by Don Koenig
After reading all in the book of Revelation any reasonable person should be able to see that no man could have written the book because of the truth within and how the book integrates with all scriptures and prophecy in the Bible. If you read all this and you still do not believe that Jesus is Lord, it is likely that you have allowed yourself to be blinded or you are blinded by Satan. Either way, you have a fatal problem that can only be solved by asking God to take off your blinders so you can see the true light.
Jesus is who He claimed to be and He is who real Christians claim He is. He is God. All of scripture speaks of Him but you will not see and believe if you make yourself God by denying that there is a true God of creation. This God gave us proof of His existence in His written word; in the Word made flesh that dwelled among us and in fulfilled prophecy. It is mathematically impossible for anyone to accidentally fulfill the scores of prophecies about the Messiah in Isaiah and the Psalms. No man could even fulfill them all on purpose. Nevertheless, Jesus did fulfill all prophecies related to His first coming and He will fulfill all the prophecies of His second coming in glory. Those who say the Old Testament prophecies were written after the birth of Jesus or that Jesus did not even exist have been thoroughly discredited by historical facts.
There remains no reason not to believe in the God that Jesus revealed. Those who reject the truth after having been given the facts simply have their own agenda to love lawlessness. This choice leaves no possibility for fellowship with a Holy God and thus they have “condemned themselves” to eternal separation from Him.
Some say study on Bible prophecy is a diversion and a waste of time.
Many pastors and leaders think all of this is a great waste of time. Why should we speculate on the future when we have enough to take care of right now? They think it is unbalanced for anyone to speculate on the second coming or to dwell on Bible prophecy.
My reply to them is that the prophetic essentials are not speculation nor are they difficult to understand. Teaching on the second coming is not a diversion because it gives hope to the saved, and provides real answers to the unsaved who correctly see that the world is heading toward destruction. The answers for these astute people are found in prophetic teaching. This author was saved by that message and so were millions of others. This teaching tells about a God who knew the end from the beginning and who told His prophets to write about it for our information, education and foreknowledge. No message other than “salvation by grace through faith in Christ” brings more people to Jesus and into church fellowship.
The prophetic scriptures tell us that God is coming back to save His people and He will restore His creation back to the way it was before the fall. All Christians should be taught the truths within the unfulfilled prophetic scriptures. A sixth of the Bible should not be ignored or misapplied because some pastors/teachers believe that only their theology has a lock on the truth the world needs, or how souls are reached for Christ. Either these scriptures are taught in the normal context, they are twisted to mean what the prophets never implied or they are not taught at all. Those who do not teach these scriptures have opened the door for the cults to teach them. The cults teach and misapply these scriptures to attract people and they are very successful at it because the topic interests people, is relevant to what people see is going on in the world and because most of the churched and the un-churched are ignorant about these prophecies. Those that teach but twist these passages have allowed heresies such as the false teaching of “replacement theology” to come into the Church. This heresy in the past set the stage for physical persecution of the Jews and it will again in the future.
We who teach Bible prophecy are watchmen on the wall.
God appointed some in the Church to be watchmen on the wall. He of course did not appoint everyone to be watchmen on the wall or nothing would be done in the city. It is the ministry and the service of the watchmen in the spiritual city of God to know the prophetic scriptures, to hear the hoof beats, to see the signs of dust on the horizon and to let the city know when danger approaches. The watchmen also check the wall of the city to make sure it remains on a sure foundation so the enemy cannot breach it and ravage the city. The watchman does not sleep but keeps his eyes opened in the long night for the sentries the King always sends in advance that announce His soon coming. This ministry is just as important as the ministry God gave others to serve the city with the gifts that they have. If everyone were on the wall and not doing their job in the city, I would have to agree with the pastors that say time is being wasted but that simply is not the case. Since when is giving hope to the city that the King is coming soon a diversion or a distraction? Since when is a message that brings millions of new citizens into citizenship in the King’s city a diversion from the gospel?
Many erroneously think the Church will bring in the kingdom.
Many of those who hold the belief that this is a time wasting diversion also believe the Church will bring the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world and that most will accept it before the return of Jesus Christ. The scriptures do not teach this! The great commission for the Church is to tell the whole world about God’s grace through His Son. The gospel of the kingdom was taught only by John the Baptist and by Jesus. This gospel about the promised restored kingdom on earth will be taught to the whole world as a witness by the 144,000 sealed Israelites and then the end will come (Mat 24:14). The context of the passage in Matthew makes that quite clear, as does chapter seven of Revelation.
Some think the Church will bring in the kingdom on earth. However, nowhere in scripture does it say things will get better on the earth or that the earth will become Christianized before the return of Jesus. On the contrary, scripture indicates that the world is heading for destruction and unless Jesus comes back to shorten the days of this destructive period no flesh can be saved. If we look at the condition of the world today, it is clear that Christianity has lost ground to demonic religion. True Christianity has even lost ground within institutions of Christianity and her established churches, many of which are now into apostasy. Paul even told us there will be a great falling away from the faith in the last days (2Th 2:3).
We do not know the day or hour but we can know the time is near.
Some critics of those who teach Jesus is coming soon say the scripture says we cannot know the day or hour of His coming. What these critics ignore is that scripture also says we will know when the time that His coming is near “even at the door” (Mat 24:33). We certainly can know when the time is near (Luk 21:28).
Some teachers quote the scripture verse that says, “no one knows the day or hour” as proof that those teaching that Jesus is coming soon are teaching something nobody can know. However, they ignore the clear passage in scripture that tells us, “we are not in darkness that this day would come on us as a thief” (1Th 5:4). If the true Church were not in darkness, why would not some see the light of His soon return and point it out to all the Church?
Why is it that these critics ignore the many passages that speak of this awareness just prior to His return and the command for Christians to watch? They also ignore the signs of the times that God gave in the scriptures themselves, because they have twisted the meaning of prophetic scripture to some obscure mystical fulfillment. Jesus chided the leaders of His day for not knowing the time of His coming, so is it any wonder that this would also occur at His second coming?
We should be aware of the signs of the time.
How any Christian leader can read the Old Testament prophecies and not see prophetic significance in the re-establishment of the state of Israel and her being surrounded by enemies just as the prophets foretold is beyond me. How Church leaders can look at what is going on in the world with the violence and immorality and with man’s ability to destroy the world by weapons made by his own hands and not know that we are near what the prophets spoke of is beyond me. How any Church leader can look at the condition of the Church with all its apostasy and not know that this is the fulfillment of what scripture said would take place in the “last days” is beyond me - unless they are part of that apostasy. I have a 25 article series on my website that should convince any reasonable person that most world trends indicate that we are very close to the Lord's return. If these articles do not convince you, then look at my article on present day apostasy in the Church.
Does God let His children know when His Son’s return is near?
Obviously many critics of those teaching that Jesus is coming soon, have their own agenda to create the kingdom on earth by their own efforts and they do not want that agenda to be disturbed by any “so called distraction” about the likelihood of Jesus returning in our time and setting it up Himself.
Those who claim that even Jesus still does not know the day or hour have basically made Jesus less than God. If Jesus is God, He is all knowing. You cannot have it both ways – you cannot teach that Jesus is God and is omniscient and then expect anyone to believe you when you teach there is still something Jesus does not know.
The answer to this apparent contradiction is simple. Jesus was speaking as a man who limited Himself to His brain of flesh and what the Father chose to reveal to Him when He made the statement that only the Father knows the time. Later, after Jesus rose from the dead when the apostles asked Him if He would “now” restore the Kingdom to Israel on earth, He did not tell them, I am not omniscient and do not know when it will come. Neither does Jesus say, you are wrong - there will be no Israelite Kingdom on earth it is now only a spiritual kingdom in heaven. Jesus says, “it is not for 'them' to know the times or the season (for the restoration of Israel’s earthly kingdom), the Father has set by His own power” (Act 1:6,7).
The apostles were witnesses just as Jesus said they would be in this passage and the apostles died “not knowing the times or season” of His return. However, to leap from the statement that was directed to those of “that era” and to make it apply to those who by all appearances “are in the season of Jesus’ return” is quite an assumption! The Holy Spirit and the whole Canon of scripture were since given to the Church, were they not?! So is the Church now in darkness that this day would overtake us as a thief? Paul says we are not in darkness! Yet, these critics think the Holy Spirit gives no light to the Church about the timing of the return of the King!
I have heard some of these same critics tell us that God spoke to them and told them to take this job, go to this church, do this ministry or move to another location etc. Personal revelation from the Holy Spirit on the paths one takes in life is perfectly acceptable to them but revelation to the Church as a whole about the nearness of the Lords return is not! What is such an inconsistent theology founded on?
It should be apparent to the wise that God is telling the Church through His Spirit to prepare for the soon return of Jesus. We can see this message in the reception the true Church is giving to anointed songwriters and authors who proclaim this message. We can also see the truth of His soon coming in the fulfillment of the scriptures that told us how it would be on earth and in Israel in the last days before His coming. The evidence cannot be denied; the true Church is expecting His return very soon and these are watching.
Some wrongly judge the ministry God called others to do.
If after reading all this, you are still one who thinks the teaching about the second coming and soon return of Jesus is a waste of time and a diversion; especially if you speak against those who do, I would like to ask you, who appointed you judge over how God calls His people to serve Him? (Rom 14:10-13, 1 Col 4:5). You critics of how God called others to serve Him might do better to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12). After all, you will answer to God when people put under your charge go to the cults for relevant answers on Bible prophecy.
Most of the time the criticism comes from pastors who just want to punch square pegs in round holes to fill the pegboard committee in their local church. Never mind that the peg will be damaged and the board may split! God wants those in His Church to serve Him using the gifts He gave them for His service. It is just too bad if you feel this service does not fit your own personal agenda. Pastors are fallible; God is not. Pastors are given to the Church to care for the flock of the Good Shepherd they are not to attack the sheep who are walking on the path God gave them.
The prophetic message brings many to salvation
Even those who call this teaching a diversion should see that the works of most prophecy teachers include a strong salvation message. We cannot be just a diversion if people are finding out the good news of Jesus Christ by reading our commentaries on Bible prophecy. How can the “End Time Rogues” enter Satan’s home turf, strike out his heavy hitters and recruit the elect that misguidedly signed on with the losing “World Devils” team, if we are throwing only curveballs?
Most churches that are actually leading people to Christ rather than just recruiting members for a Laodicean social club or a Dominion Theology cult or a mystical New Spirituality trip are also teaching the imminent and soon return of Jesus Christ. Most of the souls being saved are saved through the efforts of individuals, churches and denominations that teach about the soon return of Jesus. People want answers for the long-term problems in the world. The solutions for the problems cannot be found in humanistic answers; they can only be found in a returning King.
This teaching becomes more relevant as we see the day approaching.
Another reason to study this subject is that the time the prophetic scriptures speak of is very near. It certainly is nearer than it was two thousand years ago. If interest and teaching about Christ’s return was reasonable in biblical days, it should be much more reasonable now. Those who say the days we are in have no significance to end time prophecies are sleeping. Jesus told us to WATCH. Scripture makes it clear in many passages that watching is not an option - it is a directive.
There are real consequences if you do not watch.
In Revelation, we are told that one Church will not know the time of His coming because they did not watch. We are also told in Revelation that one Church will escape the trial coming upon the earth because they did watch. Today, what group in Christianity is obeying Christ and can be identified as those watching and what group in Christianity can be identified as those who are not watching and are not aware that the time is short? The choices are between the mainline amillennial churches, the post millennial and dominionists, and the premillennial fundamental Evangelical and Pentecostal Bible churches. If I really have to give the correct answer to that question, you fail “Church Awareness 101”.
This message of the imminent return of Jesus Christ gives hope to the Church when she is going through trials. His soon return is our blessed hope. Why would we be ignorant? His Spirit in us is telling us He is coming very soon. As Paul said, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief,” yet some apparently are in darkness and are so delighted to be there that they keep all light of His soon return out of their own local church.
Comments are welcomed.
If you found this book helpful let me know (whether you agree with all my comments or not) constructive comments are always welcomed. My email is don@thepropheticyears.com. The book was much more work than I expected but I learned a lot by writing it.
More arguments for various topics on my theology are on my website and Blog. Use the search boxes provided there to find information on various topics that I wrote about. As I debated my theological views on the Internet over the years, I quickly found out that some topics become endless debates, so do not expect that type of dialogue I do not have the time. There are few arguments against my general theology that I have not already heard.
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If you are wondering if we are near the end times spoken about in this book, you might check out the reasoning I give on my website that this is the prophetic generation. My Blog on this website also keep up with current events and Bible prophecy and there are thousands of comments further explaining the issues from me and from others.