Something is Out There:
Rumors of the Invisible World of the Sacred God
3/29 Looking for the Day of The Living Dead
INTRODUCTION
Published in 1995 -- 2007, ’Left Behind’ is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world.
As a result many people became fascinated with the return of Christ. What would it be like, when would it happen, were the books and movies an accurate portrayal of the events? While much of the fervor has settled down, the questions remain. In this invisible world of the sacred God, Is there a second coming? And if there is how should we late to it?
This morning I want us to look at the day of the living dead, the day when the dead in Christ rise, the day of the Forgiver’s return. What do we know for certain and how should we then live.
T.S. This morning we are going to focus on this truth. . .
EMBRACING THE SACRED WORLD OF THE INVISIBLE GOD ANTICIPATES THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
I. Anticipate His return with confident joy
1 Thess 4:13-18
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
A. The return of the Lord is a sure truth.
The Apostle Paul ties trusting in a second coming to the same confidence that we have when it comes to believing that Jesus was raised from the dead.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1. Because it is like how he was raised we believe it is physical, not just spiritual event.
2. Because it has a specific point in time fulfillment we believe his second return will have a specific point in time fulfillment.
Appl: If we believe he was raised form the dead, then we should also be assured that he will come again.
B. The return of the Lord is an encouraging truth
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
It’s interesting that return of Jesus was to be a source of encouragement for the believers.
One of my struggles with the left behind series and other end time’s literature is that they are often used as scare tactics.
In the late 70’s and early 80’s church held evangelistic events where they showed one of the moves for the Thief in the Night Series.
The entire series includes:
A Thief in the Night (1972)
A Distant Thunder (1977)
Image of the Beast (1980)
The Prodigal Planet (1983)
Their strategy was this. Let’s invite our pagan friends our unchruched neighbors to see this movie. Scare them really good and about the pending end times and get them to accept Jesus. I was invited to just such and event. I was actually a little offended. First I felt set up, manipulated and appalled. I was already a follower of Jesus. Okay, I still had all the baggage the forgiver was working on but I was a believer.
Appl: The return of the Lord was to be more of a joyous encouragement to us, than a fear tactic in persuading others to come to Christ. Jesus is coming back, but it was not to be help over people’s heads in fear as a reason to begin a relationship with him. Jesus is going to return, and that is truth to be embraced with joy, not truth to be used a big hammer to coerce others to Christ.
ABC news recently reported that a new study reported that people who were never married tend not to live as long as those who were married. That is a truth. But imagine using it as the only rational for a person to get married. Imagine pointing your finger at you single friends and saying, you better get married or you will die early.
Appl: We should be careful that how we teach about the end times leads to encouragement not fear.
II. Anticipate His return without demanding details.
Matt 24:3-44
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. . . .
36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Ill: Books and books have been written on the end times. I had a professor in college, Ray Ludwigson who scoured newspapers daily seeking to discern the prophetic signs that would reveal the time of Jesus coming. He read everything he could on the second coming and when he passed into glory at 96 years old in 2004, he was no closer to the answers.
A. Things we will not know in advance.
1. The time of his appearing.
36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
If that is true date setting is never an acceptable practice.
In The Late, Great Planet Earth, Lindsey wrote that he had concluded, since there was no apparent mention of the United States of America in the books of Daniel or Revelation, that the USA would no longer be a major player on the geo-political stage by the time the tribulations of the end times arrived. Lindsey also interpreted from Revelation and prophetic texts that the European Economic Community, which preceded the European Union, was destined (according to Biblical prophecy) to become a "United States of Europe", with ten members, which in turn he says is destined to become a "Revived Roman Empire" ruled by the Antichrist. The European Union currently has 27 members and the Western European Union (a military alliance) has 10 primary members.
A later book, bearing the title The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon, implied that the battle of Armageddon would take place in the not too distant future. Lindsey’s earlier predictions all assumed that the Cold War would continue indefinitely, and had eschatological significance; he explicitly identified Russia with the apocalyptic figure of Gog. He also assumed that the 1960s counterculture would eventually become the dominant culture, and become the source of prophesied "immorality" that would lead to the establishment of a false religion.
Hal Lindsey stated that the end days would be before the generation that sees the establishment of Israel in 1948 would pass away, as shown in Matthew 24:34: "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." A ’Generation’ is sometimes interpreted as 30 or 40 years, but "shall not pass" can refer to the deaths of the last members of the generation of 1948, which would be in the mid 21st century.
Hal Lindsey made a career on predicting dates. Even though he was wrong, he continues to publish books and newsletters. But no he predicts that Jesus will return in the mid 21st century, long after he has passed away.
Appl: While the study of possible prophecy and its fulfillment is never wrong, we must always be careful not to expect to have every answer.
2. The specific fulfillment of each prophetic vision.
Rev 9:1-3
9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
3. The timing of the Rapture
1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Rapture Views
* Pretribulation -- Before the seven terrible years predicted in revelation. The Rapture and the return are separate events
* Posttribulation -- After the seven terrible years. The Rapture and the Return of Christ are the same event.
* Mid-Tribulation -- 3 ½ years into the tribulation the rapture occurs. Two events
* Pre-wrath -- The rapture is before the wrath of God is poured out (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls of wrath). Two events very close together.
* Partial Rapture -- The sanctified church was raptured the rest left to be purified. Two events. (based on the parable of the ten virgins)
B. Things we definitely know.
1. The closer to the end . . .
The worse it will be
More people will be deceived
2. The church is not immune to hardship.
3. True Followers are okay no matter when the rapture occurs.
III. Anticipate His return while living accordingly
1 Thess 5:1-11
5:1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
A. We should not be surprised
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
B. We should not be living shamefully
5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
C. We should motivated by its truth
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
EMBRACING THE SACRED WORLD OF THE INVISIBLE GOD ANTICIPATES THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
Summary
Rather than being a truth that divides Christians it should encourage and motivate us. We believe that Jesus will return. That is the hope of the Ages. Wanting to see the return is a motivation for effective work at the call.
Matt 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Challenge:
Is the return of Christ something you give too little thought to? Perhaps it time for you to reread, Revelation, Daniel or Matt 24-25.
Is the return of Christ something that divides you from others rather than encourages? Then perhaps it’s time for you to focus on what we share in common.
Does the return of Christ motivate you to Godly living and an active involvement in the Call? If not, why not?
