Editor's New Year Message
Allow us to extend our best wishes to you and your family in the coming year.
With the nation still engaged in a two-front war on terror, and just now emerging from one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression, brighter days must be ahead in 2010, versus what we’ve experienced in '09, right? Well, the answer to that may depend upon your worldview.
For example, prophetically speaking we’re approaching the end of what scholars refer to as the terminal generation, which started with the rebirth of ancient Israel (in 1948). Researchers also suggest our world will live to see the culmination of the blessed hope (Titus 2:13), the Millennial Kingdom of Christ established on earth (see Isaiah 60), and the consummation of world history.
Now depending upon your faith tradition and eschatalogical bent, news that 2010 may usher in the rapture of the Church and the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week (i.e. the tribulation) may be a little unsettling, even if you are a Christian. Like you, I also have a vested interest in economic recovery this year, but if God is ready to shake-up our fallen world in order to usher in paradise, that's "change" we really can believe in.
With this in mind, we start this month’s column with a forecast of prophetic milestones that could occur this year, if a growing consensus of Bible scholars are accurate with their estimates. Following this, we roll-up some resolutions that we’ll personally be adopting from this point forward. Next, given the perils the world may soon face, we attempt to establish a sense of urgency with seekers by recounting the coming judgments in the Book of Revelation. And last but not least we close with an affirmation of what we hold to be true related to the end times, as supported by Scripture.
In closing, we also invite you to sample this music video. We chose the haunting TSO version of composer Mykola Leontovych’s Carol of the Bells. To me, in addition to music that traditionally bridges Christmas and the New Year, it also speaks to anyone who has a heart for reaching the lost for Christ. Why? Well, to quote John Donne…"any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."
Happy New Year,
Roy J. Tanner
"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Daniel 9: 25-27)
Napoleon once remarked, “there are only two things that have ever motivated mankind, interest or fear.” And depending upon your faith tradition, this commentary may serve as either of these prods.
Let’s start with 5770, and why Gentiles need to be mindful of the Hebrew calendar? As Christians, remember that we worship and serve the Jewish Messiah. And had we not been grafted into the family tree, we would remain outside the promises of God. Next, keep in mind that when it comes to prophetic timing, such as with the Book of Daniel, God is always very specific with His people Israel. That’s why the lunar year 5770 (which bridges the 2009-2010 Gregorian calendar) may be key, as it’s exactly 7-years shy of completing a 70-year generation that began with Israel’s rebirth. So the questions remain, is 70-years a valid generation length and could the period between 5771-5777 be Daniel’s 70th Week?
According to biblical scholars, God’s prophetic stop-watch was deactivated at Christ’s death, marking a transition from the dispensation of law to one of grace. And now, some 2,010-years on, the age of grace in turn will soon give way to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, following the rapture of the Church and the completion of a 7-year tribulation (i.e. Daniel’s 70th week). Said differently, if we are the generation that will witness Christ’s second coming, and we've accurately reckoned a generational era as seventy-years, then as of this writing we have a window of less than 250-days before the rapture, at which time the Father’s stop-watch resumes its count-down to the Day of the Lord.
It should also be stressed that while determining the actual rapture day isn't possible, it’s relative proximity can be gauged by the advancing developments that herald resumption of Daniel’s 70th Week. With this in mind, I direct your attention again to the chart above. The fiscal milestones alone in 2009 reflect unsustainable economic conditions for the US, such that an insolvency tipping-point will soon be reached. The trillions of market wealth lost in the ’08 market crash led to over 20-million now unemployed, and the aggregate deficit spending by the US government (i.e. local, state and federal), including both on and off budget guarantees, stacks-up a level of indebtedness now in excess of $78-trillon. Obviously, the foreign investment needed to help cover these massive debt obligations will compromise future US foreign policy and force projections.
And with the world’s lone super-power shackled financially, and another Middle-East region war on a hair-trigger, is it too much to imagine a major realignment of world powers this year? And where Scripture cites prophetic scenarios involving Israel and its neighbors, it’s no longer a matter of if, but when. Will the Church be here to witness all of the events listed under 2010? Probably not, but any one occurrance would confirm that history’s end-time train has left the station, heading down a precarious yet pre-determined route that ends at Armageddon, at which time the King of kings intercedes to set things right.
Maranatha,
Roy J. Tanner
Pressing Toward the Goal
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
While we all resolve to do better in the new year, nothing is more common than holiday season resolutions that are abandoned before Spring. Rather than discard the notion of resolutions altogether though, let's revisit some sage advice on the topic. In the opening Scripture passage the apostle Paul has penned some of God's most practical admonishments to us all. Simply applied, these truths deal effectively with life's past, present and future, and are summarized as follows:
Remember to forget
If we want to make the best of the present -- in light of God's grace, let's resolve neither to rest on the laurels of past achievements, nor dwell too long on previous shortcomings. In God Came Near, Max Lucado writes, "In the cellar of your heart lurk ghosts of yesterday's sins. Sins you've confessed; errors of which you've repented; damage you've done your best to repair...but do yourself a favor. Purge your cellar. Exorcise your basement. Take the Roman nails of Calvary and board-up the door. And remember...He forgot." In the final analysis, we need a Savior not a second chance, for "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)
Answer the call
The most basic question everyone faces in life is, Why am I here? What is my purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but in The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren suggests our starting place must be with God and his eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God's purposes for putting us on earth. This manifesto for Christian living affirms a lifestyle based on eternal purposes, not just cultural values.
Using biblical precepts and principles, Warren amplifies God's five purposes for each of us, as follows:
1) We were planned for God's pleasure, to offer real worship.
2) We were formed for God's family, to enjoy real fellowship.
3) We were created to become like Christ, to learn real discipleship.
4) We were shaped for serving God, to practice real ministry, and
5) We were made for a mission, to live out real evangelism.
And press toward the goal
Regardless of whether you share my presuppositions about life, everyone desires to know that life has meaning, that we have a significant destiny awaiting us, and that we are accepted and belong in our community of relationships. If you've come-up empty in your search though, realize that these objectives will only be completely satisfied in a personal relationship with your heavenly Father, as we stay at the center of His will.
Dr. John MacArthur affirms that God calls us individually to be saved, sanctified, Spirit-filled, and ready to suffer for our uncompromising faith in this life. And if we are careful to pursue the goal of "Christlikeness," the preferences in life are left up to you. Said differently, "delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)"
May God richly bless you and yours in 2010,
Roy J. Tanner
(click to enlarge the table)
“The kingdom of the world has become kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15b)
Consistent with the compelling 2010 Rapture Watch currently underway by many biblical scholars, A.D. 2018 has also decided to devote our attention to a better grasp of the prophetic by engaging an in-depth study of the Book of Revelation this year.
Those who’ve been following this site previously know we try to accentuate the positive, because our ministry is about hope…the blessed hope of a future where peace and righteousness ultimately prevail during the literal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. That said, in order to save souls we’re also committed to proclaiming the full council of God, whether it involves His grace or judgment.
As such, this article previews one of the most intriguing books of Bible. While movie theatres enthrall us with epic adventures replete with special effects, those left behind after the rapture will tragically play a supporting role in the world history’s most horrific chapter, as described by Revelation. Pervasive war, famine, pestilence, martyrdom, and natural disasters mark a 7-year period you and your family must avoid before it’s too late.
There are three principal series of judgments in Revelation. Under the seal judgments, all restraint is removed as the world is reduced to ruin by man’s inhumanity during the first 3.5-years of tribulation. This terrible period is then followed by trumpet judgments, during a second 3.5-year period referred to as the Great Tribulation. Finally, Satan’s rule is then deposed by God’s rescue through the devastating series of bowl judgments, which encompass the entire earth.
While Satan’s minions and unrepentant humanity face an unalterable date with destiny, all those who repent and acknowledge the Lordship of Christ prior to the rapture will be saved from the tribulation judgments and the future torment of eternal perdition which follows.
That the Church at large usually fails in its mission to warn unrepentant humanity of this pending doom, is to its shame, for the Book of Revelation itself states, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Rev. 1:3)
The Tribulation Chronology (the first 3.5 years)
The Seven Seal Judgments
First Seal – Deception (Rev 6:1-2), enter the Anti-Christ
Second Seal – War (Rev 6: 3-4), false peace replaced by tragedy
Third Seal – Famine (Rev 6: 5-6), shortages and inflated prices abound
Fourth Seal – Pestilence (Rev 6: 7-8), one fourth of humanity perishes
Fifth Seal – Martyrdom (Rev 6: 9-11), the tribulation saints are slain
Sixth Seal – Quakes, heavens darken (Rev 6: 12-17), natural disasters
Seventh Seal – Silence in heaven (Rev 8:2)...
The Great Tribulation (the latter 3.5 years)
The Seven Trumpet Judgments
First Trumpet – A third of vegetation burned-up (rev 8:7), from hail and fire
Second Trumpet – A third of: sea turned to blood (Rev 8:8-9), sea life, shipping destroyed
Third Trumpet – A third of the waters turn bitter (Rev 8:10-11), rivers and springs ruined
Fourth Trumpet – A third of the sun, moon and stars no longer give light (Rev 8:32)
Fifth Trumpet – Demons released to torment (Rev 9:1-12), humanity tortured 5-months
Sixth Trumpet – The 4-angels; 200M man army (Rev 9:13-21), a third of humanity killed
Seventh Trumpet – The Kingdom is proclaimed (Rev 11:15-19)...
The Seven Bowl Judgments
First Bowl – Sores affect all of those with mark of the Beast (Rev 16:2)
Second Bowl – All of the seas turn to blood, and all sea life dies (Rev 16:3)
Third Bowl – All of the rivers and springs turn to blood (Rev 16: 4-7)
Fourth Bowl – Mankind and nature is scorched by the sun (Rev 16:8-9)
Fifth Bowl – The Beast’s seat of government and mankind afflicted (Rev 16:10-11)
Sixth Bowl – The Euphrates dries-up; world armies gather at Armageddon (Rev 16: 12-16)
Seventh Bowl – The earth is shaken as never before; massive hail storms begin (Rev 16: 17-21)
What We Believe...
Regarding Last Things (Eschatology)
The Rapture of the Church
We affirm the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation Period
We affirm that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
1. After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:17-27; Rev. 20:1-6).
2. The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Is. 65:17-25; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 1-26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).
3. This time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the Lost
We affirm that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth andgather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9).
1. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.
2. This resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15).
Eternity
We affirm that after the closing of the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
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