The Wisdom of Calvin

In continuation of our Reformation celebration, I am posting some of my favorite quotes from one of the most influential theologians of this millennium, John Calvin.

Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.

God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation.

No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief.

I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.

Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?

Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ.

Man's mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain.

There is no work, however vile or sordid, that does not glisten before God.

There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence.

Faith consists, not in ignorance, but in knowledge, and that, not only of God, but also of the divine will.

Happy Reformation Day!

On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk posted his critique of Catholicism on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and helped bring about one of the most important events in church history. To commemorate the Protestant Reformation, I have gathered a list of quotes by my favorite reformer, Martin Luther. Happy Reformation Day.


I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.

I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self.

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.

If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.

Pray, and let God worry.

The fewer the words, the better the prayer.

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.

You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.

Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.

The less I pray, the harder it gets; the more I pray, the better it goes.

I never work better than when I am inspired by anger; when I am angry, I can write, pray, and preach well, for then my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened, and all mundane vexations and temptations depart.

Human reason is like a drunken man on horseback; set it up on one side, and it tumbles over on the other.

Peace if possible, truth at all costs.

for His glory,
DJ

This post intentionally left blank

I recently came across a page in a legal document that had a blank page except for one sentence in the very center. “This page intentionally left blank” the sentence read. I found it odd that the statement described the page as blank, even though the existence sentence itself makes it not blank.

This is an example of a self-refuting statement. The statement is invalid because it disproves itself. It is therefore meaningless. Another example is the statement, “I am lying.” Logically this statement contradicts itself in that it is false is whether speaker is indeed lying or whether he is telling the truth, thus negating the statement.

Many of these foolish statements can be found in the worldly philosophies and presuppositions encountered in our culture. I have therefore taken it upon myself to supplement some of these absurd and foolish statements.

1.This page intentionally left blank (except for this statement instructing the reader that this page is intentionally left blank).

2. There is no absolute truth (except, of course, this assertion that there is no absolute truth).

3. Truth is (absolutely) relative.

4. There are no moral truths, therefore no one can judge (this is my final judgment).

5. All truths are equally valid (as long as I agree with them).

6. Words don’t have meaning (except on MY blog).

7. No one can know anything about God (except for me, since I seem to know He’s unknowable).

8. Tolerate everything (except intolerance).

9. All paths and religions lead to the same place (except for Christianity which leads to Heaven instead of hell).

God's Will & Line Dancing

When I was in grade school, one common activity in physical education class was line dancing. For those of you who didn’t grow up in rural Texas, line dancing is a “choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time.” This was a common occurrence during the Achy Breaky Heart era in American history. I know that it may be hard to believe, but I was not the most coordinated kid on the block. For whatever reason, I always seemed to miss a step at some point. I then spent the remainder of the song awkwardly trying to catch up and get back on the right step. I found that the key to successful line dancing was to never mess up, because one I did it was extremely difficult to get back on track. The chronological order of a line dance was such that each explicit dance move was connected to the previous on in a specific order. Miss one step and all of the following steps become out of sequence causing the whole dance to be wrong.

Many Christians erroneously view God’s will of direction as being similar to a line dance. The assumption is that god has specifically outlined each step in our lives. We must therefore try and figure out what He has ordained and follow that precise plan. For example, three major life changing decisions are what college to attend, what major to choose, and who to marry. The problem with this paradigm occurs when we miss God’s direction for one of these steps. I may mistakenly think I should go to A&M, but God may have planned for me to go to LU. This wrong choice leads me to choose the wrong major. And how can I meet the spouse that God has preordained for me if I am at A&M and she is at LU? The chain reaction continues and I miss God’s direction for my career, kids, location, church membership and so forth. I then spend the rest of my life jumping from one foot to the other trying to get back on the right step.

Fortunately God’s will doesn’t work this way.

God is a God of grace, forgiveness, and second (and third and fourth and fifth and…) chances. He does not have a hidden, mysterious plan that we must blindly follow with no guidance. He does not expect us to walk the tightrope of His will with a blindfold and no net. He does not expect us to wonder through the maze of life in a vain attempt to discover His unknown, particular will. I do believe that God has a game plan for us, missing one step along the way doesn’t necessarily derail the rest of your life. His will of direction is not independent of His sovereign decree. He himself knows our frame. He knows (knew) we will screw up. I am sure that He has accounted for that in His will.

In conclusion, life is not a line dance. If (when) we screw up and, for whatever reason, fall short of the bar concerning God’s will, don’t give up. Repent, and He will forgive you. Set your heart and mind fully on seeking and obeying His will and He will not forsake you.

for His glory,
DJ

Quote of the Day

The one indispensable requirement for producing godly, mature Christians is godly, mature Christians. – Kevin DeYoung

Imminent: The Sequal

COMMENT FROM PREVIOUS POST:

Irv said...

PRETRIB RAPTURE – HIDDEN FACTS !

How can the “rapture” be “imminent”? Acts 3:21 says that Jesus “must” stay in heaven (He is now there with the Father) “until the times of restitution of all things” which includes, says Scofield, “the restoration of the theocracy under David’s Son” which obviously can’t begin before or during Antichrist’s reign. Since Jesus must personally participate in the rapture, and since He can’t even leave heaven before the tribulation ends, the rapture therefore cannot take place before the end of the trib! Paul explains the “times and the seasons” (I Thess. 5:1) of the catching up (I Thess. 4:17) as the “day of the Lord” (5:2) (which FOLLOWS the posttrib sun/moon darkening – Matt. 24:29; Acts 2:20) WHEN “sudden destruction” (5:3) of the wicked occurs! (If the wicked are destroyed before or during the trib, who would be left alive to serve the Antichrist?) Paul also ties the change-into-immortality “rapture” (I Cor. 15:52) to the posttrib end of “death” (15:54)! (Will death be ended before or during the trib?) If anyone wonders how long pretrib rapturism has been taught, he or she can Google “Pretrib Rapture Diehards.” Many are unaware that before 1830 all Christians had always viewed I Thess. 4’s “catching up” as an integral part of the final second coming to earth. In 1830 it was stretched forward and turned into a separate coming of Christ. To further strengthen their novel view, which the mass of evangelical scholars rejected throughout the 1800s, pretrib teachers in the early 1900s began to stretch forward the “day of the Lord” (what Darby and Scofield never dared to do) and hook it up with their already-stretched-forward “rapture.” Many leading evangelical scholars still weren’t convinced of pretrib, so pretrib teachers then began teaching that the “falling away” of II Thess. 2:3 is really a pretrib rapture (the same as saying that the “rapture” in 2:3 must happen before the “rapture” ["gathering"] in 2:1 can happen – the height of desperation!). Other Google articles throwing light on long-covered-up facts about the 178-year-old pretrib rapture view include “Famous Rapture Watchers,” “X-Raying Margaret,” “Revisers of Pretrib Rapture History,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Wily Jeffrey,” “The Rapture Index (Mad Theology),” “America’s Pretrib Rapture Traffickers,” “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism,” “Scholars Weigh My Research,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “Pretrib Rapture Desperados” and “Deceiving and Being Deceived” – all by the author of the bestselling book “The Rapture Plot” which is available at Armageddon Books online. Just my two cents’ worth.

MY RESPONSE

Irv, thanks for commenting. I always appreciate feedback, as I am by no means an expert on the subject. I agree that one of the main weaknesses of the pretrib rapture is its relative newness. As Phil Johnson says, if its new then it probably isn’t true. There are several weaknesses with the doctrine of the pretrib rapture. Imminence, however, is not one of them. (Also please note that imminence is not nessisarily equivalent to pretrib).

Your arguments, while informed and logical, seem to be based on a specific ordering of eschatological events. The precise order, timing, and fulfillment of these events are based on interpretive assumptions. They are Biblically referenced and logical assumptions, but they are none the less uncertain. These issues are simply not clear-cut and precise. Therefore we must be diligently careful in our hermeneutic and interpretation. We must weigh these prophetic passages with the passages which speak of Christ’s return as being sudden and surprising.

It is also worthwhile to look at the intent of the end time prophecies. For example, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians so that they would not be shaken or alarmed if someone says the Lord has already returned. Paul was reassuring them that Christ hasn’t already returned, not that He can’t return. Similarly, the prophecies in Matt. 24 were given to ensure that Believers are not led astray by false teachers and false messiahs.

Nowhere in scripture are we instructed to be watchful for the tribulation, or the antichrist, or any of the other prophetic events. Instead we are commanded to be ready, watchful, and eager for Christ. The emphasis of the NT is on Christ and His return, not the preceding (and following) signs.

Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to be indifferent and unprepared because Christ cannot yet return. On the contrary, the Bible warns believers to be ready, to be prepared, and to watch because Christ shall return suddenly, like a thief in the night. The judge is standing at the door. Therefore we are to be ready like the five wise virgins who were prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom. We are to be like the faithful servant, working diligently until the return of our master.

It is prideful to say that Christ is prohibited from returning until certain events and signs first take place. It is presumptuous to assume and insist that we have total understanding of this complex and unclear doctrine. The truth is there are lots of unkowns and lots of variables. The Jews missed Christ first coming because they were too caught up in their own theological systems. We should humbly and joyfully await the sudden, unexpected, surprising, unknown, unaware, and imminent return of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Fred "Paw Paw" Himmelreich

Born: Oct. 17, 1920
Died: July 17, 2009








Matthaeus 5:2-10
²Und er tat seinen Mund auf, lehrte sie und sprach: ³Selig sind, die da geistlich arm sind; denn das Himmelreich ist ihr. ⁴Selig sind, die da Leid tragen; denn sie sollen getröstet werden. ⁵Selig sind die Sanftmütigen; denn sie werden das Erdreich besitzen. ⁶Selig sind, die da hungert und dürstet nach der Gerechtigkeit; denn sie sollen satt werden. ⁷Selig sind die Barmherzigen; denn sie werden Barmherzigkeit erlangen. ⁸Selig sind, die reines Herzens sind; denn sie werden Gott schauen. ⁹Selig sind die Friedfertigen; denn sie werden Gottes Kinder heißen. ¹⁰Selig sind, die um Gerechtigkeit willen verfolgt werden; denn das Himmelreich ist ihr.

(Matthaeus 5:2-10, Luther Bibel 1545)


Matthew 5:2-10
² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
³ “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:2-10, New King James Version)



If you happened to be reading this passage in a German Bible, you would notice the word "Himmelreich." Himmel means Heavenly and Reich means government or Kingdom. Therefore, a good translation of Himmelreight is "Kingdom of Heaven". In this scripture, Jesus was defining the attributes associated to those who belong to the Kingdom.

During his life, Paw Paw exemplified all of these attributes. His unwavering faith and commitment was a testimony and an encouragemet to me and to others. Paw Paw labored and toiled his entire life, laying up for himself treasures in Heaven. Humbly, he served the Lord, the church, and his family. He had found the pearl of great price, the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I know that Paw Paw is now with the Lord, in Himmelreich.

*************************************
Fred Himmelreich
Fred Herbert Himmelreich, 88, of Silsbee passed away Friday, July 17, 2009 at his residence. He was born Octob
er 17, 1920 in Dayton, Tx to Bruno Paul and Ella Marie Himmelreich. He married Edna Murphy on December 23, 1939.
World War II carried him to land on Omaha Beach in Normandy. His battles and campaigns included the Battle of the Bulge, Northern France, Ardiannes, Rhineland and Central Europe. He was awarded 4 bronze stars, 3 overseas service bars and numerous other medals and awards which he only recently received. After returning from the war he worked in the construction of what is now called Highway 92. He then began his 42-year career in the oil industry and retired from Arco in 1984.
Fred was one of the few remaining charter members of the First Assembly of God Church in Silsbee. He served as a deacon and was the Secretary/Treasurer for 32 years. He loved hunting, fishing, and growing vegetables in his garden. He was always working and stayed busy up until the moment he died. He never failed to read his Bible daily, and he never ate a meal without blessing his food.
He also enjoyed attending the annual Veteran’s Programs at the high school, which brought him together with his military buddies and some of his high school classmates. He was a Silsbee High School Alumni from the class of 1938. He was best remembered in his younger years as the “Golden Toe” and the “Toe That Defeated Jasper”. It was during a football game between the Silsbee Tigers and the Jasper Bulldogs in November 1937 where he gained his fame. In the last minute and a half of the game Silsbee recovered a fumble and ran back for a touchdown. The score was tied. Fred Himmelreich, the kicker for the Tigers, kicked the extra point to put the Tigers into the lead 7-6, giving them the victory. This started the on going bitter rivalry between the two teams. The Interscholastic League did not let the two teams play each other for the next 10 years.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Edna; three daughters, Linda Gilbert and husband Gary of Panama City, FL, Becky Gilbert and husband Denny of Silsbee, and Peggy Jones and husband Wendell of Silsbee; grandchildren, Kim Cox-West, Kristina Fowler, Devin Jones, and Jacey-Kay Jones; great-grandchildren, Coley Cox, Brenton Cox, Jessica Cox, Adrian West, Bobby Brogdon and Jadon Jones.

First Love

¹ “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ (Revelation 2:1-7, New King James Version)

This passage is Christ’s message to the church in Ephesus, one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2. Jesus commends them for their faithful fight against false teachers and false doctrines. He praises their effort, labor, and patience in hard times. However, he reprimanded them for their lack of love. They had fallen away from their first love, the Lord Jesus Christ. They had right doctrine. They were hard working. They were patient and persevering in trials and suffering. What they lacked was a love and passion for the Lord. Their ardent struggle for right doctrine and truth led them to forsake their initial love for Christ. Sound theology without love is fruitless.

Christ commanded the Ephesians to repent and to return to the life characterized by a fervent love for Christ and (subsequently) for others. They were to remember and continue in the overwhelming love they experienced in the beginning at their conversion. Jesus promised eternal life with Him in paradise for those who repent.

I sometimes fall into the paradigm of the Ephesians church. I have a similar tendency to leave my first love. I do not want to be a loveless intellectual, or merely a scholar, or teacher of the law, or Pharisee. I must be careful not to betray the truth in my effort to serve God. Love is a necessary component in the life of a follower of Christ. Without love, I am nothing.

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3, New King James Version)

This post is my repentance; a reminder to myself not to get so caught of in the things of God that I neglect the person of God.

Truth and love.

for His glory,

DJ

Paintball Video

Consuming Fire

Figurative
¹⁷ The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. (Exodus 24:17, New King James Version)

²⁴ For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
(Deuteronomy 4:24, New King James Version)

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29, New King James Version)

Literal
³⁶ And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
(1 Kings 18:36-39, New King James Version)

⁹ Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’”
¹⁰ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. ¹¹ Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men.
And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’”
¹² So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
(2 Kings 1:9-12, New King James Version)

Mysterious Ways

“God works in mysterious ways.” We have all heard this phrase at some point. Sometimes it is genuine and heartfelt. At other times it is harsh and sarcastic. This phrase seems to be a universal idiom, transcending theological borders and denominations. It is used by the redeemed and unredeemed alike; by Calvinists and Arminians, Charismatics and Cessationists, Baptists and Episcopalians. What does it really mean, though?

When I think of a mystery, I think of the board game Clue. The object of the game is to slowly gain clues in an attempt to solve the murder mystery. Each bit of information gained is another piece of the puzzle. Each player searches for the hidden truth behind the mystery until one enlightened player victoriously announces “Col. Mustard in the billiard room with the candlestick.” Case closed, mystery solved.

God’s will is not this type of mystery. It is true that our ways are not His ways, and that His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The gospel message is also referred to as a mystery (Mark 4:11, Eph. 6:19, Col. 4:3). It is not s Clue type mystery though. His will is not a hidden treasure to be searched for or a riddle to be solved. God’s will is a mystery to us because of our intrinsic ignorance. We just ain’t smart enough, wise enough, big enough, omniscient enough, or eternal enough. That is why we must rely on God’s self-revelation (aka The Bible). We lack the proper perspective and insight to always see and understand God’s will and His working. Therefore, God’s sovereignty and will seem mysterious to us. God intended it that way. We are to walk by faith and not by sight (2Corinthians 5:7). Our faith is to be firmly rooted in God’s will revealed to us in His word.

God’s will is not a mystery for us to try and solve. It is not a lost set of keys that we must find in order to unlock happiness and blessings. It’s not an algebra equation where we must solve for x. We can’t buy a vowel and solve the puzzle. We are to simply be obedient to what is clearly defined in Scripture as God’s will.

²⁹ “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29, New King James Version)

For His glory,
DJ

Suffering By & In God's Will

Pain, persecution, and suffering are all part of God’s will for our life (1Peter 3:17). It is His will of decree that we experience suffering. This is part of the sanctification process. Sometimes we are being disciplined and chastened by our loving Heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:6-7). At other times we must live with the consequence of our sin and our foolishness. And yet sometimes, God allows trials and tribulations to test our faith. If we pass the test, we will grow and bear the fruit patience and endurance. (James 1:2-3). If we fail, we realize our need for repentance and dependence on God. This is one reason that God decrees trials and sufferings. It is for our own (ultimate) good. It is so we may be mature, complete (James 1:4) established, strengthened, and settled (1Peter 5:10). All that live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2Timothy 3:12).

Why? Because that is what God has ordained, it is His will of decree. On the other hand, God also has a will of desire in the midst of our suffering. We have no choice in whether we suffer affliction and persecution, but we do choose how we respond in trials and suffering. God’s desire is that we suffer for righteousness (1 Peter 3:17). He desires that we do not suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil doer or busybody (1 Peter 4:14-65). We are to suffer, not because we have failed to do the right thing or to be the right kind of person, but we should suffer for doing what is right.

Furthermore, we are not to repay evil for evil, but we are to repay evil with good (Proverbs 20:22, 1 Thess 5:15) and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-44). We are to be angry, yet not sin (Ephesians 4:26). It is God’s desire that we face trials and tribulations like Job. In the aftermath of the horrific events which robbed Job of his wealth and children Job was still able to bless the Lord and not sin (Job 1:20-22). This is the key principle; worship God and do not sin.

This key principle has two aspects: perspective and right decisions. In order to be able to worship and be joyful in hard times, then we must realizes that God is sovereign and in control. We must recognize that the situation is for our good, no matter how wretched it seems now. We must have faith. I am not talking about the positive attitude faith, or an intellectual faith, or even the name and claim if-I-believe-hard-enough-good-things-will-happen kind of faith. This is a gut-wrenching, breast-beating cry of “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). It is a total dependence on God, and not your own strength.

Secondly, we must make a conscious decision to follow the path of righteousness. We must make the hard choices to follow God’s will of desire, even it means intensifying the pain, persecution and suffering. We must follow scripture, and be led by the Holy Spirit. This is no easy task, but it is crucial to our sanctification, our joy in Christ, and our testimony to God’s glory.

It is God’s will of decree that we suffer in trials and tribulations. It is His will of desire that we do so in obedience and righteousness.

¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11, New King James Version)

for His glory,

DJ

Imminent?

LBC College SS Lesson 10/4/09. This post is based partly on Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.

Could Christ come back at any time? Is his return imminent, or is He refrained from returning until the prophecies have been fulfilled. This question is significant to both our theological understanding of eschatology and our notion for daily living. This issue is not crystal clear. There are numerous verses that warn to be prepared because Christ could return at any moment. On the other hand, there are various prophecies outlining the signs that will be fulfilled before His return. In Mark 13, Jesus speaks of these signs that will precede His return. Then in Mark 13:32-37 He warns to be prepared because it will occur at an unexpected time. Jesus taught both of these truths in the same discourse. There was no controversy or disconnect for Him. I feel it is import to attempt to understand the tension that holds these two doctrines.

The following are a sampling of verses which predict the sudden and unexpected coming of Christ.

⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-44, New King James Version)

⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, (Matthew 24:50, New King James Version)


³² “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. (Mark 13:32-33, New King James Version)

⁴⁰ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
(Luke 12:40, New King James Version)

² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2, New King James Version)


⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:7-9, New King James Version)


⁷ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7, New King James Version)


¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10, New King James Version)


¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12, New King James Version)


²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(Revelation 22:20, New King James Version)

What are we to conclude from these verses? If the passages about the signs did not exist, then we would conclude from these verses that Jesus could come back at any moment. Indeed these verses testify to the imminent coming of Christ.

However, there are several signs that precede Christ’s return.

The preaching of the gospel to all nations (Mark 13:10)
The great tribulation Mark 13: 7-8)
False prophets working signs and wonders (Mark 13:22)
Signs in the heavens (Mark 13:24-25)
Man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:1-10)

These passages have led many to believe that Jesus simply cannot return at any moment. Before He returns, these prophesies must be fulfilled. Is there a contradiction in this doctrine? Can both sides of the argument be true? How can we reconcile the passages that seem to warn that Christ may suddenly return at any moment with the passages that proclaim several visible events must first take place?

Grudem offers four possible solutions. The first solution is that Christ could not coma at any time. The difficulty with this view is that it nullifies the force of Jesus’ warnings to watch and be ready. Also, this solution uses the intent of the signs differently. The signs are not given to make us think that Jesus can’t return yet. The signs are meant to ensure Christians that God foresaw (and ordained) these dramatic events and to keep them from following false messiahs that do not return in the way scripture outlines (Mark 13:5, 21).

The second possible solution is to say that Christ will return two, distinct times. This view is associated with dispensational premillennialism. This theory teaches that Christ will return once to rapture the church and then again seven years later to rule and judge the world. The signs will be fulfilled during the gap between. The weaknesses of this view are that it is hard to derive two separate returns from a straight-forward reading of the scriptures. A logical leap is required to derive the conclusion. The other weakness is that this theory has only been around since the mid 1800s.

The third possible solution is that all of the signs have already been fulfilled and therefore, Christ can return at any time. Many theologians cite events in the first century as fulfilling these prophecies. For example, many believe that Nero may have been the man of lawlessness, and that the war leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD may have been the great tribulation. Obviously the great signs in the sky, if taken literally, have not occurred, but would only take minutes or seconds to occur. This solution does make sense in the context of Mark chapter 13. In Mark 13:1- Jesus makes a prediction about Jerusalem being destroyed. This seems to have been fulfilled in 70 AD. Therefore it does make sense that the other prophecies made in that discourses could be fulfilled in the same timeframe. However, Mark 13:30 states that the generation that witnesses these events will see the end also. The weakness of this solution is that it is nothing more than a string of educated guesses. There is no way to conclusively determine that the events were indeed the fulfillment. Also, Scripture seems to point to much larger events than those which occurred in the first century.

The fourth solution proposed by Grudem is that it is possible, though unlikely, that the signs have been fulfilled. This solution is more attractive because it considers both the required fulfillments and the warnings to be ready. Also, this humble approach recognizes the inability to be absolutely certain about the fulfillment of the signs. The weakness to this argument is that it is somewhat wishy-washy and ambiguous.

The last possible solution is what I like to call the “poof” factor. I believe that the signs could be fulfilled miraculously in the blink of an eye. Throughout the Old and New Testaments God used His mighty power to fulfill His sovereign plan. I fell that we must not neglect this possibility.

In conclusion, it is evident that Christ’s return we be unexpected. Certain sign will precede His return, but we cannot be certain of their exact timing and fulfillment. Both of these truths work together in God’s plan for the end times. We should be watchful for the signs, but we should not neglect the call to be prepared and to be eagerly waiting for His triumphant return.

²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28, New King James Version)

for His glory,
DJ

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