THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD and CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

 

One can never have too many lights when decorating at Christmas time. This great principle has been a guiding reality around our home for years. We love the white lights, the LED lights, and the colored lights; ones that blink and ones that stay steady. They not only make for a compelling display that is pleasing to the eye, but they also chase away the darkness. Now there is some disagreement where the idea of lights at Christmas came from. Some point to the candles of Hanukkah, while others trace it back to Christmas celebrations in Europe and other ideas are also presented. It makes no real difference since beauty is present and darkness is gone.

Brilliant light was part of the first coming of Jesus Christ into this world, and it will be on display at His second coming. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Luke 2:9 informs us that an angel appeared to some shepherds out in the fields and that “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The darkness of that night was brilliantly removed by the illuminating glory of God. About a year later, the “star” (which I believe is best understood as the Shekinah---the glory of God) appeared to wisemen who were directed to go and find the new King. This brilliant light was a sign to them, as it was to ancient Israel as God led them through the wilderness (Exo. 40:34-38).

And so it will be at His return. In Matthew 24:29-30, Jesus declared that when He returns it will be when the moon’s light is gone, and the sun has become darkened. Into that unnerving gloom on earth at the end of the Tribulation, the glory of Christ will shine. At that moment, there will appear the “sign of the son of Man”, which once again is probably the Shekinah, glory of God. Jesus will come in “glory” and will sit on His throne, which is a “glorious throne” (Matt. 25:31). In His earthly ministry, Jesus allowed three of His disciples to have a preview of this marvelous light of His glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2-5). They saw what He will appear like in His coming earthly kingdom. 

The idea of light being connected with Christ’s appearances should not come as a surprise to us. The Apostle John began his gospel with the declaration that Jesus was the “light” that entered this spiritually dark world (John 1:4-9). Jesus Himself would later state that He was the “light of the world” (John 8:12). This statement was made after Jesus had forgiven a woman who was in a moral/spiritual darkness. That woman (to use the words of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:13) had been delivered out of the domain of darkness and entered a glorious relationship with Jesus Christ. 

According to 1 John 1:5, the basic nature of God is that He is “light.”  There is absolutely no darkness of any kind in Him. John’s important point is that if a believer wants to live in fellowship with the Light, that believer cannot allow even a smidgen of darkness in his own life. Whatever we might claim, darkness in our lives rules out any real fellowship with Christ. Generally, the church today is increasing in allowing dark doctrines and darkness in living to become normal. As a result, too many Christians believe that God will accept most any behavior in their lives, since He is a God of love. He is that to be sure, but John dismisses our claims to walk with Him if we tolerate any kind of darkness in our lives (In 1 John 2, he says that we are lying when we say that). In reading 1 John 1:5, 7 very recently, it was a powerful reminder to me that sin must be immediately confessed and zero tolerance given for any shade of dark behavior whether, as believers, it be in our actions, our thoughts or our attitudes. John states that a believer who has a little bit of darkness in his/her life simply cannot have authentic fellowship with God who is pure light (1 John 2:8-11). However, since we do sin, provision has been made for us by Christ’s work on the Cross. When we confess our sins candidly, taking God’s view of those sins, we are then fully and completely washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. Walking in the Light depends upon our obedience to Him. Perhaps as we put up our Christmas lights this year, we will let them remind us of Jesus, the light of the world, with whom we can have daily fellowship if we will walk in the light (1 John 1:7). 

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth as the King over all (Psalm 2), it will be in power and GLORY (Matt. 25:31). The Light, the glory, the brilliance, will be overpowering. This is what Peter, James and John experienced on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2-5). To his dying day, Peter never forgot what He saw that day on the mountain, and he tells us about it in 2 Peter 1:16-19. Note Peter’s choice of words as he described Jesus as He will appear during that 1,000-year reign on this earth (“glory”, “Majestic glory”, “a lamp shining in a dark place”, “day dawns”, “morning star”). There are so many videos out these days which attempt to tell us about Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Some are helpful, but to a certain extent they all have conditioned us to think of Jesus as the carpenter/rabbi from Nazareth, and do not help us really see Him as the glorious King. During His earthly ministry, as Paul teaches us in Philippians 2:7, Jesus “emptied Himself” of all displays of deity. That will change when He comes back in full glory to rule. That is our blessed expectation as given in Titus 2:13: the “appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” His will truly be a kingdom of light.

Whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, it is a good thing to celebrate His entrance into this world; that moment when God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). And maybe, just maybe, as we hang up our Christmas lights, we will remind ourselves of the nature of our Savior; that He is light; and that our Christmas lights might daily ask us the question: “are you walking in the Light?”

May your Christmas be filled with light, both physical and spiritual.

TRENDING TOWARDS THE “DAYS OF NOAH”

 

  In His prophetic discourse, Jesus stated that when He comes back at His Second Coming, the condition of the earth would be like those in the days of Noah. (In speaking of His coming, Jesus was not talking about the Rapture of the Church, as that was a truth not yet revealed.) He was referring to the time when He would physically return to the earth and thus fulfill God’s covenant commitments to Israel. Now when we think of the “days of Noah” our minds naturally go back to Genesis 6 where the horrible, pervasive evil conditions on the earth are described.

“THEN THE LORD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT ON THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY…NOW THE EARTH WAS CORRUPT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, AND THE EARTH WAS FILLED WITH VIOLENCE. AND GOD LOOKED UPON THE EARTH, AND BEHOLD IT WAS CORRUPT; FOR ALL FLESH HAD CORRUPTED THEIR WAY UPON THE EARTH.” Genesis 6:5, 11-12

And the book of Revelation certainly verifies the absolute corruption of mankind in the end of times, when Jesus returns. Man, in those days, will repeatedly demonstrate hatred for God’s righteous standards and for God’s righteous people. Evil men, energized by Satan himself, will slaughter believers (Rev. 6:10; 13:7); will kill hundreds of millions of people (Rev. 9:18); will, like Adolph Hitler, try and solve the “Jewish problem” by destroying Israel (Rev. 12:15); will aggressively speak out against the true God and His ways (Rev. 13:5-6); and will rally mankind against King Jesus in a futile attempt to resist His coming (Rev. 19:16-21). This time of tribulation, as Jesus declared, would be the worst of times (Matt. 24:21). And, like with Noah’s day, the evil is so pervasive that mankind will end up drinking from the bowl of the wrath of God (Rev. 15-16).

When Jesus returns at His Second Coming, probably around 80% of the population of the world has just perished in the Tribulation. The book of Revelation helps us envision what this is going to look like. And with the Holy Spirit’s ministry of the restraining of sin being removed out of the world (2 Thess. 2:7), wickedness will simply explode on the planet. Evil will be deep and wide. It will be a repeat of Genesis 6.

However, it is interesting and instructive how Jesus describes the days of Noah as it relates to His return to earth. It does not read like Genesis 6.

“FOR THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN WILL BE JUST LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH. FOR AS IN THOSE DAYS WHICH WERE BEFORE THE FLOOD THEY WERE EATING AND DRINKING, THEY WERE MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE DAY THAT NOAH ENTERED THE ARK, AND THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME AND TOOK THEM ALL AWAY; SO SHALL THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE.” Matthew 24:37-39

“AND JUST AS IT HAPPENED IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, SO IT SHALL BE ALSO IN THE DAYS OF THE SON OF MAN: THEY WERE EATING, THEY WERE DRINKING, THEY WERE MARRYING; THEY WERE GIVING IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE DAY THAT NOAH ENTERED THE ARK, AND THE FLOOD CAME AND DESTROYED THEM ALL.” Luke 17:26-27

Luke then records a further illustration given by Jesus.

“IT WAS THE SAME IN THE DAYS OF LOT; THEY WERE EATING, THEY WERE DRINKING, THEY WERE BUYING, THEY WERE SELLING, THEY WERE PLANTING, THEY WERE BUILDING; BUT ON THE DAY THAT LOT WENT OUT FROM SODOM IT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FROM HEAVEN AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. IT WILL BE JUST THE SAME ON THE DAY THAT THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED.”  Luke 17:28-30

Unexpectedly, Jesus does not focus on the rampant sinfulness of mankind, or on the unusual level of unrighteousness of the last days. Rather, He speaks of normal human activities, such as eating, marrying, building, and planting. That certainly does not sound all that terrible! But what Jesus is emphasizing is “ungodliness” and not “unrighteousness.” “Unrighteousness” is when people behave in an unrighteous way. It means that they are disregarding God’s righteous standards, principles, and laws. The people of Noah’s day and people of Lot’s day were obviously living in a very unrighteous way. And that will be true at the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. “Ungodliness” is not the same thing as “unrighteousness” though there is a clear connection between the two words.

Unrighteous living flows naturally out of ungodliness. Being “ungodly” (asebeian) communicates the idea of a person living without any real regard for God in their lives. The great Creator God is dismissed to a place of irrelevance. Ungodliness is not atheism. It is not a denial of God’s existence. But it is such a diminishing of His person that He really has no real authority and has no real place in the life of an individual. It might be synonymous with “secular.” Fundamentally, the awesome Creator God is removed from His rightful place of centrality in life to a place where He is essentially irrelevant.

Ungodliness is the opposite of showing deep reverence for God. There is simply no awe in the minds and hearts of His creature. A person goes about life, eating and drinking, building and planting, with no place for this irrelevant God. He exists but is out somewhere on the distant margins of life. This appears to be what Jesus is emphasizing regarding the spiritual atmosphere at His Second Coming. The world at large will think wrongly about God. And this is the most likely reason why they are totally unprepared for God’s judgment on them when it comes. Judgment catches them by surprise, and we wonder why. Jesus began His prophetic discourse with the warning that “see to it that no one misleads you…and many false prophets will arise and mislead many” (Matt. 24:4, 11). People in the Tribulation period will be misled and will embrace a distorted, deceptive view of the God of heaven. This, of course, is not something new, since from the days in the Garden of Eden this has been Satan’s ploy: to distort the truth of God, and therefore, call into question God’s credibility.

Today, this diminishing of God’s Word has been accelerating. A growing percentage (according to some reliable studies) of those in the church no longer believe in the inerrancy and authority of God’s Word. And this is true even in churches that call themselves “evangelical.”  However, the Apostle Paul is quite clear that God and His word are inseparably linked together (Gal. 1:6). In this Galatians passage, Paul is amazed that these Christians have departed from the truth he gave them; but he observes that when they leave God’s truth, they are actually departing from the Lord Himself. To diminish God’s truth is to diminish God Himself. The inevitable result of this is that the Lord God is reduced in the minds and hearts of people. They go on with the routine of life without the Lord God being the center of life. At best, He lives out on the margins of life and this is ungodliness. This is what will be massively true in Jesus’ day as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. We certainly are trending towards the days of Noah in this matter. Several decades ago, A. W. Tozer observed that “the Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be unworthy of thinking, worshipping men.” (“The Knowledge of the Holy,” p. 6). Ungodliness in the church and in the culture has been going on for quite awhile and will get worse right up until the time Jesus returns back to the earth again.

With all this in mind, it is vital for us as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to make sure that our view of the Lord God is true and accurate according to the Scriptures. We do have the tendency to make God look a little more like ourselves; to bring Him down a little. And so, we need to ensure that we are not becoming “ungodly” in our thinking and living. We are helped in avoiding ungodliness in our lives by focusing on the works and the attributes of God as revealed in the Scriptures. So many portions of Scripture help in this regard; such as Isaiah 40, Psalm 2, Psalm 139, Psalm 145 or God’s illuminating words to Job (Job 39-41). And perhaps reading (or re-reading) books like Tozer’s “The Knowledge of the Holy” will help us focus with clarity on the greatness and majesty of our God. It is true, of course, that we will not be here on earth during those heightened days of ungodliness in the Tribulation period, but we are dealing with this growing phenomenon of “ungodliness” today in the church. We individually must not give ground one bit on the Person of God and the Word of God, or we will experience the reality of creeping ungodliness in our own lives.

Ungodliness (being secular) never goes well for us. We just do not see God correctly, and unrighteousness is entered into with great ease. We miss God’s directions; we make poor choices and we have negatives come into our lives that really do not need to be there. It remains true that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One” is understanding (Prov. 9:10). Seeing the Lord God correctly is foundational to a solid Christian life. I am hopeful that each of us will renew our resolve to avoid ungodliness in our own lives. This truth is vital to our spiritual health, even while the culture, and too much of the church, are trending towards the days of Noah.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY, OUR EFFORTS and THE NOVEMBER ELECTION

The attack ads are coming at us. They are nasty, verbal tsunamis. They are everywhere and in great numbers. One political office-seeker throws as much mud as is possible in 30 seconds, or maybe on a single billboard. Their opponent returns the favor. This, of course, informs us that an election must not be too far off. Few present any positive solutions, so they resort to character assassination. Perhaps you are weary of this as I am, and would like to vacation in West Pango Pango for the next two months.  (By the way, things are not much different in West Pango Pango). But that time away would not solve anything. We who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ might consider approaching the coming elections with these 6 points in mind.

1. God is sovereign over all things, including elections. 

   When evil people gain positions of power or when there are questions about the legitimacy of an election, it is difficult for us to understand Daniel’s statement, where he said: “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. As it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and sets up kings…” (Dan. 2:21-22). Nothing is outside of the control of the Sovereign of the universe, including elections. Man’s evil manipulations, deceit, lying and violent rage against Him and His standards only elicits laughter from the heavens (Psa. 2:4). The Great Creator is simply not intimidated nor impressed with the boastful beating of the chest by humans. We, however, often find it hard to figure out what God is doing in allowing some things to take place and some people to be in the places of power. But believers throughout all of history have learned that they simply must trust the all-knowing and all-powerful God. He knows everything actual and possible, and there is no force or combination of forces that can thwart His will from being accomplished on earth. That applies to this election as well. This biblical truth might make it seem that the subject is settled and we are to just sit back, or maybe take that vacation in West Pango Pango. But there is more. 

2. Prayer is vital in God’s working in the realm of mankind.

Probably everyone reading this article believes that prayer is important, but it is also likely that no one reading this article really understands how the sovereign God factors prayer into His plans. But having said that, the Bible again and again records that a person praying brought about a response from the Lord. Remember when the brutal Assyrian army had surrounded Jerusalem and godly King Hezekiah fervently prayed for God to intervene? God did. Through Isaiah the prophet, God said to the king: “Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib, king of Assyria…” I will judge him in a powerful way (Isa. 37:12-29). Sounds like prayer made a difference. And then there was the time when Daniel was passionately praying about God fulfilling His promise to return His people back to their land. The angel Gabriel was sent to Daniel and informed him that the moment Daniel began to pray, Gabriel was dispatched from God to Daniel with the answer (Dan. 9:23). Many times, the early church witnessed the response of God to prayer. Facing persecution, they prayed. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Again and again in the Scriptures, individuals and groups sought the Lord and He intervened. And since God has not changed, the challenge before us is to seek for the Lord’s intervention. The polls and the pundits don’t dictate what is going to take place. He has responded to prayer in the past, and He certainly can do it in November. We apparently can have a role in this.

3. Righteousness still elevates a nation.  

   The truth of Proverbs 14:34 remains in force today. It states, “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” America needs an infusion of righteousness.  So, we should seek those who best would promote programs, policies and laws that reflect biblical principles. This might take some research on our part, since in this culture righteousness might be more difficult to find. We seem to be facing so much that is false and deceptive, and increasingly good is said to be evil, and evil is said to be good. However, some politicians and propositions are closer to biblical truth than others. And if we can, we need to support those.

4. We hold dual citizenship. 

   Most of us are citizens of the United States of America. And there have been many blessings which are ours because of that fact. But we are also citizens of heaven. The Apostle Paul, who was a Roman citizen, said that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). There was some value for him in his Roman citizenship, but much greater value in his being a citizen of heaven. Our time as citizens of the United States is limited to decades, but our heavenly citizenship is something that is eternal. So, while we are to be the best American citizens we can be, we must remember that we are ambassadors from the kingdom of King Jesus. Our highest loyalty and service is to be for Him. And since we are still here, our primary task is to be carrying out His wishes, whatever they may be. This truth helps us keep a proper perspective in our loyalties, and in our elections.

5. We should remember the “Josiah Effect”.  

   I have spent time recently in the books of 1 and 2 Kings. There are many spiritual principles and illustrations that emerge from those historical books. What caught my attention was the reign of Manasseh (2 Kings 21). During Israel’s 450-year monarch period, 43 kings ruled. And of all those kings, Manasseh is said to be the wickedest of all. He was an incredibly evil king who sacrificed his own sons to a foreign god; who set up idols in the holy Jerusalem temple; who was deep into the occult; and who slaughtered the righteous people of Jerusalem. God declared that he was even more wicked than the dynamic evil duo of Ahab and Jezebel. His evil was greater than the Canaanites that occupied the land prior to Israel’s arrival. Because of this extreme level of wickedness, God pronounced irreversible judgment of Judah. Terrible judgment was coming because of his evil. God does take His rules seriously. But then, amazing as it might seem, into that situation of utter depravity came a new king by the name of Josiah (2 Kings 22 and 23). Josiah loved the Lord, humbled Himself before the Lord and sought to live according to God’s standards. Because of Josiah, God put judgment “on hold.”  As long as Josiah was alive, judgment would not come on Judah. This kind of “adjustment” by God can be observed a number of times in the Old Testament, as 2 Chronicles 7:14 declared it would. America is not Israel, and God has no covenant relationship with America. But the USA is looking more and more like the days of Manasseh. However, it does seem that God delights in making these “adjustments.” I do not pretend to know what God might do in response to believers being like Josiah. Remember that God was willing to spare wicked Sodom if just 10 righteous people still existed in that city (Gen. 18:22-33). If God did make an “adjustment,” I think it would be so that we could have time to become more intentional in the way we live as Christians, and not so that we could vacation in West Pango Pango.

6. God has future plans for mankind which will be fulfilled.  

   The Book of Revelation, along with many more prophetic portions leave no doubt that God has some very detailed plans and purposes for mankind and for this planet. And since He is Sovereign, these will take place. It is never a question of “if,” but “when.” For example, before the millennial kingdom of Jesus is established on this earth, certain things will take place. One of those is the establishment of a global government, ruled over by the Antichrist. Globalism is eventually going to come. However, globalism is also going to lead to God’s plans coming to fruition. God will use it to do His great work of saving the people of Israel, which is the primary purpose of the coming Tribulation period. God has committed Himself to saving Israel as well as millions of gentiles, and He will use the coming evil to do so. The great miracles and judgments of that period will tear off the spiritual blindfold on Israel and will also awaken millions of slumbering gentiles to ultimate realities. But to do all of this, there will be a dramatic change in this world which will include the rise of incredibly evil leaders and their diabolical plans of world domination. This is going to take place. The location on the calendar is not known.

So, as the tsunami of attack ads roll over us, we are not to languish in despair and helplessness. That laughing you hear comes from heaven. And the Great King would have us keep these and other theological truths in mind. We are here and we have work to do. As a person thinks, so they are. Think biblically as you face the November elections.

On That Day

A person’s last words, when they know they are their last words, are often quite powerful and significant to the hearers. The Apostle Paul’s last words, in 2nd Timothy, are indeed powerful and significant to Timothy, but also to all believers. In this last letter that we have of Paul’s, he mentions “that day” three different times (1:12; 1:18; 4:5). When he wrote 2 Timothy, Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting his execution. One matter that he was directed by the Holy Spirit to write about was to remind  Timothy about the believer’s future appearance before Christ’s judgment seat (“that day”). Most of us regularly need this reminder of our personal accountability when we appear before the Lord Jesus Christ. We get so wrapped up in doing life that we often lose this essential perspective. As a reminder, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not the place where our eternal destiny (heaven or hell) is determined, but it is the place for the rewarding of believers. Rewards are given on “that day” but the consequences of those rewards will carry over into the one-thousand-year reign of Christ, and most likely, throughout the eternal kingdom of God.

(1) 2 Timothy 1:12. The context for the first use of “that day” is Paul’s confidence and Paul’s suffering in relation to the gospel of Christ. Paul was ordained by God to be a proclaimer of the Gospel (“apostle, preacher and teacher”, 1:11). And while we are not apostles, it is nevertheless true that we too have been given this amazing body of truth to share with mankind. It includes the truth about God’s intervention into history to solve the sin problem. Paul was not ashamed of this gospel (same word used in Romans 1:16) because the work of Jesus on the Cross is the only means of reconciling God and man (1 Cor. 1:18). But Satan and godless men hate this good news and lash out against those who would witness to its truthfulness (2 Cor. 4:4). They target faithful preachers/teachers. As a result of his faithfulness to the gospel and to the Person of Christ, Paul suffered. As he himself shares in chapter 4, he is in a harsh imprisonment, attacked by evil men and abandoned by his friends who are fellow believers. He is in a painful, lonely place. But even in this dismal situation, Paul is absolutely convinced that God is powerful enough to keep the combined efforts of the Evil One and wicked men from destroying the gospel. Paul has done his part to guard the gospel, and now the mighty hand of God will keep the evil enemies from succeeding in their attempt to destroy the gospel of Christ.

One of Paul’s great motivations for his determined efforts was the reality that he would stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account of what he had done, and then be rewarded. Being rewarded was not his only motivator, as he states in 2 Corinthians 5:10-16, but it is the one he emphasizes here. Paul was faithful in his proclaiming the gospel and by so doing, he was willing to be identified with Christ. And when we too appear before Jesus, faithfulness will be one of the key criteria in our evaluation (1 Cor. 4:1-2). We must never forget that the Lord requires that we be faithful, but never requires that we be famous. Sometimes we think that fame in the church, or culture, will play a great part in our evaluation. It will not. But faithfulness will be. as it is highly prized by the Lord Jesus. We must be faithful to Him in the use of our spiritual gifts, natural abilities, intellectual abilities, use of our time as well as our financial resources. The Lord places a great emphasis on the faithfulness of His servants.

2 Timothy 1:18. While being faithful in sharing the gospel is a very important part of our responsibilities, as servants of Christ, it is not the only thing. In this verse, Paul uses Onesiphorus as an illustration of faithfulness in serving Christ by diligently serving others. Onesiphorus’ labors and boldness would have been well-known to Timothy, since Onesiphorus was an Ephesian believer and Timothy was ministering at that time in Ephesus. This man went out of his way to find Paul when he was a prisoner in Rome, and to bring encouragement to Paul. Paul reminds Timothy that Onesiphorus lived a life characterized by kindness and good deeds. That attitude and those kind works will be remembered at the Judgment Seat, so it is not simply proclaiming God’s Word that will be evaluated. This should be of huge encouragement to all believers who do not stand behind a pulpit or classroom lectern. Paul also includes the fact that he is praying that mercy will be extended to Onesiphorus at the Judgment Seat. We do not know what he has in mind when he speaks of “mercy” (a withholding of deserved punishment), but it is apparently going to be an issue for all believers at the Judgment Seat. James too brings up the fact that we all will want mercy when we stand before the Lord (James 2:13). And mercy will be granted to those who have shown mercy to others in this life. This is clearly a significant point to think about, as it indicates that part of our evaluation will be in how we dealt with others; especially those who have hurt or offended us. 

(3) 2 Timothy 4:8. This third use of “that day” makes it clear that the subject is indeed the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul has faithfully, successfully reached the end of his race, and in the future he will be rewarded. Paul uses the imagery of an athlete who has won at the games and awaits the “crown” from the referee. This is not a time of punishment, but a time when faithful believers will be rewarded.        Several truths about rewards are mentioned. First, the reward is secure (“laid up for me”). Jesus also clearly taught that investments made in the Bank of Heaven would never diminish or disappear (Matt. 6:19-21). Rewards earned will never disappear which may point to them being eternal in their consequences. Second, rewarding takes place, not at death, but at His appearing. This also is something Jesus was clear about in Revelation 22:12, where He brings His reward with Him at His coming. Third, Jesus is the “righteous” judge. When believers appear before Him, He will evaluate us fairly and justly. This comes from His very nature. He will not reward undeserving saints nor overlook the works of faithful saints. And, it will be clear to all observers that His evaluations are totally righteous ones. It is likely that Paul mentions this fact because Jesus stands in stark contrast to the Roman judges who were unrighteous in their dealing with the Apostle Paul. Fourth, Paul specifically mentions one “crown” to illustrate the rewarding at the Judgment Seat. This was the “crown of righteousness.” This crown is given because of a believer’s righteous living. Christ will give this to the one who has lived life according to the righteous standard of God. He is using the imagery of an athlete who competed at the games and did so to receive the victor’s “crown”. The “crown” (stephanos) was a wreath placed on the head which honored the athlete who had won. He won because he trained and disciplined himself for this moment before the referee. Paul did so as well, as he detailed in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. There Paul argues for believers to discipline themselves in their spiritual lives.

The “crown of righteousness” is not just for apostles. All believers who have loved His appearing will receive it. This speaks of the attitude and anticipation of the believer who has an ongoing love for Jesus Christ and of seeing Him. When a believer is looking forward to seeing Jesus Himself, that perspective gives strength to persevere in righteous living and to swim against the ungodly cultural current. We should observe that one receives this crown not because a believer is just hoping for the Rapture to bail the believer out of present trouble, but is a longing to see the Savior Himself. 

The days we are presently living in are increasingly characterized by evil. More and more we are shocked by the calling of good as evil, and evil as good. Our American culture is in a dramatic moral and spiritual decline. The government seems to be looking with less favor on those who identify with Jesus Christ and His standards of behavior. Our day seems to be resembling more and more the days of prisoner Paul in Rome. Whatever the comparison may be, we need to listen to the last words of this great apostle and keep an eye on “that day.” We need to clearly identify with the Lord Jesus and, by His grace and strength, be faithful to Him in the way we handle His truth and the way we live. It will be worth it on “that day.” 

As the old verse goes: “only one life, it will soon be past, 

                                        only what’s done for Christ will last.” 

     “That day” is coming.  

Greater Than The Exodus

God’s mighty hand was clearly evident in the days of Moses when the Lord broke the grip of Pharaoh and forcibly removed His people Israel out of Egypt in “the exodus”. God’s ten powerful plagues rocked Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, as the Nile River was turned into blood; as three days of thick darkness engulfed the land of Egypt; as a total destruction of the economy of Egypt took place by several more plagues; and finally, as the angel of death struck down the firstborn in every house not covered by the blood of a passover lamb. Then followed Israel’s exodus out of Egypt. Again, the Lord’s power was seen in the appearance of the pillar of cloud which protected Israel for a night against the Egyptian armed forces; which in turn was followed by the parting of the Red Sea, enabling Israel to flee on dry ground. With all that supernatural activity, it is no wonder that almost every Old Testament book after Exodus, in some way, mentions Israel’s exodus out of the land of Egypt.

However, amazing as the exodus was (and it certainly was), it will be dramatically overshadowed by another powerful work of God which will be witnessed by all who live on the earth in the end times. The covenant-keeping God will bring about the return of His chosen people Israel from all over the world to the land given to Abraham. This final return of Israel will require even greater power on the Lord God’s part; greater than that needed in springing Israel from Egypt. The prophet Jeremiah expressed it this way.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they no longer will say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

Today we are witnessing what Jeremiah wrote about. We are witnessing the Lord’s mighty hand removing His people from the gentile nations. We are witnessing millions of Jewish people returning to the Land given to Abraham 4,000 years ago. This is the final restoration of Israel before their messiah, our Lord Jesus returns to earth. There is no other restoration of the nation of Israel given in the Bible. This is it!

Jeremiah’s contemporary, Ezekiel, repeatedly taught that this restoration has two distinct parts to it, and that there is a specific order to it. First, there is a physical restoration back to the land given to Abraham, and second, there is a spiritual restoration back to the Lord their God. The physical restoration of the Jewish people has been going on for all of the twentieth century. It began decades before Israel became a nation in 1948. Millions of Jewish people, from between 80 and 100 nations, have now returned to the Land.

Is the first process of a physical return about done? That is a very real possibility. And if that is the present reality, it is about time for the spiritual return of Israel to the Lord their God. It is during the seven-year Tribulation period that millions of Jewish people will be saved (Rom. 11:25-27; Zech. 12:10). Israel must come to faith in Jesus, as He will not return to an unbelieving people (see Matt. 23:39). The beginning of Israel’s spiritual awakening takes place when God destroys the invading hordes at the Gog/Magog battle (Ezek. 38-39), which is probably immediately before the Tribulation period actually begins (Ezek. 39:22). (This battle was the subject of the February, 2022 Scofield article). Then, in the Tribulation, with the 144,000 Israelite evangelists blanketing the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, millions of Jews and gentiles will come to place their faith in Messiah Jesus, the Savior. The sheer number of those coming to faith in Jesus will make this the greatest time of evangelism in all of human history.

But let us return to Jeremiah 23 where the prophet speaks of the coming of Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom rule, which comes after the regathering of the Jewish people from all over the world. Jeremiah 23:1-8 is a condensed version of the truths found in much greater detail in Ezekiel 34-39. But there are several significant truths that Jeremiah makes.

1. GOD HIMSELF IS GOING TO GATHER ISRAEL BACK TO THE LAND.  The Lord says that the leaders of Israel are evil, having exploited, neglected and abused the people of Israel (Jer. 23:1-2). In light of their careless indifference to God’s people, God Himself would assume the responsibility of gathering His scattered people from the gentile nations. God was committed to doing this, and He is doing it. Against all odds and all historical precedence, after some two millennia, He brings them back. But it is not easy, as the gentile kings and their people (not to mention Satan) will resist this return. Psalm 2:1-2 teaches that these plan and plot against God and His Anointed One. They actively fight against Them. But the great power of God, exceeding the powerful activities of the exodus, will bring this about. We can only imagine the millions of stories that already exist about how God’s intervention and power brought that family out of Russia, or that man out of Iran, or the group that came through an amazing series of events made it from Venezuela. I imagine that in Jesus’ kingdom, over a cup of perfectly brewed coffee, we will regularly listen to testimonies of God’s incredible power of deliverance and relocation. Even today, there are Arab people who call Israel “occupiers” of the land, and that the nation of returned Israelites should not exist. Yet, these who speak are the occupiers of Israel’s land and want to drive Israel into the sea (note the relevant discussion of this very thought process found in Ezekiel 35). But Israel is there to stay. In Psalm 2:6, the Father declares that He actually has already “installed His king” on Zion. In God’s eyes it is a done deal. His power will insure it all.

2. NATIONAL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED. Jeremiah 23:6 is quite clear. Israel shall be saved. Jesus, the OT prophets and the NT apostles all declare that God will redeem His people and bring them into the New Covenant (Jer. 31-31-34; Ezek. 36:24-28; Rom. 11:25-27). God, who always keeps His covenant commitments, will bring this second restoration to pass because He has promised to do so. Again, this spiritual salvation of Israel chronologically takes place after the physical return to the Land.

3. THE MESSIANIC REIGN OF JESUS WILL THEN TAKE PLACE. Jeremiah lists many things that will characterize this kingdom when Jesus comes back to earth to rule as the king. Here are a few.

• Messiah Jesus will rule during the Messianic Kingdom.  Of course, Jesus will be fulfilling God’s covenant promises to King David (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89) and as the son of David, will be the king of Israel, and king of the whole earth, which is His inheritance (Ps. 2:8; Heb. 2:5). His reign will be characterized by righteousness, and His dealings with His subjects will always be fair. It is hard for us today, surrounded by corruption, deceit, graft and injustice, to imagine a world that is led by a righteous leader. It is also pointed out (23:5) that the Messiah will rule wisely. He rules with God’s wisdom, always doing what is best for all in His kingdom. Again, this is hard to fully comprehend because no such rulers exist today.

• There will be other righteous rulers in this kingdom.  Jesus will not be the only notable, good ruler. Jeremiah 23:4 teaches that God is going to establish many righteous rulers. Who are these? We know that David will be ruling under Messiah Jesus (Ezek. 34:23-24). The Twelve Apostles will have rulership responsibilities over Israel (Matt. 19:28). And many OT and NT scriptures declare that faithful believers will get to be part of the administration in Messiah’s kingdom. Wow! That is something to look forward to for sure. Jeremiah speaks of the totally different lives that His people will have. They will have leaders who take good care of them, with the result that they will live their lives in complete security and without any fear and stress (23:4, 6).

• This messianic age will be a time of prosperity. Jeremiah 23:3 tells us what we would expect. Prosperity in every area will be what characterizes this 1,000-year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1-10). As parallel scriptures are studied, it is revealed that there is non-material prosperity, as this era will be dominated by peace, joy, freedom and the presence and ministries of the Holy Spirit. A life with no fear, guilt or anxiety. A world characterized by joy and peace is what the Messiah has in store for His people. And, as most Bible students are aware, the rejuvenated earth will produce in abundance as it never has before. Desert regions will be fertile and fruitful (Isa. 35). Physically, abundance will be the lot of God’s people. And there will be prosperity in the health of mankind, as disease and deformities no longer are part of our experience (Isa. 35). Even so, come Lord Jesus!

FOR US TODAY

For all believers, our best days lie ahead of us. We cannot, of course, set dates, but we can observe what is happening in our world right now. God, in great power, is bringing His covenant people back to their land. After God scattered them (Ezek. 36:19), He is fulfilling His promise and bringing them back. We are witnesses to this powerful working of God on behalf of His people Israel. What we are seeing is no fluke event, lucky break or religious hallucination. It is God at work. A work which signals that we are in the end of the end times. For we who are in the church, this should be a “heads up” that our final redemption is close at hand. Each of us would be wise to ask, “am I rapture ready?” 

The OT prophets spoke without stuttering about the first coming of the Messiah, the son of David. And people waited and waited. But God was not a minute late or early about the timing of Jesus’ entrance into the world through Mary. The Apostle Paul said, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman…” (Gal. 4:4). He came. And while we wait for His return, we need to daily remind ourselves that “in the fullness of time, Jesus will return to this world, and to a regathered people who will believe in Him.” As those who have put our trust in Jesus, may we covenant with ourselves and with our Lord Jesus to live ever more intentionally for Him TODAY. After all, He is going to return. Perhaps today.

THE BIBLE’S VIEW OF THE COMING GLOBALISM

We live in a very divided country, with some promoting globalism, while others are focused on American nationalism. Globalists, often led by people with political power and/or incredible wealth, do not like people who promote the greatness of America. Nationalists resist the idea of a new world order. Globalists push for a new world order. They often use socialist/communist ideas as they work towards a one-world structure. In their view equality, peace and prosperity for all can be reached only if the world would rid itself of the focus on individual nations. Authority needs to be centered in one place. But as believers, we need to remember that nations were God’s idea and were established for mankind’s benefit (Genesis 11). We can be pretty sure, therefore, of the real origin of this alternate idea; another doctrine of demons. 

Those “Progressives” (“regressive” might be a better designation) push for a centralized world government, understanding that nationalism needs to be dealt with and diminished. So, if you are wondering why we have people in places of authority who appear to be bent on diminishing the United States, it is because they want to lessen its power and position; something which is necessary for a “new world order.” Their unrighteous policies and purposeful attacks on God’s standards of morality, family and life itself should be resisted. That we need to do. However, having done what we can, we need to remember that globalism will eventually win out because the scriptures say so. There are actually two different forms of globalism coming according to the Bible. The first one is Satan’s one world order, and the second is the one world government headed up by Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

THE COMING GLOBALISM OF THE EVIL ONE

The first form of globalism that will come is the one created by the Devil and his minions; demons and evil people. The Scriptures set forth a number of key points about this coming control of the world by Satan and his forces.

(1) Satan is the “god of this world” who has power over the nations of the world.  

The Apostle John clearly declared that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). And Satan, in his temptations of the Lord Jesus, offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for bowing down to him (Luke 4:5-7). It should be noted that Jesus did not bow down, but did not deny that Satan had such authority. It is, therefore, clear that the Devil is going to be the force behind the future globalism, through which he plans to be worshipped and exalted. So, this is a matter of major concern to the Devil. It is the direction he passionately desires the world to go. And he has many with power and money who are on board with his goal.

(2) Satan’s future globalization is centered on a man. Most people, who have some knowledge of the Bible, know about the Antichrist. Satan gives to him great power and authority which will extend to every people group and nation (Rev. 13:7). For the first time ever, a man will actually be a dictator of the whole world. This, of course, means he will do what Jesus did not do, and that is worship Satan. And Antichrist will have another individual (named the False Prophet) who will exercise religious and economic authority (under the Antichrist) over the whole earth (Rev. 13:14). The emphasis of scripture is on the whole earth being dominated by these.

(3) There are stages in this Satanic globalization.  While there can be interpretive differences at this point, normal, grammatical interpretation appears to lead to the following understanding. The Antichrist will become the ruler of one western nation. As the ruler of this one nation, he will militarily defeat three other western nations. As Daniel 7:8 and 24 foretell, he will “subdue” them by force. Apparently, seven other nations simply submit to Antichrist (Rev. 17:17). So, Antichrist now heads up an eleven-nation western empire. This takes place in the first half of the seven-year period of the Tribulation. Antichrist is declared to be a “man of war” because he is very skilled at warfare (Dan. 11:41-45; Matt. 24:6; Rev. 6:4). Then, at the mid-point of the Tribulation several game-changing events take place and he is catapulted into his role as world ruler (under Satan). Revelation declares that “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast (Antichrist)”, and “authority to act for forty-two months (second half of the Tribulation) was given to him” and he was given “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation” (13:3, 5, 7). This second half of the Tribulation will be the closest Satan ever gets to his goal of being like God and worshipped. And, though many have desired it, this will be the closest any man ever gets to be dictator of the entire world.

(4) This move towards globalization will not go smoothly because of the inherent sinful and rebellious nature of man.  The delusional socialists of our day believe in the inherent goodness of man. They think that man is good at his core, but is corrupted by society, capitalists, injustices, racism and other things. But man is not good. He is sinful and born that way. This reality will be manifested in the seemingly constant conflicts and resistance to the Antichrist (and Satan) in his rise to power (Matt. 24:7). Antichrist is constantly at war. And even as the Tribulation draws to its end, “the kings of the whole world” rally to war in the campaign of Armageddon (Rev. 14:19; 16:14). While it is true that they all unite against Christ when the “sign of the Son of Man” appears in the heavens (Matt. 24:30), it is highly unlikely that they originally came with their armed forces to do battle with the Lord Jesus (They would have had no clue that He was coming very shortly). More probable is that their sinful, rebellious nature propelled them into the “winepress of the wrath of God” to unseat the Antichrist. It appears that the future globalization of the Evil One will be an ongoing struggle and not some utopia. Universal peace, prosperity and bliss can never happen because of the evil, sinful nature of mankind. This is a point lost on today’s globalists.

THE COMING GLOBALISM OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

As would be expected, God’s future globalization is in stark contrast to what the counterfeiter Satan will produce. There are several basic truths about this.

(1)God’s future globalization is centered in the God-Man, Christ Jesus.  The Bible is clear that the Lord Jesus is the One who will fulfill the great covenants of the Old Testament. As the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus will rule on a refurbished earth for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-10). People of the Book have longingly looked ahead to this time and to His coming. He is the focus of this coming age. God, on oath, has declared that this will take place (Ps. 89:3-4, 27-37), and in fact, God the Father has already established Messiah’s rule on Mt. Zion (Ps. 2:6).

(2) There are no stages in God’s globalization. It will come suddenly, dramatically and powerfully as Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory (Rev. 19:11-21). It is at His Second Coming that He sits on His throne and rules in His kingdom (Matt. 25:31). At that time, all living unbelievers will be judged and sent to Hades, which means that on Day #1 of His messianic kingdom, there are only believers on the earth. All the earth and all the nations of the earth are declared to be the “inheritance” of Messiah Jesus (Ps. 2:8). Daniel 7:14 adds that “to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.” Hebrews 2:5 teaches that God the Father has given ruling authority, not to angels, but to the Son who will rule over the “inhabited earth” (that is, Jesus’ rule is not in heaven but on the earth where people live). Jesus Messiah ruling over all the nations is God’s idea of globalization.

(3) This move into globalization will go smoothly. The prophets are abundantly clear that righteousness is what will characterize the kingdom of Messiah (Isa. 11:4-5). The world will live according to God’s righteous standards. There will be no challenge of Christ’s righteous rule. Those born in the kingdom age will still have a sin nature and should they externally sin and rebel, they will experience immediate judgment. Psalm 2:9 states that He will “rule with a rod of iron.”  The “rod of iron” is found in the book of Revelation (2:26, 27; 12:5; 19:15). There will be no outward sinning and challenging of King Jesus. There is zero tolerance for rebellion and blasphemy by criminals. (Won’t that be a refreshing change!)

The Bible is quite clear on the issue of globalization. Evil globalization will come first, and will briefly flourish, and then be swept away forever by the grand and glorious globalization of the Almighty One. This is the future.

Satan has always counterfeited God’s perfect plans and ideas. Undoubtedly, the Evil One’s idea of globalization is stolen from what will be true when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns over all the earth. His will be a magnificent kingdom, which will be characterized by peace, joy, meaningful, abundant living. This is our future, thanks to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.