How Do We Know That Jesus Is Coming Back Soon?

How Do We Know That Jesus Is Coming Back Soon?
Nathan Jones
That Jesus Christ is returning is a given. Three times in Revelation 22 Jesus promised that He will return (Revelation 22:7,12,20). Jesus said over and over, “Surely I am coming quickly.” He even added that we could trust this promise stating, “These words are faithful and true” (Revelation 22:6). Jesus’ return is a promise made by God, a promise found so prolifically in the Bible that you can read about Jesus’ Second coming in nearly 500 prophecies of the Old Testament and one out of 25 verses in the New Testament. That Jesus fulfilled all 300 First Coming prophecies 100% means you and I can be assured that all the Second Coming promises will be fulfilled as well.

But returning soon? It’s been nearly 2,000 years! From a human perspective that’s a very long time. Though, from God’s eternal perspective, not so much. For Him, it’s only been like 2 days.

Jesus didn’t make His promise to return soon without providing clues in the form of signs that would show us when His second advent will be getting nearer. When Jesus’ own Apostles asked this very same question — “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” — Jesus provided 10 signs we are to look out for (Matthew 24; Luke 21; Mark 13). He said these signs would increase in frequency and intensity, like birth pains, the closer He got (Matthew 24:8).

Here are 10 signs Jesus gave that tell us we’re getting closer to His return:

1) False Messiahs

Jesus warned, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8).

We live in a time like no other as false messiahs and prophets such as Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon and many others claim to speak for God, and even that they are Jesus Himself. These fakes will lead up to the greatest of all false messiahs — the Antichrist — and his False Prophet.

Other signs include:

2) Wars

“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Luke 21:9–10).

3) Earthquakes

4) Famine

5) Plagues

6) Fearful Events

7) Signs in the Sky

“There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11).

8) The Persecution of Christians

“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you… All men will hate you because of me” (Luke 21:12–19).

9) Jerusalem Under Siege

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near… Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:20–24).

10) The Return of Christ

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world…” (Luke 21:25–28).

Just before Jesus breaks from the Heavens, the sky will be alight with even more celestial signs, the nations will cringe in terror, the seas will toss violently, and all His enemies will live in terror of His return.

Now, can we know the exact day and hour of Jesus’ return? No, for Jesus stated point blank, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). But, from these 10 signs, and many others Jesus provided throughout the Gospels, and that these signs are happening more frequently and with increasing intensity, we can know that we are now living in the season of His return.

Jesus is coming back, and we don’t have much longer to wait.

Are you ready for His return? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Understand the Heart of Thanksgiving!

Understand the Heart of Thanksgiving!

Revelation 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

I've been reading about thanksgiving, and have recently come across some challenging examples of this from other cultures, that I want to share.

In Africa, there are several tribes that have remarkable ways of expressing their gratitude. In East Africa, the Masai tribe expresses thanks by placing their foreheads on the ground and saying, "My head is in the dirt." Another African Tribe communicates gratitude by sitting for a long time in front of the hut of the individual whom they want to thank, saying, "I sit on the ground before you."

These Africans understand that a core attitude of thanksgiving is humility, and their way of expressing it clearly represents that attitude. Our passage in Revelation reflects the same thing: angels, elders, and living creatures all fall on their faces in humility and gratitude to God for who He is.

I see a deep connection between thanksgiving and humility which, perhaps, is often overlooked. Thankful people recognize their need, and the generosity and beneficence of the Giver, and every truly grateful person is humbled by the amazing gifts he's received from God. So I see that true humility will always be accompanied by gratitude, and also, that those who are truly grateful will be growing in the beautiful characteristic of humility. May it be so for us.


Happy Todanukah!
For the first time in over a 100 years, Thanksgiving and Chanukah will fall on the same day, November 28th, 2013. Some have termed it "Thanksgivukkah", however my wife calls it, "Todanukah". (The Hebrew word for "thanks", is "toda".) According to one calculation, the next time that Thanksgiving and Chanukah will align perfectly will be 79,043 years from now! I expect we will all have gone to our reward by then....

A Thanksgiving Day Meditation

A Thanksgiving Day Meditation
— by Dr. David L. Cooper

Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High;
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." (Psalm 50:14-15)

When the Lord brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage to Mount Sinai, He gave His law, which was to regulate both the religious and political life of the nation. In the divine service the sacrifices played a very large part. These were, as we know from the New Testament, only types and shadows of the supreme sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ which He made when He died for our trespasses and rose again for our justification.

Many in Israel misunderstood the import of their sacrifices. They became contaminated with heathen ideas. To these pagans the sacrifices to their gods were supposed to be food, literal food, for the gods. In various pagan literature the heathen gods are represented as coming down even like flies and consuming the sacrifices of the worshipers.

It is true that in Leviticus 21:6, the sacrifices and offerings are called, “the bread of their God.” Of course this language was not to be interpreted in the light of pagan usage but rather in the light of that which was typified by those sacrifices, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ who was indeed “the bread which came down out of heaven.”

The psalmist, in the passage which we are studying, tried to correct the mistaken idea of the people with regard to the sacrifices. God said He was not hungry. The cattle on a thousand hills are His. If He were hungry, said the psalmist, He would not tell them and ask them to give sacrifices. Therefore they should never offer any of their sacrifices with such pagan ideas. On the contrary, He instructed them to offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, and to fulfill their vows unto Him.

The psalmist wanted Israel to cease offering a mechanical type of worship to God. Instead of, in a half hearted way, bringing sacrifices of animals, He urged them to bring gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise to God for the many gifts which He constantly bestows upon His creatures. Man had a knowledge of God in the beginning, as we learn in Romans, chapter 1. He accepted the bounties of the Almighty as a matter of course. Soon he became unthankful and refused to retain God in his knowledge. The next step was that he made images, changing “the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.” Thus man plunged into the depths of heathen superstition and immorality. And, as just noted, the first step in that direction was an attitude of unthankfulness and ingratitude.

May the Lord enable us to see our utter dependence upon Him and to realize that everything we have is given to us by the pure, sovereign grace of our God. If we can only keep these things in mind, naturally our hearts will well up in gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving for the various and multitudinous bounties of life.

Certain of the peace offerings were vows of various types which Israel was instructed to bring. Men naturally under the strain of trying circumstances make vows to the Almighty. This is a natural tendency. This custom is seen both in the heathen world and in Israel, as well as among Christians. The fact that the psalmist urged his brethren to pay their vows faithfully shows that evidently they were rather lax in carrying out and fulfilling these vows. There are people today who, under the impulse of strong emotion, make vows to God that they will do certain things. This is done when the heart is overflowing with joy, or when the soul is depressed with sorrow and anguish. When these vows are made under such conditions and when the stress of the experience which called them forth is relieved, so very frequently the vow is forgotten and is never fulfilled. For instance, many a sinner has been sick, nigh unto death, and he has vowed to the Lord that if He would raise him up from his bed, he would serve Him the remainder of his days, but upon being restored to health and moving about in his usual duties, he has forgotten all about his pledge to the Lord made when he was sick. Many a Christian, while ill, has made pledges to the Lord that he would do certain things if restored to health. But when in good health, he has forgotten his promises to the Lord.

Though we are not under law but under grace, whenever one makes a promise to the Lord, He should be faithful and should carry the vow out in the letter and in the spirit of the same. That seems to be the idea that the psalmist is emphasizing when he says, “And pay thy vows unto the Most High.”

The Lord says for those who offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and who pay their vows, to call upon Him in the day of trouble. This statement assumes that the day of trouble will certainly come to all of the children of God. Experience teaches that this is true. So long as we are in this life there is nothing permanent, nothing certain, except the Lord Jesus Christ and His blessing. All may be going well with us today, but the picture may change entirely tomorrow. Our day might be turned into the night of sorrow in a moment of time. The child of God should expect this, for we are told that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Satan hates everyone who is living close to the Lord and is going to do his utmost in an attempt to bring sorrow and discouragement into the life of every child of God.

Let us in this connection remember that Satan is a conquered foe and that he can do nothing unless he first asks the Lord's permission to do a certain thing to one of the children of God. Satan was compelled to go into the presence of God and to ask permission to sift the Apostles as wheat before ever he could do so (Luke 22:31,34).

No temptation has befallen us Christians but such as we can bear, for God is faithful and will with every temptation make a way of escape that we may be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)

While all of these promises are true and unchangeable, let us remember that God never fails but that we are likely to stumble at any moment, when we take our eyes off of the Lord and begin to pay attention to the things of the world.

Whether we are the ones who bring the day of trouble upon ourselves, or whether Satan does directly, or uses some of those under his influence to bring trouble into our lives, if there is a possibility he will bring this time of trouble and of stress and trial; whenever such times come, God asks us to call upon Him, to bring the matter to Him. Vengeance belongs to Him, He promises to recompense (Romans 12:19). God is equal to any emergency. He can handle any and all cases successfully. Therefore He asks us not to bear our own burdens but to cast them upon Him for He cares for us.

If we will, in faith doubting nothing, bring our case to Him, He promises that He will deliver. Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is God, that He was God in human form. He was and is the God-man. He is the creator of all things. He loves us with an everlasting love and His thoughts for us are more numerous than the sands beside the sea. Remember at the same time that Satan, as I have already said, is a conquered foe and that he can do nothing except that which he is permitted by our adorable Lord.

When we are thus brought into a difficult situation, it is for us to do as Moses told Israel when he was standing beside the sea and the Egyptian hordes were pressing upon them. With a majestic faith the great lawgiver declared:

Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you today;
for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13,14)

It is for us to sit quietly and trust our Lord to bring the deliverance. He is able, He is willing, He will never disappoint us. He will bring the deliverance at the right time. If He tarry or seem to delay in bringing the deliverance, let us still hold on in faith and at the proper time He will deliver and will make the experience contribute for our good both for time and eternity.

The final admonition of our text is found in these words “... and thou shalt glorify me.” All experiences through which the faithful children of God are called to pass are designed for their good. God doubtless permits many experiences to come into the lives of His faithful children in order that they might learn some of the deeper truths of the Almighty to the end that they may give their testimony to others and thus glorify God, and cause others to trust the Lord as they have done. Let us never take any glory to ourselves. Whenever the Lord does anything for us, let us be careful to give Him the praise. The example of the Samaritan of whom we read in Luke 17:11-19 should be a lesson to each one of us. There were ten lepers whom the Lord Jesus healed. Of those number only one remembered to return to give thanks to the Lord Jesus and praise to God. Our Lord tells us, “Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.” Let us in the little things of life, as well as in the great things, always return to give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus Christ for what He does for us. In so doing we will glorify and honor His blessed name.

Blest Lamb of God, with grateful praise
Our voices now to Thee we raise,
O'er earth to reign, redeemed by blood,
Kingdom and priests are we to God.

Soon too in glory shall we sing,
And louder praises to Thee bring,
While ev'ry nation, tongue, and tribe
Strength, glory, might, to Thee ascribe.
Amen! Amen!
O Lord, Amen!”

Gay Marriage – Why Are ‘Christians’ Divided

Gay Marriage – Why Are ‘Christians’ Divided
By Shane Idleman


With best-selling Christian authors and popular worship leaders showing support for gay-marriage, many are left baffled and confused. These points may help us better understand the great divide:

gaymarriagewhyarechristiansdivided

1. The definition of love is misunderstood. To truly “love” others we must first love God and His truth – that’s the foundation (cf. Matthew 22:36-40). Does loving someone mean we approve of their lifestyle? Or does it mean that we love them enough to share the truth? If a person is more worried about being liked than being truthful, do they really love those caught in sin more than those who are willing to speak the truth in love? The answer is obvious: Authentic Christians love the truth and others to the degree that they are willing to risk the consequences of confrontation in order to help others. This is genuine love, not hatred. The greatest gift LGBT parents can give to their children is love and truth rather than reinforcing a destructive lifestyle.

How can one person review Bible verses dealing with this topic and come to the conclusion that gay marriage is biblical while others come to the opposite conclusion? It’s very simple: The first group looks through the lens of opinion; the second group through the lens of genuine love and absolute truth.

Dr. Michael Brown recently remarked, “One reason people support gay-marriage is because their gay friends are really nice and some seem to be committed Christians. They say their spiritual lives came alive when they realized they could be gay and Christian at the same time.” I believe that they came alive because someone validated their lifestyle. This is no different than people who say they feel alive and renewed even though they are caught in adultery. Sin feels good for a season – that’s the deception. But these seasons of sexual fulfillment are often short lived – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). True freedom comes from true repentance.

2. Is the Bible clear or vague? Recent polls show that less than 50% of believers even read their Bible, let alone practice it. And, as we know, to read truth without practicing it, leads to deception…No wonder there’s confusion. Additionally, many of the proponents are embracing the views of liberal authors. They value the words of Matthew Vines more than the gospel of Matthew.

When Christians believe that God has given them the authority to change truth in order to keep it relevant, they are departing from God. Although disheartening, this trend is not surprising. The apostle Paul warned centuries ago: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine [God’s Word], but according to their own desires…they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). If this isn’t what we see today, I don’t know what is.

The Bible encourages us to be peacemakers but not religious negotiators. In our zeal to reach others, we often compromise the message because we want to be liked rather than truthful. Surprisingly, it was “Christians” who came against my article regarding what the Bible says about gay-marriage and homosexuality. It can be viewed here.

3. Don’t judge apparently means don’t say anything negative. When we look at the context and the true meaning of “judge,” we clearly see that there is no contradiction. This misrepresentation of “judging” is an attempt to conform scripture to support opinions. In John 7:24, Christians are to judge or “call into question” those things that clearly contradict God’s principles. In 1 Corinthians 2:15, the apostle Paul said that those who are spiritual should judge and discern all things. We are to examine our own lives first, and then we are to be moved primarily by love for God and others before critiquing.

4. Who’s influencing your decision – Hollywood or the Holy Spirit? Our beliefs should reflect God’s heart rather than the world’s influence. The world will know that we are Christians by our love for one another and by our obedience, not by how well we imitate the world around us. Oswald Chambers once noted that a sinner, who is now saved by grace, “proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of who he was.”

Carnal Christians give God “His due”…a few hours on Sunday. The things of the world are exciting and the things of God are dull. The love of this world and the praise of men have drawn a large section of Christendom away from God, hence the divide. A carnal Christian does not pray and seek the heart of God. A deep prayer life exposes facades and crushes hypocrisy. Carnality also destroys spiritual power and hinders the infilling of the Spirit. In short, everything that God calls us to be is compromised, including a skewed view of sexual purity.

Sadly, many who embrace views outside of the Bible are not saved. Genuine faith is reflected in a love for God and His Word, sincere humility, true repentance, and a disconnect from the world. Does your life reflect these characteristics? We all sin and fall short, but the important question to ask is what is the condition of your heart—have you truly repented and believed in Christ as your Lord and Savior, or are you trusting in false assurance? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to, “Examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”

5. There is hope: At this point you may think, “Why try? This is hopeless! I’ve drifted too far.” Let me reassure you: God doesn’t let our relationship with Him hinge on “measuring up,” or on “following rules.” He wants us to come as we are, recognize our need for a Savior, and commit our life completely to Him. Whether you’re promoting gay-marriage or struggling with homosexuality, recognize that we’ve all made mistakes. Simply repent and strive for holiness and purity, and you will experience “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (cf. Acts 3:19). Change is God’s job, but obedience is ours.

Japan Faces Hard Questions on Immigration

Japan Faces Hard Questions on Immigration

The facts about Japan’s demographics and their impact on the economy are clear. According to the Committee for Japan’s Future, a government task force, Japan’s total labor force will decline to 55 million by 2060, even with the elderly working to age 70. Furthermore, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan projects that an elderly population that teeters on 40 percent of the total population will heavily burden the remaining workforce. These labor shortages will result in decreased economic dynamism, a smaller tax base and emasculate Japan’s ability to promote its national interests both domestically and internationally.
Currently, Japan’s labor shortages are not being felt equally across the economy. Labor shortages are more acutely experienced in particular sectors such as construction, transportation, commerce and the services sector for several reasons.
Dealing with the much greater challenge of Japan’s demographic implosion will require an immigration strategy with Japanese characteristics that has appropriate and robust integration policies to maximize the human capital that comes to Japan but also minimizes intercultural and interethnic friction in a country with little ethnic and cultural diversity in mainstream society.
-www.japantimes.co.jp, 4 October 2016

Commentary: Population explosion is a term no longer used in Japan and in many other successful, industrial nations. Japan apparently has two major problems: 1) they are super-rich as a nation, listed in the CIA Factbook in fourth place when it comes to exports; 2) they lead the world in life expectancy, which stands at about 85 years. Thus, the much dreaded word, immigration—particularly since in recent years millions have risked their lives to reach the shores of Europe—seems to be a positive answer.
What does immigration do? It brings people from other countries with different cultures and languages, whose children and grandchildren will be productive citizens of the country. They contribute much toward global unity. That will and must come about according to prophetic Scripture.

The Encouragement of Our Salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

The Encouragement of Our Salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)


In a world where bad news and serious problems from around the world daily flood into our lives through various news sources, it’s easy to become discouraged and depressed. It often seems like the wicked prosper while the godly suffer. We may feel like crying out with David (Ps. 13:1):

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?

Perhaps even the thought of Christ’s return and the final judgment fills you with anxiety rather than encouragement and hope. How can you be sure that the day of the Lord will be good for you and not an awful day of judgment? In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul states that as believers we are to put on as a helmet “the hope of salvation,” which refers to the future aspect of our salvation when Christ returns and we shall always be with the Lord (4:17). He has just described that time as “the day of the Lord,” which will come on those in spiritual darkness suddenly, unexpectedly, and inescapably. But it will not surprise us who are children of light and day. We should be alert and sober as we live in anticipation of that great day.

But, even so, some Christians may feel a bit anxious about that day. They worry, “What if my life doesn’t measure up? What if my faith in Christ is a bit shaky or my love for God and for others is a bit lukewarm or even cold?” If our salvation is based on our performance, we might be anxious about that coming day. So Paul goes on to remind us of the basis of our salvation and to exhort us to encourage and build up one another with this truth:

Since our salvation is based on God’s purpose, God’s provision, and God’s promise, we should encourage and build up one another with this wonderful truth.

1. Our salvation is based on God’s purpose.

1 Thess. 5:9: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ ….” The verb translated “destined” means, “to destine or appoint someone to or for something” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, by Walter Bauer, William Arndt, and Wilbur Gingrich [University of Chicago Press], 2nd ed., p. 816). It “is used regularly for God’s sovereign determination of events” (Milligan, cited by Robert Thomas, Expositors Bible Commentary [Zondervan], ed. by Frank Gaebelein, 11:284). Jesus uses it with reference to the apostles (John 15:16), “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” Paul uses it to refer to his appointment as an apostle (1 Tim. 2:7). Hebrews 1:2 says that God appointed Christ “heir of all things.” Peter uses it (1 Pet. 2:8) with reference to those who stumble over Christ because they are disobedient to the word, explaining, “and to this doom they were also appointed.” All of these uses (plus others) “refer to God’s sovereign determination of someone for his own particular purposes” (G. K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 152).

This is called the doctrine of predestination. Many Christians stumble over it, often because they do not understand it rightly. It does not mean that we’re pre-programmed robots, unable to make real choices. The Bible clearly teaches that we all make choices for which we are responsible. No one can blame God, his parents, or his circumstances for the unwise or sinful choices that he makes. While we’re all affected by our upbringing, our circumstances, our personalities, and many other factors outside of our control, we are still responsible for the choices we make.

What predestination means is that God has a plan or purpose for the ages and that He can and will carry out that plan. No one would consider building a house without detailed plans. It’s inconceivable that the One who spoke the universe into existence did so without a purpose or plan for what He chooses to accomplish through His creation!

The Bible repeatedly affirms this. At the end of his ordeal, Job answered the Lord and said (Job 42:2), “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” Psalm 33:11 affirms, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.” Psalm 103:19 proclaims, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 115:3 answers the nations that insolently ask, “Where, now, is their God?” with, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” Isaiah 14:24 asserts regarding the demise of powerful Babylon, “The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, ‘Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.’” In Isaiah 46:10, God declares, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”

Since God’s glory through His plan of salvation is at the center of why He created the universe, again, it’s inconceivable that He would leave the outcome of that plan up to the choices of fallen, rebellious sinners. Paul says that Satan, “the god of this world, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8).

These verses show that if anyone is going to be saved, it only can happen because God predestined and causes it to happen. The Bible plainly states this (Eph. 1:4-6): “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Romans 8:29-30: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” The whole of our salvation, from start to finish, comes from God so that He gets all the glory.

God’s foreknowledge does not mean that He knew in advance who would choose Him, so He put them on His list. That would mean that He made up His plan based on the choices of sinners, who (as we just saw) are incapable of choosing Christ. It would mean that God peered down through history and exclaimed, “Oh, good! Paul of Tarsus is going to choose Me! I was hoping that he would do that, because I knew he would make a good apostle.” No, rather, as Geoffrey Bromiley explains (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology [Baker], ed. by Walter Elwell, p. 420), “God’s foreknowledge stands related to his will and power. What he knows, he does not know merely as information. He is no mere spectator. What he foreknows he ordains. He wills it.”

Paul has already mentioned God’s choice of the Thessalonians and the fact that God called them to salvation (1 Thess. 1:4; 2:12; 4:7). He will repeat these truths again (2 Thess. 2:13-14): “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Why does Paul emphasize this so often? Is it just a theological point that doesn’t have much practical value? Hardly! It’s at the basis of our salvation. It means that God set His love on you and prepared a glorious future for you before the foundation of the world. He sent His own Son to pay the price required for your redemption from sin. So your salvation from God’s wrath is secure, not because of your feeble grip on God, but because He planned it and He will finish it (Phil. 1:6). As Jesus declared (John 6:37-40),

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Before we leave verse 9, note also that there are two and only two final destinies for all people: salvation or wrath. In the context, “wrath” is the opposite of the eternal life of salvation, so it refers to the eternal wrath of God (Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:47-48; Rev. 20:10-15; John 3:16). God’s wrath is His settled opposition to all sin. Salvation refers to all of the blessings that God promises to His elect (Eph. 1:3; Rom. 8:28-39; 1 Cor. 2:9). John 3:36 clearly contrasts these two opposite destinies: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

I recently listened to a sermon by a local pastor who said that he does not believe in the eternal, conscious punishment of the wicked. He said that either they will be annihilated (cease to exist) or they eventually will be reconciled to Christ. He wasn’t sure which view he believes. While eternal punishment is a difficult doctrine, it’s really inescapable in God’s word. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus concluded His discourse on the end times, “These [the wicked] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Just a few verses earlier (Matt. 25:41), Jesus says that the wicked will be cast into “the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” If eternal life lasts forever, then eternal punishment in the eternal fire lasts forever.

So Paul’s first point is that our salvation is based on God’s eternal purpose, which can never fail. If you ask, “How can I know whether God has destined me for salvation?” my answer is, “If your trust is in Christ alone, you’re destined for salvation.”

2. Our salvation is based on God’s provision through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul says that salvation is “through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us” (1 Thess. 5:9b-10). If 1 Thessalonians was Paul’s earliest writing, then this is the first time in his writings that he states the specific means by which Christ procures our salvation (Thomas, p. 285). By mentioning this briefly in passing here, we can assume that Paul had emphasized it when he was in Thessalonica. Also, in Acts 17:3, Luke summarizes Paul’s preaching in the synagogue there. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures, “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” The substitutionary death of Christ is at the heart of the gospel (John 3:16; Gal. 2:20).

Someone may ask you or perhaps you wonder, “Why did Jesus have to die for our salvation? After all, if someone wrongs me, I can just forgive him. Why couldn’t God forgive us without Jesus needing to die?” The answer is: If God didn’t punish all sin, He would not be holy and just. As the righteous Judge of the universe, He has declared that the wages of sin is death (Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 1:32; 6:23). Since we all have sinned many times, we all deserve death, which is ultimately eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). But in His great love and mercy, God sent Jesus, His eternal Son, to bear the penalty that we deserve. As Paul explains (Rom. 5:8), “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

This means that our salvation is not based on how many good works we can pile up or how many merits we may accumulate. Rather, it is based on God’s gracious choice of us and His provision of Jesus Christ to bear our sins on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18). The good news is (Eph. 2:8-9), “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Or, as the beloved John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Salvation, which means deliverance from God’s wrath or perishing, is God’s free gift to all who believe in Jesus and His death for their sins.

But, how do we know that this is true? Maybe it’s just Paul’s wishful thinking.

3. Our salvation is based on God’s promise of eternal life.

After stating that Christ died for us, Paul adds (1 Thess. 5:10b), “so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” If we will live together with Christ, it means that He is alive forevermore. God raised Jesus from the dead. Our entire faith rests on this historical truth (1 Cor. 15:17): “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

Jesus repeatedly predicted both His own death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21). In the Upper Room, He told the anxious, sorrowing disciples (John 14:18-19), “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” Jesus kept that promise by revealing Himself to the disciples after His resurrection. They were so confident that Jesus was risen and coming again that they were willing to suffer and die for that truth. Our salvation is based on God’s promise of eternal life to all who believe that (1 Cor. 15:3), “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” In our text the future tense, “we will live together with Him,” refers to the culmination of our salvation when Jesus comes again (as we saw in 1 Thess. 4:14-17).

But I need to clear up an interpretive matter in verse 10. A few (Thomas, ibid.) argue that by the phrase, “awake or asleep,” Paul means (as he discussed in 5:1-8), “Whether we are spiritually alert and expecting Christ’s coming or spiritually asleep and insensitive to His coming, we will live with Him when He comes.” In other words, since our salvation is based on Christ’s finished work, it cannot be nullified by our lack of readiness. But such a meaning completely undermines the exhortation to spiritual alertness that Paul has just given. F. F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Thomas Nelson], p. 114) puts it more strongly: “It is ludicrous to suppose that [Paul] means, ‘Whether you live like sons of light or like sons of darkness, it will make little difference: you will be all right in the end.’”

Rather, the Bible consistently teaches that those who are new creatures in Christ will live differently than the world. It’s not automatic or there wouldn’t be the many exhortations to obedience that we find in the New Testament. But if God has changed your heart through the new birth, you cannot live comfortably or complacently in sin (1 John 3:9). First John 2:3-4 states, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

So when Paul says, “whether we are awake or asleep,” he means it in the sense of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, “whether we are living when Christ comes or whether we died before He comes.” (BAG Greek lexicon and most commentators interpret it this way.) Living or dead, we will be given eternal resurrection bodies when Jesus returns and live forever with Him. That’s God’s promise to all who believe in Jesus!

Paul concludes with a practical exhortation:

4. We should encourage and build up one another with the wonderful truth of salvation.

1 Thess. 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” When Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to walk so as to please God, he added (1 Thess. 4:1), “Just as you actually do walk.” When he exhorted them to love one another, he acknowledged (1 Thess. 4:10), “for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren ….” So here, when he exhorts them to encourage and build up one another, he adds, “just as you also are doing.” In each case, he is trying to motivate us to “excel still more” (1 Thess. 4:1, 10). We always have room to grow in pleasing God, loving one another, and encouraging and building up one another.

To encourage means continually to strengthen by one’s words (Leon Morris (The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians [Eerdmans], p. 163). To build up implies the need for continual growth in the things of God. Paul combines the concept of using our words to build up others in Ephesians 4:29: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” “Unwholesome” means “rotten.” Rather than hurling rotten tomato words at someone, our words should be aimed at building up the other person according to the need of the moment. If you think, “But the other person deserves a rotten tomato,” Paul adds, “so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Grace is undeserved favor. We should not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but rather give a blessing instead (1 Pet. 3:9).

This process of encouraging and building up is the responsibility of the entire church, not just of the leaders. If you know Christ, as a member of His body, you’re responsible to encourage and strengthen others in matters pertaining to salvation. The church will only be strong when every member seeks to build up other members. As Paul writes (Eph. 4:15-16), “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Conclusion

John Stott (The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 115) points out that although the Thessalonians’ problem was personal and pastoral (they were grieving about the loss of loved ones and anxious about the Lord’s coming), his solution was theological. Their problem was emotional, but Paul gives them a solid dose of God’s sovereign election, the substitutionary death of Christ, and His second coming. In other words, properly understood, theology is not abstract, impractical theory that doesn’t relate to life. Rather, sound doctrine is the foundation for solving our personal and emotional problems.

One final thought: To encourage and build up others with sound doctrine, you’ve got to be learning and applying that truth to your own life first. You can’t impart what you do not possess and practice. Preach the gospel to your own soul every day! Go deeper in your understanding of biblical truth. When you consistently experience the encouragement and hope of your salvation, then you can encourage and build up your brothers and sisters with that glorious truth.

Application Questions

What do you find difficult about the doctrine of predestination? What do you find personally helpful about it?
Why is the doctrine of Christ’s substitutionary atonement for our sins absolutely essential to the Christian faith?
Does the teaching that true Christians obey Christ undermine the truth of justification by faith alone? Why/why not?
Some Christian psychologists contend that to preach sound doctrine to an emotionally hurting person is “worthless medicine.” Agree/disagree? Why?
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

THE RELATION OF THE DISPENSATIONS TO PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

THE RELATION OF THE DISPENSATIONS TO PROGRESSIVE REVELATION


Progressive revelation is the recognition that God’s message to man was not given in one single act but was unfolded in a series of successive acts and through the minds and hands of many men of varying backgrounds. It is, so to speak, a theistic view of revelation rather than a deistic view. The pages of the Bible present “not the exposition of a revelation completed, but the records of a revelation in progress. Its parts and features are seen, not as arranged after their development, but as arranging themselves in the course of their development, and growing, through stages which can be marked, and by accessions which can be measured, into the perfect form which they attain at last.”[22]

The principle of progressive revelation is evident in the Scriptures themselves. Paul told his audience on Mars Hill that in a former day God overlooked their ignorance, but now He commands repentance (Acts 17:30). The majestic opening of the book of Hebrews emphatically outlines the various means of progressive revelation (Heb. 1:1 — 2). One of the most striking verses that shows the different ways of God’s dealing with mankind is John 1:17: “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” Other examples may be found in John 14:16 — 17; 14:26; and 16:24. God’s truth was obviously not given all at one time, and the varying stages of revelation show that He has worked in different ways at different times. The Bible interpreter must observe carefully this progressiveness of revelation, and dispensationalism helps promote accuracy in this regard.

In this matter of the correct observation and interpretation of the progress of revelation we see the close connection between dispensationalism and hermeneutics. A standard text on hermeneutics, which first appeared in 1883 and which has no dispensational ax to grind, says, “With each new series of generations some new promise is given, or some great purpose of God is brought to light.”[25] It is the marking off of these stages in the revelation of the purpose of God that is the basis for the dispensational approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures. Even Bernard Ramm, who later moved from a dispensational position, admitted that a clearer realization of progressive revelation has been largely due to the “beneficial influence of dispensationalism.”[24]

Nondispensational interpreters (of the covenant theology school) have been guilty of reading back (and sometimes forcing) the teaching of the New Testament into the Old, especially in an effort to substantiate their doctrine of salvation in the Old Testament. Dispensationalists, on the other hand, sometimes make such hard and fast distinctions between the ages and characteristics of the various dispensations that they, for instance, have said very little about grace in the Old Testament. However, the covenant theologian’s faulty interpretation is a result of a basically inherent defect in his system (because he subsumes everything since the Fall under the one covenant of grace), whereas the dispensationalist’s lack is not in the system but in the expounding of it. Covenant theology allows for and even demands this reading back of the New Testament into the Old. Dispensational theology, while recognizing definite and distinguishable distinctions, asserts the basic unity of the unfolding plan of God in the Scriptures.

Nevertheless, dispensationalists have not always asserted this unity as they might have, and therefore it has become a common thing to indict dispensationalism on this matter. “Dispensationalism destroys the unity of the Bible” is the cry Because of the dispensational scheme, one writer declares, “The Bible ceases to be a selfconsistent whole.”[25] “This theory,” charges Louis Berkhof, “is also divisive in tendency dismembering the organism of Scripture with disastrous results.”[26] More popularly this objection is expressed by the charge that dispensationalists see no value in the Sermon on the Mount or that they will not pray the Lord’s prayer.[27]

An interesting historical fact: In the second edition of the Scofield Reference Bible (1917, and retained in the New Scofield , 1967) a new section entitled “A Panoramic View of the Bible” was added to “show the unity of the Book,” which listed seven marks of this unity.

Even though dispensationalists may not have clearly communicated the teachings of their system along these lines, it must be remembered that the system is not at fault. Dispensationalism alone has a broad enough unifying principle to do justice to the unity of the progress of revelation on the one hand and the distinctiveness of the various stages in that progress on the other. Covenant theology can only emphasize the unity and, in so doing, overemphasizes it until it becomes the sole governing category of interpretation. Any seeming disunity in the dispensational scheme is superficial, and in reality one feels that the much publicized supposed conflicts of dispensationalism exist in the minds of the covenant theologians and are aggravated by their own unwarranted and forced unified approach to the Scriptures. Variety can be an essential part of unity . That is true of God’s creation; it is also true of God’s revelation; and only dispensationalism can adequately account for the variety of distinguishable economies or dispensations in (not apart from) the outworking of God’s purpose.

To summarize: Progressive revelation views the Bible not as a textbook on theology but as the continually unfolding revelation of God given by various means throughout the successive ages. In this unfolding there are distinguishable stages of revelation when God introduces new things for which man becomes responsible. These stages are the economies, stewardships, or dispensations in the unfolding of His purpose. Dispensationalism, therefore, recognizes both the unity of His purpose and the diversity in the unfolding of it. Covenant theology emphasizes the unity to the point of forcing unwarranted, inconsistent, and contradictory interpretations of the Scriptures. Only dispensationalism can maintain unity and diversity at the same time and offer a consistent system of interpretation