Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
The Dilemma of Divine Justice and Mercy
The above verse states a significant truth: to justify, or "declare" innocent a guilty man while condemning a clearly innocent man represents the most severe form of injustice. We unfortunately have heard of such cases of innocent people serving long prison terms. Likewise we have been equally angered over guilty criminals getting off the hook over supposed "loopholes" in the law.
In the scriptures, showing mercy to guilty men and punishing innocent men are uncalled-for-realities in human courts of law, let alone Divine Justice. Yet when we look at the heart of the Gospel, we see this very act in the work of Christ on behalf of sinful human beings - a Divine Dilemma of biblical proportions! 1 Peter 3:18 states: "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit".
Why God alone can both be just and issue forgiveness to sinners who believe by grace through faith alone
How could God, who is Holy and perfect, give His innocent Son on behalf of clearly guilty sinners? In order to declare "innocent" guilty sinners who by faith trust in the Person and Work of Christ, five important decisions had to be made by the Triune God in order to solve this Divine Dilemma. If any one of these five decisions were not carried through by God, salvation in general and Justification by faith alone in particular would be jeopardized.
1. God the Father had to be willing to show mercy.
In Romans 3:21-24a we read about how willing God the Father was in eternity to show mercy to those sinners whom He was wanting to love. 2 Corinthians 5:18 plainly states the merciful heart of God: "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation".
2. God the Son had to be willing to represent sinners
Hebrews 10:7 records for us God the Son's words as he was coming from eternity into time: "“THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” As Romans 3:24 tells us, this willing act of Christ was a work of redemption - that is - He was paying the price for salvation by a willing offering of His human life on behalf of sinners whom the Father loved.
3. God the Father had to be willing to accept the Son's Offer
God the Father made this agreement with God the Son in eternity, agreeing that The Son becoming a man and going to the cross was the only way to satisfy the payment for sin. (2 Timothy 1:9) Romans 3:25-26 explains that what Christ did was a "propitiation" or "satisfaction" of Divine wrath against sin. God as a Just God had to punish sinners without obligation to show mercy. As a Merciful God, God wanted to show mercy to sinners who clearly deserved judgment. By the satisfaction or propitation of Divine wrath, God could still show mercy and be Just without contradiction to Himself as a Just and Merciful God.
4. God the Holy Spirit had to agree to apply salvation's benefits to those who by His convicting grace and gifting would believe
Scriptures such as John 16:8-11 and 2 Timothy 2:24 underscore the fact that unless the Holy Spirit is calling and convicting men and women, no one will choose on their own to get saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 describes faith as a Divine gift before it ends up being a delightful response to the gospel. The Spirit's work is His effort in applying the accomplishment of the Son.
5. The Father has to agree that faith alone is necessary and sufficient to declare the sinner innocent in His sight
Once God has called and convicted the sinner and shown them the awfulness of sin and the awesomeness of Christ, the sinner responds by faith. Justification is a Divine declaration that goes full circle. It is by God the Father, through God the Son and to God the Holy Spirit for the pleasure of God the Father.
The Dilemma is solved by God
By planning, purchasing and applying salvation, God is able to solve the dilemma of justifying sinful human beings without violating His Holy Character. Romans 3:21-31 spells all of these Divine decisions by God in full detail. Once we understand that only God could solve the otherwise impossible task of justifying clearly guilty sinners, we can truly see why Justification is by faith alone and not by human effort.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
When God is no longer mad - Justification
Romans 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets
The Cathedral of the New Testament
The Book of Romans has been called "The Cathedral of the New Testament". Much like those great churches in Europe, when we enter into Romans we stand with our eyes toward the sky with open mouths in awe of Christ's accomplishment of salvation. Romans 1:16 summarizes the whole point of the book: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the Power of God unto salvation unto everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek."
Three reasons why mankind cannot please God
The first three chapters of Romans communicate why man fails to please God. By nature man is an enemy of God. (Romans 1:18-31) Morally man is guilty before God in the realm of his conscience. (Romans 2:1-16) Legally man is declared a lawbreaker, incapable and unwilling to comply with God's revealed law in the ten commandments. (2:17-3:20). Man as a guilty, lawbreaking enemy is lost in Adam and subject to judgment. In short, God is rightly just to pronounce the sentence of eternal judgment over mankind. (Romans 3:20)
The Crown Jewel of salvation - Justification
The chief concern in the biblical teaching on salvation is: how can a man be made right with God? Humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden has attempted to achieve right standing with God (righteousness) through law-keeping or some sort of moral improvement. However the Gospel tells us that the righteousness demanded of God is not and cannot be achieved by man - for it is apart from the Law. All the law of God can do is demand righteousness. It cannot grant it nor impart it. (Romans 3:19-20)
What is Justification by Faith?
Justification is when God declares to me that "He is no longer mad at me". In justification the declaration by God is made: "Just-as-if-I-never-sinned". My guilt, my enemy status and my law-breaking record before God are erased at the moment when I by grace through faith believe on who Christ is and what He has done. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace initated faith by itself is both necessary and sufficient to receive all the benefits of Christ's accomplishment. (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9) Amazingly, those throughout the centuries who have claimed to be working for Christ's Kingdom have fought and tried to change this truth.
Justification by faith alone - a seemingly simple teaching that has been subject to much attack
At the epicenter of Paul's teaching of the Gospel, Justification (or more specifically: Justification by Faith) has endured much warping and attack over the centuries. It is critical in every generation that the Gospel be both explained, defined, proclaimed and lived out by Christians. How is a man made right with God? Is Grace based faith by itself enough? Do I need to bring something to the table at salvation to cooperate with God in making sure that I am "good enough"? How one tackles such questions as these will determine whether or not they have truly grasped this central truth of Justification by faith.
The Cathedral of the New Testament
The Book of Romans has been called "The Cathedral of the New Testament". Much like those great churches in Europe, when we enter into Romans we stand with our eyes toward the sky with open mouths in awe of Christ's accomplishment of salvation. Romans 1:16 summarizes the whole point of the book: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the Power of God unto salvation unto everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek."
Three reasons why mankind cannot please God
The first three chapters of Romans communicate why man fails to please God. By nature man is an enemy of God. (Romans 1:18-31) Morally man is guilty before God in the realm of his conscience. (Romans 2:1-16) Legally man is declared a lawbreaker, incapable and unwilling to comply with God's revealed law in the ten commandments. (2:17-3:20). Man as a guilty, lawbreaking enemy is lost in Adam and subject to judgment. In short, God is rightly just to pronounce the sentence of eternal judgment over mankind. (Romans 3:20)
The Crown Jewel of salvation - Justification
The chief concern in the biblical teaching on salvation is: how can a man be made right with God? Humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden has attempted to achieve right standing with God (righteousness) through law-keeping or some sort of moral improvement. However the Gospel tells us that the righteousness demanded of God is not and cannot be achieved by man - for it is apart from the Law. All the law of God can do is demand righteousness. It cannot grant it nor impart it. (Romans 3:19-20)
What is Justification by Faith?
Justification is when God declares to me that "He is no longer mad at me". In justification the declaration by God is made: "Just-as-if-I-never-sinned". My guilt, my enemy status and my law-breaking record before God are erased at the moment when I by grace through faith believe on who Christ is and what He has done. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace initated faith by itself is both necessary and sufficient to receive all the benefits of Christ's accomplishment. (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9) Amazingly, those throughout the centuries who have claimed to be working for Christ's Kingdom have fought and tried to change this truth.
Justification by faith alone - a seemingly simple teaching that has been subject to much attack
At the epicenter of Paul's teaching of the Gospel, Justification (or more specifically: Justification by Faith) has endured much warping and attack over the centuries. It is critical in every generation that the Gospel be both explained, defined, proclaimed and lived out by Christians. How is a man made right with God? Is Grace based faith by itself enough? Do I need to bring something to the table at salvation to cooperate with God in making sure that I am "good enough"? How one tackles such questions as these will determine whether or not they have truly grasped this central truth of Justification by faith.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Most Ancient Bible Prophecy of the 2nd coming
Jude 1:14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Bible prophecy's fascination lies in how much it points us to Jesus Christ and the purposes of God pertaining to our future. Equally intriguing is to discover how long God has been speaking on this subject.
Meet the man who saw our day and time - Enoch
We first encounter Enoch in Genesis 5:22-24 - "Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of MethuSelah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Genesis 5 is concerned with demonstrating the unbroken chain of God's bloodline of redemption that stretched from Adam to Noah. Comprising ten generations in all, Genesis 5 represents 1656 years of time.
It is in Genesis 5 that we see the pre-flood patriarchs living for hundreds of years. Comparitvely speaking, Enoch's age is young. Yet he has the distinction of being the first man in the Bible to be known as "the man who walked with God". After this first mention of Enoch in the Bible, other than the times we see him in geneaological listings, we do not hear another word about Enoch until the book of Jude - over 2500 years later!
Enoch predicted not one, but two major prophetic events
I remember preaching a sermon one time and I asked the children who the oldest man was in the Bible? They all said "Methusaleh" (with one even saying: "He was 969 years old")! Methusaleh of course was Enoch's son. Now what is incredible about Mehtusaleh is not so much his long age as the meaning of his name. In the original Hebrew, Methusaleh is a name composed of several Hebrew words which put together gives us this meaning: "the year for which it was sent". What could the "it" be referring to? When Enoch named his son, many scholars believe he was making reference to the flood of Noah. In fact, when you harmonize all of the birth's and deaths of the men in Genesis 5, Methusaleh's death occurs the same year of the flood!
The second event that Enoch saw is Christ's second coming. Consider what He saw:
1. He saw the Lord in a literal, bodily return
2. The "coming with his thousands of ones" is in reference to the angelic hosts (Matthew 16:27 and Mark 8:38) and the saints who are resurrected during the event of His return. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
3. The Final Judgment of the wicked who did not trust in the Lord by grace through faith alone. (please compare to Revelation 20)
In Enoch's prophecy we see cornerstone truths that run through the hundreds of biblical prophecies, namely: The Literal bodily return of the Lord, Resurrection of the righteous and Final Judgment (with resurrection) of the unbelieving dead.
How certainty of Christ's return is just as sure as the flood of Noah
So why would Jude make a seemingly obscure reference to an ancient prophet living before the flood? Because in scripture we see the judgment of Noah being likened to the second coming. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:5-7 - "For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." Certainty is the emphasis of prophetic scripture pertaining to God's completion of His plan for the ages. This ancient prophet saw in crystal-clear clarity two events that certainly mark out the flow and course of history - the flood and the second coming.
Bible prophecy's fascination lies in how much it points us to Jesus Christ and the purposes of God pertaining to our future. Equally intriguing is to discover how long God has been speaking on this subject.
Meet the man who saw our day and time - Enoch
We first encounter Enoch in Genesis 5:22-24 - "Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of MethuSelah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Genesis 5 is concerned with demonstrating the unbroken chain of God's bloodline of redemption that stretched from Adam to Noah. Comprising ten generations in all, Genesis 5 represents 1656 years of time.
It is in Genesis 5 that we see the pre-flood patriarchs living for hundreds of years. Comparitvely speaking, Enoch's age is young. Yet he has the distinction of being the first man in the Bible to be known as "the man who walked with God". After this first mention of Enoch in the Bible, other than the times we see him in geneaological listings, we do not hear another word about Enoch until the book of Jude - over 2500 years later!
Enoch predicted not one, but two major prophetic events
I remember preaching a sermon one time and I asked the children who the oldest man was in the Bible? They all said "Methusaleh" (with one even saying: "He was 969 years old")! Methusaleh of course was Enoch's son. Now what is incredible about Mehtusaleh is not so much his long age as the meaning of his name. In the original Hebrew, Methusaleh is a name composed of several Hebrew words which put together gives us this meaning: "the year for which it was sent". What could the "it" be referring to? When Enoch named his son, many scholars believe he was making reference to the flood of Noah. In fact, when you harmonize all of the birth's and deaths of the men in Genesis 5, Methusaleh's death occurs the same year of the flood!
The second event that Enoch saw is Christ's second coming. Consider what He saw:
1. He saw the Lord in a literal, bodily return
2. The "coming with his thousands of ones" is in reference to the angelic hosts (Matthew 16:27 and Mark 8:38) and the saints who are resurrected during the event of His return. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
3. The Final Judgment of the wicked who did not trust in the Lord by grace through faith alone. (please compare to Revelation 20)
In Enoch's prophecy we see cornerstone truths that run through the hundreds of biblical prophecies, namely: The Literal bodily return of the Lord, Resurrection of the righteous and Final Judgment (with resurrection) of the unbelieving dead.
How certainty of Christ's return is just as sure as the flood of Noah
So why would Jude make a seemingly obscure reference to an ancient prophet living before the flood? Because in scripture we see the judgment of Noah being likened to the second coming. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:5-7 - "For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." Certainty is the emphasis of prophetic scripture pertaining to God's completion of His plan for the ages. This ancient prophet saw in crystal-clear clarity two events that certainly mark out the flow and course of history - the flood and the second coming.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Prophecy's Eternal Kingdom
Revelation 19: 6 "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns."
Where Prophecy takes you
Our Lord Reigns! They are powerful words in our English language that function as an unbroken chain around the central purpose of the Bible. God's reign shows in action the purpose of scripture: God's glory. As we have been touring Prophecy's Big Picture, we have looked at the Enormous Kingdom of Babylon, the empire kingdoms of history and the Evil Kingdom that has yet to rise prior to Christ's return. Bible Prophecy's plotline and purpose is drawn to this endpoint - The Eternal Kingdom.
How much the Eternal Kingdom factors into Bible Prophecy
The idea of God's Kingdom occurs around 400 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament the Kingdom of God is stated in general terms to refer to the endpoint of all history wherein God will bring to completion His purposes. When you arrive at the New Testament, the Kingdom of God concept becomes sharpened in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. 224 prophecies point to the Second coming of Jesus Christ. Without exception, all of the prophetic scriptures find their focal point in the Eternal Kingdom, whose focus finds itself in the Person of the glorified Christ.
How Big is the focus on Christ's return as the Eternal King
Consider these statistics of prophecy in the Bible as it relates to Christ and His Eternal Kingdom (some of these I've gathered from sermons I've heard over the years):
1. 1/5 of scripture is about Bible Prophecy
2. 1/3 of those scriptures pertain to Christ's return
3. There are over 600 general prophecies about all sorts of subjects, 400 or so speak about the Kingdom in general and 224 point to Christ's return in particular
4. Of the 46 Old testament Prophets - 10 speak of Christ's 1st coming and 36 speak of His 2nd coming
5. Over 1500 Old Testament passages and 1 out of 25 passages refer to Christ's soon return
6. Christ Himself refers to His second coming some 21 times, with 50 places telling us to be ready for His return
Doesn't matter how bad things get, Christ is in control
Philippians 3:20-21 tells us: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." Here we see the two-fold reminder for the Christian of who I am and whose I am. Who am I as a Christian? I am a citizen of the celestial city being built by Christ. (John 14:1-3). Jesus says in John 14 to "not let my heart be troubled, if I believe in God, I believe in Christ, for He is going to prepare a place for me". Now what about "whose I am". I know that Christ has in His authority "all power on Heaven and earth". (Matthew 28:18) I know that by Him, and through Him and to Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-18). Prophecy injects into the bloodstream of my faithlife the hope and confidence that He is in control. That life has purpose. That He is that purpose.
Where Prophecy takes you
Our Lord Reigns! They are powerful words in our English language that function as an unbroken chain around the central purpose of the Bible. God's reign shows in action the purpose of scripture: God's glory. As we have been touring Prophecy's Big Picture, we have looked at the Enormous Kingdom of Babylon, the empire kingdoms of history and the Evil Kingdom that has yet to rise prior to Christ's return. Bible Prophecy's plotline and purpose is drawn to this endpoint - The Eternal Kingdom.
How much the Eternal Kingdom factors into Bible Prophecy
The idea of God's Kingdom occurs around 400 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament the Kingdom of God is stated in general terms to refer to the endpoint of all history wherein God will bring to completion His purposes. When you arrive at the New Testament, the Kingdom of God concept becomes sharpened in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. 224 prophecies point to the Second coming of Jesus Christ. Without exception, all of the prophetic scriptures find their focal point in the Eternal Kingdom, whose focus finds itself in the Person of the glorified Christ.
How Big is the focus on Christ's return as the Eternal King
Consider these statistics of prophecy in the Bible as it relates to Christ and His Eternal Kingdom (some of these I've gathered from sermons I've heard over the years):
1. 1/5 of scripture is about Bible Prophecy
2. 1/3 of those scriptures pertain to Christ's return
3. There are over 600 general prophecies about all sorts of subjects, 400 or so speak about the Kingdom in general and 224 point to Christ's return in particular
4. Of the 46 Old testament Prophets - 10 speak of Christ's 1st coming and 36 speak of His 2nd coming
5. Over 1500 Old Testament passages and 1 out of 25 passages refer to Christ's soon return
6. Christ Himself refers to His second coming some 21 times, with 50 places telling us to be ready for His return
Doesn't matter how bad things get, Christ is in control
Philippians 3:20-21 tells us: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." Here we see the two-fold reminder for the Christian of who I am and whose I am. Who am I as a Christian? I am a citizen of the celestial city being built by Christ. (John 14:1-3). Jesus says in John 14 to "not let my heart be troubled, if I believe in God, I believe in Christ, for He is going to prepare a place for me". Now what about "whose I am". I know that Christ has in His authority "all power on Heaven and earth". (Matthew 28:18) I know that by Him, and through Him and to Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-18). Prophecy injects into the bloodstream of my faithlife the hope and confidence that He is in control. That life has purpose. That He is that purpose.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Prophecy's Most Evil Kingdom is not the Greatest Kingdom
2 Thessalonians 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
The problem I have with typical treatments of Bible Prophecy
By God's grace I have been studying scripture for over 20 years. As a Pastor I have heard many sermons, read books and have sat through classes on Bible Prophecy. In more examples than I care to recall, I have come away knowing more about the prophetic figure of the Anti-Christ than the true focus of prophecy Jesus Christ. The true goal of prophecy is to bring about hope in Christ. (Titus 2:13). Though today's blog is describing the great Evil Kingdom that will oppose Christ at His return, I believe that we can still take this teaching and end up focused on Christ while acquiring hope.
What is the Evil Empire?
Back in the 1980's Ronald Regan referred to the USSR (present day Russia) as the "Evil Empire". In the earlier part of this century some of you may recall Goerge H.W. Bush referring to the terrorist regiems in the Middle East as the "Axis of Evil". As true as those statements were, none will compare to the final kingdom that could very well be now but will most certainly arise prior to Christ's return.
The Evil Empire's future Leader
In Matthew 24:24 we're told that in the last days "false Christs" will arise. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 2:18 of an actual figure called "the Anti-Christ" arising in the last days, with the "spirit of Anti-Christ" running its course through our current day and age. In the passage above, we see the work and outright evil of this diabolical figure called "the son of perdition". (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Daniel 9:23-27 refers to this man as the one who will set up an abomination that causes desolation in a rebuilt temple in Jersualem.
The Evil Empire's Scope and Beastly Nature
By the time you read Revelation 13, as well as Revelation 17-19, you see the full-scale work of this Evil Kingdom. As we saw a couple of days ago, under the description of "Babylon the Great", the scope of this Evil Kingdom will control the Political, Religious and Financial infrastructure of Earth's inhabitants. In Revelation 13, we see the comparison to Ancient Rome, highlighting the aggressive and beastly nature of this final Evil Kingdom. Daniel 8-11 gives us a detailed summary of how the seeds of this Evil Kingdom have been sown through earth's history by men and the Enemy of our souls.
The Evil Empire will be destroyed by Christ's Eternal Empire
As we look at Daniel and Revelation, we can note the demise of the Evil Empire by the Eternal Empire of Jesus Christ. According to Daniel 2:34-35 and 2:44-45, we see the Enduring King coming to conquer the Evil Empire of the Anti-Christ. Then when we turn to Daniel 7:22-28 and Revelation 19, we see this Enduring King reigning for an endless duration. The Anti-Christ and his co-hort, the False Prophet, will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The armies of the world gather against Christ will be wiped out, and the birds of the air will feed on their flesh. (Matthew 24:28)
The final scene of prophecy's big picture envisions this Enduring King, with an endless reign, having endless victory in Daniel 12:1-13 and Revelation 21-22. As Revelation 11:15 summarizes it so well: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
The problem I have with typical treatments of Bible Prophecy
By God's grace I have been studying scripture for over 20 years. As a Pastor I have heard many sermons, read books and have sat through classes on Bible Prophecy. In more examples than I care to recall, I have come away knowing more about the prophetic figure of the Anti-Christ than the true focus of prophecy Jesus Christ. The true goal of prophecy is to bring about hope in Christ. (Titus 2:13). Though today's blog is describing the great Evil Kingdom that will oppose Christ at His return, I believe that we can still take this teaching and end up focused on Christ while acquiring hope.
What is the Evil Empire?
Back in the 1980's Ronald Regan referred to the USSR (present day Russia) as the "Evil Empire". In the earlier part of this century some of you may recall Goerge H.W. Bush referring to the terrorist regiems in the Middle East as the "Axis of Evil". As true as those statements were, none will compare to the final kingdom that could very well be now but will most certainly arise prior to Christ's return.
The Evil Empire's future Leader
In Matthew 24:24 we're told that in the last days "false Christs" will arise. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 2:18 of an actual figure called "the Anti-Christ" arising in the last days, with the "spirit of Anti-Christ" running its course through our current day and age. In the passage above, we see the work and outright evil of this diabolical figure called "the son of perdition". (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Daniel 9:23-27 refers to this man as the one who will set up an abomination that causes desolation in a rebuilt temple in Jersualem.
The Evil Empire's Scope and Beastly Nature
By the time you read Revelation 13, as well as Revelation 17-19, you see the full-scale work of this Evil Kingdom. As we saw a couple of days ago, under the description of "Babylon the Great", the scope of this Evil Kingdom will control the Political, Religious and Financial infrastructure of Earth's inhabitants. In Revelation 13, we see the comparison to Ancient Rome, highlighting the aggressive and beastly nature of this final Evil Kingdom. Daniel 8-11 gives us a detailed summary of how the seeds of this Evil Kingdom have been sown through earth's history by men and the Enemy of our souls.
The Evil Empire will be destroyed by Christ's Eternal Empire
As we look at Daniel and Revelation, we can note the demise of the Evil Empire by the Eternal Empire of Jesus Christ. According to Daniel 2:34-35 and 2:44-45, we see the Enduring King coming to conquer the Evil Empire of the Anti-Christ. Then when we turn to Daniel 7:22-28 and Revelation 19, we see this Enduring King reigning for an endless duration. The Anti-Christ and his co-hort, the False Prophet, will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The armies of the world gather against Christ will be wiped out, and the birds of the air will feed on their flesh. (Matthew 24:28)
The final scene of prophecy's big picture envisions this Enduring King, with an endless reign, having endless victory in Daniel 12:1-13 and Revelation 21-22. As Revelation 11:15 summarizes it so well: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Prophecy's Empire Kingdoms
Daniel 2:21 “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."
Yesterday we began to peer through the Book of Daniel to understand Prophecy's Big Picture. We looked at the entity referred to in scripture as "Babylon the Great", or what we are calling in this blog series: "The Enormous Empire". Babylon the Great in its historical and prophetic versions represents the united effort of humanity to set up a system hostile to God's prophetic Kingdom.
Today we want to consider what took place after the fall of the Babylonian empire in Daniel's time. We will discover that Daniel predicted the rise and fall of 3 major world empires that would take us into the days of Christ's birth. We will begin with Belshazzar of Babylon in Daniel 5 and trace history to discover how accurately the Bible predicted Prophecy's Big Picture.
1. Babylon - The empire who gave us the Magi
The Babylonian Empire of Daniel's day began under Naboplassor in 626 b.c. By the time we come to Daniel 5, it is in the eve of its existence. According to the 1st century historian Josephus, Darius the Mede had over a period of months used his army to divert the flow of the Euphrates river to flow around, rather than through the mighty city of Babylon. In Daniel's vision of the Colossal statue of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar's empire was the head of gold.
Though valuable, gold as a metal is soft. Daniel predicted that the might Baylonians would fall, albiet peaceably, to the combined efforts of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. In 538 b.c, that is exactly what took place. From the Babylonians, Daniel's influence infused into the pagan priests the idea of the coming Messiah. It is from that group that we would have the Magi, the Kings of the East, who came to worship at Jesus' feet in Matthew 2.
2. The Medo-Persian Empire - the ones who invented crucifixion
In Daniel 2 we continue with the vision of the statue. From the head of gold we see the statue having arms and a chest made of silver. (Daniel 2:32) Daniel 7-8 reveals the identity of this part of the statue as being the Medo-Persian Kingdom. From 538b.c into 333 b.c the Persian Empire stretched from modern day Iraq into the realms of Israel. The two arms represented the stronger Persian element and the weaker Medes. By 350 b.c or so the Persians would devise the most diabolical torture of crucifixion, which by the days of Rome had been perfected. God was raising up these historic empires to Sovereignly fulfill His overall plan.
3. The Greeks defeat the Persians and spread the Greek Language
Daniel 2 and chapters 8-11 record in striking detail the rise and fall of the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great in 333 b.c. According to Greek and Jewish Historians, Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and in 333 b.c began his spread of Greek language and culture (called by historians Hellenization). By 275 b.c this effort was well underway and the Jews in Alexandria Egypt translated the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek Septuagint. This paved the way for the language of the New Testament, inspired by God following the ascension of Christ in 33 A.D. Daniel 8-11 tells of the split of the Greek Empire into four sub-kingdoms under the reigns of Alexander's four generals.
4. The Romans defeat the Greek's and are in power by Jesus' day
Greece had weakened into a divided empire, which gave rise to the Romans. Under the leadership of Caesar Augustus, Rome was very much a world power by Jesus' day. Throughout the Medditerranean world the Romans had divised a road way system called "The Roman Road" (via Romana), winding its way for some 50,000 miles. This was the perfect way of spreading the Gospel in the days of the Apostles.
In Daniel's vision of the statue in Daniel 2, the legs of Iron is Rome. At the end of the vision were toes composed of iron and clay. Though Rome would collapse as a result of internal division and corruption, a kingdom like it will once again be revived in the last days. The Rome-like nature of the world's final empire will be mankind's final attempt to rebel against Christ.
5. God used these empires of history in Christ's 1st coming, and He will show Himself supreme in Christ's second coming.
Prophecy's Big pictures demonstrates that what these empires meant for evil, God used to accomplish his Greatest good. He used the Magi of Babylon to worship the infant Christ. He used the Persian's crucifixion to bring about the death of Christ. He used the Greek Language to reveal the acomplishment of Christ in the New Testament. Then He used Rome to be the tool to provide the circumstances in which the Lord of glory would be crucified, buried and risen.
Though the Book of Daniel and Revelation 13 do depict the reviving of a final evil empire that can be likened unto Rome, its purpose will be to show the vain attempts of Satan and sinful humanity to usurp Jesus Christ. As Revelation 11:15 reminds us: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Yesterday we began to peer through the Book of Daniel to understand Prophecy's Big Picture. We looked at the entity referred to in scripture as "Babylon the Great", or what we are calling in this blog series: "The Enormous Empire". Babylon the Great in its historical and prophetic versions represents the united effort of humanity to set up a system hostile to God's prophetic Kingdom.
Today we want to consider what took place after the fall of the Babylonian empire in Daniel's time. We will discover that Daniel predicted the rise and fall of 3 major world empires that would take us into the days of Christ's birth. We will begin with Belshazzar of Babylon in Daniel 5 and trace history to discover how accurately the Bible predicted Prophecy's Big Picture.
1. Babylon - The empire who gave us the Magi
The Babylonian Empire of Daniel's day began under Naboplassor in 626 b.c. By the time we come to Daniel 5, it is in the eve of its existence. According to the 1st century historian Josephus, Darius the Mede had over a period of months used his army to divert the flow of the Euphrates river to flow around, rather than through the mighty city of Babylon. In Daniel's vision of the Colossal statue of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar's empire was the head of gold.
Though valuable, gold as a metal is soft. Daniel predicted that the might Baylonians would fall, albiet peaceably, to the combined efforts of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. In 538 b.c, that is exactly what took place. From the Babylonians, Daniel's influence infused into the pagan priests the idea of the coming Messiah. It is from that group that we would have the Magi, the Kings of the East, who came to worship at Jesus' feet in Matthew 2.
2. The Medo-Persian Empire - the ones who invented crucifixion
In Daniel 2 we continue with the vision of the statue. From the head of gold we see the statue having arms and a chest made of silver. (Daniel 2:32) Daniel 7-8 reveals the identity of this part of the statue as being the Medo-Persian Kingdom. From 538b.c into 333 b.c the Persian Empire stretched from modern day Iraq into the realms of Israel. The two arms represented the stronger Persian element and the weaker Medes. By 350 b.c or so the Persians would devise the most diabolical torture of crucifixion, which by the days of Rome had been perfected. God was raising up these historic empires to Sovereignly fulfill His overall plan.
3. The Greeks defeat the Persians and spread the Greek Language
Daniel 2 and chapters 8-11 record in striking detail the rise and fall of the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great in 333 b.c. According to Greek and Jewish Historians, Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and in 333 b.c began his spread of Greek language and culture (called by historians Hellenization). By 275 b.c this effort was well underway and the Jews in Alexandria Egypt translated the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek Septuagint. This paved the way for the language of the New Testament, inspired by God following the ascension of Christ in 33 A.D. Daniel 8-11 tells of the split of the Greek Empire into four sub-kingdoms under the reigns of Alexander's four generals.
4. The Romans defeat the Greek's and are in power by Jesus' day
Greece had weakened into a divided empire, which gave rise to the Romans. Under the leadership of Caesar Augustus, Rome was very much a world power by Jesus' day. Throughout the Medditerranean world the Romans had divised a road way system called "The Roman Road" (via Romana), winding its way for some 50,000 miles. This was the perfect way of spreading the Gospel in the days of the Apostles.
In Daniel's vision of the statue in Daniel 2, the legs of Iron is Rome. At the end of the vision were toes composed of iron and clay. Though Rome would collapse as a result of internal division and corruption, a kingdom like it will once again be revived in the last days. The Rome-like nature of the world's final empire will be mankind's final attempt to rebel against Christ.
5. God used these empires of history in Christ's 1st coming, and He will show Himself supreme in Christ's second coming.
Prophecy's Big pictures demonstrates that what these empires meant for evil, God used to accomplish his Greatest good. He used the Magi of Babylon to worship the infant Christ. He used the Persian's crucifixion to bring about the death of Christ. He used the Greek Language to reveal the acomplishment of Christ in the New Testament. Then He used Rome to be the tool to provide the circumstances in which the Lord of glory would be crucified, buried and risen.
Though the Book of Daniel and Revelation 13 do depict the reviving of a final evil empire that can be likened unto Rome, its purpose will be to show the vain attempts of Satan and sinful humanity to usurp Jesus Christ. As Revelation 11:15 reminds us: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Friday, January 27, 2012
Bible Prophecy's Big Picture
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
The Hubble Space Telescope's attempt at a big picture
In 2003 to 2004 the Hubble Space Telescope turned its view upon a certain section of the sky near the constellation Orion. Its goal was to continuously focus on a patch of sky that was smaller than the eye of a needle viewed at arms length. Termed "the Hubble Ultra deep Field", Astronomers were hoping to peer into the earliest moments of the Universe's origin. The result was astounding! Literally thousands of galaxies and star systems populated a minute patch of sky that many thought might be empty. In attempting to explain the big picture of the universe, astronomy only discovered just how small we really are.
Considering the Book of Daniel as a telescope for prophecy's big picture
Around 600 years before Jesus Christ had come to earth, a young teenage Jew by the name of Daniel, along with the Jewish nation, was taken away captive into the land of Babylonia (modern day Iraq). Other prophets who had been ministering in Israel had warned the people that if they did not turn to the Lord in repentance, they would be taken away by the Babylonians for 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:11) Daniel was only 15 years old when this occured, and for the whole 70 year period Daniel received a series of visions and interpretations concerning his current day and the age to come.
The Book of Daniel functions a lot like a big telescope. It details both history and prophect, giving us the big picture of God's Divine plotline for our planet. When read in concert with the Book of Revelation, we get the complete Big Picture of Bible Prophecy.
What is the Big Picture of Bible Prophecy?
As you study the book of Daniel, its contents can be divided into two main parts: Chapters 1-6 are mainly historical, with a little bit of prophecy; and chapters 7-12 are mainly prophetic, with a little bit of history. As we turn the telescope of Daniel to the heavens of God's prophetic plan for time and eternity, we begin with the Bible's sweeping account of an Enormous Empire: Babylon the Great.
1. Enormous Empire - Babylon the Great
When Ancient Babylon Began - The Tower of Babel
The setting of Daniel begins during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Babylon's history is perhaps the longest of all of the empires recorded in scripture. In Genesis 9-11 we see the origins of this ancient Kingdom in the rise of the tower of Babel. Once God had dispersed the languages, the mighty tower had remained for centuries. Other empires would come and go, but that mighty tower stood as testament to mankind's rebellion against God. The ancient historian Strabo tells of the Tower of Babel still standing in his day - being a quarter of a mile at its base and over 600 feet high.
When Babylon arose again - The days of Daniel
Naboplassar in 626 b.c had conquered the Assyrians and began what historians call the Neo-Babylonian Empire. His son, Nebuchadnezzar (whom we meet in Daniel), came on the scene and began to reign around or before 605 b.c. Historians such as Herodotus and Josephus record King Nebuchadnezzar attempting to rebuild the ancient tower and the mighty city of Babylonia from ruins. By Daniel's time this project was well underway. Nebuchadnezzar had constructed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - as a gift to his wife. For 43 years Nebuachadnezzar reigned. Once he died, the throne of Babylon passed through several of his relatives.
Babylon of History would end in the days of Daniel
By the time the seventy years were almost complete, Babylon of history was in the eve of its existence. A grandson of Nebuchadnezzar by the name of Belshazzar was taking care of Babylonia as second in command while his father, Nabodinus (not mentioned in scripture), the 1st in command, was off fighting various wars. In Daniel 5 we see the aged Daniel, now in his mid-eighties, warning Belshazzar of the end of he and his father's kingdom. It would be on that night that King Darius the Mede would come in and take over and defeat the Babylonians. Though gone from the pages of history, the pages of prophecy detail how Babylon will once again rear its ugly head.
Babylon the Great is predicted in Revelation
Revelation 17-19 records for us the prophetic theater in which the kingdoms of this world will be united together into a system Revelation calls "Babylon the Great". (Revelation 17:5) Babylon the Great, like its prior historical ancestors of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon and the Tower of Babel, will operate as a center of humanity in three ways.
In Revelation 17:1-13 we see Babylon the Great as Religious center. Much like the Tower of Babel and Nebuchadnezzar's demand of worship in Daniel 3, Babylon the Great will demand all of earth's inhabitants to bow at its feet. Then secondly, Babylon the Great will be a political center in Revelation 17:14-18:8. Then finally, Babylon the Great will be an economic center in Revelation 18:9-24.
Babylon, the Great Empire, will be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ
Much like the Tower of Babel and the Neo-Babylonian empire of Daniel's day, the outcome will be brought to an end by Divine intervention. Christ will return to judge humanity and put a permanent end to Babylon the Great, demonstrating His power in Revelation 19:1-21.
The Hubble Space Telescope's attempt at a big picture
In 2003 to 2004 the Hubble Space Telescope turned its view upon a certain section of the sky near the constellation Orion. Its goal was to continuously focus on a patch of sky that was smaller than the eye of a needle viewed at arms length. Termed "the Hubble Ultra deep Field", Astronomers were hoping to peer into the earliest moments of the Universe's origin. The result was astounding! Literally thousands of galaxies and star systems populated a minute patch of sky that many thought might be empty. In attempting to explain the big picture of the universe, astronomy only discovered just how small we really are.
Considering the Book of Daniel as a telescope for prophecy's big picture
Around 600 years before Jesus Christ had come to earth, a young teenage Jew by the name of Daniel, along with the Jewish nation, was taken away captive into the land of Babylonia (modern day Iraq). Other prophets who had been ministering in Israel had warned the people that if they did not turn to the Lord in repentance, they would be taken away by the Babylonians for 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:11) Daniel was only 15 years old when this occured, and for the whole 70 year period Daniel received a series of visions and interpretations concerning his current day and the age to come.
The Book of Daniel functions a lot like a big telescope. It details both history and prophect, giving us the big picture of God's Divine plotline for our planet. When read in concert with the Book of Revelation, we get the complete Big Picture of Bible Prophecy.
What is the Big Picture of Bible Prophecy?
As you study the book of Daniel, its contents can be divided into two main parts: Chapters 1-6 are mainly historical, with a little bit of prophecy; and chapters 7-12 are mainly prophetic, with a little bit of history. As we turn the telescope of Daniel to the heavens of God's prophetic plan for time and eternity, we begin with the Bible's sweeping account of an Enormous Empire: Babylon the Great.
1. Enormous Empire - Babylon the Great
When Ancient Babylon Began - The Tower of Babel
The setting of Daniel begins during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Babylon's history is perhaps the longest of all of the empires recorded in scripture. In Genesis 9-11 we see the origins of this ancient Kingdom in the rise of the tower of Babel. Once God had dispersed the languages, the mighty tower had remained for centuries. Other empires would come and go, but that mighty tower stood as testament to mankind's rebellion against God. The ancient historian Strabo tells of the Tower of Babel still standing in his day - being a quarter of a mile at its base and over 600 feet high.
When Babylon arose again - The days of Daniel
Naboplassar in 626 b.c had conquered the Assyrians and began what historians call the Neo-Babylonian Empire. His son, Nebuchadnezzar (whom we meet in Daniel), came on the scene and began to reign around or before 605 b.c. Historians such as Herodotus and Josephus record King Nebuchadnezzar attempting to rebuild the ancient tower and the mighty city of Babylonia from ruins. By Daniel's time this project was well underway. Nebuchadnezzar had constructed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - as a gift to his wife. For 43 years Nebuachadnezzar reigned. Once he died, the throne of Babylon passed through several of his relatives.
Babylon of History would end in the days of Daniel
By the time the seventy years were almost complete, Babylon of history was in the eve of its existence. A grandson of Nebuchadnezzar by the name of Belshazzar was taking care of Babylonia as second in command while his father, Nabodinus (not mentioned in scripture), the 1st in command, was off fighting various wars. In Daniel 5 we see the aged Daniel, now in his mid-eighties, warning Belshazzar of the end of he and his father's kingdom. It would be on that night that King Darius the Mede would come in and take over and defeat the Babylonians. Though gone from the pages of history, the pages of prophecy detail how Babylon will once again rear its ugly head.
Babylon the Great is predicted in Revelation
Revelation 17-19 records for us the prophetic theater in which the kingdoms of this world will be united together into a system Revelation calls "Babylon the Great". (Revelation 17:5) Babylon the Great, like its prior historical ancestors of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon and the Tower of Babel, will operate as a center of humanity in three ways.
In Revelation 17:1-13 we see Babylon the Great as Religious center. Much like the Tower of Babel and Nebuchadnezzar's demand of worship in Daniel 3, Babylon the Great will demand all of earth's inhabitants to bow at its feet. Then secondly, Babylon the Great will be a political center in Revelation 17:14-18:8. Then finally, Babylon the Great will be an economic center in Revelation 18:9-24.
Babylon, the Great Empire, will be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ
Much like the Tower of Babel and the Neo-Babylonian empire of Daniel's day, the outcome will be brought to an end by Divine intervention. Christ will return to judge humanity and put a permanent end to Babylon the Great, demonstrating His power in Revelation 19:1-21.
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