Ye, Brethren are not in Darkness...

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
(1Th 5:1-4)

In His word, God promises his children that they would not be left in the dark insomuch as that the day of Christ should overtake them 'as a thief'. It is in fact the world of unbelievers, groping about in spiritual darkness, who would be seized upon by sudden destruction even while saying 'peace and safety'.

These words are sobering for several reasons. First, the implication is that the 'day of the lord' is not discerned by the world in general in the same way in which a man is not immediately aware that a thief in the night has broken into his house. The thief enters without tumolt or observation. It is not until it is altogether too late that those unaware realize that their house has been plundered.

Second, our modern prophecy teachers have turned the words 'peace and safety' into a doctrinal buzzward. They tell us that this will refer to the attitude of the Jewish people after making a seven year peace treaty with the 'antichrist'. What they have in fact done is fulfilled this verse by misapplying it. While the world awaits the 'rapture' and the appearance of the 'antichrist' they continue to cry 'peace and safety' thinking that our Lord's return remains at least seven years off. In reality many will be totally unprepared and unaware that the 'Day of the Lord' is upon them until it is too late.

But most troubling about this passage is the general attitude of unbelief towards it. Brothers and Sisters, WE ARE NOT IN THE DARK THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD SHOULD OVERTAKE US AS A THIEF.

But who believes this? I know of plenty of people who give lip service and SAY they believe it, but who really believes what we are being told here? Our Lord promises that we are not left in the dark concerning his approach. Why then do the vast majority of God's children grope about in the dark as though we have no sure word of prophecy? Why is it that in matters concerning our Lord's coming most are 'always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth'? Why do we find Christians saying that prophecy is 'non-essential' 'unimportant' or that these are things which cannot be known until Jesus returns? On the contrary we are told that the very reason we have the word of prophecy is so that we should not be left in the dark BEFORE Jesus returns.

Let me ask you a sobering question, dear reader...

Are you sure that the thief has not already entered your house?

...They Lived and Reigned...

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Rev 20:4)

I recently received an email from a man expressing confusion over the passage above. The man reasoned that since the only ones who reign with Christ are those who overcome the Beast', and since in his mind the Beast has not yet appeared, then it is obvious that none of the past saints will reign with Christ.

To make sure I understood his position, I asked if it made sense to him that only a small number of future believers who would overcome a one man 'antichrist' would be the ones granted the opportunity to reign with Christ for a thousand years. I asked if he was in fact implying that NONE of the past saints including the Lord's apostles would reign with Christ. His answer was striking:

'Why not, that's what the verse SAYS.' (my emphasis)

Somewhat perplexed I replied pointing out scripturally how the 12 apostles were promised the privilege of reigning with Christ, how the apostle Paul strived for the privilege to reign with Christ and how all believers are exhorted to strive for that very privilege. To this I received no reply.

This exchange illustrated to me how easily our pre-conceived ideas of what we feel MUST be true can get in the way when we read the Bible. The verse does in fact say that those who overcome the Beast will reign with Christ. What the verse does NOT SAY is that the beast is a one man future antichrist who will rule the world for seven years. Additionally, given the testimony of scripture elsewhere it seems ludicrous to use this verse as a means of EXCLUDING all past believers from the promises that they would reign with their Savior if they overcame.

Putting two propositions together; first that those who reign with Christ are the ones who have 'overcome the beast', and second that the right and privilege to reign with Christ was promised to the overcomers of even the earliest stages of the church, it seems to me that one should immediately be stricken with the thought THAT THE BEAST SIMPLY MUST BE SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A FUTURE ONE MAN ANTICHRIST. This is a simple, logical, and straightforward conclusion.

Why is it that so obvious a conclusion is so easily overlooked in favor of sensationalist, exclusive, or esoteric doctrines?

The Bible does in fact define what this 'beast' is in such precise language that all debate on the matter SHOULD cease. Such a simple answer does not however make good fodder for the pride of men's hearts, nor would it probably be nearly as effective in selling 'end times' books...

A Big Hole

2 Thessalonians 2 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.......

It has been said that considering the last 1800 years or so of Christendom; expecting
the "falling away" from the faith to be a still future fulfullment is like standing before the Grand Canyon and saying: "The Bible says there's going to be a big hole around here one day."