Apologetics
What is the “end time”? Most people are familiar with the term, but do they realize the implications of that phrase. In today’s society, at least in the USA, people seem to be going on with business as usual. This is expected of the people that haven’t been told of the coming of Christ, but the Christians of our land should be busy winning souls to Christ. Are some of you grasping the reason why we need to witness to the lost more today than ever before? If we fail to do as Christ commanded us in “the Great Commission”; we have the blood of untold souls on our hands. More than trying to care for the person, we must try to bring the soul into the Kingdom of God. The Day of the Lord is near, it’s not just something a “crazy man with a picket sign” believes, like Hollywood tries to portray. There are a number of men of God, including this writer, that believe that the days are coming very soon, when God’s spirit will be removed from the earth. Let’s look at some of the signs that give us this idea.
First, let’s look at what is happening in the Middle East. Israel’s Prime Minister Sharon has agreed to a “road map to peace” authored by the US. The Palestinian Prime Minister has agreed with this “road map to peace”. The peace plan will take three years to implement, but it won’t work. The Word of God says, in Daniel 9:26, “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.”(NIV) Israel will not know peace, except the short period when Anti-Christ offers a false peace. Daniel 9:27, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”(NIV) This may not seem to be a declaration of peace and war, but look at the verse and think of the implications. “A covenant” is a binding agreement, so an agreement is established between the Anti-Christ and Israel, seemingly, for the purpose of setting up the temple. The rebuilding of the temple is the goal of many Jews today, and it has also been prophetically written in the Bible to be in place at the end of time. Since there is to be a temple for him to desecrate and sacrifices and offerings for him to stop, then we may assume that there is a time of peace to fully re-establish the Jewish religion and all of its rites. When the Anti-Christ sets up the “abomination that causes desecration”, this will undoubtedly cause Jewish priests and religious people to speak out against him, causing much strife and probably violent outbreaks.
Let’s look at the current state of world governments. Is there a “one world government” establishing itself? As we study prophecy, and the current events of the world, the rebirth of the Roman Empire would seem to be nearing. Daniel was given a vision of a kingdom that would give rise to the Anti-Christ at the end of days. Daniel 7:23-25, “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth. It will be different from all other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.” Many interpreters of prophecy have agreed that this fourth kingdom is the rebirth of the Roman Empire. Other prophetic scriptures in Daniel seem to support this interpretation. Most people would automatically assume that the UN would be that future kingdom. But, let’s look at the government entity that already closely resembles the Roman Empire. When compared on maps, the similarities are astonishing between the Roman Empire and the European Union.
The European Union is a government system that is quickly becoming more influential and growing in member countries. Less than fifty years have passed since six countries, including Italy and Germany, began the process of unifying Europe under one government. In that short period of time, the EU has grown to fifteen member states, with thirteen applying for membership and others with treaties of association. This is a government that already has an established uniform currency system among member nations. This system has, in just three years, become as strong as the US Dollar. In the prophecy of Daniel, stated above, this fourth kingdom is described as being “different from all other kingdoms.” The EU has quietly become a world power that will soon have control of almost the entire continent of Europe. The Roman Empire attempted to unite the peoples that it conquered. The EU is masquerading as a unifying government similar to the US.
These are only two prophecies associated with the end times. There are more that we will cover in the future. As Christians, we should understand the truth of the end times. The Church should be aware of the imminent return of Jesus to take His Bride. What is the church’s task? Do we need to build gymnasiums for the youth? Do we need to have multimillion-dollar churches? Do we need to tell the millions of viewers of our Christian TV show that Jesus wants all Christians to be rich? Or do we need to return to winning souls to the kingdom of God with the message of Christ? We need to tell a lost world that the sinless Jesus, God Incarnate, died on a cross so that we could have everlasting life in heaven. And we need to tell them, without flinching, that there is no other way than Jesus into heaven. All other roads lead to the eternal destruction of hell. The Christians of this country need to shake off the slumber that has overtaken them. If we are to bring the Word of Salvation to the world then we need to begin praying for the boldness of spirit and “studying to show ourselves approved”. I want to share a vision that God gave to me through the Spirit that showed me the importance of what I say.
As I was meditating on the Lord, I had in my mind a vision of the cross. This is my usual way of dwelling on what God has done for me, because it reminds me of the price that was paid to save me from destruction. As I sat there, I watched as the heavens opened up and I saw a very large scroll. There was a hand that never ceased writing what I knew to be names, although I couldn’t read them because of their heavenly language. I was then shown that the scroll was ever turning, and that the scroll was nearing the end of the parchment. The interpretation of the vision was simply that time was nearing completion. We do not have long to remain on this earth; we don’t have time to “love people in”. The church has to return to the original commandment of Christ. We are to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. (NIV)
May God bless you and keep you. Pray for the strength to do that which God has commanded and it will be granted. In all things remember Him and He will remember you in all things.
©2003 J. Thomas LaCroix
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Well written for a difficult and extremely large subject. Bottom line is, I believe, that Christians need to wake-up and get on with the real work that we have been given.
Good article, but no explaination of the "Seventy Sevens" of Daniel.
This is very well thought out and written, good grammar, good flow. I understoom most of it. Some of it though, you almost have to be a student of prophecy to understand.(62 7's-) I salute anyone who tries as I avoid Daniel and Revelations because of my lack of understanding.
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