The Last Days

The Siren's Cry

2010-04-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

I was listening ot the radio this morning and the personalities were asking people to call in and tell about the preparedness their towns have for emergency situations. The station I listen to was K-Love which is syndicated across the United States. I am guessing that the reason they were talking about this subject was because a storm system is moving across the country bringing heavy rains, storms, and tornados. In any case they were talking about the sirens that accompany storm warnings in many cities. You may or may not live in a city that is equipped with a warning system for such emergencies but many have loud sirens to warn people of an imminent threat.

It is an interesting subject in light of my Bible study this morning. I was reading Isaiah and came across verse 6 which says:

Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. [The New King James Version. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Is 13:6.]

In Biblical reference, "the Day of the Lord" refers to the time period before the return of Christ. This period is called the tribulation and will be a time of great judgment on the wicked. This period will follow the rapture of the church and is a seven year period which no-one will want to experience. However, those who have rejected Christ and are still living on the Earth when this time period happens will experience this tribulation. The Bible warns that no-one will want to be here during that time and it has given us signs to look for. These signs tell us that the rapture of the Church and the tribulation is imminent. Therefore, the Christian's cry should be that of warning. Unfortunately too many are complacent and apathetic.

If a tornado or hurricane was fast approaching, would we not want everyone to be out of harm's way? We know that the end is coming soon as we watch our world spiral in many areas. Therefore, we need to sound the alarm and warn others of the approaching storm and show them how to be saved from destruction.

In Christ,
Doug

God's Sovereignty in Daniel 4

2010-02-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Just recently doing some study in the book of Daniel and a passage stood out to me like a sore thumb. The passage was Daniel 4:28-36. This passage deals with king Nebuchadnezzar's second dream which was about a great tree that is cut down. I put a blog entry about the details of that dream in my http://www.dougjohnson.net/ blog. That blog entry deals with the subject of pride. So, make sure you check it out if you are struggling with pride and humility.

What is so interesting about the passage is it holds a view of God's sovereignty and parallels an image of time to that of the tribulation. First, under the subject of God's sovereignty, this passage illustrates that God gives to whomever He will, whatever He desires. God removed king Nebuchadnezzar from his position as king and allowed him to graze in the fields like an ox because of his prideful position.

King Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Babylonians which included the Chaldeans. These people were ruthless people. They took what they wanted, when they wanted it, and used it however they wanted to. They were an evil people overall. But if we recollect the Biblical account, we see that the Babylonians had overtaken the Jewish people and their land. It was Habakkuk that cried out to God asking why He would let a more evil people such as the Chaldeans overtake His chosen people. You can see the account in Habakkuk 1:2-11. The Jews had refused to repent and obey the Lord, so (as Jeremiah had warned) the Babylonian army came in 606–586 B.C. and conquered the land. We can learn an important truth from this. You see, just because you think you are better than someone else doesn't mean you have it all together and within the blessings of God. God's standard is the only standard you can be measured by.

The other area that stands out concerning this passage is the picture of what will happen to the nations in the latter days. The nations will be boasting of their greatness and glory (sound familiar?) and then God will send seven years of horrible judgment upon them. At the end of the seven year period, Christ will return to earth to establish His kingdom. Those that have trusted Him will enter into it; the others will be cast out. Like Nebuchadnezzar, the believers will be converted from their pride and unbelief and will enjoy the blessing of God.

This is not necessarily a passage predicting the tribulation but definitely gives us a picture of the confusion and chaos that will accompany it.

Be prepared!
Doug

Scripture Interpretation is Key

2009-11-28T08:14:00.000-05:00

Anytime that we talk about prophetic events we must realize that Scripture interpretation is key. For example, if I take the Bible as being literal, meaning that I believe what it says word for word, then I will probably arrive at a premillennial position. If, on the other hand, I take Bible prophesy as being mostly allegorical, then I will probably arrive at an amillennial position. Understanding the vast difference between the premillennial position and the amillennial position would cause me to see that an incorrect interpretation method could change the entire meaning of Scripture. Is that something that we want to be careless about? Do we want to incorrectly interpret Scripture and possible lead a person to a false doctrine? I would have to say that no-one would want to make that mistake. Therefore, we need to make sure that we interpret Scripture as it is to be interpreted.

The main reason that I hold to a literal, grammatical, and historical approach to Scripture is that when the Scripture was given, it meant something to the people who received it. Why would it mean anything different today? Some people would say that times are different or that situations change requiring a different approach to the text. The Bible says otherwise. It says that there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says:

⁹ That which has been is what will be,
      That which is done is what will be done,
      And there is nothing new under the sun.
       (Ecclesiastes 1:9, New King James Version)

The Bible also says that God is the same today and forever.

⁶ “ For I am the LORD, I do not change;
      Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
       (Malachi 3:6, New King James Version)

If things don't change, then why would there need to be a change in what the Scripture says? The answer to that question is that there would not need to be a change. With that in mind, I find it very important to begin our study with what it meant to the people who first heard it or read it.

Something else to think about concerning the allegorical approach to interpretation is that it does not allow for the testing of Scripture against itself. If we interpret Scripture allegorical, then we take the authority out of the Scripture. The allegorical method allows for a "spiritual" and often irreconcilable interpretation. In other words, the interpretation cannot be tested against other Scripture. You may ask, why would anyone interpret Scripture in this method? It could be that they desire a particular interpretation or that they are trying to interpret Scripture by what they see in life today. For example, if a person says that Israel doesn't exist as a nation (like earlier in the 20th century), then a literal approach to Scripture is undesirable because it doesn't match with what we know and Israel has no existence in the future. But now, knowing that Israel is once again a nation then that argument will not hold water.

I say this in the beginning of the blog to define what approach I take to prophesy. It sets the foundation to the result of the interpretation. If you desire to study God's Word, you MUST nail down your approach to Scripture. A literal, grammatical, and historical approach will provide you with an accurate and complete picture of God Word and plan for mankind.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

In Christ,
Doug
www.millenniumblog.com

The Days are Short

2009-11-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

As a first post to this blog I would like to say that I believe that the days are numbered and we are getting close to the return of Jesus to call His bride (the church) home. One of the most concerning observations in North America is the fact that eschatology (the study of end times) is almost non-existent in our churches today. Yes there are churches that teach about the second coming but they seem to be few and far between. This site is for the discussion of end of time events.

My observation of Scriptures using a literal, grammatical, and historical approach leads me to a pretribulation and a premillennical approach to the subject. I understand that this can be a controversial area of interpretation, however, I stand firm on my approach to the subject.

I hope that you find this information helpful and feel free to post. I don't claim to have all of the answers but I find that the study of the end of times is very rewarding and very interesting. I hope that you also find this information helpful.

In Christ,
Doug
http://www.millenniumblog.com/