Having been a Christian for well over thirty yrs of my life, having stumbled, fell, gotten back up again and plodded along in this life with our Christ; I’ve seen, read, spoken about, studied, and devoted many prayers, hours, days, and yrs to private study of Scripture.
Always learning and hoping in faith for that glimpse of the wisdom of our Heavenly Father, as seen through Scripture, a view given by the Holy Spirit.
I do see everyday, the divine providence of our LORD. Answered prayers in the smallest of things, & in HIS time also, the larger prayers being answered. The Father is faithful, even when we are wavering in ours, HE remains steadfast, never completely forsaking those of HIS faithful. HE allows HIS children to reap what they’ve sown; if good seed then we receive such, if evil then we also reap those returns.
In our day, it’s often reported within Christian circles that we are in the “last days” or “endtimes” as described throughout Scripture. People point this way or that way, citing events trying to relate those events to prophecy. Some quote their dreams as prophetic; thinking those dreams are from GOD. Some twist Scripture to fit their own narrative, taking pieces and parts creating a semblence of factuality when they’re doing nothing but deceiving the brethren.
Many today claiming the name of Jesus are doing so for their own gain, whether monetary or due to some psychosis; they’re deceving many.
For myself, I can see 2 Thessalonians 2:3 being fulfilled; even though throughout the history of Chrissendom this specific Scripture can be referenced. From the beginning of the Church we are told evil people will enter always enter into the flock to devour the weak. Today though, there’s a difference, we have Israel reestablished as a nation, a people returned as a nation after 2k yrs of dispora.
Israel alone resets all previous endtimes eschatology. If Israel isn’t included their interpretations are meaningless.
Discerning the times in which we live, based primarily on Scripture, secondly on world events, can for most, take time and studying. Although a few seem to have a nack for it, most don’t give it hardly any thought.
I’ve chatted with people throughout the yrs about endtime eschatological views, most are firmly grounded in their beliefs, which can be good. But we are told by Paul to be “renewed in the spirit of our mind“, if we are so grounded in our own interpretation of Scripture, thinking we have “it” and everyone else is wrong, I think we as believers are doing others a disservice by not being “Berean” enough. Not only do we show our arrogance in thinking ours is the only path, we show our Savior we are stiffnecked. The Savior found issue with the early churches, admonishing each, why should we “feel” as if we are better?
Being grounded in Scripture is a necessity, being grounded in our own beliefs isn’t.
1 Chronicles 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
This verse implies small numbers have the ability to understand the times, not a single person has everything right, only GOD has that luxury.
Yes, Noah was singled out, as were the prophets and apostles. When Elijah believed he was the last prophet, GOD corrected him telling him there were 7000 others who refused to take the knee to ba’al. So knowing and understanding our times may, at times, be discerned only by a few. Regardless of that number, it’s the responsibility of those gifted with discernment to warn others of whats coming down the pike.
Discernment, understanding, and wisdom come the LORD.
Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
So we are told to seek for both as both are necessary, from our relationship with the Father to discerning the times in which we live.
Our Time
Today societies have the opportunity to be bombarded with news and information 24/7. No region, no nation, no information is more than a few seconds away from anyone willing to search for it. Whether truth or lies, good or evil, vice or virtue; its all just seconds away.
I was raised to believe in a Pre-tribulational rapture, called Pretribbers by others. After 36yrs I’ve learned the pre-trib view isn’t completely accurate. Personally I lean more toward a Pre-wrath rapture, meaning before the final 40 to 75 days, give or take, of the end of the 7 year tribulation.
I say lean because a view or opinion of the rapturing of the church isn’t a prerequisite to salvation. Knowing we are going to be resurrected is the primary we need to rest upon, the timing is in the Fathers hands.
To me, people arguing about the “timing” of the rapture is as asinine as trying to catch a cat not using a litterbox. You think you got in the box but find another pile behind something else. People setting times or dates or presumptuously claiming absolute truth of their view to me is equals to a pile of dung.
Regardless of the yeahs or nays there will be a catching away of the saints as described in 1st Thessalonians 4.
The so-called learned will ramble on about their educational achievements, about their books or how many they’ve spoken to. Their own arrogance of their own knowledge has become their stumbling stone. Most refuse to look outside of the box they’ve placed themselves in.
On of the simplist errors in their unadulturated eschatology can be found in their interpretation of the beasts of Daniel 7
11 I beheld because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke:
and I saw that the beast was slain, and the body thereof was destroyed, and given to the fire to be burnt:
12 And that the power of the other beasts was taken away:
and that times of life were appointed them for a time, and a time.
This verse is often overlooked and dismissed because it tosses aside the view that the four beasts are historical dead kingdoms, lost in antiquity. When this verse, 12, shows the four beasts – kingdoms, nations – are contemporary and exist at the same time as the final beast. While the last beast is destroyed completely the previous 3 are allowed to exist for a time and a season after the Kingdom of the Christ is established.
Why?
Because mankind still living after the Second Coming exist in these nations. Mankind will need a time to learn the rules of the new government of Christ, they’ll have new laws put into place, new everything. The Lord knows this and in His love he gives mankind a time to relearn what “real” justice and good governance is.
Yes there will be non-resurrected humans living during the reign of the Messiah. These non-resurrected, or NR’s, if I may tag them as such, are going to live and work, tilling the ground, working to remake a life on a resurrected planet goverened by a resurrected Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
Concerning our time, we are living in those last days. The clock is ticking, if you do not know Jesus as Savior my prayer and hope is you will chose to know Him and to know Life.
I’ll be writing more later about this subject, suffice to say, most people don’t read very much nowadays.
GOD Bless.
A Laymans Discourse 