What the Solar Eclipse Tells Us About the End of the World
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Now, I’m not trying to be mean. I’m not trying to pour cold water on any of those who believe in End Time prophecy. I believe in Christ’s literal second coming to the Earth in a physical body. I’m a student of the Scriptures and what they say about the end of the age. I just don’t buy the idea that a total eclipse of the sun (or the heart) has any bearing on the whether Christ is coming back.
Why do I believe that? Well, a quick look at astronomical history in the United States will tell you that we have seen a lot of total eclipses of the sun and Jesus hasn’t returned in the 241 years of our existence, let alone the number of times the rest of the world has seen a total eclipse.
Now I’m sure that some will be quick to point out the language in Acts 2, Matthew 24, and Revelation that talk the sun going dark. Those verses will be fulfilled beyond a shadow of a doubt, but they won’t be because of a natural phenomenon that can predicted on a calendar. They will be supernatural signs that are beyond what natural history has seen.
Why is this important? The belief in Jesus’ return gets cheapened by every errant prediction based on natural events in the sky or random dates thrown out by preachers who seem to know what they’re talking about, but are wrong. Just like with the blood moon phenomenon from a couple of years ago, there will be those who see us predicting Jesus’ return, see nothing happen, and will harden their hearts a bit more concerning the reality of the Gospel.
Friends, Jesus is returning, soon. If we believe that, we should be telling as many people about the Gospel as we can and making disciples of people both near and far. So, start sharing the Gospel. Make disciples. Start house churches. Do all of that with a spirit of urgency that causes you to be on the alert for the Master’s return. Don’t fall asleep.
But let’s not predict the coming of Christ based on natural phenomena. It was never designed to work that way. We just can’t keep giving false signals to a world and a church that has continued to see us throw out date after date without much good evidence, only to be disappointed once again. Instead, knowing the times and seasons, let’s prepare for the day when the Lord will appear and bring His reward with Him.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Photo Credit: Diamond Ring 🙂 by James Niland
Let The Record Show…
Maybe this never happens to you, but sometimes while I’m reading my Bible my mind drifts and I begin to think about something besides what I’m reading.
Some times I can’t get the last episode of some TV show out of my head. Sometimes it’s something going on at work. Tonight it was a question I had for the Lord. I needed an answer and it was bothering me that I didn’t have one.
So I’m kind of half-reading and praying at the same time, asking God to reveal to me the answer to the question I’m needing an answer to. Then, I look at the next paragraph in my Bible, and there in the words of the text is the exact answer to the question I was asking the Lord just seconds earlier.
You know how Paul says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?
Yeah…he wasn’t kidding.
Ben Israel and the Forming of End Time Community
I found this picture on the web site of Ben Israel, a community founded under the leadership of Art Katz who devoted his life to preparing the Church for the end of the age. Art’s method of preparing believers for the end of the age was different than most. He believed that only believers who were forged in true community would be prepared for what the Lord would bring upon the Earth. He had some other people who agreed with him. To that end, he founded Ben Israel. I think the sign speaks volumes.
(You can catch up on what Art had to say here.)
Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 