The Last Days

The Last Days 
Prophecy - Signs 
Monday, March 30, 2015 
Pete Garcia 



But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.  2 Timothy 3:1-5


Two of the most dominant eschatological positions in Christendom today, are Amillennialism, and Post-Millennialism.  Literally, hundreds of millions of people who claim the Christian faith, are taught and believe in either of these two views whether knowingly or unknowingly.  In fact, most of these people have very little knowledge about the last days, and are kept in the dark by their denominational leadership.  But why?  I mean after all, why are Christians, of all people, so opposed to the return of the Messiah they claim to follow?


According to Scriptures, the picture of the last days is a world that is perilous, violent, wicked, and grossly unaware of the precarious situation it finds itself in.


  This paints a very different picture from that of the Post-Millennial view, which says that the world will continue to become increasingly Christianized and the Church triumphant which is what trigger’s Christ’s return.  The Post Millennial belief, promotes the confrontational view that we must enact change in the ‘seven pillars’; business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion.


Dominion Theology or Dominionism is the idea that Christians should work toward either a nation governed by Christians or one governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law. At least under this name, it exists primarily among non-mainstream Protestants in the United States. It is a form of theocracy and is related to theonomy, though it does not necessarily advocate Mosaic Law as the basis of government. Prominent adherents of Dominion Theology are otherwise theologically diverse, including the Calvinist Christian Reconstructionism and the charismatic/Pentecostal Kingdom Now theology and New Apostolic Reformation.


 (Source)


And on the surface of it, living in a nation who has a Christian foundation such as was ours, allows for and promotes the concepts of freedom and liberty…which aren’t bad things.  Given the current state of affairs, I’d say that we have fallen pretty far from where we began.  But the question is, considering what we know from Scripture, should the evangelical today, fight to enact change in these seven areas to ‘reclaim’ the nation? 


The Roman Catholic Church, the Puritans, Great Awakenings 1 and 2, the Moral Majority, Tea Party Conservatives, Latter Day Saints, and many other groups have come and gone, and come back to affect change through the varying movements, political posturing, economic boycotts, elections, revivals, and so on.  Many of these aren’t bad things.  After all, we have to share this nation too, and we might as well make it a place worth living in.  


But what then do we do with the verses (and there many) that speak to the moral degradation that is coming upon the whole world, which is all but inevitable?  Are we simply and bluntly put, spitting into the wind…or can we make this place the ‘kingdom’ worth ruling? 


In short, no.  That is not my opinion either, let us look at what the Scriptures have to say about how and when this Kingdom comes.  In interpreting and detailing king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 1-2, Daniel describes the multi-metallic statue, listing the subsequent kingdoms which would come after the Babylonians.  Notice what he says about the last kingdom;

Quote :

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”  Daniel 2:44-45

In Spite of Ourselves


While our Lord, and by extension, the Church, Israel, and the heavenly angelic hosts come out on top in the end, the Church does not bring this reality into being.  In fact, we each (myself included) are individually flawed sinners.  How can fallen man, bring about a kingdom of everlasting peace and righteousness when we (when I) fail God daily?  I don’t pretend to speak for the human race in this manner, but the Bible tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked, and that we each seek to go our own ways, apart from God.  (Jeremiah 17:9-10; Romans 3:11)  We are physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually incapable of establishing an earthly kingdom where swords are beat into plowshares, and the lamb lies down with the wolf because it is not in our nature to do so. 


Scriptures also teach strongly against the Amillennial view that we are now somehow in the spiritualized Kingdom.  The Scriptures are clear; Christ must be victorious in the same realm in which He was seemingly defeated in. (Matt. 24:29-30; 26:64, 2 Thess. 2:8, Rev. 1:7; 19:11-16)  Granted, Christ’s death on the cross was a monumental victory over sin, hell, and the grave.  But if Christ’s death meant global victory in the way Amillennialist’s seemingly depict it, the whole world would be flocking to the Cross of Calvary…but they’re not. 


If the kingdom were only meant to be spiritual, than whose version of it do we follow?  Clearly, the most dominant proponents of a spiritualized kingdom beginning at the Cross, was and is the Roman Catholic Church.  By sheer numbers (1 billion adherents), longevity (18 centuries since the 3rd century), and power (the RCC controlled kings and kingdoms for hundreds of years ), the Roman Catholics should be justified in having their theocratic kingdom with a pope serving as the ‘vicar of Christ’ on the earth…and all Christians should succumb to their authority.  Oh wait, you say you’re not Catholic?  Now what? 


And the world remains largely non-Christian.  Out of the earth’s seven billion current inhabitants, the total number of ‘Christians’ (and this includes everyone who claims Christianity), you only have two billion.  The remaining five billion make up atheists, pagans, Muslims, Hindus, and everything in between.  And while two billion seems like a lot, realistically, true Christian’s probably make up a considerably smaller fraction of that two billion.  Now, if we were to count back to the birth of the Church at the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 1-2 , the number of true, born-again believers may be two billion.


In regards to biblical numerology, seven is the number for completion or perfection, and there only being one billion or less true believers worldwide going, the removal of 1 billion would leave 6 billion, which in the numerology of the Bible, is the number of man.


We know that when Christ first came, it was at ‘the fullness of times’ (Gal. 4:4).  This meant that the geo-political, military, economic, and spiritual conditions were just right for the coming of the Messiah and the spreading of the gospel.  We are now again at the fullness of times.  Is it any wonder that the world’s population is now at seven billion?


-Israel is nation again after 1900 years


-Technologically and economically we are at a place where almost all buying and selling can be controlled or monitored


-All the signs that Christ and the apostles told us to look for, whether it’s wars, earthquakes, apostasy, etc…are overwhelming us today.


Scriptural Evidence


If Amillennialism were true, or Post Millennialism, then every subsequent prophecy describing any event beyond the 1st century, shouldn’t be definition, occur here in the real world.  But that isn’t the case either is it?


Most biblically-sound prophecy watchers have accurately noted, that we seemingly have been in a repeated pattern of things coming to a head, then abating…like birth pangs.  This is the frustrating part, in having to wait for things to play out, which seemingly have significant biblical themes, then they go quiet.  It’s not that we have been to the edge and back that is the matter at hand.  What is at hand, is the sheer number of times that this happens, and how often we are brought to said edge.  This is what is speeding up.  And one of these days, it will only take a little nudge to push us over.


So what has to happen before the end?

1. 70AD: The temple had to be destroyed and Jerusalem sacked (Luke 19:41-44; Matt 23:37-24:3)
   
2. 33AD-Present Day:  The majority Jews would remain in unbelief of Jesus Christ as the Messiah (Matt. 10:23, 23:39)
   
3. Present Day: The days would have to become like Noah and Lot’s day before the Son of Man could come. (Luke 17:26-30)
   
   
   
   1. Noah’s day: huge, ungodly population of around seven billion.
      
   2. Justification for a large, antediluvian population are;
      
   
   
   

• We know 70 Hebrews went into Egypt (Gen. 46:27)
  
• We know that around 2,000,000 came out of Egypt 400 years later (Ex. 12:37) (women and children were not counted)
  
• From Adam’s creation until Noah’s flood, was 1,656 years.
  
• The antediluvian population enjoyed supernaturally long life spans, and a world largely free of disease and genetic disorders
  
• It’s been two thousand years, and we are now over a population of seven billion
  

1. World was very violent and heavily involved in the supernatural
   
2. Lot’s day:
   

• Sexual perversion and homosexuality were accepted as normal (Gen. 19/Jude)
  
• Greedy, proud, and committed abominations (Ezekiel 16:49-50)
  

1. Present Day:  The world has to be clamoring for ‘peace and safety’ (1 Thess 5:1-4)
   
2. Has not happened yet:  The Church (i.e…the multi-membered, corporate body of Christ) has to be Raptured (1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19-20, 3:13, 4:13-18, 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:1-7; Rev. 3:10)
   
3. Has not happened yet:  The temple has to be rebuilt (Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4)
   
4. Has not happened yet:  Prophecy, visions, talking in tongues, and other supernatural gifts will be brought back (Acts 2:17-21) most likely through the 144,000 virgin Jews (Rev. 7) who will also receive a special seal protecting them from the wrath of God. (1 Cor. 1:22)
   

So as you can, Amillennialism and Post-Millennialism (the majority view for Roman Catholics and mainline Protestantism) have significant doctrinal problems to contend with as truly Biblical eschatological views.  Amillennialism contends that the kingdom is spiritual now.  Post-Millennialism contends that the Church brings in the kingdom.  The ironic thing is, these two views, although at odds with each other in the manner in which they find fulfillment, seemingly have no issue coming together against Pre-Millennialism (the belief that Christ Himself ushers in the Kingdom at His Coming).  So if these views are ones you hold too, consider the questions below and see if you can answer them honestly:

1. If Christ is currently ruling and reigning, is it only a spiritual reign? (Yes or No)
   
2. When Christ came the first time, was His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection a physical one, or a spiritual one?
   
3. Can Christ not reign in the same realm of existence He was publicly rejected and executed in? (Yes or No)
   
4. If Christ is currently ruling and reigning in regards to a spiritual kingdom, i.e...Sitting at the right hand of the Father, wouldn't He always have ruled and reigned, (even prior to the Cross) as He is co-equal with the Father, presumably at His right hand?
   
5. How could He rule and reign on the throne of David, before David came? (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Luke 1:32)
   
6. Was King David a real king, with a real kingdom, and a real throne? (Yes or No)
   
7. Was David's throne in heaven, or on earth?
   

Maranatha!

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