7 Theology Th in a nutshell What does the futur hold? 12 www.pe.ag.org
e B y K e n H o r n Editor s note: This seventh article in the series Theology in a nutshell is on eschatology, the study of the last things, or end times. I t was called The Great Disappointment. When William Miller s first predicted date of the Lord s return passed uneventfully, a second was set, based on this Christian farmer s complex and questionable calculations. Tens of thousands earnestly awaited the Lord s return on October 22, 1844. Followers abandoned their farms and jobs, and sold their homes and possessions. www.pe.ag.org 13
What does the future hold? When the date came and went, the disappointment hit. There was weeping and despair, especially from those who had given up everything. Many walked away from God, and Miller died in disgrace a few years later. Others have set dates for Christ s return since then, all with the same result. It is impossible to date the time of the Lord s return. Way back in A.D. 425, Augustine stated: In vain, then, do we attempt to compute definitely the years that may remain to this world it is not for us to know this. Yet some have said that four hundred, some five hundred, others a thousand years, may be completed from the ascension of the Lord up to His final coming. But on this subject, He puts aside the figures of the calculators, and orders silence, who says, It is not for you to know the times, which the Father hath put in His own power [Acts 1:7] (City of God). A thousand years was the outside limit Augustine listed but even the year 1000 came and went, followed by 10 more centuries until today we are well into the third millennium A.D. Our current calendar, meant to be dated from the birth of Christ (A.D. stands for Anno Domini, meaning in the year of our Lord ), was actually a few years off by most estimates anyway. Over the years, many have set dates that have gone by the wayside. One obviously discredited book gave 88 reasons for the Rapture to take place on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) in 1988. This was revised to Rosh Hashanah 1989, then every Rosh Hashanah thereafter for a series of years. I received a catalogue in 1982. Its sale page included a book that predicted the Lord s return in 1981. I ve always wondered if anyone actually bought it. In his book Are You Ready? West Coast broadcaster Harold Camping predicted the Lord would return in September 1994. Again, a dud. Other apocalyptic events are also Continued on page 16 LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE SECOND COMING 14 www.pe.ag.org Jesus spoke much about the Second Coming. His great promise in John 14:1-3 is that, though He is going away, He will come again. The Second Coming is extremely vital to the health of the Church in terms of how the Church lives. We use the expression living in the light of the Second Coming, which means that we view ourselves as pilgrims and sojourners according to the apostle Peter understanding this life to be temporal, while the life to come is eternal. Once we start living like Lot who kept moving closer and closer to the world, then became comfortable with the lifestyles of the world finally we will be led as Lot and his family were to accept the culture and philosophy of the world and lose our hope of Christ s coming. The important thing about the Second Coming is that we teach and understand that it can happen at any time. There are no prophecies that would prevent Christ from returning at this very moment. That s what living in the light of the Second Coming is all about. James K. Bridges, General Treasurer of the Assemblies of God
What does the future hold? WE MUST BE BUSY Jesus said, Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near (Luke 21:28, NKJV). The unfolding of world events clearly points to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus also said there would be those such as the five foolish virgins in His illustration who knew He was coming but didn t have oil in their lamps (Matthew 25:1-13). If we really believe that He is coming, then we must be announcing and living with anticipation. It is not business as usual for the Church. Jesus said, Do business till I come (Luke 19:13). We must be busy busy about the right things. Busy with the kingdom of God. In so doing, we will not be caught without oil in our lamps. We ll be ready and the Church will be ready. The Book of Revelation says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:7, et al). It s not whether the Spirit is speaking; it s whether we are hearing. The critical issue today is that we live attuned with one eye on world events and the other eye watching for the Lord s soon return. For He s coming in a twinkling of an eye. It is said there are 20 twinkles in one wink of the eye. So it s going to come suddenly, when we don t expect it. Thomas E. Trask General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God 16 www.pe.ag.org Believers must live with passion and urgency, anticipating the Lord s return. prophesied from time to time. One newsletter predicted a 1999 nuclear attack on the United States. A recent book reads, I now believe that it is possible to date the Rapture. Let Jesus speak on the subject: But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36, NKJV). Jesus will come to rapture His people. We need to be ready. First Thessalonians 4:16,17 describes what will happen: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. The word rapture is from the Latin translation of caught up in verse 17. It describes the catching up of the living saints that accompanies the resurrection of dead believers. The Rapture of the living saints is the first phase of what is commonly called the Second Coming. This event is the blessed hope Paul mentions in Titus 2:13. At this time, Christ comes and snatches away His church without actually setting foot on the earth. * Christ may return at any moment. This next major prophetic event on the horizon has been dramatized by Christian movies and books such as A Thief in the Night and the Left Behind series. Though Christians differ on the details, what s clear is this: Christ could return at any moment. Even if He doesn t return this year, multitudes of people will still die and go into His presence. We must do all we can to reach them. Believers must live with passion and urgency, anticipating the Lord s return. And let Jesus have the last word: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man [Jesus] is coming (Matthew 25:13). Be ready by reaching souls. Being ready for the Rapture is not just about you, as an individual, being ready. It means there is an urgency to reach the lost, those who are at risk of losing their souls. I was privileged to take the Pentecostal Truths course at Bethany College under Ralph Riggs, former general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. In his 80s at the time, he still had Continued on page 18 PE / AUGUST 14 / 2005
On the street WORD ON THE E STREET Staff Writer Christina Quick took to the streets to ask passersby the following questions. Do you think our world will ever come to an end? There will be an end sometime, but I don t think God will be responsible. A long time ago fire burned up everything and then God sank the world. They made a boat and only certain people lived. After that, God said He wouldn t do it anymore. Jose, 19, restaurant worker As long as humanity continues to promote abortion and things like that, they will have to be brought to a just end. Frank, 66, disabled What is the Rapture? God is supposed to come back and pick people up. I suppose it will just be people in a certain category or however it s supposed to work. Daniel, 21, college student It s when Jesus is going to come back. Those that believe in Jesus as their Savior when He returns, He will take them to heaven. Those who have already died and believe in Him, their graves will open up and they ll arise. Kim, 38, stay-at-home mom What is the Second Coming? That s when you go to heaven and that s when everything s going to be all right. That s when life will start as far as I m concerned. Patti, 51, self-described backslidden recovering drug addict I ve heard of it, but I don t know much about it. I know it has something to do with the end of the world, but that s about it. When it happens, I know I have nothing to worry about. I m a devoted Christian. I don t break laws, I m a legal smoker, I m quitting drugs and I was born and raised in the United States. I m a legal citizen. Sarah, 19, high school student What will happen when Jesus returns? Say there s two people; in the twinkling of an eye there will be one. But even non-christians will end up going, I believe. I think it has a lot to do with what you believe. A sinner tries to do their best in life and God knows what your heart is. Linda, 44, part-time lawn care worker He ll destroy the world by fire. Erik, 24, unemployed www.pe.ag.org 17
What does the future hold? passion. Though a lover of hymns, there was one he vocally did not like Hold the Fort. We re not supposed to hold the fort, he would say. We re supposed to be outside the fort battering down the gates of hell. In Jesus parable in Luke 19:13, a certain nobleman called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. That King James Version rendering might make you think He was saying, Hold the fort. But newer translations are clearer, like the NKJV wording, Do business till I come. We are not supposed to be holding ground. We are supposed to be about the business of winning souls. Christians will receive new bodies at the time of the Rapture. Both the living and the resurrected dead will receive transformed bodies. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the Chaplains minister effectively in diverse settings and to people from various backgrounds, traditions and religious beliefs. They are ordinary people who are inspired by extraordinary purpose. The Chaplaincy Department trains, supports and equips those who are inspired to extraordinary ministry by taking the gospel to every person no matter where they are, no matter who they are. HELP EQUIP THEM WITH EXTRAORDINARY COMPASSION THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT. 1445 N. BOONVILLE AVE. SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802-1894 PHONE: 417-862-2781
dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51,52). Since our earthly, corruptible bodies are not compatible with God s eternal kingdom, our bodies must be changed to new, incorruptible ones. We re not clear exactly what that means. We do know for sure, however, that they will be a lot better than the old ones! And they will be eternal. There will be seven years of terrible suffering. Those who are left behind because they do not know Jesus will face a life filled with unspeakable horrors. With the saints removed from the earth, a time of suffering will come upon the whole world. The Tribulation is a period of 7 years, the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27). The last half of the Tribulation period is called the Great Tribulation. * Though not all Christians believe that the Rapture will take place at the beginning of the Tribulation, this is the common belief in the Assemblies of God. * This pre-tribulation view best satisfies the biblical teaching that the Rapture is always imminent it could happen at any time and will have no immediate warning or announcement (Matthew 24:42-44; Mark 13:33-37). * The second coming of Christ will be completed when Christ returns to Earth after the Tribulation. At this time, Christ will appear physically. His feet will appropriately touch the Mount of Olives, the place from which He ascended to heaven. This Africa Tabernacle Evangelism... An Out-ofthe-Box Idea for Africa s Great Revival Prefabricated church roof systems for a growing need in Africa Cost-effective shipped seven at a time in a box, ready to build Quality construction engineered after careful study Quickly erected in a matter of days from the box to full use Partnership-centered local congregation provides the finishing touches as they wish Yes! What a great idea! Send me information on how I can get involved. I would like to give $ now. Name Address City/State/Zip 6267934 (40) Africa Tabernacle Evangelism / 1445 N. Boonville Ave. / Springfield, MO 65802 Phone 417.863.6502 / Fax 417.863.6518 / E-mail tabernacles@ahpac.org
What does the future hold? touches off a whole series of events: After the marriage between the raptured saints and the Lamb in heaven (during the Tribulation), Christ, the Groom, goes forth to claim all of His kingdom. He rides on a white horse, followed by the saints, also on white horses (Revelation 19:11,14). It will be a sight of great wonder and majesty as Christ descends with His followers to reclaim that which Satan has temporarily wrested from His hand. The ensuing conflict between the world of righteousness and the world of darkness is called the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). At the conclusion of the battle, defeated Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20). * There will be a period of 1,000 years of peace and harmony on earth. This is called the Millennium. Since Satan and his fallen angels are banished at this time, this will be 10 centuries of heaven on earth. But it will not yet be the perfect, eternal state: Satan will be released for a little season to test the love, faith, and loyalty of those individuals born during the Millennium and therefore still untested as to their choice between right and wrong. The rebellion of Satan and those who choose to follow him will be short-lived. Fire will come down from heaven and devour the opposition. Satan will then be permanently cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20). * There will be a terrible time of judgment upon all the wicked dead. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment. All who appear here EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE Let me on behalf of many ministers apologize to the people. The Second Coming message has been almost scandalized by con artists and sensationalists, and our people have been hurt. Viewers of Christian television hear every kind of slant and every wind of doctrine concerning eschatology, including speakers who set dates for the Lord s return. We need to start from ground zero with the simple fact that Jesus said, I am coming again. To me that is the greatest of all prophetic utterances. The Master has said, I am going to come again and you can t figure out when I am coming. The Second Coming keeps our minds on the eternal context of our salvation. I think too many Christians are preparing to be comfortable instead of preparing to be ready. They are looking to perfect their circumstances rather than their dedication. We must realize that all of this stuff here is temporary. We re getting ready to live; we re not really living yet. Charles T. Crabtree Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God 20 www.pe.ag.org PE / AUGUST 14 / 2005
will face God before being banished into an eternity without Him. This eternal fate of those who reject Jesus should motivate every believer to try harder than ever to reach the lost. There will be new heavens and a new Earth. Revelation 21 begins with John s view of new heavens, a new earth, and the holy city (the new Jerusalem that comes down from God out of the new heavens to rest on the new earth). Peter tells us, The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10), thus making way for the new heavens and earth. The glorious description of this city is found in Revelation 21 and 22. Whether symbolic or real, the description introduces us to the excitement and magnificence of eternity. * God s clock is ticking. His calendar lies before us. His requirements have been defined in His Word. Jesus has paid the price so that absolutely anyone who chooses Christ can have the very best of futures. It is a fool s errand to try to beat the clock by waiting for a later opportunity to accept Christ as Savior. The opportunity may never come. (Please turn to the ABCs of salvation on page 28.) * From the Assemblies of God Perspective, End-Time Events, available from the Office of Public Relations. Ken Horn is managing editor of Today s Pentecostal Evangel. E-mail your comments to pe@ag.org. DEATH IS NOT THE EN END Why is there less talk of the Second Coming today? Income levels today and lifestyles of people in our churches by and large are far better than they were 30-40 years ago. When you get more of heaven on earth you think less of heaven on earth. The record will show that those who have focused most on the return of the Lord have done the most earthly good. Focusing on the doctrine of the Second Coming is important because it reminds us that the Lord has the key to human history. I recently went through open-heart surgery. You think more about eternity in moments like that. I think that keeping the doctrine of last things before people is a way of reminding us of our mortality and of the fact that death is not the end of it all. There is something waiting for us beyond. Actually, it s Someone the Lord himself. I would summarize the Second Coming in this way: The Lord is coming at an unknown time. He is coming personally, physically and visibly. We ll know when He comes because we ll see Him and be caught up to meet Him. He is coming gloriously and triumphantly. He is coming in the clouds of heaven with all the holy angels and the sound of the trumpet. The Scripture says that he who has this hope in Him purifies himself (1 John 3:3). There s a salutary effect on conduct that the doctrine of the Second Coming has. Sometimes we overlook the reasons for the Lord s coming: He is coming to deliver His own. He is coming to judge and pass sentence on the wicked. He is coming to establish His eternal reign of justice. That justice not only means that no more evil will be tolerated but it also means no more death. George O. Wood General Secretary of the Assemblies of God PE / AUGUST 14 / 2005 www.pe.ag.org 21