THE LAST LAP
I have
often mentioned that we westerners tend to think in linear time. We draw time
lines from left to right and then we desperately try to make everything in
Bible prophecy fit into chronological order somewhere on our line.
Unfortunately
the Hebrew and Greek writers of the Bible did not think in a linear fashion for
the most part. They thought in terms of patterns. The history of Israel and from
creation on is made up of the setting of patterns that are destined to be
repeated over and over again until the end of time.
These
patterns do point to a final summation of all things. They are said to be like
birth pangs of a pregnant woman. She endures the normal discomforts of
pregnancy like nausea, backaches, frequent doctor’s appointments and all that
goes along with the creation of a new life in her womb. All the while she is
learning to live for the baby and not just for herself. She is learning to love
the child even before she sees it face to face. It has changed the way she
thinks, the way she eats, the way she walks and the way she sleeps. Towards the
end of her pregnancy she can think of little else as she waits the day of the child’s
appearing.
After 9
long months of waiting and anticipating, suddenly everything changes. Her once
peaceful expectations turn into violent contractions, the water breaks,
suitcases are grabbed, the husband rushes in with the car… they are now in
panic mode and the race is on to the finish line.
Paul
describes this in Romans 8:22 saying: “For we know that the whole creation
groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”
Perhaps
we too are in a womb of sorts called the Secret Place of the Most High. In it
we are being formed into the likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Conceived
by the Holy Spirit we are growing up in all aspects into the fullness of the image
of Christ. Or as Ephesians 4:12, 13 says:
Through the various ministries that our Lord has set up in His church we
are being built up into the body of Christ; “until we attain to the unity of the
faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure
of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
“As a
result we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and
carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, by the
craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to
grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ. Eph. 4:14, 15
The
Gospel that is being preached in many circles today is one in which we are more
or less taught to ignore the formation of the Baby within and to make life
better for ourselves. No one gives any thought to the labor pains that will
come suddenly…anyway; we think we won’t have to go through the labor pains because
we will all be taken out of here. The baby will be delivered before the labor pains
start or the water breaks or the contractions come with a frequency never
experienced before.
In
spite of all that the Bible has said in warning us to prepare for this birth,
we have somehow developed a theology in which we will all be delivered by
C-Section thus missing the trauma altogether.
We are
not destined for the wrath of God, but we are promised tribulation and
persecution and so we need to be ready for whatever comes our way.
This
false belief in escape from trouble is so strong that many ignore or deny that the
water is perhaps breaking right now and certainly the birth pangs are only
minutes apart
But we choose
to live in linear time so we keep thinking that this has to happen first and then
that next before this can happen and we forget Jesus’ warning saying: “Even so
you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the
door.” Mt. 24:33
Just
like a real childbirth, when it gets right down to the end everything is going
to begin happening at once. And even though the delivery is simply a repeated
pattern, it is nevertheless so much more intense and compact that it will take
most of God’s people by surprise.
Jesus
gave us the parable of the fig tree. Near the very end of His ministry He
cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit and the fig tree died. That fig tree
represented Israel and for over 1800 years the fig tree (Israel) has remained
dead, but in these last days something marvelous happened. The cursed dead fig
tree came to life and Jesus said concerning that event: “Now learn the parable
of the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its
leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these
things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
In this
parable, Jesus is telling us that the generation that sees the fig tree bloom
again will also be the generation that will see Him return. You see, Israel had
to be reborn in order to finish the patterns yet to be fulfilled in these last
days. There are final patterns soon coming into play described in the Bible as
the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, also known as the Tribulation. This time period is
full of patterns. It is the summation of all patterns and the perfect number
seven is used a lot in Revelation for in it the patterns will be completed. It
is thought to be a 7 year period made up of two three and a half year periods
in which all final events will take place and Jerusalem of course will be at the
center of it all.
The
Lord told us through Zechariah saying: Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a
cup that causes reeling to all peoples around; and when the siege is against
Jerusalem it will also be against Judah.
Is this
not what Jesus was talking about in Mt. 24:15-22 when He said: “Therefore when
you see the Abomination of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) then let those who are
in Judea flee to the mountains let him who is on the housetop… etc. but pray
that your flight man not be in the winter
or on the Sabbath, for then there will be great tribulation such as has not
occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall and unless
those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake
of the elect those days shall be cut short. This prophecy literally concerns
Israel
Well,
Jerusalem is surrounded by her enemies right now and negotiations are under way
for the building of the third temple. These patterns are maturing into their
final phases.
So when
it has to do with birth pangs and patterns and the great delivery that lies
ahead, it looks to me like we are nearing the last lap. Everything is speeding
up, from earthquakes and volcanoes, signs in the heavens, wars and rumors of
wars, Jerusalem as a cup of trembling and a thousand other symptoms pointing to
our time. I don’t see how time can be delayed much longer. So no matter when the
first resurrection (Rapture) takes place, we know that we have some stuff to go
through. Christians and Jews in many other countries are already suffering
persecution and death even by beheading and much worse.
And the
most important questions we can ask ourselves is if we are allowing the Holy
Spirit to form us into the image of Christ, or are we
still in pursuit of our own pleasures? It
is truly time to come out of Babylon and partake not of her sins, lest we
receive of her plagues. I don’t think our false grace will stand up in court. We
are not only forgiven, but we are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer
being conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds. We
are dying daily, being crucified with Christ so that it is no longer I, but
Christ living in me.
We are
in the last lap my friends. Let’s make a dash to the finish line. I believe the
final patterns are taking shape right now.
P.S.
some scholars teach that Israel being back in their own land has no
significance at all… that God is done with Israel and that the church has taken
her place. They need to study Romans 11 carefully. Besides such an idea denies
God’s eternal covenants, His unchanging Word and the very framework upon which
scripture is built. Israel has to be back in the land in order for the final
patterns and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble to take place. The temple has to be rebuilt
in order for the Abomination of Desolation to take place.
Paul
says that “all these things happened to them as an example and they were
written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Cor.
10:11 We are watching the final patterns unfolding in our day and before this
year is over, we will yet see astonishing things take place that will have
every eye looking upward. Men’s hearts will soon be failing them for fear of
those things which are about to come upon the whole earth. Make sure your
relationship with Jesus Christ is not only the way you want it to be, but the way
He wants it to be.
I don’t
like to harp on these things, but as I look around I don’t see a church
preparing for the soon return of Christ. I don’t see them studying Bible
prophecy, or even teaching repentance any more. Most scoff that we may be at the
end of the age, but I think some may change their minds over the next year or
two. I think the heavens and the earth are about to be shaken as per Hebrews 12:25-29.
It’s
time to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Psalm 91. Learn it!
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