Jesus is Returning!

by Jeff Curtis

The “battle of Armageddon”, “The Rapture”, The “Thousand Year Reign of Christ on earth”

As many hear the end of time, they hear about…

The Battle of Armageddon. The final battle depicted in Revelation is a spiritual one, not a physical conflict. The enemies of Christ have no power against Him. They cannot be victorious against Christ and His mighty angels (Rev. 19). The word “Armageddon” has become a name like “Waterloo” and
Pearl Harbor,” representing far more than a place. “Armageddon” is associated with the final and ultimate overthrow of evil; but in Revelation it represents the overthrow of the great persecutor of the church in the first century, the Roman Empire.

The Rapture. As for the rapture of the church, nothing in the Bible is like what the premillennialists describe. In 1Thessalonians 4:14-16, Paul was giving to the Christians in Thessalonica who feared that their loved ones would miss the Lord’s return. Theses souls would not be forgotten, but would be raised with imperishable bodies to meet the Lord in the air.

The Thousand Year Reign. What about the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth? Notice what the passage from Revelation 20:4-6 does not say. It does not mention Christ’s reigning on earth, on the throne of David, or in Jerusalem; and it does not tell when His reign was to begin or end. It is describing the reign of the martyrs who died in the Roman persecution of the church; “They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4). Where is this taking place? In heaven (Rev. 20:1).

The end of the world is coming, but “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt. 24:36). Christ will return “like a thief” (2Peter 3:10). When He returns in the clouds of heaven (He will never set foot on earth again), this world will be completely destroyed (2Peter 3:10-12). These events will happen one day. The important thing for us is to “keep watching and praying” (Matt.26:41) and be ready for the Lord to come.

What does the Bible say about a physical battle of Armageddon, the rapture, and the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth? The answer is “NOTHING!” The Bible does mention a battle at Armageddon, but it not like the one described by the would-be prophets (Rev. 16:16; 19:11-21). People will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven – but this is not a rapturing of the church before some “great tribulation” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18). The idea pf an earthly thousand-year reign by Christ is based on an incorrect interpretation of Revelation 20:4-6.

Lessons From Manna

by Jeff Curtis

One of the most significant events in Israel’s wilderness experience happened in Exodus 16. The Israelites ran out of food, and God provided manna. The story presents several lessons for us to learn.

1. Remember God’s blessings (16:1-3). The people “grumbled” (v.2); the KJV

says they “murmured,” and the NRSV has “complained.” They did this eight times in this context (16:2,7,8,9,12). This was neither the first or the last time that God’s people complained; they were, in fact constantly complaining. They had a genuine need, but it was wrong for them to complain. Why did they complain? They were forgetful, ungrateful, and lacking faith. They forgot that they had been in bondage and had cried to God. (Egypt had not seemed so attractive back then!) They were ungrateful for what God had done for them. They also lacked faith: They failed to appreciate the fact that a God who was able to part the sea so they could walk through on dry ground could also provide them with food in a barre wilderness. They grumbled against Moses and Aaron, but their complaint was really against God (16:7,8).

      Let’s learn to complain less.

2. Trust God’s Provisions (16:4-16). God met Israel’s need. He provided

manna in the morning and meat (quail) at night. He helped Israel, in spite of these complaining, faithless, forgetful, ungrateful people did not deserve to be helped. One reason He provided the manna was to help Israel learn that “man does not live by bread alone…but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3).

     Let’s learn that God graciously meets our needs, even when we don’t deserve His blessings.

3. Obey God’s Commands (16:16-36). Though God provided the manna, the

people had to take advantage of God’s gracious provision. They had to gather the manna according to His command in order to have food for each day.

     God gave specific commands regarding how the manna was to be gathered. The Israelites were to gather a certain amount each day, twice as much on the sixth day, and nothing on the seventh day, The Sabbath day was to be a day of rest. This instruction tested their industry, their faith, and their loyalty. Would they perform this daily task? Would they trust God to give enough on the sixth day to sustain them on the seventh day? Would they obey God exactly? Some did not. Those who did not follow God’s directions were not blessed.

     Let us learn that we also must take action to receive God’s gift. If we are to be blessed by God’s provisions, we must follow His directions.

Phoebe - A Servant of the Church

by Jesse A. Flowers

“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also” (Romans 16:1-2).

A sister, a servant, a saint, and a helper. Paul’s description of Phoebe is quite impressive. Obviously, she was a remarkable woman of God. She was a child of God, for she was a sister in Christ, having obeyed the gospel. She was lowly in spirit, for she was a servant, making her great in the kingdom. She was a saint, indicating her life of holiness and separation from sin. She was a helper of many, implying she was a diligent worker for the Lord and His cause.

May we all strive to possess such a spiritual resume. It may not impress the world or be viewed as marks of success. But that’s okay, for we are not striving to please men, but God. So, be a spiritual Phoebe! If you are a Christian, a servant, a saint, and a helper of many… you will be in a saved condition, you will be great in the eyes of Jesus, you will be a bright shining light in a world of darkness, and you will build up the Lord’s people and the work of the Lord.