Future Hope: A Jewish Christian Look at the End of the World

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Summary: SUN, STAND THOU STILL-Joshua 10:12,13
Review: Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon". So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.

This supernatural event happened when the rag tag band of Israelites led by Joshua entered the promised land to fight the pagan tribes which lived in Israel more than a thousand years before Christ. Before Christ's second coming, christians like myself believe that there will be signs in the heavens heralding His coming, and ultimately upon His return He will appear in the clouds, just as He did when He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of G-d in Acts 1:11. The day of the Lord (from Joel 2:2, 31) will be 'a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and of thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great people and powerful; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after...The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. Indeed, when I read Revelation, especially, I feel like the passover story, the ten plagues G-d sent to punish the Egyptians, is being replayed. G-d is making His interventions on behalf of His people in real time, in real history repeat episodes.

So much doom and gloom in the prophets and apocalyptic books like Daniel, Revelation and Zechariah. Yet, there is reason to hope for those who put their trust in this G-d who has ordered the heavens and who will subject all creation to Him. Although today, it doesn't seem that way so many times, yet 'all creation hangs on your Word' as Mercyme sings; G-d is sovereign and He is in control, though surely His Spirit is grieved by the evils that seem to be escalating all over the world. That is what this Jews for Jesus publication is all about:to offer hope and to instruct and forewarn people about what the bible teaches about this 'time of trouble'. It's a good introduction to end times prophecies, and is meant to also introduce people to G-d's saving spirit who will protect us, save us during this 'time of trouble' (much in the same way the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from the angel of death which killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians). All you have to do is pray to Jesus, believing that He is the One who died for our sins, ask Him to pour out His spirit on you, and He will. It's that simple. I don't believe you need to join a congregation, pay money etc.; I do think it's critical to read scripture and pray and never doubt that He will fail you in any way, even in the darkest of times. He promises us that He will be with us to the end of times.

There are some nice diagrams in the back though they're a bit simplistic, yet for someone totally oblivious to this subject, I'd think it might help anyone understand. My favorite is the one in Appendix 2 of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27 predicting Christ's crucifixion and death and the final week of seven years which will be the Great Tribulation. In the middle of that week, the two lampstands and two olive trees (in Zechariah 4:14) will be prophesying, giving their testimony in Revelation 11. The key chapters I think which signal that this tribulation is ongoing are Revelation 11-13. And, it seems there is a contest going on much in the same way as that that went on against Elijah on mount Carmel in I Kings 18. In Rev. 11-And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. The beast of Rev. 13 perform(s) great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (I don't believe we are in the great tribulation period yet, not yet, but I do take these particular prophecies literally in terms of the number of days, e.g. the 1260 days, 3 and one half years-the time that it didn't rain on the earth during Elijah's prophesying against Ahab and Jezebel).

There is much speculation on the rapture (when believers will be joined with Christ in the air found in I Thessalonians 4:16-18), when it will happen etc., and many books have been written like the Left Behind series which are fictional books based on scripture; I believe, however, that in actuality they're too speculative, since prophecy by its very nature is very sketchy. I purposefully don't read them for that very reason, though many people have recommended that I should. Will G-d's people be spared this great tribulation or will they suffer??? We know in the end, we will be with G-d, in heaven, and will witness/participate in the beginning of the messianic kingdom, and will see death finally 'swallowed up in victory'. In this book, David Brickner only briefly explains the different hypotheses about the rapture.

Most importantly to me are prophecies about apostasy among Christ's followers and this false christ. From Mark 13:22, Christ says, "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." From 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, about the false christ's appearance: And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause G-d shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness. Also from Daniel, the false christ will put down three kings, will throw truth to the ground, yet by no human hand he will be destroyed. (Probably much in the same way Herod died in Acts 12, or even as Antiochus Epiphanes died insane after exerting all his energies in trying to stamp out all vestiges of jewish culture.) He will THINK to change the times and the law. He will wear out the saints. Several of my bible study teachers have said that satan knows scripture too, yet, from Daniel, G-d has the upper hand and as the psalmist says in Psalm 31:15 'My times are in Thy hand."

Yet there is hope from Daniel 12:1: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people (Israel) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.