WorldNetDaily goes a great job in directing readers to articles and topics that show where America has gone wrong. In fact, there is so much of this material that one can get information overload. This is one side of the coin. The other side is a preoccupation with end-time speculation. Hal Lindsey is a weekly columnist and periodically there are articles informing readers that we are living in the last days. Over the weekend, at the top of the WND page, we were asked this question: “Are We Living in the Last Days?” It was an advertisement for Greg Laurie’s book of the same name.
One sentence caught my attention: “Are We Living in the Last Days? will help you take some of the guesswork out of understanding the last days and will encourage you to live confidently and expectantly in an uneasy and uncertain world.” Laurie believes that world events are pointing to an end-time climax that will happen soon. This messy world is about to come to an end. This is why, given the condition of the world, we must live “expectantly” that it’s all going to over soon. Of course, we’ve heard this before. We’ve been hearing it for nearly 2000 years! All of these prophetic prognosticators have one thing in common: They’ve all been wrong. All the “signs” that Laurie sees as evidence of our near end refer to events that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. For a thorough study of this topic, see my book Last Days Madness.
If Greg Laurie and the folks at WorldNetDaily are right, then why bother trying to fix a broken world that is about to be thrown on the ash heap of history? Why concern ourselves with peace in the Mideast? It will never happen this side of the millennium. Israel must be judged one more—two-thirds of the Jews destroyed (Zech. 13:8)—before things can get better. The only event worth considering is the “rapture” of the church to rescue us from this mess. So then, why bother with anything?
Consider what so-called prophecy experts have written about the last days: Hal Lindsey wrote, “We are the generation that will see the end times ¼ and the return of Christ.”[1] When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and coalition forces led by the United States sent troops to force him out, John F. Walvoord revised his Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East, first published in 1974, to address how the Bible applies to “the future of the Middle East and the end of Western Civilization.”[2] Based on current events coupled with Bible passages which he believes throw light on the state of affairs just prior to a so-called Rapture, Jerry Falwell boasts, “We will not be here for Armageddon.”[3] On a December 27, 1992, television broadcast, Falwell stated, “I do not believe there will be another millennium ¼ or another century.” Well, there was another century and another millennium. Like Falwell, Walvoord expected the rapture to occur in his own lifetime. He died December 20, 2002. “So many people will be suddenly missing,” he wrote in 1991, “‘I wish I could be around to see how the media explains [sic] it.’”[4] According to William T. James in Storming Toward Armageddon, “We live in days such as delineated in 2 Timothy 3:1–5. The evidence is astoundingly abundant to anyone not wishing to be a foolish, deceived, brute beast but rather desiring to seek to be wise unto salvation.”[5] A careful reading of 2 Timothy 3 will show that Paul was describing conditions in Timothy’s day, what the writer of Hebrews characterizes as the “last days” of the Old Covenant (Heb. 1:1–2). This type of prophetic speculation has been going on for millennia. Why are these guys right? I know, it’s because Israel has become a nation again. Where in the NT is there any mention of Israel becoming a nation again? If Matthew 24:32 is all you have, then you don’t have much.
The New Testament is clear, when the Bible uses “last days” it is referring to the last days of the old covenant order with the end of its sacrificial system, sinful priesthood, and stone temple. With the coming of Jesus, the last days have past since He is the perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world, our high priest, and our enduring temple. Paul wrote nearly 2000 years ago to the church at Corinth that “the ends of ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). “Have come,” not “will come.” Jesus was manifested “once at the consummation of the ages” (Heb. 9:26). “The day” was “drawing near” in the first century (10:25). I know this might be new to many of you. Maybe it’s time that we stop reading the Bible through the lens of the daily newspaper and start with a fresh reading of the Bible.
[1] Back-cover copy of Hal Lindsey, The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon (King of Prussia, PA: Westgate Press, 1980).
[2] Cover copy of John F. Walvoord, Armageddon, Oil and the Middle East, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, [1974, 1976] 1990).
[3] Cited in Kenneth L. Woodward, “The Final Days are Here Again,” Newsweek (18 March 1991), 55.
[4] Cited in Woodward, “The Final Days are Here Again,” 55.
[5] William T. James, “What the Future Holds,” Storming Toward Armageddon: Essays in Apocalypse (Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Press, 1992), 45.
Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA).
Look, I dont know exactly what all Gary DeMar believes, but if you read his book and compare it to scripture, and hold fast to that which is good, you will seek and find…….
I believe (because I read it in the scripture) that there will be an actual last day, where Christ returns and the dead in Christ shall rise and those remaining shall be caught up in the air……
To me that is an event that will happen, when I dont know, but as far as the "great tribulation goes, read the book…. as far the "rapture" show me in scripture where that is found (other than imposing it upon the aforementioned text) I am not saying to believe everything Gary DeMar is saying, or to believe everything I am saying.
What I am saying is this; pray to God to help you, by the Holy Spirit, to read the scripture, with an open mind, exegetically, seeking to be as scripturally accurate in your view of His word as possible…
Read his book, read the scriptures for yourself, and even read one of Tim LeHayes or Thomas Ice's books, and let your mind sift through the information, lead by the Spirit………
All I want is for people to actually be educated on the subject and both sides of the argument before spouting their bias'……….And then we can move on to the Great Commision, because our true calling is discipleship and evangelism……… Those should be our true life purposed aside from Glorifying God…. Love God, Love People…
If many of you would actually read his book instead of just commenting with your own personal bias', you might find that your interpretation has alot of holes in it…… Or should I say the belief we have been taught all our lives…. If you read the prophesies observing the time texts, it wouldn't be such an open and shut case for you, at least if you were being intellectually honest…. I have read both sides of the debate, do not make up your mind without reading "Last Days Madness"…….. I mean afterall if you are so confident in your belief, what is there to be afraid of???
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: (see that ye be not troubled): for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. See this is our hope. So I am also thinking that these are the words of Jesus in Mat 24: 1 – 51 and am I gonna believe Jesus or man I'll believe Jesus every time. We are to occupy til Jesus comes . Why bother Gary I say to be sure to obey the Lord in going out and preach the kingdom of God is at hand so we can help others to see the need for a saviour and bring them to Jesus.
If our finite minds could figure out Gods plans in advance we would not need the Holy Spirit or The Holy Bible "Gods infallible Word". We are human and think as humans. God is a Spirit and sees the End from the Beginning. We are to trust both His word and His Judgement to be true. Anything that causes one to lose Hope or not walk in Love is not of God. Shall He find faith when He Returns? Luke 18:8
I agree with Gary. It is the great diversion instead of the great commission! People do not care about the culture or the world's problems because they are sold the idea that "it has to get worse before it can get better."
God works with what HE KNOWS to be the Truth (specific and limited information) within an individual, from within them ("Know ye not that you are the temple of the Lord? is how Christ put it); and if it is only rhetoric of who did what and when and endless suppositions during a time of inconsistencies, being flung about, then there is no edification for a man who is hearing or reading to find his way to the Truth within, and no return to the simplicity of obedience and faithfulness. In light of this: What is your purpose in dialogues? If the truth (only) is not taught, why teach anything at all? Remember the UNPARDONABLE sin: Sinning against the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth). Speak to mankind of commonalities no matter what the time; God will take it from there.
http://arielsword.wordpress.com/
WE are to work and witness until the SON of GOD returns. This comment Why Bother, is the problem. Too many Christains want the easy way out, and will probably miss out on the second coming. This is a tick of the Devil, why bother. The time is now to witness, like never before. As a christain, when was the last time you lead someone to repentance and prayer with them. Never has this world needed salvation for the sinner then today. Are we going to leave it up to GOD or someone else.
The imprecatory prayer and prophecy from the blessed seer Aspah found in Pslam 83 has been in the process of literal fulfillment since late 1947, and will culminate soon with the fulfillment of Isaiah 17, Zechariah 9, and Joshua 13:1-7, among others, which will lead to the key conflict of Ezekiel 38/39 which immediately preceeds the start of Daniel's 70th Week, the rebuilding of the Third Temple, and the final 7 years prior to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Follow Geneva Welsh's sage advice lest you find yourselves left behind from the ever imminent Harpazo. The time remaing truly is that short unless you desire to make yourselves Tribulation saints.
Also with all due respect, I absolutely agree with Geneva Walsh's comments — this article is clearly devoid of inspiration given of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and illustrates precisely why the author possesses no comprehension of the Sovereign and Divine purposes of God-breathed prophecy. This was most manifest in the fact that the author did not cite a single Biblical verse to support any of his erroneous eisegesis regarding God-breathed prophecy.
The truth and fact of the matter is that Bible prophecy is fully in the process of literal fulfillment, right now, before thousands of similarly dead hearts, blind eyes and deaf ears all over this world. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy has been kicked into high gear ever since the re-establishment of the State of Israel. We are the final generation of whom our Lord spoke, the duration of which is in accordance with Psalm 90:10.
I have read the stuff that Chiliasts produce (for forty three years now) without a smidgen of fulfillment. Time to cast them out with their carnal cabal of Ismaelites. Dispensationalists are not children of promise, they cling to earthly Jerusalem for carnal salvation which will never arrive. If war decimates the tiny nation of Israel and no White Horse judgement vision coming from the skies how will they continue to believe believe, where will their hope then go?
I used to think of them as brothers decieved, I am not sure they are really brothers anymore because their zeal is so dependant on a carnal heavenly vision you would think they were Mohammedeans looking for a Jihad heavenly experience. Gary be ware the bad guys really run the dispensationalist and always have.
With all due respect I say unless you have asked for the Holy Sprit to come into your heart you will NEVER see the
prophecy unfold. It is unfolding right in front of our eyes. If you can't see it, and with all of your education per this article, I suggest you get on your knees and ask the Lord for understanding to see what is happening—WHY? so you can lead MANY to HIM. That is our job, not judging other prophecy expects.
I will pray you do this.
God Bless You as HE IS COMING AND WE ALL BETTER BE READY.
Geneva
'Only days that concern me are my last days' me-me-me, we live n a world of confused and self-centered fools, how sad.
Very thoughtful. I thank you. The only "last days" or "end times" that concern me is the end of "my world" when I pass from this life to the next, because for me, the world "ends" when my life in this world ends. God Bless