The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is now doing a study of the last days which we define as the days that started with the beginning of Jesus' ministry until his return.
The number of hostile actions against churches more than doubled in 2023, according to a major new report that suggests the data could point to a “collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship” that comes from the “marginalizing” of core Christian beliefs.
The “Hostility Against Churches” report, released this week by the Family Research Council, uncovered 436 acts of hostility against churches from January through November 2023 compared to 195 in 2022. Attacks on churches have been on the rise for at least years, according to the data. There were 96 in 2021, 55 in 2020, 83 in 2019 and 50 in 2018.
FRC initially released a report on the issue in December 2022. Since then, the problem has only grown worse.
“Although the motivations for many of these incidents remain unknown, the rise in crimes against churches is taking place in a context in which American culture appears increasingly hostile to Christianity,” the report said. “Criminal acts of vandalism and destruction of church property may be symptomatic of a collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship and religion -- in this case, churches and Christianity. Americans appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality. Attacks on houses of worship may also signal a discomfort with religion in general.”
If you think the world is troubled now, just wait until the Lord takes the true believers—that is, those who have put their faith in Christ—out of it. All hell will break loose, literally. Right now, the Holy Spirit within the church is a restraining force in this world, stopping the spread of evil to a large degree, using us, as followers of Jesus, to stand up and speak for what is true and what is right. But a day is coming when the Lord will call us to be with Him, that’s the Rapture and then the Antichrist will emerge and the Tribulation period will begin.
Take, for example, two illustrations from Scripture as to why believers will not face this wrath. When God was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, did He get His people out first or did He leave them in the wicked cities?
He got Lot and his family out first, and then the judgment came.
Genesis 19:16-22 NIV [16] When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. [17] As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” [18] But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! [19] Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. [20] Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” [21] He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. [22] But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)
When God was about to bring judgment on the earth through the Flood, did God leave Noah there to drown with everyone else? No, He placed Noah and his family in the ark, where they would be safe.
Genesis 7:5-10 NIV [5] And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. [6] Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. [7] And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. [8] Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, [9] male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. [10] And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
In the same way, God has not appointed us to receive the wrath that will come upon a wicked world.
Revelation 3:10 NIV Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
In other words, the Lord is saying, “Because you have hung in there and persevered, I will keep you from the Tribulation period.”
A COMING WORLD LEADER
The book of Revelation is the unveiling of the future. “Revelation” means “the unveiling,” or “to uncover or reveal something that had been previously hidden.” We find its originsin the same Greek word from which we get the English word “apocalypse.” The book of Revelation is the apocalypse revealed for you. While it is a glimpse into the future, it is also an unveiling of history from God’s perspective.
In the first three chapters, Jesus addresses the seven churches of Revelation. Beginning with the church of Ephesus and ending with the church of Laodicea, these chapters speak of three different things:
Actual churches that once existed
Stages of church history
People who would find themselves in the same spiritual condition as the churches to whom Jesus was speaking
Revelation 4 describes the fact that the Church will be catapulted into the presence of God in eternity. It is a glimpse of what heaven will be like. Then the scene shifts back to Earth, and Revelation 6 describes what the Tribulation period will be like.
We talked about Satan and the Anit-Christ being restrained by the Holy Spirit operating in the church then when things start to get really tough and evil there’s the Rapture which means there is nothing or noone to restrain evil on the earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:2-8 NIV [2] not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. [3] Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. [4] He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. [5] Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? [6] And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. [7] For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
Who is this “lawless one” or Antichrist and how will he come on the scene?
He will be a charismatic world leader who will emerge with answers to the troubled economy of the world and he will be a man who will bring about a peace making possible the complete absence of war for three and a half years.
Daniel 9:27 NCV [27] That leader will make firm an agreement with many people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city.”
Daniel 9:27 AMPC [27] And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.
Now this is a man not Satan himself but he will be advised and guided by Satan. He will come as a man of peace, a man with solutions.
Although it is clear today that he was not Hilter was a sort of prototype
Hitler did something very similar when he came on the scene. After World War I, Germanywas in desperate financial straits. Inflation was so bad that thousands of people were virtually starving on the streets. He came on the scene with benevolent gestures and then revealed himself for who he really was. He had a wicked plan that he called “the final solution.” It was his desire to kill every Jewish man, woman and child.
He effectively destroyed 6 million Jews in his concentration camps, and probably would have achieved his goal of total elimination of the Jewish race had it not been for his defeat by the Allies.
Keep in mind that an international focus on Israel is one of the distinctive signs of the last days. Remember the church, those who believe and trust the sacrifice of Jesus for the remission of sin. It is important to understand that modern Israel today is largely a secular nation.
Romans 11:25-27 NIV [25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, [26] and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Here Paul is implying a national turning back to God. The implication is they will turn to Jesus as the Messiah, and God will pour out His Spirit on the nation of Israel again. But before He does this and pours out His Spirit upon the Jews, the full gathering of the Gentiles must take place, the church will be Raptured.
Over most Jewish people today, certainly not all, there is a spiritual blindness in which they are not all that open to hearing about Jesus as their Messiah. God says that He will lift the blinders.
Diverse Interpretations:
End Times View: Some believe that God will remove their spiritual blindness in a dramatic way near the end times, potentially through a series of events and supernatural signs. This may align with prophecies found in books like Ezekiel or Zechariah which discuss Israel's restoration.
Ezekiel contains some of the most striking and vivid prophecies about Israel's restoration. Here are some specific verses and their significance:
Physical Restoration
Ezekiel 36:24-28 “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
This passage combines promises of physical return to the Land of Israel with an inward, spiritual transformation.
Ezekiel 37:11-14 (The Valley of Dry Bones) “Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.”’”
This powerful vision symbolizes Israel's resurrection from a state of spiritual death and exile back into a revitalized nation in their homeland.
Spiritual Restoration
Ezekiel 11:19-20 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
This speaks of an internal transformation where God changes the hearts of His people, enabling them to follow Him faithfully.
Ezekiel 36:33-36 “Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt...Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Here we see that spiritual cleansing leads to the restoration of the land, signifying the holistic nature of Israel's renewal.
Future Leadership and Unity
Ezekiel 37:24-25 "David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever."
This refers to a future time of unity under a righteous leader, often interpreted as pointing towards the Messiah.
Physical Restoration
Zechariah 2:10-12 "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you." (ESV)
God promises His return to Jerusalem and Israel, with the inclusion of Gentiles among His people.
Zechariah 8:7-8 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.'" (ESV)
Emphasizes the return of exiles to Jerusalem under God's protection.
Spiritual Restoration
Zechariah 1:3 "Therefore say to them, ‘Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.'" (ESV)
Stresses Israel's repentance and return to God as pivotal for restoration.
Zechariah 13:1 "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (ESV)
Images of spiritual cleansing and forgiveness.
Zechariah 10:6 "'I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.'" (ESV)
A pledge for Israel's restoration and reconciliation with God.
Future Blessings
Zechariah 8:12 "For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.'" (ESV)
Promises agricultural abundance and prosperity.
Zechariah 8:23 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" (ESV)
Envisions Israel's spiritual influence drawing nations towards God.
Gradual Process: Others view it as a more gradual process rooted in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. It suggests that through interactions with Christians, studying the full scope of Scripture, and personal encounters with God, Jewish people may increasingly recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Both/And: Some may hold that both miraculous and gradual elements will be part of this process.
Important Considerations:
God's Sovereignty: Ultimately, the timing and specific methods for removing spiritual blindness from Jewish people rests in God's hands. Christians are called to share the Gospel and pray for Jewish people but respect God's ultimate plan.
Respect and Sensitivity: Discussions on this topic should always happen with deep respect for Jewish people and their faith. Avoiding any language that comes across as proselytizing or dismissive is crucial.
Focus on Love: The Christian worldview centers on love for all people, including Jewish people. Dialogue on this topic should be marked by love, understanding, and a genuine desire to learn from different perspectives.
Actual churches that once existed
Stages of church history
People who would find themselves in the same spiritual condition as the churches to whom Jesus was speaking
Ezekiel 36:24-28 “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
This passage combines promises of physical return to the Land of Israel with an inward, spiritual transformation.
Ezekiel 37:11-14 (The Valley of Dry Bones) “Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.”’”
This powerful vision symbolizes Israel's resurrection from a state of spiritual death and exile back into a revitalized nation in their homeland.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
This speaks of an internal transformation where God changes the hearts of His people, enabling them to follow Him faithfully.
Ezekiel 36:33-36 “Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt...Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Here we see that spiritual cleansing leads to the restoration of the land, signifying the holistic nature of Israel's renewal.
Ezekiel 37:24-25 "David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever."
This refers to a future time of unity under a righteous leader, often interpreted as pointing towards the Messiah.
Zechariah 2:10-12 "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you." (ESV)
God promises His return to Jerusalem and Israel, with the inclusion of Gentiles among His people.
Zechariah 8:7-8 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.'" (ESV)
Emphasizes the return of exiles to Jerusalem under God's protection.
Zechariah 1:3 "Therefore say to them, ‘Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.'" (ESV)
Stresses Israel's repentance and return to God as pivotal for restoration.
Zechariah 13:1 "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (ESV)
Images of spiritual cleansing and forgiveness.
Zechariah 10:6 "'I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.'" (ESV)
A pledge for Israel's restoration and reconciliation with God.
Zechariah 8:12 "For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.'" (ESV)
Promises agricultural abundance and prosperity.
Zechariah 8:23 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" (ESV)
Envisions Israel's spiritual influence drawing nations towards God.
God's Sovereignty: Ultimately, the timing and specific methods for removing spiritual blindness from Jewish people rests in God's hands. Christians are called to share the Gospel and pray for Jewish people but respect God's ultimate plan.
Respect and Sensitivity: Discussions on this topic should always happen with deep respect for Jewish people and their faith. Avoiding any language that comes across as proselytizing or dismissive is crucial.
Focus on Love: The Christian worldview centers on love for all people, including Jewish people. Dialogue on this topic should be marked by love, understanding, and a genuine desire to learn from different perspectives.
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