Delaying a Historic Future

“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” Revelations 6:8-9

Jesus knows the future from the perspective of history. He said of this historic time to come, “there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.“ Matthew 24:21 His is more saddened by the spectacle than we are. Jesus, God in the flesh, has always wanted more for mankind than we have accomplished. He wanted Peter to walk on the water, and not only Peter but all who were on that fated ship. When the tiny ship and the sea were tossed Jesus did not say to Peter, “good start” as he walked on the water. He said “you of little faith, why did you doubt.” There has always been a disparity between what we could accomplish and what we are accomplishing for the Lord. As Jesus saved Peter by reaching down and pulling him up so he is going to save all mankind by reaching down and pulling us up. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24: 22

The last 100 years have been the bloodiest in the history. However, worse times are yet to come. Their inevitability is chilling and can cause believers to lose hope. As the signs of the times are read in the daily news, or lived without shame on our electronic boxes, it is easy to throw up your hands and say, “come Lord Jesus come.” What should motivate us is the biblical knowledge that we will stand before him in judgment. That judgment is two fold, my own, and my generations. In regards to our judgment it is all about works. All of our sins have already been forgiven at the cross if we have trusted him to save us from our sins.

1 Corinthians 3: 11-14 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” This scripture indicates that there are two kinds of saved people. The first is the gold, silver, and costly stones kind. They are those that dig deep into the Christian life and what they have built on earth will endure in heaven. Then there are wood hay and straw Christians. These are saved believers but all they retain in heaven is the soul that Jesus saved.

The judgment of a generation is lived out in real time and affects the lives and the generations immediately following ours. It also has eternal consequences. Worshiping the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob is a reflection of this principle. A better example comes from the mouth of Jesus. “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”Matthew 11:20-24

The middle east in the time of Jesus created the scenario that would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 AD. In regards to Capernaum Jesus says “you will go down into Hades” As Jesus foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem and his temple, so he sees the events that lead up to the coming of Antichrist. These are terrible days and my prayer is that we will be a part of a generation that delays these days of God's judgment. The prophet Amos said to those days, “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? Amos 5: 18-20

The sea will rage. Getting out of the boat and obeying the Lord now may be just the thing needed to bring great great grandchildren to the Lord. If he has not returned by then his coming will be nearer than ever. Let us labor in our generation in a manner that helps those to follow.