Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Spring Edition 1999
The Radical Shape Of Things To Come
The true biblical end-time will
materialize much differently than what most of us, in our Darbyism, have been
false-programmed to imagine. For one thing there will be no seven year, or even
three-and-a-half year "time-frame" around which to structure end-time events
with which to start--the actual time involved in the final wrap-up will be much
shorter than that.
The next important thing is what happens
first, or is placed "up-front," as the opening event in the Day of the Lord. Darbyites imagine that this "up-front" or opening event will be a secret removal
of the church in some pretribulation rapture, but they are very hard-pressed to
prove Edward Irving and John Nelson Darby's any moment secret pretribulation
rapture theory from the Scripture.
The Bible does not teach a hodge-podge of
future resurrection and future judgment events, it teaches a single, unitary
resurrection of the dead that issues in the universal judgment of all mankind
that happens at Christ's second coming. What happens before this, however, is a
massive social judgment of wickedness on earth--something comparable in
magnitude and effect to the flood that happened in Noah's day. The book of
Revelation pictures this judgment crisis as the fall of the harlot/city Babylon.
Now because this comes as disquieting "strange news" to so
many of us who have been so heavily influenced by the long-standing false
teachings of Darbyism, let me repeat: what happens up-front in the true biblical
end-time is not some secret rapture, but the sudden and unexpected massive,
fiery destruction of the Roman Babylon. We believe that the overspreading of
"antinomianism" within the popular evangelical form of Christianity in America
today is helping to turn this nation into that very (Roman) Babylon destined to
be destroyed by massive fire-power at the true biblical end-time.
Now some foolishly imagine that all the worldly Christians in
America are "going up" in some coming secret rapture of the church, but friends,
the moral figures just don't add up. If 1/3 of the American people are truly
"born again" Christians where is their moral influence and impact upon the
society around them? Why such blatant moral perversion at all levels of society
today, if one of every three adult Americans is a so-called "born again"
Christian? How can over half of all marriages in American today be ending
in divorce, it that were truly the case? Do all these people really understand
what it means to be biblically "born again?" If they do, than why do so many
live such worldly lives that are non-transformed in the direction of
righteousness and true holiness?
Friends, the absolute truth of the matter is that the vast
majority of worldly-minded and worldly-living American professed evangelical
Christians today are "antinomians," and antinomians are not going anywhere but
to certain death and certain judgment. Too many of us have too long sat idly by
on the evacuation loading platform waiting for Jesus to get us out of this
earthly mess via some fantasizing secret rapture, while the society
around us has gone to the dregs. We have not believed in our professed
cause, nor have we assumed the social responsibility that is incumbent upon us
in the gospel of the true and living Christ.
Dear friends, we are all spiritually and morally asleep!
Lord, somehow help the true holiness people of this land wake up, and begin to
lead the way in repentance, revival, renewal, and reform before it's too late!
Judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall
the end be of them that obey not the gospel? (I Pet. 4:17).
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