“God .. has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:1, 2
Genesis tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, but in Hebrews we read that Christ made “the worlds”. What caught my attention and curiosity was the mention, not of the earth, but of the worlds. (The NIV has “the universe”.) Yes, the writer used the plural, which immediately makes some of us think that Hebrews may be boldly going where no biblical writer has gone before. Are there Klingons out there? Did our Lord populate other planets with alien beings, or are there other kinds of worlds somewhere?
I got curious and started doing some research. What I discovered was that the “worlds” mentioned in this verse are a little closer to home. In the New Testament there are actually three different Greek words translated with the same English word: “world”.
Gai is used to describe planet earth as a whole, often in contrast to the heavens, as Jesus used it in Matthew 5:18, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away ...” But that’s not the word used here.
Then there is kosmos, which refers to the world’s system. By that I mean the people, events and things that are working together to oppose God. That’s the way John used the word in 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” But that is not the kind of world made by Christ.
The third kind of “world” is the Greek word, aion which normally refers to long periods of time, like eons or ages or generations. This is the same word Jesus used when He promised “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. (Matthew 28:20) To my surprise, that’s the word used in this verse.
So why do translators take a word that refers to periods of time and translate it worlds or even “the universe”? The context is the key. This passage is a clear reference to the Lord’s work of creation, which includes the sun, moon, stars, earth, planets and everything in them. It also includes the creation of time.
It may be difficult for us to conceive of time as something that has a beginning (and end), but it truly is tied closely to the rest of creation. The earliest measurement of time was apparently the changing phases of the moon. Then around 1500 B.C., the Egyptians began using sundials to measure the time of day. As you might expect, today we have developed more precise methods to measure time. For example, according to Wikepedia, the current official definition of a second is, “the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom.” It’s interesting, isn’t it that no matter how we try to refine them, all of our measurements of time are still connected to simple observations of motion within God’s creation?
I get it now. Without the rest of creation, there would be no ages, generations or eons. I can understand why scholars chose the English word “worlds” to translate aion in this case. Let’s not stop there, however. We should be thinking about periods of time or even dispensations when we exegete or apply this verse. If our Lord created time and all the ages since that day, then He is the one in control of the events of history, the days of your life, and the ages still in the future. This means that time does not consist of days and years filled with random events and meaningless acts. Time has a destination and it follows the course laid out by its Creator.
Unfortunately this verse, packed with meaning as it is, won’t help with the Klingon issue. What it will do is give us the encouragement of knowing that our Savior, the One who love us the most, is also Lord over all the ages.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
We’ll all be pre-trib on the way up. (A modest, but irrefutable defense of the Pretribulation Rapture.)
It may be a sign of the end times that so many people are interested in prophecy, especially concerning the Second Coming of Christ. When I wrote about the rapture of the church last week, I promised that I’d say a word about its timing – pre, mid or post. So here it is.
In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus described events prior to His return as “great tribulation.” He also referred to the prophecy of Daniel, who predicted that the tribulation would be a period of seven years beginning with a covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. That seven year period, the Great Tribulation, is key to understanding the timing of the rapture.
It’s no surprise that Christians who are looking forward to the Rapture often have differing ideas about when that day will arrive. In recent years, the Post Tribulation theory has been gaining in popularity. This means that the Church will go through the Great Tribulation and then meet the Lord in the air while He is returning to earth to judge those who are left behind. Others think the Rapture will take place sometime during that seven year period.
This is all fine with me, because once we are on the way up everyone will know that the Rapture takes place BEFORE the Tribulation. Where does the Bible say that? Thanks for asking.
First of all, it’s important to understand God’s purpose in bringing great tribulation on this earth. The Tribulation is for and about Israel. Daniel said that it will begin with a covenant made with Israel. Jeremiah called it “the day of Jacob’s trouble.” Obviously, 70 pound hailstones can be a headache for everyone, and Gentile nations will be judged but the purpose will be so that “he (Jacob) shall be saved out of it.” (See Jeremiah 30:7 and Daniel 9:27) By the end of that seven year period, Jews will finally acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah and Savior as He assumes the throne of David.
This is what Paul meant when he said that “all Israel will be saved.” (See Romans 11:26.) Yes, many have tried to spiritualize Romans 11, but it seems clear to me that throughout this wonderful chapter “Israel” means Israel and “saved” means saved. If you understand the antipathy of many Jews today in regard to Christianity, perhaps you can understand that it will take some major upheaval for that change of heart to take place.
That’s also why the book of Revelation is structured as it is. In its first three chapters, the book is addressed to the churches, there are letters to seven churches, Jesus is seen walking in the midst of the churches. And yet when the graphic descriptions of the Tribulation are given (beginning with the scene in heaven in Chapter 4) the church is not even mentioned once. The entire focus is on Israel, the Jews, Jerusalem, the Temple. You’ll notice that in Revelation 7:3 John saw an angel who came to earth to seal the 144,000 servants of God, all from Israel. It can be interesting listening to explanations about why these particular Church members are not sealed, or were somehow “unsealed” and needed to be sealed again, but the clearest and simplest explanation is that the Church won’t be there. We’ll already be in heaven.
Yes, much more could be said. You’ll notice that I haven’t even mentioned foolish virgins, not being appointed to wrath, the restrainer being taken out of the way or not knowing the day or the hour. The important thing to understand, Church, is that the Tribulation is not about you. It’s about Israel. So, my mid, post, pre-wrath and even amill. friends, perhaps you should be listening for the last trumpet. See you on the way up.
In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus described events prior to His return as “great tribulation.” He also referred to the prophecy of Daniel, who predicted that the tribulation would be a period of seven years beginning with a covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. That seven year period, the Great Tribulation, is key to understanding the timing of the rapture.
It’s no surprise that Christians who are looking forward to the Rapture often have differing ideas about when that day will arrive. In recent years, the Post Tribulation theory has been gaining in popularity. This means that the Church will go through the Great Tribulation and then meet the Lord in the air while He is returning to earth to judge those who are left behind. Others think the Rapture will take place sometime during that seven year period.
This is all fine with me, because once we are on the way up everyone will know that the Rapture takes place BEFORE the Tribulation. Where does the Bible say that? Thanks for asking.
First of all, it’s important to understand God’s purpose in bringing great tribulation on this earth. The Tribulation is for and about Israel. Daniel said that it will begin with a covenant made with Israel. Jeremiah called it “the day of Jacob’s trouble.” Obviously, 70 pound hailstones can be a headache for everyone, and Gentile nations will be judged but the purpose will be so that “he (Jacob) shall be saved out of it.” (See Jeremiah 30:7 and Daniel 9:27) By the end of that seven year period, Jews will finally acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah and Savior as He assumes the throne of David.
This is what Paul meant when he said that “all Israel will be saved.” (See Romans 11:26.) Yes, many have tried to spiritualize Romans 11, but it seems clear to me that throughout this wonderful chapter “Israel” means Israel and “saved” means saved. If you understand the antipathy of many Jews today in regard to Christianity, perhaps you can understand that it will take some major upheaval for that change of heart to take place.
That’s also why the book of Revelation is structured as it is. In its first three chapters, the book is addressed to the churches, there are letters to seven churches, Jesus is seen walking in the midst of the churches. And yet when the graphic descriptions of the Tribulation are given (beginning with the scene in heaven in Chapter 4) the church is not even mentioned once. The entire focus is on Israel, the Jews, Jerusalem, the Temple. You’ll notice that in Revelation 7:3 John saw an angel who came to earth to seal the 144,000 servants of God, all from Israel. It can be interesting listening to explanations about why these particular Church members are not sealed, or were somehow “unsealed” and needed to be sealed again, but the clearest and simplest explanation is that the Church won’t be there. We’ll already be in heaven.
Yes, much more could be said. You’ll notice that I haven’t even mentioned foolish virgins, not being appointed to wrath, the restrainer being taken out of the way or not knowing the day or the hour. The important thing to understand, Church, is that the Tribulation is not about you. It’s about Israel. So, my mid, post, pre-wrath and even amill. friends, perhaps you should be listening for the last trumpet. See you on the way up.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
What Does the Bible Say About the Rapture?
I’m surprised at how often the subject of the rapture comes up on our television program. Someone will point out the fact that the word “rapture” is not even mentioned in the Bible and wonder why it is that we Christians, or Baptists in particular, insist on talking about it so much.
Let’s think about that for a few minutes.
The first church I served as Pastor was in the western part of the United States and may have been a little more informal than some other groups. It was not unusual for someone to raise a hand in the middle of my Sunday morning sermon and ask, “Where does the Bible say that?” Actually that’s not a bad question to ask, and I’d like to answer that today.
In John 14 you will find Jesus and the Twelve in an upper room on the final evening of His earthly ministry. He had many things to teach disciples, such as the fact that He would go away. Then in verse three, He told them, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
What interests me about this verse is that it is so different from other descriptions of the Lord’s Second Coming. Scripture tells us that Jesus will come to the earth. He will come to rule the nations. He’ll come to defeat Satan. Here, He told them that instead of coming to join His disciples, He’ll come and receive them, implying that they will come to Him.
In all honesty, if that was the only verse in the Bible that talks about the issue, you probably wouldn’t use that to come up with the doctrine of the Rapture. It would remain an interesting mystery. Fortunately, there are places where the Bible does explain what Jesus meant by this.
The Apostle Paul offered some help when he said something even more shocking in 1 Corinthians 15. Ever since Adam, the human race has been under a death penalty. Our hope is not to escape death, but to go through death to resurrection. Here, however, one of the things Paul taught was that there are some people who will not go through death, but will go directly from this life to resurrection. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52
How does that happen? Paul gives a description in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17 when he said, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
That’s the Rapture. The Lord comes down and Christians who are alive at the time shoot up to meet Him! It is also where we came up with the word “rapture”. The word may not be in any English translation but the word for “caught up” in the Vulgate (rapiemur) is where it comes from.
Who wouldn’t talk about something so great?
And, of course, it raises the question, when? Pre? Post? Mid?
I’ll be glad to answer the question and we’ll see what the Bible has to say about it next time.
Have a great day, everyone.
Let’s think about that for a few minutes.
The first church I served as Pastor was in the western part of the United States and may have been a little more informal than some other groups. It was not unusual for someone to raise a hand in the middle of my Sunday morning sermon and ask, “Where does the Bible say that?” Actually that’s not a bad question to ask, and I’d like to answer that today.
In John 14 you will find Jesus and the Twelve in an upper room on the final evening of His earthly ministry. He had many things to teach disciples, such as the fact that He would go away. Then in verse three, He told them, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
What interests me about this verse is that it is so different from other descriptions of the Lord’s Second Coming. Scripture tells us that Jesus will come to the earth. He will come to rule the nations. He’ll come to defeat Satan. Here, He told them that instead of coming to join His disciples, He’ll come and receive them, implying that they will come to Him.
In all honesty, if that was the only verse in the Bible that talks about the issue, you probably wouldn’t use that to come up with the doctrine of the Rapture. It would remain an interesting mystery. Fortunately, there are places where the Bible does explain what Jesus meant by this.
The Apostle Paul offered some help when he said something even more shocking in 1 Corinthians 15. Ever since Adam, the human race has been under a death penalty. Our hope is not to escape death, but to go through death to resurrection. Here, however, one of the things Paul taught was that there are some people who will not go through death, but will go directly from this life to resurrection. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52
How does that happen? Paul gives a description in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17 when he said, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
That’s the Rapture. The Lord comes down and Christians who are alive at the time shoot up to meet Him! It is also where we came up with the word “rapture”. The word may not be in any English translation but the word for “caught up” in the Vulgate (rapiemur) is where it comes from.
Who wouldn’t talk about something so great?
And, of course, it raises the question, when? Pre? Post? Mid?
I’ll be glad to answer the question and we’ll see what the Bible has to say about it next time.
Have a great day, everyone.
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