MI1. Purpose of Tribulation Timeline I

Description

AS BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS IN CHRIST, GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND BIBLE PROPHECY

Tribulation Timeline discusses the last days but more than that, it is about the sovereignty of God in prophecy, the deity of Christ in all things and the counsel of the Holy Spirit that illuminates the Word.

There is common misconception that only pastors, academics and theologians can understand Bible prophecy. On the contrary, IF you belong to the Lord, you can hear His voice (John 10:27). Leave it to God as to how He will bless you with spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding but our responsibility is take the first step because the Lord is always ready. The operative word is IF ... IF we are willing, IF we have great desire, IF will put in the effort and IF are prepared to invest our time in His Word.

• "My son, IF thou wilt receive My words, and hide My commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, IF thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; IF thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Prov 2:1-6 (Emphasis added)

WHY HAS TRIBULATION TIMELINE BEEN WRITTEN?

To urge believers to prioritize the Word over man, as the inerrant source and go-to resource for last days prophecies.

• "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7
• "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;" Heb 1:1-2

There are many well-intentioned teachings and commentaries about Bible prophecy and events but not many people have the special anointing that Jer 3:15 speaks of. The Lord appoints pastors who are men after God's own heart to feed us with knowledge and understanding of His Word. In doctrinally sound Bible teachers such as Ps John MacArthur, Ps John Barnett and Dr Baruch Korman who care for the souls of men, we have very God-fearing pastors. Having said that, we first and foremost have a personal responsibility to spend our own quiet time in the Word.

The Word is the wellspring of wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Prov 2:6) but for far too long, many Christians have been too passive and have not pro-actively deep dived into the Bible. For most part, they are content to rely on whatever is preached from the pulpit and have little further interest to verify the accuracy of what is taught, or to try and discover the depth of God's message in a particular passage. An uninterested student with the best teacher will not make much progress and so we should pray for our hearts to be fired up by the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:32). 

To encourage believers to go to God's Word because it provides us with a complete prophetic account of everything that we need to know about the last days.

• "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure:" Isa 46:10
• "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor 2:9-14
• "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deut 29:29

There is nothing esoteric, obscure or puzzling about Biblical prophecy. In Old Testament times, God used the prophets to prophesy to Israel. Today, God still speaks to His people, but it is through Jesus in His Word (Heb 1:1-3).

Biblical prophecy is not meant to cause anxiety or fear but to remind us that God is sovereign over all prophetic events; past, present and future. We are given in advanced, knowledge about the future to enable us to lay hold of the prophecies and equip ourselves according to the Word. Every single Bible prophecy will definitely come to pass at the appointed time during which, we may be the ones living in that particular time.

• "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" 2 Peter 1:19

There might be distressing prophetic events that we will have to face but when we are built up in our faith in Christ, He will give us the grace and counsel to carry us through even the most uncertain times. We will not be easily shaken by what we witness. There are end time events that will unfold in a particular generation and as things are, there is high probability that we or our children will be the Last Days generation.

To encourage believers to inculcate discernment by rightly dividing the Word.

How do bank staff discern real cash from counterfeit cash? They do so by handling cash daily and confirming its authenticity through regular touch and feel. Similarly, when a Christian handles the Word regularly, he will be able to discern absolute Truth from one that is sprinkled with deception or compromise.

• "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15

True lovers of the Word do not want to be led astray by poor teaching or hoodwinked by false and demonic doctrines about the last days. Adulteration of the Word and deception will only lead a person to a path with disastrous consequences. Tragically, the Holy Spirit speaks expressively that "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (1 Tim 4:1).

The very first warning from Jesus at the Olivet Discourse when asked about His Second Coming is to "take heed that no man deceive you." That says a lot about the importance of discerning to avoid the seductive prophecies by self-appointed modern day 'prophets' and 'apostles'. For this, here are a couple of helpful instructions from the Bible.

• "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:10-11
• "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" Isa 2:22

ALL 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE INCLUDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION ARE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED

Revelation is especially important for its prophetic richness. We can appreciate God's sovereign greatness in its passages. Some don't read it because they say that it is not preached in church. Others say it is too difficult to read or is too complicated to understand. It is true that God gives us free will to choose but we have to dispel the notion that man can decide which of the passages in the Bible are more important and which are less important, and which are to be read and which can be left out. Did you know that Revelation is the only book that explicitly declares a double blessing, once in the first chapter and once in the last chapter appropriately as two bookends?

• "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Rev 1:3
• "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Rev 22:7
• "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matt 5:18-19

We extend a warm welcome to you as you journey with us on this site. Feel free to share your comments. It is truly our joy that we can be united by our mutual love for God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and His work at the Cross, and the Holy Spirit sent to indwell in us with the most important message of God's love, that we are reconciled with God through Christ Jesus.

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