Posts Tagged ‘End Times’

Day 341: Ezekiel 40:17-41:26; 2 Peter 2:10-3:10 – Extreme Makeover: Temple Edition

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

I don’t really have much to say today about the reading in Ezekiel 40-41 except that it would make a great show on HGTV.

Wow! Peter! Tell us how you really feel. Peter never was much for holding back when he had something to say (except for that one time in the courts just before the crucifixion). But in 2 Peter 2:10-22 he really unleashes on these folks. “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” It wasn’t just for their actions that he condemned them. They were trying to drag down everyone with them. Satan figures that his party will be all the merrier the more people he can invite. Not a party I want to be invited to.

And finally, in 2 Peter 3:1-10 we get a brief look at the end times and the time frame for the end of days. Many people have spent much time and energy discussing the when’s and how’s of the second coming and end of the world as we know it. All of these seem to put the end right around the corner. We sing the song “Jesus is Coming Soon”. And yet Peter is trying to help us understand that our “soon” is not the same as God’s “soon”.

Personally (and this is total conjecture and wishful thinking) I put the end of the universe at millions of years in the future. This is not based on any scripture or any scientific evidence but rather on my view of God and His creation. I see this vast universe, that God created and I can’t help but think that God wants us to explore every last bit of it. Who knows what wonders and life forms may or may not be waiting out there for us to discover. God endowed us with curiosity and we’ve utilized that greatly here on this small rock. Maybe there’s even more to learn and discover in this wonderful cosmos.

And there’s so much more that we as people need to learn. 10,000 years of recorded history just barely pricks the surface of the wonders of God’s creation and our relationships. I don’t believe we’ll ever get close to understanding everything about everything until we stand before the Creator after the end of this world. But that shouldn’t keep us from trying.

Anyways, that’s what I think. I’d be interested to hear your views on such things. Again, I have no Biblical evidence here, just personal opinions.

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Day 131: Luke 21:5-19 — Don’t be Fooled!

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

the end is nearThe other day, I was teaching a class with some teens. They had a fascination about the end of times. It seems they have experienced the teachings of the pseudo-religious prophets that manifest themselves in contemporary entertainment genres. The force of Jesus’ warning in Luke 21:7-11 is that disciples of Christ should not be misled by the false prophets who will come claiming authority and saying that the time is near. Such claims are the words of charlatans who prey upon the innocent. Nevertheless, the dangers and hardships that we experience are real. Truth is tested and faith is confirmed not in idle speculation but in the crucible of hard times. In Luke 21:5-19 Jesus foretells the coming destruction of the temple with a warning of the wars, earthquakes, famines, and plagues that will come and a warning to the disciples of the persecutions they must endure. We need to distinguish biblical teachings and sound biblical interpretation from the sensational claims carried by the media and popular religious best-sellers. We are not waiting for a call to ministry, we already have a call to disregard the false prophets; do not be led astray, and do not go after them (Luke 21:8). Those who wish to find a more energetic religious experience, therefore, should look not for signs of the future but for signals that it is time to live by Jesus’ call for obedience and faithfulness here and now.

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Posted in Discipleship, faith, God's Word, Judgment Day, Luke, Trust | 4 Comments »

Day 43: Matthew 25:1-13 — Ten Virgins

Friday, February 12th, 2010

10 virginsChapter 25 of Matthew continues with the theme of the last few posts. Jesus has been answering his disciples’ question about the “close of the age” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus has told us that there will be cataclysmic events, i.e., earthquakes, wars, desolation of the temple, false Christs, etc. (Matthew 24:3-28). The Son of Man will come (Matthew 24:29-31). Then Jesus teaches us to interpret the end times like a fig tree. When it puts out leaves you know summer is near (when we see the signs Jesus talks about, we know judgment is near, not an exact date). In Matthew 24:36-51, Jesus tells us that no one knows the times and dates of His return except His Father.

So, Jesus tells a parable. The Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins (Read Matthew 25:1-13). The story is about ten virgins headed between locales on the way to meet the bridegroom. Five were prepared and five were not. To update the illustrations five had extra batteries for their cell phones and five did not. So while they waited they were talking on their phones sending text messages, emails, and saying “Oh my gosh.” As their power ran low because they were a little preoccupied with their lives instead of the important task of getting ready for the bridegroom, the five without extra batteries had to run to a friends house to get a power charge. They missed the bridegroom and subsequently not allowed to enter the wedding feast. It may seem harsh that these poor girls were not allowed in. However, new Texas State law prohibits the use of cell phones near school zones or while they are driving (Ok, I might have overdrawn on this analogy). The point is that they were not ready. The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who are ready. Read Matthew 25:13, and we are told to “Watch.” Jesus answers the question about the close of the age again, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor hour.”

Questions:

Are you ready for the end times? Are you watching? Do you know God’s word? Are your batteries/lamps charged and ready to go?

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Day 42: Matthew 24:32-51 — When is the end of the world?

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Second Coming of ChristYesterday, we looked at Matthew 24:3-12 and we talked briefly about the end of the world. I promised at the end of the post that I would give dates, times, and a biblical text for the end of the world. So here it is, there is no date, no time, and I have one biblical text from our reading today (what a shameless plug for daily Bible reading). Matthew 24:36, tells us that only One knows the day and the hour of the coming of our Lord. We don’t know but God knows. The angels don’t know! The preachers don’t know! The televangelists don’t know!  Nostradamus doesn’t know! The Mayans don’t know!. The only one who knows is our Father in Heaven. Matthew goes on to give us an illustration that the coming of the Son of Man (Jesus) is like in the days of Noah. Remember the story? God goes to a good man and gives him an impossible task. The man balks but then gives in and obeys God and then God saves the world. Everyone else was caught up in their own lives. They were marrying, drinking, eating, and just doing whatever they wanted. Then the floods came and they were not aware. Noah was aware because he listened to God. He built an Ark. Took on ridicule and missed out on life. Or did he? Matthew 24:45-47, tells us about who is a faithful and wise servant. Read it!

I don’t know the day and hour of Jesus’ return. However, I do know that when He comes, He will look for those doing the will of His Father. Are you ready (Matthew 24:44)?

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