Below are some quotes by Solomon Stoddard in his book,
The Nature of Saving Conversion.
Until men know God, no terror, punishment, or persuasion will make them holy.
Men may be scared into reformation, but not into conversion.
One glimpse of the glory of God will do more than all the punishments in the world to make men holy.
When men know the excellence of God, they cannot keep from choosing Him. The glory of God is such that it captivates the heart; where it is seen it has a magnetic power; it irresistibly conquers the will.
There is no power in the will to resist holiness when the glory of God is seen. It is impossible in nature that men should know God and not be holy. The will always follows the last dictates of the understanding. The understanding is the guide of the will; the will always follows its direction.
This discovery leaves such a sense and impression on the heart as inclines it forever to judge so concerning God. They never forget what they have seen.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Love Song of Moses & The Lamb
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb (Rev 15:3).
Faith Alone
Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
What is the law? It is the only standard of righteousness. It is the law of God. It is called the Law of Moses. It is divided into three parts: the moral, the civil, and the ceremonial. There is only one law of God and it emanates out of the heart of God. Sin is described as the transgression of that law (1 John 3:4). Sin is lawlessness. If there is no law there is no sin. But if we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us.
Who is under it? All sinners are under the law and its condemnation. Only those who are under grace are not under the law.
What is the purpose of the law? According to this text in Romans 3, the purpose of the law is to indict us sinners. It says, “… that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28).
Those who attempt to justify themselves are still trusting in their own righteousness. Those who think God judges on the curve by comparing themselves with other humans have not had their mouths stopped. Those who think God can be just and simply forgive them without due process have not seen the truth about themselves and God. They have made and image of a non-existent god.
We are saved by faith alone. Sola fide. But it is impossible to come to saving faith unless the law convinces us of sin and shuts our mouths. Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit to convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Until a person is convinced of those things, he will not see the need for the work of Christ. Until his mouth is stopped and he quits trusting in his own righteousness and quits seeking to justify himself, he is no candidate for salvation. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. The purpose of the law is to slay us. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Rom 7:9).
Thus we see that the true convert to Christ has a romance with the law because it brought him to Christ. It could not save him because of his sin, but with the help of the Holy Spirit it showed him his need for a Savior. It convinced him that faith in Christ alone could save him. He sings with the psalmist, “O how I love Thy law. It is my meditation all the day” (Psa 119:97). The true convert to Christ has a love affair with God’s law because it is not longer on tablets of stone condemning him. It is now in his heart by means of the Holy Spirit (Jer 31:33). He now sings the song of both Moses AND the Lamb.
We are not saved by faith PLUS works. But according to Scripture, true faith results in obedience. That is why on judgment day we will not be judged by our faith. It says we will be judged by our works (Rev 20:12). True faith is not just mental ascent. It involves recumbence and total surrender. We are saved by grace through faith; and that faith is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. We become a new creation, and all things become new. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Our old proclivity to sin has been replaced with a bias toward righteousness (not sinless perfection).
The offspring of the church are called those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17). And in Rev 14:12-13, the saints are described as those who keep BOTH the commandments of God AND the faith of Jesus.
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev 14:12-13).
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience (Heb 4:9-11).
Notice that “they may rest from their [own] labors” but “their works follow them.” “And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Heb 3:18-19). In this passage, unbelief is synonymous with “those who did not obey.” True faith always results in obedience.
Blessed are those who have heard the joyful sound and can sing both the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Notice how they walk.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance (Ps 89:15).
God’s servants always preach repentance from dead works AND faith toward Christ. Paul was constantly “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God (1 John 3:9 NIV).
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Mt 7:21).
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:17-20).
This is the gospel preached by our spiritual fathers like Whitefield, John Bunyan, Spurgeon, Edwards and the Puritans. This is the gospel that saves and changes cultures. This is the gospel of the Bible.
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
and the song of the Lamb (Rev 15:3).
Faith Alone
Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
What is the law? It is the only standard of righteousness. It is the law of God. It is called the Law of Moses. It is divided into three parts: the moral, the civil, and the ceremonial. There is only one law of God and it emanates out of the heart of God. Sin is described as the transgression of that law (1 John 3:4). Sin is lawlessness. If there is no law there is no sin. But if we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us.
Who is under it? All sinners are under the law and its condemnation. Only those who are under grace are not under the law.
What is the purpose of the law? According to this text in Romans 3, the purpose of the law is to indict us sinners. It says, “… that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28).
Those who attempt to justify themselves are still trusting in their own righteousness. Those who think God judges on the curve by comparing themselves with other humans have not had their mouths stopped. Those who think God can be just and simply forgive them without due process have not seen the truth about themselves and God. They have made and image of a non-existent god.
We are saved by faith alone. Sola fide. But it is impossible to come to saving faith unless the law convinces us of sin and shuts our mouths. Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit to convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Until a person is convinced of those things, he will not see the need for the work of Christ. Until his mouth is stopped and he quits trusting in his own righteousness and quits seeking to justify himself, he is no candidate for salvation. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. The purpose of the law is to slay us. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Rom 7:9).
Thus we see that the true convert to Christ has a romance with the law because it brought him to Christ. It could not save him because of his sin, but with the help of the Holy Spirit it showed him his need for a Savior. It convinced him that faith in Christ alone could save him. He sings with the psalmist, “O how I love Thy law. It is my meditation all the day” (Psa 119:97). The true convert to Christ has a love affair with God’s law because it is not longer on tablets of stone condemning him. It is now in his heart by means of the Holy Spirit (Jer 31:33). He now sings the song of both Moses AND the Lamb.
We are not saved by faith PLUS works. But according to Scripture, true faith results in obedience. That is why on judgment day we will not be judged by our faith. It says we will be judged by our works (Rev 20:12). True faith is not just mental ascent. It involves recumbence and total surrender. We are saved by grace through faith; and that faith is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. We become a new creation, and all things become new. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Our old proclivity to sin has been replaced with a bias toward righteousness (not sinless perfection).
The offspring of the church are called those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17). And in Rev 14:12-13, the saints are described as those who keep BOTH the commandments of God AND the faith of Jesus.
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev 14:12-13).
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience (Heb 4:9-11).
Notice that “they may rest from their [own] labors” but “their works follow them.” “And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Heb 3:18-19). In this passage, unbelief is synonymous with “those who did not obey.” True faith always results in obedience.
Blessed are those who have heard the joyful sound and can sing both the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Notice how they walk.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance (Ps 89:15).
God’s servants always preach repentance from dead works AND faith toward Christ. Paul was constantly “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God (1 John 3:9 NIV).
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Mt 7:21).
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:17-20).
This is the gospel preached by our spiritual fathers like Whitefield, John Bunyan, Spurgeon, Edwards and the Puritans. This is the gospel that saves and changes cultures. This is the gospel of the Bible.
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Gift of Prophecy
TEXT: 1 Thess 5:20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Intro: God commands us to not look down on prophecies because there is a natural tendency for rational people to do that. When someone says God is speaking, we tend to despise it and say it is only another human opinion. Also, when prophets do strange things it seems a little crazy. Agabus bound himself with Paul’s belt and used that as an illustration that Paul would be bound when he went to Jerusalem. A prophet in the Old Testament commanded a man to hit him as another illustration. Isaiah walked through the streets naked as an illustration of how God would carry His people away naked as captives. When God sent a prophet to anoint Jehu as king, “Then Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, ‘Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?’ And he said to them, “You know the man and his babble” (2Kings 9:11). This illustrates the normal attitude of humans to “speak evil of whatever they do not know” (Jude 10). (Jude, however, was speaking of false teachers.)
We should not despise prophecies, but on the other hand Paul tells us not to be gullible in receiving just anything. He says we should “test all things” and “hold fast what is good.” How can we test all things? What is the standard? Since the Old Testament prophets had been tried and tested, it seems to me that they should be the standard. And since the Apostles had been tried and tested with signs, wonders and the personal teaching of Christ Himself, and were proven to be in accord with the Old Testament prophets, they too should be the standard. Anything that contradicts what the prophets and apostles said and taught should be rejected.
Some claim that the gift of prophecy ceased when the canon was completed. The first Reformers, however, knew of no such doctrine. John Knox made several prophesies that were shortly fulfilled. See my tract on that where I document from The Life of John Knox by Thomas M’Crie.
"Being conveyed to the pulpit [in his old age], and summoning up the remainder of his strength, he thundered the vengeance of Heaven against that cruel murderer and false traitor, the King of France, and desired Le Croc, the French ambassador, to tell his master, that sentence was pronounced against him in Scotland, that the divine vengeance would never depart from him, nor from his house, if repentance did not ensue; but his name would remain an execration to posterity, and none proceeding from his loins would enjoy that kingdom in peace."
That prophecy was fulfilled two years later. This was just one example of several in the ministry of John Knox. His son-in-law, John Welch also prophesied, as did scores of the Scottish Covenanters. (Read The Scots Worthies.) Current denials of the gifts of the Spirit are due to the humanist enlightenment. Man’s intelligence is supposedly more enlightened than to believe such things. The Scripture used to prove that the gifts have ceased is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has
come, then that which is in part will be done away."
They say “that which is perfect” is the completion of the New Testament. Did knowledge pass away with the completion of the New Testament? It says, “whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” Paul says two verses later, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Do we now see face to face? Do we now know just as we are known? That seems like heaven to me. Only when we arrive with new bodies will we “put away childish things.”
There seems to be a presupposition, a prejudice, a despising of prophecy that is based on the enlightenment. I know of so-called Reformed men who know nothing of the heritage from which they came. What do they do with the fulfilled prophecies of the reformer Savonarola? They probably have not even read about them. How about Columba (600 AD) and his 50 miracles and prophecies? Do they just deny them? On what basis? PREJUDICE AND UNBELIEF! Despise not prophesies!
Proposition: How can we prove all things?
There are three areas I would like us to consider. 1. How to know a false prophet. 2. How prophets are still human. 3. How the prophet still has self-control.
I. How Can We Recognize False Prophets?
God tells us through Moses in Dt. 18
20 ‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who
speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’--
22 “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
False prophets can sometimes make a true prophecy; but not 100% of the time. True prophets never miss. Thus we have Edgar Casey, Jean Dixon, and many others who dazzle the people and tickle their fancies. But when they miss, they just dismiss it and forget it. The same is true with all the prophecy books and their misses. They rake in the money and the people just forget.
In front of the congregation, a traveling prophet told a sick man that he would be healed and he died. The pastor was left with the dilemma of how to explain this to the people. He told them that the promise was conditioned on faith and the man who died did not believe. The fact is the prophet was false, according to Moses. “You shall not be afraid of him.”
Prophecy is not learned or conjured up. It comes from God. God initiates it. God has no trouble communicating when He wants to. Only the pagans like the prophets of Baal need to work themselves into a frenzy to hear from God. Anyone that says, “I missed God that time” is not a prophet of God according to Moses.
I hear both non-charismatic and charismatic people say, “God told me this” or “God told me that.” These people seem to hear from God more than the prophet Elijah did! It strikes me as blasphemous. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Our Reformed forefathers would not dare to make such statements.
II. The Human Aspect of Prophets
According to Peter, the Old Testament prophets did not always clearly understand what they were saying.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Pet 1:10-11).
Paul said the mystery had been hidden from the ages but is now revealed through Christ and His apostles (Col 1:26). Psalm 102:18 says it would be written for the generation to come. Prophets spoke in enigmas, visions, and dreams. God spoke to Moses plainly and face to face, but to the prophets in riddles (Numbers 12).
When Agabus told Paul he would be taken captive at Jerusalem, his friends begged him not to go. Prophecy can be mis-interpreted by jumping to unfounded conclusions. Paul responded that he was not only willing for captivity, but also to lay down his life.
III. How The Prophet Has Self-control
True prophets do not work themselves up into “Dervish” frenzies. They do not conjure up or work up a message from God. They simply pray as Elijah a short fervent prayer. Prophecy does not come by the will of man. Holy men of God speak as they are moved by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:21).
Someone said, “I could not control myself. I just had to speak…” But Paul says, “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor 14:32).
When the High Priest prophesied that someone must die for the nation, he was probably not even aware that he was prophesying. He willfully spoke out of what he saw in his own mind. God made him see it and he spoke.
When Saul lay naked all night prophesying, he was not out of control. His carnal nature added that part. The First Great Awakening in Kentucky witnessed people falling and barking like dogs. Why? Like Saul, it was their own rebelliousness added to the powerful sense of God’s Presence. God did not do it. They did. God does not possess men like demons do.
Conclusion:
1Co 14:39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
It is up to God to speak through us. He does it when He wants to and not when we “confure” it. But we can pray for inspiration and the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. Several times God has inspired me to speak things that came to pass - usually through dreams and sometimes not. But I have no control over that. We must submit to the sovereign will of God and not be seeking thrills. Everything, like the prophets of old, must be related to the covenant.
One can prophesy like King Saul and not have any character at all.
Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and
done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness” (Mat 7:22-23)!
Intro: God commands us to not look down on prophecies because there is a natural tendency for rational people to do that. When someone says God is speaking, we tend to despise it and say it is only another human opinion. Also, when prophets do strange things it seems a little crazy. Agabus bound himself with Paul’s belt and used that as an illustration that Paul would be bound when he went to Jerusalem. A prophet in the Old Testament commanded a man to hit him as another illustration. Isaiah walked through the streets naked as an illustration of how God would carry His people away naked as captives. When God sent a prophet to anoint Jehu as king, “Then Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, ‘Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?’ And he said to them, “You know the man and his babble” (2Kings 9:11). This illustrates the normal attitude of humans to “speak evil of whatever they do not know” (Jude 10). (Jude, however, was speaking of false teachers.)
We should not despise prophecies, but on the other hand Paul tells us not to be gullible in receiving just anything. He says we should “test all things” and “hold fast what is good.” How can we test all things? What is the standard? Since the Old Testament prophets had been tried and tested, it seems to me that they should be the standard. And since the Apostles had been tried and tested with signs, wonders and the personal teaching of Christ Himself, and were proven to be in accord with the Old Testament prophets, they too should be the standard. Anything that contradicts what the prophets and apostles said and taught should be rejected.
Some claim that the gift of prophecy ceased when the canon was completed. The first Reformers, however, knew of no such doctrine. John Knox made several prophesies that were shortly fulfilled. See my tract on that where I document from The Life of John Knox by Thomas M’Crie.
"Being conveyed to the pulpit [in his old age], and summoning up the remainder of his strength, he thundered the vengeance of Heaven against that cruel murderer and false traitor, the King of France, and desired Le Croc, the French ambassador, to tell his master, that sentence was pronounced against him in Scotland, that the divine vengeance would never depart from him, nor from his house, if repentance did not ensue; but his name would remain an execration to posterity, and none proceeding from his loins would enjoy that kingdom in peace."
That prophecy was fulfilled two years later. This was just one example of several in the ministry of John Knox. His son-in-law, John Welch also prophesied, as did scores of the Scottish Covenanters. (Read The Scots Worthies.) Current denials of the gifts of the Spirit are due to the humanist enlightenment. Man’s intelligence is supposedly more enlightened than to believe such things. The Scripture used to prove that the gifts have ceased is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has
come, then that which is in part will be done away."
They say “that which is perfect” is the completion of the New Testament. Did knowledge pass away with the completion of the New Testament? It says, “whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” Paul says two verses later, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Do we now see face to face? Do we now know just as we are known? That seems like heaven to me. Only when we arrive with new bodies will we “put away childish things.”
There seems to be a presupposition, a prejudice, a despising of prophecy that is based on the enlightenment. I know of so-called Reformed men who know nothing of the heritage from which they came. What do they do with the fulfilled prophecies of the reformer Savonarola? They probably have not even read about them. How about Columba (600 AD) and his 50 miracles and prophecies? Do they just deny them? On what basis? PREJUDICE AND UNBELIEF! Despise not prophesies!
Proposition: How can we prove all things?
There are three areas I would like us to consider. 1. How to know a false prophet. 2. How prophets are still human. 3. How the prophet still has self-control.
I. How Can We Recognize False Prophets?
God tells us through Moses in Dt. 18
20 ‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who
speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’--
22 “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
False prophets can sometimes make a true prophecy; but not 100% of the time. True prophets never miss. Thus we have Edgar Casey, Jean Dixon, and many others who dazzle the people and tickle their fancies. But when they miss, they just dismiss it and forget it. The same is true with all the prophecy books and their misses. They rake in the money and the people just forget.
In front of the congregation, a traveling prophet told a sick man that he would be healed and he died. The pastor was left with the dilemma of how to explain this to the people. He told them that the promise was conditioned on faith and the man who died did not believe. The fact is the prophet was false, according to Moses. “You shall not be afraid of him.”
Prophecy is not learned or conjured up. It comes from God. God initiates it. God has no trouble communicating when He wants to. Only the pagans like the prophets of Baal need to work themselves into a frenzy to hear from God. Anyone that says, “I missed God that time” is not a prophet of God according to Moses.
I hear both non-charismatic and charismatic people say, “God told me this” or “God told me that.” These people seem to hear from God more than the prophet Elijah did! It strikes me as blasphemous. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Our Reformed forefathers would not dare to make such statements.
II. The Human Aspect of Prophets
According to Peter, the Old Testament prophets did not always clearly understand what they were saying.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Pet 1:10-11).
Paul said the mystery had been hidden from the ages but is now revealed through Christ and His apostles (Col 1:26). Psalm 102:18 says it would be written for the generation to come. Prophets spoke in enigmas, visions, and dreams. God spoke to Moses plainly and face to face, but to the prophets in riddles (Numbers 12).
When Agabus told Paul he would be taken captive at Jerusalem, his friends begged him not to go. Prophecy can be mis-interpreted by jumping to unfounded conclusions. Paul responded that he was not only willing for captivity, but also to lay down his life.
III. How The Prophet Has Self-control
True prophets do not work themselves up into “Dervish” frenzies. They do not conjure up or work up a message from God. They simply pray as Elijah a short fervent prayer. Prophecy does not come by the will of man. Holy men of God speak as they are moved by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:21).
Someone said, “I could not control myself. I just had to speak…” But Paul says, “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor 14:32).
When the High Priest prophesied that someone must die for the nation, he was probably not even aware that he was prophesying. He willfully spoke out of what he saw in his own mind. God made him see it and he spoke.
When Saul lay naked all night prophesying, he was not out of control. His carnal nature added that part. The First Great Awakening in Kentucky witnessed people falling and barking like dogs. Why? Like Saul, it was their own rebelliousness added to the powerful sense of God’s Presence. God did not do it. They did. God does not possess men like demons do.
Conclusion:
1Co 14:39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
It is up to God to speak through us. He does it when He wants to and not when we “confure” it. But we can pray for inspiration and the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. Several times God has inspired me to speak things that came to pass - usually through dreams and sometimes not. But I have no control over that. We must submit to the sovereign will of God and not be seeking thrills. Everything, like the prophets of old, must be related to the covenant.
One can prophesy like King Saul and not have any character at all.
Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and
done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness” (Mat 7:22-23)!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Many Comings Of The Lord
In the midst of high winds on a shrimp boat, Forest Gump’s Lieutenant Dan challenged God. Then Forest said, “And God showed up” (in a hurricane). There is a sense in which the Lord has come many times in judgment and in salvation. He has come several times bringing the armies of other nations with Him. Let us allow the word of God to wash our brains from non-biblical concepts. Please look at the following examples of the Lord’s many comings in Scripture. Let our minds be cleansed by “the washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:26) and allow it to teach us to think biblically.
God Came Down To The Tower of Babel
Gen 11:5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
God Came Down To Visit Sarah
Gen 18:10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
God Came Down To Sodom
Gen 18:21 “I will go down now [to Sodom] …”
God Came Down To Deliver Israel From Egypt
Exo 3:8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land.
The Lord Came Down To Deliver Deborah
Jud 5:13 Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
God Came Down To Deliver David
Ps 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
God Brought a Nation With Him From Afar
Deut 28:49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand.
The LORD Came With His Army of Medes to Destroy Babylon
Isaiah 13 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw… The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle. They come from a far country, From the end of heaven-- The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it… For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them (Isa 13:1,4,5,10,17 NKJV). [Fulfilled 536 BC]
The Lord Came To Egypt With Babylon
The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst (Isa 19:1NKJV).
Clark’s Commentary and many others say this was fulfilled when Babylon punished Egypt.
The Lord Came Down And Defeated Assyria
Isaiah 31:4b So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill
John Gill’s Commentary says God came down against the Assyrian army around 720 BC. We see the Lord’s coming many times in the Old Testament. In observing the preceding examples, could it not be that Jesus was speaking the same Holy Spirit language in the Olivet Discourse? Is there some reason He would speak differently from all the other inspired Hebrew prophets just as He had always spoken through them?
The description of Christ’s coming in Matthew 24 is similar to the coming in Daniel 7. Jesus is obviously citing what Daniel described. “One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days …” (Dan 7:13 NKJV). “…[T]hey will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mat 24:30). Jesus again referred to Daniel 7 when He said to the High Priest, “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mat 26:64). Nowhere else in the Old Testament is this terminology,“Son of Man coming on the clouds,” used except in Daniel 7. But notice that in Daniel He is not coming to earth. He is coming to the Ancient of Days. Did He not do that in the ascension to the Father? How then, would the High Priest see this since he died around A.D. 40? Could it be that he would see it after he had died? How could he see Christ ascending to the Father after it had already taken place? It seems to be a hieroglyphic word picture meaning that he would meet Christ at the judgment seat and see His ascended authority.
Jesus also said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Mat 16:28). Some explain this by saying that Peter, James, and John saw him coming in His kingdom in the next chapter at the Mount of Transfiguration. But if we say that they saw Him coming then, what is the difference in saying that He came in His kingdom in A.D. 70? Did He not also say, “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20 NKJV). The sign of His coming and the end of the Old Testament age came with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Through that sign every eye saw him coming and not just his disciples to whom He had appeared resurrected.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Mat 24:30 NKJV).
Just because every eye saw it does not mean they acknowledged it, just as Ezekiel prophesied concerning the destruction of the first Temple that they would “know I am the LORD.”
And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them (Ezek 6:10 NKJV).
Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words says the word translated coming when the disciples asked about the sign of His coming (Mat 24:3) is the Greek word parousia. It means presence. Jesus said He would be with us to the end of the age (Mat 28:20). He also said He would be present where two or three are gathered in His name (Mat 18:20). Below is what Vine says.
parousia>
lit., "a presence," para, "with," and ousia, "being" (from eimi, "to be"), denotes both an "arrival" and a consequent "presence with." For instance, in a papyrus letter a lady speaks of the necessity of her parousia in a place in order to attend to matters relating to her property there. Paul speaks of his parousia in Philippi, Phil. 2:12 (in contrast to his apousia, "his absence;" see ABSENCE). Other words denote "the arrival"…
But the word for coming in Mat. 24:30 (“coming on the clouds”) is not parousia (presence), but is erchomai. It means “to come” or to “arrive.” Jesus was quoting Daniel 7 where Daniel saw the Son of Man coming with the clouds to the Ancient of Days. He “arrived” in the ascension and sat down at the right hand of the Father.
These Comings Are Also Called Visitations.
Please analyze how the Lord’s coming and His visitations are used in the Scriptures listed below. You will see that His presence and His visitations were not meant as physically present, but as spiritually present.
1 Sam 2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Psalm 17:3 You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psalm 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people; Oh, visit me with Your salvation
Psalm 80:14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine
Jer 15:15 O LORD, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not take me away in Your longsuffering. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
Jer 29:10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place
Amos 3:14 "That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
1Peter 2:12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Luke 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side 44 "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
Acts 15:14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
Gen 21:1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Gen 50:24 And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
Luke 1:68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,
Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
1Peter 2:12… they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
God Came Down To The Tower of Babel
Gen 11:5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
God Came Down To Visit Sarah
Gen 18:10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
God Came Down To Sodom
Gen 18:21 “I will go down now [to Sodom] …”
God Came Down To Deliver Israel From Egypt
Exo 3:8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land.
The Lord Came Down To Deliver Deborah
Jud 5:13 Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
God Came Down To Deliver David
Ps 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
God Brought a Nation With Him From Afar
Deut 28:49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand.
The LORD Came With His Army of Medes to Destroy Babylon
Isaiah 13 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw… The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle. They come from a far country, From the end of heaven-- The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it… For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them (Isa 13:1,4,5,10,17 NKJV). [Fulfilled 536 BC]
The Lord Came To Egypt With Babylon
The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst (Isa 19:1NKJV).
Clark’s Commentary and many others say this was fulfilled when Babylon punished Egypt.
The Lord Came Down And Defeated Assyria
Isaiah 31:4b So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill
John Gill’s Commentary says God came down against the Assyrian army around 720 BC. We see the Lord’s coming many times in the Old Testament. In observing the preceding examples, could it not be that Jesus was speaking the same Holy Spirit language in the Olivet Discourse? Is there some reason He would speak differently from all the other inspired Hebrew prophets just as He had always spoken through them?
The description of Christ’s coming in Matthew 24 is similar to the coming in Daniel 7. Jesus is obviously citing what Daniel described. “One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days …” (Dan 7:13 NKJV). “…[T]hey will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mat 24:30). Jesus again referred to Daniel 7 when He said to the High Priest, “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mat 26:64). Nowhere else in the Old Testament is this terminology,“Son of Man coming on the clouds,” used except in Daniel 7. But notice that in Daniel He is not coming to earth. He is coming to the Ancient of Days. Did He not do that in the ascension to the Father? How then, would the High Priest see this since he died around A.D. 40? Could it be that he would see it after he had died? How could he see Christ ascending to the Father after it had already taken place? It seems to be a hieroglyphic word picture meaning that he would meet Christ at the judgment seat and see His ascended authority.
Jesus also said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Mat 16:28). Some explain this by saying that Peter, James, and John saw him coming in His kingdom in the next chapter at the Mount of Transfiguration. But if we say that they saw Him coming then, what is the difference in saying that He came in His kingdom in A.D. 70? Did He not also say, “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20 NKJV). The sign of His coming and the end of the Old Testament age came with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Through that sign every eye saw him coming and not just his disciples to whom He had appeared resurrected.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Mat 24:30 NKJV).
Just because every eye saw it does not mean they acknowledged it, just as Ezekiel prophesied concerning the destruction of the first Temple that they would “know I am the LORD.”
And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them (Ezek 6:10 NKJV).
Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words says the word translated coming when the disciples asked about the sign of His coming (Mat 24:3) is the Greek word parousia. It means presence. Jesus said He would be with us to the end of the age (Mat 28:20). He also said He would be present where two or three are gathered in His name (Mat 18:20). Below is what Vine says.
parousia>
lit., "a presence," para, "with," and ousia, "being" (from eimi, "to be"), denotes both an "arrival" and a consequent "presence with." For instance, in a papyrus letter a lady speaks of the necessity of her parousia in a place in order to attend to matters relating to her property there. Paul speaks of his parousia in Philippi, Phil. 2:12 (in contrast to his apousia, "his absence;" see ABSENCE). Other words denote "the arrival"…
But the word for coming in Mat. 24:30 (“coming on the clouds”) is not parousia (presence), but is erchomai. It means “to come” or to “arrive.” Jesus was quoting Daniel 7 where Daniel saw the Son of Man coming with the clouds to the Ancient of Days. He “arrived” in the ascension and sat down at the right hand of the Father.
These Comings Are Also Called Visitations.
Please analyze how the Lord’s coming and His visitations are used in the Scriptures listed below. You will see that His presence and His visitations were not meant as physically present, but as spiritually present.
1 Sam 2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Psalm 17:3 You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psalm 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people; Oh, visit me with Your salvation
Psalm 80:14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine
Jer 15:15 O LORD, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not take me away in Your longsuffering. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
Jer 29:10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place
Amos 3:14 "That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
1Peter 2:12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Luke 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side 44 "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
Acts 15:14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
Gen 21:1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Gen 50:24 And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
Luke 1:68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,
Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
1Peter 2:12… they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
Monday, August 20, 2007
Is Jesus Coming Soon?
Is Jesus Coming Soon?
By Ron Smith
We hear many people say that Jesus is coming soon. But in reading the great Puritan preachers of days gone by, none preached that way. Notice what Spurgeon said:
Your guess at the number of the beast, your conjectures concerning a personal antichrist – it seems to me the veriest drivel to be muttering about an Armageddon – forgive me, I count them mere bones for dogs; while men are dying and hell is filling, generation after generation of them have been proved to be in error by the mere lapse of time.
But some will ask, “Doesn’t the Bible say Jesus is coming soon?’
Notice what St. Augustine said:
Luke to show that the abomination spoken of by Daniel will take place when Jerusalem is captured, recalls these words of the Lord in the same context: When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand (Luke 21:20). For Luke very clearly bears witness that the prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled when Jerusalem was overthrown. (vol. 6, p. 170) 419AD Augustine (On Matthew 24:15)
Note what the “Golden Mouthed” preacher said:
375AD 'John' Chrysostom, Homily St. Matthew: (On Matthew 24:15) "For this it seems to me that the abomination of desolation means the army by which the holy city of Jerusalem was made desolate." For He brought in also a prophecy, to confirm their desolation, saying, "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation,spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let him that readeth understand."(12) He referred them to Daniel. And by" abomination" He meaneth the statue of him who then took the city, which he who desolated the city and the temple placed within the temple, wherefore Christ calleth it, "of desolation." Moreover, in order that they might learn that these things will be while some of them are alive, therefore He said, "When ye see the abomination of desolation." (Of Matthew 24:1,2)
Some who boast in a literal interpretation of the Bible refuse to interpret “soon” literally. Jesus said that the prophecy of His coming would be fulfilled in that generation (Mat. 24:34) and that some of those standing there would still be alive (Mat 16:28). John is one who remained until He came (John 21:22).
C.S. Lewis says these statements by Jesus and the Apostles are one of the “great embarrassments” to the Church. In his essay on The World’s Last Night he discusses the problem with the statement by Jesus that His coming would take place in that generation (Mat 24:34).
But there is worse to come. “Say what you like,” we shall be told, “the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, “this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.” And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else.
It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.
Lewis goes on to offer his solution to the dilemma. He says that because Jesus was both man and God, his human side was mistaken. The problem with that solution is that Jesus was not giving His opinion; He was prophesying. That would make Him a false prophet. At least Lewis is honest enough to admit the problem is there. The solution offered here presupposes the infallible inspiration of Scripture, and offers the only logical solution the author can see. Perhaps there has been a failure to see that the prophecy was fulfilled in the same sense as all the other Old Testament “comings” of the Lord were fulfilled.
R.C. Sproul says Bertrand Russell used these statements of Jesus and the apostles as proof that the New Testament is a false prophecy. Since Russell was operating out of the nature of the “natural man,” and could not discern spiritual things, this is the only honest conclusion to which he could possibly arrive. Could it be that those who say Jesus is coming soon are operating out of a carnal interpretation also?
For a more complete understanding of this, read Sproul’s book, “The Last Days According to Jesus.”
Other Good Books On This Subject For Truth Seekers
Matthew 24, by John Bray
Days of Vengeance, by David Chilton
The Great Tribulation by David Chilton
Paradise Restored by David Chilton
Before Jerusalem Fell by Kenneth Gentry
The Visions of Daniel by Ron Smith
Apostolic Interpretation by Ron Smith
Last Days Madness, by Gary DeMar
End Times Fiction by Gary DeMar
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
By Ron Smith
We hear many people say that Jesus is coming soon. But in reading the great Puritan preachers of days gone by, none preached that way. Notice what Spurgeon said:
Your guess at the number of the beast, your conjectures concerning a personal antichrist – it seems to me the veriest drivel to be muttering about an Armageddon – forgive me, I count them mere bones for dogs; while men are dying and hell is filling, generation after generation of them have been proved to be in error by the mere lapse of time.
But some will ask, “Doesn’t the Bible say Jesus is coming soon?’
Notice what St. Augustine said:
Luke to show that the abomination spoken of by Daniel will take place when Jerusalem is captured, recalls these words of the Lord in the same context: When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand (Luke 21:20). For Luke very clearly bears witness that the prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled when Jerusalem was overthrown. (vol. 6, p. 170) 419AD Augustine (On Matthew 24:15)
Note what the “Golden Mouthed” preacher said:
375AD 'John' Chrysostom, Homily St. Matthew: (On Matthew 24:15) "For this it seems to me that the abomination of desolation means the army by which the holy city of Jerusalem was made desolate." For He brought in also a prophecy, to confirm their desolation, saying, "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation,spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let him that readeth understand."(12) He referred them to Daniel. And by" abomination" He meaneth the statue of him who then took the city, which he who desolated the city and the temple placed within the temple, wherefore Christ calleth it, "of desolation." Moreover, in order that they might learn that these things will be while some of them are alive, therefore He said, "When ye see the abomination of desolation." (Of Matthew 24:1,2)
Some who boast in a literal interpretation of the Bible refuse to interpret “soon” literally. Jesus said that the prophecy of His coming would be fulfilled in that generation (Mat. 24:34) and that some of those standing there would still be alive (Mat 16:28). John is one who remained until He came (John 21:22).
C.S. Lewis says these statements by Jesus and the Apostles are one of the “great embarrassments” to the Church. In his essay on The World’s Last Night he discusses the problem with the statement by Jesus that His coming would take place in that generation (Mat 24:34).
But there is worse to come. “Say what you like,” we shall be told, “the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, “this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.” And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else.
It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.
Lewis goes on to offer his solution to the dilemma. He says that because Jesus was both man and God, his human side was mistaken. The problem with that solution is that Jesus was not giving His opinion; He was prophesying. That would make Him a false prophet. At least Lewis is honest enough to admit the problem is there. The solution offered here presupposes the infallible inspiration of Scripture, and offers the only logical solution the author can see. Perhaps there has been a failure to see that the prophecy was fulfilled in the same sense as all the other Old Testament “comings” of the Lord were fulfilled.
R.C. Sproul says Bertrand Russell used these statements of Jesus and the apostles as proof that the New Testament is a false prophecy. Since Russell was operating out of the nature of the “natural man,” and could not discern spiritual things, this is the only honest conclusion to which he could possibly arrive. Could it be that those who say Jesus is coming soon are operating out of a carnal interpretation also?
For a more complete understanding of this, read Sproul’s book, “The Last Days According to Jesus.”
Other Good Books On This Subject For Truth Seekers
Matthew 24, by John Bray
Days of Vengeance, by David Chilton
The Great Tribulation by David Chilton
Paradise Restored by David Chilton
Before Jerusalem Fell by Kenneth Gentry
The Visions of Daniel by Ron Smith
Apostolic Interpretation by Ron Smith
Last Days Madness, by Gary DeMar
End Times Fiction by Gary DeMar
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
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