LESSON 5: Ancient Prophecy and the Modern World Collide: Ezekiel 37-39. Plus: for the church, approaching tribulation is a slippery slope Israel's History ( In Advance): Fall of Jerusalem through WWII. DATE Event resulting in destruction Prophetic Verse 67 AD A Jewish revolt in Caesarea caused a skirmish between local authorities and the Jewish resistance, and the Roman contingent was defeated. Emperor Nero acted quickly to enforce Roman rule: 60,000 Roman troops, carrying their standard (the eagle) before them, marched into Israel to squash all Jewish rebellion. Deuteronomy 28:49-50 68 AD Roman troops, under the command of General Vespasian's, laid siege to and destroyed 985 villages (as well as the inhabitant's crops) on their way to surround Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 28:51-52 69 AD Vespasian reaches Jerusalem and sets up camp atop the Mount of Olives to plan his attack on the walled city. Fate intervenes though, as Nero is deposed (and commits suicide) and rule in Rome is up for grabs. Vespasian, a favorite of the people, is called to Rome to become emperor. In the chaos his troops surrounded Jerusalem for about 18 months awaiting orders. This allowed virtually all of the early church to flee to safety. Luke 12:20- 21 70 AD The Roman armies, now under the command of Titus (Vespasian's son) begin the siege of Jerusalem in March. (Pilgrims had been allowed to go into the city for Passover, which swelled the population considerably, but not permitted to come out.) Jewish leaders burned food stores to encourage Jews to fight more ferociously. With food stores gone, the misery of the starving population was intense. Some women killed, cooked, and ate their own children to stay alive. Deuteronomy 28:53 70 AD Jews in the city attempted to sneak food past the Roman guards while Titus constructed ramps and attempted to take the Antionia Fortress, high ground close to the temple on the northeastern end of the city. The Antonia Fortress was taken at the end of August, the fighting igniting fires that destroyed the temple. The city was Daniel 9:26 Lesson 5 Page 1
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LESSON 5: Ancient Prophecy and the Modern World Collide: Ezekiel 37-39. Plus: for the church, approaching tribulation is a slippery slope
Israel's History ( In Advance): Fall of Jerusalem through WWII.DATE Event resulting in destruction Prophetic Verse
67 AD
A Jewish revolt in Caesarea caused a skirmish between local authorities and the Jewish resistance, and the Roman contingent was defeated. Emperor Nero acted quickly to enforce Roman rule: 60,000 Roman troops, carrying their standard (the eagle) before them, marched into Israel to squash all Jewish rebellion.
Deuteronomy 28:49-50
68 AD Roman troops, under the command of General Vespasian's, laid siege to and destroyed 985 villages (as well as the inhabitant's crops) on their way to surround Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 28:51-52
69 AD Vespasian reaches Jerusalem and sets up camp atop the Mount of Olives to plan his attack on the walled city. Fate intervenes though, as Nero is deposed (and commits suicide) and rule in Rome is up for grabs. Vespasian, a favorite of the people, is called to Rome to become emperor. In the chaos his troops surrounded Jerusalem for about 18 months awaiting orders. This allowed virtually all of the early church to flee to safety.
Luke 12:20-21
70 AD The Roman armies, now under the command of Titus (Vespasian's son) begin the siege of Jerusalem in March. (Pilgrims had been allowed to go into the city for Passover, which swelled the population considerably, but not permitted to come out.) Jewish leaders burned food stores to encourage Jews to fight more ferociously. With food stores gone, the misery of the starving population was intense. Some women killed, cooked, and ate their own children to stay alive.
Deuteronomy 28:53
70 AD Jews in the city attempted to sneak food past the Roman guards while Titus constructed ramps and attempted to take the Antionia Fortress, high ground close to the temple on the northeastern end of the city. The Antonia Fortress was taken at the end of August, the fighting igniting fires that destroyed the temple. The city was completely under Roman control by September 7.
Daniel 9:26
70 AD Despite orders to protect the temple (valued even by Rome), a Roman soldier threw a torch into the storehouse, and the temple burned. Gold stored in the temple melted and ran into the cracks between the stones. The Romans dismantled the temple, stone by stone to recover the gold.
Luke 21:5-6
70 AD By the end of the siege, about 1 million Jews had been slaughtered, with about 100,000 taken into captivity
Luke 21:24
70 AD Fleeing the destruction of Jerusalem, Jews begin to scatter to every corner of the earth Mark 14:47135 AD
The Roman emperor Hadrian, in 135 AD, plowed much of Jerusalem under to create the Roman city Aelia Capitolina. A coin struck for the occasion displays the emperor with two oxen and a plow. Remaining Jews are expelled from Israel.
Micah 3:12
135-on
Exiled, the Jews cover the globe, finding animosity and persecution everywhere they attempt to settle, e.g. Europe: Jews were expelled from England in 1290, from France in 1396, from Austria in 1491, from Spain in 1492, and from Portugal in 1497. Extermination of the Jews in Europe was begun in the inquisiton in 1500 and continued for 300 years; in
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the meantime Hungary expelled them in 1744, Russia began in 1881 (continuing for the next century and half); Germany attempted extermination again beginning in 1933.
70 AD -on
The Jewish nation does not exist from 70 AD to 1948. Scattered over the globe, the Jews have neither political nor religious systems in place until their return as a nation in 1948.
Hosea 3:4-5
135 0n
After the end of Roman rule, Israel became a desolate wasteland, a situation which remained unchanged until the return of Jewish rule in 1948. American writer Mark Twain visited Israel in 1867: " the spell of a curse has withered its fields and fettered its energies… Palestine is desolate and unlovely… It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land."
Deuteronomy 29:23
1500-1800
Jews in Spain or Portugal are forced to outwardly practice Catholicism, often by kissing the crucifix (wood or stone) to avoid being executed
Jeremiah 16:13
1800-on
Beginning in the late 1800s, thousands of Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe return to Israel and buy parcels of land from absentee landlords in cities like Beirut and Damascus.
Jeremiah 32:44
1917 England adopts the Balfour Declaration which commits England to working towards Jewish return to their land. Two years later the empire reaches its peak, ruling so much of the world (just under 25%) that the sun literally never set on the British Empire. The close of WWI puts England in charge of creating a homeland for the Jews in Israel. England, however, covetous of Arab oil, forbade further immigration and dragged their feet on Israeli sovereignty. The British Empire, on which the sun literally never set in 1919, disintegrated and within just a few decades their holdings had decreased to about 1%.
The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3
And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”.. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’
21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
God gives Ezekiel a vision in order to make specific promises to the nation of Israel. At what point in Israel's history does he seem to be addressing the nation (before vs 21) ?
There is at least one more prophecy to be fulfilled before that, and we find that in the next chapter of Ezekiel.
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EZEKIEL 38 & 39: the war of Gog and Magog
1) AN ALLIANCE OF NORTHERN NATIONS
Read the passage below carefully. It is packed with vital information!
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of [b] Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
Who is the prophecy addressed AGAINST: (verse 2) _________________________________________
Who is this person? Where does he come from? (verse 6) ____________________________________
___________________________________
Where is the land of Magog said to be? (Ezekiel 38:15) ________________
Does that check out on a map? What country is to the "far north" of Israel? ______________________
What does the prophecy against Gog consist of? (vs 4) What action is God going to prompt on their part?
______________________________________________
What other countries form an alliance against Israel with him?
______________________________________________
Although no country has retained its ancient name, and many of the ancient countries have broken up into several countries, we can make some pretty confident identifications:
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Magog is mentioned in Genesis 10 as a son of Japheth (son of Noah) whose descendants colonized Europe; Voltaire 's research named him the ancestor of the Russian people. Rosh is mentioned in many ancient documents, including those nearly 5000 years old In Egypt, in Ezekiel's time a people known as the Rosh lived north of the Black Sea.
What country is north of Israel? __________________________________________________________
With the confederacy listed, what would appear to be Israel's predicament? ______________________
Ezekiel 38 Continued:
7 " 'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.
10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will think an evil thought. 11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." 13
Who will be in command of this confederacy? ____________________
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Although Israel may seem like a dangerous place to us, Israeli leaders have viewed their nation as relatively secure. Yassar Arafat and Saddam Hussein are dead, the Soviet Union is no more, and they have peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan (who have attacked them before). Their military and intelligence are the top in the world, and their economy is growing at a furious pace.
Country Modern equivalent
Magog Russia and the former Soviet republics
Persia Iran
Cush Parts of Ethiopia and the Sudan
Put Primarily Libya , Somalia, Tunisia, Algeria
Gomer Eastern Turkey
Togarmah Western Turkey, Armenia, other Turk inhabited areas
How is Israel described at the time that the prince of Rosh thinks an evil thought? (verses 8, 11) ________________________________
______________________________________
What was the motivation for his evil plans?" verse 12
______________________________________
2)THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE INVADES ISRAELLook at the following verses:
Ezekiel 38: 14-16 14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
What does this verse predict? _____________________________________________________________
Again we see that the reason for the attack is the spoils available.: Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?"
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Israel is a very small country that until 1948 was pretty much a wasteland. Golda Meir once complained that Moses led us through the desert for forty years to get us to the only place in the Middle East that doesn't have any oil!" What spoils could they have that would be worth causing a war? As noted, they have access to the Mediterranean Sea, which is valuable, but (because of the Dead Sea) also have huge stores of sodium, chloride, sulfur, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. But now there's more: Geologists working from scriptures which seem to describe oil reserves in Israel (which has never had any), have now found oil reservoirs under a site called Givot Olam totalling more than a billion barrels! And a Christian engineer from the US appears to have identified another huge deposit under (interestingly enough!) the site of Armageddon.
Putin and other Russian leaders see great potential in developing relations with Islamic interests as a way to bring in money and increase Russian power in relationship to the west. Traditional enemies, Russia and Iran entered into the first alliance in their countries' history in 2007, and Putin has actively courted the rulers of of Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Sudan, Syria, Libya, Algeria, and Egypt, as well as leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Hamas. The thirty-four day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 served as an interesting preview: Putin sent troops to Lebanon (who initiated the conflict), as did Turkey and Germany. Iran, Syria, and the Soviet Union have been re-arming Hezbollah ever since.
Who protests this action?
__________________________
Ezekiel 38:14-16 gives us God's purposes for allowing this invasion:
14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
Summarize his purpose in your own words: _________________________________________________
Finally the Ezekiel passage gives us the outcome of this attack:
This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD...I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'
Is it a natural or a supernatural victory for Israel?_____________________________________________________
What is the purpose of this outcome?
_______________________________________________
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The Vilna Gaon, a highly revered Rabbi from 18th century Lithuania, understood clearly that the person described in Ezekiel 38 was a Russian leader, and taught his followers this little rhyme* as a warning: When the Russian navy passes through the Bospores (the strait that leads from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean), it will be time to put on Sabbath clothing (because this signals the soon arrival of the Messiah).
BTW : Vilna Gaon means "revered Scholar from Vilna", a town in
Lithuania)
* Maybe it rhymes in Lithuanian.
Sheba and Dedan are Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Tarshish was used to identify the furthest reaches of Europe, probably England and maybe Spain. "All her villages" (is in the King James "all her young lions), meaning the nations that have sprung from the loins of Tarshish. We can only speculate, but it seems reasonable to think that those "young lions" might be the US, Australia, and Canada, who all sprung from England's loins and who, along with Saudi Arabia, have been consistent allies of Israel.
Ezekiel continues to give us details of the outcome of the battle:
1 "Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of [a] Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.
7 " 'I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of.
What effect does the complete, apparently supernatural destruction of the attacking armies seem to have on the people in Israel? (vs 21,22)
Ezekiel 39:9-10 describe a seven-year period that is required to clean up all the military equipment, and verses 11-15 describe a seven-month period required to bury all the dead:
11 " 'On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward [b] the Sea. [c] It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog. [d] 12 " 'For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 ... " 'Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground. ... 15 As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.
What is unusual about this period of recovery for Israel? _____________________________________
What period of history does this war fall in, according to vs 16? _______________________________
What type of modern warfare does it seem to suggest? ______________________________________
There are no other overt references to a particular period of time, but remember we had other hints:
Many scholars of prophecy predict that the attack on Gog and Magog's troops described in these verses will bring about the end of Russia as a military power.
The Gog and Magog War represents the birth pangs to another fulfillment of prophecy:
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. Zechariah 12: 2-3
The nation of Israel accounts for only 1/10,000 of the earth’s land mass. It could fit inside the borders of Texas 33 times. Svalbard and Tokelau are bigger. (Who? ) (Exactly.) Yet one-third of the UN's resolutions ("resolutions" meaning "condemnations" ). focus on Israel, more particularly Jerusalem.
In case we harbored any doubt, the BBC has provided us with statistics on what the world thinks of Israel, gathering public opinion all across the world. The good news is that Israel came out the winner. The bad news? The title won was ''Most Hated Country in the World''.
Hatred is highest, no surprise, in its largely Muslim neighbors among whom only 5% of the combined populations had a positive view of Israel. But the Muslim odium towards Israel had a surprising group of sympathizers: a substantial majority of the people in Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, Greece, South Korea, China and (even more surprisingly) Australia also hold a negative view of Israel. In fact, on average, 73% of those countries’ citizens viewed Israel as a problem. Hostility towards the tiny country of Israel was, in fact, the majority opinion in the majority of the world. Even in the United States (largely viewed as Israel’s strongest ally) only 41% of the population reported a positive opinion of Israel. And we were their second biggest fan base Nigeria had a higher opinion, but still less than an outright majority.
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Vladimir Putin, current president of Russia, in the last decade has shut down elections and eliminated protestors, making newspapers across the world name him a New Czar. He has also steeply increased military spending. Despite promising to step down in 2008, he now plans to rule until 2020 and has claimed that Russia owns the Arctic circle, threatened to attack Europe, and announced his intention to take back all of the former Soviet republics. (He has already attacked the former Soviet republic of Georgia.)Members of his administration have revealed that the ultimate goal is a revival of the Byzantine empire.
One of Putin's top leaders, Vladimir Zhirinovsky,current vice-chairman of the State Duma (sort of like our House of Representatives) has written a book outlining the necessity for Russia to have an outlet on the Mediterranean sea, and detailing plans to expand the Russian empire to the south, and eventually through Israel. He even reveals his code-name for the operation: the "Final Thrust to the South" Zhirinovsky, Final Thrust tothe
Everyone hates Israel. (But God calls them the apple of his eye, and predicts that Jerusalem will be the center of conflict in the end times:
Jerusalem is currently the most hotly contested topic in the world. Most of the world's nations, including the US, the UK, and Canada, do not recognize it as Israel's capital and have their embassies in Tel Aviv. Even the few countries that recognize Jerusalem as the capital have their embassies in Tel Aviv. The Vatican is lobbying heavily for Jerusalem to be named an international city, and that position has much support in the UN. So things can only continue to get more interesting.
After the Birth Pangs: For the Church, a Slippery Slope
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Putin and AhmadinejadPutin and Assad (Syria)
Putin and Khadifi Putin and president of turkey abdullah Gul
“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
The prophet Amos made a very ominous prediction about the last days:
The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Amos 8:11-12
We were amply warned:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. II Thess 1-4
How does that happen?
Look at the following verses and record what the bible predicts for the church in the last days. If the verse identifies a specific lie that the false teachers are teaching, circle that phrase. (Some of them are a little harder to identify, but they are there! Don't let them escape you.) If the verse identifies the reasons that the false prophets are telling lies, make a box around that.
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” II Timothy 4:3-4
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.[a] Be shepherds of the church of God,[b] which he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20: 28
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer ...They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm…Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I Timothy 1:3-15
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. Jude 17-19
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. II Timothy 3:1-5
You have to do a little more investigating to understand what the problem is here. What is "the power"? Romans 1:16 : I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.
What do you think II Timothy is saying exactly about the error of those in the Timothy passage?
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them. Ephesians 5:5
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. II Peter 2:1
Again, you have to do a little more investigating here. What did the false prophets teach? Why was God so unhappy with them? ________________________________________________________________
Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! ...they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace...you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives Ezekiel 13:3-22
To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. Lamentations 2:13-14
A very interesting passage in Micah fills us in on what the false prophets say to the prophets who are accurately reporting that God is planning to judge his people:
"Don't preach," say the preachers. "Don't preach that gloom and doom. Nothing bad will happen to us. We are God's children! Does God lose his temper? Is this the way he acts? Isn't he on the side of good people?"Micah 2:6
From the three verses above, what are the false prophets specifically denying that God will do?
Let's summarize what we learned: God has told us to keep __________________ Acts 20:29
watch _________________ Matthew 24:4 be on our ______________ Acts 28:31
Because false teachers will arise from ___________ _____ II Peter 2: 1
from ___ _______ ______ Acts 20:30
They will draw the church away from true faith and into apostasy because they will
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teach that Jesus did not ______ us II Peter 2:1 teach ___________ doctrine II Timothy 4:3
turn us aside to ____________II Timothy 4:4 deny the ____________II Tim 3:2, Romans 1:16
teach that _____________ goes to heaven Ephesians 5:5
teach that Jesus did not die to ________ _____________ I Timothy 1:3-15
teach that there is no _______________ for sin Micah 2:6-7
This slippery slope that the church will find itself on as the last days draw closer is also pictured in a prophecy-by-analogy in the Book of Revelation.
THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH (IN CODE)
Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation (the most recognized book of prophecy) contain seven letters that Jesus dictated (through John) to seven churches that existed in the area that is now western Turkey. Each letter identifies Christ in a way specific to that church. In the letters, Jesus gives each church a report card, praising the church for what it was doing well and rebuking it for the things that it had let slide. We know that all of these churches existed at the time that John wrote Revelation, and Jesus was no doubt communicating specific instructions to those specific churches. It would be great for you to check it out yourself in Revelation 2 and 3, but for now here is a summary of Jesus' evaluation of each church:
CHURCH DESCRIPTION
Ephesus Early church, obedient and fervent
Smyrna Persecuted, even unto death
Pergamum Now living where Satan has his throne. Doing well but in a dangerous place. tolerating false doctrine
Thyatira Rich in works, but has let false doctrine take over
Sardis Return to faith, but not complete
Philadelphia Blameless
Laodicea Lukewarm and without merit
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The letters were addressed to these specific churches, but since Jesus told John to write them down for all believers to read there must have been a reason that God wanted us to read them too. Sure, there are things we can learn from their examples, but is there more?
What was the purpose of Revelation? ( Look at Revelation 1:1)
________________________________________________
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John
The NIV translation of this verse leaves out a word compared to the NKJ! How does this verse say that God made his prophetic message known to John?
What do you think that the word signified means here? It means just what the word seems to say: he "sign-ified " it. The angel turned the message into signs. In other words, he used symbols and analogies to describe the events that were to happen in the future. He used symbols and analogies when he told John what was going to happen. That should be no surprise, since that is clearly what the angel is doing in later chapters when he reveals things about the beast, the dragon, the bowls, and the trumpets.
Is it a stretch to think that the same thing might be going on here? In fact, although the letters were written to real 1st century churches, many scholars have noticed that the letters to the seven churches do seem to be symbolically prophetic. The letters that Jesus wrote to the churches also seem to be directed prophetically at the church at different stages of church history. (But only in the order that Jesus addressed them!)
This is subtly confirmed by Revelation 1: 20 and 8:1, which identify seven angels of seven churches which always stand in God's presence (implying that the seven churches also represent the seven stages of church history as they transpired over time).Look at the table below and notice the similarities between the profile of the church addressed in Revelation and the actual experience of the church in that period of history:
STAGE OF CHURCH HISTORY
APPROX
DATES
CHURCH NAME AND PROBABLE MEANING1
DESCRIPTION OF CHURCH IN BIBLE
DESCRIPTION OF CHURCH AT THAT TIME
NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
32 AD TO 64 AD
Ephesus (Chosen )
Early church, obedient and devout
Devoted to prayer and worship, serving each other(Acts 2)
PERSECUTED 64 AD TO Smyrna Persecuted, Roman persecution of the church in
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CHURCH 313 AD (Place of Myrrh, embalming)
unto death earnest began with Nero about 64 AD, estimated as many as 100,000 killed
CHURCH OF ROME
313 AD to 590 AD
Pergamum
(Mixed marriage)
Now living where Satan has his throne.
Constantine made Christianity legal in 313, Theodosius made it official religion in 380 AD. Church politically merged with system of pagan worship in Rome
THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH
Begins 590 AD
Thyatira (Perpetual sacrifice)
Rich in works, but lots of problems
The church in the medieval period is primarily characterized by corruption and ritual-based religion, including the daily sacrifice of Christ through communion
THE PROTESTANT CHURCH
Begins 1517 with Martin Luther
Sardis (Remnant)
Supposed faith, but not complete
The reformation "rediscovered" salvation by faith, but approved lots of other error, particularly antisemitism and denying the second coming of Christ.
THE EVANGELIZING CHURCH
Begins about 1730 (english bibles) language
Philadelphia (brotherly love)
Blameless, without anything to correct
The invention of the printing press put bibles into the hands of millions of new protestants, creating a rebirth of personal faith and evangelism
THE POSTMODERN CHURCH
Begins about 1900
Laodicea (the people rule)
Lukewarm with nothing to praise.
Bible "scholars" at formerly Christian universities begin to deny accuracy of Scriptures
Jesus addressed one particular issue with almost every church, and that was whether or not they were holding on to the truth and contending accurately for the faith. Look at Revelation 2 and 3, and see what Jesus' evaluation of each church was with regard to maintaining the scriptural basis for faith. ( The letters to Smyrna and Laodicea do not address the topic specifically, but whether or not they contended for the faith can be figured out pretty confidently from what else the letter says about them. )
THE SEVEN CHURCHES AND THEIR PRESERVATION OF THE TRUTH
Thyatira Revelation 2: 20: , 24 Have let false doctrine take over
Sardis Revelation 3: 2-3 Repaired some error, but not all
Philadelphia Revelation 3: 8 Holding true
Laodicea Revelation 3: 17, 20 Note where Jesus seems to be with relationship to that church
Jesus is outside, knocking, trying to get in
We saw, in the letters to the seven churches, that (except for the church at Philadelphia) there was a general progression away from holding to the Scriptures as truth. This gradual falling away from the belief that scriptures represent absolute truth was predicted and will, according to Scripture, result in a time before (and during) the Tribulation called the Great Apostasy.
The last two churches, Philadelphia and Laodicea are described very differently. The church seemed to split into two real extremes at some point. From the descriptions of the churches and the historical information given, what seems to have caused the difference between the two churches?
DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?
Let's think for a minute about where the American church is on this chart. How do you think the American church is doing today? How well do you think US Christians know the bible, and how firmly do they base their faith on the truth they have learned from God's word? Give the church a grade based on your opinion:
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Interestingly, a recent survey by the Barna group ( a research group that evaluates the U.S. on issues of faith) found that most Christians felt that they were above average at living a Christian life but below average at knowing what the Bible says about Christian faith. Their study also revealed that the most widely recognized "verse" among Christians was "God helps those who helps themselves". There's only one problem-- that phrase is not in the Bible at all, it's a proverb written by Benjamin Franklin! (Well, maybe one more. It actually contradicts scripture, too.)
Other findings:
Less than one out of every ten believers is guided by the Bible for decision-making or behavior. When given thirteen basic teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers believed all
thirteen to be true. 6/10 agreed with the statement " Satan is not a real being but just a symbol of evil". 6/10 similarly believed that the Holy Spirit was not a real spiritual entity. Almost half believe that Jesus sinned during his earthly life. 54% believed that all good people will go to heaven.
Do these statistics surprise you? _________________________________________________
For many who have studied the Bible these statistics are horrifying. But maybe not surprising: a different Barna survey found that, when asked about belief in a set of six basic truths of the Bible ( the Bible is truth, Jesus was sinless, salvation is by faith, Satan exists, God is all powerful and all knowing, Jesus was God made man), only half of the pastors currently leading Protestant churches agreed with all six. (And less than three-fourths of Southern Baptist pastors!)
Despite the apparent rejection of basic Christian beliefs, 90% of self-identified Christians believed that their faith was an influential force in their life!
It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. Proverbs 19:2
What does God call that kind of Christianity? ______________________________________
And He doesn’t commend it, he condemns it.
AN EMERGING THREATTrue worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. John 4:23
Summarize the things God desires in His church based on these two verses:
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Did you ever want to be a prophet? Now's your chance to make a prophecy of your own!
What do you think might happen if the American church continues in the way that the Barna research seems to indicate that it is going-- made up of people enthusiastic about their faith, but ignorant of what the Scriptures communicate about faith and Christian living?
I predict that you just predicted that the American church would wander further and further away from scriptural truths. What then, would their Christianity be modeled after?
___________________________________
___________________________________
Is that what you predicted? If so, you're nailing the prophet test so far, because a movement just like this has arisen in just the last decade. It's called the emerging
( or the emergent) church.
The emerging church is a movement from within evangelical Christianity whose leaders tend to share a set of beliefs that contradict scriptural truth. The sidebars (that's what those green boxes are called) contain some of the things that these leaders have said publicly
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The Emerging Church: In Their Own Words:
On the Bible:
Brian McLaren calls it a "scrapbook of memorabilia"1; Rob Bell a "human product", asking "Is that the best God can do?". 2Tony Jones calls the Bible "a f***ing scary book"4
There is no objective authority...." Alan Jones, reimagining Christianity 3
Scripture is neither authoritative (in a “modern” sense) nor a foundation for faith. Brian McLaren5
No doctrines are to be absolute and truth or doctrine must be considered only with personal experiences, traditions, historical leaders, etc. The Bible is not an answer book” McLaren7
Experiences are first-hand knowledge. Doctrine on the other hand, is second-hand knowledge, a danger" Marilyn Ferguson6
I don't want to do away with or denigrate theology or exegesis, but our primary allies in this business are the artists . . . . Why do people spend so much time studying the Bible? How much do you need to know? . . . . [Christians] should be studying it less, not more. You just need enough to pay attention to God . . I'm just not at all pleased with all the emphasis on Bible study as if it's some kind of special thing that Christians do, and the more they do the better." Eugene Peterson8
"[We should] stop looking for some objective Truth that is available when we delve into the text of the Bible."9
Tony Jones
"The reformation doctrine of sola scriptura, joined to the invention of the printing press and underwritten by the democratic trust in the intelligence of the 'common person,' has created the situation that now makes people
The Emerging Church: In Their Own Words:
On atonement: "The church has been preoccupied with the question, "What happens to your soul after you die?" As if the reason for Jesus coming can be summed up in, "Jesus is trying to help get more souls into heaven, as opposed to hell, after they die." ... I don't think that the entire message ... can be boiled down to that bottom line." —Brian McLaren12
Doctrine of the blood atonement is a slaughterhouse religion. Harry Emerson Fosdick13
"The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it." Alan Jones3
Jesus' sacrifice was to appease an angry god. Penal substitution [the Cross] was the name of this vile doctrine."— Alan Jones3
" The fact is that the cross isn't a form of cosmic child abuse — a vengeful father punishing his son for an offense he has not even committed. Understandably, both people inside and outside of the church have found this twisted version of events morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith. --Steve Chalke14
On Christ being the only way to God:
"For too many people the name Jesus has become a symbol of exclusion, as if Jesus statement 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me' actually means, 'I am in the way of people seeking truth and life. I won't let anyone get to God unless he comes through me.'" McLaren15
"The church must present the Christian faith not as one religious army at war with all other religious armies but as one of many religious armies fighting against evil, ... and injustice." McLaren 15
For too long the only conversation many people have had with those of different faiths is about conversion. We really must get beyond this… Seekers enter relationship with others, not to convert them but to travel the road together as friends and seekers of the Mystery." Dave Fleming16
and which show clearly how far their teachings have veered away from biblical truth. This movement is growing very quickly in urban areas, particularly among young adults. Although the emerging church movement has lots of enthusiasm for its faith, these churches have abandoned the Bible as any source of truth or authority, and have therefore abandoned the culturally unpopular essentials of Christian faith. Leaders of the emerging church movement deny that:
Christ is the only way to God (too exclusive) Christ's death was an atonement for sin (too barbaric) Anybody will go to hell (too judgmental)
Their leaders, In fact, tend to deny that sin or hell exist at all! Most believe that everybody will go to heaven, and tend to define sin as not being focused on social issues like poverty and global warming. They also dismiss prophecy, and say that instead of looking forward to being reunited with Jesus, we should be building the Kingdom of God on earth.
What is your reaction to this development in Christianity? Shocked? Saddened? Scared? Saddened is a perfectly reasonable reaction. We don't need to be scared, though, because (through prophecy!) we know who wins in the end. And we shouldn't be shocked, because (as we have seen here) we had plenty warning.
Our Marching Orders:
So what to do? God didn't leave us without instructions!
Read the following verses: Underline the specific guidelines in each verse for "keeping the faith".
II Tim 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
II Tim 1:13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
II Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer.
I Thess 5:21Test everything. Hold on to the good.
Acts 17:11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a
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gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
II Corinthians 11:2 I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. : II John 9
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and truth is your strength. But you were not willing ... You said, no!" (Isaiah 30:15,16).
Our instructions here basically fit into two categories:
1) Like the early church, devote yourself to the word(Acts 2:42). Summarize what you learned from the verses above that will help you hold fast to what is good.
2) flee from falsehood. Summarize what you learned from the verses above that will help you flee from falsehood
It may seem hard to believe that so many evangelical Christians could fall into such serious error. One explanation is that much of what the leaders say about the church that they want to "reimagine" is true: we have led people to believe that salvation is just talking the talk when God requires his people to walk the walk too. (You can't just accept him as Savior, you have to accept him as Lord.) And the church has tended to be judgmental, telling everyone else that they are sinners, when in reality every person in the world is SIN+. We who are followers of Christ are, like everybody else, spiritual beggars. We have simply found out where to get bread.
The leaders of the emergent church, however, go way beyond the these reasonable criticisms. They want to leave behind the foundations of salvation that the Bible proclaims: Jesus Christ (and no one else) came to save sinners, through his death on the cross. The other reason that the emerging church, despite its errors, is growing so fast is explained for us in the Bible.:
II Cor 11: 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
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Matthew 7: 15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. .."Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Summarize what you learned from these verses. ______________________________________
There are two key concepts here: God uses two analogies for the way that these men will disguise themselves
1) II Corinthians 11: 15 servants of __________________________________
2) Matthew 7: 7:15 wolves in ___________________________________
They will appear to be godly men, unless you compare their teachings to the Scriptures! That is why so many will be deceived. We're deceived best by close imitation!
There's a lesson for us in Matthew 4, when Jesus is tested by the devil in the wilderness. Satan tempts him, quoting Scripture to him, but always twisting it just a little.
Every answer Jesus gives starts with the same three words. What are they? _____________
These teachers will be Satan's servants, quoting Scripture but twisting it just a little. What does our response (as followers of Jesus) need to be?________________________________________
This was a sobering lesson, but take comfort from the words of Jesus: I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Lesson 8 Footnotes
Prophetic nature of letters to the seven churches: 1 Information summarized from Fruchtenbaum, A. Footsteps of the Messiah and Missler C.
Emerging Church:
1) Religion and Ethics, July 15, 2005 Number 846 2) Velvet Elvis, Zondervan 2006 3) Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity, 2004
4) Tony Jones, (Zondervan names him National Coordinator of the Emergent Village) Why is the Emerging Church Drawn to Deconstructive Theology on Church and Postmodern Culture Weblog, http://churchandpomo.typepad.com/conversation/2007/03/why_is_the_emer.html
5) Brian Mc Laren, A New Kind of Christian 2001 6) Marilyn Ferguson,The Aquarian Conspiracy 7) Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity
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8) ["A Conversation with Eugene Peterson," "Mars Hill Review," Fall 1995, Issue No. 3: pgs 73-90.] 9) Tony Jones, Postmodern Youth Ministry_p 201
10) Hauerwas, Unleashing the Scripture, Abingdon Press 2003 11) McLaren A Generous Orthodoxy
12) PBS Interview on Emergent church 13) Harry Emerson Fosdink
14) Steve Chalke The Lost Message of Jesus 15) McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy
16) Dave Fleming, The Seeker's Way: Cultivating the Longings of a Spiritual Life
