Should we Watch?
Watch
This is inspired by a blog post I recently read from a
fellow Christian. I feel that it must be written because many Christians that
believe in the Pre-trib rapture will most certainly ask the question.
If we don’t know when Jesus is returning, then why are
we watching?
Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
I answer that question with one of my own:
If we aren’t to watch, then why would Jesus give us so many
signs to the point of telling us which generation would see His return?
Matthew
24:32
32Now
learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34Verily
I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away.
When the Jesus speaks of the fig tree, he is talking about
Israel. Israel became a country for the first time since their captivity in
Babylon on May 14, 1948. I have done the math that God gave to the prophet
Ezekiel and have found it predicts that very date. I will add that at the
bottom as a foot-note if any would like to see.
One of my biggest fears about Christians believing in a
Pre-Trib rapture is that they will be caught off guard when things begin (which
I think is happening), because they think that they will be “caught up” before
the Great Tribulation and what do they have to worry about anyway?
Revelation 3
Re 3:1 ¶ And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I
know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that
are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and
hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
I’ve underlined the key point
The word IF is the key… Let us then turn it around and read
what it would be if one WAS watching.
If therefore thou shalt watch, I will Not
come on thee as a thief, and thou shall know what hour I will come upon thee.
While it is true that we don’t the exact date now, I
believe we will once we see the abomination of desolation, it will plain as
day. Further more Jesus said this:
Matthew 24:15
29Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken:
30And
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other
The tribulation does not last 7 years as some Pre-tribbers
believe, rather is ushered in beginning with the abomination. From that point
on, we know that the Anti-christ will wreak havoc for 1290 days…or three and
half years. This would mean that he would to have is kingdom in place and
“confirm” the seven year covenant before we actually know for sure who he
is.
Now if you know anything about the Jewish Holy days, you
will know that they are observed as a reminder of prophecy. For instance, the
spring holy days are prophecy of Jesus’ first coming:
The spring holidays of
Passover,
Unleavened Bread, and
Firstfruits are a portrait of the death and resurrection of
Jesus. He sacrificed Himself on Passover, was buried on the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, and was resurrected on Firstfruits. The
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost)
was the day the Holy Sprit fell on believers.
The fall feasts/holy days are reminders of his second coming and the coming
day of the Lord. They begin a month before, starting with 40 days called
Teshuvah which means “return or repentance” and it ends on the Day of
Atonement. This time is one for reflection on our relationship with God.
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is the Jewish New Year, and begins the
high Holy Days in the seventh month (corresponding to September or October). It
is a celebration of the spiritual birthday of the world or creation, and is
celebrated with blowing of the trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25). The Feast of Trumpets
is a powerful prophetic look at the final days and Messiah’s return. Jewish
eschatology teaches that on the Day of Atonement after six thousand years are
complete, the Day of the Lord will come. On that day the shofar(trumpet) will
sound and the righteous will be resurrected (Rev. 3:7-11). For a complete look
at all, here is a great website:
http://biblicalholidays.com/fall_holidays.htm
What is interesting is that even though it is commanded that the day is
celebrated on one day, the Jews celebrate it for two. Why? The people would
send out two “witnesses” who were prophets to see if they could see the new
moon. (needed to be seen in order to declare it Rosh Hashanah.)
The courts would then announce based on the possibility of the witnesses
arriving that day that it was Rosh Hashanah. If they did arrive that day, they
could confirm that it was indeed. However, if the prophets arrived on the next
day, then the day before would just be observed retroactively as a regular day,
the second day would now be considered Rosh Hashanah.
Only the Father in heaven knows the day and hour.
So you can see, while we might not know the exact day
and hour, by paying attention, we tell when He’s on His way!
This is inspired by a blog post I recently read from a
fellow Christian. I feel that it must be written because many Christians that
believe in the Pre-trib rapture will most certainly ask the question.
If we don’t know when Jesus is returning, then why are
we watching?
Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
I answer that question with one of my own:
If we aren’t to watch, then why would Jesus give us so many
signs to the point of telling us which generation would see His return?
Matthew
24:32
32Now
learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34Verily
I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away.
When the Jesus speaks of the fig tree, he is talking about
Israel. Israel became a country for the first time since their captivity in
Babylon on May 14, 1948. I have done the math that God gave to the prophet
Ezekiel and have found it predicts that very date. I will add that at the
bottom as a foot-note if any would like to see.
One of my biggest fears about Christians believing in a
Pre-Trib rapture is that they will be caught off guard when things begin (which
I think is happening), because they think that they will be “caught up” before
the Great Tribulation and what do they have to worry about anyway?
Revelation 3
Re 3:1 ¶ And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I
know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that
are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and
hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
I’ve underlined the key point
The word IF is the key… Let us then turn it around and read
what it would be if one WAS watching.
If therefore thou shalt watch, I will Not
come on thee as a thief, and thou shall know what hour I will come upon thee.
While it is true that we don’t the exact date now, I
believe we will once we see the abomination of desolation, it will plain as
day. Further more Jesus said this:
Matthew 24:15
29Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken:
30And
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other
The tribulation does not last 7 years as some Pre-tribbers
believe, rather is ushered in beginning with the abomination. From that point
on, we know that the Anti-christ will wreak havoc for 1290 days…or three and
half years. This would mean that he would to have is kingdom in place and
“confirm” the seven year covenant before we actually know for sure who he
is.
Now if you know anything about the Jewish Holy days, you
will know that they are observed as a reminder of prophecy. For instance, the
spring holy days are prophecy of Jesus’ first coming:
The spring holidays of
Passover,
Unleavened Bread, and
Firstfruits are a portrait of the death and resurrection of
Jesus. He sacrificed Himself on Passover, was buried on the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, and was resurrected on Firstfruits. The
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost)
was the day the Holy Sprit fell on believers.
The fall feasts/holy days are reminders of his second coming and the coming
day of the Lord. They begin a month before, starting with 40 days called
Teshuvah which means “return or repentance” and it ends on the Day of
Atonement. This time is one for reflection on our relationship with God.
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is the Jewish New Year, and begins the
high Holy Days in the seventh month (corresponding to September or October). It
is a celebration of the spiritual birthday of the world or creation, and is
celebrated with blowing of the trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25). The Feast of Trumpets
is a powerful prophetic look at the final days and Messiah’s return. Jewish
eschatology teaches that on the Day of Atonement after six thousand years are
complete, the Day of the Lord will come. On that day the shofar(trumpet) will
sound and the righteous will be resurrected (Rev. 3:7-11). For a complete look
at all, here is a great website:
http://biblicalholidays.com/fall_holidays.htm
What is interesting is that even though it is commanded that the day is
celebrated on one day, the Jews celebrate it for two. Why? The people would
send out two “witnesses” who were prophets to see if they could see the new
moon. (needed to be seen in order to declare it Rosh Hashanah.)
The courts would then announce based on the possibility of the witnesses
arriving that day that it was Rosh Hashanah. If they did arrive that day, they
could confirm that it was indeed. However, if the prophets arrived on the next
day, then the day before would just be observed retroactively as a regular day,
the second day would now be considered Rosh Hashanah.
Only the Father in heaven knows the day and hour.
So you can see, while we might not know the exact day
and hour, by paying attention, we tell when He’s on His way!