13 weeks, that was my promise.
And yet there seems to be so many loose ends that need to be tied off in the Revelation study? Is that the result of bad preaching or is it just the nature of Revelation? I think it is a little bit of both. Some of the concepts I presented were not as clear as they could have been; but also, we are talking about Revelation and it is one difficult book! A number of people have suggested I take one more week to tie off those loose ends - - answer all the questions and reveal the deep-dark secrets that people have been trying to figure out for thousands of years. I know many of you think I have those answers in my back pocket (which of course I do), but I like to keep you guessing. A good preacher never shows his hand! So this post is meant to answer three questions that I think need to be explained a little further. I was considering very seriously to take one more Sunday sermon to answer these . . .but you know, I made a promise: 13 weeks. I need to stick to it because I don't want to fall into the Revelation Rabbit Hole. I have seen some pastors get stuck in it and they still have never really been able to get out! (Think Hagee, Van Impe, Lahaye, and Hal Lindsey). So I am going to stick to my original promise and use this blog to answer the big three lingering questions: (1) "Bury Me in Satin" (Question of dying - - what happens?) Let's say I am walking down the street and a brick falls off a building and hits me in the head. I bleed profusely and die. Where do I go? Because last sermon I kept saying that "Heaven is on Earth?" So do you stay on earth? Does your soul go into the grave and sleep until Jesus comes back (soul sleep)? Here is my take: 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:23 seem to teach that if a Christian dies their soul/spirit goes to be with Jesus while their body waits to be resurrected at the rapture. So do I float as a wandering spirit waiting for the resurrection of the body? No, when I go to be with Jesus I am given a spiritual body that has physicality to it. Jesus says people are recognizable, people will be eating and enjoying, they will meet up with their loved ones - - but this is not the permanent residence. The final destination has always been earth, we have been made for earth, we are human after all! Think of it like flying to California to visit your sister in Laguna Niguel. Your flight will have a layover in Chicago. While in Chicago you go to Taco Bell in the airport and sit next to Jay Leno. Meanwhile, your sister in California is not wondering if you are a wandering spirit. And your wife back in Michigan is not bemoaning your demise - - they both know you are alive, and doing well. However they don't know that you are sharing some chicken Mcnuggets with the big chinned comedian. Many theologians call this the "intermediate place", you know it as heaven. Paul calls it "with Christ." It is not, and I stress, not "purgatory." Purgatory is Roman Catholic aberration that is not biblically supportable, and it is not kind. It is a medieval motivational tool to extract tithes and obedience from poor peasants. So if I die right now, I go to heaven. (2) "Trailers for Sale or Rent..." (Explain the Millennial Kingdom again.) Kings of the road. Revelation 20:6 is clear, true believers in Jesus in the church age, will be priests and kings in the Millennial age. That means we will be placed as rulers over all the nations of the earth. This is where the confusion lies, there seems to be two classes of people after Jesus comes back for his 1,000 year reign (And yes, I believe in a literal and physical 1,000 years kingdom because I am a "dispensationalist." Don't hate me for it.) : IMMORTALS: These are all the resurrected redeemed. They will have indestructible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-49). They will not die, they will no longer sin, they will be holy like Jesus. They will be able to eat food, build a house, and throw a football. No more marriage for them, no kids. MORTALS: These are those (Jews and Overcoming Gentiles) who make it through the tribulation and are counted as the "sheep" when Jesus comes back (Matthew 25:31-46). Since they are human they will be able to die, they will marry, they will have children. If you notice in Revelation 22:3, the curse is not lifted until the New Heaven and New Earth appear. So even though Satan will be locked up for a 1,000 years, mortals will still have to deal with thorns and thistles, bad moods and kidney failure. (3) "You're So Vain." (Who will be the Anti-Christ, what is 666, will he be European, Catholic, Muslim or a Jewish Hybrid, is there a Beast Computer System, and whatz up with the Blood Moons?) There are some things I am just no longer interested in, and weird speculative prophecy is one of them! I use to try to figure out who would one day take over the earth as the evil dictator. For awhile I was convinced it was King Juan Carlos until he retired and took up motorcycle riding. I just could never imagine the Anti-Christ riding a motorcycle. I thought I figured out that Brussels, Belgium had the Beast computer where all the information on everybody was kept until I learned that Lois Lerner had an "App" on her I-phone that could download at the touch of a button all the IRS secrets on American citizens. Who needs the Beast when you have an Apple? And the final straw that broke my prophecy junkie back was this Blood Moon non-sense. C'mon, a Lunar Eclipse is not what Joel (Joel 2:31) and John (Revelation 1:7) where talking about. If a Lunar Eclipse is a sign of gloom, doom and God's wrath, then explain to me why good things always happen to me under the faint light of lunar moon: February 21, 1970 - - our family decided to move from Dayton, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio and Woody Hayes was the coach of the Buckeyes at that time. August 4, 1970 - - a baby girl by the name of Michelle Rohrer was born. (Later to be married and named Michelle Weeks) June 5, 1974 - - Sly Stone from "Sly and Family Stone" got married. May 25, 1975 - - Dennis Eckersly pitched for the Indians and shut out the Oakland A's 6-0. I could go on, but I won't. So you see, Revelation has the potential of being a Lotus flower whereby eating it's fruit will keep you dreaming and speculating while the rest of the world moves on. I would rather get to things that change lives instead of swirling in the land of speculation and conjecture for two or three years. So if you attend my church and you want to change, you will love the new series called "Free". See you soon!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
August 2018
|