Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Didn't the Bible End?

Good evening! As you read the prophecies in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, you realize that His story has a way to go yet. However, there are those who see an allegory in these stories that ended with the Romans. The hidden meaning in Revelation is that John was afraid of the Roman empire. The hidden meaning in Daniel's story was that he didn't want to upset his hosts, the Babylonians and Persians. That is nice for those who think this way, then they can say the Bible ended around 95 A.D. and that it is but another ancient writing that has some good moral lessons, but, you know, we have really advanced beyond that sort of mythical stuff now. If this is the case, then we are back to Paul who said, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Paul also said that we are among the most miserable of fools for Christians died for their faith. Back to the same decision: Is the Bible an old myth, or the very truth of God?

Is reason the enemy of our faith? In Isaiah 1:18, God issues an invitation: "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." We need not give up reason to believe. God commands us to come reason with Him. Is it the end of the Bible? "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev 1:8) John and the Romans are not the end, Jesus is, and not only that, but He is to come again. If the End is to come again, then we have not reached the ending yet. Did Jesus come again already? No, for that sets in motion another set of events, and I don't think even the most foolishly optimistic religionist would say that we are seeing the millennial reign of Christ right now. Oh wait, there are those who say that Christ has come, but you need to give them all of your money and submit your body to their desires. Hmm, Jesus did warn us that would happen. When was that? Oh yes, before the end.

Are we in the end now? No, throughout the Bible prophets give signs that we cannot miss. Sun darkened, moon turned out, stars falling, oceans turned to blood (yuk!), locust-like hordes of demons with a carefully described appearance and at the very end, large hailstones. No, not world record hailstones that someone might mistake for the end. The largest known hailstones are not even close, about 1/100th of the weight John wrote about in the last bowl judgment. Go to the store and buy 100lbs of ice, think about that falling from the sky in chunks. I don't think anyone will be able to miss or deny that sign when it comes. Yes, the Bible story will come to an end, but there will not be any room for doubt.

Live in faith, trust in God,
Bucky

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