Jesus Will ReturnI am leading my church family through the New Testament book of Revelation this year called “The Revelation of Jesus Christ: Learning to Hope in the King and the Kingdom.” We started last fall and we’re going verse by verse, week by week through this final book in the book God wrote. Now that we are really into it, I see that the timing of this study could not be more perfect in light of the current events of our day. Yesterday, I preached on Revelation 7: 1-17. And to set it up, we looked at the four most commonly held views about the Rapture of the church: • Pre-Tribulation Rapture Please take a moment to read Matthew 24:29-31 and compare it Revelation 6:12-17. Wow! I have friends that are students of God’s Word and followers of Jesus Christ, who hold to each of the views listed above. And scholars have debated for years over who is right and who is wrong. It is an issue that we will not solve on this side of the Rapture. But listen, Loved Ones, what I want us to get right is that Jesus will return! I am not as concerned about when the moment will be as I am about the fact that the moment is coming. I want to encourage you to get off the “Planning” Committee and get on the “Welcoming” Committee. Are you ready for Jesus’ return? Here’s a chart of the End Times that I am going through with the church family at Harvest. I trust it will be helpful to you in your personal study of the book of Revelation. And if you want to hear the whole message, “The Rapture Question,” follow this link to the Harvest Bible Chapel Web site.
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James MacDonald Reply:
September 3rd, 2011 at 8:21 am
Jim:
Interesting to be sure, but you would have to do ALOT more than say ‘“No man knows the day or hour” is a Jewish idiom for the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah.’ Really? And how did you come to be aware of a first century jewish idiom? Did you meet a first century jew? Did you read a book about first century judaism written by someone in the first century? Or did you hear this in a bible class from a 21st century western world christian who read a book from 1-200 years ago about first century judaism. The message of the bible is in the words of the bible, not in idiomatic discussions of first century idioms. The bible does not need footnoting, but if you want to interpret it based upon something extra biblical you better have some very convincing footnotes. thanks for writing.
james
Glen Holmgren Reply:
September 18th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Brother Johnston,
Thx for the interesting historical & astronomical ref’s. Very intriguing!
Have you perhaps seen some of the early Plymouth Brethren or Grant Jeffrey’s(sp?) material on this and other aspects of the application of the feasts of the Jews to our current relationship with The Lord and the prophetical implications with respect to Israel?
Brother MacDonald,
Wow! – your arrogance and hostility is palpable Brother … perhaps you could take it down a notch and at least recognize that first century idiom is one of the most important principles in a consistent, systematic, thorough hermeneutic. Where else would one start?
How on earth is one to understand what Jesus & the apostles was saying unless we understand how the original listeners & readers understood it. Language encapsulates content of meaning & idiom is a communication phenomena that we can’t glibly sidestep in order to dodge points that make us uncomfortable about our own pet theories.
If you are that insecure about the conclusions you have come to about the return of our Lord, then just say you’re not sure or would like to take time to consider what was put forth. Resorting to ad-hominem arguments on a public forum is extremely unwise and fruitless exercise.
Spiritual things are discerned by spiritual people. You ought to know better and you owe that Brother van apology.
James MacDonald Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 6:29 am
This is why many pastors don’t take comments on their blogs.
Glen:
It’s my blog is not a bulletin board in a grocery store, not a town hall meeting. Why would you lie and say I attacked the commenter? Ad hominem attacks go after the person, with a personal pejorative assault. Like when we call someone arrogant or insecure or hostile as you did. I simply stated that I do not agree with idiomatic interpretation of scripture where the un proven 18th Century speculation about first century culture is used to explain what is written. Find one example of Jesus or the apostles doing that with the Old Testament. Just one! They said, “it is written.” I 100% reject the assertion that the message of the bible is lost without cultural content outside what is written. It’s my place to state my convictions on my blog. It’s what a few come here to read. Start your own blog, on speculative interpretation of scripture using cultural idiom if that is what you believe or call spiritual. But please don’t say it’s arrogant to correct someone who posted from that perspective on my blog. That’s just silly. Read what I wrote again. I asked him to prove the idiom that he asserted. Most of what western Christians assert as 1st Century culture is fable from the last 200 years. The message of the bible is IN the bible. That is what I believe and that is what I said. Not one word of it was an attack on the one who commented.
james