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| Photo of Jon Tracy, by Jim Tracy |
So, if the whole book of Revelation has already been fulfilled, what’s left? Why do we even have it?
God included this book in the Bible to show us that He is faithful and cares for His people. We are in the “millennial reign” right now, reigning with Christ as priests and kings.
Oh, His kingdom is not a physical one, as is often taught. That is the mistake the Jews of the first century made. They were expecting the Messiah to set up a physical kingdom and beat up the Romans. When Jesus didn’t, they held onto their belief system instead of accepting the many scriptures that told the truth; Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual. Modern futurists are trying to hold onto that same flawed Jewish teaching- a physical kingdom.
And why would God go back to the old Jewish system of sacrificing animals for sin, as so many teach He will for the Jews? Why would we need the symbols of animal sacrifice when we have the real thing in Jesus? Why would God send the Jews (or anyone else) back to the Mosaic Law? Wouldn’t that give Him two wives, two olive trees instead of one? There is no where in the Bible where God is divided.
And Jesus Himself said “The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain (Samaria) nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father… God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:20-24.
Why would we return to the shadow when we have the real thing?
The Futurist Interpretation of Revelation would require all Christians to return to Jerusalem to some physical temple to worship, something Jesus clearly said was being done away with. It would also require all believers of all ages to live in Jerusalem. It certainly wouldn’t be paradise to live in such an overcrowded city, especially for those of us who prefer country life.
The only way beating swords and spears into farming implements could apply today is if you symbolize this verse, changing "swords" into "guns and tanks." Futurists accuse Prederists (those who believe Revelation is already fulfilled) of making everything symbolic instead of literal. Look who is making things symbolic now.
Jesus’ kingdom is bigger than a physical one. It is in the hearts of all who choose to believe in Him.
When we compare this prophecy with the history of what happened, we can see the mighty hand of God and know that He always keeps His promises. We can know that the Bible is true.
What’s left?
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 "But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!"
John 6:54 "But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day."
John 5:28 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,"
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."
Job 19:25-27 "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me."
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend (as predicted by the angels in acts 1:9-11) from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (it will be noisy) : and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, "Peace and safety;" then sudden destruction cometh upon them (sudden destruction on the unsaved, not seven years of warning, no second chances etc), as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (Christians won’t be surprised)
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do"
2 Peter 3:3 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,"
There will be those who deny the Bible and deny Christ’s final coming.
4 And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
This is the theory of universalism/ Steady State. This is the foundation of evolution; all things have always behaved as they do right now. There has never been world-wide catastrophes and never will be. Things will always continue as they do right now.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
They willingly deny Noah’s Flood, choosing to interpret the evidence for it as signs for millions of years instead of billions of gallons of water.
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
All that existed was destroyed by water during the flood. Scoffers ignore all the evidence of a world-wide flood.
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
And in the same way, the day will come when God will destroy the world with fire. He will judge all who don’t have Him in their hearts, condemning them to hell.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This is NOT a secret code key for interpreting prophecy. This has nothing to do with Revelation, or Daniel of any of the other prophets.
It has to do exclusively with the final destruction of the world with fire, what the context is addressing.
Peter is saying that we shouldn’t be impatient. We shouldn’t dismiss the prophecies that do address the end of time just because God is taking His time in fulfilling them.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God is delaying the fulfillment of this final event- the Great White Throne Judgment and destruction of the earth with fire- in order to allow as many as possible to come to Him.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
If anyone sets a date for the end of time, you can be sure it will NOT happen then. No one knows that day or time. (this is not speaking of a silent coming, but one with an unknown date as a thief doesn’t warn you before attacking).
But it WILL come, with a loud noise and fire. The Big Bang is on its way!
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
The Universe will be totally melted.
12 Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
God will make a new universe that hasn’t been corrupted by Adam’s curse, sin.
Luke 12:34-40 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
This is speaking of a coming that is not immediate, but a later one, “second watch or third watch.”
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
We should be ready any minute for Jesus' return.
Events at His Future coming
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.
There WILL be a time of judgment and reward.
Matthew 25:31-34 When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
32 And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom;
Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints.(Angels?)
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
There will be a gathering together of all souls that have ever lived and they will be judged, given their eternal sentencing. Those with Jesus in their hearts, those whose sins have been erased form the Book of Life, will be “sentenced” to eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. Those with sin on their record will be “sentenced” to eternal death in the Lake of Fire, Hell.
We should…
Be ready
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.Accountable
Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Wait with patience
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Stay clean
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Obedience
1 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Anticipate
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Abide in Him
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
Jesus WILL return in bodily form, destroy the universe with fire, remake the earth without the curse, and judge all souls that have ever lived, awarding them according to their works.
From then on, we who have Jesus in our hearts will live in Heaven for ever, worshiping Him. Time, sickness, death and pain will be no more.
Those who do not have Jesus will die forever in pain.