The Jews and Jerusalem...The End?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:25-26)

This is the second in a series on whether the End is near. Last week I gave my own "State of the Union" observations in Is This The End? It was the most difficult blog I ever wrote, and I ended up getting pretty sick...maybe the anxiety, I don't know. Anyway, I want to shift gears and discuss eschatology proper (study of end times). Specifically, as per the text above, I want to ask whether the predictions regarding the Jews and the End times have been fulfilled.

We have to be careful for what I call the "Red Sky Syndrome", which Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for. At night and in the morning they could look at the sky and give a fairly accurate prediction for that days weather. However, when it came to something infinitely more significant,  they missed all the prophetic signs which pointed to Him as their Jewish Messiah. Similarly, Jesus and the apostles gave us specific signs we should look for as indicators of His Second Coming. In agreement with the consensus of church history, I personally do not distinguish between the Rapture and the Second Coming. Why are we caught up in the air then?  As when ancients went out of the  the city gates of Rome to escort their victors home (back into the city) in celebration, I believe that God wants ALL of His children who will reign with Him to meet Him enroute to His final triumph. If you disagree (and most of you probably do), then that is cool. The Second Coming of Jesus is the visible return when all enemies will be vanquished!

Are we in the Last Days--yes and maybe. Since the First Coming of Jesus we have been in the Last Days, but if we mean the time right before the Second Coming, then I THINK we may be. Jesus and the apostles tell us to not miss the signs of His imminent return. Vigilance and diligence, is what we are called to. If we look at the list of sins that will be prevalent, then we can't help but note that they have been pervasive in every generation. So, my thinking is that there will be--due in part to advanced technology--an INTENSIFICATION of these sins, as we discussed last time.

It is noteworthy that the bloodiest century from a military perspective was the twentieth century And unprecedented natural disasters have occurred..I mentioned last week that abortion on demand is the most wicked and depraved activity ever practiced in the history of humanity.That most Christians have a dismissive attitude toward this monstrous evil is another factor that I think is significant. A blinding or moral paralysis seems to have descended upon us...a spirit of deception.

The sign I want to focus on is the prediction of a revival amongst the Jews prior to Jesus' return. In the text above in Romans 11:,25-26.This text has been hotly contested regarding it's interpretation, but I think the meaning is patently clear. Paul does distinguish between Gentiles and ethnic Israel/Jews. The glory of the "mystery" that Paul is revealing is that "All Israel will be saved" prior to Jesus return.The term "all Israel" does not mean each and every Jew alive will be converted. For example, after the Super Bowl it was said, "All Seattle was in the streets celebrating." That clearly does not mean each and every person living in Seattle.....just a whole lot of them. That is the sense of what the text in Rom.11 means--a mighty revival will occur within the Jewish community. Where though? Just in Israel or worldwide?.It would seem the latter makes more sense.

Is that happening? And what of the Jews retaining control of Jerusalem for the first time since 70 AD? There is no doubt that God is saving Jews today in a marvelous way. However, I personally do not see the kind of conversion indicated in Rom 11. Again, this does not refer to EVERY living Jew being saved, but a mighty work. I did some research on this topic, and I must confess that I don't see it....not.yet. And I may be wrong! There is no doubt that more Jews are coming to Christ these days, but the reality is that the vast majority of ethnic Jews are still unbelievers. Or am I wrong?

Some point to the at least partial control of Jerusalem in 1967 as significant. Surely it is since that is the first time that has occurred since 70  AD.. However, upon reflection, I do not know how this bears testimony to any end times predictions. Surely, it has no bearing on their conversion we spoke of. I know that many, since the influence of dispensationalism, have envisioned a literal  Temple with animal sacrifices.And the taking of Jerusalem would be step in that direction. But I find odious the notion that converted Jews would even want to sacrifice animals in light of Christ's work on the cross. It seems contrary to all the book of Hebrews discusses at length.This is taking us far afield into debates regarding the Millennium and so on. Suffice it to say that I personally envision a more comprehensive work of revival and salvation within the Jewish community before this sign is fulfilled. But honestly, I dunno....

Let us end this section as Paul did, as he contemplated the future conversion of the Jews...."For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?" For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:34-36)

The Second Coming And The Rapture Explained

Hello my para beauties. I hope everyone has had a fabulous week and enjoying the start of 2014. Wow, it's hard to even type 2014. It seems so surreal and how did it get here so fast? It's kind of scary. I just turned 40 and not a happy camper!! Lol. Where do the years go?

The reason I was led to write about this is because I think A lot of people get these two events mixed up and I'd like to help if I can to make them more clear. They are completely two different type of events. With very different meanings. There are a number of contradictory views regarding the Rapture. Many theologians believe that a time will come when the believers will be taken to heaven. However, many denominations of Christianity do not accept this doctrine. According to the Christian eschatology, this event will take place just before the Second Coming of Christ, where all the Christians will 'catch up' or be 'carried off' to heaven. This event is considered to be a mid-air gathering of people to commune with Jesus, just before He Comes.

The Rapture...It's hope, it's what many of us look forward to. In this awful world filled with so many disappointments, people suffering from severe depression and oppression. Not to mention the sorrow many of us live with in silent. But we hold onto the day the Rapture when all believers are taken away from all this wickedness, pain and suffering from this world. So many of us (like me) can't wait for the Rapture so I can say goodbye to this awful cruel world we now live in which is just getting worse each night I hear the news. Have you payed attention to not just your local but Country and world news? If you haven't it is so very disturbing, it's beyond out of control. Our government can't be trusted. I don't trust either side. This is just my humble opinion.


The "Pretribulation" Rapture as some have been calling it, "The Bible describes two separate and distinct future events, both of which are often described as the Second Coming. The first event is what Bible scholars call the Rapture. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the apostle Paul writes that "the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." In this passage, Paul is describing an event in which Jesus Christ will not physically, literally touch down on the earth but will first come "in the clouds" and snatch away His true followers from the earth in an instant of time. Those who have not chosen to follow Christ, those who have not been "born again," will remain behind on the earth and will have to go through a terrible time of wars, famines, natural disasters, and divine judgments known as the Tribulation.


The second event occurs at the end of the Tribulation. This is when the Bible teaches that Jesus will physically, literally return to earth, destroy His enemies, and set up His own righteous government based in Jerusalem. He will reign on earth for one thousand years. In Revelation 19:11--20:6, the apostle John writes, "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. . . . He will rule [the nations]. . . . And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he threw him into the abyss. . . . And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.


A Few Bible References:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Gleanings from Jonathan Edwards on the Soul's Experience in Heaven

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

In October of 1747, at the age of 30 years old, David Brainerd, who was the son-in-law of Jonathan Edwards, died. He was known as an exceptionally godly man, loving pastor, and very fruitful missionary to the Native Americans. Last night I read Edwards funeral sermon for this occassion, and I was so moved by it that I wanted to share some of the main points of his message. Edward's is arguably the most intellectually gifted man ever born in this land, and certainly one of the most godly and annointed of God.

This had to be at least a two hour sermon and was packed with biblical content--alas, I will not be able to quote most of the verses due to space. His text was 2 Cor.5:8..."We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." In this section Paul is explaining why he was able to press on with such boldness and immovable steadfastness while suffering such relentless opposition and torment. Answer: the glories that await us in heaven the moment we die (as with Brainerd)--if we are in union with Jesus Christ--far outweigh the momentary afflictions of this life. Principally, "the souls of true saints, when they leave their bodies at death, go to be with Christ." (Vol.2, pg 27) The sweetness begins as he explains what that entails.

The believer is instantaneously perfected or glorified as they enter the "third heaven" and are in the presence of the glorified human nature of Christ. He piles up biblical references supporting our conscious existence in heaven. In addition, we are reminded of two states of Christ's church--the church militant (still fighting the good fight), and the church triumphant (resting from their labors)--our mutual union with Christ unites all believers of all ages.

"The souls of true saints, when they leave their bodies at death, go to be with Christ, to dwell in the immediate, full, and constant view of Him." (pg. 28) Though we see through a glass dimly here, in heaven the beatific vision ravishes the soul with pleasures and joy unspeakable. The spirits of just men made perfect (Heb.12:22-24) Jesus Himself spoke of His longing that we would share with Him the exceedingly wondrous glory, joy, and beauty in heaven (John 17:24) The infinite beauty of the Lord Jesus will elicit unending pleasures in us which the greatest pleasures on earth were but dim glimpses.

Please remember all this occurs immediately after death, and is only magnified once we attain our glorified bodies (after Second Coming). The impediments of indwelling sin, temptations, and our frail bodies all tended to dwindle vital communion with Christ here, but upon death our union with Christ will burst forth in full flower.

At conversion we are espoused to Christ, but when we enter heaven's palace, the fullness off marriage intimacy begins. The tenderness, closeness, and sweetness of our constant interaction with Jesus is the essence of heaven. Christ shall be "unbosomed" to us and His infinite endearment shall sweep our affections into ravishing pleasure and joy. "Thus they shall eat and drink abundantly, and swim in the ocean of love, and be eternally swallowed up on the infinitely bright, and infinitely mild and sweet, beams of divine love; eternally receiving that light, eternally full of it, and eternally encompassed round with it, and everlastingly reflecting it back again to its fountain." (pg.29) So close are we to Jesus that we partake with Him in His own enjoyment of the Father--which infinitely magnifies our joys and privileges. The Trinitarian delight and eruptions of sheer joy, are shared with us. The angels shall marvel at us and we shall rule over them.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..." (Heb. 12:1) The church triumphant observes (with no sorrow) their brothers-in-arms still on earth.We (deceased believers) participate in Christ's current reign over the church and the universe."The saints, when they ascend to heaven, and are made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places, and are partakers of  His exaltation,are exalted to reign with Him." (pg.30) As kings and priests we reign with Christ over heaven. and earth, and its all inhabitants--visible and invisible. Our hearts and minds are in perfect union/agreement with Jesus and we truly sit in dominion with Him over all. The text above from Hebrews clearly is speaking of departed saints  (hall of fame in ch. 11 symbolizing all believers) observing the welfare of the church militant...partaking with Christ  in the joy of the advancement of gospel and kingdom of God.

(It is Edward's observations on the CURRENT reign of deceased believers that I found so edifying and glorious)

"The happiness of the saints in heaven consists very much in beholding the glory of God appearing in the work of redemption..." (pg.30). Departed saints have a vantage point which allows them to see the working together of all things, how Satan is baffled and overthrown, and what seems confusing to us they see the excellencies of divine wisdom. It is because of the intimacy of our union with the Lord Jesus that we shall be privy to the divine plan, which angels long to look into. Listen to these words..."The saints in heaven (are now) as much participating with Christ in reigning over the nations, and in the glory of His dominion"...as we shall after the Second Coming. The departed saints are kings and queens over all creation, as we are co-heirs with Christ. Which is why when Jesus appears to slaughter the anti-Christ, we are by His side (Rev. 19:14)

Of course the highest joy of heaven will be our praise and worship of our Creator and Redeemer.The praise itself shall be of excellent sweetness and ravishing to the soul. Whatever dullness of heart we have in worship here shall be transcended in heaven, and the corporate nature of the praise shall only magnify it's pleasurablness. In Heb.2 we see Jesus as the choirmaster leading His Bride in worship of the Father.

In speaking directly of his dear son-in-law, Edwards states...

"...how infinitely greater the privilege of being with Christ in heaven, where He sits on the right hand of God, as the King and God of angels, and of the whole universe, shining forth as the great light, the bright sun of that world of glory; there to dwell in the full, constant, and everlasting view of His beauty and brightness; there most freely and intimately to converse with Him, and fully to enjoy His love,as his friends and spouse; there to have fellowship with Him in the infinite pleasure and joy He (Christ) has in the enjoyment of His Father! How transcendent the privilege there to sit with Him on his throne, to reign with Him in the possession of all things, and to partake with Him in the joy and glory of His victory over His enemies, and the advancement of His kingdom in the world, and to join with Him in joyful songs of praise to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God, for ever and ever! Is not such a privilege worth seeking after?" 

Worldviews ... Different Ways of Seeing

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

In my last very long blog, I asked if you would try to watch a TV show/movie or read a novel through a biblical worldview...knowing that it is best to just start doing it as a means of grasping what a biblical worldview is. Anyway, it is possible to have a ton of biblical knowledge but not have a biblical worldview. All that knowledge is not brought together in a coherent system of thought. I was turned on to thinking worldviewishly in 1974 when I was 18 years old and a new Christian, and have been enormously blessed by 40 years of consciously viewing all of reality through biblical spectacles.

We live in times when discernment is of paramount importance, and thinking with a biblical worldview equips us to think with maximum discernment. The more closely our thinking follows this worldview, the more we will see reality as it really is. Unbelievers reject the biblical Creator and replace Him with idols (Rom. 1:18ff)--which entails creating a dream world--the more a person moves away from a biblical worldview the more they will be distorting reality AS IT REALLY IS. That is the sheer wonderment and beauty of thinking this way, is that it enables us to view God's world the same way He does.

If you look through pink glasses you will see a pink world, if you look through blue tinted spectacles then reality will appear bluish, but if you view the world through the spectacles of a biblical worldview, then you will see God's world as God sees His world (obviously not exactly as He does because He is infinite, but truly nevertheless) Fundamentally, the Word of God is all about application to our lives, and thinking worldviewshly enables one to apply the bible in an extraordinarily rich and comprehensive way.

Everyone has a worldview, including those who say they have no worldview! However, for most folks it is held unconsciously, but it is still having a profound effect upon how they think, act, and feel.

How do folks acquire their worldview? It is a process over a period of time--where their views of God, the universe, and our relation to both--are formed. Some of the contributors to worldview formation are: how we were raised, our experiences, our schooling, books we have read and movies we have watched, and just being in the world--being exposed to all messages that bombard us all day and night. The result is usually a mishmash of various beliefs.

Okay, so this does not become like a chapter in a book, as in last time, let me shift gears and just do it! (Nike would be proud...hehe) I mentioned that I had recently read "Adam and Eve" by Sena Jeter Naslund. I will basically review/analyze the book by sifting it through a biblical worldview grid. And we do that by asking how the book answers the seven components of a worldview...this is to teach you by practice HOW to do this kind of thinking.

First, just a few words of introduction to the book...Thom Bergmann, a world renowned astrophysicist, is married to Lucy Bergmann, an art therapist. Lucy was born into an evangelical family, but her parent left her with grand mom when she was a mere ten years  old in order to be missionaries to Japan. She felt betrayed and abandoned and she turned against the faith of her parents. Hence, there is an overt, hostile attitude toward biblical Christianity. Theirs is a lovely marriage...true devotion. He has been researching for other life forms "out there" and one day Thom shares with Lucy that he has found conclusive evidence of alien life in deep space. Along with this earth-shaking discovery, another one occurs as an archaeologist finds evidence that Moses was not the author of Genesis. Both finds are seen by them as victories over the dangers of moronic religious "literalism" (read, bible believing). Thom dies in a suspicious accident and Lucy becomes the literal bearer of the evidence of both of these discoveries. What follows is gripping plot which was thoroughly entertaining, and as one reviewer put it, Naslund writes "lush and luminous" prose. As I put the book down after finishing it, I said to myself, "Wow, that book will significantly shape of the worldviews of those who read it." As a best-selling author, I am sure of it...Time for a quick analysis.

1.What is God or ultimate reality like? Instead of an infinite/personal Creator, who is revealed in Scripture and supremely in Jesus Christ, Lucy tends to see God as ineffable. As I mentioned last time, she and her husband had a distaste for the arrogance of claiming we "have access to the mind of God." Sadly, the result is that He then becomes totally unknowable. In the end, she embraces some form of energy as ultimate reality. In that regard, and many others, this is a thoroughly modern novel.

2.What is our purpose in life? The Great Commandment---loving God with all of our being--is supposed to be our main priority. However, without access to the mind of God via His revelation to us, then we have no way of deciphering what our purpose is. Lucy, who is the narrator in the book, seems to assume that relationships with other people are our purpose. While hers is more noble than many, still it is idolatrous--as I read I could not help but feel like she was lost in more ways than one.

3.What is the nature of reality? There are two types of reality in biblical worldview--the Creator and His creation-- the latter including the visible and invisible. In Lucy's mind, energy plus time plus chance, has produced only one form of reality...the "creation"...but again, energy is the prime component of reality.

4.Where is history going? Biblically, history is His-story, the unfolding of the drama of redemption in space and time...it is moving meaningfully toward the The Second Coming. According to this novel, there is no meta-narrative (big story) to history. Earth is not the palace of the Great King, but space and time are mere products of the evolutionary forces of energy. History is going nowhere.

5.What is the basis for right and wrong...how do we determine morality? God's unchanging character and His revelation to us, forms the foundation for Christian ethics. Lucy has imbibed long and deeply from the post-modernist well of deconstructionism...words and morals can be defined according to our own interpretation. Lucy proceeds to affirm the beauty of love as the guiding principle for her life choices.. Right and wrong are subjective and relative, and they are human constructs. Without the law of God to define love, then she/we are left to our devices to what love looks like in each situation (a form of situation ethics).

6.What is the essence of being human? We have enormous dignity and worth which is extrinsic in nature. Only God has intrinsic worth and He made us in His image, and assigned immense value to us....we are God's highest creation! However, in a sense, the main point of the book is that we are nothing but the products of energy, plus time, plus chance. In one place Lucy mentions that all of us are damaged, which mirrors a biblical view of the fallenness of all reality, which much modern "happy preaching" ignores. The two discoveries (alien life and non-Mosaic authorship of Genesis) herald that man is NOT special after all. And she finds this liberating....but she can only feel that way by being inconsistent with her presuppositions.

7.What happens to us after we die? Scripture teaches that after death, we are immediately ushered into our eternal destinies, after judgment. When contemplating the death of her beloved, she is agnostic regarding where his consciousness is, but oddly optimistic anyway.

I would say that her worldview is generally that of optimistic humanism, which is irrational. Why? According to this view, the cosmos has a meaningless beginning, and an equally meaningless end, but somehow between these two poles of meaninglessness, she imbues deep meaning into the present moment! That, my friends, is an irrational leap of faith.Compare this with the more realistic assessment of life without God in Ecclesiastes.--"vanity of vanities..." The atheistic existentialists Sartre and Camus were brilliant in their sensitive portrayal of the meaninglessness of modern man.

I read this book with a notebook at hand, with the seven components written down...consciously searching for an explicit or implicit message relating to each worldview component. When I saw one, I made note of it...page number and so on. Please consider doing something similar this week....homework! I need to add that when I read or watch a movie, I do so on two levels: on the one hand, I read/view simply for enjoyment, but simultaneously, on the other hand, sifting the unfolding sequences and verbiage through the grid of a biblical worldview. It makes the experience all the more rich and stimulating...and I believe, glorifying to the Lord.                                

Paranormal Headlines -- Sunday, October 21, 2012

By Kirby Robinson

Here are a few paranormal headlines that caught my eye and should give you something to think about.

The status of our forthcoming book, "Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State's 'I Am Six' Case" is going through final edits. It should be out before Halloween.

Seeking justice for victims of the Salem Witch Trials

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57527042/relative-fighting-to-get-conn-to-clear-witches/

Voodoo is alive and well in New York City

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213796/Shannon-Taggart-Machetes-trances-wild-dances-Fascinating-photos-shed-light-VOODOO-rituals.html

If the Second Coming has already taken place, no one told me

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/6418/christian_media_battle_over_controversial_figure/

Psychics can talk to the dead until a scientist walks into the room

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2012/oct/16/psychics-prove-powers-scientific-test?newsfeed=true

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

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