Most people who are familiar with the prophecies about the end of time will recognize the certainty of extreme catastrophic events before the end of the present age.  The Bible uses three pictures to help us navigate the tumult of the final events: sealed scrolls opened (social dysfunctions and catastrophic events unfold), bowls of rage poured out (catastrophic upheavals unfold ), trumpets blown (catastrophic events unfold).  The unprecedented nature of the three series has led to the word apocalypse being treated as simply destructive, but the word still means unveiling or revelation.  
The Revelation is about Jesus and it is from Jesus.  So it would be sensible to hear what he has to say about the time of the end (TTOTE).
His disciples had taken a good look at the temple complex buildings and were in wonder as to how beautiful things were and shared their amazement with him.

He did observe the temple complex and remarked (Matthew 24:22b) Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. 

Then privately the disciples (Matt. 24:3) wanted the schedule, asking, “when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” In answer to those questions, our Lord predicted a series of national and international events and this forecast.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. Matthew 24:21

History and Christ’s story

Who can sit and listen to the fascinating  preview of history, those mindboggling scenes in the Book of Revelation or the Book of Daniel and not be totally amazed as a child listening to a story told by a great storyteller would be?  Christ has a story to tell.  Assuredly, his infancy, flight from assassination attempt attempts, ministry to the people, opposition to his destiny, death, burial and resurrection are all vital to his narrative, but it is not all about him.  His story includes our tenuous grip on life.  Persecution and the list of birthpangs should sober us up.  His story is the one that covers history with accuracy and authority.  Everything happens exactly as he said it would and and when he says it will happen.
So as we are watching earthquakes, famines, pestilence, deception and international wars and rumours of war increase in frequency and intensity we are encouraged that that our priest-king is moving to the finale of history.

Attitudes for Troublesome Times 

Avoid the ignorant and deceived. Stop being afraid and stop being troubled.  Troubled people are not conducive to growth and security.  According to the Lord’s forecast, neither we nor our abcesturs have seen anything yet.  Troubles need not trouble us. Terrifying scenarios need not terrify us. The disturbing things need not disturb us.  Criticism need not make us critical (being condemned does not mean we should walk around slamming the gavel on everyone).  
Remember, it is just when that unprecedented crisis arrives that deliverance comes. 

At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 12:1

I am planning to be around to see our sun go supernova, which in the realm of the natural is millions of years away and a spectacle of immense proportions.  The reliability of Bible prophecy needs no help from natural science.  My faith says, “God is our refuge”.

When you read this song the impression is that God

– forgets his own

– hides his face

– leaves his own to their own counsel and sorrow

– allows his own to be humiliated 
That is so until you get past the song’s plea for an answer and vindication (vs. 3 and 4). This also looks like a protest.  Surely, David had loads of trouble but he seems to turn like a magnet to the pole.  
 “Let me sing”, he sings.  Despite what I just said about Israel’s God I need to confess God’s interaction with me.  Abundance covers my life: good and bad. so let me sing.
Psalms 13:6

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. 

Sin is the enemy we share and we meet at the cross.  The good and the bad are not poor drivers.  Neither are they accidents. Events are vehicles driven for God’s design. Saving grace however is not something thought up and executed.  It is a divine eternal glory made visible.  Something so devastatingly perfect deserves elevated attention.  So if we are going to trace sin back to Adam and all badness back to the consequences of his sin we should also recognize that the only treatment for sin is lamb’s blood.  If we are going to trace sin back to Satan and all badness back to the consequences of his fall we should acknowledge that angels get no salvation. We probably want, right about here, to declare how special the human race is, and make sense of the difference between servants and family in the  divine scheme.  

A Complete Salvation

The unprecedented nature of Christ’s priesthood means that expectations are also out of the box or through the roof (Heb. 7:17-24)

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.  Hebrews 7:25

Servants and Sons

A certain attitude of debt has dominated  Christian thinking and led to catastrophe of the dead-while-alive kind.  People who are always working to prove they are worthy of God’s gifts proudly own this mindset.  Who would have thought that recognizing God’s gift would not lead to the recognition that we can never pay?

Owners and Winners

Another attitude of gain has captivated  Christian minds and offers victory over everything, including the very things we need to grow: the get-your-needs-met-and-call-it-godliness disaster. 

2 Peter 2:15

Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 

The means of salvation is not the way of getting.  It remains the ultimate message about friendliness and giving.

These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.  Jude 16

The deliverance and healing service providers trafficking in both fake and quasi miracles are the perpetuators of this Balaam doctrine and lifestyle.
God is not interested in our record of wins.  If there was a human anywhere who could by any means save the world then God’s provision of a saviour is pointless and useless. Who is the  hopeless liar: God or me?  

God does not need any help with saving humanity.  Imagine how individuals and various groups would be lining up for Emmys and seats of authority in the kingdom.  What credit could there possibly be to us?  He saves completely because we were completely lost.  

Finally, the salvation is so complete that after transferring us from the kingdom of darkness, after leading us out of corruption, after forgiving our sins, after giving us His name, and in addition to a shield against sinning (and it is not the law) he gives us a down payment on what’s to come.  Is God now waiting for us to keep every commandment? Do we know them all: food, drink, festivals, offerings, family life, secular sconventions and sacred assemblies?  How about justice, mercy and faithfulness?  
Do you still think that Christ leaves the final disposition of his salvation up to us?  Surely you may want to get credit for saving yourself but do you really want to insult God and everyone who knows you with that lie?

The annual cycle of hot air near the West  African coast turning into destructive cyclones is, far from being an opportunity for God to strike at evil, a testament to divine wisdom and power and care.  What can we say about the people who live in tornado alley or those who live near volcanoes?  Are those lives and property affected the subjects of divine judgment? Are not the rains the rescuing lifeblood of some places?  

It is typical for God to escalate his chastening.  You know! The spankings get more severe.  Judgment, on the other hand, comes after many admonitions and arrives without warning.  This was one function of ancient prophets and righteous men.  If God does not allow our lives to be interrupted we stagnate and we make idols of our accomplishments.  I know of no prophet who actually picked Houston, Barbuda, St Maarten, St. John and Dominica as objects of divine wrath.  Zero.

Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, Bandeh Acheh and Port Royal? All life swept away as in those places is more like judgment than the misery of being homeless and facing the loss of property.   Lives lost in any fashion is painful and all passing of life is a matter of concern to God.  We are convinced that the passing of believing souls is precious to God.  So let’s leave the judgment to God (see the 7 Bowls of Anger in Revelation 15:1 and all of chapter 16)  and know for certain that no place on the planet is ever not benefiting from God’s kindness and generosity.  

May it be that the hurricane season reminds of the seismic activities –  colonialism, the slave trade, the grand American experiment –  that brought the western hemisphere under scrutiny and assured judgment and rouses the spirit of repentance.  We cannot keep saying nice things about ourselves and be credible witnesses of our times.  Even so, every turning point presents opportunities for the living.

There are people who are entrusted with the truth but they don’t speak it.  Many people have turned their backs on their roots and shut the door.  There are people who are afraid of death and failure as they rejoice in their power to kill.  They are like the bird who is afraid to fly, the fish who is afraid of swimming, when they know full well that broken vessels leak and that actions are the best evidence of our condition. The victim of that mindset is alternately on or off deathrow.

Curiously, the deathrow junkie is also a globally recognized oppressor of widows and orphans, the denier of the rights women and children, and foreigners. He claims to have the keys to greater stuff.  There’s little permanence in his priorities.  His goal is to look good because there is nothing in his program or propaganda that leads to any open achievement of spiritual importance.

The deathrow junkie is the guy who claims the title “just” while embracing the undisputed champion of condemnation. In the current era men are desperately trying to be anything that seems easy.  They grasp at gains and privilege even at the cost of becoming the worst kind of hypocrite, daily dead by 0900 hours, after fantasizing at 0600 hours that they are alive and belong to the human race.  It’s absolutely necessary for us to be divorced from tribal and cultural traditions that victimize us with on again and off again standards and conditions.  If  our behaviour decides our identity and we are flipping between sinner and saint, our middle name must be “deathrow junkie”

There are phrases which the readers of the Bible should not miss.  The usual phrases that one should not miss are the ones that begin “Jesus said”, “Jesus answered”, “the Lord said”,  and “it is written” and so on.  Beyond these are the phrases that indicate the framework of the writer’s intention or his main assumptions.  These include “after  …”, “Having…”, “Having been…”, “When he had…” and so on.  Many of these types of phrases or clauses are secondary and should not occupy our attention or centrestage when it is time to interpret the text.  If they do then we who know these facts need to step up and shine a light on risky Bible interpretations or be found to be accomplices in the practice of majoring in minors.

Let’s begin with some examples from Matthew chapter 5, the first two verses.

(1) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: (2) And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

The six verbs are marked in italics and boldface.  The ones in italics are secondary because they are not in the required form which is used to make direct assumptions about the subject.  Non-indicative forms are contextual information for the writer’s main assumptions (which are found in the indicative form).

The three main actions are

• Yeshua went up a hill
• His disciples approached him
• He taught them

The other actions describe less precise or peripheral realities.  “Seeing the crowd” sets the stage for Yeshua’s ascent. “Taking a seat” sets the stage for the disciples’ approach, and “opening his mouth” set the scene for HE TAUGHT THEM.

The strongest possible interpretation of these two verses rests on the foundation of these three actions:  he goes up, the disciples approach, and he teaches them.

More Minors and Majors

Another massive example shows how this dynamic can be be missed and lead to poor focus and ultimately unhealthy interpretations.

Ephesians 1:3-15 is a single sentence.  Yes, one very long sentence, coloured with:

• In whom
• Having done so and so
• According to/as
• To whom
• With which

These types of expansions contain a clause or several c. 4lllklauses in which there are both stated  contextual information for the main impossible to accurately discover the primary from the secondary without Greek grammar. There are likely 20 verbs present.

Another example of major consequence is the way we pray.  The text of Matthew 6:5-9 contains a single indicative, in the clause “as we forgive”.  There are no 1st person verbs, no 1st person pronouns,  which absence shiw AOS to the basedbce if husvdi i Jesus when he brree BV the. Bbh