THE MYSTERY OF THE FUTURE
Last week we began our new study series, Marvelous Mysteries of the Bible, by
remembering that God is the Revealer of Mysteries. There are no difficulties,
on God's part, to revealing mysteries. He knows everything about everything
and he is actually quite willing to share his secrets with those who know him
and love him. The blockage is always from our end. I trust you've taken time
this week to decide that you will seek, search & pursue him. That way you are
very much in line for discovering amazing insight into his marvelous mysteries.
Today we're going to examine the Mystery of the Future. Will there be a war
with Iraq? Will there be a peaceable settlement in Israel and Palestine? Will
we be affected here in Egypt? Anyone interested?. The front cover of the July
Issue of Time Magazine says in big letters, "The Bible and the Apocolypse."
Even non-religious people want to know what is beyond the horizon. Charles
Kettering said, "My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest
of my life there." Prayer.
Some wit once remarked that prediction can be difficult - especially about the
future. But this difficulty doesn't seem to slow people down. There are many
who make predictions. From sports commentators to financial analysts, from
gurus to psychics, from mediums to mystics, we are bombarded daily with ideas
of what the future might hold. There is no question that some of these
predictions on various issues come true. For most that is reason enough to
follow their advice. But just because a horoscope or fortune cookie seems right
does not validate the vehicle. Even a broken clock is correct two times every
day. Have'nt you ever wondered why psychics need to advertise?
When it comes to the mystery of the future we've all got ideas and in this
inclusive, pluralistic world it seems that each idea and philosophy is granted
equal weight and validity. But let me ask you at the outset, who do you want to
trust with your future? If some bookie had a 30% track record of choosing the
winning horse would you bet a month's salary on the next race? If someone had
a 40% record for choosing the best stocks would you invest your life earnings?
If someone had a 50% chance of determining the outcome of the next election
would you throw your whole weight into the campaign? Fortune cookies and
messages from mystics may be sweet to the taste but they can't guarantee the
fulfillment of the prediction.
Today, we are not talking about prediction; we are going to examine Biblical
prophecy. In the Old Testament, in in our day, there were many giving
predictions and prophecies. The test, however, for knowing whether a prophet
was from God or not was that their track record in accuracy had to be… not
30% or 50%, not 60%, not even 90%. The passing grade for God's prophets
was 100% accuracy. Any thing less than that was considered spiritual fraud
and was punishable by death.
If that same standard were used today to judge the predictions and religious
prophecies that abound in everything from tabloids to holy books, it would
become relatively easy to relegate them to the trash bin.
Prophecy, according to the Bible, is a statement or discourse emanating from
God himself declaring his purposes, whether by reproof and admonition for the
wicked, or by comfort for the afflicted, or by revealing things hidden; especially
the foretelling of future events.
The Bible is loaded with future-telling prophecy. This historical reality sets the
Bible apart from all other religious writings and so called holy books. Sixteen
OT books and one NT book are entirely prophetic in character. Nearly one
fourth of the Bible was prophetic at the time it was written.
I.
THE VOCAL POINT OF PROPHECY - HISTORY
If we go back to the 2nd chapter of Daniel where we left off last week we will
see a great example of the vocal point of prophecy, which is the telling of
history before it happens. In many ways through various people God spoke his
story in advance. Listen as Daniel reveals King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
(Dan. 2:31-35)
"You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous,
dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of
pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of
iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching,
a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of
iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver
and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a
threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a
trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the
whole earth.
By itself the dream was just that, a strange dream. But look at how God used it
through his prophet to proclaim and reveal the future. (vs 36-45)
"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are
the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and
might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the
field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over
them all. You are that head of gold. "After you, another kingdom will rise,
inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole
earth.
Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron-- for iron breaks and
smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and
break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked
clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some
of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes
were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and
partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people
will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with
clay. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that
will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all
those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever. This
is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human
hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to
pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.
The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
We have the luxury of looking back over 2600 years since that prophecy was
given to see the precision of its fulfillment.
The golden days of
Nebuchadnezzar's empire came to an end as the silvery Medes and Persians
overtook Babylon around 538 BC. They ruled until 330 BC when they were
overpowered by Greece (represented by bronze in the dream). In 63 BC. the
Romans took over and ruled with iron-fisted might until they were amazingly
overcome by an empire like "a stone uncut by human hands." This is a clouded
reference to Christ's kingdom which is not of this world.
Here I quote from Ravi Zacharias' most recent book, "Light in the Shadow of
Jihad."
"For those who would dismiss this extensive prophecy as too general a
prediction, in chapter 8, Daniel becomes more specific as to how these empires
would fall apart. For example, in his prophecy concerning Greece he describes
a young ruler who would become a world conqueror and then would be
"suddenly cut off." His rule would be handed over to four different leaders who
would gradually blend into two empires and then finally merge into one.
Looking back upon history, we see that the life of Alexander the Great was
suddenly cut short, and that upon his death his kingdom was indeed divided
between four generals. From that era came the Ptolemaic and the Seleucid
empires, and then finally, Rome. All this makes for fascinating reading, and the
fact that Crhsit, "a stone uncut by human hands," changed the world in huge
proportions, must give us pause. Though He had no political aspirations… two
thousand years later we still date our calendars by Him. No nation or empire
has captured the conscience of humanity as Jesus has and continues to do….
Christ's rule was not a power framed by kingdom aspirations, but a plea to bring
the rule of God into the human heart." (p. 62,63)
Take a look around you this morning. There are people from around 50
countries here, most of whom are willingly ruled by one King Jesus, "the stone
uncut by human hands." And this was foretold 2600 years ago.
History is not an accident. History is not a meaningless, purposeless, time-pluschance accident. History is not a recycling bin where we keep coming back
until we finally become what we once were. History is His story. The eternal
God has a purpose for this world and the mystery of where it is all headed is
gladly revealed to those who want to know him. The mystery of history is
revealed within the word itself." History is His Story!
II.
THE FOCAL POINT OF PROPHECY - HIS GLORY
Although there are many specific prophecies throughout the Bible about
different nations, places, people, issues and items, the one prevailing, overriding
theme that is the focal point of it all is the glory of God developing his purposes
throughout human history.
Did you know that there are over 200 specific prophecies in the scripture
concerning the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. Peter Stoner selected just
eight of the OT prophecies concerning Jesus, applied the scientific principles of
probability to calculate the chances of that happening in one life and discovered
that the odds were 1 in 10 to 17th power. That's like covering the entire country
of Egypt with silver dollars to the height of 20 cm, marking one of them,
mixing them all up and asking a blindfolded child to grab the right one. And
that's just eight prophecies. If you take 48 prophecies the odds jump to 1 in 10
to 157th. Well there are over 200 prophecies about Christ.
Many of the prophecies were fulfilled in the first coming of Christ to the earth
2000 years ago. The rest of them point to a still future event, the second
coming of Christ to the earth. As Jesus was ascending to heaven from the
Mount of Olives an angel appeared to the disciples and said, "Men of Galilee,
why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been
taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him
go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
The entire Book of Revelation is a foretelling of things to come describing in
alarming detail the events preceding and following the second coming of Christ
and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.
In Matt. 24 Jesus' disciples asked him when these things would take place.
Jesus explained that they and we could not know the day or the hour but that we
could know the general time frame by examining certain clues. He then talked
about the progressive buildup of conflict in the world, earthquakes and famines
and persecution, as being like birth pains directly preceding the main event.
As you read or watch the news yesterday, today, tomorrow, you see these very
things unfolding with increasing intensity before our very eyes. Whether
geologically, politically, agriculturally, economically, spiritually, all the
elements are lining up as a great reception line for the entrance of the King and
Kings to this earth. If you want a detailed study of this you can order the
sermon tape I preached three years ago in the Q&A with Jesus series, "What
will be the sign of your coming?
In the coming weeks we will be opening up some of the mysteries of the future
foretold in the scripture. The simple but profound point I want to leave you
with today from the vast reservoir of Biblical prophecy is this: There is a focal
point to all that God has been foretelling: The eternal God has a purpose for
human history and that purpose will be fulfilled to his glory. His purpose will
prevail whether we believe it or not, whether we want it or not, whether we
cooperate with it or not. And in case you wonder about the reliability of these
things, God's 100% track record in the past is a pretty good indicator that he is
not about to be wrong in the future. Which leads us to…
III.
THE LOCAL POINT OF PROPHECY - YOUR STORY
By "local point" I do not mean the Middle East, or Egypt, or Cairo, or Maadi or
even our church. By "local point" I mean the space in your chair. What does
all this prophecy stuff mean for you and me? If you think there are no
implications you need an invitation to reality. Every human being has a basic
worldview, a big picture framework on which he or she hangs their
interpretation of life. James W. Sire in his excellent book, The Universe Next
Door, explains the different worldviews that shape our understanding of reality.
Whether it is Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism,
Eastern Pantheistic Monism, the New Age philosophy or Postmodernism,
everybody everywhere believes something about the basic elements of reality,
the essentials of the universe, how it got here, how we got here, why we are
here, where we are going, where the whole thing is headed. And what we
believe about these most basic presuppositions will determine the focus and the
quality of our lives both here and hereafter.
A powerful example of this is the life of Fredrich Neitze. He was the
philosopher who followed through on his "God is dead" pronouncement with
the conviction that everything is purposeless and meaningless. His ideas
continue to influence the world to this day even though following his beliefs to
their logical conclusion ended his own life in an insane asylum. Ernest
Hemmingway, the famous writer who bought into Neitze's philosophy ended
his no-limits-lifestyle by committing suicide.
There is a similarity to what happened to King Nebuchadnezzer. His twisted
worldview, in which he had himself positioned as the almighty, led him to
insanity. Seven years in the loonie bin, however, brought him a dose of reality.
Listen to his testimony in Daniel 4:34-37
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven, and
my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and
glorified him who lives for ever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his
kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and
the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What
have you done?" At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honour and
splendour were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and
nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater
than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of
heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those
who walk in pride he is able to humble.
I'm not suggesting that everyone without a biblical worldview is crazy. Not
everyone actually believes what they say they believe. There are many people,
for example, who profess to be Christians, but if you look at their lives it
becomes very apparent that they really don't believe what they say they believe.
Otherwise there would be significant changes in their life. Anyone, however,
who follows through on what they say they believe will be destined to eat the
fruits of their philosophy and theology, whether good or bad. That is why those
who personally know God, The Revealer of Mysteries, have such an advantage
for ultimate success.
If someone could tell you 100% for sure next weeks prices of all stocks on the
stock market, would that give you an advantage? Of course, and it's illegal; it's
called insider trading.
If you knew in advance that the person you're thinking of marrying will cheat
on you in 6 months, might that effect your decision to go through with the
wedding? If you knew for sure the offer to leave your present secure position
would yield you a huge career opportunity in 3 months, might you consider it?
If you knew that your mean boss was about to be fired would you reconsider
leaving? I could go on and on with possible scenarios. The bottom line is this.
The person who has trustworthy information about the future has a distinct
advantage in every realm of life.
I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future. And he has
declared the end from the beginning. God's people are not promised an easy
street in the end times. As a matter of fact there will be lots of persecution and
many martyrs as things heat up. Those who believe what I am proclaiming
today will be mocked as intellectual infants. But don't get lost in the middle
chapters of Revelation. Don't throw in the towel when, in the middle of the
game we appear to be losing. Turn to the end and see how it all wraps up. God
wins and we win with him!!!
In Revelation 22, the last chapter of the Bible Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming
soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he
has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the
right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are
the dogs, those who practise magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers,
the idolaters and everyone who loves and practises falsehood. I, Jesus, have
sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the
Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." The Spirit and the bride say,
"Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come;
and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. He who
testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. (Rev 22:1217,20,21)
Is your future still up for grabs. Is it still a huge question mark? Does it hover
over you like a black cloud? Can you face the future, come what may, with
absolute confidence and assurance?
Today Jesus Christ, the almighty and eternal God, invites you to put your little
life in his huge hands. He invites you to trust him with your future. He invites
you to partner with him in his unstoppable, victorious eternal purpose.
Cup your hands and imagine that all your future is in your hands. Your dreams
are there. So are your finances. Your travel plans and occupational goals.
Your family wishes and educational aspirations. It's all there. You've got it in
your hands. Is it secure? Is it unshakeable? Today I invite you to yield it all to
the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. If you
want your life to fall in line with the eternal purposes of God then willingly
yield it all to him.
Prayer. Lord Jesus, we give you only what you have given to us. Take our
lives, everything we are, everything we have and let us fit in with your divine
purpose. Reveal to us that which we need to know. Enable us to trust you with
the rest. For Jesus sake and glory we pray. Amen.