The Islamic Antichrist (33 page)

Reason Five: We very well may live to see these events.

This point cannot be underscored enough. The events that the Bible outlines are real. Many of us who read this material may quite possibly live to see the return of Jesus. Now, you may say that every generation has believed that they were living in the last generation. While many may argue that this universal feeling of the anticipation of Jesus’ return has always been the case in the church, I completely reject that notion. There have, of course, been numerous groups, many of them fringe, that have anticipated Jesus’ return in their generation, but far more did not anticipate Christ’s imminent return. In fact a fair argument could be made that this generation is the first generation since the apostolic generation which has had such a universal witness to the imminence of the final hour. Personally, whenever I hear someone emphasize the idea that every generation of the church has universally believed that Christ would return in their generation, I listen to see what they are about to excuse themselves and others from. It never fails that whenever that point is emphasized, it is done for the purpose of making an excuse for a life lived in a manner that does not anticipate His return. Again, the question that we all need to ask ourselves, especially those who are leaders in the church, is: Are our attitudes the same as those of the members of the early church? Or have we adopted an attitude that looks less like the example that we see in the New Testament and more like the spirit of the age that we now live in?

Reason Six: To give us understanding and prepare our hearts.

One of the primary reasons that we all need to make eschatology part of our regular spiritual diet is that through such, we become prepared. This preparation is not primarily a physical preparation.
It is not about the stockpiling of food or finding a safe route of escape from your city (although, to a degree, it certainly could be). It is primarily a spiritual preparation. This preparation or “readiness” occurs for two reasons and neither should be ignored.

The first and most important reason is based on the spiritual effects that the study of eschatology has on our hearts. These spiritual effects affect our actions and the way we live. One of these effects is a desire for personal holiness (Hebrews 12:14). When we read about the events as described in the Bible and the terrible and fearful events that will occur, followed by the glorious appearing of Jesus from heaven, we find ourselves desiring to throw off all sin and focus on the hope of one day seeing him face to face. Indeed, “everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as he [Jesus] is pure” (1 John 3:3). When we read the description of us as the bride of Christ we desire to purify ourselves and maintain our chastity for our future husband:

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:27)

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

We will also most certainly develop a deep urgency for prayer and evangelism and maybe even church planting. We may find a deeper felt need for communion and community with fellow followers of Jesus (Hebrews 10:25). And there are many other positive spiritual benefits of studying eschatology as well. All of these effects are part of the greater cumulative effect that will make us “ready” through the great and terrible days ahead, and until the day when Jesus finally returns.

The second way that eschatology makes us prepared is through the foreknowledge and understanding that it imparts. Simply stated, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. If indeed we
are the generation living just prior to the return of Jesus, then this factor could not be more crucial. The study of eschatology not only prepares our hearts but it also gives us specific descriptions of future events to watch for. Things will occur on the earth that we will need to understand mentally in order to escape or avoid them (Matthew 24:15–16; Revelations 14:9). True readiness comes through both a prayerful, continual communion with Him and an informed response to the external unfolding of the signs and events all around us. It is the communion that is the “One Thing” that takes priority over all other issues in the Christian life (Mark 12:29–30; Psalm 27:4; Luke 10:42), but He also expects us to not be ignorant. Again, that is why He shared so much information with us. Jesus said, “Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matthew 24:25).

So both understanding and spiritual readiness combine in our hearts and lives to make us truly “ready.” This state of readiness is described in the Bible with terms like “sobriety,” “alertness,” “watchfulness,” etc. And we are warned abundantly to always remain in such a state. In Matthew 24 and 25, we find Jesus repeatedly saying such things as “Be on the alert” (Matthew 24:42, 25:13), “See to it that no one misleads you” (24:4). Whenever we approach the eschatological portions of Scripture we find these types of warnings/exhortations.

We are commanded to remain in a spirit of watchfulness:

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. (2 John 1:7–8)

We are commanded to always be alert:

Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning…What I say to you I say to all,
Be on the alert!
(Mark 13:35, 37, emphasis mine)

But keep on the alert at all times
, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)

[A]nd from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Therefore be on the alert
… (Acts 20:30–31, emphasis mine)

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,
be on the alert
with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18, emphasis mine)

Indeed, the Scriptures compare living in ignorance of the last days to being asleep or drunk:

So then let us not sleep as others do,
but let us be alert and sober
. (1 Thessalonians 5:6, emphasis mine)

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert
. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, emphasis mine)

In fact, drunkenness is the specific state that describes those who have compromised with the “Babylonian Harlot” of the Book of Revelation: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries (Revelation 17:1–3). These expressions: “be sober,” “be watchful,” “be on your guard,” “be aware,” “be careful” all speak of very deliberate activity. So let us all heed these warnings. Let us all pursue a deeper love relationship and daily communion with our beautiful King, and let us not neglect the information that He has shown us ahead of time in His awesome Word.

Reason Seven: As a basis for any prophetic office.

Another reason that has, in my opinion, been highly overlooked by most prophetic ministers in the church is that a
proper grasp of biblical eschatology is the essential foundation of any truly prophetic ministry. I say this in reference to any individual called to the specific office of prophet as well as to any church that feels called corporately to be a prophetic people. What I mean by prophetic in this case is not merely the gifting or ability from God to speak an encouraging, edifying or even a directional word to another individual. I am speaking of those prophetic ministers or churches that feel called to prophesy to and about specific events from God’s perspective. I am speaking about individuals and churches that feel called to become a relevant force on the earth or in their cities and communities. It is my conviction that as a result of a lack of a clear vision of the future, founded on a proper understanding of biblical eschatology, the church suffers and tends to be far less effective as a truly prophetic people. The same can be said regarding any individual called to a prophetic ministry.

Let me try to restate this a bit more clearly. The Bible gives us very specific and detailed information about the future of this world. These events will have unparalleled social, economic, religious, and most importantly, spiritual implications for the entire earth. If someone believes himself or herself called to be a prophetic voice that speaks with relevance and power from God to the world and the greater lukewarm Western church, (a majority of the Old Testament’s prophecies were directed at the lukewarm Israelites), then it is absolutely necessary to first understand the clear prophetic word already written.

A good contemporary example to demonstrate my point here is the fact that God Himself has reestablished the Jewish people in the land of Israel. He made it clear thousands of years ago that He would do so. The return of the Jewish people to their homeland is unquestionably part of the clear unfolding of biblical prophecy. The rebirth of Israel is a necessary step in God’s plans to fulfill all of His good promises and covenants with the Jewish people. Presently a massive renewed surge of
anti-Semitism is spreading all over the world. This time around, however, anti-Semitism is not called anti-Semitism, but rather disguised under the euphemism “anti-Zionism.”
³
As a result of a lack of understanding of God’s clear purposes for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people as laid out in Scripture, many Christians have unknowingly (or even completely knowingly) supported anti-Semitic causes and theologies. This is a grievous error. Throughout history the church has made this same mistake over and over. As a matter of fact, it was precisely due to a lack of understanding of the nature of the future eschatological kingdom of God and Israel’s part in it that the Christian church made, arguably, the most significant errors in its history. The establishment of the church state under Constantine and the Crusades were both the direct results of bad theology regarding the Kingdom of God and the status of the Jewish people based on a false eschatology. Think of how the world might have been different if the church had not fallen into these errors. The nation of Israel is far from perfect and certainly not beyond criticism; the same can be said of any nation. But without the foundation of the clear prophetic Word in the Bible regarding Israel, many Christians do not know how to properly discern the nature or source of many events that revolve around the State of Israel and the Jewish people today.

This is especially true in light of the growing cloud of misinformation and blatant propaganda that seeks to demonize Israel. This is just one example of how a lack of understanding of the biblical prophetic timeline of events in the last days can cause well-meaning, intelligent Christians to miss what is unfolding right before their eyes. Rather than being a relevant force in the world, in tune with God’s mind, such a person may instead actually be aiding the plans of those whose inspiration is from Satan. I understand this issue to be very controversial, but I stand very firmly on it.

The revelation that any prophet delivers needs to be built on the solid foundation of the established, capital-P Prophetic
Word in the Bible. Those who wish to be prophetic (lowercase p) without first having ingested and assimilated the Prophetic Eschatological Gospel into their being will be significantly stunted in the effectiveness of their ministry. People who believe they can be truly effective prophetic voices without actually understanding the Gospel message would be regarded as delusional by most Christians.

But the Gospel message is the prophetic eschatological message. The Gospel message is not merely that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. The Cross of Jesus is the foundation of the Gospel message, but the conclusion of the Gospel message is His return. The central crowning element of biblical eschatology is the return of Jesus to literally reign over the earth from Jerusalem! The Gospel message of Jesus dying for our sins, without His return, is not the full Gospel. Biblical eschatology completes the Gospel message. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Or paraphrased; the message about Jesus to the world (the Kingdom Gospel message) and biblical eschatology (the spirit of prophecy) are one and the same thing. In order to flow in the spirit of prophecy, God expects His prophets to understand the full Gospel message that is nothing short of the full “testimony of Jesus.”

HOW TO STUDY ESCHATOLOGY: A BIBLICAL PATTERN

Like His contemporaries, Jesus studied the Scriptures from an early age, but I also believe that He regularly came before the Father in humility and in prayer and asked the Father to open the Scriptures to Him (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Matthew 14:23). I think it is safe to say that Jesus came to understand His calling to the world and ultimately to His death on the Cross, not solely by virtue of the fact that He was the Word of God incarnate, but also by diligently studying the Scriptures combined with the discipline of spending time with the Father through the Holy Spirit in prayer. And while the Bible does not explicitly state exactly how often Jesus fasted, I am confident that He fasted regularly (John
4:32, Matthew 17:21, Hebrews 5:7). Jesus lived His life on the earth in full dependence upon the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1). If we desire to be true followers of Jesus, and understand what the Scriptures have to say about the future of our world, our country, our cities, our lives, and the lives of our families, we need to diligently study the Scriptures with prayer and consistent, regular fasting. It is as simple as that. There are no shortcuts. God promises us that if we will diligently seek Him, He will respond: