February 13, 2008

• Biblical Eschatology Revisited
  
  
  
  The Element of Surprise & Certainty

  The subject of Bible prophecy brings all sorts of reactions from
  people. There are some who entirely discount the idea saying its all
  rubbish. There are some who are afraid to touch it fearing that they’d
  be labeled some kind of kook or heretic. There are still others who
  take other positions even to those who just can’t seem to get enough of
  it, sometimes to a fault.

  Yet there is something vitally important concerning Biblical prophecy,
  not just because we want to have a crystal ball’s view into the future,
  or to protect ourselves and others but simply because Christ told us to
  stay alert for His return and why God’s plan has left the entire matter
  rather mysterious.

  
  Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is
  coming. 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. Matthew 24:42-44 (NASB)

  Christ is telling us here by way of an analogy that Satan has control
  over the world and the manner in which God will overthrow the Enemy’s
  kingdom will be by the element of surprise.

  
  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  Matthew 24:36 (NASB)

  Therefore, we won’t know “the day nor hour” until the very thing
  happens. There are a lot of wise reasons for God to do this. One of
  which is to allow sin to take its course and uncover itself and
  therefore lay bare before heaven and earth the wanton evil that desires
  to expose itself in all its raw festering vileness. He will allow it to come to a
  head and then make an end of it.

  So while we don’t know the “day nor hour” of the coming of the Son of
  Man, we are told to pay attention to when it appears to be near and be
  alert. In order to do this, we must be aware of what He told us to
  watch for. One of those things will be understanding the essential
  elements of the judgment of the Flood and the important characteristics
  of the people of that day that brought it on.

  In the next few verses, we learn one reason why God caused the flood in
  Noah’s day…  to be an example of how it will be before Christ’s return.

  
  For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,
  marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the
  ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all
  away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two
  men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women
  will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.” 
  Matthew 24:37-41 (NASB)

  Christ told us how life would be when He returns… just like any other
  day. In fact, the world will not even be expecting it until its too
  late. In the midst of everyday activity, it will happen suddenly. Yet
  we are told that we can recognize when its near…

  
  Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already
  become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;
  so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near,
  right at the door. Matthew 24:32-33 (NASB)

  Now Christ compares this time with that of Noah expressing that the
  people of his time did not expect the Flood. Yet the Flood did not come
  without a reason

  
  Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land,
  and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the
  daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves,
  whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive
  with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall
  be one hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in
  those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the
  daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty
  men who were of old, men of renown. Then the LORD saw that the
  wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the
  thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry
  that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
  Genesis 6:1-6 (NASB)

  and

  
  Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
  corrupted their way upon the earth.  Then God said to Noah, “The end of
  all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence
  because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the
  earth.” Genesis 6:11-12 (NASB)

  and

  
  Then the LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household,
  for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.
  Genesis 7:1 (NASB)

  If we allow ourselves to be distracted here by all sorts of theories
  about “sons of God” and “daughters of men” and “Nephilim”, we will do
  ourselves a disservice here. In fact, I sometimes wonder if we aren’t
  taken off course by these things so that we will miss the point of
  these verses. Instead, let’s take a look at what happened then and how
  God responded to it.

  1.    The women of that time were only valuable for their beauty, not their piety or good deeds.  How about these  days?
  2.    The value of men of that time was based on them being a “man of
  reknown”, a mighty man, powerful, etc.,
         not on whether they sought
  after God and His righteousness.  How about now?
  3.    The wickedness was great on the earth.  How about now?
  4.    Every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart was only continually evil. And now?
  5.    The world was filled with violence and was corrupt.  And now?
  6.    God said that Noah alone was seen to be righteous before God .
  Note a scarcity in the number of righteous ones. We
         might even note
  that the eight that were preserved in the flood were also less than the
  ten righteous that we see in the
         discussion between the Lord and
  Abraham with regards to Sodom. (Genesis 18:17-33)

  Noah did not participate with the evil of those times. As a result, …
  he and seven others were preserved during the Flood upon the world. (II
  Peter 2:5) Further, even though we might have suspicions about Lot and
  his involvement in Sodom, he is called a righteous man and was rescued
  from that judgment. (Genesis 19; II Peter 2:7-9) Let it be said then,
  that God has clearly shown us He will not judge the righteous with the
  wicked…. (Genesis 18:23).

  Therefore, Christ tells us that He will not leave the righteous here
  when the final Gentile empire falls at His return to crush it.

  
  And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will
  gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky
  to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NASB)
  
  
  In any which way one can interpret how the end times will transpire,
  God not abandon His people to the coming judgment while some may fall
  in martyrdom before then. When I speak of martyrdom, I mean real
  martyrdom, not the perverted use of the word we’ve seen in recent years
  used to deceive the world that suicide bombing murders are such a thing
  and to minimize the guilt and condemnation of the evil works of men
  when true believers in Christ are murdered for their faith.

  Anyway, God did not waste His words in relating the story surrounding
  Noah (nor of Lot and Sodom). That message is for today and people are
  not heeding its warning. Yet it is something Christ has told us to
  watch for and stay alert. We see all the characteristics of the times
  of Noah. The time of Christ’s return is at hand. This is certain. 

  However, we are not finished with Matthew 24…  Mr.Vee

  • 12:44 pm
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