Day 20

The Future End Times

Vs. Christ’s Finished Work

Roger and Eileen Himes

www.ThePracticalGospel.com

We have such a FUTURISTIC way of thinking about us that we tend to see the FUTURE in everything we read. Just before his ascension, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:9). They never understood him when he said his kingdom was not of this world, but that it was IN them. They still sought a physical, earthly kingdom to rule in. We ask the same thing: “Lord, when will you return and set up your Millennial kingdom on earth?”

We are both like modern Jews, and ancient Jews. Most of us don’t understand our Lord’s words: his kingdom is not of this world, and it is IN us. We still look for a physical earthly kingdom for us to rule in. The mindset of ancient Jews and modern believers is the same!

The purpose of today is not to totally change your thinking about end times. Instead, it is show how scripture is DUALISTIC, which means it can be read in more than one way. In other words, the same words can mean different things. When we see with gospel eyes, we see everything differently. As Paul says, “ALL things become new.”

As an example, let’s look at Daniel — ‘the granddaddy of all end time prophecy.’ Daniel sets the stage for everything. It puts the FUTURE into focus, with his ‘70 weeks.’ Commentators say ’the 70th week’ is still FUTURE, and thus hasn’t happened yet. Is this really true, or is it just Satan’s means to keep our eyes off the FINISHED work of Christ?

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

GOSPEL TRUTH #39

We’re so brainwashed into thinking all prophecy is about the future, but is it really? Jesus says all the Old Testament prophets were fulfilled in him (Luke 24:25-27). He didn’t say they WOULD be fulfilled in him, in the future, but that they WERE fulfilled in him. His focus was on his cross. The book of Daniel can be talking about the first coming of Christ (the finished work of the cross), as it can be talking about the future (the second coming of Christ) — as is repeatedly preached.

The difference is vital to gospel life. The gospel is cross focused. The cross is small and blurry if we only see it in the rearview mirror — driving off into the future looking for Christ’s second coming.

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

Let’s look at the two main parts of Daniel that end time gurus constantly refer to as describing the end times: Daniel 12, and four verses in Daniel 9. We’ll start with Daniel 12, and then close with Daniel 9. I don’t have space to quote the verses. Be sure to read them in your Bible.

Daniel 12:1. This ‘time of trouble’ is like people have never seen before, but it says they will be ‘delivered.’ End time gurus says this refers to the Antichrist making war on the earth for 3 1/2 years, but then Jesus will return and will deliver us. But the cross of Calvary, the crucifixion of God’s Son, was a time of trouble like the world had never seen, or will see again. And the cross delivered us from sin, death, the law, the curse, and everything else. This CAN be talking about the cross.

Daniel 12:2. This says many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken. End time believers say this is talking about the rapture of the church, before the end times. But this is exactly what happened at Calvary — at Christ’s crucifixion. Matthew 27:52-53 says graves opened and dead people came out, walked around, and were seen by many.

Daniel 12:3. This verse says ‘the wise will shine as lights, and turn many to righteousness.’ End time enthusiasts say this refers to the Jews who become believers during the tribulation — evangelists who turn people to God. But Jesus says WE are the light of the world, and the righteousness of God himself (II Cor 5:21). This verse CAN describe the mystery of the gospel of the cross: ours is the ministry of righteousness now (II Cor 3:9). The gospel is ‘the wisdom of God,’ and it only comes to us by revelation of Christ’s finished work. God’s power is in the revelation of our righteousness (Rom 1:16-17). Our job is to proclaim this (Mat 24:14). If we don’t share this gospel light and truth, then angels will (Rev 14:6).

Daniel 12:4. Here, Daniel is told to seal up his book until ‘the time of the end.’ At that time it will be understood. Again, we’re told this means when Jesus returns, sometime in the future. But there is an ‘a time of the end’ that has ALREADY occurred: Calvary. Hebrews 9:26 (KJV) says, “Now once in the end of the world, has Jesus appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.’ When was ‘the end of the world,’ according to this verse? It occurred 2,000 years ago on the cross. This verse goes on to say ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.’ This CAN describe all the end time teaching — DISAGREEING with each other. As Paul says, they are ‘ever learning but never able to come into the knowledge of the truth’ (II Tim 3:7). This is because they are not founded in GOSPEL truth!

Daniel 12:5-6. This passage really needs some space to develop that I don’t have in these six pages, so I can only raise the ISSUE and let you think about it. The question here is, “How long shall the FULFILLMENT of these WONDERS be?” End time commentators say the ‘wonder’ is the Antichrist, and what he does in the future. But the true ‘wonder’ is Christ, not some pretender to the throne. The wonder is all prophecy was fulfilled on the cross. End Timers can’t believe this today. Satan blinds their minds to the truth.

If something is fulfilled, it means it is completed, done and finished. This is what Jesus said from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). End Time folk tells us this fulfillment means when the end times begins to toll — when Daniel’s 70th week comes into reality. But this is NOT what the word ‘fulfillment’ means. The word does not mean how long it is before something STARTS, but how long before everything is FINISHED.

We’re told this question is, “How long will it be before the end times begin?” But this is NOT the question! The question is, “How long will it take for the wonders to be completed once they begin?” Is the ‘wonder’ the future second coming of Christ — or the finished work of his cross?

It’s crucial to understand the QUESTION, because the ANSWER is given in the very next verse. If you don’t understand the question, then you CAN’T understand the answer. If you think the question is about the future, then the answer must also be about the future. But is the question really about the future?

Daniel 12:7. Now we see why understanding the above question is so important. The answer is 3 1/2 years (time, times and half a time). We are told this describes the ANTICHRIST’S reign. But remember, CHRIST’S ministry was also 3 1/2 years. BOTH events were future to Daniel.

FULFILLMENT is about something being FINISHED, not the ‘starting gun’ for some event, as we are told by end time gurus. It says that at the end of these 3 1/2 years, ‘all these things shall be FINISHED.’ Jesus said, “It is finished.” Is this really talking about some future event of Antichrist, or about the finished work of the cross of our Lord, 2,000 years ago?

Daniel 12:8. Daniel says he heard what the angel said to him but he did not understand it all. So he asked again: “What shall be the end of these things.” Daniel was very gifted in prophecy, and he didn’t understand. How much more is this true of us?

Daniel 12:9-10. The angel tells Daniel that he cannot understand because these things are ‘closed’ until the time of the end. We are told this means until ‘the end time clock’ starts ticking, and Daniel’s 70th week begins. But we’ve already seen that Hebrews 9:26 says from a spiritual perspective (not a natural one) the ‘end times’ has occurred. “It is finished.” Even the calendar was changed, measuring time from the time of Jesus’ earthly life and death. Verse 10 is also descriptive of the CROSS. It says many shall be purified, made white, and refined. This is what Jesus did on the cross: he put away sin, which purifies and refines us, makes us white as snow, as Isaiah says.

Daniel 12:11. Here it says that from the time the sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation occurs, there is 1,290 days. This is 3 1/2 years, the same time we discussed before, but stated differently. All the end time gurus say this is the time of the Antichrist. But it can also be the time of the CHRIST. John the Baptist said, “Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Here is when the sacrifice was taken away — during the life of Jesus. This has nothing to do with any rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. And ask yourself this: what could more of ‘an abomination of desolation’ — than the murder of God? Anything any so-called Antichrist might do in some supposed rebuilt temple wouldn’t even rate honorable mention.

Daniel 12:12. This verse defies commentary by most end time gurus. Others have theories that are all over the map, most of which require 10 divinity degrees to begin to understand. In light of the cross, and the ascension of Christ, this verse is very simple!

The verse talks of 1,335 days. The last verse talks about 1,290 days. The difference is 45 days. Now, let’s look at this in Acts 1 and 2, which are the final days of Jesus on earth. Acts 1:3 says Jesus talked to people for 40 days after his resurrection. Acts 2:1 describes Pentecost, which is 50 days after his resurrection. Acts 1:9 is right in the middle: the ASCENSION of Christ. What greater blessing could there be, as this verse says, than to witness this event? The murder of God becomes the greatest blessing to those who see the godhead reunited in heaven!

Daniel 9:24-27. Again, all I have space for here is to raise the issue and let you think about it. These verses contain the greatest mystery in all of scripture — what about the end? (The end times may NOT the question. If you don’t know the question, you can’t see the answer). We are told this describes the ‘missing week of Daniel’ — the 70th week. The other 69 weeks (483 years) have all been accounted for. Thousands of books describe this from a future perspective! What about the cross?

Again, we lawyers are big on the real ISSUE of things. If you miss the ISSUE, you lose! This was the case with the question we saw about ‘how long until the fulfillment of these wonders?’ This is also the case here. If we think the answer we are looking for is FUTURE, it is impossible to see the FINISHED work of the cross of Christ. Thousands of books say: the answer is future, and the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel for 3 1/2 years, and then he’ll break it. This takes all focus OFF Christ’s cross. Is Satan blinding our minds to the gospel of Christ’s finished work?

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

GOSPEL TRUTH #40

Here’s the issue: WHO confirms the covenant? Is it the Antichrist in his contact with the Jews, or is it the Apostle Paul for Christian? This can be seen to be Paul for the Christians, as well as any Antichrist.

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

Paul’s Damascus Road experience occurred 6 months after the cross. Galatians says he then spent 3 years in the desert receiving revelation of the gospel from God. This is 3 1/2 years! Paul tells us himself, that he was appointed to CONFIRM THE GOSPEL (Phil 1:7). NOTE: He uses the exact same WORD that Daniel uses! And have no doubt: the gospel is the revelation of ‘the better New Covenant’ that Paul received from God.

The ministry of Jesus was 3 1/2 years. He didn’t confirm the covenant because Daniel says he was ‘cut off,’ which means crucified. Are the next 3 1/2 years still future? Or were they concluded 2,000 years ago when the New Testament canon was completed? — ‘It is finished!’ Were these 3 1/2 years completed by Paul as he confirmed the covenant to us, — as he declared the finished work of the cross? I leave you with the question.

If this has any credence, all that Jesus has to do when he returns is to gather up his people, and throw Satan into the lake of fire. If this is true, most end time things we hear are fantasy — ‘A Spiritual Disneyland.’