Introduction – A warning against false prophets!
Lots of crazy theories are circulating
at the moment regarding the Coronavirus and some people are telling us that
this proves that we are going through the Tribulation period, and that we can
see the Mark of the Beast coming (connected to a microchip implant or
something) and the Judgement of God currently starting to be poured out upon
the world. I believe this is incorrect and in this short article I hope to lay
out why I believe this is not the case and encourage my fellow Christians.
1 John 4:1 tells us “Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but test (try or prove) the spirits to see whether they
are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Caution
must be exercised! We should not believe everything we are told by people who
are usually either very eccentric or very confused people (sometimes professing
believers) who are only contributing to the confusion and current crisis with
their false teaching.
All the way back in Deuteronomy 13:1-3
the people of God were told to be very cautious about prophets, particularly
those telling them things which did not marry up with previous God-revealed
teaching and principals. We also see in Deut 18 that the acid test of any
prophet was if the thing prophesied actually came to pass or not. If not, then
they were clearly false and not of God. We can see this principle with Micaiah the
prophet in 1 Kings 22:28. A lot of these scaremongers are asking us to forsake
our Bible teaching and believe them despite these ideas being contrary (I
believe) to well-established Biblical principles and truth. Ultimately have not
been proven to be correct, neither will they!
Let’s remember that many theories and
claims regarding future events and prophecy have come and gone, there is
nothing new under the sun regarding this. We can all remember hype surrounding
Identity Cards, EU Passports, Photo Driving Licenses, the ‘millennium bug’,
previous financial crises, epidemics, natural disasters and military conflicts
etc… all things proclaimed to be the ‘End of the World’ or ‘Apocalyptic’ type
events.
Therefore, the scriptures are teaching
us to be cautious and if we hold these new claims up to the light of the rest
of scripture and see them in the correct context, we will realise that these
things cannot be so. Acts 17:11 gives us the example to follow as the Berean
believers searched the scriptures daily to see ‘whether these things were so’.
A Simple but Sound Starting Point
We must have a sound framework in
which to view future events and a simple but firm understanding of the bigger
picture as found in the Bible.
Right at the outset we stand by the
simple yet firm conviction that the next prophetic event we are going to see as
revealed in the Bible is what is known as the ‘Rapture’ or ‘snatching away’ of
all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ from the earth. We see this promised by
the Lord himself in John 14 (“If I go I will come again and receive you unto
myself, that where I am there ye may be also”) and the details further given in
1 Thess 4. Both passages incidentally are recorded in the context of
comforting the believers! I think that is quite important as this truth is
something that should encourage and comfort us not cause us to be worried about
future events.
Critically therefore,
the rest of the prophetic calendar - events such as the Great Tribulation, the
appearance of the Man of Sin (or the Beast) and also the
seal, trumpet and bowl judgements that are poured out by God upon the world,
will all occur AFTER the Church is taken out of the world.
I firmly believe that “God has not appointed
us (the Church) for wrath” (1 Thess 5:9) but rather for glory! Romans 5 says “Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God… since we have
been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save
us from God’s condemnation.” Later on in this epistle we will read “There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”(chapter
8:1) I would judge this to be a simple promise of God, we will NEVER
fall under his condemnation, his wrath or judgement. If this were true, surely
it would take away from God’s ‘so great’ salvation and the work of Christ on
the cross!
In short, the Church will NOT
be here for the terrible times that will befall the earth as prophesied in
Revelations (and other passages).
A Right Understanding of Revelation
Let us just briefly understand
something about Revelation as it is this book that people are misunderstanding
and misappropriating when spreading their conspiracy theories…
At the beginning the Apostle John is
told by the angel “Write therefore the things that you have seen,
those that are and those that are to take place after this.”
There are clearly 3 groups of events mentioned here and I believe they form the
framework and outline to this book.
Things that you
have seen – this is HISTORY and
refer to the first 2 chapters of Revelation as these are events which are past
(Church history if you like)
Things that are – this is PRESENT and can be
seen in the third chapter of Revelation where the churches Sardis and Laodicea
are presented to us, both speaking of the Church in present times. We read
about ‘strengthening the things that remain’ (an instruction for us today), we also
read about the warning to the Laodiceans in a materialistic consumer age and we
read about the Lord coming quickly. All pertinent and relevant points for us
today.
Things that are
to take place thereafter
– this is all FUTURE and refers to the remaining chapters of
Revelation. The key phrase is in verse 1 where the angel says to John “Come up
here” and John is transported into Heaven to see the remaining visions and
events from God’s perspective. This is very much a picture of the rapture, and
everything therefore that follows is prophecy that will be fulfilled AFTER
believers are caught up to Heaven to be with the Lord. The fact that the final
chapter of Revelation has the phrase “I come quickly” repeated 3x is very
telling, and we should take note!
Pictures that Prove a Point
Here are 3 simple ways the Church is
referred to in the New Testament, and each of them reinforce the idea that we
will NOT be subject to God’s judgements upon the earth, neither will we be on
Earth to see those future events unfold. With each of these well-known pictures
we can ask ourselves – “with this in mind, do we believe that God would subject
us to the Tribulation?”
The Church as the Bride of Christ
The scriptures tell us; “Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it”. The beautiful relationship between us and our Saviour is described as that
of a bride and her bridegroom who clearly has a deep and unconditional love for
his bride. We must then ask ourselves, if this is clearly the relationship
presented to us in the New Testament, would the Lord Jesus subject his bride,
the love of his life that he sacrificed himself for so we could be saved, to
wrath and judgement? This is inconsistent with what we know
to be true and supported by the Word of God.
The Church as His Flock
This is also a lovely picture, found
throughout the Bible from Psalm 23 to Luke 10. The Lord Jesus is the Good
Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep, he loves us and cares for us and
sought us when we were lost and in danger of destruction! No one can pluck us
from his hand. If this is so, why would he subject his flock, who so need his
love, care and protection to God-sent wrath and judgement? This is inconsistent with what we know
to be true and supported by the Word of God.
The Church as His Body
1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that
we as believers are the body of Christ, a truth also mentioned and supported by
passages in Ephesians 4 and 5, and Colossians 1:24. If the Church is the body
of Christ, then once again why would God pour out judgement and wrath upon the
body of His blessed Son again? Christ has suffered ONCE, his
suffering accomplished salvation and blessing at Calvary and that work is done,
finished and perfect. It is therefore inconceivable to think that his
blood-bought saints (His Body in picture form) would be subject to the wrath and
judgement of God. We have been saved FROM this! This too, is inconsistent with what we
know to be true and supported by the Word of God.
A Quick Proviso
With all this said however, the
scriptures do make it clear that we will be able to see and feel signs
of those last days drawing close… For example 2 Peter 3 speaks about the last
days and some of the signs we will be able to see, as does the Lord Jesus himself
in Matthew 24 where he speaks about that list of troublesome signs being ‘birth
pangs’, the picture being of a precursor to end times and that the rapture therefore
must surely be close!
What should we be doing?
So, in conclusion let us think
positively and ask ourselves what we as Christians should be doing in the
present situation.
Waiting and Watching
2 Pet 3, Rev 1:3 and Titus 2:13 all
speak about believers as waiting and watching in hope, expectation and obedience
for the appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven. 1 Thess 1:10 says we are to “…wait
for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come.” Take note of the last phrase of this
verse! Remember that we have a heavenly hope (Col 1:5) and the comfort and
reassurance of a soon returning Saviour! (John 14, 1 Thess 4, Rev 22)
Working and Witnessing
We are exhorted to live godly and holy
lives, busy in the Lord’s service especially considering future events (2 Pet
3:11). We have a Master to serve with reward in view - the Judgement Seat of
Christ occurs after the rapture where believers will stand before Christ and our
service will be reviewed, and reward given. We have plenty of scriptural
support for this (2 Cor 5, Rom 14, 1 Cor 3 to name 3 main passages) We must
remember that right now there is a gospel to preach, a Saviour to worship and fellow
believers to help! We must be faithful and diligent in these things as the Lord
Jesus is coming soon.
Not Worrying (about the
Tribulation) but Resting in the Word!
This is easier said then done of
course as these are troubling times, but I believe we as believers have been
given the Word of God to rest in and to be reassured by, not threatened or
worried by it! We must remember what we know about our God, he is sovereign and
in control, and although we will have ‘troubles’ in this world and we are
certainly not immune from persecution, suffering and hardship (in fact God’s
Word prepares us for this!), God has not appointed us for His
wrath and judgement but rather for blessing and glory. Let us encourage
ourselves with the words of comfort concerning the future and prospect for the
believer! God’s holy wrath and judgement is only ever reserved against an unrepentant
world that has rejected Him.
A Word for the Unsaved…
Of course, the unrepentant sinner is
in a very different position and should repent (see their sin as
God sees it and turn away from it!) and trust Christ for their
own eternal salvation. This is salvation from the wrath to come as mentioned
previously (1 Thess 1:10 and Rom 5:9). 2 Peter 3:8-9 states the solemn warning;
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but
is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.” We are still living in the day of grace, the
‘accepted time’ when mankind can respond to God’s mercy and grace and be saved!
“Whoever believes
in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36
“Truly, truly, I
say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal
life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John
5:24
“Behold, now is
the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor 6:2
