I wrote a few days ago about end times prophesy and because I am reading Revelation right now we will be taking a look at end time prophecies from a different angle.
Revelation 11:1-6(NKJV)
1Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. £And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
2But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the £God of the earth.
5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
Some interesting end times stuff that should be easy to spot. As I have written here or elsewhere, end times prophesy to me seems to be of two kinds: the general that could be applied to almost any times (floods, earthquakes, wars, etc.) and specific like the two prophets that will spend 3.5 years prophesying in the courtyard in Jerusalem. No one will be able to harm them.
It seems to me that that will be pretty hard to miss. It’s also interesting to me the amount of power these two prophets will be given.
Revelation 11:7-13(NKJV)
7When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also £our Lord was crucified.
9Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations £will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12And £they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
13In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
When we see these two die, we know that the first 3.5 years is over. Further proof. We as Christians will know what to expect next while the rest of the world will be totally surprised. What is amazing to me is that even after witnessing all of that, there will still be people that don’t believe. Now here is the key question. Is it real or is it a fairy tale? Do I really expect it to happen like that?
Yes I do. Because of the details in the verse, I do expect it to happen like that. Why do I feel that way? I don’t know. For me personally, this is where one of those faith vs. logic things comes into play.
Do I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God? Without a doubt I do believe that. But does that mean that every single word in there is infallible? Could it be possible that because of the human writers and translators over the years, some things slipped in there that don't belong or aren't relevant? I don't know but it seems possible to me. Especially when you consider that the Catholic Church uses a Bible that is a bit different from the Protestant Church, and I believe that the Greek Orthodox Church uses a Bible that is a bit different than the other two. And that possibility is what creates a question for many. How do we know what is in the Bible is true?
Why am I raising this question? It's what God prompted me to write about today and quite frankly it makes me very uncomfortable. I am just a guy like anybody else. No special training, just sharing my daily walk. Even raising the questions seems to be almost sacrilegious and I don't mean it to be.
As I raise this questions I want to be perfectly clear on a couple of points. First and foremost, when I ask a question like this it is from the standpoint that God is way smarter than me and knows what He is doing, I am the one that just doesn't get it. I am just asking for God to help me understand. Secondly, the questions I am talking about in no way challenge my overall faith. They are what I would call ancillary issues. Not really important to the central issue of accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior but still things that I read in the Bible that just make me go Hmm?
But on the other hand, we serve an intelligent God and we are told we are made in His image. I don't think God expects us to just suspend our intellect when it comes to Him. I don't even think He is offended when we ask a question of Him as long as we are asking with a true desire to learn His will.
So how do we tell? For me it starts with faith. I know for many, that is an unacceptable answer. I understand. We live in a data filled world and I am an analytical person so in any other part of my life that would be an unacceptable answer for me as well.
Fortunately for me I accepted Christ when I was in 8th grade so I've had many years to build my faith. Does that mean that I've always walked with Christ all these years? Not necessarily but what is cool is that even when I strayed, Christ walked with me and was always there ready to help if I would just place my faith in Him.
If you are already a Christian, take a minute to look back at the times in your life where you can see that your faith in Christ has been well placed. Think about those times and see how God has made things happen in your life where you just go "God is so cool!". Use those times to further build your faith. Remember, your faith is like a muscle. The more you use it the bigger it gets.
For those of you that have never had this experience I would encourage you to give it a try. Take a leap of faith. Accept Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. Then get into God's word and let the Holy Spirit guide you through the questions that you have. If you are like me I think that you will find that the questions are pretty minor and that God will provide you with the answers you need as you are ready to receive them. Pretty soon you too will be saying "God is so cool!"
