Article 22
1. HOMOSEXUALITY
It has been said that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Should not all do likewise?
Suppose a large group of pathological liars form a colony where they not only practice and advocate lying as an alternative lifestyle, but they seek society to condone what God has condemned. Could this bring down His wrath … on them; on society if it approves?
Were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed because they were homosexuals … or because they "came out" and flaunted it?
"The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they hide it not" (Isaiah 3:9, NIV).
Destruction of Sodom is symbolic of the end of the world (Luke 17:28-30).
2. THE AGE OF THE EARTH AND EVOLUTION
Uniformitarian(ism) … the thesis that processes that operated in the remote geological past are not different from those observed now.
In the last days, who will come? 2 Peter 3:3 SCOFFERS
What will they question? V. 4, first part
WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING?
Do they believe in uniformitarianism? V. 4, last part
YES, SINCE
THE FATHERS FELL ASLEEP, ALL THINGS CONTINUE
AS THEY WERE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION.
Why do they believe in uniformitarianism? Vs. 5-6
THEY ARE WILLINGLY IGNORANT OF THE FLOOD.
NOTE: Prior
to the 1800's, most scholars believed in some type of universal flood.
David Lord (1792-1880), who held to a 6-day creation and a 6,000-year
earth history, used the flood to explain fossil-bearing strata which gave
the earth the appearance of a great age. (See, "The Creationist"
by Ronald Numbers, page 18.)
Almost every culture contains a legend of some great flood.
Later Darwinism was accepted, and by the 20th century high school and college biology books favored evolution.
Of what class did Jesus warn? Mark 12:38
"… teachers of the law (NIV: " … doctors of the law," The New English Bible; " … of the scribes " (KJV).
They were
of the educated elite.
3. DARWIN'S BLACK BOX
"The diversity of life on earth is the outcome of evolution: an unsupervised, impersonal, unpredictable and natural process of temporal descent with genetic modification that is affected by natural selection, chance, historical contingencies, and changing environments".
The 1995 official position statement of The American
National Association of Biology Teachers
WHAT DO THE OPINION POLLS SAY?
1. % of Americans who are evolutionists in the sense above …………..
10%
2. % of
Americans who are pure creationists ……………………………………….
45%
3. % of Americans who believe God used evolution ………………………….. 45%
Should 10% of the population decide what is to be taught in the public schools?
If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could
not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications,
my theory would absolutely break down.
Charles Darwin from "The Origin of Species", 1859
To Darwin, the cell was a "black box" -- its inner workings were utterly mysterious to him. Now, the black box has been opened up and we know how it works. Applying Darwin's test to the ultra-complex world of molecular machinery and cellular systems that have been discovered over the past 40 years, we can say that Darwin's theory has absolutely broken down.
Michael Behe, Biochemist at Lehigh University and Author of "Darwin's Black Box" (Darwin's Black box material furnished by Steve Bond)
4. In the study of the four great kingdoms - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome - in Daniel, chapters 2 and 7, the period of time, times, and a dividing of time (3 ½ years), using a day for a year as in prophetic time (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) is shown to begin in 538 A.D. when the Bishop of Rome is able to exercise the authority as head of the western church given him by Emperor Justinian. The period ends in 1798 when a French Army takes the pope prisoner. (See article on Babylon.)
What phrase is used to describe the end of the period of time, times and a half a time?
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:7-9)
"So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." "And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be." (Daniel 8:17,19)
NOTE: 1798 was the beginning of the "time of the end".
5. What was to take place at the "time of the end"?
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4)
A. Run to and fro.
For most
all of his history, man traveled on land by walking or use of animals,
and on water by paddle, oar or sail.
The development of the steam engine in the late 1700's gave us the stream
boat and the steam locomotive, which radically changed man's mode of travel.
The internal combustion and jet engines that followed greatly accelerated
man's ability to "run to and fro" at a pace undreamed of for
thousands of years.
B. Increase of knowledge.
The entire knowledge of our material world, accumulated during the first 5,800 years is almost nothing when compared to the increase of knowledge since 1800. We are told that the amount of information we have almost doubles every decade.
Is there need to say more? Surely Daniel 12:4 tells us that we are living at the time of the end when Jesus will soon return.
6. What task must be finished before the end shall come?
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
NOTE: Western Christianity remained settled in Europe as the Eastern Church did around Constantinople during the Middle Ages, although around the 1500's Spain and Portugal did extend the Christian's reach. Those who immigrated to the New World had Christian backgrounds.
It was the early 1800's that saw the formation of Missionary and Bible Societies in both Great Britain and the United States. It was then that the churches began a serious effort to reach the whole world with the gospel by sending out missionaries.
One source estimates that 4 billion Bibles have been printed in 2,000 languages. Can there be a nation on earth that has not had a witness of the Christian message?
7. What was to be the beginning of sorrows? Matthew 24:6-8 WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS
NOTE: There have always been wars. How can those that are to be the beginning of sorrows be distinguished?
EXCESSIVE:
WWI ended 11th month, 11th day, 11 O'clock. It's one hour until midnight.
WWII more excessive.
8. In the past, people died from infectious diseases and other maladies.
A. In the last days, what is to happen?
"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth … ." (Luke 21:26, KJV, first part)
NOTE: Most
deaths were due to infectious diseases until in the early 1900's, heart
attacks became the number one killer.
B. What else besides fear will cause problems with the heart?
"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting … ." (Luke 21:34, KJV, first part)
NOTE: Overeating, especially animal fat which was forbidden in Leviticus 7:23-25, causes heart trouble, a sign of the last days.
9. What about the signs in the sun, moon, and stars? (Isaiah 13:9,10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10,31; 3:15; Acts 2:16,20; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24,25; and Revelation 6:12,13; 8:12) And what about the great earthquake which precedes these signs? (Revelation 6:12,13)
NOTE: Evidently these signs will appear just prior to Christ coming in the clouds of Heaven; however, it seems that these signs received a preliminary and partial fulfillment in incidents of the past (Matthew 24:3).
(1) The greatest earthquake of all time - the Lisbon quake - took place in 1755. (See, "Principles of Geology", page 495, by Sir Charles Lyell.)
(2) Signs in the sun and moon happened May 19th, 1780.
"Almost, if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind … stands the dark day of May 19th, 1780 - a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England." (See, R. M. Devens, "Our First Century", page 89.)
(3) The stars of heaven fell on November 13, 1833.
"The most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has even been recorded took place all across the North American continent on this date. (See, R. M. Devons, "The Great Events of the Greatest Century", chapter 28.)
10. From the time of the Protestant Reformation, many have believed that the world would end around the mid-1800's. Martin Luther, who died in 1546, thought the end would come some 300 years after his day. (See, Daniel T. Taylor, "The Reign of Christ on Earth", pages 158, 134.)
By combining the time prophecies of Daniel 8 and 9, a number of preachers targeted the 1800's for the end (see attachment on Daniel 8 and 9 at the end of this article).
A. Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687-1752) preached in Switzerland, France, and Russia that 1836 was the date.
B. Lacunza, a South American Jesuit Priest, wrote in the 1700's a book about the subject. He used a pen name, Rabbi Ben Ezra.
C. In 1810, John A. Brown published an article in the Church of England's leading journal naming 1843 as the year.
D. A converted European Jew, Dr. Joseph Wolff, preached 1847 as the time in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East as far as India. In 1837, at the request of John Quincy Adams, he was invited to lecture in the Congress Hall. He also spoke in Philadelphia and New York.
E. Edward Irving, a great Presbyterian preacher, stirred England and Scotland with his sermons on 1847.
F. The most concentrated and fervent group of believers in the soon advent were in North America, where William Miller preached 1844 as the time. They numbered about 50,000.
11. Jesus gives the signs of His Second Coming in Matthew 24. In the parable which immediately follows, what happened when the virgins went out to meet the bridegroom? (Matthew 25:5) He tarried.
NOTE: Jesus didn't come in 1844. Is the bridegroom tarrying?
12. How should we live in this present world?
"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ …". (Titus 2:12,13)
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter 3:11-14)
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:35-38)
Jesus says, "Surely I come quickly."
John says, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Revelation 22:20
Jack D. Walker, 5353 Cane Ridge, #115, Antioch, TN, 37013, (615) 731-8795