Why the World is not interested in your End Time Prophecy

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End Time Prophecy

End Time ProphecyRecently, I have seen an undue and unscriptural focus concerning End Time prophecy. It worries me that some think they have the entire end-time figured out like if it was a schedule, a calendar or a road map. It worries me that they think they know everything that is going to happen and when.

The only problem I have with them is the same one most “out of the system” Christians and the lost have with them. They are critical of everything that doesn’t agree 100% with them, and they use prophecy to instill fear in people thinking it going to change their behavior. Sorry, but this is 2013, and nobody is afraid to get “Left Behind.”

There is a bit of Old Cuban History that comes to mind.

“Chief Hatuey was the Taino Indian chief of the entire Island of Cuba. He fought against the Spaniards valiantly but was finally caught, and as they were tying him to the stake to be burned, the Catholic priest asked him if he would take the communion and be baptized so he could go to heaven; he looked around and saw all the Spanish soldiers mocking him, so he asked are they going to be in heaven, the priest said, “Yes, my son, they are Christians,” so he said, “Then I don’t want to go where they are going”.

Sad commentary but true!

Most of the proof texts for all these End Time prophecies come from the Old Testament or the book of Revelation. You would think that learning and knowledge was something these teachers invented. Personally, I believe deep down it’s another elitist mindset rooted in works.

The list of prophecies is endless but here are some of the subjects; the 70 weeks of Daniel, the Tribulation, The Rapture, The Antichrist, Restoration of Israel, Mark of the Beast, City of Jerusalem, the marriage Supper of the Lamb, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam. You would think the Father sent them His personal agenda, or that end time prophecy was as neat and simple as tying your shoelaces.

C’mon people! If we have all these things figured out, why aren’t we changing our homes, families, cities and congregations? Be honest; we really have no influence in the culture except inside the four walls on Sunday morning.

The facts are human nature has not changed much. The Lord Jesus dealt with this same attitude just before He ascended to the right hand of the Father.

Acts 1:6-8 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” NKJV

Translation; Quit trying to figure out the future of Israel and get on with ruling and reigning in MY Kingdom now!

That’s pretty clear New Testament doctrine.

8 Reasons why the World is not Interested in End Time Prophecy

1. It’s not priority in the grand scheme of things.

We are here to make Israel and all the nations jealous because of the love we have for one another. Unlike the Catholic priest in the Cuban story, we cannot force Christianity on anyone. The Bible says;

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” NKJV

To put it simply, I am not interested in your “perfect” vertical relationship with God if it doesn’t translate into beautiful and fruitful horizontal relationship with your fellow man. C’mon Church, face it; as the song says “you’ve lost…… that looooooovvving feeling.”

2. It’s not on the test.

I remember my high school days and how nice the teachers were. They would actually tell you what would be on the test so I just studied that and did well. The Lord has told us that, concerning our earthly existence, the finish line is Judgment Day. On that day the Lord will ask us what we did with what Father gave us, such as talents, gifts and resources.

Heb 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. NKJV

The Lord will judge our fruit by filtering them with the motives of our heart, and that, beloved, will produce our grade on the final test. We will either suffer loss or receive rewards which we will then throw as crowns at His feet. Now if that is what is on the test, why get involved in things the Father has purposely not explained fully? For more info read I Cor. 9-14

3. Its brought nothing but arguments and division to the Body of Christ.

I cannot begin to properly document all the arguments, church splits, and division that have come to the Body of Christ because of disagreements concerning end time prophecies. Whole denominations have been formed by the splitting of hairs concerning these teachings.

Maybe the first century leaders were on to something when they just kept it simple by calling the Church to remain humble and love the brethren. In the first century you couldn’t get away with talking a big talk or chasing after pet doctrines. The proof was in the pudding. Do you love the Lord; and if you do, do you love His people?

Listen to Paul’s advice to his son in the ministry;

1 Tim 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. NKJV

4. The so-called Rapture of the Church has done nothing but create “Beam Me Up” Christians.

For years I taught that the Church was leaving on the next plane just before everything goes to Hell. It was taught to me at the cemetery, I mean seminary, and I believed it. Then the Holy Spirit began to work in my life and reveal to me that The Father was preparing a Bride for His Son. That Bride would be made up of the redeemed from all the Nations of the world. The Lord had asked for a Body, and the Father will see to it that He gets it.

Ps 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. NKJV

The problem is you can always pass verses like this on to a future earthly kingdom. So if there is no Kingdom now, there is no responsibility to have to rule and reign here on earth today. Let’s just say God was playing and the Church can’t advance against the darkness, so let’s just leave here with our tail between our legs. Not me…is all I got to say!

See my other article on this subject; https://godsleader.com/the-power-of-the-kingdom-is-here-and-now/

5. Most of what is taught could only be “figured out” in a Seminary.

American Christianity is truly a niche market. Nowhere else in the world would they believe all the junk we put out! Christianity is exploding organically overseas, and here people are leaving the religious system in droves. Don’t get mad at me for delivering the news that you are making. Overseas they don’t have our study bibles, our bible programs, our CD series, or our end time timetables on colorful handouts, yet they are thriving.

What did the Kingdom of God do without a Rapture theory before 1830? I tell you they lived on a daily relationship with the Lord via the Holy Spirit. Today as soon as someone has any sign of life, we send them to a seminary to be indoctrinated with religious ignorance. How did the Kingdom of God survive without the Catholics creating the first seminaries to train professional clergymen in 1545 to oppose the awakening under the protestant reformation?

If you were left alone with the word of God, you would never believe more than half of those truths we hold so dear. It takes indoctrination to come up with all those theories and proof texts.

6. Exact agreement on doctrine makes clones, not disciples.

The main teaching of seminaries and subsequently most preaching is under the premise that if we can teach you the right things, your behavior will get right. Sorry, but the average American Christian knows 100 times more truth that the first century believers, yet we cannot walk in enough power to blow out a birthday candle.

They didn’t have New Testaments or Bibles, but what they had was a living daily relationship with Christ and his Body. Our congregations are full of sin and perversion just like the world. It’s not a wonder why we are not affecting our culture for good.

I can teach a parrot to repeat “I love you,” but I can’t get that parrot to love. I can teach a monkey to be nice in trade for a banana, but I can’t teach him to share that banana when I am not around. Our congregations are full of bible reciters and song singers, but their walk doesn’t match their talk the rest of the week. We don’t need more clones of the pastor; we need people who know their Lord and Master.

7. Fear does not drive this generation to purity. It drives them to sin.

The government is shutting down, and the economy is going to hell. Kids in school are wondering if there will be a labor market when they graduate. The doomsday preppers are getting ready for the end of the world, crime is on the rise, and sex and perversion are being sold and packaged to them like drinking a glass of water or taking a shower. The Mideast is a powder keg, and nuclear war is eminent. So let’s live life to the fullest now, because tomorrow may never come they say.

Then for an alternative to all this we have the church creating a once a week Disney world entertainment environment that disappears a soon as the service is over.

Is it not a wonder the number one pursuit of this generation is escapism? Whether its drugs, sex, alcohol, or repeated cruises, everyone wants to run away from life. So tell me you are going to scare this generation with hell? Most of them already live in hell? Forget about it…….fears concerning the end times will not drive anyone to a genuine change.

8. What is priority in the Kingdom of God?

1. Being a New Covenant believer leaving behind works and religious idolatry

2. Understanding who we are (our Identity) as a new creation son

3. Learning to rule and reign daily in His Kingdom

4. Learn to love ALL the brethren even those not like you.

5. Giving yourself away to others with no expectation of ROI (return on investment)

6. Making disciples (not more members for our little group) of all nation

7. Understand everything we have and acquire belongs to the King for his Kingdom

8. Be God’s minister 24/7 in every place our feet take us.

This list is not comprehensive, but it would be a great start. Making the above concepts your life will make sure you miss nothing concerning the end times.

Here are some priority bible verses;

Matt 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.'”

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, Eph 1:17-23 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

And finally….

Phil 2:5-9 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

In Conclusion:

I used to teach; what good would it do to teach someone to put a roof on a house when they don’t even understand how to build on the foundation yet? I challenge you to avoid an over preoccupation with end time prophecies, and seek instead to know Him, and then go and make a difference where you are planted. Only the Lord Jesus Christ holds the key to the unfolding of End Time events and prophecy. Remember only that will be on the test!

Blessings,

Jose Bosque

GodsLeader1@aol.com

jose_bosque Jose Bosque is Editor in Chief and founder of Viral Cast Media which oversees GodsLeader, JaxChristian now ViralChrist and 15 other websites. He has ministered in Jacksonville since 1987 and served the city since 1992 as a citywide servant leader. Jose is considered a resource and a spiritual father to many leaders in the city and in the 54 nations where the Lord has sent him to serve. Originally born in Cuba, Jose has resided in Jacksonville since 1966. Contact Him at: www.RevivalPartners.net or ForRevival@aol.com Editors Note: Please help us continue to get this word out for free- No amount is too small- Thanks for your generosity! DONATE CLICK HERE

3 COMMENTS

  1. An excellent summary of the subject! I have studied many books by common taters and theologians, and latterday visionaries. All claim to have the inside, down low, up high information that is very important concerning the future events. Several written before WW1 don’t mention the events that are so popular today. One in particular “The Peoples New Testament” printed in 1891 has a commentary on Revelation that places all the events in AD70 forward to about 200AD or so. A study of the early writings of the Ekklesia, no one mentions many of the “must happen” events the latter-day prophets state must happen. I don’t care what is going to happen as long as I see Jesus. BTW when did He say the events would take place? ans. soon! I feel that God does not need a Timex or this years calendar to plan His Salvation of His people. He planed that before the foundation of the worlds to give us a new world without end. We will spend our time practicing the “One Anothers” until we see Him face to face. I was in Cuba 70-71 helping Cubans escape the government roundup that was going on for dissidents. Semper Fi!