| Dr. Couch, what is the lie that people will believe in the end times? ANSWER: The word lie comes from the word pseudos, and can be translated lie, deceive, false. Surprisingly, the NT uses the word often with many verifications and combinations. One of the key passages where the word is used in found in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. There, it is used in the context of the tribulation when Satan seems to have complete control of the world and its philosophies. But it must be kept in mind that, while the passage is about the seven year tribulation, what is happening in that period really began some years before the rapture of the church. In other words, the world progressively moves into that horrible period, not just suddenly! Satan during the tribulation will be active "with all power and signs and false (lying) wonders" (v. 9). He will deceive the world "with all deception (trickery) of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved" (v. 10). Notice the open door for the satanic deception begins with the world's attitude of not loving the truth! The world does not desire the truth and has no love for it. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding (leading astray) spirit (influence) "so that they might believe what is false (a lie), in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (vv. 11-12). Now, what is the lie? The lie may include many things but it begins with a denial of God. Paul writes in Romans 1:25: The lost "exchanged the truth (about) God for a lie (for that which is false), and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator …" The creature is better translated as "That which is created," the physical. To worship humanity is part of this as well. What mankind can create and do is worshipped rather than the God who made man. Just recently many churches celebrated the birth of Charles Darwin. They consider him a great man and scientist. Darwin replaced "chance" with God, not just in his science, but in his theology. God is dead! The world today despises the truth, and rejects God. Therefore, it is becoming more and more humanistic and moving deeper into immorality. The world has said "There is no God" (Psa. 14:1). From that, men feel no compulsion to know the God of Scripture. Instead, they commit "abominable deeds; there is no one who does God." "They have turned aside; have become corrupt" (v. 3). This is why there is on its way, the wrath of God! In the future, in the Kingdom period, "salvation will come out of Zion (Israel)" (v. 7), when the Lord restores His captive people, (then) Jacob (Israel) will rejoice, Israel will be glad" (v. 7b). For the deceiver, the liar, "There is no fear of God before his eyes" (Psa. 36:1). TV shows us the direction the world is going. There is no turning back. We are into the apostasy. The rapture of the church is probably closer than we can imagine! Thanks for asking. Dr. Mal Couch |
Showing posts with label End Times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label End Times. Show all posts
Sunday, February 22, 2009
What Is the Lie in the End Times?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Psalm 83 and The End Times
| Dr. Couch, is Psalm 83 about the end times? It seems to be prophetic concerning the nations that are near her and who come against Israel in the latter days. What do you think? ANSWER: I agree. The psalmist Asaph pleads with God not to remain silent. "For behold, Your enemies make an uproar; and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They [will] make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire against Your treasured ones" (vv. 1-3). More, "They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more'" (v. 4). They have conspired "together with one mind; against You do they make a covenant" (v. 5). (Does this seem like today!) What adds to this view is the fact that the nations mentioned who despise Israel are the nations surrounding her and that are the closest to the Promised Land! "Edom and the Ishmaelites," Moab, Ammon, and the Amalekites. Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. But more, even the Assyrians, who today would be the peoples of Iraq and Iran! The way the text puts it, is that the "Assyrians also have joined with them" (v. 7). In other words, the people of Iraq and Iran have joined in a pact to come and help the nations who are closer to Israel to come and help destroy her! A hundred years ago or so, all the Arab peoples were called by the West, the "Ishmaelites." Today, the enemies of the Jewish people have all been mixed up together; they now are the descendants of the nations mentioned above. As with the Arabs today, they want what the Jews have. They want to take over the Promised Land, the Holy Land, as their own. They say, "Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God" (v. 12). But the Lord will have the last word. He is beseeched by the psalmist to "make them like the whirling dust; like chaff before the wind. Like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm" (vv. 13-15). While these peoples have an opportunity to turn to God, they more than likely will not. "They will be humbled and perish" (v. 17). They will then know that God's "name is the Lord, and that He is the Most High over all the earth" (v. 18). Unger believes also that Psalm 83 is a prophetic glimpse of Israel's future troubles and ultimate deliverance into the Messianic Kingdom, the Davidic reign of Christ. It is about the Wrath, the Tribulation, that will last seven years on earth. These nations will be chastened and finally destroyed, though some of the peoples will repent and be saved for the Kingdom. Unger further points out that there has never been recorded a coalition in the past such as mentioned here in these verses, so the Psalm waits for a future fulfillment. But Unger goes further and says that it is not impossible that this passage could be fulfilled just before the Tribulation, that is, even in our present time! He writes:
Probably its fulfillment will come in some pan-Arabic coalition and attack
on the Israeli State before the church is taken out, or at least before Daniel's seventieth week begins. (Commentary, pp. 866-67) Interestingly, some of the Rabbis of the past held that Edom was Rome, or the kingdom of Italy. Many have forgotten that about 150 years ago, all of Italy was the kingdom of the Pope. It was his own state, the Papal state. Then a civil war followed and the various kingdoms of the Italian peninsula broke away from the Vatican. That Edom is Rome is a minor view of some of the orthodox Rabbis. On the day of Edom's downfall, the Lord will make war against the nations. When He is victorious, there will come about the resurrection of the dead Old Testament saints in order that they may enter the Messianic Kingdom. Below is Rabbinical fiction, but it is very interesting: During this turmoil, the Jews will say to the Arabs, "The temple is ours. Take silver and gold and leave the temple." The Arabs will answer, "You have no right to the temple. Accept our sacrifice and we shall be one people. Accept our faith!" The Jews will answer, "We shall rather slay and be slain, but we shall not deny God!" The Messiah in the Tribulation will end this conflict; He will say "See the salvation of the Lord!" He will blow upon the Arabs with the breath of His mouth, and all of them will fall dead before Him. Thanks for asking. Dr. Mal Couch |
Saturday, June 2, 2007
What Specifically is Said About Israel in the End Times?
Dr. Couch, you seem to have a handle on future prophecy. What specifically is said about Israel in the end times?
Oh, my word! There are thousands of verses that speak of the
tribulation, the visible return of Christ, and the establishing of the
Millennial kingdom. But below I have put down just a few of some of the
interesting passages for you to look at.
During the tribulation the Lord will make “Jerusalem a cup that causes
reeling to all the peoples around” (Zech. 12:2). He will “make
Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be
severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered
against it” (v. 3). The Lord will be a strong “support for us [Israel at
that future prophetic time] ... through the Lord of hosts” (v. 5). The
Lord will save Judah to establish the glory of the house of David,
because the Messiah will be there as the Deliverer (v. 7).
God will continue to bring the offspring from afar, from the land of
their captivity among the world (Jer. 30:10). God will save Israel. He
“will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you.
Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly”
(v. 11). From verse 9 we understand that David and all the OT saints
will be resurrected to enjoy the kingdom. They will be resurrected for
the Messianic-Davidic-Kingdom (Matt. 8:11). Unger writes, “The Lord
tenderly reminded His people, Israel [not the church], that He was with
them in all their troubles to same a remnant of them (Jer. 1:8, 19).”
One of the most fascinating chapters on the future is found in Psalm
83. I have mentioned this chapter before on this website but it is worth
repeating. Unger even believes that this passage could come to pass
before the rapture of the church saints to glory, to escape the horrors
of the tribulation—the wrath of God!
The chapter points out that a group of nations surrounding Israel
conspire to make a covenant to come against Israel. They say “let us
wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no
more” (v. 4). In order to do this they make an agreement, a covenant.
This agreement is made between the peoples of Jordan, some of Lebanon,
and possibly Iran and Iraq (vv. 6-8). God will blow them away like chaff
in a dust storm (v. 13). But the irony is that this may cause some of
these peoples to “seek Your name, O Lord” (v. 16). The result will be
that “they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most
High over all the earth” (v. 18).
The reason Unger believes this could happen before the rapture of the
church is that there is nothing like what Psalm 83 is talking about in
any time in past history. And in passages dealing with the details of
the tribulation, there is nothing mentioned like this.
Unger writes about Psalm 83:
I feel sorry for the (false) Covenant, allegorical guys, who have no
answers for such great prophetic passages. We premillennialists are in
good company with those who hold to the literal and normal
interpretation of the great orthodox Jewish scholars.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
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