Early in my walk with Christ, I had a hard time making sense out of the book of Revelation. Until recently, Revelation, to me, represented something to be feared. I feared it so much that I had nightmares. I figured that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of hope. With that in mind, I decided to do research. In my search, I had called different local ministries and read books on the subject. Everyone had a different opinion. I call it "opinions" because the explanations given to me almost always started with "In my interpretation..." The question that arouse from my searches was: How can so many Christians have so many interpretations on God's Word? Finally, I reached the end of my rope. I turned to God in prayer. He, in His time, led me to the right answers.
Revelation is not a book to be feared, It is a fantastic message of hope! The following is not going to read like a technical manual with all it's mathematical equations and long-winded terminology. This paper, in simplest terms, is meant for those who are not Bible Scholars so they may understand it. It is important to me that "the guy down the street" receives the message and has the opportunity to turn to Christ for eternal salvation of his spirit. Above all, to God all the glory! Amen!
Despite the advance of technologies and knowledge, we see t hat the human condition is getting worse by the minute. Imagine that? Everyday, as this world plunges deeper into spiritual and moral darkness, people are wondering if we are going to see another century? People, in desperation and anxiousness, are turning to things like dial-a-psychic, false religions, cults and anything that resembles a smidgen of hope and peace. Books on "spirituality" have never been more popular. They seem to fly off the shelf at the speed of light. Some books are in the top ten sellers; books on out of body experiences, angelic manifestations, voodoo to name a few. It seems that these people buying these books will not even give a cursory glance at the Bible. They reject God's Word outright and hang on to any crazed idea that comes along. My personal stand is against santeria; which is the worship of gods called orishas, originating from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, Africa. I will not go into detail. Suffice to say that this religion is one of the most devastating and deadly I have seen.
One guy, over somewhere, told his followers that they would be closer to "god" if they wore their underwear over their heads. I am beside myself on how people will believe in anything but the Right thing! That is because there is an air of uncertainty; "what is the meaning of life? What is going to happen next, why am I here?" Now some will put their faith in world leaders as they promise us peace. Others will reach out to psychics, and fortunetellers, witch doctors or astrology to find some kind of meaning. Yet all the time, there is Someone who knows exactly what is going to happen in the future. He tells us about it in His book, the Bible. The Bible is the only book that dares to predict the future. No other world religion has a book like that. Why? Because if they did, it would have been proven wrong and they would have been looked upon as a false religion.
The Bible is the only book that predicts the future with absolute accuracy. That is the true test. You see, God knows the future with certainty. As certain as we know our past. In fact, God knows our future better than we know our past because we tend to forget. The past, present and future is before Him. It is no reach for God for Him to say this will happen and that will happen with 100% accuracy. Some people will say that what I just wrote is a big leap. Is it? I am glad you said that. Here's the proof: Do you know that 2/3 of the Bible is prophecy? More than half of those prophecies has come to pass. So if one half of the prophesies have come to pass as God said would, is there any reason for me to doubt that the remainder would also come to pass? No.
By the way, there will always be conflict in Israel until Jesus' Second Coming. Jesus said that the last days would be like the days of Lot and Noah. Lot lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This was a place known for it's excessive wickedness and specifically for it's sexual perversion. As we read about the homosexual activists of the day, pounding on Lot's door, wanting to have relations with the angels that had come to visit him. My question is this: how perverted must one become to want to have homosexual relations with angels? Does it not blow your mind? Noah's time was characterized by exceedingly wicked violence in crime. Genesis 6:5 reads: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (KJV) Is that not an accurate description of our time now? We see all sorts of violence breaking out all around us. It seems like sexual perversion is running rampant and homosexuality is pushed down our throat. The liberal establishment is now saying that all this is "normal" and if we do not accept it, we are labeled closed-minded, intolerant, a bigot and "homophobic". Yet, they do not realize that they are opening a Pandora's box.
Turn on the news and watch. Read the papers. Surf the Internet. Look at the games your children or maybe you, are playing. Look around you. Road rage, murder upon murder without remorse. What about the horrible genocide that took place in Bosnia or Iraq? Look at our own streets. Drive by shootings, drug deal gone sour, even elementary children shooting classmates. I think God hit the nail on the head when He wrote Genesis 6:5 and Jesus was right on the money when He said that the last days would be like the days of Lot and Noah. Coincidence? Let me ask you this: would gangbanger or car jacking be part of your vocabulary 10 years ago?
Violence has become so common place in America that we do not realize it. A poll was taken to find out what country is the most violent in the world today. Would it surprise you that America ranks number one? Now we have a wave of violent crime being led by teenagers! The great social experiment of the sixties is blowing up in our faces. They said back then that we did not need values, morals, and two parent families. "Tune in, turn on, drop out..." remember that? America bought into the "moral relativism" and now we are seeing it breaking apart. Generations are left out there to raise themselves and 76% of them believe that there are no absolutes.
Edward Humes, a Pulitzer Prize writer, spent a year in a L.A. Juvenile Court, wrote, A juvenile army is forming over the horizon. It is going to invade in the 10 to 15 years and we are dong nothing to defend ourselves. George magazine wrote an article titled "Why Are Kids Running America Today?" and it reads, There will be a bloodbath in the coming years that will make us look back at the 90's and say 'those were the good ole days'.
Since 1985, the violence that teenagers committed rose 172%. In a more recent development, 6% of teenagers in America commit more than 50% of crime in America. You may say that there has always been crime. True, but not as bad as they are right now and getting worse at an accelerated rate. If you do not see that, you are not paying attention.
Another interesting thing about the days of Noah, Jesus said that they went about their business, eating, drinking, and given in marriage, until Noah went into the ark and then suddenly the flood came and killed them all. As in the days of Lot, the inhabitants did the same until Lot and his family left the city. Suddenly, fire and sulfur rained down on them and killed them all. It will be like this when in the last days the Son of man will be revealed. This has gone on so long that we raise our fists at God, we mock Him, and we thumb our noses at Him. The Bible says that you will reap what you sow. Folks, we need to know that judgement is coming. Just like in the days of Noah, when the people mocked Noah's beliefs; this old man building a boat on dry land with not a body of water anywhere to be found. However, when the first drops of water came down, those very same people changed their tune, did they not?
This mockery of the things of God will also be a sign of the last days. 2 Peter 3:3-6 says:
"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.'
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,
through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water."
(NASU)
Is this not accurate? The writing is on the wall for all to see.
Update: Since this article was originally written, we have seen monumental events transpire. On September 11th, 2001, terrorists flew commercial jet airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, filled with innocent hostages. Another plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. This plane was supposedly intended to be flown into the White House.
The United States has been at war with Iraq for almost three years and there is no end in sight at this writing. We have seen horrible natural disasters such as numerous monster hurricanes and the tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands globally. Many of which are still missing. The newspapers are filled with ever increasing reports of suicide bombings, murders, gang violence, even in small towns, and such crimes of humanity against humanity.
In contrast, there also has been increasing erosion of moral values and an increase in the mockery of those calling for a return to Biblical values. We see the world feeding on video games, movies and music that glorify and glamorize unrestrained violence. The American public at large continues "following after their own lusts", stopping occasionally to shake their collective heads at the lastest atrocity reported by the media. ...and the beat goes on.
Now, according to the Bible, there will be a generation that will not see death. Instead, they will be removed from the face of the earth. This future event is called "The Rapture". If you believe in the rapture, you are not alone. According to some studies conducted by World Report and US News that 61% of Americans polled believe that Jesus will return and 44% believe in the rapture. If you do not believe in the rapture or understand what the rapture is, you are not alone, either. Many can not grasp it. Paul said that it is a mystery. This mystery will be clear as we read 1 Thess 4:13-18:
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
NOTE: Clarification; the word "asleep" here means those believers in Christ who have died.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18 therefore comfort one another with these words. NASU
The following is a description of the rapture. Some people might say, "The word 'rapture' is not in the Bible!" Well, that depends on which translation you have. If you have a Latin translation Bible, "caught up" is translated as "rapturos" in Latin. As such, we get the English word "rapture". Is this event spoken of in any other place in Scriptures. The answer is yes. Jesus said in:
Matthew 24:40-42
"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming."
(NASU) He said also said in
John 14:2-4,
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going."
(NASU)
John 3:2,
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
(NASU)
Thess 5:1-9
1
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(NASU)