Posted in Bible • Idolatry • Prophecy

Distractions, Part Three, Bible Codes

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Whoops. When numbering these distractions, I got distracted. So I posted part four before this one. Sorry. Your fingers aren’t lying to you. And there’s no secret code to it either.

 

A Bible code is supposed to be some hidden message in the text that we find by looking at every third letter in a sentence, or the first word in a line or something like that. Put all the letters together with some involved math and allegedly they impart secret information. This information is supposed to reveal things like the plot to assassinate certain leaders or natural disasters.

 

It is kind of interesting that you can do this with the original languages of the Bible. It’s also interesting that you can do it with just about any writing. The system depends on looking for certain words or names to start with. For instance, if you want to search for “Reagan” you can find the name. But if you don’t start with something you want to find, you can’t find it. Hmm. Sounds like the approach non-believers use to reject the Bible message. They start with the assumption that God is a meany, and surprise surprise they find their proof when they selectively look at certain texts separated from context. Or separated from common sense for that matter.

 

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. (Ephesians 4:18, ESV)

 

The problem I have with the distraction of Bible codes is that while interesting they don’t mean anything. People who love these codes spend so much time on the puzzle of the letters that they don’t have time to read (or follow) the plain language. They spend more time looking for alleged codes than they do in reading the message and doing what it says. People who preach the codes also seem to avoid preaching the plain meaning of the Word. It seems that people become experts in codes and other distractions only to lose the Bible message in the chatter.

 

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deuteronomy 30:11–14, ESV)

 

God caused His words to be written down in plain language easily understood by anyone. There are a number of messages from Him that He wants us to get. They are not hidden, except to a heart of stone hardened to the desire to follow them. I suggest becoming expert in those messages first. I think you’ll find they will occupy your time so well that you don’t have time for shiny baubles like Bible codes.

 

“For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7, ESV)

Posted in Comfort • Division • Judaism • Prophecy • Rapture • Whole Bible Prophecy book

Left Behind is a Good Thing

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In Matthew 24 and Luke 17 Jesus gives us an outline of what will take place at the “end of the age” as the apostles asked. At one point Jesus says, “Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one left.” Most Christians think these are verses about the rapture. There was a nifty song in the ‘70’s that spoke of people being taken as being raptured (I Wish We’d All Been Ready by Larry Norman), translated into imperishable bodies to be with Jesus forever. The people remaining were “left behind.” It’s a good thought, but wrong. It is clear from the context that ‘taken’ means destroyed.

Jesus compares this time to the time of the flood, when people were going about their daily living as sudden destruction came. “They were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.” If the proportion (50%) is intended to be exact, that means at least half the world’s population will be destroyed.
There are other places where ‘taken’ is obviously related to destroyed or killed.

Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. “Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged. (Jeremiah 6:11, ESV)

To be “taken” is not a fun thing. To be consistent with the rest of the Word, ‘taken’ in the context of what Jesus is talking about is not fun at all.

‘Whole Bible Prophecy’ manuscript by Bruce Scott Bertram

Posted in Prophecy • Whole Bible Prophecy book

The U. S. in Prophecy

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Some people are puzzled that the United States doesn’t show up in the Bible anywhere. Since we are arguably one of the most powerful nations ever, if not the most powerful, how come we’re not mentioned in Scripture like most of the others?

But actually, we are mentioned. Very prominently too. You just have to know where to look. We are part of the old Roman Empire, the west leg of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The Roman Empire split into two parts (or was always sort of that way) around three to four hundred years after the birth of the Christ. It was roughly split between the west part (what is now Europe and North Africa) and the east (Turkey, Asia, Greece, Israel, Egypt). Rome ruled the west, and the east was ruled from Constantinople (which was supposed to answer to Rome). It went back and forth for a while, but that’s basically how it played out. So from Europe (the west part of the Roman Empire) and Africa most of the settlers of the United States have come.

Take a good look at our culture. We have laws and customs handed down from the Romans (who also borrowed from Greeks and others). They built roads and aqueducts that stand to this day. We build roads (many built on trails and roads from our colonial era) and large water distribution systems, which have also lasted. Romans liked to build huge stadiums where athletes entertained the crowds. Gee, that doesn’t sound familiar, does it? Most of our major cities have huge taxpayer-funded coliseums (some actually called ‘coliseums’) where athletes perform for the masses. Rome tolerated any religion and incorporated many of the pagan practices into their own. Our presidents have had Muslim Ramadan meals in the White House and churches are full of pagan bits and pieces. Yeah, I’d say it’s easy to see that we are just an extension of the old Roman Empire. That empire might’ve declined and fallen, but their kids live on and keep the family customs alive and well.

From the book in process, ‘Whole Bible Prophecy’ by Bruce Scott Bertram

Posted in Prophecy • Whole Bible Christianity book

Prophet’s Message

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Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading. (Lamentations 2:14, ESV)

The job of the prophet is not only to foretell, but ‘forth tell’ the Word of God. False prophets say what you want to hear; true prophets speak the whole Word of God. False prophets “see false and deceptive visions which do not expose iniquity to restore your fortunes.” True prophets, wielding the sword of the Word that Jesus gave, cut away the false front of pride so that we might have a chance to humble ourselves and submit to the Lord God Almighty that He might restore our fortunes.

Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD. (Ezekiel 13:4–5, ESV)

This explains our avoidance of His Word. We prefer the numbing narcotic of lying visions like modern movies, best-selling books, and favorite TV shows over the sometimes painful but necessary application of the Word of God. Medical treatment is painful too, but if we do not endure the pain we will not be healed. In fact, a lot of times without treatment wounds will fester, bad microbes will infect, and we will die. Better to endure a little light pain losing our pride than to suffer eternal agony with other festering sores. Um, people.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. (Ezekiel 13:8–11, ESV)

May you seek and grab hold of the whole truth of God’s Word, removing iniquity and building up walls that will stand in battle on the day of the Lord. A day which is coming soon.

Posted in Idolatry • Prophecy

Mayan Calendar Fail

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So the Mayan calendar is wrong. What a surprise. Remember that the Mayans worshiped false gods with human sacrifice. Of course they don’t know their butt from a hole in the ground.

God just doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with the pagans very well, does He? He tells us He knows the end from the beginning. He mocks false gods all the time. Can your god do what He can do? Can it tell what is going to happen tomorrow, or even five minutes from now? No. They are deaf and mute, they cannot hear or speak. As Elijah said when the prophets of Ba’al weren’t having any success with getting their god to respond:

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” (1 Kings 18:27, ESV)

Our God is alive, and speaks a living Word. Only He can tell us what is going to happen. He lays it all out for us in the Bible.

I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. (Jeremiah 23:25–30, ESV)

“Let him who has my word speak my word faithfully.”

Posted in Prophecy • Whole Bible Prophecy book

Cycles in Prophetic History

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From the book, ‘Whole Bible Prophecy’

Complicating our interpretation of prophecy is the fact that some of it seems to keep happening in various ways over and over. Empires rise and conquer other empires, then dominate for a while only to fall back into the dustbin of history. Dictators come into power and behave exactly like their predecessors; so much that we can’t tell one from another without name tags. Hitler was not the first to try and wipe out the Jewish people. He was only the latest in a long string of murderers used by the deceiver who have tried to sidetrack God’s plans.

When Nebuchadnezzar got his dream interpreted by Daniel (chapter 2) he found out that his kingdom was only the head and was not going to last as long as he was thinking. In response he had an image made entirely of gold (Daniel 3) as if to say, “I repudiate the dream and my kingdom will last forever.” What a bummer for him that it only lasted a few years after his death. God was right and ol’ Nebby was wrong.

Prophecy has a cyclical nature because people keep repeating the same mistakes, and the deceiver keeps trying the same plans over and over (and so do individual unbelievers). People forget history and forget God and keep trying the same stupid plans time and again. The deceiver keeps jumping the gun trying to build his own world empire, and God smacks him down to make him get back into line.

The deceiver also has to start fresh all the time because he just can’t get his human puppets to live long enough. His kingdom is based on selfishness and greed among other weaknesses and his followers keep trying to knock each other off too. Truly the deceiver’s kingdom is divided against itself and cannot stand (Matthew 12:25-26). God keeps short-circuiting the deceiver’s plans because He has His own plan. A few paltry efforts by also-rans aren’t going to get in His way. The only reason the Beast has any kind of success at the end is because God allows the deceiver to do what he wants. Finally. For a while, anyway.

Posted in Prophecy • Rapture • Resurrection • Whole Bible Prophecy book

Rapture and Resurrection

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Something from the other book we’re working on, ‘Whole Bible Prophecy,’ with some personal thoughts.

Trusting God. A while ago I converted from popular Christian fantasy of a rapture to the biblical reality that believers are going through the Tribulation. I’m a reformed dispensationalist. At first the realization is a terrifying prospect, like the second term of an Obama presidency. We know there’s a lot of bad stuff going to happen. We know the destruction will be worldwide. The prospect is enough to make a young person’s hair turn grey, and turn an old person’s bones to jelly. There’s a temptation to fling everything down and run for the hills. But we have God, we have His Son, and we have His Word.

We do not need to fear the conspiracies of men. The worst of them are but a vapor on the timeline of eternity. Men and their plans die. God’s eternal life is forever. I place myself in His care, trusting that He will guide and protect. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. My job is to trust and continue to work His Word, every part, into my life.

The undeniable fact is that the rapture will take place after the resurrection. There is not much Scripture on the rapture, but there is a great deal on the resurrection. For the righteous dead in Christ the resurrection will take place at the end of the Tribulation. The wicked are resurrected at the end of the 1,000 year kingdom. There are hints in the Word that believers will be protected through the “time of trouble.”

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD. (Zephaniah 2:3, ESV)

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. (Isaiah 26:19–21, ESV)

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:4–5, ESV)

The point is, whatever is going to happen, we have to trust God. We have to trust God in order to be able to hear Him when He tells us where to go and what to do. We refine our hearing now by doing all of His Word all of the time.