I don’t know what other Christians spend their time thinking on as they stroll through life, but for me, my mind is usually preoccupied with trumpets and seals, stars and blood moons, soldiers and wars, vials and plagues, nations and peoples, not to mention, dragons, locusts, serpents, horses, scales, scrolls, clouds, thunders and lightnings, angels, demons, beasts, horns, kingdoms, saints, martyrs, heaven, the bottomless pit (hell), and of course earthquakes. For many years I’ve been fascinated by these end-time elements, but not without good reason. I regard them all as clues concerning a greater mystery. Even still, the end in mind is not to understand the clues in and of themselves. For me, they serve only as a means to a greater end, and that is, to rightly perceive the greatest event of all, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to this world.
Tonight, as I was thumbing through a book on the rapture written by arguably the most regarded theologian on the subject for the last fifty years, something occurred to me. I must change my rules of engagement. Let me explain.
Several years ago, after over a decade of study, all of this end-time prophecy stuff actually started making sense to me. All of those locusts and serpents began to fit right into place. I’m not saying there’s nothing left that I don’t know or that I understand everything now. That’s crazy. But things started coming together as I began to think for myself and not just rely on the interpretation of the so-called experts in the field. Since then I’ve realized some of those experts have things all mixed up. Such was the matter concerning the rapture book I was reading tonight. This man, whom I hold a great deal of respect for by the way, expended enormous effort dismantling arguments of another theologians view on the rapture that are mostly in line with my point of view. One of the ways I jump into the discussion while reading is by penning my thoughts in the columns. Let’s just say that tonight there wasn’t enough room in the columns for me to write everything, and I write small. His arguments are easily refuted, and it’s obvious he has a skewed understanding of the timing of certain events. What that boils down to is a distorted view of the overall picture.
For me, the overall picture I see of end-times is what excites me and electrifies my spirit. That picture is what I hope I can help others to see. The problem lies in that the picture is made up of a lot of smaller pieces. If some of the smaller pieces are viewed incorrectly, it affects the whole thing.
Admittedly, I have struggled over the last few years trying to find the best way to help others see the whole picture at once, as I now see it. This is a very difficult thing. I’ve sat at this desk staring at a blank screen for hours on end thinking of how to write it all at once. The thing I’ve now come to realize is that this picture cannot be seen on the written page or the screen. It can only be seen in your spirit after it is written and then infused into your spirit one piece at a time.
So I am changing my rules of engagement concerning ministry and this blog in particular. Piece by piece I will write concerning all of that which has shaped my understanding of end-times and the Lord’s return. It may take some time, but in the end, oh what a beautiful scene it will be. There seems to be no other way.
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2 Responses to Changing My Rules Of Engagement
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John,
I read your interpretation of the women (harlot) and how this relates to islam. I do believe that Islam will be the method of choice for satan and will use this to try and destroy Israel. I do not understand though at the end of Revelation 17 that the women is destroyed. I am trying to think how this makes sense with the beast kingdom of the anti-christ being a conglomeration of the previous kingdoms mainly in the Middle East region of the world. My question is how will islam destroy the women, or better yet why? There are two women. The one riding the beast and the harlot on many waters. The women is the city who reigns over kings of the earth. The beast will hate the prostitute who sits on many waters and destroy her. There is a distinction here and I am a little confused what is stated at the end of the chapter as to how the beast basically destroys the women (harlot), which I interpret as destroying itself or part of the beast kingdom. Is this right?
Chris
There are those who believe the Antichrist’s kingdom of the last 3 1/2 years will be Islamic. I don’t believe so. The woman (Islam) will essentially be destroyed or rendered ineffectual at mid-point due to the revelation of Jesus. The beast she rides on, in my opinion, only depicts the extent of the Islamic reach at the time she is judged and is not referencing the Antichrist’s kingdom in particular. His kingdom is a viable entity only after this judgment. So Islam doesn’t destroy the woman (harlot) or anyone else. It is her judgment that is being portrayed in both Rev 17 and 18. The woman of Rev12 (Israel) is a different woman than that of Rev17(harlot.) The Antichrist does go after Israel during the last 3 1/2 years but is unsuccessful in destroying her.
Hope that helps!