So we've never been this way heretofore.
We've never before pondered or expressed anything upon
apocalyptic.
But I'm coming to the impression that it's
a critical key.
So we need to understand what it represents,
why there has been a historic repudiation of
it in the Church through the ages, trying
to dismiss it as some hangover from Paul,
from his Jewish roots, as if it's some
kind of a myth.
And the rabbis do not emphasize apocalyptic, because
whenever Israel has believed for it, it has
opened the door to disaster.
As for example, in the Roman conquest of
Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jews actually thought that
they would triumph, that God would vindicate them
according to the apocalyptic expectation that the righteous
would be exalted and the wicked and the
evil would be judged.
And so they even defended themselves by standing
on the roof of the temple, only to
go up in flames, because the temple was
not spared.
So that's why the book of Daniel is
in Aramaic, and why Daniel is not even
listed among the prophets in Jewish terminology.
And so I'm suggesting that this is the
key in discerning the true and false prophets
of the last days, and how they treat
the subject of Israel.
Whether you see it as a climax of
the age that requires the divine intervention, the
Lord's own coming and kingdom, his judgment upon
the nations and upon Israel in that coming,
or you see a gradual fulfillment and improvement
for the state of Israel that it need
not pass through horrendous scenes of judgment, but
will be progressively improved over a course of
time.
You understand what I'm saying?
What that amounts to in the last analysis
is the issue of the cross.
So there's a shrinking from hard scenarios.
So I have a classic book here, by
a Dutch theologian, who teaches at Princeton, who
has majored on Paul's apocalyptic view.
If you don't anticipate a kingdom, and the
Lord's coming, that issues out of a final
judgment upon the nations and upon Israel, the
whole view of the faith is affected, and
has been, so that forfeiting that expectation, people
have believed for a heaven, a personal salvation
with a go to heaven, but there's no
view of Israel at the conclusion of the
age.
So you either move from that to a
consideration of that which is personal and subjective,
and that has prevailed till now in most
of our contemporary Christianity, going to heaven, personal
salvation, but no larger view of what the
cosmic purposes of God are, that are fulfilled
in the last days in his coming.
There's even an embarrassment in the church about
the divine intervention of God, that the Lord
himself will actually come, his feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives.
I don't know why it is, but, we
would much prefer a natural explanation, than a
supernatural one.
But according to Paul's apocalyptic, it's totally supernatural.
The Lord comes to judge, to establish his
kingdom, to raise those that are asleep in
Christ, and to take his place in the
sanctuary, and on the holy hill of Zion,
where the root of his government is to
be expressed.
So this author writes, individualism and spiritualization, if
not church self-aggrandizement, are the inevitable results
of avoiding Paul's apocalyptic view.
If you avoid Paul's view, then the faith
reduces itself to a subjective, personal kind of
thing, of going to heaven.
There's no expectation of climactic events, which maybe
we don't want to face.
There are also ethical implications, because Paul speaks
in Thessalonians, that the believers would walk worthy
of the kingdom and the glory to which
they are called.
And in walking worthy, it will actually establish
their place in the kingdom.
But if you lose the incentive of a
kingdom, and your place in the kingdom, it's
just a matter of going to heaven, sitting
on a cloud, you lose the incentive of
a moral and ethical kind, for overcoming in
the last days.
So there are all kinds of implications, about
this apocalyptic view, because Paul, with the prophets,
expected the day of the Lord.
Where do you hear that expectation today in
the church?
That the day of the Lord is an
ominous, final event, toward which everything is tending.
It's not a popular view, that the day
of the Lord, is not a day to
be enjoyed or sought, it's a day of
darkness and peril.
That's why Peter says, seeing these things, what
manner of men ought we to be?
Because he subscribed with Paul, and the prophets,
to the day of the Lord, the Lord's
day.
A final day of reckoning, in which all
of the injustice, the unrighteousness, blasphemy against the
Lord, would have its comeuppance.
The Lord would judge those who have, treated
him shabbily.
A day of last judgment.
But already, Peter speaks about, scoffers, who say,
where is the day of his appearing?
Because since the fathers fell asleep, nothing has
been changed.
Those who pursue earthly lusts, lose the apocalyptic
expectation, and dismiss it.
That somehow, the condition of your lust, affects
your theology.
You'll not believe for a day of the
Lord.
You'll not live in anticipation or fear of
it.
You'll not see to it that your act
is cleaned up.
That when the Lord comes, he judges, brings
his rewards, to those who deserve them.
That we will all stand before, the judge
and give account, for what we have done
in our bodies, both good and bad.
This is a whole, remarkable view, that has
the most profound, and radical, practical implications, if
you believe this.
But already men were scoffing, where is the,
the thought of his return?
But since the fathers fell asleep, nothing has
changed.
Where is the promise of his coming?
Everything is predicated on Paul's, principle of the
resurrection.
Inaugurated by Jesus, but consummated in his coming.
That those that are asleep in Christ, shall
rise first.
And that even Israel, what shall the return
be, but life from the dead.
So there's a whole resurrection motif, at the
end of the age, in the apocalyptic view,
predicated, on the resurrection of the Lord, and
will be spelled out, and be finalized, in
implications, that touch both Israel, the church, the
kingdom.
That those who take a, positive view of
present Israel, and seek the success of the
state, through a gradual means of improvement, are
off this ground.
And, it disarms the church, and removes the
expectation, of a last days apocalyptic, conclusion to
the age, for which we need now to
be in anticipation, and preparation.
So, that's how this whole subject came up.
What will distinguish, true and false prophets?
And I believe it will be the issue
of Israel, and how men will treat that
subject.
If they fail to see Israel, in terms
of coming judgment, time of Jacob's trouble, passing
through the ordeals of the last days, being
sifted, and the role of the church in
that sifting, is a, very important ground.
In Thessalonians, Paul is full of reference to
apocalyptic things, where he speaks in the first
chapter of that book, to those who turn
from their idols, to serve the living God,
and to wait for his son from heaven,
in verse 10, whom he raised from the
dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come.
So there's a wrath to come, and part
of the greatness of salvation, is not just
a place in heaven, but to be saved
from the judgment that falls upon sinful mankind.
You get that note in the very first
preaching at Pentecost.
Come out from this untoward generation.
This is that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel, that of the last days.
So that, these signs of the Holy Spirit,
will be followed by judgment, and your salvation,
is to be saved out from that generation,
and we don't hear that note, in today's
preaching, that salvation, is to be saved from
the judgments of God, in the last days.
When Paul speaks of bringing the whole counsel
of God, this is what is included.
The issue of the last days, the issue
of judgment, the issue of the climax of
the age, the day of the Lord's appearing,
the final judgments, that was part and parcel
of his entire message to the church, and
because it was, they grew up with a
certain reality and expectancy that affected their constitution.
We lack that, that emphasis, and it's reflected
in the low quality of the church.
So we need again the full, and the
whole counsel of God, particularly the aspects of
that counsel that are difficult to consider.
Judgment.
Judgment on the nations, judgment on Israel, judgment
on how this is not in keeping with
God's character, and that we are embarrassed that
he will condescend to judge.
But if we omit God's judgment, we omit
God, as I've said so many times, that
his judgment is intrinsic to what he is
in himself, and it's not a bitter pill
to swallow, it's out from his righteousness.
His righteousness requires judgment.
So the scripture says that when his judgments
are in the earth, the world will learn
righteousness.
So we need to be enlarged in our
view of the Lord as it comes to
bear on the things of the last days,
to revive this apocalyptic expectancy, which will not
embarrass us, but I think bring a quality
of maturity and seriousness to the church that
it now presently lacks.
So you can pick up in Paul these
references to save us from the wrath to
come, and then at the end of chapter
2, for what is our hope or joy
or crown of rejoicing are not even you
in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
at his coming?
There's a delayed parousia, there's a delayed fulfillment
that Paul had to work his way about
because his expectation was that this was almost
immediately to be expected.
And when it did not come, it required
another way of viewing it so that the
issue is not chronology, the issue is expectation,
that these things shall come to pass, shortly
come to pass in the Lord's time, and
though it be delayed, it will not be
withheld.
I think that because the climax of the
age has not come, that it will not
come.
We have every reason to expect it, and
Paul communicated that to the church and sank
that deep into their hearing that they would
have this kind of expectation and live as
if the end of the age were at
hand.
This is not psyching out the church, this
is doing the church service.
So we have to rid ourselves of chronology,
and when shall this happen?
Since the fathers fell asleep, nothing has changed,
and expect what Paul anticipates on the basis
of his remarkable insight and revelation given him
as the chief apostle, and that he commends
to all the church and to our own
generation.
Are you expecting the coming of the Lord?
And will it be a joyous occasion or
a grim one?
What will our condition be in his appearing?
We need to anticipate that and walk worthy
of the kingdom and the glory to which
we are called, that when he comes, we
shall be found blameless in his sight.
There are so many other references here in
Thessalonians chapter 3, in the last verse of
that chapter, To the end he may establish
your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even
our Father, at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all his saints.
This is so fixed an aspect of Paul's
understanding of expectation that he can speak it
boldly, but we're not hearing that now, but
we need to.
Again in chapter 4, For this we say
unto you, that by the word of the
Lord, we which are alive and remain until
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
the coming of the Lord.
So, reference after reference to the coming of
the Lord, the end of the age, judgment,
and the Lord's own person, so maybe we
need to explore a bit, why is it
that the church shrinks from considerations of this
kind?
Because we have lost something essential to our
whole comprehension of the faith, if we miss
this apocalyptic moment, we become a soft, sappy
church.
One day is like the next, our programs,
that's what he said before, the self-aggrandizement
of the church, its own programs, is couched
in a faith that is personal and subjective
and omits the larger cosmic purposes of God
by which the age is concluded.
About imminent judgment, so there's a shallow atmosphere
that prevails and the moral condition of the
church betrays that.
Something was established with the death and resurrection
of Jesus at the outset of the faith
that has implications and consequences right through to
the end of the age in these final
judgments as the outworking of that cross and
of that resurrection.
A new heaven and a new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
So, I have to brace myself, how will
I hold up if I'm living in that
generation which gives that grace to see these
things coming to pass?
How will I bear it?
How will I bear the two-thirds of
Israel that will suffer annihilation by every biblical
reckoning and the proliferation and the flight of
Jews that somehow this is needful to conclude
the age?
I use the word cosmic, the cosmic purposes
of God that are being affected but we
have little comprehension of those things but we
can see them in judgment.
We need to shift gears and come into
Paul's apocalyptic view simply because it's Paul's.
If he sees it and says it that's
definitive for the church whether we agree, whether
we are disposed to scenarios of that kind.
If he sees it and says it it's
incumbent upon us to believe it and to
accept it.
There may be the whole issue of Paul
in the last days whether he'll suffer a
rejection by aspects of the church and maybe
the issue of two false prophets is what
is their identification with Paul?
How much are they in agreement?
How much do they see eye to eye?
How much do they share his view and
expectation?
The most prominent messianic ministries in Israel today
believe that Israel will be saved by their
ministries.
It doesn't require apocalyptic dealings or judgments but
by their witness and sharing Israel will be
saved.
Put the premium on them and their ministry
rather than the dealings of God which are
contrary.
So are you looking forward to a glorified
body?
Not just to be rid of our infirmities
but to be fitted for our kingdom reality
that we need to ascend and descend upon
the son of man and be able to
function in the realm of earth and the
realm of the heavenlies in a body that
is not fixed.
These sound outlandish don't they?
Off the wall seeing that all these things
shall be burned up and the elements melt
with a fervent heat what manner of man
ought we to be?
Peter asks.
We need to be a certain kind of
man that can stand in the face of
such devastating judgments and lead others maybe to
a place of safety and faith because we
ourselves do not panic.
We expect these severities and that somehow the
new heavens and the new earth needs to
be preceded by those things that are in
the earth that need now to be burned
up.
Nothing less will purge the earth of blood
violence, iniquity and the judgments of God.
Interesting.
Verse 5 For this they willingly are ignorant
of that by the word of God the
heavens were of old and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water
whereby the world that then was being overflowed
with water perished.
Willingly ignorant describes that generation and will probably
describe our own doesn't want to see doesn't
want to consider these things but the heavens
in verse 7 and the earth which are
now by the same word are kept in
store reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But beloved be not ignorant of this one
thing that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years and a thousand years
as one day.
So he's making explanation why this has not
yet taken place it's a delayed parousia but
the Lord is not slack concerning his promise
as some men count slackness but as long
suffering to usward not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to repentance
but the day of the Lord will come
as a thief in the night in which
the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat the earth also and the works that
are therein shall be burned up seeing then
that all these things shall be dissolved what
manner of persons ought you to be in
all holy conversation and godliness looking for and
hasting unto the coming of the day of
God wherein the heavens being on fire shall
be dissolved and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat nevertheless we according to his promise
look for new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness wherefore beloved seeing that you
look for such things be diligent that you
may be found with him in peace without
spot and blameless remarkable statement coming from a
fisherman almost eclipses Paul but he shows the
moral implication of the expectation of the day
of the Lord in which you should be
found blameless and holy and have every incentive
when the Lord comes as judge but there's
also a promise a new heavens and a
new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness and that has
got to be sustaining in the face of
the terrible devastations that will come that all
of that is to clear away the debris
and the clutter and the moral collapse of
the world that for which there's no answer
but a judgment by burning and devastation but
once it takes place there'll be a new
heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness
so we need to look for that which
is beyond judgment the promise of God new
heaven and a new earth praise God I'm
sick to the teeth of unrighteousness I'm sick
of vile things I'm sick of the low
moral estate of the church and of the
world so I can't wait when the Lord
will himself have established righteousness in the earth
but before it comes something must be purged
out and it will require this judgment but
seeing that you look for such things be
diligent that you may be found of him
in peace without spot and blameless then he
speaks about Paul's remarkable grasp of these things
in his epistles which in which are some
things hard to be understood which they that
are unlearned and unstable rest as they do
all the other scriptures to their own destruction
you therefore beloved seeing you know these things
before beware lest you also be led away
with the error of the wicked fall from
your own steadfastness because we know that falling
away a great apostasy is one of the
chief marks of the end of the age
but grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to
him be glory both now and forever Amen
we need to imbibe these verses take them
in we need to be part and parcel
of the reality that we inhabit and that
we expect because as I've said it will
make all the difference we're faced with the
option of speaking ourselves in scripture however contrary
it is to receiving reality we opt for
the word of God as being definitive and
we live in what it says so the
last days will more and more challenge us
in this way shall we turn to prayer
thank you precious God on high for sounding
what you have a neglected note in the
church's consideration we shrink from this Lord we
want happier scenarios to contemplate we want to
see Israel progressively improved not realizing how much
that is a humanistic presumption in itself and
nothing short of the devastation of your judgments
will bring Israel to the place of your
desire so Lord we want to be the
students of Paul and of all the scriptures
Lord and we're faced with a challenge that
what is expressed there is contrary to what
we presently see and don't want to see
and yet you speak of these dire things
to come when the elements themselves will melt
with fervent heat and the whole of the
world as we know it will be dissolved
so Lord we put iron in our souls
to brace ourselves for the realities that are
sure to come to pass and in that
day Lord we will not be bewildered or
confused or panic stricken but we will be
islands of safety and guidance for those who
have not our privilege in the scripture thank
you my God for ending our days on
this note forgive me for the failure to
more adequately bring it forth but may we
continue in our own perusal of this subject
to lay hold of the apocalyptic of Paul
and of the prophets the day of the
Lord the day of his judgment the final
day toward which every day now is tending
so come precious God fit us that in
the day of your appearing we shall not
be ashamed thank you my God we shall
be found blameless thank you Lord because we
have taken your exhortations to your heart bless
the church bless what is represented here in
this room for the church my God and
bring through them some aspect of this into
the various places of their return so we
thank you my God for the whole counsel
of God we don't shrink from it because
you are altogether just and righteous you do
all things well and even your judgments my
God are a testimony to your holiness so
do we bless you Lord thank you for
Paul thank you for the lonely battles that
he faced and maintaining this faith against all
opposition come and let there be a renaissance
of Paul for the church in which we
recognize that what you gave to him is
definitive for us all so do we thank
you Lord and we give you praise for
this concluding time of this evening let it
not dissipate away but serve to begin considerations
Lord that are on time