Earthquakes and the End of the Age – Why We’re at the Beginning of the Beginning
As everyone is well aware this year has seen quite a bit of seismic activity globally. Some people argue that it’s a sign of the times and that we’re approaching the close of this Age. They look to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:4-8 embracing the idea that the “birth pains” and the “beginning of sorrows” before the time of the “end of the Age and [Jesus'] return” (24:3) include “earthquakes in various places.” They anticipate a crescendo of sorts whereby devastating seismic activity will progressively increase in frequency and intensity. I am among them.
Others reject this “ridiculous apocalyptic thinking” saying that earthquakes have always been a consistent historical reality (a valid point). As a result they scoff at those who see these things as signs of Jesus’ soon return arguing that nowhere in the Bible are there prophecies of increasing seismic activity but only “earthquakes in various places;” as there have always been. They deny the crescendo effect. And they deny the legitimacy of the category of “signs of the times” (not valid points).
From a scientific standpoint, the recent earthquakes aren’t startling. The USGS says: “Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years.” [1] While this isn’t a unanimous sentiment, it surely does reflect the majority of the scientific community who openly mock the idea of the return of Jesus (let alone earthquakes as signs of the times).
From a misguided theological standpoint, earthquakes won’t be intensifying, nor are they a sign of the times. Gary DeMar writes: “Jesus simply says that “in various places there will be famines and earthquakes” (24:7). He says nothing about an increase in their number. Luke writes, “there will be great earthquakes” (Luke 21:11). Jesus was describing signs that led up to the destruction of the temple that would take place before that first-century generation passed away (Matt. 24:33-34). Like famines (Acts 11:28), “great earthquakes” are part of the biblical historical record.” [2] DeMar is a vigorous proponent of what is called Preterism; the idea that Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, the book of Revelation, and all of the eschatological prophecies in the Bible refer not to the end of THE Age, but to the end the JEWISH Age in AD 70 when Rome sacked Jerusalem. For these poor souls the “end has already come.” Unfortunately this nonsensical position has gained considerable support in the last few decades as theological heavyweights such as R.C. Sproul, NT Wright, Sam Storms, and others (like emergent leaders Rob Bell and Brian MacLaren) have given well thought out and articulate outlines of what they believe to be an undeniable doctrinal reality.
In light of this contention that because earthquakes have always been constant they will not increase before the return of the Lord I wanted to make mention of a few Biblical realities that warrant our attention.
THE PROMINENCE OF EARTHQUAKES IN ESCHATOLOGICAL PROPHECY
While Jesus Read more >>
Beware of Any Ministry Which Does Not Plainly Teach the Reality and Eternity of Hell
Words of wisdom from my man J. C. Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900):
“If you would ever be a healthy and scriptural Christian, I entreat you to beware of any ministry which does not plainly teach the reality and eternity of hell. Such a ministry may be soothing and pleasant, but it is far more likely to lull you to sleep than to lead you to Christ or build you up in the faith. It is impossible to leave out any portion of God’s truth without spoiling the whole. That preaching is sadly defective which dwells exclusively on the mercies of God and the joys of heaven and never sets forth the terrors of the Lord and the miseries of hell. It may be popular, but it is not scriptural; it may amuse and gratify, but it will not save. Give me the preaching which keeps back nothing that God has revealed.”
(from, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots)
Paul’s Teaching on the End-Times in 2 Thessalonians 2 – Ten Foundational Truths
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My Predictions for the Next Five Years – Key Trends and Events that We Should be Aware Of
I’ve received numerous emails from people around the world asking what I foresee unfolding in the next few years in light of some of the significant trends and events so far in 2011. Below is a short response.
There are three ‘areas of development’ included here that I think we’ll see in the next 5 years. I’ve followed each projection with a brief outline of what our response should be.
The first has no scriptural foundation. It doesn’t mean it’s not legitimate. But it is conjecture. And you should know that. The second is a mix of prophetic intuition and Biblical exegesis. This will be teased out in subsequent posts. And the third is entirely Biblical with no subjective reasoning involved.
FIRST, the obvious. The United States (and it’s far reaching implications globally).
Today marks Read more >>
10 Stages of Trends and Events that Will Unfold in the Middle East in the Future
Over the past few months Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain have seen dramatic protests, riots, revolts and revolution. Now, as of this week, Yemen and Syria are being sucked into the vortex. Leaders of other nations like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon are pushing back against similar uprisings. Meanwhile, this past Tuesday, the Israel Navy seized a cargo vessel in the Mediterranean Sea that was carrying advanced weaponry from Syria bound for the Gaza Strip – 50 tons of it.
This social convulsion in the Middle East is one of the most significant unfolding of events in recent history. I have no doubt that this season of unrest will significantly contribute to the dramatic changing of the sociopolitical landscape necessary to set the international stage for the age-ending “battle” for Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-3; Joel 3:2-3; etc.) of which the prophets spoke, the apostles looked and our children will witness.
Below are 10 distinct stages of trends and events that will unfold in the Middle East in the future; all of which revolve around the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Some are general trends and some are specific events. Some are taking place now and some will take place after the Lord returns.
Stage 1: The current political landscape of the Middle East will continue to deteriorate as violence escalates – especially as it pertains to Israel. The recent protests and revolts Read more >>
The Christchurch Earthquake and the Mounting Controversy Over the Judgment of God: A Biblical Perspective
The predominant message emerging from the church in New Zealand in the wake of the earthquake in Christchurch last week is: “God had nothing to do with it.” The minority on the other side of the spectrum claims it’s “punishment” for “Christchurch’s sin and unrepentance” (as one cranky and belligerent blogger put it).
I’d like to humbly submit the idea that it’s just as foolish to flippantly pronounce judgment as it is to flippantly denounce it. Both miss the heart of God and stand in stark contradiction to the Scripture. There is a ‘better way.’
Below are 7 points foundational to the Biblical theology of judgment. These propositions aren’t ‘proof texts’ for the earthquake being judgment. They are general propositions that urge us to resist the temptation to be hasty and brash in our rejection of judgment as a category and God as Judge; a temptation that many believers in New Zealand lack the resolve (or discernment) to resist.
I have no clarity as to whether the earthquake was or was not judgment. We at the Tauranga House of Prayer Missions Base are being diligent about not speaking into the issue until we do. But I am very clear about the idea that God is a Judge who does judge. And we must discern the unfolding of history through a worldview informed by that objective reality; lest we be swept away by the waves of opinions that now rage in the proverbial sea of the church of New Zealand.
My exhortation is not “the earthquake was the judgment of God” but rather “don’t dismiss the subject of the judgment of God.” Tarry. Wait. Consider. Contemplate. Pray. Listen. Stand (Jeremiah 23:18).
The 7 points, in no particular order:
1. Judgment, at its core, is about God’s zeal to make wrong things right and ultimately “restore all things” (Acts 3:21). To scoff at judgment is essentially to scoff at justice (which share the same root word). The chief objective of judgment is the making of wrong things right. It is as much about the liberation of the oppressed as it is about the punishment of the oppressor. God’s ultimate goal in judgment is to war against His great enemy (sin) giving the greatest opportunity possible for the most amount of people possible to love Him at the deepest level possible using the least severe means possible. The judgment of God is good news. It may not sound like it to you as you read this on your cushy couch on your new laptop in your safe living room. But its the only hope of the 12 year old girl in Thailand being sold right now to a 45 year old pervert who is about to use her as a masturbation manikin for the night. The judgment of God is that little girl’s sole consolation; to which we cry “Haste the Day!”
2. The concept of judgment is consistent between the Old and New Testament. The New Testament gives the subject of judgment as much airtime as the Old; if not more. Jesus Himself was consistently pronouncing judgment; of such intensity and frequency surpassing even the Old Testament prophets (see Luke 19:41-44; Matthew 23; Revelation 2:16, 22; etc). The idea that the Jesus of the NT is different from the God of the OT is unbiblical and incredibly unhelpful. Jesus was the most outspoken herald of divine judgment of anyone in Scripture. To reduce Him to merely a Savior who has rendered the Old Testament irrelevant is unwise. He is a Savior. But this is not in contradiction to the theology of judgment.
3. Temporal judgments will only increase in frquency and intensity between now and the end of the age. In Matthew 24 Jesus called this “birth pains.” Birth pains start far apart and intensify as they become more frequent – until the baby is born; or until the new age is born. If we’re uncomfortable with the idea of God releasing judgment, we’re only going to get more uncomfortable. This is as easy as it will be to casually disregard the message of judgment. This is but “the beginning of sorrows.” Earthquakes are one of the most prominent events in Biblical eschatology. A casual reading of Isaiah and Revelation makes clear the fact that we’re at the beginning of the beginning of a great storm that is mounting on the horizon; a storm that we can’t afford to refuse to acknowledge and prepare for.
4. The cross of Jesus does not make temporal judgments obsolete – it accentuates them. Many suggest that “Because Jesus bore the sin of the world upon the cross, judgment is therefore unnecessary and has been rendered irrelevant.” It’s true that Jesus bore the sin of the world upon the cross. And it’s true that He satisfied the wrath of God and paid the debt we owed. But if we reject the offer to be saved from wrath (Rom. 5:9-10), the One who satisfied the wrath of God on Golgotha will execute it upon us. This is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus bears the penalty for your sins or you do. This is why we read of Jesus pronouncing judgment before and after His death and resurrection. The cross did not dull the blade of divine judgment in history – it actually sharpened it. A casual reading of Matthew (the most judgment and hell focused Gospel) settles the issue decisively.
5. God does not suspend His kind attributes like goodness, mercy and compassion when He Judges. As Tozer said, “God never suspends one attribute to exercise another.” He is the Lion and the Lamb. The Savior and the Judge. We cannot reduce Him into categories just because we crave comfort for our fractured and sin-tainted souls. He is who He is. Many in the land are arguing that “Because God is love, He could not have done this!” Try telling that to Israel. They would respond by echoing the prophets of old who said, “Because God loves you He has done this!” Judgment is not God’s final word – mercy is; unless of course it is scorned. In fact, Biblically speaking, judgment is itself an act of mercy; for temporal judgment has the potential to spare people eternal torment.
6. Historical expressions of judgment are more of a statement about God’s jealousy and love for the redeemed than about His anger and wrath against the reprobate. Eschatologically speaking though, it is the opposite. God will deal decisively with His enemies at the end of the age. But as history unfolds, His judgments are calculated to impact the church more than the unbelievers in the world. This is why Peter said that “judgment starts in the house of the Lord” in 1 Peter 4. This is why Paul explained that the saints in Thessalonica who were suffering persecution were actually experiencing “righteous judgment” because God loved them so much. And this is why the writer of Hebrews says that we’re to welcome the judgment and discipline of God because it proves we are beloved sons and not “bastards” (see chapter 12). The 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 make this abundantly clear: Jesus judges and “chastens” the church because He “loves” her (Revelation 3:19). 2 Thessalonians 1 lays it out with profound clarity: God uses sinful men to persecute the church (which Paul defines as “righteous judgment”) until Jesus “appears in flaming fire” to judge those sinful men and to be “adored by the saints.” Judgment is first calculated to purify the church and later to punish the wicked who contributed through their sin.
7. God uses various different agents and instruments to exercise judgment. In Noah’s generation it was a flood. In Elijah’s, a drought. In Hosea’s, Assyrian military invasion. In Joel’s, a locust plague. In Jeremiah’s, Babylonian concentration camps. In Jesus,’ Roman siege. The point is that the Lord can, does and will continue to use the rage of Satan, the sin of man and the “groaning of creation” (Romans 8:22) to serve His cosmic purposes. To say that something is an act of judgment doesn’t at all imply that other agents weren’t involved; its to say they were instruments. Consider the predicament of Jeremiah’s message: “God is using sinful Babylon to judge us.” Rebellious men and demented demons were involved, but God was on the throne governing the unfolding of events. While many are currently attempting to get God off the hook, He’s comfortable remaining on the throne.
This crisis has galvanized the church in the land of New Zealand in her offense towards a God who judges and bolstered her in her rejection of judgment as a historical and theological reality. This is the crisis beneath the crisis. And if it doesn’t trouble you, you aren’t paying attention.
Responding to Crisis in the Age of Facebook – A Call to Discernment After the Earthquake in Christchurch
Just before 1pm today the city of Christchurch on the south island of New Zealand was rocked by a devastating earthquake. As of tonight the death toll is up to 65 with hundreds still missing. Since we’re living in the age of social media where everyone finds out about everything as soon as it happens, chances are, you’ve already heard all about it; regardless of what continent you’re on. Living in the “age of Facebook” has its pro’s and con’s. One of the worst things about living in the era of social networking is that everyone can share their opinions; many of which aren’t worth sharing – especially in the wake of a catastrophe.
Right now Facebook is lit up with social commentary on the earthquake.
On one side are those who are defining the event as the judgment of God. They argue that this event (and other like it) are God-ordained opportunities for judgment-stricken regions to repent and seek the Lord. They appeal to God’s righteousness, justice and sovereignty. And on the other side are those who are saying God does not use things like earthquakes as instruments of judgment. Some even argue that historical judgments have been made obsolete. They argue that “God is good and God is love; therefore devastation could never have come from His loving hand.” They appeal to God’s mercy, compassion and kindness.
One seeks to get God on the throne; one seeks to get God off the hook. One intends to disrupt; the other to comfort. I submit to you that both of these messages are most likely out of touch with reality and not endorsed by heaven. Let me explain by way of example.
Jeremiah lived through a season of history marked by unprecedented suffering, affliction and pain; all of which God took responsibility for. Throughout the course of his ministry Jeremiah was consistently in conflict with so-called prophets who were scoffing at the idea of God being the source of the nation’s suffering. Those of you who’ve read the book of Jeremiah know how intense this conflict became.
In chapter 23 Jeremiah weeps His way through an address to those prophets who were resisting his message of God-ordained judgment. This chapter bears profound relevance for us now in the wake of the shaking of Christchurch. The core message of the address is in verse 18 where Jeremiah says:
“For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?”
The word of the Lord to Jeremiah’s generation facing devastation, I believe, is also the word of the Lord to our generation facing devastation (in whatever form). Jeremiah says that the appropriate response to crisis is not analyzing it and attempting to manage it intellectually. He says that the first and foremost activity of the people of God (especially leadership) in the wake of catastrophe is “standing.” The word “standing” (or “stood”) refers to the posture of the priests who ministered to the Lord. They waited upon Him. They were slow to draw conclusions and swift to tarry.
The prophet asks the leaders of his day for the source of their messages. He charges them saying “Have any of you actually heard this from the Lord or are you just speaking what you think should be said?”
It’s important to note that Jeremiah didn’t rebuke them for their theology – he rebuked them for the posture of their hearts. The Lord wasn’t necessarily offended at their conclusions (while He clearly was; just read the chapter!). He was more so offended at their willingness to speak without having been commissioned to; without having heard from Him first; without having waited upon Him; and most importantly, without having made themselves vulnerable before Him willing to embrace whatever it is He was thinking and feeling.
Look at verses 21-22:
“I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them…”
The text requires no detailed exposition: leaders were saying things they were never told to say. And herein lies the great crisis beneath the crisis: often we are unwilling to “stand” and “hear.” We itch to “run” and “speak.” And so we refuse to enter into the tensions involved. We resist the complexities. And we attempt to resolve it; inappropriately. We refuse to confess, like the leadership in Jeremiah’s day, “Lord, I don’t know you!” (1:6, 8). Instead we flaunt what we do know. Even if what we know isn’t true.
So here are a few closing exhortations: if you feel comfortable quickly proclaiming the earthquake (or any cataclysm) is the judgment of God or most definitely isn’t, you’re more than likely out of touch with reality and speaking words that “darken counsel.” Why? Not because your conclusion is necessarily wrong (though it may be), but because you’re so hasty to declare it without making yourself vulnerable to the idea that you may not have a clue what the Lord is doing or who He actually is. There’s more at stake in times like these than merely being “right.” And there’s a lot of the line if we’re “wrong.”
“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Now is not the time to analyze, speculate or dissect. Now is the time to stand, to listen and to weep. Our responsibility right now is to be counseled by the Lord – not to counsel on His behalf. With that said, let me be clear, we must contend for the prophetic spirit. And we must be faithful to declare the Word of God. I’m not negating that. I’m simply challenging the flippant culture so pervasive in our generation that encourages us to speak boldly when we have virtually no idea what we’re talking about. History is full of people like that. And every now and again a Jeremiah comes along and rocks the boat by proclaiming “You don’t know Him” suggesting that our intellectual management of the Almighty has gotten us into trouble. And this isn’t conducive to our shallow and opinionated “Facebook culture.”
Beloved, we need the prophetic ministry in these days. But the prophetic ministry in its purest form is but the overflow of the priestly ministry. And the priestly ministry is often the last place we think to go in crisis. Sure we “seek the Lord;” but most of our seeking is driven by false ideas about the One we’re seeking that we refuse to reconsider. If we miss this we could end up on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of God. And if you aren’t open to that idea as a possibility, then I’d suggest you pull a Job and put your hand on your mouth and your face to the dust. And since that’s what many people are doing tonight in Christchurch, it’s probably the best place to be: in the gap between the heart of man and the heart of God feeling the anguish of it all.
“If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then let them intercede with the Lord of hosts…” (Jeremiah 27:18)
