you have faith in. This is so much more than a mere head knowledge, or a profession to save oneself from hell, whithout a change of lifestyle. The one who puts their faith in Jesus as Lord, is faithful to Jesus as Lord. It is a submission of ourselves, a commitment of all that we have and are, to Him and His service. 

As we have seen faith finds it's fulfilment in obedience. We read this in Hebrews 5:8-10,

     Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

And again we see salvation linked with a faithful walk in holiness described in 1 John 1:5-7,

     This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin

Our faith must work itself out in our actions if it is a real saving faith. If our commitment to Jesus is not whole hearted, and we are not faithfully following Him with loving obedience, then we must question if our faith is real at all.

     

 

The Timing of the Marriage Supper

Popular dispensational theology teaches that the Church is taken up to heaven prior to the start of what is known as the great tribulation. Immediately, the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place in heaven, while those who have been left behind go through the horrors of the tribulation.

It would do us well to look into this a bit deeper however, as the Bible has much to say on this subject, and it doesn't align with what many of us have been taught.

I would like to examine two passages found in the book of Isaiah, along with a few other passages to provide clarity. Both of these portions of scripture pertain to the time of Israel's ultimate deliverance at the return of their Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

2. In that day the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel.

3. It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy- everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.

4. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning,

5. then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.

6. There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 4:2-6 NASB

This prophecy is foretelling the day of Israel's national salvation. At the return of Christ they will recognize Him and go through a time of deep sorrow and repentance (Zechariah 13:10-13:1).

The great tribulation has brought the nation to its knees so to speak, and those who have survived will find grace poured out, their sins washed away, and in the words of Paul the apostle, "So all Israel will be saved." (See Romans 11:25-27 for context).

But there is more. We see mention of a cloud by day, and a flaming fire by night over all who are assembled in the area of Mount Zion. Remember the significance of the cloud and pillar of fire leading the people out of Egypt, and through the wilderness? God's presence went with the people in the cloud and in the fire.

In Exodus we read of the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. We again see the presence of God descend upon the Mount in fire and cloud (Exodus 19:18). In Exodus 24:1-18 the people affirm the covenant that God has made with them. Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Elihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up and saw God. They ate and drank with Him before Moses ascended the Mountain to receive the stone tablets of the law.

15. Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16.The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 

17. And to the eyes of the sons of Isreal the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

18. Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 24:15-18 NASB

The making of this covenant was a betrothal between the LORD and the nation of Israel. When we read the verses where God accused His wayward people of spiritual adultery, it was more than a metaphor for Idolatry, in a very unique sense, Idolatry is indeed adultery.

 We read in Hosea of God's sorrow over His adulterous bride. He says He is no longer Israel's husband, and they are no longer His bride (Hosea 2:2), yet we see God's yearning to heal and restore as well when He states that He cannot give them up, but will bring them back ( Hosea 11:8-12). We have this promise found in Hosea 2:19-20,

      

19. "I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in loving kindness and in compassion,

20. And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD.

Just as we saw in the above passage in Isaiah, the context of this chapter in Hosea pertains to the restoration of Israel after the tribulation. They will go through the valley of Achor (trouble) and find hope (Hosea 2:24-23). Tribulation comes first, then the marriage.

Isaiah chapters 24-27 once again set the context for the next few verses I will quote. Again the theme is Israel's ultimate deliverance following the great tribulation. Chapter 24 speaks of the Earth's devastation prior to the Lord ruling in Mount Zion. What follows is a song of praise. This is where we read of a future feast.

6. The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;

7. A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined aged wine.

8. And on this mountain He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 25:6-8 NASB

 This is speaking of the same event. The people are gathered at Mount Zion where Jesus has had come to set up His kingdom. Israel has turned from their unbelief and has experienced the grace of God. They have been restored, and now it is time for the marriage supper. 

Back in Isaiah 4:5 we read of a canopy over all who are assembled there. In Hebrew this is referred to as a "chûppâh". Traditional Jewish weddings to this day are performed under a chûppâh or canopy. For those familiar with the musical "Fiddler on the roof," remember the scene where Hodel is waiting for the train with her Father, Tevye? She is on her way to Siberia where Perchik has been sent to prison. When Tevye expresses his concert about her upcoming marriage to Perchik she assured him that "there will be a canopy."

The readers of this prophecy would have caught the allusion to a marriage and wedding feast in these passages. The idea of the marriage supper of the Lamb is not a New Testament idea, it has its beginning in the Old. It is quite possible that Jesus had this in mind when He made this statement,

"I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

Matt 8:11 NIV

He makes this statement after seeing the faith of a Roman centurion, foretelling the inclusion of the Gentiles into the kingdom as well. Likewise the apostle Paul declared that Gentile believers will be grafted in to the same root (Romans 11:13-17). 

Indeed, we are one body, Jew and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:12-16). Writing to Gentile believers in Corinth, Paul has this to say,

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

2 Corinthians 11:2

There are not two brides, but one. A teaching propagated by the Scofield study Bible states that Israel is the bride of Jehovah, while the Church is the bride of Christ. There is no confirmation of such an idea found in scripture. To believe this you must either destroy the unity of the Trinity, in effect making multiple Gods, or else make God a polygamist. I choose to do neither.

When Jesus returns, He is coming for one bride and partaking in one wedding feast.

7. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

8. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9. Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb,' " And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

Revelation 19:7-9 NASB

This announcement is made immediately before heaven opens and Jesus returns. The tribulation is over, the antichrist and the armies assembled with him are about to be destroyed at the coming of Christ.

There are four points I would like to make after considering all of these passages of scripture.

1. The marriage supper does not take place in heaven. The passages we looked at all show the opposite. The supper will be celebrated on the earth.

2. The marriage supper does not occur prior to the great tribulation. The passages we have studied all point to a post tribulation event. Jesus returns at the end of the final time of "Jacob's trouble" and Israel is redeemed as a nation. Then the marriage supper occurs.

3. The Church does not celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven while Israel suffers under the scourge of the antichrist on the earth. There is only one bride of Christ, and only one marriage supper. 

4. When one contemplates all of this it becomes plain that the pre-trib rapture theology is in error. Scripture abundantly proves the opposite to be true instead. It is far better to know the truth and prepare ourselves for what is coming than to be be caught by surprise when what we have been taught is proven to be false.

Coming Like a Thief

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will 

Matt 24:43-44 NASB

Jesus exhorts us to be alert and ready for His appearing. While it is true that we do not know the day or hour of His coming, this statement does not stand alone by itself. Jesus has just finished foretelling the signs and events leading up to His return, so we must take this passage as a whole. We have been given distinct things to watch for. His coming will be unexpected for many, but those who are awake and watching will be ready as they see the signs fulfilled.

Now as to the times and epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not if night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 NASB

In a similar fashion Paul admonishes his readers to be on the alert as well. While the return of Christ will be a sudden unexpected event for many, those who are alert and watching will not be caught unaware. 

We see two groups listed in this passage. Those who are of the light and day, and those who are of darkness and the night. From this we can see that the unsaved world will be taken by surprise when Jesus appears in judgement. They will not be ready, all of the signs of His soon appearance will go largely unoticed. Just like the people in the days of Noah were oblivious to what was about to occur, so too, those who are living in darkness will be caught by surprise.

Those who are of the light, the faithful, will be alert and ready. They will see the signs, and know that Christ is about to come. They will be ready to meet Him. 

So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:3-4 NASB

 Revelation records for us many events and signs that will occur prior to the thief-like appearance of Jesus Christ. Their are seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls of judgement that all culminate together at the final moment when the sky splits and Christ returns in power and glory. The last warning we read in relation to His sudden appearance is found in the context of the gathering of the armies for the battle of Armageddon.

 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and it dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, do that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon

Revelation 16:12-16 NASB

Any Christian alive at this point in history has lived through the most intense three and one half years of time. They have witnessed the signs that have occured over the previous seven years and are looking up because their redemption is drawing near. 

Take note of the fact that this is not an event that happens before the tribulation! Popular dispensational theology teaches that Jesus comes like a thief to gather the saints in a secret rapture, removing them from the earth before the tribulation begins. What we have just read contradicts this erroneous teaching. As the armies of the world are gathering for the final battle, the warning still stands. Jesus has not yet come like a thief, we must remain vigilant.

The rest of the world will be eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. They have taken the mark. They can buy and sell. No one is persecuting them, in fact, they worship the beast that is persecuting Christians. They will cheer as the antichrist invades Israel. Yes, as these events all unfold they will be caught by surprise when Jesus unexpectedly appears. By the time dread overtakes them it will be too late.

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Luke 21:28 NASB

What things are Jesus referring to? The events leading up to His return. The things He has just mentioned in the previous verses (Luke 21:10-27).

"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all  those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Luke 21:34-36 NASB

We must be prayerfully alert. Our strength comes from God. Many do not expect to see these days. They believe that they will be long gone, taken up when Jesus comes like a thief to rapture them. But here we see that we must have the strength to endure, to hold fast without giving in, as the events of the last days unfold around us. Our focus must be on Christ, we must look up expectantly, waiting for His sudden appearance. How tragic for one to be this close, only to give up under pressure.

True Saltiness

25. Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

26. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27. "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

28. 'Or which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

29. "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

30. saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 

31. "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32. "Or else, while the other is still fat away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33. "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

34. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

35. "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 14:25-35 NASB

Over the last few years there has been a lot of talk of "engaging the culture", of being salt and light. However, a lot of what we have been seeing has very little to do with being salt and light compared with the expectations of the one we are supposed to be following, Jesus.

Context is important. When we read the words of Jesus stressing the importance of saltiness we must consider the whole passage if we want to understand just what Jesus is teaching.

From this passage we see several things or requirements that Jesus sets down as conditions for those who would follow Him.

1. Our allegiance to Jesus must surpass all other relationships. Family must not stand in the way of our obedience to Christ. In fact our very lives are no longer our own to live as we please. In actuality our allegiance belongs to Christ alone, no one else.

2. If we are to follow Jesus we must be willing to follow Him even unto death. A disciple is called to deny himself, take up his cross and follow the Lord (see Mark 8:34-35). As stated above, we are not our own. Our plans and purposes in this life must be put aside for the greater plans and purposes of Christ. That is self denial. 

A man carried his cross on the way to a certain death. At that moment he was as good as dead. He had no plan or purpose from that point on. Only one thing was certain, he was going to die. Jesus is painting a picture here of an individual whose only purpose in life or death was to serve Him. 

3. It is vital that we count the cost. How many people who profess to be  Christians have actually sat down and seriously considered the weight of passages like these? You know, denying self, following Jesus at all cost, including family relationships, and even the inclusion of all our possessions? I fear many start out without realizing the true cost and commitment involved in being a disciple of Jesus Christ. And what is the result of this? There are many false Christians out there, Christians in name only, and this is what is so tragic.

To be able to "engage the culture" with any degree of success we must be like Jesus in our speech and actions. The world is not fooled by a Christian who lives, talks and behaves in the same way they do. To live a life that is drastically different from the life Christ has shown us by example, will negatively impact the very world we are trying to engage. In fact it will repel them.

In His sermon on the mount Jesus stresses the importance of brokeness, humility, a hunger for righteousness, showing mercy, heart purity, being a peace maker, and a willingness to suffer persecution for one's faith. Again, this is the context leading up to another statement concerning our being salt and light (Matthew 5:2-16).

How much selfish behavior, pride, anger and division do we see Jesus allowing us if we are to be effective in reaching the world with the gospel?  

Our being salt depends upon these things set forth by Jesus in His sermon on the mount. There is a correlation between our conformity to Christ and our ability to be salt to a lost world. If the salt has lost its taste it has become useless. A Christian's testimony ruined will turn others away from the savior. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.