Though I hold no formal degree on Scripture, I consider myself an educated man (constantly learning). For the past year-year and a half, something has really bothered me concerning certain teaching.
When in depth with Bible Study on Monday nights at our house when I moved in here, we were on Matthew. (The format of our Bible study is more discussion based; we read over two chapters that we have previously read throughout the week and ask each other questions and share with what God has revealed to us personally through them.) When we came to Matthew 24, I was slightly irked. Growing up in a Southern Baptist church my whole life, I had heard the rapture teaching enough for it to be hounded into me so I had taken it at face-value when younger, not ever really looking into it myself.
When I came across Matthew 24 and read it into context, it somewhat threw me for a loop for several reasons. Verse 9, following 'only the beginning of sorrow' which includes the wars, rumors of wars, plagues, famines, etc., Jesus states "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." [NIV]
What Jesus is saying here has yet to come to pass from what I understand historically. Yes, Nero persecuted and slaughtered Christians left and right with the same evil spirit that was behind him as was Nineveh, and Hitler with the Jews, but 'ALL nations' seems to be specific to all nations including ours. It is following this that many will turn away from the faith, maybe will betray and hate each other, many false prophets will appear and deceive, increasing wickedness resulting in increasing coldness of hearts which ramps into verse 13 "but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." In context is this talking of the end of the tribulation, as one might think I may try to imply? No, for the next verse it says that after the gospel is preached to the whole world, 'then the end will come.' So unless Jesus is teaching out of order to confuse his disciples and all who read the Scripture, then he can mean through this several different things: 1) he who stands firm will be saved spiritually(not necessarily salvation by works, but evidence through works), 2) he who endures will be saved by rapture, 3) he who stands firm will be saved from and not suffer their hearts and love growing cold as will many and will not fall prey to false prophets, 4) he who stands firm may be spared from martyrdom for the time being. It could be any, it could be all... however, it needs to be carefully weighed and processed, as I will come back to.
So then in verse 15, we have the desolation of abomination, as foretold in Daniel and a warning to everyone to flee and not turn back and down to verse 22 we are told that 'for the sake of the elect those days will shortened.' The elect which is the Greek word eklektos is used for 'elect' 16 times in the New Testament, 7 times in gospel (all but 1 talking of this future time and circumstance.) The 9 times it is used apart, it is used as a term pertaining to a fellow believer/Christian. Eklektos is also used as the word chosen used 8 times in the New Testament. I would recommend researching more into it, but all in all, all other Biblical context from what I have found (apart from the reference of Jesus being chosen using eklektos), it does not denote a hierarchy or specialized group within the body of Christ.
It is after this time that false prophets and false Christs will appear and will "deceive even the elect-if that were possible. (vs 25) See, I have told you ahead of time. (vs 26) So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. " This seems to imply to my that we, being the elect, will be there and that is why Jesus specifically points out that he has told us ahead of time. Some can use the argument that is is for those who repent after the rapture as a warning to them, but it also, as well as with every other argument, works in reverse.
Next in this teaching of Christ is his second coming. Now this is what I've had a hard time having to wrap my head around: verse40-41. Greek paralambanō and aphiēmi are the words here used for 'taken' and 'left' and what I have a hard time dealing with is how poorly that actually is translated becuase of our English language. Paralambanō means to take to, take with one's self, to join to one's self (literally as in associate, a companion and metaphorically as not to reject, not to withhold obeidience) and it also means to receive something transmitted (as a student in most cases.) Aphiēmi means to send away (bid going away in relation to a husband divorcing his wife, to expire, to let go as in disregard, to leave- 'not to discuss now' in relation to a student, to omit and neglect, and to keep no longer), to permit, allow, or to give up a thing to a person, and to to leave or go away from one (in order to go to another place, to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual claims are abandoned, to desert wrongfully, to go away leaving something behind, to leave one by not taking him as a companion, to leave on dying, to leave so that what is left may remain, and to abandon and leave destitute.)
In the light of this... what is Jesus saying about one being taken and the other left? I interpret the men working in the field and the women in the mill to be not just coworkers but fellow believers. This would elaborate and reinstate how in the coming times from then that the 'love of many will grow cold,' causing them to 'divorce' and 'leave' their walk with Christ, just as some will continue to embrace it and will not allow their hearts to be calloused by receiving and obeying instruction of the Holy Spirit If there is a rapture (pre-, mid-, or post-trib) I do not believe it will not be a vanishing act for the world to witness and wonder over with them scratching their heads, for when Christ comes, it will be sudden and take all by surprise, however, as alluded to with lightning earlier in the chapter, it is extremely visible and accompanied a loud boom (not to mention how when Christ returns in Scripture it says that we will be called up with him to encircle the Earth.
I've typed and rambled enough for this passage at the present.... but there is one point that I want to make extremely clear:
Any time I hear any pastor preach ABSOLUTES regarding the rapture I shudder and hurt. (When I say ABSOULTES, I mean that they say this is how it is, and state it as fact....) Why? 1) Becuase I believe that there is not ABSOLUTE evidence regarding when it will be, whether pre-, mid- or post- and that means that: a) if they are wrong in that the tribulation does not occur pre-trib, there will be a HUGE falling out and falling away because of people placing their faith in that teaching and then struggling and doubting the end times prophecy and the Bible along with their relationship with God. b) All preachers who preach ABSOLUTES on it have a THIRD (1/3) of a chance being right (albeit a greater chance if it is Holy Spirit inspired, however, the Holy Spirit does not contradict himself and that would get us into a 'who's more religious behind the pulpit' debate. So if this becomes an argument and main focus of a church, it brings division which is destructive and not constructive (Christ should be center point and any eschatology belief be just that: belief.) c) This is the main one: Because with preaching ABSOLUTES regarding this, if that preacher or leader is wrong, there is a lot of blood on his hands even if noone dies from it. If he is incorrect and blatantly states what is his opinion regarding Scripture to be fact which effects a member of his congregation or just someone that he in a third party way effected by it, he is held responsible for judgment over that.
I believe that Revelation needs to be talked about. I believe that the Second Coming of Christ needs to be talked about. I believe that the rapture theory (theory in its essense meaning belief supported by evidence) needs to be discussed. BUT absolutes are absolutes and opinions are opinions and needed to be addressed as such, especially when pertaining to something as dramatic as the end times.
For the time being, I do not believe specifically in pre, mid, or post tribulation rapture. I don't find enough evidence to specifically support one over the others so I take it as it comes. I live like Christ is coming back today, I live like He may be coming back in the middle of the tribulation so I need to buckle down as hard as I can now to grow my faith so I can make it through the tougher times to comes, and I'm studying Revelations and Daniel to have a better knowledge and understanding of what to face is it is post tribulation rapture along with having a firm grasp and understand of the Millenial reign and what that will mean to me.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
When my LAST post was Oct 29, 2009...
... it means that I need to at least throw something up on here.
It is easy to say that many transitions have occurred since my last post: many paradigms have been shattered, many more rebuilt. In November, I turned 24. In December I was in one of my best friend's (from Texas) weddings. At the end of December and beginning of January I went with group from JAMHOP to Kansas City, MO to ONETHING '09. January flew by while still constantly, yet slowly, trudging forward, and the same thing could be said of that of February. In January I quit working at Newk's becasue God had given me, finally, the green light and fell back onto photography and am doing it for myself full time now- with trips to and from Texas every so often to help assist my dad in whatever work he has going on back in White Oak/Longview.
This past weekend while in Texas a few things happened, and I will only delve into one: While on location at the baseball/softball tournament going on, one of the camera's kept getting this error message. Upon arrival at home, my dad discovered that the shutter was in shambles, which has happened before (costing two to three hundred dollars to send in and repair.) It was not a complete surprise because of wear and tear from all the work that my dad does. To elablorate: When taking pictures of sports, one has to go about it in a general 'rapid-fire shooting' technique. The odds of getting the perfect picture in action depend on several things which relate to steady hands, focusing on the subject while in motion, having the settings of the camera correct so that the picture is not too bright or too dark and likewise dealing with speed and ISO settings, etc. The odds of getting the perfect picture either greatly dimish if you are only able to take one picture per three seconds, or greatly increase if you can take three pictures per second. It takes out a lot of guess work and luck, but causes more wear on the shutter. With this in mind, it was revealed to me that in life I specifically at times have the tendency to go about life with rapid firing through situations. Sometimes it is necessary, but other times when the right thing to do is to take a deep breath, relax, and make sure the portrait is rightly aligned and fixed, I click-click-click-click-click-click through it, allowing unnecessary wear and exhaustion on myself, which consequently puts me out of commission for a short time so that I can be repaired (possibly missing opportunities in the process that I could be used for.)
So I learned in that to be mindful of what I am actually called to do, and what I am not. I learned that I need to be mindful of what style or technique I need to use in a given situation, and which one will strategically work best and be most edifying and beneficial at the same time. I learned I need to be more sensitive to what God's Spirit is telling me and rely on Him more, than to trust in my own 'operation' and ability to take twenty pictures at once.
It is easy to say that many transitions have occurred since my last post: many paradigms have been shattered, many more rebuilt. In November, I turned 24. In December I was in one of my best friend's (from Texas) weddings. At the end of December and beginning of January I went with group from JAMHOP to Kansas City, MO to ONETHING '09. January flew by while still constantly, yet slowly, trudging forward, and the same thing could be said of that of February. In January I quit working at Newk's becasue God had given me, finally, the green light and fell back onto photography and am doing it for myself full time now- with trips to and from Texas every so often to help assist my dad in whatever work he has going on back in White Oak/Longview.
This past weekend while in Texas a few things happened, and I will only delve into one: While on location at the baseball/softball tournament going on, one of the camera's kept getting this error message. Upon arrival at home, my dad discovered that the shutter was in shambles, which has happened before (costing two to three hundred dollars to send in and repair.) It was not a complete surprise because of wear and tear from all the work that my dad does. To elablorate: When taking pictures of sports, one has to go about it in a general 'rapid-fire shooting' technique. The odds of getting the perfect picture in action depend on several things which relate to steady hands, focusing on the subject while in motion, having the settings of the camera correct so that the picture is not too bright or too dark and likewise dealing with speed and ISO settings, etc. The odds of getting the perfect picture either greatly dimish if you are only able to take one picture per three seconds, or greatly increase if you can take three pictures per second. It takes out a lot of guess work and luck, but causes more wear on the shutter. With this in mind, it was revealed to me that in life I specifically at times have the tendency to go about life with rapid firing through situations. Sometimes it is necessary, but other times when the right thing to do is to take a deep breath, relax, and make sure the portrait is rightly aligned and fixed, I click-click-click-click-click-click through it, allowing unnecessary wear and exhaustion on myself, which consequently puts me out of commission for a short time so that I can be repaired (possibly missing opportunities in the process that I could be used for.)
So I learned in that to be mindful of what I am actually called to do, and what I am not. I learned that I need to be mindful of what style or technique I need to use in a given situation, and which one will strategically work best and be most edifying and beneficial at the same time. I learned I need to be more sensitive to what God's Spirit is telling me and rely on Him more, than to trust in my own 'operation' and ability to take twenty pictures at once.
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