While flying over the Atlantic to Israel two years ago, I turned on CNN on the plane's tv to discover Israel had just launched an offensive in Gaza. Our tour group would be landing in Israel during the middle of war. Needless to say these turn of events caused some fear among us. After all, are not things getting worse? Don't we hear of wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and falling away from the Lord. Is not tv getting bad, isn't there also an increasing use of alcohol and drugs, and what about crime?
But fortunately for us Christians, we have a winning lottery ticket called the "Rapture". We know it is getting bad, so thank goodness we get to escape this hell on earth. And if we are really, really good Christians, we are also going to bring some people along with us. If we will just "Each one, Reach one."
Isn't this how it goes?
Perhaps, this is an over exaggeration but I feel like this is the consensus of the church portrayed in the media. After all, where does much of our End Times teaching come from? The Left Behind series?
Well, I believe this pessimistic view of the end times had left me defeated. Where was the hope that my Savior promised for this life. I had lived a life based on a Gospel of Salvation, but had not Jesus promised much, much more. Did He not promise a Gospel of the Kingdom coming to Earth?
My life and perspective got turned upside down when I discovered Revelations 19:7, "Behold the wedding of the Lamb has come and the bride has made herself ready."
Hmmm... the bride has made herself ready. I have heard all my life about Jesus returning for his bride but I never had given much thought about the bride making herself ready. And then I discovered more about the Jewish wedding:
In the Jewish culture during Jesus' time marriages were typically arranged, often when the children were very young. When the children were grown, a father would send his son to the daughter’s father to ask about the dowry, the amount to pay to marry his daughter. The price her father asked from the man simply said, “when the man is willing to pay this price, his love is worthy of my daughter.”
Next the bridegroom presents the vows to the bride in front of the bride's father. The bridegroom and bride then drink a cup of wine together, sealing the covenant. Then the Bridegroom pays the dowry, paying a great price for the love of this woman. From that day, the couple is legally married even though the wedding and consummation would not occur for months.
The bridegroom returns to his home to prepare a new home for his wife. His wife does not know when he will return. The bridegroom can only return when his father gives him permission to get his wife. The bride is confident that the bridegroom will return because of his promise (vow) and the price he paid (dowry) to marry her. When the son's father believes their new home is ready, in the middle of the night he gives permission to his son to go get his wife. The son would go steal his bride in the middle of the night adding to the romance. He would then take her back to his father’s house.
Taking a closer look at scripture we see that Jesus fulfilled this Jewish wedding custom to become our Bridegroom:
God arranged for our marriage by sending His son. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus paid our dowry by giving his life sealing the covenant with communion. "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20
Jesus promised to return for us. "There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. " John 14:2-3
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." Mark 13:32
But we know when Jesus comes that the " day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:2
Discovering that Jesus is truly returning for His bride, I began to ask, "Is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords going to return for a weak bride? NO! My King of Kings and Lord of Lords is not going to return to a weak bride.
Unfortunately, I believe the Church has taken on an end-times view that says we are defeated on earth and everything is going to get worse. As a result, we often serve the Lord out of obligation versus love. And because we focus on the negative events in the world, we do not have eyes to see all the God is doing.
Jesus prayed in John 17 for the unity of believers. Now we know Jesus did nothing but what He saw the Father doing. And in 1 John 5 it says that if you pray according the the Father's will, we have what we ask of Him. So if Jesus, God's son, who does nothing but what He sees His Father doing, prayed for the unity of believers, do you think it is not going to happen? Is He going to return to the most fragmented Church ever? I don't think so.
What about the Parable of the Mustard Seed? The Mustard seed is smallest of all the seeds but when it grows it becomes the largest tree in the garden. (Matthew 13:31 ) Jesus started with 12 disciples and now 2 billion people claim Christianity as their faith.
What about the Parable of Wheat and Tares? It seems to me we have focues on the tares. Well, what about the wheat? The scripture says to first burn the weeds, then collect the wheat when it has grown to maturity. There is to be a harvest of righteousness, not just wickedness. The wheat and the tares both grow to maturity. So yes, things may be getting bad, but even better is that the church will get stronger.
What about the scriptures that says the Spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh? Or ALL of Israel shall be saved?
I don't believe God intended the Book of Acts to be a history book but instead a foundation for where we are headed and surpassing. In a relay race, is not the fastest runner saved for last? I thought Jesus said that the least in the Kingdom are greater than all the prophets before.
But unfortunately our focus has been not on "the Christ" but instead "the anti-Christ". Did you know the "anti-christ" is only used in 4 passages in the Bible and that none of them are in the book of Revelation? These occurances of the word "anti-christ" are in 1 John and 2 John when the early church is dealing with a heretical religion called Gnosticism that denied Jesus came in the flesh.
Or consider that perhaps things are much better in the world today than they were 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world.
"Two thousand years ago, in Italy approximately 40% of the population were slaves. Throughout Roman empire homosexuality was a commonplace especially between Master and slave. The Roman and Greek people worshipped many gods. In North America they had no revelation of the Messiah and in South America they worshipped a blood thirsty god in which they sacrificed many people to. Only a tiny nation in the Middle East had a revelation of the true God.
In the United States 200 years ago, there were 5 million immigrants of which 20% were slaves. Alcoholism and Prostitution were at much higher rates with estimates that for New York City there was a prostitute for every 64 men. Abortion was legal for much of the scenery. The west imported Chinese for slave labor. The Gold Rush produced vile and dangerous communities. Indians were forced off there land and in some cases murdered. Thousands moved west and in most cases did not have churches till later years.
And today, the gospel is being preached around the world. More than 200,000 people become born again everyday. More than 1 million per week are becoming Christians. From 12 disciples more than 2 billion people on the earth claim to be Christians." (Excerpt from "Victorious Eschatology," Eberlee)
It's all about how you view things. We don't need to neglect the crisis that occur around the world, but perhaps we should have a balanced perspective.
I serve a God who is bigger than satan. Therefore, I should have hope in all circumstances. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is not returning to a weak bride but one that has dressed herself in white.
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