2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
I am led this morning to write about God’s plan and how the church is part of it. Theologians argue about whether there is a pre-Tribulation rapture or a post Tribulation rapture in the future, but one thing is certain. God is in control, and He will protect His people, the Body of Christ, whether or not they have to endure the seven years of the Tribulation. Intelligent discussions about exactly how this will lay out, i.e. the hermeneutics of the book of Revelation, are perfectly acceptable, as these are “non-salvation based” issues. So, Dear Ones, we can agree to disagree, taking the stand that we feel God has directed us to take, just so long as we do so in love and respect of each other. Truthfully, I believe in pre-Tribulation rapture, which is why I believe that there will be a chronological layout of events. I feel there is a connection between decisions made in heaven and their consequences on earth during the judgments described in REV. It is my feeling that the church will be up and out of the way when those seven years of prophetic consummation occur. The 144,000 evangelists in this view are Jews who have converted to Christ during the Tribulation and who go on to spread the Gospel to others. That is the belief shared by Billy Graham and many others. It is not the position of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. They believe in post-Tribulation rapture or amillennialism. This belief speaks of the events of the Tribulation as being symbolic without a specific chronological time-table. In this view, the church remains on earth to endure the Tribulation, but is protected by God. The rapture takes place around the same time that Christ’s second coming does. In this view, the 144,000 evangelists are the church.
Again, we must keep our eyes on where Satan fits into God’s plan. Every scholar that I have come in contact with agrees that the scroll described in REV 5: 1 is the mortgage for dominion over the earth. The answer to the question in REV 5: 2, “And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” is crucial to everything that has led up to this point in the Scriptures. A worried John is told in REV 5: 5, “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not cry. Look! The Lion from Judah’s tribe [Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God], the great Descendant of David, has won the victory and He can break the seven seals and open the scroll.’” So many prophecies are fulfilled even in this one citation. Remember the Davidic covenant of 2 SAM 7: 12-13? That was the promise that a descendant of David would always rule. In Christ, it is fulfilled. Micah 5: 4-5 supports this. “When He comes, He will rule His people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God Himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge His greatness, and He will bring peace.” The same can be said for IS 9:6, “Unto us a child is born! A Son is given! And He shall be called, ‘Wonderful,’ ‘Counselor,’ ‘Almighty God,’ ‘Everlasting Father,’ ‘Prince of Peace.’” Jesus is surely that! With His death on the cross, He took on the sins of the world and won the victory over them [JN 3: 16, RO 3: 24-25]. The seals on the scroll represent the final judgments that God will deliver that will once and for all separate the “sheep from the goats” [MT 25: 32; REV 21: 27]. The story of Revelation is that of how Christ, under God’s direction, wrests dominion over earth from Satan’s hands and destroys Satan and his followers forever.
The church has a key role in this magnificent victory. EPH 3: 8-10, [Paul speaking] “I am less than the least of all God’s people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, and of making all people see how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect. God, Who is the Creator of all things, kept His secret hidden through all the past ages, in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of His wisdom in all its different forms.” REV 7: 9, reveals the extent to which the Body of Christ will do its God-appointed task. “After this, I [John] looked, and there was an enormous crowd-no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” Frankly, I want to be among that number. How about you?
The gates of heaven are closed to all but the righteous, those who answered the call of God to come to faith, who endured in it through all the pain, suffering, and loss Satan could muster. Satan, the antichrist, the false prophet, and the unrighteous will all be cast into the lake of fire, which is why the pearly gates of heaven can remain wide open and there will be no night there forever afterward [REV 21: 25]. The descriptions of heaven in the Scriptures are all the motivation any believer needs to endure in his faith and see God’s perspective on the suffering Satan delivers [RO 8: 18].
PRAYER: O Lord, there are so many essential truths that You have revealed to us about Jesus Christ and His role as the Judge. IS 11: 1-5, “The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches spout from a stump, so a new King will arise from among David’s descendants. The Spirit of the Lord will give Him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule His people. He will know the Lord’s will and will have reverence for Him, and find pleasure in obeying Him. He will not judge by appearance or hearsay; He will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At His command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die. He will rule His people with justice and integrity.” We better understand Your power and righteousness in judging from PS 75: 6-10. “Judgment does not come from the east or from the west, from the north or from the south; it is God Who is the Judge, condemning some and acquitting others. The Lord holds a cup in His hand, filled with the strong wine of His wrath. He pours it out, and all the wicked drink it; they drink it down to the last drop. But I will never stop speaking of the God of Jacob or singing praises to Him. He will break the power of the wicked, but the power of the righteous will be increased.” And finally, we express the words of PS 103: 6-8 from deep within our hearts, Lord. “The Lord judges in favor of the oppressed and gives them their rights. He revealed His plans to Moses and let the people of Israel see His mighty deeds. The Lord is merciful and loving, slow to become angry and full of constant love.” We stand before You today to acknowledge our utter need for Your leadership in our lives. We pledge You our trust, obedience, loyalty, diligence, glory, honor, adoration, worship, praise, and thanksgiving. We confess our sins and ask you to fill us with Your Spirit. We are part of the Body of Christ and therefore, express our willingness to join You in Your work to bring people to faith and to take part in the battles leading the Christ’s victory over Satan. In His holy name, amen.
God directs me to write more on Christ’s victory over Satan in tomorrow’s message. How can we miss that many ways that He shows us His love? They are so numerous as to be impossible to count. Every minute of every day of our lives, our Covenant Partner is there to guide, protect, provide for, show compassion, encourage, and lead us to that all-important victory over the adversary. His most profound desire is for us to live in that marvelous eternal city with Him, where His light shines and we live in joy and nearness to Him forever. We will be able to live there with the pearly gates to that city swung wide open, because there will be no threat from evil to it (which has been permanently destroyed). Each and every one of us, no matter how important we think we are, is God’s special treasure. What better reason is there for us to be stubborn about rebuffing Satan and endure his arrows? Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn