tribulation

The Grit and Grip of God’s Grace

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— 14 just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. – 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 ESV

It will become increasingly evident from the content of this letter that Paul’s ministry was being maligned or at least questioned. His motives were also under the microscope, constantly scrutinized and criticized by those who chose to reject his authority as an apostle. But Paul responds with confidence, claiming that he and his companions “behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity” (2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV). Paul writes with complete confidence, even boasting that his conscience is clear. He knows what he has done and why he has done it. He has no reason to question his motives, because he knows that his actions were the result of God’s grace, not earthly wisdom. Paul had made this claim to the Corinthians in his first letter.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. – 1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

It was God’s unmerited favor that had produced the transformation in Paul’s life. His words, actions, and even the content of his letters were the by-product of God’s ongoing grace in his life. God was working in him and through him, and he had no reason to take credit for it or apologize because of it. Paul says that his behavior had been marked by simplicity and godly sincerity. The Greek word for simplicity is haplotēs and it refers to “the virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy” (“G572 – haplotēs – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 18 Sep, 2016. <https://www.blueletterbible.org&gt;). Paul claims that his conduct and speech have been free of hypocrisy or any hint of a hidden agenda. What he has said and done has not been motivated by selfishness or intended for personal gain. After all, as he stated in the opening verses of his letter, his ministry had not made him rich and famous, but resulted in affliction and even the threat of death.

The Greek word translated as “sincerity” is eilikrineia, which means “purity” or “cleanness.” Paul uses this same word again in the next chapter.

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. – 2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV

Paul’s conscience is clear because he knows his motives are pure. Anything he has accomplished in his life has been the work of the Spirit of God, and that is especially true of his relationship with and ministry to the Corinthians. Even now, as he writes this letter, he reminds them that all of his previous letters “have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand” (1 Corinthians 1:13 NLT).

It is his sincere desire that they fully comprehend what it is he is trying to say to them and all that he is attempting to teach them. They might not immediately understand, but he longed for the day when it all made sense to them. He wasn’t in it to win friends, but to make a difference in their faith. He wanted to see them experience all that God had in store for them — the full expression of faith in Christ lived out in everyday life. He longed for them to grow in godliness and to put off their old, sinful natures. He wanted to see them grow in their knowledge of God and their dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

One can get a sense of Paul’s heart by reading some of the prayers he prayed for the churches he helped to start. He wrote to the believers in Colossae:

…we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. – Colossians 1:9-11 NLT

He sent a similar message to the Christ-followers in Ephesus.

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 1:16-20 NLT

Paul knew that if they listened to what he said and applied it to their lives, there would come a day when they would find reason to boast or glory in all that Paul had taught them, because they would see the fruit of it in their lives. The day to which Paul refers is the return of Christ, when he and all the Corinthians will stand before the Lord. It will be on that occasion that they fully comprehend the simplicity and sincerity of Paul’s methods and message.

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. – 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 NLT

Paul’s desire for the Corinthians was the same as he had for the believers in Philippi.

…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. – Philippians 2:15-16 ESV

Paul wanted to be a success, but not so that he could gain recognition or earthly rewards. His motivation wasn’t money or fame, it was the hope of one day standing before the Lord and seeing the fruit of his labors — the countless believers who had held fast to the word of life and remained faithful to the end. Paul’s motives were pure, his heart was sincere, and his actions were the result of God’s grace in his own life. He wanted nothing more than to see the Corinthians grow in their faith and in their knowledge of God. They might not understand it now, but the day was coming when their eyes would be opened and their hearts filled with the joy of God’s grace, mercy, and love.

Father, Paul was anything but a quiter. Despite all the setbacks, suffering, and rejections he faced in his decades-long ministry, he never gave up or threw in the towel. He traveled incessantly, preached relentlessly, and suffered greatly for his efforts. But he wasn’t bitter or resentful. He was grateful for the opportunity to serve You in spreading the good news of Christ to the nations. He was often misunderstood, misrepresented, and maligned for what he wrote and said. His motives were questioned, his integrity was attacked, and he was constantly accused of everything from heresy to sedition. But your grace gave him the strength to carry on the mission free from hypocrisy, hidden agendas, or false pretense. He operated in the power of the Holy Spirit, so his efforts were pure and pleasing in Your eyes. That’s they way I want to live my life, but it can seem so impossible. Yet, by Your grace, all things are possible. Because of Your strength, I can do all things. Never let me lose sight of that reality.   Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Perfect Plan of God

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. – 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 ESV

The Thessalonian believers to whom Paul wrote were undergoing persecution for their faith. But they were also experiencing unnecessary suffering as a result of errant end-times teaching that had made its way into their fellowship. In his previous letter, Paul had taught that the Great Tribulation would not begin until the Rapture of the church takes place (1 Thessalonians 5). The Rapture would usher in “the day of the Lord,” which would include the seven years of tribulation and end with the Second Coming of Christ. But others were teaching that the presence of persecution and trials was evidence that the day of the Lord had already begun. In essence, they were teaching the Thessalonian believers that they were already living in the great period of end-times tribulation.

Paul believed in and taught a pretribulation Rapture, which was based on Jesus Christ returning for His bride, the church, and removing all His followers from the earth. They would be “caught up” to meet Him in the air and return to heaven to live with Him there. The removal of His bride would protect them from God’s judgment that will come on the earth during the Great Tribulation.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ… – 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

Paul taught the Thessalonians to be encouraged by the knowledge that Jesus would one day return for the church. It might not happen in their lifetimes, but it would happen before the final period of tribulation begins. The order of the end times events was the Rapture of the church, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth, the Great White Throne Judgment, and then the eternal state.

Even today, some do not believe in the Rapture of the church. They teach that there will only be Christ’s second advent. Based on this view, many conclude that we are already living in the period of tribulation and can expect the Second Coming to take place at any time.

But Paul was very specific regarding his views on the matter. In reference to the Second Coming, he stated that Jesus would come from heaven and descend to the earth to mete out God’s judgment on unbelieving mankind.

…when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. – 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 NLT

After seven years of intense judgment on the earth and all its inhabitants, God will send His Son a second time, but not in the form of an innocent baby. He will return to earth as the Warrior-King, accompanied by the host of heaven and charged with the task of dispensing “the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.”

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

But there was confusion among the Thessalonians. On the one hand, they were eagerly expecting the return of Jesus for the church. But others were telling them that the tribulation had already begun. Their understanding of the end-times sequence of events was muddled and confused. Paul made it clear that the real heart of the matter was the Rapture of the church. He opens this chapter with the phrase: “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him…” (2 Thessalonians 2:1 ESV).

Regardless of what others were teaching, Paul wanted the Thessalonians to rest in the knowledge that Jesus was going to return for the church. Despite what the false teachers were claiming, the day of the Lord had not yet arrived, and, according to Paul, there were certain events that had to take place before it did.

…that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. – 2 Thessalonians 2:3 NLT

Paul refers to “the man of lawlessness,” an individual who will play a significant role in the end-times scenario. The prophet, Daniel, refers to him as “the ruler” (Daniel 9:27) who will stand in direct opposition to God Almighty.

He shall speak words against the Most High,
    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
    and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
    for a time, times, and half a time. – Daniel 7:25 NLT

This individual will appear on the scene after the Rapture of the church. Out of relative obscurity, he will become a global leader with great power. As Daniel predicts, this individual will make a treaty with the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God. But halfway through the seven years of tribulation, he will break that treaty and launch a program of intense persecution of the Jews.

“The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” – Daniel 9:27 NLT

Daniel elsewhere refers to this period as “a time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 12:7 ESV). This cryptic phrase refers to the first three-and-a-half years of the tribulation. The formula looks like this: A time (1) + times (2) + a half time (1/2) = 3-1/2

Paul is revealing details concerning the end times that are meant to assuage any worries the Thessalonians had. The presence of trials and persecution was not a sign that the tribulation had begun. Even Jesus warned that all kinds of ominous and seemingly portentous events would take place, but they would simply be the precursors of something far worse to come.

“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” – Matthew 24:6-8 NLT

The ruler to whom Daniel referred and “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV) are one and the same person. He is the Antichrist, the world leader that Satan will appoint and empower to rule during the seven years of the Great Tribulation. Paul describes him as “the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV). In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John refers to this same individual as “the beast” and describes his open rebellion against God and His holy people.

Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. – Revelation 13:5-8 NLT

Again, notice that his ability to inflict persecution on God’s chosen people, Israel, is restricted to a period of 42 months or 3-1/2 years. The reference to “God’s holy people” is to be understood as the nation of Israel, not the church. Having been removed from the earth at the Rapture, the church will not be present during these difficult days. The focus of the Antichrist’s wrath will be the Jewish people and all those who come to faith during the Tribulation. But after the first half of the seven years are over, God will inflict judgment on the Antichrist and all those who bear the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17). This will usher in the period of the Great Tribulation, the second half of the seven years of tribulation.

Paul is describing a future time that bears no similarity to the circumstances in which the Thessalonians were living. They had no need to worry about whether they were living in the day of the Lord because none of the events associated with that day had taken place. Yes, Paul concedes that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV). He freely admits that the world was showing signs of the coming apostasy, but it paled in comparison to the tribulation to come. Jesus warned that the Great Tribulation would be unprecedented and incomparable in scope.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” – Matthew 24:21 ESV

Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that the only thing preventing that fateful day from occurring was the presence of “he who now restrains” (2 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV). This is a reference to the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer (John 14:17), as well as the entire body of Christ (2 Corinthians 6:16). Due to the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence, the body of Christ acts as a restraining influence on the earth. When the church is raptured, this restraining influence will be removed, allowing unbridled apostasy to run rampant on the earth.

With the church removed, God will be free to bring His full wrath to bear on the unbelieving world, punishing them for their sin and rejection of His gracious offer of salvation through His Son’s sacrificial death.

Things were difficult in Thessalonica, but Paul wanted the believers there to know that the real days of tribulation were yet to come. The good news was that they would be preserved and protected from experiencing the suffering of those days because of their faith in Christ and God’s promise to save them from the wrath to come.

For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 5:9 BSB

Father, the world can be a dark and depressing place to live. The daily news reports paint a bleak picture of the global state of affairs. And it can be easy to wonder why Your Son has not yet returned. It is difficult to imagine things getting worse than they already are, but, as Jesus warned, the Great Tribulation will be like nothing we have ever seen before. That is why I find comfort in knowing that Your plan is perfect and will happen according to Your timeline. You are in complete control and sovereignly orchestrating Your plan without interference or opposition. You are not knee-jerk reacting to events as they unfold, but, in Your omniscience, You know exactly how the story will end and have preestablished the outcome. We have no reason to worry and no cause to be anxious. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Strength to Endure

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. – 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 ESV

As is obvious from the book’s title, this is a second letter written by Paul to the congregation of the church in Thessalonica. There may have been other letters written as well, but they were not included in the Canon of Scripture. It is unclear how much time passed since Paul wrote his first letter, but he obviously received new information regarding the spiritual state of affairs in Thessalonica, and he felt compelled to pen his response.

Paul was still in Corinth, some 358 miles away, when he heard the latest report concerning the church in Thessalonica. Driven by his pastor’s heart but hindered by the distance between them, Paul immediately put pen to paper in an effort to clarify the confusion that had been brought into the church by false teachers. This was a constant problem for Paul and the other apostles. As soon as they proclaimed the good news regarding salvation alone through faith in Christ alone, others would appear on the scene, declare themselves to be teachers, and begin offering what Paul refers to elsewhere as “a different gospel.”

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. – 2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV

These “false” teachers were propagating their own version of the truth, adding to or taking away from the message of Jesus that Paul and the rest of the apostles had been divinely commissioned to preach. Paul told the churches in Galatia that these individuals were to be treated as enemies of God and as threats to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. – Galatians 1:8 ESV

But before broaching the subject of the doctrinal controversy going on in Thessalonica, Paul addressed his audience in his usual gracious manner, expressing his strong affection for them and complimenting them for their “steadfastness and faith” in the face of all the persecutions and afflictions they were having to endure. The members of the Thessalonian church were still relatively new converts to Christianity, and they were living in a predominantly pagan society heavily influenced by both Greek and Roman culture. Located on a major trade route, Thessalonica was a cultural melting pot that enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. As the capital of the Roman province of Macedon, it also benefited from the protection provided by Caesar’s powerful legions.

But all of these factors made Thessalonica a particularly hostile environment for those who had chosen to place their faith in Christ. While Thessalonica was considered a rather pluralistic society, there was strong resistance to Christianity from the Greeks and the sparse contingent of Jews who called Thessalonica home. The small but growing band of Christ-followers was feeling intense pressure from all sides as they attempted to live out their new faith under less-than-ideal conditions.

Paul, writing on behalf of his ministry companions, Silvanus and Timothy, compliments the Thessalonians for their steadfastness and perseverance under fire.

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT

While the circumstances around them were difficult, these faithful few were not giving in or choosing to give up. In fact, Paul emphasizes that they were handling the pressure with remarkable poise and persistence.

…your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. – 2 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV

Paul opens his letter with his usual salutation, declaring his desire that they enjoy the ongoing benefit of God’s grace and peace. While Paul used this same phrasing in many of his letters, it should not be seen as some rote and, therefore, meaningless line. He meant what he said. His desire that they experience God’s grace or unmerited favor was real. For Paul, the grace of God played an indispensable role in every believer’s salvation, but also in their ongoing sanctification. Without the benefit of God’s grace, no one could come to faith in Christ.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:24 NLT

Paul understood that, after salvation, God’s grace continued to play a vital role in the believer’s transformation into the likeness of Christ. God graciously provides each believer with His indwelling Holy Spirit, who provides the power required to live the Christian life. That’s why Paul warned the believers in Galatia just how futile and foolish it was to try to achieve spiritual maturity without God’s grace, as demonstrated by the Spirit’s enabling power.

After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? – Galatians 3:3 NLT

Paul knew that without the ongoing benefit of God’s unmerited favor, the Thessalonian believers would never experience the fullness of joy and the abundant life Christ promised to give them. But he also knew that the peace of God was another essential resource in their ongoing spiritual transformation. In his letter to the churches in Philippi, Paul described this peace as that which “exceeds anything we can understand,” and he assured them that God’s “peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).

When Paul commended the Thessalonians for their faith and love and complimented them for their steadfastness and faith, he knew that it was all attributable to God’s grace and peace. He was at work in their midst. Yes, He had saved them, but He was also sustaining and supporting them as their spiritual journey continued. Paul was fully convinced of the reality of God’s ongoing participation in the life of every believer, a belief he expressed boldly and often.

Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 NLT

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

The Thessalonians were in good hands, and they had everything they needed for living godly lives because of the grace of God the Father. The apostle Peter shared Paul’s confidence in the power of God’s grace.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

Father, You never said that the Christian life would be easy. Even Your Son warned that it would be accompanied by trials and marked by suffering. He told His disciples that the world would hate them just as it hated Him. And yet, despite the difficulties that sometimes accompany the life of faith, You have provided us with everything we need to not only survive, but thrive. You constantly pour out Your grace and peace in abundance, and provide us with power through the indwelling presence of Your Spirit. We are never alone or left to struggle in our own strength. The same grace that made our salvation possible makes our sanctification attainable. Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, provides us with comfort and hope even in the darkest moments. We can display endurance and faithfulness because You make it possible. And for that, we are eternally grateful. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Walk In a Manner Worthy of God

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. – 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV

Paul has already compared his ministry among the Thessalonians to that of “a nursing mother taking care of her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV). He seemed to have no problem with mixing metaphors if it helped him drive home a point. In verse 7, Paul describes the manner of his and Silas’ ministry to that of children.

…we were like children among you. – 1 Thessalonians 2:7 NLT

Some translations read, “we were gentle among you.” This is because there are two different variants of this sentence found in the earliest manuscripts. One has the word ēpioi, which means “gentle or mild.” The other has a very similar word, nēpioi, which can be translated as “little children.” It would seem that the second alternative is the one most likely intended because it fits with the flow of Paul’s logic. In the context of these verses, he transitions from comparing the spirit of his ministry to that of a little child to that of a nursing mother’s compassionate and sacrificial love. Then he ends with the paternal instincts of a father.

… you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. – 1 Thessalonians 2:11 NLT

By referring to themselves as “little children,” Paul was attempting to emphasize the innocence behind their motivation. They had been guileless and without deceit in preaching the gospel among the Thessalonians. Paul has already emphasized the integrity of their ministry by declaring “our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive” (1 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV).

It’s interesting to note how Jesus described one of His disciples, Nathanael, upon meeting him for the first time. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47 ESV). The Greek word translated as “deceit” is dolos, and it refers to “cunning and craftiness.” It was used to refer to a pattern of hypocrisy or dishonesty in one’s thoughts or actions. Paul is emphasizing their guilelessness, the complete absence of any manipulative efforts to distort the truth or deceive the Thessalonians. Paul reminds them that he and Silas had gone out of their way to be a blessing and not a burden.

Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. – 1 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT

As apostles of Christ, they could have expected and demanded remuneration for their efforts. When Jesus had sent out the 72 on their first missionary journey, He instructed them, “remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7 ESV). Paul shared this same idea with Timothy.

Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” – 1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

Both Jesus and Paul had taken the Mosaic law and applied it to the ministry of elders, preachers, teachers, and apostles.

“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” – Deuteronomy 25:4 ESV

They could have demanded payment for services rendered, but instead, they chose to pay their own way. They took nothing from the Thessalonians in return for their sharing of the gospel. Paul flatly denied any semblance of greed or avarice behind their efforts.

God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! – 1 Thessalonians 2:5 NLT

No, they had ministered out of a spirit of fatherly love, displaying a heartfelt concern for those under their care.

We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. – 1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT

This parental point of view is something Paul talked about frequently. He told the believers in Corinth, “I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children” (1 Corinthians 4:14 NLT). He addressed the believers in Galatia with the same sense of parental care and concern. “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives” (Galatians 4:19 NLT).

Paul was not interested in fame or fortune. His ministry was not a job or a means of earning a living; it was a divine calling, and Paul took it seriously. Like a loving parent, Paul sacrificed constantly, giving up his rights so that he could minister to the needs of those under his care. He had gone without sleep and had endured many trials and tribulations. In fact, he provided the believers in Corinth with a well-documented list of his “accomplishments” as an apostle of Jesus Christ and a father to the faithful.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NLT

Paul wasn’t bragging; he was simply driving home the reality of his daily existence. It would be ludicrous for anyone to question Paul’s commitment to his calling or to accuse him of being in it only for what he could get out of it. Paul truly believed it when he said, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NLT). He was not afraid to give his life for the cause of the Kingdom and for the sake of the flock of Jesus Christ. He was happy to be able to serve God, sacrifice on behalf of Jesus, and share the good news of salvation to anyone who would hear. And he was willing to die while doing it.

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. – Philippians 2:17 NLT

Paul was content with his lot in life. He needed nothing. He didn’t crave the favor of men or desire an easier life. Fame and fortune had no appeal to him. He wasn’t in it for the money, and his preaching wasn’t a ploy to gain popularity or prestige. Paul did what he was called to do willingly, gladly, and contentedly. He explained his attitude in no uncertain terms to the believers in Philippi.

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. – Philippians 4:11-12 NLT

For Paul, the objective was clear; he was to preach the gospel. And when anyone heard and accepted God’s gracious offer of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone, he came alongside them and lovingly guided them in their spiritual journey. Paul reminds the Thessalonian church of his efforts to do just that in their lives.

…we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. – 1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV

As important as salvation was, Paul understood that sanctification was equally vital in the life of a believer. Salvation should result in transformation. Belief should impact behavior. An expression of faith in Christ should express itself in a life of dedication to Him, resulting in a radical change in both inward character and outward conduct.

Father, Your servant Paul was a model of dedication and determination. His commitment to the cause of Christ was unquestionable, but, at times, it can be a bit intimidating. His willingness to suffer while serving and his sold out attitude toward his calling seem so unattainable to me. I have a difficult time seeing myself modeling that same mindset. In fact, I find it all too easy to complain about my lot in life when everything I suffer for Your sake pales in comparison to the trials Paul faced. And he did so with joy, peace, contentment, and a satisfaction for getting to share in the sufferings of Christ. But You are not calling me to be like Paul. You are using the unique circumstances of my life to transform me into the likeness of Jesus. Paul was just a man like me. He was Your chosen instrument and You called and equipped him for the role You designed for him, and You are doing the same with me. You are sanctifiying me and it is a slow, steady process that involves suffering and sorrow, but also joy and delight. Help me to be a faithful committed servant as You mold me into the man You want me to be. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When Circumstances Make Us Circumspect

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.

4 You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! – Psalm 44:1-26 ESV

Things don’t always go as expected. As God’s people, there is no guarantee that our lives will be trouble-free or exempt from difficulty. The truth is, bad things happen to good people. That is the primary theme of this psalm of lament.

Written by one of the sons of Korah, this psalm begins with a stirring tribute to God’s past faithfulness to His people. The opening lines record how God miraculously delivered the land of Canaan to the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua.

You drove out the pagan nations by your power
    and gave all the land to our ancestors.
You crushed their enemies
    and set our ancestors free. – Psalm 44:2 NLT

Every Hebrew child grew up hearing about the exciting exploits of Joshua as he led the people of Israel in their conquest of Canaan. They could recite the details of the battle at Jericho, where the “walls came tumblin’ down.” These stories were part of the collective imagination of Israel, passed down from generation to generation to remind them of God’s power and promise-keeping nature. The psalmist freely admits, “We have heard it with our own ears—our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago” (Psalm 44:1 NLT).

These stories had been recorded for posterity in the books of Joshua and Judges, providing proof that God had fulfilled the promise he made to the people of Israel long before they set foot in the land of Canaan.

“I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.” – Exodus 23:27-31 NLT

God had kept His word, fulfilling His promise to provide His chosen people with a land of their own. The former slaves had become the masters of their own domain, thanks to God’s gracious intervention in their lives. Their conquest of the land had not been the result of their superior military might; it had been God’s doing, something the psalmist openly acknowledges.

They did not conquer the land with their swords;
    it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.
It was your right hand and strong arm
    and the blinding light from your face that helped them,
    for you loved them. – Psalm 44:3 NLT

Seeming to speak on behalf of the king, the psalmist proclaims God’s sovereignty and the nation’s continued dependency upon His power for their survival. In the centuries since Joshua led the people across the Jordan River into Canaan, the Israelites remained reliant upon God’s strength for their protection and continued existence.

Only by your power can we push back our enemies;
    only in your name can we trample our foes. – Psalm 44:5 NLT

But something had happened that caused the psalmist to question God’s faithfulness. A national tragedy had left the people wondering whether God had turned His back on them. An unnamed enemy had humiliated the Israelites in battle, leaving them confused and conflicted and questioning the cause of their unexpected defeat. From all appearances, they had trusted in God, and He had let them down.

But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.
    You no longer lead our armies to battle.
You make us retreat from our enemies
    and allow those who hate us to plunder our land. – Psalm 44:9-10 NLT

None of this made sense. The psalmist can think of no sin that would have warranted the devastating loss they had suffered. From his perspective, the nation remained faithful to God and undeserving of their humiliating defeat at the hands of their enemy.

All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.
    We have not violated your covenant.
Our hearts have not deserted you.
    We have not strayed from your path. – Psalm 44:17-18 NLT

There was no sin to confess or repent of. The psalmist can think of no instance of corporate immorality or iniquity that would have warranted such an obvious act of divine punishment. This loss had God’s hands all over it. It appeared to be a clear case of God’s judgment, but it seemed to lack justification. They had done nothing wrong. This led the psalmist to accuse God of punishing them unjustly.

You have covered us with darkness and death. – Psalm 44:19 NLT

He knew God to be all-wise and all-knowing. There was nothing that escaped His notice or went undetected. If they were guilty of unfaithfulness or idolatry, God would know it because He is omniscient. Yet, as far as the psalmist could tell, their corporate calamity had been God’s doing — whether deserved or not.

Yet because of you we are killed all day long; we are treated like sheep at the slaughtering block. – Psalm 44:22 NET

The psalmist boldly declares his belief that their tragedy was God’s doing. He could think of no other logical explanation and this led him to beg God to relent and restore His people.

Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
    Get up! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you look the other way?
    Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression? – Psalm 44:23-24 NLT

This psalm reflects the earth-bound, limited perspective of all believers. We are temporal creatures attempting to understand the ways of God in a fallen world where things don’t always make sense. The presence of evil and the experience of pain and suffering it can produce can leave us doubting God’s goodness and questioning His justice. We somehow expect that our faith in Him should exempt us from the trials and tribulations that others suffer.

Yet, the apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth that trials and tribulations were to be expected in this life.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT

The Israelites were not exempt from difficulty, and neither were the Corinthians. Life can be hard. Suffering is an ever-present reality for believers and non-believers alike. Paul was well acquainted with that fact, having endured his own fair share of difficulties. He provided the believers in Corinth with a short list of some of his undeserved troubles while serving as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT

Paul wasn’t complaining or bragging; he simply reminded his readers that no one is immune from suffering. Jesus Himself suffered and died as part of His faithful adherence to His Father’s will. He was falsely accused, viciously abused, and crucified on a Roman cross, though He was innocent of any crime and completely free from sin.

Paul wrote to Christians living in Rome, reminding them their circumstances were a lousy barometer of God’s love and faithfulness. These new believers were living in the capital city of the Roman Empire and under constant threats from a hostile government that had played a major role in the death of their Lord and Savior. Persecution and suffering were a daily reality but were never to be seen as a lack of God’s love for them.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. – Romans 8:35-37 NLT

Notice that Paul quotes Psalm 44:22. He turns the psalmist’s lament into a statement of praise. Rather than blame God for any suffering we may have to endure, Paul suggests we see it as an opportunity to praise Him for His goodness and grace. He has a plan for us, and He can use every aspect of our lives on this earth to glorify Himself — even through tragedy, heartache, and suffering. That is why Paul told the Corinthians believers to view their present suffering as an opportunity to see God work.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. – 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NLT

Father, it’s so easy to let the circumstances of life become the barometer by which I measure Your faithfulness and love. When things are going well in my life, I tend to view You positively. But if one thing goes wrong, I rant and rail about Your apparent disinterest and seeming distance from my life. I judge Your love based on the physical conditions of my life. But You are always loving, faithful, and quick to reveal Yourself — even in the darkest moments of my life. Give me the ability to see You clearly even when life doesn’t make sense. Your plan is perfect and Your love for me is unwavering. I know I can trust You, but sometimes life causes me to doubt. Keep me focused on Your faithfulness so I won’t let the seeming failures of life distract and defeat me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Be Ready!

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:32-51 ESV

Jesus is attempting to open the eyes of His disciples and help them develop a long-term perspective regarding His Kingdom. They were focused on the here-and-now, and having trouble understanding that the talk of His coming death in Jerusalem was anything but bad news or something to be avoided at all costs. This entire chapter contains Jesus’ surprising and difficult-to-comprehend words that reveal the bigger picture regarding God’s plan of redemption. Jesus’ death on the cross would be just the beginning of a much larger and comprehensive plan of God that would include His resurrection and His return to His Father’s side. But, even more importantly, it would require His eventual return to earth as the conquering King.

While Jesus knew that there would be a long delay before His return, He wanted His disciples to live with a sense of eager anticipation. If they expected it to happen, kept their eyes open, and looked for the signs of its approach, they would be able to endure the struggles that were coming their way.

Jesus used the visual lesson of a fig tree to help the disciples understand that there would be visible, recognizable signs associated with His coming. The budding of a fig tree is a natural indication that summer is near. It is an unmistakable and irrefutable sign. Jesus wanted His disciples to know that the signs of His return would be just as clear and undeniable. He even assured them that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34 ESV).

But what does that mean? Was He saying that the events associated with the end times would take place during the lifetimes of His disciples? The answer would seem to be no. But while they were alive, they would begin to see the early signs of His return. The budding of a fig tree provides a premonition or portent of something to come. The buds do not mean summer has arrived but that it is coming. In the same way, the disciples would live long enough to see signs that would point to Jesus’ coming. They would not be alive when He returned, but they would be given clear indications that it would happen.

Each generation of believers has been given signs that His coming is imminent and inevitable. These signs act as assurances of God’s faithfulness and are meant to encourage Christ-followers to continue to wait eagerly and hopefully.

The earth will continue to endure all kinds of struggles, including earthquakes, famines, floods, disasters, and even wars. Jesus even states that the world would eventually “pass away” (Matthew 24:35 ESV). The apostle Paul broke the same news to the believers in Corinth.

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. – 1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT).

The apostle John wrote, “This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave” (1 John 2:17 NLT). Earlier, in this very same discourse, Jesus warned His disciples of future signs that would foretell the end of the age and the nearness of His return.

“…you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” – Matthew 24:6-8 NLT

While there will be clear signs along the way, the actual day and date of the Lord’s return will remain a mystery. Christ’s followers will be given assurances of its coming but will not know the exact time of His return. Jesus indicated that even He did not know the day or the hour. God the Father alone has access to that information.

The second coming of Jesus will be a surprise, catching most of the earth’s inhabitants completely off-guard and unprepared. Jesus used the days of Noah as an apt point of comparison. In a way, Noah’s building of the ark was a clear sign that something was coming. Peter indicates that Noah warned his neighbors of God’s coming judgment and the availability of salvation made possible by the ark.

[God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness… – 2 Peter 2:5 ESV

The New Living Translation reads: “Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment.” But the people in Noah’s day ignored the signs and refused the message of Noah. Instead, they busied themselves, “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38 ESV).

They continued with their lives, oblivious to the warning signs and ignorant of what was about to happen, until “the flood came and swept them all away” (Matthew 24:39 ESV). Jesus clarified to His disciples that the same thing would happen when He finally returned, catching the world unprepared and completely off-guard.

The next few verses have created much controversy over the ages. Some have attempted to use them as proof of the eventual rapture of the church. But it is important to keep these verses within their context. Jesus has been talking about His second coming, not the rapture, so the context is judgment, not salvation. When Christ returns the second time, He will come as a righteous judge to deal with sinful mankind once and for all. His coming will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation, a time in which many will come to faith in Christ and endure intense persecution at the hands of the Antichrist. But when Christ returns, He will defeat the Antichrist and his ungodly followers, casting Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet into the lake of fire or hell.

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 20:10 NLT

And all those who are living on the earth at that time will be judged as well, with their ultimate fate being consignment to hell.

Based on the context of the second coming, those whom Jesus describes as being “taken” are the unbelievers who remain. They will be judged and condemned, then sent to the destination God has prepared for them. Any who are “left” are meant to symbolize those who came to faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation.

Jesus appears to stress the need to remain prepared and fully expectant. This is why He said, “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42 ESV). He added, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44 ESV).

Disciples of Christ are to live with a sense of eager expectation and conduct themselves as if His return could occur at any moment. Waiting is difficult. The delay can easily cause us to lose hope and take our eyes off the prize. Jesus gave His disciples a warning in the form of yet another parable.

A faithful and wise servant stays vigilant and diligent while his master is away, conducting himself as if the master could walk in the door at any minute. But the wicked servant used the delay as an excuse to sow his wild oats. His sin-prone, self-centered nature manifested itself.  And Jesus warns that the servant’s master, like the Messiah, will return when the servants least expect it. When he does, he will bring just judgment on the wicked servant.

Again, Jesus was trying to get His disciples to understand that there was much more to the Kingdom than they ever imagined. His first coming was just the beginning, and His eventual departure would not be the end. He would come again. He had promised to do so, and they needed to live their lives as if it could and would happen – at any moment. They were to stay diligent and vigilant. They were to remain faithful and wise. Unlike the wicked, followers of Christ are to stay alert and awake, fully prepared for His return.

“Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:11-13 NLT

So, be ready.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Rejoice and Be Glad

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” –  Matthew 5:11-12 ESV

This command, given at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, must have sounded strange to His Jewish audience. He had already dropped eight other truth bombs on them that, to their Jewish sensibilities, would have made little sense and offered little in the way of comfort or hope.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – vs 3

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” – vs 4

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – vs 5

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” – vs 6

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – vs 7

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – vs 8

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – vs 9

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – vs 10

Each of these sentences contains a non sequitur, a statement that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said. Jesus was relating entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven with attitudes or actions that seemed antithetical to the Jewish way of thinking. For the average Jew, meekness was viewed as a weakness, not an attribute to be admired. Poverty in any form, whether spiritual or physical was seen as a curse, not a blessing. Mourning was associated with suffering and was to be avoided at all costs. As an overtaxed and oppressed people, the Jews were all too familiar with hunger and thirst and saw no connection between those dreaded conditions and righteousness. In their role as unwilling subjects of the Roman Empire, mercy was something they longed for but rarely received. So, the thought of extending mercy to others was not a high priority for them. They would have viewed purity of heart as impossible because they knew what the Scriptures said.

The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one! – Psalm 14:2-3 NLT

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” – Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

For the Jews in Jesus’ audience, peace was in short supply. As long as the Romans ruled over Palestine and dictated every aspect of their lives, there would be no peace. For them, the concept of peace was closely associated with a lack of trials and troubles. It was less an attitude than it was a condition of existence. So, the only way they could envision the presence of peace would be through war with and victory over the Romans. The thought of being persecuted for being righteous was nonsensical and unattractive. Righteousness was meant to bring blessings from God, but Jesus associated those blessings with persecution.

The entire opening sequence of Jesus’ message was a rapid-fire barrage of mind-blowing statements that linked the Kingdom of Heaven with ideas the Jews found far from attractive. Then Jesus ended the prologue to His sermon with a command to rejoice about all of it.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” – Matthew 5:11-12 NLT

Why would Jesus command them to rejoice when being persecuted, mocked, and slandered? What blessings could come from suffering those kinds of indignities? The Greek word translated as “blessed” in this passage is makarios, and it conveys the idea of being fortunate or well-off because of God’s favor of God. But to the Jews, the blessings of God were always associated with abundance and riches, not poverty, deprivation, and persecution. Yet, Jesus was commanding them to “be happy about it!” 

It is important to remember that Jesus always spoke with His 12 disciples in mind. His messages were primarily aimed at those men who had chosen to leave everything behind and follow Him. They had committed their lives to serving as His disciples (mathētēs – learner, pupil). So, while everyone on the hillside that day heard what Jesus had to say, His words were intended for His 12 students, who would have also struggled with the content of His message.

At this early stage of Jesus’ ministry, these men were unaware of the true nature of His coming. They had suspicions that He was the long-awaited Messiah, but they had no idea that His ministry would be accompanied by poverty, suffering, persecution, sorrow, hunger, thirst, and, ultimately, death. Over the next three years, they would see Him model meekness, mercy, and purity of heart. They would witness Him pursuing peace with all men, including Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Romans. In time, they would watch as their Rabbi, teacher, and friend was persecuted despite living a righteous, God-honoring life.

Jesus would later warn His disciples to expect the same treatment.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” – John 15:18-21 NLT

Yet, Jesus expected His disciples to rejoice and be glad when they faced reviling, persecution, and slander when serving on His behalf. But what was to be the focus of their rejoicing? Was it their suffering? Jesus made it clear when He said, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 12 ESV). They were to keep their eye on the prize, that future award that awaited them in heaven.

Later in His ministry, Jesus sent 72 of His followers “two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1 ESV). When they returned, they joyfully reported, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17 ESV). But Jesus somewhat burst their bubble when He redicted the focus of their joy. 

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” – Luke 10:19-20 ESV

Long after Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, the apostle Peter continued this theme of rejoicing in the reward to come.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:3-7 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. – 1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV

James also promoted a future-oriented perspective that focused not on the trials themselves but on the glorious outcome they would produce.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. – James 1:1-4 ESV

Paul was also a proponent of living with the end in mind. He told the believers in Colossae to keep their focus on the final phase of God’s redemptive plan when Jesus returns to earth to establish His Kingdom.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. – Colossians 3:1-4 NLT

The 12 disciples expected Jesus to set up His Kingdom the first time He came, and nothing would have brought them more joy than to watch Him destroy the Roman occupiers and put Israel back on the map politically and militarily. But He was operating on a different timeline. Their hopes of a restored earthly kingdom would come in time, but not before their King suffered, died, and was raised back to life. Even after His resurrection, the disciples wondered if that was the sign He was about to inaugurate His Kingdom.

“Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” – Acts 1:6 NLT

But Jesus told them that the next phase of the plan would require work on their part. They had a job to do before the Kingdom would come.

“The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:7-8 NLT

And while they waited, they would suffer just as He did. But they could rejoice because He promised to return one day and take them to be with Him.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:1-3 NLT

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” – John 14:27-28 NLT

So, disciples of Jesus can rejoice and be glad because their future is secure. Even in the face of trials, difficulties, and persecution, Christ’s followers can find peace and motivation to rejoice in whatever comes their way in this life because the Kingdom is coming.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

He Shall Come to His End

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. – Daniel 11:36-45 ESV

Verse 31 records a prophecy concerning Antiochus Epiphanies, a Greek king who ruled over the Seleucid Empire from 175-164 B.C. His official title was Antiochus IV, but he preferred to go by his self-proclaimed title “Epiphanes,” which means “illustrious one” or “god manifest.” Because of his brutal treatment of the Jewish people, they nicknamed him “Epimanes” which translates as “mad one.” Having successfully conquered most of Egypt, he turned his sights on the kingdom of Judah and its capital city of Jerusalem. In an attempt to demoralize the Jews and denigrate their God, he ordered the desecration of their holiest site, the Temple of Yahweh.

Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. – Daniel 11:31 ESV

Some scholars believe Antiochus was attempting to quell a long-standing conflict between Hellenistic and Traditionalist Jews. The former adopted the pagan practices and culture of the Greeks, while the latter adhered to the Mosaic Law and the worship of Yahweh. In a blatant display of bias, Antiochus set up an altar to the Greek god Zeus and sacrificed a pig on the altar. When the traditionalists expressed outrage, Antiochus had some of them slaughtered and others sold as slaves. He then issued a series of decrees that outlawed the practice of circumcision, ordered sacrifices to pagan gods, and demanded that Jews add swine to their daily diet.

His actions resulted in the Macabbean revolt, an uprising led by Judas Maccabeus that scored a series of surprising and decisive victories over the more powerful Seleucid forces. Eventually, Antiochus and the Seleucids vacated Judah and the Temple was restored in 165 B.C.

But verse 36 contains an abrupt change that may not be recognizable to the casual reader. Even Jews living when this book was first written would not have recognized the nature of the transition in the narrative. Everything Daniel penned was to take place in the not-so-distant future. They would have had no way of understanding the meaning behind Gabriel’s message or the timing and the nations involved.

But by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, most of the prophecies would have been fulfilled. The battles between the Egyptians and the Seleucids would have been part of the historical record. The Persian Empire would have fallen to Alexander the Great and his Greek forces. The geopolitical landscape of the region would have undergone tremendous change and by the time Jesus began His earthly ministry, the Romans were the dominant world power.

Yet, Jesus spoke of Antiochus Epiphanes’ abomination of desolation as if it lie in the future, not the past.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” – Matthew 24:15-21 ESV

Jesus was not reflecting on the devastating events in Israel’s distant past; He was pointing toward an as-yet-to-be-fulfilled aspect of the prophecy contained in the Book of Daniel. Jesus was describing the final seven years of the 490 years outlined in the prophecy. Verse 36 mentions a king who “shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36 ESV). This is not a reference to Antiochus Epiphanes; it is a prophecy concerning a future king who will replicate the exploits of the former Seleucid king. This world leader will be Antiochus Epiphanes on steroids.

In the prophecy, Gabriel reveals that this future king will bring about a persecution of the people of Israel that will be unsurpassed in its ferocity and scope.

“…there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.” – Daniel 12:1 ESV

This is exactly what Jesus picked up on when He stated, “there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matthew 24:21 ESV). Jesus was exposing the true meaning of the prophecy. There was a hidden and yet unfulfilled aspect of the vision that needed to be revealed and understood.

Jesus delivered this message during His Olivette Discourse, just days before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and His arrest, trials, and crucifixion. He was letting His followers know there was far more to God’s plan than they realized. The 12 disciples had long believed that Jesus was the Messiah and expected Him to establish His earthly kingdom at any moment. They were convinced that He had come to overthrow their oppressive Roman overlords, reestablish the Davidic dynasty, and restore the Israelite nation to prominence and power. But Jesus wanted them to know that God had other plans.

As He spoke to His disciples, Jesus warned them, “you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-8 ESV).  This news would have shocked them and left their heads reeling. It was not what they expected.

But Jesus wasn’t done. As His befuddled followers listened, He painted an even bleaker picture of the future.

“…they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” – Daniel 24:0-12 ESV

This news must have stung them to the core. Jesus was not only suggesting that His disciples would face persecution and even death, but some of them would eventually betray Him. They had no way of knowing that Jesus’ words were speaking of the immediate future as well as a time in the far-distant future.

With Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the timeline associated with Daniel’s 490-year prophecy was put on hold. It is as if the pause button was pushed and the prophetic narrative was brought to a close, only to be restarted at some future date. When Jesus ascended back up into heaven, the time of the Gentiles began. The Jewish people had rejected their Messiah and the message of the gospel was to be taken to the Gentiles. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote about this era of emphasis on the Gentile nations. But he also revealed that this period would come to an end.

…a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. – Romans 11:25 ESV

And Jesus spoke of this very same thing but in a different light.

“For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” – Luke 21:24 ESV

This is what Daniel 11:36-12:4 is all about. The pause button has been pushed. The period of the Gentiles is running its course. But the day will come when the pause button will be pushed again and the prophetic timeline will begin once again.

The closing verses of Daniel 11 describe the period known as the Great Tribulation. This will be the last seven years of the 490-year prophetic timeline. A king, reminiscent of Antiochus Epiphanes will come to power. The Book of Revelation reveals this king to be the Antichrist. He will be powerful, resourceful, and unrelenting in his persecution of God’s people. The last seven years of God’s prophetic timeline will focus on the people of Israel because the Church will have been raptured and removed from the Earth. This will bring an end to the “times of the Gentiles.”

God will then focus all His attention on His chosen people, the Jews. But it will be a difficult time filled with pain, suffering, persecution, and death. The enemy will make one last attempt to destroy God’s people just as Antiochus and so many others have tried to do over the centuries. The Antichrist will do his best to destroy God’s people but “he shall come to his end, with none to help him” (Daniel 11:45 ESV). And Jesus provides the reason for his demise.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” – Matthew 24:29-31 ESV

Jesus will make His second appearance, bringing an end to the 490-year prophetic vision. He will come and He will conquer. He will return and, this time, He will rule and reign over His earthly Kingdom – just as God planned it to be.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

The End is Near

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat[d] is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[e] nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. – Daniel 8:1-27 ESV

It seems that Daniel not only interprets dreams, he has them, and the dream he has in chapter seven was a doozy. It was full of bizarre beasts, big horns and little ones, violent wars, and other disturbing imagery. His dream included signs of the not-so-distant future and a time that has yet to happen even in our day. Ultimately, his dream was about the end times; he was given a glimpse of the time of the Tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. But more importantly, Daniel was given a view of the coming of the Son of Man; the return of Christ to reign over His Kingdom the earth. The term, “Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite designation for Himself. He preferred it over the more common term “Messiah,” because to most Jews that simply indicated a human deliverer sent by God. By referring to Himself as the Son of Man, He claimed the role of the one predicted in Daniel’s dream. He was the coming God-man. He would one day be “given authority, honor and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him” (Daniel 7:14 NLT). His coming kingdom would be an earthly, not just spiritual, kingdom. And it would last forever.

Of all the beings revealed in this dream of Daniels, the most significant one is that of the Son of Man. He is not described in detail. We do not get a good idea of what He looks like. The other beasts are described in frightening detail. But with the Son of Man, the emphasis is more on what He will do than what He looks like. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will destroy the Antichrist and the nations he gathers to rebel against God Almighty. Christ will use His God-given authority to destroy the enemies of God and usher in a new age of perfect peace.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

We may not fully understand who the other beasts represent, but we do know that the Son of Man is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is going to return to Earth one day to finish His work and establish His Kingdom once and for all. His rule will be eternal – it will never end. And unlike the nations represented in Daniel’s dream, the Son of Man’s Kingdom will be everlasting.

As chapter seven closes and chapter eight begins, there is a change in the narrative and its emphasis. First, the text converts from Aramaic to Hebrew and the emphasis shifts from “the times of the Gentiles” to the future fate of the Israelites, the chosen people of God.

Daniel and his fellow exiles lived in a spiritually tumultuous time. The land of Israel had been raped and pillaged and its people taken captive to foreign lands. Daniel was one of tens of thousands of individuals who had been living in Babylon for decades. Their homeland was miles away. Their Temple, the dwelling place of their God, lay in shambles. It was a period of spiritual darkness filled with questions about the future. What was God going to do with His people? Would He keep His covenant promise and restore them to the land?

In chapter seven, God gave Daniel a look into the distant future, at the end of the age. He let Daniel know what would happen long after Daniel was gone. But that does not answer a lot of Daniel’s more immediate concerns. Then he has a second vision recorded in chapter eight.

In this vision, Daniel was given a closer look at future events. There are similarities and parallels to his first vision but the focus seems to be on the period between when Daniel lived and the second coming of Christ. Daniel is living within the kingdom of Neo-Babylonia. The glory days of this once-powerful empire are quickly coming to an end. This dream occurs two years after his earlier vision recorded in chapter seven.

In this vision, he is transported to Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, located about 200 miles east of Babylon. In his vision he sees a goat and a ram. The ram was the guardian spirit of the Persian Empire. The goat represents Greece, and its single, prominent horn represents Alexander the Great, who would sweep into that area of the world and wipe out the Medo-Persian Empire. Alexander the Great would die in his thirties and his kingdom would divide into four parts led by four different generals. Out of one of these would come Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), who would wage a relentless war on the people of Israel, overthrowing the High Priest, looting the Temple, and replacing the worship of God with a form of Greek worship. The daily sacrifices would come to a halt after he desecrates the Temple and, in his vision, Daniel is told that this would go on for seven years.

Each of these prophetic promises came about just as Daniel saw them in his vision. This speaks of God’s omniscience, His all-knowing nature. He doesn’t just helplessly watch the future unfold like the rest of us; He knows it before it happens. In fact, He orchestrates events so that they happen just as He said they would. This is why God was able to reveal to Daniel in amazing detail events that had yet to take place. And these events were foreshadowings of what Daniel had seen in chapter eight.

What is amazing is the detail with which these events occurred. In December of 168 B.C., Antiochus returned from a defeat at the hands of the Romans and, in frustration, sent 20,000 of his troops to seize Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Having overtaken the Temple, he erected an idol of Zeus and desecrated the altar of the Temple by sacrificing swine on it. This idol became known to the Jews as “the abomination of desolation.” All of this was a precursor to events that will take place in the end times. At that time, the Antichrist will erect an image of himself and command that everyone, including Jews, worship it. As bad as that time will be, it will also serve as a kind of alarm clock, telling mankind that the second coming of Christ is imminent.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NLT

But those events will be the preface for one even greater and more significant one: the second coming of Christ. He will return just as He promised, and just as the events of Daniel’s vision took place with painstaking accuracy, so will the events associated with the end times. The Tribulation will come. The Antichrist will rise to power. And Jesus Christ will come again, do battle with the enemies of God, and establish His Kingdom on Earth..

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Where Was Paul When Job Needed Him?

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
17 Shall one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18 who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
    and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
19 who shows no partiality to princes,
    nor regards the rich more than the poor,
    for they are all the work of his hands?
20 In a moment they die;
    at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
    and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

21 “For his eyes are on the ways of a man,
    and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no gloom or deep darkness
    where evildoers may hide themselves.
23 For God has no need to consider a man further,
    that he should go before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without investigation
    and sets others in their place.
25 Thus, knowing their works,
    he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
    in a place for all to see,
27 because they turned aside from following him
    and had no regard for any of his ways,
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
    and he heard the cry of the afflicted—
29 When he is quiet, who can condemn?
    When he hides his face, who can behold him,
    whether it be a nation or a man?—
30 that a godless man should not reign,
    that he should not ensnare the people.

31 “For has anyone said to God,
    ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
32 teach me what I do not see;
    if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
33 Will he then make repayment to suit you,
    because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
    therefore declare what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
    and the wise man who hears me will say:
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;
    his words are without insight.’
36 Would that Job were tried to the end,
    because he answers like wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
    he claps his hands among us
    and multiplies his words against God.” – Job 34:16-37 ESV

Elihu is unmerciful in his brutal assessment of Job’s condition, removing all doubt as to his guilt and any hope of getting a hearing before God. In Elihu’s far-from-humble opinion, Job is getting exactly what he deserves and has no right to blame God for his problems or to expect the Almighty to relent in the deliverance of justice. From Elihu’s perspective, God is only doing what comes naturally to Him.

“Could God govern if he hated justice?
    Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?” – Job 34:17 NLT

God is a just and righteous deity who must punish all sin regardless of who commits it. He shows no partiality, treating all guilty individuals the same, whether they are rich or poor, well-connected or disadvantaged. Even the wealthy and well-to-do receive unbiased justice from the hand of God.

“He doesn’t care how great a person may be,
    and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor.
    He made them all.
In a moment they die.
    In the middle of the night they pass away;
    the mighty are removed without human hand.” – Job 34:19-20 NLT

While all of these statements offer an accurate assessment of God, they lack nuance and the benefit of contextual application. Elihu is speaking in theological generalities and drawing sweeping conclusions regarding Job’s life. He has no way of knowing what Job has done and has means of assessing the true condition of Job’s heart. Elihu has evaluated Job’s circumstances through the lens of his own theological rubric and confidently ascertained his friend’s guilt. But there was much that Elihu failed to understand about God and even more information he lacked about Job.

He was correct in saying that “God watches how people live; he sees everything they do” (Job 34:21 NLT), but Elihu didn’t possess that same 20-20 vision. He couldn’t see all, so Elihu was left to assume, conjecture, and speculate. He was far from all-knowing, but he had no problem coming across as a know-it-all. That’s why he could haughtily insist, “…listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say” (Job 34:16 NLT).

Elihu’s logic was simple.

  1. God hates sin.
  2. God punishes sinners.
  3. Job was suffering, therefore,
  4. Job was a sinner.

Once again, there is a degree of truth to Elihu’s logic. In fact, the apostle Paul would conquer that Job, like all human beings, is a sinner.

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 ESV

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, shared Paul’s conclusion.

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT

But just because all people sin, it’s not fair to conclude that Job was suffering as a result of a sin or sins he had committed. His suffering could have been nothing more than the unfortunate outcome of living in a fallen world where disease, difficulties, and even death are common and unavoidable occurrences. Even Jesus warned His disciples about the inevitable reality of suffering.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” – John 16:33 NLT

Jesus didn’t add the caveat: “When you sin.” He wasn’t warning about the judgment of God poured out as a result of willful disobedience. His words were merely a statement of fact that were followed up by a promise of hope.

“But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NLT

The presence of trials and sorrows is not a litmus test for the presence of sin. If that was the case, the apostle Paul should have been the poster boy for the judgment of God. But in defending his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul virtually boasted about the many trials and tribulations he had suffered as a minister of the gospel.

“But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too.  Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, butI have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.” – 2 Corinthians 11:21-25 NLT

Paul goes on to describe himself as having endured sleepless nights, going without proper food and shelter, and hot having enough clothing to keep himself warm. Yet, none of this was an admission of guilt or proof of God’s punishment for some sin he had committed. It was actually meant to be evidence of his apostleship and calling by God. He saw God’s hands on his suffering but recognized it as divine enablement and part of his ongoing sanctification.

“I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.” – 2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

In the very next chapter, Paul talks about a very specific trial he had been called to endure. He referred to it as “a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). We are not told the nature of this trial, but Paul repeatedly prayed for God to remove it from his life.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.” – 2 Corinthians 12:8 NLT

But he came to recognize that it was actually a gift from God, to keep him from becoming proud and self-sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:7). And the presence of this thorn in the flesh actually produced a positive outcome in Paul’s life. Each time Paul asked God to remove it, God responded by saying, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). And this seemingly irresolvable trial became a means of spiritual transformation for Paul.

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Job was not there yet. He was not ready to embrace his difficulties with open arms or to boast about his many weaknesses. He wanted them removed. He desperately desired that his pain go away and his damaged reputation be restored. On top of that, he was ready for Elihu, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to catch the next bus out of Uz and leave him alone.

But Elihu was not going anywhere, and he had no interest in viewing Job’s plight as anything but hard evidence of unrepentant sin. Unwilling to buy Job’s excuses, Elihu declared, “Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight “Job 34:35 NLT. Then he followed up that compassionless assessment with an ever harsher prediction of Job’s inevitable fall.

“Job, you deserve the maximum penalty
    for the wicked way you have talked.
For you have added rebellion to your sin;
    you show no respect,
    and you speak many angry words against God.” – Job 34:36-37 NLT

Too bad Job didn’t have a friend like Paul; someone who could have brought a much more balanced and optimistic perspective to the conversation. Paul would have built Job up, calling him to run the race to win (1 Corinthians 1:24), to press on (Philippians 3:12), and to endure suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

But sadly, Elihu was too busy pouring salt in Job’s wounds to see that his words were doing more harm than good. Sometimes the best thing anyone can say is nothing at all. Sometimes, silence is the best policy or, if you have to speak, the only words that come out of your mouth are, “I don’t know.” But Elihu was too proud to plead ignorance and too in love with his own voice to stay silent. Much to Job’s detriment and dismay.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.