Are you pining and praying, hoping and longing for the King to come? I am. I can’t wait. I know many of you feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong. I love this world. Life is a great gift, and I try to enjoy every second of it. This world is a beautiful place, and it is populated by millions of wonderful people. But we are desperately in need of a King. I can’t wait for Him to come.
For the full article, click: “Waiting for the King.”
by Terry A. Hull
Are you pining and praying, hoping and longing for the King to come?
I am. I can’t wait. I know many of you feel the same way.
Don’t get me wrong. I love this world. Life is a great gift, and I try to enjoy every second of it. I’m not one of those who thinks the world “is going to hell in a handbasket,†if that means that the world is somehow worse today than it was a few decades ago.
It is obviously true that this world abounds with atrocities. But that describes every year since the days of Noah. This world is a beautiful place, and it is populated by millions of wonderful people. But we are desperately in need of a King. I can’t wait for Him to come.
A thrilling description
Here is one thrilling description of what lies ahead, in Isaiah 2:2-4:
“In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it.
“And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’
“For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples. And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.â€
In the last days
“In the last days…†What a great phrase that is! Does your heart surge with anticipation when you consider the wonderful things that await us in the days to come, “the last days?â€
To some people, I suppose, “the last days†are frightening. People fear “the end of the world.†In movies and literature the future is often a bleak, frightening time. Think about “Mad Max†and “The Stand†and “The Road†and “Falling Skies†and dozens of other books and movies and television shows of that genre. They all depict a future in which humanity is destroyed or nearly so by plague or world war or alien invasion.
Even the Bible describes a horrible time of Tribulation — of world war, lawlessness, famine and natural disaster (see Jesus’ famous end-times sermon in Matthew 24). But thankfully, that’s not how the story ends. Hardly. As a matter of fact, that dreadful Tribulation time will set the stage for the most wonderful time in all human history: Jesus’ coming Kingdom.
When Jesus began preaching (Matt 4:17), His first and repeated message was that the Kingdom is “at hand†(i.e., imminent). He traveled from city to city “proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom†(Matt 4:23). He instructed us to pray for the Kingdom to come, describing it as a time when God’s will “will be done on earth as it is in heaven†(Matt 4:10). Wow! Can you imagine?
The Messiah’s Kingdom is the No. 1 topic of the Bible. It is the main message from Genesis (where the coming Kingdom is part of the blessing God promised to Abraham) to Revelation (where the establishment of Christ’s millennial Kingdom is detailed).
The Prophets
The coming Kingdom is described in exhaustive detail in “The Prophets,†a huge section of the Bible. The Prophets are 17 Old Testament books, Isaiah to Malachi — a total of 250 chapters, about one-fifth of the entire Bible.
Right at the start of this exciting section of the Bible, in Isaiah 2, God calls our attention to the wonderful coming Kingdom. The Kingdom will come, says v. 2, “in the last days.†This is the Bible’s first use of the phrase “last days,†a phrase that is repeated several more times in the Old and New Testaments.
What does this introductory passage in Isaiah 2 tell us about Christ’s coming Kingdom? It says that in those days …
• Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. Earlier this month, Mitt Romney provoked controversy by calling Jersualem the capital of Israel. Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton have all made similar statements. Such statements are controversial because modern Jerusalem is partly under Palestinian control. However, in the last days, the Messiah will rule the world “from Zion,†“from Jerusalem.â€
• “All the nations†of the world will submit to the Messiah’s rule. This Scriptures reveals the amazing truth that Christ will actually directly intervene between the nations, settling disputes and bringing justice to the world.
• Therefore, the Messiah’s Kingdom will be a time of world peace. Read v. 4 again. In our day, when the news is full of “wars and rumors of wars,†it is thrilling to read about a future time when war will be eliminated forever.
• The Messiah will preach and teach the ways of God. And, hang on for this, people will be eager to learn God’s ways. V. 3: “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’â€
What a contrast to modern times, when many people do not appear to have any appetite for sound doctrine. Even many preachers and pastors seem to be more interested in anything and everything else other than God’s Word, and most church members seem to be quite content to allow God’s Word to be ignored and their churches reduced to places of entertainment.
But in the great days to come, when the Messiah reveals Himself in all His glory, the world will have an unparalleled thirst for sound doctrine, for God’s Law, and Christ Himself will be our Teacher.
It all sounds too wonderful to be true, doesn’t it. I agree with the Apostle John, who cried out, “Marana tha!†“Come, Lord Jesus!†(“Rev. 22:20).
“Spring is coming, Spring is coming.
And all we’ve been hoping and longing for soon will appear.
Spring is coming, Spring is coming.
And it won’t be long now, it’s just about here.â€
Steven Curtis Chapman, “Spring is Coming†(2009)
If you wish you knew more about Bible prophecies of the End Times, here is a short list of six key chapters to study. Consider this your crash course on Bible prophecy.
(1) Daniel 7: The Vision of Four Kingdoms, including the fourth and final world kingdom which will dominate the world immediately prior to Christ’s Second Coming. This chapter is the key that unlocks the book of Revelation, and the Revelation refers to it frequently. It is a remarkable chapter because it not only contains important prophetic symbols, but it also provides God’s interpretation of those symbols. Study this chapter carefully before you move on to Revelation.
(2) Matthew 24: Jesus’ famous sermon on prophecy, the Olivet Discourse. Jesus lists many signs to watch for, including increased warfare, earthquakes, and famine. Some elements of this chapter are difficult to understand, but some are not hard at all.
(3) Revelation 6: The first 6 Seals of God’s prophetic Book of 7 Seals, which describes the horrible events of the Tribulation. Compare Matthew 24 and Revelation 6. Their material is strikingly similar.
(4) Revelation 13: The most detailed description anywhere in the Bible of the Antichrist (“The Beast”) and his evil world empire in the Last Days.
(5) 2 Thessalonians 2: Paul’s description of the Antichrist. This chapter is important, because Paul’s description is so clear, and it correlates so closely with Revelation 13, thus confirming one’s interpretation of Revelation 13.
(6) Revelation 19: Jesus’ glorious Second Coming to bring down all earthly powers and inaugurate His reign as Messiah. He will be the greatest King the human race has ever known.
The Bible contains literally hundreds of chapters of prophecy, and they are all worthy of study. But Christians can easily be overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of this material. Read and re-read the six chapters above. You will not need stacks of supplementary reference materials to understand them. You may not grasp every detail, but the gist of the above six chapters is not difficult to discern, for any Christian who reads them a few times with an open mind and a prayerful heart.
(If you have any questions about the material in the chapters above, I will be happy to help to the best of my ability).
Newsweek does an interview with Tim LaHaye, co-author of the phenomenally popular Left Behind series. Title of the interview: “Are These The End Times?”
I find LaHaye’s comments in this interview to be reasonable and biblical. He does not declare emphatically that these are the end times, but he does say that events unfolding before our eyes correlate to Bible prophecies regarding the end.
[There has never been] the accumulation of [prophesied] events as we have today. I have often said that no one knows the day nor the hour that Christ will come, but no generation has had so many signs of the times as our generation. We have more reason to believe that Christ could come in our lifetime than any generation before us.
With warfare erupting again in the Middle East, there is renewed interest in Bible prophecy. That is always a good thing. Jesus taught that we should know the prophetic signs of the End Times, and that we should be looking for them. He preached:
Learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. … Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. … For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Matthew 24:32-33, 42, 44)
(Hat Tip to Ron Mashore for pointing out the Newsweek interview).
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UPDATE: See “Crash Course on End Times Prophecy.”
In a few days I will turn 53. According to the charts, as a 53-year-old U.S. white male, I have 26 years to go. So the question for me is, is the glass two-thirds empty or one-third full?
I don’t fear death. My attitude toward death wavers between, “When it happens, it happens,†and “Bring it on.†Still, 26 years is not as much time left as I used to have. I’ve already burned up twice that, and I feel like I’m still just getting started. There are a handful of things I would like to do, if time permitted. If I ever have the extra time, here are 5 things I would do:
1. Write a book and have it published.
Actually, I have written a book. I wrote it 27 years ago. It is an allegory about the shallowness of the American church. It is far more relevant today than it was when I wrote it in 1979, as a young disillusioned minister four years out of Bible college. I have never submitted it to a publisher. I need to do that one of these days. I have another book written in my head, if I ever find the time to put it down on paper, that I think some readers would enjoy immensely.
2. Read 100 more books.
There are so many great books I have never read. I would be embarrassed to admit the many classics I have never read. I could easily assembly a list of 100 great books I would love to read, if I ever had the time.
3. Live in Mexico.
I love Mexico. When you travel beyond the crowded, dusty border towns to the interior of Mexico, you find some gorgeous places — beautiful mountains, lush valleys, historic cities, quaint villages. The culture is slower and the people are friendly. I have visited Mexico a few times, but I would love to actually live there. To be a resident, get involved in a church, get to know my neighbors, became part of the culture. Maybe one of these years I will persuade my wife that Mexico would be a good place to spend at least a year or two.
4. Master the Spanish language.
I listen to tapes. When I can, I work the lessons. But I would like to actually become fluent. To speak Spanish so well that Latinos don’t laugh when I ask to pass the salt.
5. Become an expert on end-times prophecy.
Bible prophecy has never interested me all that much, until lately. I cannot explain the change. Sometimes I wonder if God has prompted me to take a greater interest in prophecy to prepare me for the immediate years ahead. Perhaps He has stirred a similar interest in thousands of other preachers and teachers. Lately I have been preaching chapter by chapter through Revelation. I have never attempted it before. One big surprise is that I do not find the Revelation all that unfathomable. Actually, so far, it seems rather straightforward. I have studied Daniel and Revelation. Next I would like to focus on Zechariah and Ezekiel.
I had a few other things on the list. Become more knowledgeable of poetry. And classical music. Learn to play the guitar. But those five are at the top of the list.
However, there is a major flaw in my underlying assumption. Who says I only have 26 years left? The reason I do not fear death is because I have the gift of eternal life. I believe Jesus rose from the dead and is the Son of God. I believe Jesus gives eternal life to those who have faith in Him. I believe Jesus will return to Earth and actually rule this world, at least for a millennium, as the great Messiah-King. Before He returns, He will raise from the dead all who have pledged their loyalty to Him, to be citizens of His great Millennial Kingdom. It is a tragedy that so many people I know will miss out on that grand thousand-year period of peace and prosperity here on Planet Earth. But I’m not planning on missing out.
So it isn’t true that I only have 26 years left. If I never get to live in Mexico in this life, I’ll just spend a few decades there in the next life. If that is when I go, I hope I can still persuade my wife to go with me. That adventure wouldn’t be the same without her.
Part of the beauty of being a Christian is that time really isn’t running out. What part of “eternal life†do I not understand? Yes, there are a few things I would like to do, if time permits, before I die. But if I don’t get around to them now, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll have plenty of time after I die to do the things I’ve missed.
However, there is yet another flaw in my train of thought. How many of the things that I wish I could do now will have any appeal in the age to come? Will any of those great books I have never read still seem so great in the Millennial Reign? Or will they be hopelessly out-of-date. Will the books I might write in this life have any possible value in the next? Of course, the study of end-times prophecy will be a lot easier, because the prophecies will all be history by then. For that very reason, though, I doubt there will be much interest in prophecy study in the next life.
The truth is, most of the things I never get to do in this life will seem irrelevant in the next life. Considering the fact that the next life represents more than 99.9% of my total existence, I guess if those things will be irrelevant then, they must be less important now than they sometimes seem.
How important is it that I squeeze any of those five things into my remaining 26 years? Not very. It doesn’t matter. After all, my best days by far will be 50, 100, 500 years from now. Bring it on.
