I've spent some time perusing atheist and anti-Christian boards,
because sometimes that's the easiest way to see where we've failed as a
Church. And to be honest, it doesn't take long to see where we've
failed. Over and over, time and time again, I watch "Christians" attack
athiests for their beliefs. Here are just a few things I've seen
so-called Christians say when atheists express their disdain for us:
"I believe in free speech, but this is too far! How dare you blaspheme my god!" [yes, it was a lowercase "g"].
"Hollywood has a Satanic agenda to brainwash our kids! As Christians, we have to say enough!" [I'm assuming this person meant "we have to say 'enough is enough'"].
And my personal favorite:
"REPENT OR BURNWHICHIS WAHT U DSERVVE!!" [Love the spelling on that one . . . real classy].
So
when I hear atheists say that Christians are morons, I can see why they
would say that. When they call Christians judgmental, I can see why
they would say that. When they call Christians hypocritical, I can see
why they would say that.
What we as Christians seem to
be doing is holding sinners to a higher standard than we hold
ourselves. We worship the idol of money, and criticize them for not
worshiping anything. We ask them to tone down the sexuality on
television, but we keep our lusts and emotional adulteries in the back
of our minds, just within easy reach. We expect them not to blaspheme a
God in Whom they don't even believe. Well, from
their perspective, they're not blaspheming - you can't insult something
you don't think is there.
The justification we use, of
course, is that they attack us all the time. And that's
true. Full-out persecution of the Church still goes on in much of the
world - and I mean executions of Christians. There are people
out there on message boards who quite literally want all
Christians wiped off the face of the planet. I read that, though, and
rather than get angry at them, I just get sad. I get sad because it
means they've been mistreated by the Church at some point in time. I
get sad because it means they've never had an example of an actual
disciple of Christ - all they've ever known are nominal Christians. I
get sad because they themselves have been attacked by people who should be filled with compassion.
Why
has this happened? How have we become so un-Christlike? I think it
happens because we forget who the enemy is. Our enemy is not the
atheist who lives next door. Our enemy is not the sinner at our job.
Our enemy is not Hollywood. Our enemy is Satan, and - pay attention! - we are not supposed to fight him. Satan loses in the end, and we have nothing to do with it. Christ defeated sin and death . . . and He will defeat Satan.
Our
job is a rescue operation, not an offensive. Our job is to show the
POW's the way out, not shoot them in the head. And while - sadly - many
of them have developed a "spiritual Stockholm's syndrome" and refuse to
be rescued, our job is still not to attack. Our job is to point to
Christ, rather than morals; the Cross, rather than the Law.
People will attack us - Christ made that very clear. But maybe we should stop giving them extra reasons.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Friday, April 22, 2016
It's The End of the World As We Know It: The Trumpet Judgments, Part 2
The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die but death will elude them.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like a woman's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon.
The first woe is past: two other woes are yet to come (Revelation 9:1-12).
Fun stuff, eh? Before we get into the (almost rampant) speculation, there's a small detail I had never noticed before until I was typing up this passage: in John's vision, the "star" was already on earth before the trumpet sounded. Notice verse 1 of Chapter 9: "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth." Remember that John is presenting these visions after the fact - that is, he saw them, then wrote them all down - and is, therefore, using the past tense: "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet. . . ." But he shifts tense when he references the falling of the "star," in that when the trumpet sounded, the angel was already on earth, and the trumpet signaled the opening of the Abyss.
Why does this matter? Because so many people believed that CERN was the opening of the Abyss, and they scoured all sorts of video footage of the night sky, waiting to see the star fall. The fact is, if that's what we're waiting to see, then we're putting our hope and trust (or our fear) in the wrong thing. If John's use of verb tense is any indication, we have no idea when that star is going to fall. He could have already done so. Perhaps he fell two thousand years ago. We cannot cling to one particular detail that may, in fact, be taken out of context.
And this is what happens when we take things out of their Scriptural context: it makes Christ appear to be a liar. Think about it: if people proclaiming to be followers of Jesus spend all of their time on Youtube "prophesying" that Revelation tells us we're going to see the star fall, and CERN is going to release a demonic army, then when that fails to happen (as it did last fall), non-believers - who don't know the Scriptures - are left with the impression that the Bible is, once more, wrong. Of course, it's not the Bible that's wrong, but all of those people out there who do not know the Scriptures won't know that - they're only going by what they hear.
And, according to the Scriptures, there will be a hail storm, an asteroid, a meteor, and a terrifying display in the sun, moon, and stars before the Abyss is opened. Will there be a demon horde that torments non-believers for five months? Yes, the Bible makes that clear. Will it start tomorrow? Not unless really bad things happen all at once today. Stay rooted in the Scriptures, and don't listen to the false prophets. In fact, stay rooted in the Scriptures, even if you're listening to someone you trust. Don't take anything for granted! Look, if Paul can tell people to verify what he was saying, then no one alive today can be completely and blindly trusted - go back to the Scriptures. I may be writing about a small portion, but if you're reading this blog, you need to go back and read the whole book of Revelation to ensure I'm not cherry-picking.
Having said that, let's move on to the speculative part (yes, I see the irony) - it is possible that this is when the Beast actually arises out of the Abyss. Let me be clear: the passage does not state this, but what it does state is that the Abyss is shut and locked until this moment, which would indicate that the Beast cannot leave until it is opened. Many will claim that "Beast from the Abyss" refers to Satan, but nowhere in Scripture do we see Satan being locked (or even dwelling in) the Abyss. Nor do we see any specific Scriptures stating that Satan indwells the Antichrist. We see him giving the Beast power and authority (13:2), but never Exorcist-style possession.
Now, I realize that I've stated that the Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan, which is the most popular take on Revelation 13:2, but I may have been hasty. Remember, we have to be careful not to take our assumptions as stated Biblical Truth, and claiming that Satan possesses the Beast is just that - an assumption. Reasonable, yes, but still an assumption, and still potentially wrong. But one of the biggest, boldest, flashiest neon signs we have is that the Beast is most certainly demonic, since he comes from the Abyss. Who dwells in the Abyss? Demons. Whether or not he is indwelt by Satan remains speculation, but he is certainly demonic; that much is clear. So he is at the very least a demonic entity wrapped in the flesh of someone who was previously dead.
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number (9:13-16).
Back in the late eighties/early nineties, China began boasting of an army of 200 million. In one of the most perplexing moments in the Christian culture, believers began panicking that China was about to start the Apocalypse. I've fallen for my fair share of alarmist overreaction in the past, but this one struck me as odd. Why? Verses 17-19:
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
Now, I suppose it's possible that John was using symbolism here, but he's very specific that these are horses and riders, and, unless China has been working on some sort of horse/lion/snake hybrid animal, it seems fairly reasonable that this is an angelic army. So what's the takeaway here?
Read your Scriptures. I know I keep saying that, but it's vital. Think of all the anxiety and panic that a multitude of Christians could have saved themselves had they actually read the Book of Revelation. Just like CERN, Satan has used our lack of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures to create fear, and - most importantly - to cast doubt on the goodness of God's Word. When we run around claiming the Apocalypse is about to start, because China has an army of 200 million, and then things don't pan out the way we expect, the non-believing world looks at that and says, "See? The Bible is wrong."
Indeed, we are seeing a massive hardening of hearts - particularly here in America - because people have been listening to false claims for decades. Want an example? Take a look at some of the comments regarding this remarkable gem: 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. There's lots and lots of ridicule aimed at the Church, aimed at Christians, and aimed at the Bible. Many of you reading this may remember the Harold Camping fiasco of four years ago. Youtube abounds with "date-setting." Folks, know the Scriptures, so that we don't contribute to leading people astray.
Okay, I'm going to wrap things up here. We're going to take a brief interlude from the Trumpets and look at the intervening passages (Chapters 10 and 11), as well as the Rapture. Because - and I'll throw this out there for you all to mull over - it is plausible that the Seventh Trumpet actually is the Rapture.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like a woman's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon.
The first woe is past: two other woes are yet to come (Revelation 9:1-12).
Fun stuff, eh? Before we get into the (almost rampant) speculation, there's a small detail I had never noticed before until I was typing up this passage: in John's vision, the "star" was already on earth before the trumpet sounded. Notice verse 1 of Chapter 9: "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth." Remember that John is presenting these visions after the fact - that is, he saw them, then wrote them all down - and is, therefore, using the past tense: "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet. . . ." But he shifts tense when he references the falling of the "star," in that when the trumpet sounded, the angel was already on earth, and the trumpet signaled the opening of the Abyss.
Why does this matter? Because so many people believed that CERN was the opening of the Abyss, and they scoured all sorts of video footage of the night sky, waiting to see the star fall. The fact is, if that's what we're waiting to see, then we're putting our hope and trust (or our fear) in the wrong thing. If John's use of verb tense is any indication, we have no idea when that star is going to fall. He could have already done so. Perhaps he fell two thousand years ago. We cannot cling to one particular detail that may, in fact, be taken out of context.
And this is what happens when we take things out of their Scriptural context: it makes Christ appear to be a liar. Think about it: if people proclaiming to be followers of Jesus spend all of their time on Youtube "prophesying" that Revelation tells us we're going to see the star fall, and CERN is going to release a demonic army, then when that fails to happen (as it did last fall), non-believers - who don't know the Scriptures - are left with the impression that the Bible is, once more, wrong. Of course, it's not the Bible that's wrong, but all of those people out there who do not know the Scriptures won't know that - they're only going by what they hear.
And, according to the Scriptures, there will be a hail storm, an asteroid, a meteor, and a terrifying display in the sun, moon, and stars before the Abyss is opened. Will there be a demon horde that torments non-believers for five months? Yes, the Bible makes that clear. Will it start tomorrow? Not unless really bad things happen all at once today. Stay rooted in the Scriptures, and don't listen to the false prophets. In fact, stay rooted in the Scriptures, even if you're listening to someone you trust. Don't take anything for granted! Look, if Paul can tell people to verify what he was saying, then no one alive today can be completely and blindly trusted - go back to the Scriptures. I may be writing about a small portion, but if you're reading this blog, you need to go back and read the whole book of Revelation to ensure I'm not cherry-picking.
Having said that, let's move on to the speculative part (yes, I see the irony) - it is possible that this is when the Beast actually arises out of the Abyss. Let me be clear: the passage does not state this, but what it does state is that the Abyss is shut and locked until this moment, which would indicate that the Beast cannot leave until it is opened. Many will claim that "Beast from the Abyss" refers to Satan, but nowhere in Scripture do we see Satan being locked (or even dwelling in) the Abyss. Nor do we see any specific Scriptures stating that Satan indwells the Antichrist. We see him giving the Beast power and authority (13:2), but never Exorcist-style possession.
Now, I realize that I've stated that the Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan, which is the most popular take on Revelation 13:2, but I may have been hasty. Remember, we have to be careful not to take our assumptions as stated Biblical Truth, and claiming that Satan possesses the Beast is just that - an assumption. Reasonable, yes, but still an assumption, and still potentially wrong. But one of the biggest, boldest, flashiest neon signs we have is that the Beast is most certainly demonic, since he comes from the Abyss. Who dwells in the Abyss? Demons. Whether or not he is indwelt by Satan remains speculation, but he is certainly demonic; that much is clear. So he is at the very least a demonic entity wrapped in the flesh of someone who was previously dead.
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number (9:13-16).
Back in the late eighties/early nineties, China began boasting of an army of 200 million. In one of the most perplexing moments in the Christian culture, believers began panicking that China was about to start the Apocalypse. I've fallen for my fair share of alarmist overreaction in the past, but this one struck me as odd. Why? Verses 17-19:
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
Now, I suppose it's possible that John was using symbolism here, but he's very specific that these are horses and riders, and, unless China has been working on some sort of horse/lion/snake hybrid animal, it seems fairly reasonable that this is an angelic army. So what's the takeaway here?
Read your Scriptures. I know I keep saying that, but it's vital. Think of all the anxiety and panic that a multitude of Christians could have saved themselves had they actually read the Book of Revelation. Just like CERN, Satan has used our lack of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures to create fear, and - most importantly - to cast doubt on the goodness of God's Word. When we run around claiming the Apocalypse is about to start, because China has an army of 200 million, and then things don't pan out the way we expect, the non-believing world looks at that and says, "See? The Bible is wrong."
Indeed, we are seeing a massive hardening of hearts - particularly here in America - because people have been listening to false claims for decades. Want an example? Take a look at some of the comments regarding this remarkable gem: 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. There's lots and lots of ridicule aimed at the Church, aimed at Christians, and aimed at the Bible. Many of you reading this may remember the Harold Camping fiasco of four years ago. Youtube abounds with "date-setting." Folks, know the Scriptures, so that we don't contribute to leading people astray.
Okay, I'm going to wrap things up here. We're going to take a brief interlude from the Trumpets and look at the intervening passages (Chapters 10 and 11), as well as the Rapture. Because - and I'll throw this out there for you all to mull over - it is plausible that the Seventh Trumpet actually is the Rapture.
Friday, April 15, 2016
A Leap of Faith
Like most people who've watched the show, Firefly is one of my favorite shows of all time. One episode that really stands out to me, though, is the episode in which a Christians - a "Shepherd" - explains that the Bible isn't about errors or accuracy, but
faith. His point, of course, is that faith is a belief that one holds,
regardless of evidence. While I love the show, that is simply hogwash.
We use terms like "blind faith," we talk about not needing proof because we have faith, and we use the word "faith" as a substitute for thinking. This is dangerous, and not what God commands. Christ, in Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 10, tell us to "love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, with all [our] soul, with all [our] mind and with all [our] strength" (emphasis mine). Notice our minds are included. This does not mean we are to check our brains at the door when we walk into church. We are not to stop thinking when we read our Bibles, and we are never, ever to avoid seeking out the answers to questions we may have out of fear that they may "damage" our faith. Our questions will not knock God off of His throne; if they do, he isn't much of a god (and probably not the God of the Bible).
So what is faith, then, if not blind belief? Hebrews 11:1 defines it as "the evidence of things unseen." Other translations use the words, "assurance," "proof," "knowledge," and so forth. In other words, God defines faith as belief in the unseen, but based on evidence.
I look at the world and see a planet perfectly in balance. If it were tilted just a fraction of a degree more (or less), life wouldn't survive. If we were any closer (or further) from the sun, life wouldn't survive. If the moon were any closer (or further) to us, tides would be affected, and life wouldn't survive. The Cambrian Explosion reveals a sudden appearance of complex organisms on earth, without any sort of evolutionary development. The universe appears to be "winding down," which implies that something "wound it up." When I read, therefore, that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), I believe it. Now, did I see God create everything? No. Did I see which method God might have used? No. Can I prove that it was God Who did this? No. But the evidence suggests that this universe was put in place, and this earth was designed to be perfectly balanced in the vastness of space, in order that that human life (and other life) could be supported.
This is faith. I believe what is unseen (God) based on what is seen (creation).
Was I there when the Bible was written? No. Did I witness, firsthand, the parting of the Red Sea, Noah's Flood, or the slaying of Goliath? No. But the Bible has proven itself to be historically accurate on more than one occasion, and has never been proven to be in error (there are many theories out there that suggest it, but they all fall flat, with no proof whatsoever).
This is faith. I believe in what is unseen (the Bible is the inspired Word of God) based on what is seen (it's own claims, as well as the archaeological evidence).
Did I witness Christ rise from the dead? No. Did I see, firsthand, His miracles? No. Was I there when He walked on water, multiplied fishes, or raised Lazarus from the dead? No. But I do have the testimonies of those who saw it, testimonies that, though challenged, have never been proven wrong. I have the change that He has wrought in me, as well. I have the promises that He made, as recorded in the Gospels, and I have seen those promises fulfilled.
This is faith. I believe what is unseen (that Christ is God) based on what is seen (the Scriptures and personal experience).
I have faith, then, in the unshakable character of God. I have faith, then, that God is truly good, and seeks to work out everything that happens - the good, bad, and ugly - for His glory and The Church's betterment. I have faith, then, that God loves me, even though I don't deserve it. I have faith that He truly does expect me to live in a complete and total dependence on Him, without any trace of selfishness towards my fellow man. I also have faith that since I don't do it, He did it for me. And I have faith that I deserve to die for my sins, so He died for me.
There is nothing - absolutely nothing! - in the heavens, on earth, or below the earth that will ever convince me otherwise.
We use terms like "blind faith," we talk about not needing proof because we have faith, and we use the word "faith" as a substitute for thinking. This is dangerous, and not what God commands. Christ, in Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 10, tell us to "love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, with all [our] soul, with all [our] mind and with all [our] strength" (emphasis mine). Notice our minds are included. This does not mean we are to check our brains at the door when we walk into church. We are not to stop thinking when we read our Bibles, and we are never, ever to avoid seeking out the answers to questions we may have out of fear that they may "damage" our faith. Our questions will not knock God off of His throne; if they do, he isn't much of a god (and probably not the God of the Bible).
So what is faith, then, if not blind belief? Hebrews 11:1 defines it as "the evidence of things unseen." Other translations use the words, "assurance," "proof," "knowledge," and so forth. In other words, God defines faith as belief in the unseen, but based on evidence.
I look at the world and see a planet perfectly in balance. If it were tilted just a fraction of a degree more (or less), life wouldn't survive. If we were any closer (or further) from the sun, life wouldn't survive. If the moon were any closer (or further) to us, tides would be affected, and life wouldn't survive. The Cambrian Explosion reveals a sudden appearance of complex organisms on earth, without any sort of evolutionary development. The universe appears to be "winding down," which implies that something "wound it up." When I read, therefore, that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), I believe it. Now, did I see God create everything? No. Did I see which method God might have used? No. Can I prove that it was God Who did this? No. But the evidence suggests that this universe was put in place, and this earth was designed to be perfectly balanced in the vastness of space, in order that that human life (and other life) could be supported.
This is faith. I believe what is unseen (God) based on what is seen (creation).
Was I there when the Bible was written? No. Did I witness, firsthand, the parting of the Red Sea, Noah's Flood, or the slaying of Goliath? No. But the Bible has proven itself to be historically accurate on more than one occasion, and has never been proven to be in error (there are many theories out there that suggest it, but they all fall flat, with no proof whatsoever).
This is faith. I believe in what is unseen (the Bible is the inspired Word of God) based on what is seen (it's own claims, as well as the archaeological evidence).
Did I witness Christ rise from the dead? No. Did I see, firsthand, His miracles? No. Was I there when He walked on water, multiplied fishes, or raised Lazarus from the dead? No. But I do have the testimonies of those who saw it, testimonies that, though challenged, have never been proven wrong. I have the change that He has wrought in me, as well. I have the promises that He made, as recorded in the Gospels, and I have seen those promises fulfilled.
This is faith. I believe what is unseen (that Christ is God) based on what is seen (the Scriptures and personal experience).
I have faith, then, in the unshakable character of God. I have faith, then, that God is truly good, and seeks to work out everything that happens - the good, bad, and ugly - for His glory and The Church's betterment. I have faith, then, that God loves me, even though I don't deserve it. I have faith that He truly does expect me to live in a complete and total dependence on Him, without any trace of selfishness towards my fellow man. I also have faith that since I don't do it, He did it for me. And I have faith that I deserve to die for my sins, so He died for me.
There is nothing - absolutely nothing! - in the heavens, on earth, or below the earth that will ever convince me otherwise.
Friday, April 8, 2016
It's The End of the World As We Know It: The Trumpets, Part 1
One of the most common arguments people make against the accuracy of the Scriptures is that God is inconsistent between the Old and New Testaments. God, they (always) claim, is all about wrath and judgment in the Old Testament, but suddenly He becomes all about love and grace in the New Testament, and that sort of inconsistency is unacceptable to them. But, as is the case with inconsistencies in the Bible, there actually is no inconsistency. God has always been, and always will be, a God of justice, and justice will always involve punishing the wicked.
But . . . God is also a consistent God of love Who offers grace as a means of fulfilling His wrath, which is poured out on Jesus, instead of the wicked. So God's wrath (the "Old Testament God") is most visible in His greatest display of love: the Cross. Grace and wrath are not two opposing entities, but are very closely entwined, and God's grace can be found just as much in the Old Testament as His wrath can be found in the New Testament; the Trumpet Judgments are a clear example of God's wrath in the New Testament. So let's back up and re-read what happens prior to the sounding of the trumpets:
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up (8:1-7).
As we looked at last time, the 144,000 Israelites were sealed so as to protect them from whatever harm would befall "the land or the sea or the trees" (7:3). The first trumpet, which I personally believe may be the beginning of God's Judgment against the Tribulation of the Saints, does almost exactly what the angel in 7:3 predicted: it harms the land and trees. While some speculate that this judgment only falls on a third of the earth - hence only a third of the earth and a third of the trees being burned up - the fact that "all the green grass [will be] burned up" indicates that this fiery, bloody hail will indeed fall on the entire planet, but will "only" destroy a third of the world's forests. At this point, I'm going to issue a magnificently large conjecture alert, and comment that this could be God's judgment against our world's ever-increasing environmental worship. One of the mantras that has been chanted over and over and over again for decades is "Save the Trees." Here in America, we even have a day set aside and dedicated specifically to trees. Sounds an awful lot like worship, to me, but that's just my opinion, and I wouldn't make that the bedrock of your interpretation of Revelation.
So the First Trumpet harms the grass and the trees, right? But wait, doesn't 7:3 specifically references the "sea" as well? Yes, but so does the Second Trumpet.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed (8:8-9).
Obviously, the Big Asteroid that astronomers keep going all Chicken Little on us about will eventually hit, and when it does, it will turn a third of the sea into blood. Now, it's unclear whether this happens because a third of the ships - and the people on them - die, as well as a third of the sea creatures, or whether the sea turns to blood in a First Plague of Exodus sort of supernatural event. Either way, God reveals that we really aren't in control of anything. All of our attempts at only eating sustainable food sources, all of our attempts at removing mercury, all of our fretting over contamination, all of it comes to naught when God pours out His judgment on the earth.
I'm not suggesting we keep pouring mercury and other harmful substances into the ocean, or that we bulldoze every available piece of land in order to build yet another strip mall, but I am suggesting that protecting the environment as an expression of our worship for Mother Earth is idolatry, and for those who continue to worship false gods, these judgments will bring the global economy to a grinding halt. It will also cause massive destruction and mayhem. This is what makes the sealing of believing Israel so important. Remember, part of the reason for sealing the Israelites was to protect them from these two Judgements. But, for believers in Jesus, there will be a stark contrast when they are unharmed by the judgments, and I believe that this will be a means of preaching the Gospel and declaring God to be God (c.f. Exodus 9:16).
The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter (8:10-11).
We should take a moment here and examine some claims that the Trumpet Judgments are largely symbolic. This is mostly due to the fact that the third trumpet is a little hard to interpret. There are, for instance, persistent rumors that "Wormwood" in Russian is "Chernobyl." This has led many to believe that the "star" is actually a bomb. Truthfully, I can see this; it makes sense . . . if it were accurate. As it so happens, "chernobyl" translates to "mugwort," rather than "wormwood" (although, interestingly, both are part of the artemisia family, although mugwort is properly called artemisia vulgaris, whereas wormwood is artemisia absinthium - so the "chernobyl" plant is related to Wormwood, but they are not the same thing). Also, if you are interested, "wormwood" is gorech' - bitter - in Russian. But this is neither here, nor there.
What we know - beyond speculation - is what John tells us:
1) it's a star
2) it blazes like a torch
3) it has a name - Wormwood
4) it poisons a third of the earth's freshwater supplies
We know what is is, what it looks like, what it does, and even what its name is. Where the Second Trumpet was clearly a large asteroid, this is most likely a meteorite (i.e., a "shooting star"). I do not know the mechanism by which it poisons a third of the earth's fresh water, but, once more, the destruction of our so-called "fragile" environment - the environment that so many people today try to "save" - is merely a reminder that it all belongs to God anyway. Folks, if the bedrock of your faith, if the hope you have for our future, if your most persistent worry is finding clean energy and sustainable food sources, then you need to throw out that flimsy false god that we call "the Environment," and you need to replace it with Jesus.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (8:12-13).
Where I live, I currently have about twelve hours of light each day, depending on the season; winter is a little less, summer is a little more. At night, we have the moon and stars to provide some light, and those usually last for twelve hours. Imagine, then, eight hours of complete and total blackness each day, leading well into the night. Imagine the looting that will happen during these eight hours. Oh, and lest you think, "I'll just turn on the lights," do you think the power plants will be working after the previous three trumpets?
An alternative reading is that the light is diminished by 33% each day and night. Better, perhaps, than the first reading, but would you want it to be dusk all day, every day? It would be absolutely maddening to be able to see, but not to be able to see well enough to do anything. And night would be virtually impossible. It would be like going blind. You know, upon reflection, I think this reading is worse than the first interpretation.
But the most alarming part is the eagle, telling us all that things are going to get worse.
Worse than fire, blood, and hail raining out of the sky. Worse than watching all of the grass burn up. Worse than the largest forest fires anyone has ever seen. Worse than the smoke that comes with those. Worse than an asteroid plummeting into the sea. Worse than the stench of rotting sea life. Worse than the loss of ships and their crews. Worse than the tsunamis that will inevitably follow. Worse than losing the earth's freshwater supplies. Worse than rampant looting, or "going blind" but still being able to see.
Folks, are you looking for legislators to save us through their laws and regulations? Are you looking for us to save ourselves through recycling and "going green?" Are you counting on the earth being here for future generations, as long as we take action immediately to save it?
God is the God of our earth. He does not bend to its will, but it bends to His, and the first four trumpets of Revelation prove it.
"You shall have no other gods besides Me" (Exodus 20:3).
But . . . God is also a consistent God of love Who offers grace as a means of fulfilling His wrath, which is poured out on Jesus, instead of the wicked. So God's wrath (the "Old Testament God") is most visible in His greatest display of love: the Cross. Grace and wrath are not two opposing entities, but are very closely entwined, and God's grace can be found just as much in the Old Testament as His wrath can be found in the New Testament; the Trumpet Judgments are a clear example of God's wrath in the New Testament. So let's back up and re-read what happens prior to the sounding of the trumpets:
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up (8:1-7).
As we looked at last time, the 144,000 Israelites were sealed so as to protect them from whatever harm would befall "the land or the sea or the trees" (7:3). The first trumpet, which I personally believe may be the beginning of God's Judgment against the Tribulation of the Saints, does almost exactly what the angel in 7:3 predicted: it harms the land and trees. While some speculate that this judgment only falls on a third of the earth - hence only a third of the earth and a third of the trees being burned up - the fact that "all the green grass [will be] burned up" indicates that this fiery, bloody hail will indeed fall on the entire planet, but will "only" destroy a third of the world's forests. At this point, I'm going to issue a magnificently large conjecture alert, and comment that this could be God's judgment against our world's ever-increasing environmental worship. One of the mantras that has been chanted over and over and over again for decades is "Save the Trees." Here in America, we even have a day set aside and dedicated specifically to trees. Sounds an awful lot like worship, to me, but that's just my opinion, and I wouldn't make that the bedrock of your interpretation of Revelation.
So the First Trumpet harms the grass and the trees, right? But wait, doesn't 7:3 specifically references the "sea" as well? Yes, but so does the Second Trumpet.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed (8:8-9).
Obviously, the Big Asteroid that astronomers keep going all Chicken Little on us about will eventually hit, and when it does, it will turn a third of the sea into blood. Now, it's unclear whether this happens because a third of the ships - and the people on them - die, as well as a third of the sea creatures, or whether the sea turns to blood in a First Plague of Exodus sort of supernatural event. Either way, God reveals that we really aren't in control of anything. All of our attempts at only eating sustainable food sources, all of our attempts at removing mercury, all of our fretting over contamination, all of it comes to naught when God pours out His judgment on the earth.
I'm not suggesting we keep pouring mercury and other harmful substances into the ocean, or that we bulldoze every available piece of land in order to build yet another strip mall, but I am suggesting that protecting the environment as an expression of our worship for Mother Earth is idolatry, and for those who continue to worship false gods, these judgments will bring the global economy to a grinding halt. It will also cause massive destruction and mayhem. This is what makes the sealing of believing Israel so important. Remember, part of the reason for sealing the Israelites was to protect them from these two Judgements. But, for believers in Jesus, there will be a stark contrast when they are unharmed by the judgments, and I believe that this will be a means of preaching the Gospel and declaring God to be God (c.f. Exodus 9:16).
The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter (8:10-11).
We should take a moment here and examine some claims that the Trumpet Judgments are largely symbolic. This is mostly due to the fact that the third trumpet is a little hard to interpret. There are, for instance, persistent rumors that "Wormwood" in Russian is "Chernobyl." This has led many to believe that the "star" is actually a bomb. Truthfully, I can see this; it makes sense . . . if it were accurate. As it so happens, "chernobyl" translates to "mugwort," rather than "wormwood" (although, interestingly, both are part of the artemisia family, although mugwort is properly called artemisia vulgaris, whereas wormwood is artemisia absinthium - so the "chernobyl" plant is related to Wormwood, but they are not the same thing). Also, if you are interested, "wormwood" is gorech' - bitter - in Russian. But this is neither here, nor there.
What we know - beyond speculation - is what John tells us:
1) it's a star
2) it blazes like a torch
3) it has a name - Wormwood
4) it poisons a third of the earth's freshwater supplies
We know what is is, what it looks like, what it does, and even what its name is. Where the Second Trumpet was clearly a large asteroid, this is most likely a meteorite (i.e., a "shooting star"). I do not know the mechanism by which it poisons a third of the earth's fresh water, but, once more, the destruction of our so-called "fragile" environment - the environment that so many people today try to "save" - is merely a reminder that it all belongs to God anyway. Folks, if the bedrock of your faith, if the hope you have for our future, if your most persistent worry is finding clean energy and sustainable food sources, then you need to throw out that flimsy false god that we call "the Environment," and you need to replace it with Jesus.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (8:12-13).
Where I live, I currently have about twelve hours of light each day, depending on the season; winter is a little less, summer is a little more. At night, we have the moon and stars to provide some light, and those usually last for twelve hours. Imagine, then, eight hours of complete and total blackness each day, leading well into the night. Imagine the looting that will happen during these eight hours. Oh, and lest you think, "I'll just turn on the lights," do you think the power plants will be working after the previous three trumpets?
An alternative reading is that the light is diminished by 33% each day and night. Better, perhaps, than the first reading, but would you want it to be dusk all day, every day? It would be absolutely maddening to be able to see, but not to be able to see well enough to do anything. And night would be virtually impossible. It would be like going blind. You know, upon reflection, I think this reading is worse than the first interpretation.
But the most alarming part is the eagle, telling us all that things are going to get worse.
Worse than fire, blood, and hail raining out of the sky. Worse than watching all of the grass burn up. Worse than the largest forest fires anyone has ever seen. Worse than the smoke that comes with those. Worse than an asteroid plummeting into the sea. Worse than the stench of rotting sea life. Worse than the loss of ships and their crews. Worse than the tsunamis that will inevitably follow. Worse than losing the earth's freshwater supplies. Worse than rampant looting, or "going blind" but still being able to see.
Folks, are you looking for legislators to save us through their laws and regulations? Are you looking for us to save ourselves through recycling and "going green?" Are you counting on the earth being here for future generations, as long as we take action immediately to save it?
God is the God of our earth. He does not bend to its will, but it bends to His, and the first four trumpets of Revelation prove it.
"You shall have no other gods besides Me" (Exodus 20:3).
Friday, April 1, 2016
The Ghostly Dance
Near Fushimi stands an old, abandoned temple. Known as the Shozenji temple, for many centuries it has been believed that the temple was occupied by hundreds - if not thousands - of spirits. The story comes from an old vagabond priest who, needing a place to stay, sought shelter in the deserted temple one rainy evening.
The
sound of the rain and wind, which usually lulled him to
sleep, only kept the priest awake. Soon, however, another sound drifted
from the upper room of the temple, a sound which filled the old priest
with a growing dread, for though the temple seemed unoccupied, he
clearly heard the sound of shuffling feet. Grabbing a torch, the priest
said a prayer and slowly climbed the steps to the upper room.
When he got to the room, the priest let out a shriek. There, in the darkness of the temple, were ghostly, glowing shapes of hideous demons and deformed spirits. The priest, not wishing to encounter one of them, fled from the temple and, that very night, warned everyone in the town of his supernatural visions.
-Japanese Legend
As it turns out, this story is true . . . from a certain point of view. There really was a monk who spent the night in the temple, who really heard sounds, and who really saw ghostly visions.
But they were not, of course, ghosts.
The world-famous painter and artist, Tosa Mitsunobu, heard the monk's story, and went to investigate. As it was daylight, he saw the room clearly, and he noticed that someone had drawn figures of ghosts and horrible demons. Through cracks in the wall, a phosphorescent mildew had grown, lighting the figures with an unearthly glow. Settling down amidst the rat droppings that covered the floor (thus indicating that the monk was hearing rats, not ghosts), the artist began to sketch these figures, becoming one of the most celebrated artists in Japanese history.
When he got to the room, the priest let out a shriek. There, in the darkness of the temple, were ghostly, glowing shapes of hideous demons and deformed spirits. The priest, not wishing to encounter one of them, fled from the temple and, that very night, warned everyone in the town of his supernatural visions.
-Japanese Legend
As it turns out, this story is true . . . from a certain point of view. There really was a monk who spent the night in the temple, who really heard sounds, and who really saw ghostly visions.
But they were not, of course, ghosts.
The world-famous painter and artist, Tosa Mitsunobu, heard the monk's story, and went to investigate. As it was daylight, he saw the room clearly, and he noticed that someone had drawn figures of ghosts and horrible demons. Through cracks in the wall, a phosphorescent mildew had grown, lighting the figures with an unearthly glow. Settling down amidst the rat droppings that covered the floor (thus indicating that the monk was hearing rats, not ghosts), the artist began to sketch these figures, becoming one of the most celebrated artists in Japanese history.
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