As I said in my first message on this subject, the matter came before me as a result of a comment that I made to a brother who emailed me in response to an article posted on ‘The Burning Bush’ website about the corruption and deceit very evident amongst our local Unionist politicians.
I pointed out to him: “Any age of apostasy is an age in which ‘Judas’ appears!! The Antichrist will be the personification of duplicity.”
That comment brought about a realisation that the days of the Saviour’s ministry, during His first advent, were days of apostasy!
So far I have dealt with three topics under the heading of the series.
1. THE PECULIARITIES OF THE DAYS OF THE SAVIOUR’S EARTHLY MINISTRY.
2. CONSIDERATION OF THE PRINCIPLE WHICH UNDERLIES THE REACTION OF GOD TO THE DEVIL’S ACTIVITIES.
3. THERE ARE CLEAR PROPHECIES OF REVIVAL IN THE LAST DAYS.
I come now to our fourth topic.
WE ARE GIVEN A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE PERIOD JUST PRIOR TO THE SAVIOUR’S RETURN.
Here is further evidence that we can indeed look for revival in these days of apostasy.
I. ONE SUCH PICTURE IS FOUND IN MATTHEW 24:15.
These are the words of the Lord Jesus Himself. He has just been answering the double question asked of Him by His disciples, verse 3.
The next verse begins: “And Jesus answered . . . ”
Why is it that many preachers are of the opinion that the events of the future are concealed and hidden and the study of prophecy is non-profitable for the child of God? The Saviour was very ready to answer the “when” and the “what” of His disciples. I believe He is still of that mind!
As we come to chapter 25, please note that the Lord had just been speaking of His return in the form of a parable, designed to induce “watchfulness” amongst His people, 24:44-45.
Then as we come to the opening verses of chapter 25, they begin with the word, “THEN”. Chapter 25 deals with the days just prior to the Saviour’s return.
1. Note the spirit of that day, verses 1-2. The church is divided between true believers and mere professors of faith in Christ. Are we not entering upon such times today? The reason for this is first of all the ‘easy-believism’, defined as the view that a person can achieve salvation through a simple, one-time mental assent or verbal prayer, without the need of true repentance of sin or a genuine transformation of life and a yielding to the rule of discipleship under Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Consequently, there has been an accepting into public membership of the professing Church of Christ, those who are not at all truly regenerated by the power and grace of God.
They are the foolish virgins who “took their lamps, and took no oil with them.” There was not the means of shining forth the light of God from within them! ‘Oil-less lamps’ are all too common today!
2. Even though there will be those who are truly saved, they, in common with the mere ‘professors’, will surrender to carelessness and indifference and cease to act in obedience to Christ’s command to ‘watch’! “They ALL slumbered and slept,” verse 5. There will be little distinction between the true believer and the mere pretender! Again I ask, are we not seeing just such a prevailing attitude amongst the professing people of God today?
I blame the pulpits of today for this dreadful slumber for the pulpits are largely asleep regarding the glorious truth of the return of Christ.
3. The Early Church was filled with a lively spirit of ‘waiting’! The believers in Rome. Romans 8:23. Those in Corinth, despite their many ills, 1 Corinthians 1:6-7. Those to whom Peter wrote, 2 Peter 3:11-12. The Hebrew believers to whom Paul wrote, Hebrews 9:28.
I could add many other verses which indicate a ‘wide awake spirit’ amongst the first generation of believers. Sadly such ‘wide-awake’ watchfulness is absent today amongst the people of God and, as we are told by the Saviour, will deepen and spread.
The reason is, I repeat, the failure of the pulpit to follow the example of the prophets of old. The apostles were not only evangelistic but they expounded the prophetic Scriptures as well, Acts 3:19-20.
4. If we are to be like the apostles and the prophets, we must keep the return of Christ in power and great glory ever before the people to whom we minister. We will use the prophetic Scriptures to counter doubt and despair amongst God’s people in an evil day, Luke 24:25-27. We must preach up the Scriptures which tell of that glorious event!
5. Please note that the Saviour will interrupt this sleep just before He returns. “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps,” verses 6-7.
The true believer will be awakened and will return to their first love and first duty. They arose and “trimmed their lamps” and went out to welcome the soon to return “Bridegroom” and, being “ready went in with him to the marriage.” Oh yes, I believe that the Lord will return to an awakened and revived, ready Church, doing that which was ever the will of God for them.
II. WE ARE GIVEN ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE DAYS JUST PRIOR TO THE SAVIOUR’S RETURN.
This is found in Revelation chapter 6.
1. That this chapter is detailing events just before the Saviour’s return can be determined from the closing verses of the chapter. Verses12-17.
Here are the armies of Antichrist crying out in despair as they realise that their futile attempts to overthrow Christ are about to end in damnation under the wrath of the Lamb! What horror is to be heard in this cry as deceived men realise with total dismaying terror that they had taken the wrong path, trusted the wrong person and are now about to pay the eternal price for their folly.
Of course, let it be stated plainly, it is not just the followers of Antichrist who will one day awaken to this dreadful fate; it will be decent church-going men and women, Protestants, Roman Catholics and those of every religion, who trusted in their RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES and rejected the call to embrace the Gospel message of Christ by faith, who will find themselves coming to this unspeakably awful fate!
2. In earlier verses in this chapter we see scenes in heaven in which we are permitted to witness the saints slain by the Antichrist, calling upon the Lord. Verses 9-11.
Do not let anyone tell you, Christian, that it is wrong to desire God’s judgment upon those who give themselves over to wicked defiance of God and who take out their hatred of the Lord upon His saints. Here are the redeemed in heaven who were “slain for the word of God”, crying out for vengeance against their murderers!
3. Furthermore, they are told to be at rest for soon vengeance will be visited upon their enemy. It is to take such revenge upon His enemies and the enemies of His saints that Christ is coming again. But I would have you take note that the Lord in His wisdom, will permit many of His saints to suffer in those final days for the words of comfort to the martyrs in heaven include this: “ . . . they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” There will be those who will gain the martyr’s crown in the closing days of this age.
III. THERE IS ONE OTHER PICTURE I WOULD HAVE YOU TAKE NOTE OF. IT TOO IS IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.
Revelation 11:3-15.
For the sake of time I will but briefly point out some matters in these verses.
1. When? We are told the period when these two witnesses will prophesy. Verse 3 gives us the period that is also referred to in verse 2 in another format, as the time when “the holy city” is trodden down of the Gentiles. It is the time when the final assault upon Jerusalem is made, just prior to Christ’s return. (See Zechariah 14:1-30)
2. Where? The Lord will have His witnesses ministering right on the ‘Beast’s’ doorstep in Jerusalem, “where also our Lord was crucified”, verse 8. It is the very ZENITH of the Antichrist’s power YET, the Lord will have His witnesses right on the ‘Beast’s’ doorstep!
3. The miracles that these witnesses perform by the power of God, reminds us of the ministries of Moses and Elijah. “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will,” verse 6.
I suggest that we may consider these two witnesses to be Moses and Elijah returned to this earth to carry out their final witness.
4. Note the prevailing spirit of the last days of this age! Verses 7-10. Faithful preachers will not win ‘personality contests’ or be well thought of. Rather they will be a source of torment to the ungodly. How wrong are those who seek the ‘smile and the well done’ of the ungodly today! The murder of the two great servants of God will be a source of rejoicing and a cause for celebration, verse 10.
Thus, mankind has not altered since the day men “killed the Prince of life” (Acts 3:15). The two men will suffer the same fate as their Master in the same city. “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified,” verse 8.
Man has not changed in his nature, despite the rubbish spouted by modernists and liberal preachers and the utterly hare-brained evolutionists.
The ungodly in this world have not moved on from the days of Calvary, despite the Word of God having been preached throughout the nations since that time.
How is it with you today? Are you of the spirit of those who stood around the cross and mocked? Are you of the spirit of those yet to come who feasted and rejoiced at the death of the two witnesses?
Perhaps your rejection of Christ and His Word is not as brazen as those I have just mentioned, but it is still just as real!
Hell awaits those who quietly turned their backs on the Saviour just as much as it awaits those who howled out their hatred and despising.
You can only be saved from hell by embracing Christ by faith and standing with Him.