I have grown very weary of the interminable contrived associations of the BP oil spill with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. With every scientifically enshrouded attempt to manufacture a global apocalyptic "end of the world" scenario, I find eschatological presuppositions at the epicenter. First it was Henning Kemner, then Dr. James P. Wickstrom and now Lindsey Williams. All arguing that this is not just the greatest ecological disaster this country has ever faced, but this is the beginning of the end. I found that Williams, whom I initially presumed to be making objective scientific claims, is also being driven by his dire apocalyptic paradigm.
A friend recently wrote: "My thoughts are based solely on my opinion of Lindsey Williams. I bought the book ["Where's the Food"] in 1987 "when I was young and gullible" and he had me believing the food would be gone in 2 years (which was his prediction). Looking back now I'm quite ashamed of my gullibility. I had no idea the guy was still around till I saw this post. I know nothing of the radio host [Alex Jones]. Back then he was driven by his eschatology and it looks as if he still is. Preterism rescued me from all that.."
Thanks to Gary DeMar for his commitment to a well-reasoned interpretational approach. Being driven and tossed by the proverbial winds of the prophetic speculators,is a very sad place to be, and I can't begin to verbalize how grand it is to have stepped off that merry-go-round. Shame on the modern day "prophets" for contributing to a fear-based sense causing the spiritual indifference and ultimate malaise (or is that mayonnaise :) that too many in the Church are wallowing in.
As I've stated before, simply because this is NOT a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, doesn't lessen the severity of this eco disaster. Many lives will be irreparably altered by what appears to be the callous negligence of BP. However, instead of panicking and assuming this is a God ordained "last days" plague, which it is not, we must strive to find the solution.
The Gospel will be victorious. We aren't living in the "present evil age" (last days) that passed away with the Old Covenant in the first century. Therefore, I believe God is looking for messengers who will view serious problems like the one we're facing now, not as unscalable mountains but as mere hurtles to be traversed. It's all a matter of perception. I'm so looking forward to the day when the Church steps out of this defeatist, rapture mentality. A whole lot more will be done if we expect success.
Let me close by quoting from both the first and last chapters of Jesus' last revelatory words. We may be confused by the contents of the imagery contained therein, but as long as we recognize that God cannot lie, we can rest assured these events are not in our future.
Revelation 1:1-3 (NASB) 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 22:6-7 (NASB) 6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
Revelation 22:10 (NASB) And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
Revelation 22:12 (NASB) "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Revelation 22:20 (NASB) He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Could God have been any clearer regarding the timing of His intentions?
If it's "orthodox" to believe that God was not capable or willing to communicate truthfully and clearly to His first century Church, then at at that point I must reject orthodoxy. The God I worship is faithful and true and it is not within His divine nature to lie or deceive. By arguing that the Revelation's fulfillment is still future, when in the first century Jesus Christ prophesied the things "MUST soon take place", are we not in grave danger of unwittingly calling God's veracity into question?
A friend recently wrote: "My thoughts are based solely on my opinion of Lindsey Williams. I bought the book ["Where's the Food"] in 1987 "when I was young and gullible" and he had me believing the food would be gone in 2 years (which was his prediction). Looking back now I'm quite ashamed of my gullibility. I had no idea the guy was still around till I saw this post. I know nothing of the radio host [Alex Jones]. Back then he was driven by his eschatology and it looks as if he still is. Preterism rescued me from all that.."
Following, is a sound hermeneutical (science of interpretation) discourse on Revelation 8:8-11.
Part 2
Thanks to Gary DeMar for his commitment to a well-reasoned interpretational approach. Being driven and tossed by the proverbial winds of the prophetic speculators,is a very sad place to be, and I can't begin to verbalize how grand it is to have stepped off that merry-go-round. Shame on the modern day "prophets" for contributing to a fear-based sense causing the spiritual indifference and ultimate malaise (or is that mayonnaise :) that too many in the Church are wallowing in.
As I've stated before, simply because this is NOT a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, doesn't lessen the severity of this eco disaster. Many lives will be irreparably altered by what appears to be the callous negligence of BP. However, instead of panicking and assuming this is a God ordained "last days" plague, which it is not, we must strive to find the solution.
The Gospel will be victorious. We aren't living in the "present evil age" (last days) that passed away with the Old Covenant in the first century. Therefore, I believe God is looking for messengers who will view serious problems like the one we're facing now, not as unscalable mountains but as mere hurtles to be traversed. It's all a matter of perception. I'm so looking forward to the day when the Church steps out of this defeatist, rapture mentality. A whole lot more will be done if we expect success.
Let me close by quoting from both the first and last chapters of Jesus' last revelatory words. We may be confused by the contents of the imagery contained therein, but as long as we recognize that God cannot lie, we can rest assured these events are not in our future.
Revelation 1:1-3 (NASB) 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Revelation 22:6-7 (NASB) 6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
Revelation 22:10 (NASB) And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
Revelation 22:12 (NASB) "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Revelation 22:20 (NASB) He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Could God have been any clearer regarding the timing of His intentions?
If it's "orthodox" to believe that God was not capable or willing to communicate truthfully and clearly to His first century Church, then at at that point I must reject orthodoxy. The God I worship is faithful and true and it is not within His divine nature to lie or deceive. By arguing that the Revelation's fulfillment is still future, when in the first century Jesus Christ prophesied the things "MUST soon take place", are we not in grave danger of unwittingly calling God's veracity into question?
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