The Times... They Are a-Changing. (Part 4) A Great Hope.

We moderns live for today... everything is now, instant, time is money, the early bird catches the worm, and endless other clichés. 

God's timescale is very different. God's plans and purposes are eternal, outside of time. From our perspective, the 2000 years that have passed since the birth of Jesus seems a very long time indeed. From God's viewpoint, it's but 2 days... But do not forget this one thing, dear friends. With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3:8 NIV

 

 

Consider God's time-line thus far in human history. 

Creation to the flood.... 2000 years

To Abraham                  + 500 years

To the Exodus               + 500 years

To David                       + 500 years

To Jesus                       + 1000 years

3000 years passed before God gave mankind the Law, another 1500 years expired before God gave the  Law its fulfilment in the person of Christ.

Seasons, or epochs, are more important in God's timescale than years. The Old Testament epoch finally ended in A.D. 70, a new season begun with The Church Age, as Christianity spread across the known world. When the Disciples, who were commenting on the beauty and magnificence of the Temple, Jesus said that the time was coming  when not one stone would be left standing upon another. They simply could not believe this.  Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly, I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:1-3 NIV

To date every single "prediction" of Jesus' return has been 100% wrong. Eventually, I guess someone will "hit the nail on the head" and get the date right. Several well-known Christian sects have based their theology on a given date for our Lord's return, and when they get it wrong, just come up with another date, and their followers generally forgive their leadership and move on. Some sects even claim that their original date was correct, but it was a secret return and that only a very select chosen few were in on the secret. One thing is for certain, when Jesus does return it will be very visible!   

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:7 ASV 

 

When Jesus was born and lived amongst us, it was as a suffering servant. "He was despised and rejected by mankind,  a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem". Isaiah 53-3 NIV

 

When He returns, it's as a conquering Lord. Revelation 19

 

Many Christians believe that we are living  in the "End Times", that period of history that will result in the return of Jesus, and the destruction of the world as we know it. For the last 100 or so years the teachers and "prophets" of this theology  have also predicted that prior to Jesus' return there would be a great "end times harvest" of souls. Jesus said something about this... I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8 ASV

The falsely predicted harvest flies in the face of the truly prophetic words of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..."

 

The reason that so many believe that we are living in the "End Times" is the result of  a lack of understanding/teaching on God's seasons. Yes, there is dramatic change coming, but not the end of the world. That assumption looks like this... Jesus earthly ministry... Church Age.... End Times.... Destruction of the world. This thinking has resulted in widespread confusion, loss of faith when the expected return fails to materialize, derision from an increasingly sceptical world. The Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Thessalonica, reminding them that they knew about seasons and times.... Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 NIV

History reinforces what the Bible teaches about nations, empires and principalities having clearly defined "seasons" From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. Acts 17:26 NIV

 

The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem was the beginning of a new season, the "Times of the Gentiles" and we are still (thankfully) living in that season. Christians that are expectantly living in the hope of a soon return of Jesus are constantly being disappointed.     

Our hope is that we still have plenty of time.... we are however transitioning into the closing days of the Times of The Gentiles, we are witnessing the beginning of the failure of human government. We think that we can "fix up" this suffering little blue planet of ours. That particular task is reserved for the 1000-year reign of Christ's Kingdom on earth. 

 

It's during this wonderful time that vital missing dimensions of knowledge will be restored in all fields of human endeavour. Biblical guidelines of environmental care and stewardship will be taught  and explained by Godly teachers. Isaiah 30:20-21 Our ravaged cites will be rebuilt in ways that blend into and with the environment, and the ruined ecosystems  of the earth will be restored. Isaiah 11:6-9; 61:4

This is our great hope... the future is God's.