I recently watched a very interesting video by Dewey Bruton discussing Daniel’s timeline for the return of the Messiah. There were several problems with it since it sets dates for events associated with the Tribulation implying we are already in the 70th week of Daniel. This is certainly not the case because the Antichrist has not been revealed by confirming a 7-year covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). But the Bruton presentation was very instructive about feasts of Israel and it did include some details that deserve closer study…
Bruton pointed out in his video that we are coming up on the 120th Year of Jubilee. Isaiah 46:10 says that God has declared, “the end from the beginning” (NKJ) and so we should expect to find clues about the end of the age in Genesis. The Hebrew sages expect there to be 6,000 years of mankind’s struggle followed by 1,000 years of rest with the Messiah. This is reflected in their calendar which starts at when they believe was the beginning of creation. The current Hebrew year is 5770 so even by the Jewish calendar, we are coming up on 6,000 years of history. Of course God did not make it possible for us to determine the exact year of creation so there is sure to be some years missing in the Hebrew estimate of when creation happened.
It is reasonable to expect there to be 7,000 years of history based on the pattern God established in the Creation… “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). This is especially significant when you consider that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
Genesis 6:3 provides the timing of God pouring out His wrath in judgment of the earth, “the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’” While this is understood to refer to the flood, it may also establish a pattern that has meaning for God’s next judgment of the earth. Bruton applies this 120-year period to the cycle of Jubilees that God established. The Year of Jubilee occurred every 50 years and involved the land of Israel being returned to the original owners that God established. If we are coming up on 6,000 years of history, it is interesting to note that we are also coming up on the 120th Jubilee (120 x 50 = 6,000 years).
Bruton believes that the 120th Jubilee will occur in 2017. He bases that on a pattern of the key events that established Israel. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 ended the centuries-long rule of the Ottoman Empire over the land of Israel and laid the foundation for establishing “a national home for the Jewish people” which became the state of Israel. Fifty years later in 1967, Israel took over control of Jerusalem as a result of the Six-Day War. The fact that this war was concluded in six days attests to God being involved since it is tied to God’s work of creation.
So if 1917 and 1967 were the 118th and 119th Jubilees, then the 120th is coming up soon in 2017. This is amazingly close to the 2018 year I had come up with from two other completely different approaches to estimating the end of the age; see my blog on Date Setting Coincidences.
Unlike Burton who doesn’t appear to have a pre-Tribulation view of the Rapture, I’m excited about the seven-year Tribulation ending in 2017 or 2018. This means that the Tribulation could begin this year or next and thus we are on the very threshold of the Rapture. Let’s see, Rosh HaShanah in 2010 will start on Thursday, the 9th of September… be ready, we are in the zone!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Maturing Wheat
One benefit of the culture war is clarity as to where a person stands on their view of God as the Bible reveals Him. A good example of this is in Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle who is going up against incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Angle sees her campaign as a battle to stop Democrats in Washington who want to expand entitlement programs and "make government our God."
Reading public statement Angle has made makes it pretty clear she has a biblical world view and applies it in her life. This probably means that she doesn’t stand a chance against Reid because it is not politically correct to be a true Bible-believing Christian. However, people in Nevada are hurting worse than most from this recession and Reid has advocated policies that has made the recession worse than it needed to be. So this may be a good year for a Bible-believing Christian to run for public office after all. But enough editorializing…
Jesus told a parable about allowing the wheat and tares to growing up together in Matthew 13:24-30. The workers were told not to weed out the tares until the wheat was mature. The wheat represents the followers of Jesus and the tares are the imposters. I can’t help but think of mature wheat when I read about Sharron Angle so boldly proclaiming her faith. As the wheat and tares are maturing, it is getting easier to tell them apart.
The day is coming when the tares of the world will be uprooted and burned. Now is not a good time to be siding with the tares of the world.
Reading public statement Angle has made makes it pretty clear she has a biblical world view and applies it in her life. This probably means that she doesn’t stand a chance against Reid because it is not politically correct to be a true Bible-believing Christian. However, people in Nevada are hurting worse than most from this recession and Reid has advocated policies that has made the recession worse than it needed to be. So this may be a good year for a Bible-believing Christian to run for public office after all. But enough editorializing…
Jesus told a parable about allowing the wheat and tares to growing up together in Matthew 13:24-30. The workers were told not to weed out the tares until the wheat was mature. The wheat represents the followers of Jesus and the tares are the imposters. I can’t help but think of mature wheat when I read about Sharron Angle so boldly proclaiming her faith. As the wheat and tares are maturing, it is getting easier to tell them apart.
The day is coming when the tares of the world will be uprooted and burned. Now is not a good time to be siding with the tares of the world.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Racism
The Connecticut beer truck driver who went on a shooting rampage at his place of work claimed racism as his motivation for murder. Apparently the racism in his workplace made him feel justified in stealing beer from his employer and ultimately murdering those who he hated. Those who accuse others of being racist should take note because this could lead to robbery and murder.
It seems to me that there is an increasing trend of people accusing others of racism. Those who usually do this are trying to make others fell guilty enough to agree with them that we need to make some special accommodation for a particular race or set of races. Often this accommodation is to simply look the other way when a person of a privileged race commits a crime. But what they don't realize is that this contributes to lawlessness and actually causes race-based resentment to build up. If this trend continues, anarchy will be the result. When the law is not just, people will eventually take the law into their own hands.
Racial tensions will eventually yield racial wars; where there is smoke, there is fire. And we can expect ethnic tensions to increase because Jesus said this would be one of the signs of His soon return: “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7, NKJ). The original Greek word translated into English as “nation” is pronounced “ethnos” which obviously refers to races. We can expect ethnic tensions to increase in frequency and intensity like birth pangs as the Tribulation approaches.
It seems to me that there is an increasing trend of people accusing others of racism. Those who usually do this are trying to make others fell guilty enough to agree with them that we need to make some special accommodation for a particular race or set of races. Often this accommodation is to simply look the other way when a person of a privileged race commits a crime. But what they don't realize is that this contributes to lawlessness and actually causes race-based resentment to build up. If this trend continues, anarchy will be the result. When the law is not just, people will eventually take the law into their own hands.
Racial tensions will eventually yield racial wars; where there is smoke, there is fire. And we can expect ethnic tensions to increase because Jesus said this would be one of the signs of His soon return: “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7, NKJ). The original Greek word translated into English as “nation” is pronounced “ethnos” which obviously refers to races. We can expect ethnic tensions to increase in frequency and intensity like birth pangs as the Tribulation approaches.
I have often mentioned my observation that when people only use human means to address a problem, they usually bring about the very consequence they are seeking to avoid. It has been my experience that most of those accusing others of racism have a materialistic world view so they are trying to solve the racism problem with a humanistic approach and the net result of this is that racism will actually grow.
Racism is a spiritual problem that comes from an incorrect view of who God is and who people are. Many who have an evolutionary view of origins expect certain races to be superior, or more "evolved," than others. But if you have a biblical world-view, you know that we are all descended from the same parents, Adam and Eve. The races came about as a result of God causing people to disperse and form groups due to the different languages God gave them as punishment for rebellion at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). As people stayed in their common-language groups, different racial characteristics emerged due to dominate genes being segregated from the complete gene pool. So we are all related despite our different appearances.
The more I see racism growing in our day, the more this reinforces how sorely this world needs Jesus Christ to return. The growing racism is just one more indicator that we do not have long to wait.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Lawlessness
One of the problems with big government is that is generates a great preponderance of laws and onerous regulations. What we are seeing here is a materialistic world view that denies God as the ultimate Lawgiver and replaces Him with government. This is today’s version of idol worship and it should be noted that God hates idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering a crackdown on farm dust, so senators have signed a letter addressing their concerns on the possible regulations. This new regulation makes you wonder how the EPA intends to enforce it… will they have roving dust police in agricultural areas out writing tickets? Maybe they can staff up using the small farmers that are forced out of the business due to regulatory conformance expenses.
We have more laws than can be enforced now yet our bloated government churns out an increasing flow of laws and regulations. They pass two-thousand-page laws that no one has even read. There are enough laws on the books that everyone could be found guilty of something. All the laws can not really be enforced so government officials have to be selective. This is what is going on with illegal immigration. The Federal government refuses to enforce the law so the state of Arizona is trying to do it for them.
The problem with the government playing fast and loose with the rule of law is that people no longer respect the law. When the government no longer enforces the law uniformly, people start taking the law into their own hands and anarchy is the result. Seeing laws produced that are increasingly being enforced at the whims of government bureaucrats is like seeing a bulb that burns brightest just before it burns out. Producing more laws doesn’t result in more law keeping; it actually has the opposite effect as we will no doubt see soon.
Jesus warned of lawlessness in the time leading up to His return… “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, NKJ). I get the sense that if the next serious crisis is coupled with an inept governmental response, people will take the law into their own hands in this country. I’m praying that God will protect us from such a melt-down which gives me more peace than hoping the government will deliver us.
Another promise that gives me peace about the growing lawlessness in the world is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” The Holy Spirit who indwells true Christians is restraining lawlessness in the world. This restraining ministry of the Spirit will end when He is taken out of the world with followers of Jesus that are removed at the Rapture. It helps to remember that God is restraining lawlessness while I’m in the world.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering a crackdown on farm dust, so senators have signed a letter addressing their concerns on the possible regulations. This new regulation makes you wonder how the EPA intends to enforce it… will they have roving dust police in agricultural areas out writing tickets? Maybe they can staff up using the small farmers that are forced out of the business due to regulatory conformance expenses.
We have more laws than can be enforced now yet our bloated government churns out an increasing flow of laws and regulations. They pass two-thousand-page laws that no one has even read. There are enough laws on the books that everyone could be found guilty of something. All the laws can not really be enforced so government officials have to be selective. This is what is going on with illegal immigration. The Federal government refuses to enforce the law so the state of Arizona is trying to do it for them.
The problem with the government playing fast and loose with the rule of law is that people no longer respect the law. When the government no longer enforces the law uniformly, people start taking the law into their own hands and anarchy is the result. Seeing laws produced that are increasingly being enforced at the whims of government bureaucrats is like seeing a bulb that burns brightest just before it burns out. Producing more laws doesn’t result in more law keeping; it actually has the opposite effect as we will no doubt see soon.
Jesus warned of lawlessness in the time leading up to His return… “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, NKJ). I get the sense that if the next serious crisis is coupled with an inept governmental response, people will take the law into their own hands in this country. I’m praying that God will protect us from such a melt-down which gives me more peace than hoping the government will deliver us.
Another promise that gives me peace about the growing lawlessness in the world is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” The Holy Spirit who indwells true Christians is restraining lawlessness in the world. This restraining ministry of the Spirit will end when He is taken out of the world with followers of Jesus that are removed at the Rapture. It helps to remember that God is restraining lawlessness while I’m in the world.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Infanticide
There is a report about the growing cases of French women killing their babies. And there are indications that this in not purely a French problem.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:37, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (NKJ). Going back to Genesis 6:11, we find that the days of Noah were like this: “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” So we can expect to see growing incidences of violence in the time-frame leading up to the Tribulation.
When we think of violence, we usually think of wars and murderous criminal behavior. Infanticide is not what we usually think of so seeing it become a problem should certainly be recognized as a sign of the times. And this is a particularly egregious sin in God’s eyes; shedding innocent blood is called out as one of six sins that God particularly hates in Proverbs 6:16-17.
Infanticide is a bigger problem than most people realize because the attitude of not valuing human life that causes it is the same that accommodates abortion. Modern medical technology makes it clear that life begins at conception so taking a life prior to birth really is no different than after a baby is born. And there are currently about 1.3 million abortions per year in the United States alone. As 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “in the last days perilous times will come.”
The Prophet Malachi also identified the erosion of parental love as an indicator of living in the time prior to the return of the Messiah…
Followers of Jesus should be aware of these trends in society and make sure we don’t get swept up in them ourselves...
Jesus said in Matthew 24:37, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (NKJ). Going back to Genesis 6:11, we find that the days of Noah were like this: “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” So we can expect to see growing incidences of violence in the time-frame leading up to the Tribulation.
When we think of violence, we usually think of wars and murderous criminal behavior. Infanticide is not what we usually think of so seeing it become a problem should certainly be recognized as a sign of the times. And this is a particularly egregious sin in God’s eyes; shedding innocent blood is called out as one of six sins that God particularly hates in Proverbs 6:16-17.
Infanticide is a bigger problem than most people realize because the attitude of not valuing human life that causes it is the same that accommodates abortion. Modern medical technology makes it clear that life begins at conception so taking a life prior to birth really is no different than after a baby is born. And there are currently about 1.3 million abortions per year in the United States alone. As 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “in the last days perilous times will come.”
The Prophet Malachi also identified the erosion of parental love as an indicator of living in the time prior to the return of the Messiah…
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).We know that parents not loving their children become a problem because hearts have to be changed prior to the Messiah’s return.
Followers of Jesus should be aware of these trends in society and make sure we don’t get swept up in them ourselves...
“Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Friday, July 30, 2010
Crisis Mode
Maybe we are just so used to earth shaking crises that we are quick to accept the media hype on the next big disaster. Or maybe we are all more susceptible to liberal agendas than we realize. Case in point: the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf. I certainly thought it was a major catastrophe. Indications are now that the Gulf oil spill was not as big an issue as we all thought.
It looks like the warmer temperatures and natural presence of oil-eating microbes in the warm gulf waters has made this spill less of a disaster than the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. It is certainly good to know that this is not the beginning of an ecological Armageddon. It does foreshadow a disaster to come but it is hopefully many years away.
The bigger issue is why we were all so ready to see this spill as a major disaster. The trends in this world tell us we are headed for disaster so we are becoming conditioned to expect it. And this is not helped by the liberal government and media being quick to hype a crisis to in order to convince the public to accept the changes they want to foist on us. The liberal ruling class will get the public to accept fewer freedoms until they have total control because there are plenty of crises and rumors of crises for them to make use of in this time leading up to the Tribulation… As Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (NKJ).
Liberals fear having Christians in power because they think we will make decisions that fulfill the end time prophecies. In reality, it is their decisions that are fulfilling prophecy. It is an amazing thing but I have observed the pattern that when people try to solve problems apart from God, they bring on the very consequences they are seeking to avoid.
The Gulf spill incident is a reminder to me that while the world is in crisis mode, there is no reason for followers of Christ to be caught up in it. It is comforting to remember Jesus’ promise, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:33) which serves to reinforce this blessed promise: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And there is also this…
It helps to remember that my born again spirit is my assurance that I’m among those who will not be shaken.
It looks like the warmer temperatures and natural presence of oil-eating microbes in the warm gulf waters has made this spill less of a disaster than the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. It is certainly good to know that this is not the beginning of an ecological Armageddon. It does foreshadow a disaster to come but it is hopefully many years away.
The bigger issue is why we were all so ready to see this spill as a major disaster. The trends in this world tell us we are headed for disaster so we are becoming conditioned to expect it. And this is not helped by the liberal government and media being quick to hype a crisis to in order to convince the public to accept the changes they want to foist on us. The liberal ruling class will get the public to accept fewer freedoms until they have total control because there are plenty of crises and rumors of crises for them to make use of in this time leading up to the Tribulation… As Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (NKJ).
Liberals fear having Christians in power because they think we will make decisions that fulfill the end time prophecies. In reality, it is their decisions that are fulfilling prophecy. It is an amazing thing but I have observed the pattern that when people try to solve problems apart from God, they bring on the very consequences they are seeking to avoid.
The Gulf spill incident is a reminder to me that while the world is in crisis mode, there is no reason for followers of Christ to be caught up in it. It is comforting to remember Jesus’ promise, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:33) which serves to reinforce this blessed promise: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And there is also this…
“He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (Hebrews 12:26-27)
It helps to remember that my born again spirit is my assurance that I’m among those who will not be shaken.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Itching Ears
Columnist James Lambert had a hard time finding a pastor willing to speak out on California Proposition 19 which puts the legalization of marijuana to a vote. This reveals the apostasy of the church when church leaders are afraid to take a stand on a moral issue. And using marijuana is a moral issue because its use is generally an intoxicating escape from reality.
Pastors avoiding moral issues is not just an issue in California. For example, it is rare to hear a sermon on hell. There seems to be a concern among church leaders that it is not polite to make people uncomfortable. But that was not the attitude of Jesus when He was here. Jesus when out of His way to make people uncomfortable with their sinful condition...
The Bible tells us there will be a falling away from faith in Christ among those professing to believe in Him. This will get so bad that Jesus asked, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 NKJ). The church reveals a lack of faith in Christ when it compromises with the world. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
While Christendom is in a sorry state from a biblical perspective, God is still working through the church since followers of Jesus have the only solution for a doomed world. What the preponderance of pastors scratching the ears of their constituents reveals is that we are getting ever closer to the return of Christ.
Pastors avoiding moral issues is not just an issue in California. For example, it is rare to hear a sermon on hell. There seems to be a concern among church leaders that it is not polite to make people uncomfortable. But that was not the attitude of Jesus when He was here. Jesus when out of His way to make people uncomfortable with their sinful condition...
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:34-37, NKJ)
The Bible tells us there will be a falling away from faith in Christ among those professing to believe in Him. This will get so bad that Jesus asked, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 NKJ). The church reveals a lack of faith in Christ when it compromises with the world. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
While Christendom is in a sorry state from a biblical perspective, God is still working through the church since followers of Jesus have the only solution for a doomed world. What the preponderance of pastors scratching the ears of their constituents reveals is that we are getting ever closer to the return of Christ.
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