Day 43 - Reasons Why
In the end, there needs to be a reason why these prophecies are important.
Some pastors will teach prophecy because they believe that Paul thought it was so important that even new believers should know about it.
That is an interesting theory, but if the “Olivet Discourse”, the book of Revelation, and so many Old and New Testament passages speak about a time during which “Church Age believers” will not be present upon the earth, why ever overwhelm new believers with such information?
I believe that Paul and the others had another reason in mind.
I believe that the disciples fully believed that they would have to die for their faith.
Many of them did.
As far as they knew, the “Abomination of Desolation” may have only been a few years away.
After that event would occur, the foretold “great tribulation”, during which believers would be persecuted like no other time, would be right around the corner.
If the new believers thought that their new Christian life would be a laid back gravy train, suddenly having their head on the chopping block would have been a hard concept to wrap their minds around.
This is where most of the modern American believers apparently find themselves.
They believe that life will be comfortable and good, and then they will die, and it will be even better.
Since the suffering, torment, persecution, tribulation, and affliction of the early believers (and other believers around the world right now) are not being experienced in our lives, many expect such to never happen.
We believe that we have become the exception to the rule.
However, Scripture paints a very different picture. Consider the following:
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
This passage gives us much to think about.
Was it the prison sentences and death penalties that led some to “forsake the assembling?”
It certainly wasn’t the football game on television!
And why “so much the more, as ye see the day approaching?”
That doesn’t give the impression of a wonderful uphill climb, but rather of a dark valley.
“Even when it costs you your head, come together and exhort the brethren” may be the message here.
The same dark undertone is given near the end of the Bible; “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
“Even so”?
Even if we have to walk through a deep dark valley where many of us have to be slaughtered “for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:” (Revelation 6:9b) and the Antichrist makes “war with the saints” (Revelation 13:7) and overcomes us?
Even if this is the case, “come, Lord Jesus”.
For the record, “even so” carries a very different message than “especially since”.
Of course none of us want this to be true, but that does not change reality or the Word of God.
I believe that a very big deception is upon the world, in the form of the belief in a pretribulational rapture.
I believe that when people trust that the pretribulational rapture is a fact of the Bible, and when it is proven to be wrong, then many will conclude that the Bible itself is wrong.
However, the Bible never teaches a pretribulational rapture; it doesn’t even teach a “seven year Tribulational period of God’s end-time wrath”.
Point #1: Paul may have taught new believers about the Antichrist because he thought that they would be here during that time.
Point #2: Certain passages seem to carry a deeper, darker message than commonly believed.
2+2=4
Thanks, @narrowminded
In case you missed them,
Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
15 : Hand in Hand
16 : Overtake You as a Thief
17 : Another Thief
18 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 1
19 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 2
20 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 3
21 : Ignorance
22 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -1
23 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -2
24 : For My Name's Sake -1
25 : For My Name's Sake -2
26 : Enduring to the End
27 : The Righteous and the Wicked
28 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 1
29 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 2
30 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 3
31 : "Seal Judgments"
32 : The Fifth Seal
33 : Timing - 1
34 : Timing - 2
35 : Timing - 3
36 : Two Witnesses - 1
37 : Two Witnesses - 2
38 : Two Witnesses - 3
39 : Two Witnesses - 4
40 : Two Witnessses - 5
41 : Imminent - 1
42 : Imminent - 2