Ralph Porter

© 2002 by Ralph Porter

All rights reserved

"Hey, mister! Ya’ got the time?"

"Excuse me Ma’am. Would you happen to know what time it is?"

Matthew 16:2-3: "You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night, sailors’ delight; red sky in the morning sailors’ take warning!’ You’re pretty good at reading weather signs in the sky, but you don’t understand the signs of the times!"

 

Do YOU know what time it is?

1 Chronicles 12:32: The men who joined David at Hebron in his struggle with Saul included men from the tribe of Issachar "who understood the times and who knew what Israel should do."

 

Do YOU know what time it is?

Ephesians 5:15-17: "Watch very carefully, then, how you live–not living like unwise people, but as wise–taking advantage of every moment–for these are evil times. Therefore, don’t YOU be foolish, but rather try to understand what the Lord wants you to do in times like these!"

 

People who know what time it is understand how we ought to live in these times!

    God commends people who know what time it is.

    It’s important for us to know what time it is!

    As a young person growing up in a solid, Bible teaching church, we became accustomed to our church prophecy conference every year. We enjoyed an annual evangelistic crusade, an annual missions conference, and an annual prophecy conference. It was a regular event in most Bible believing churches around the country. We would normally invite special speakers to come preach about what the Bible says about the future. It seems there was always a banner across the front of the auditorium containing an outline of future events to help us understand how all the parts go together.

    Those days seem to be gone forever. While the annual conference may have placed undue emphasis on prophetic themes, the absence of prophecy conferences and the failure of our churches to teach much concerning what the Bible has to say about the future has produced a generation that is ignorant of prophecy and that frequently responds to biblical teaching on the subject with cynicism.

    It is not uncommon to hear seminary students and young pastors respond to prophetic issues with an "I don’t know and I don’t care!" attitude. It’s important to recognize that God does know and God does care! It’s important to Him! God has spoken concerning the future in His Word. His people need to know what He’s said!

    While it is important for us to know what God has said concerning the future, the prophecy conference movement did elicit some dangerous trends:

1. Danger of seeking to satisfy our curiosity

    Some people get disproportionately excited about the study of prophecy. On occasion I have told people that I’m going to preach a series from the book of Daniel or the book of Revelation and watched their excitement level rise. People sometimes get an excited look in their eyes when we announce we’re going to study prophecy. The attitude seems to be similar to people who want to look in a crystal ball to see what the future holds for us. We hold in special esteem the gurus who can tell us what tomorrow will bring.

    That attitude misses the point of biblical prophecy entirely. Prophecy was never given to satisfy the curious. It wasn’t given so we could impress our friends with our predictions. Prophecy was given to assure God’s people that God is in charge of history. In the midst of uncertain times and world turmoil, we can rest in the confidence that God is still at work in the world to accomplish His purposes. Prophecy is recorded in Scripture to call God’s people to trust Him and to remain faithful to Him, however uncertain times may seem.

 

    A second danger of prophecy conference becomes evident when speakers begin to be more detailed and more specific than God has been. The Bible tells us many details concerning the future and we can trust Him to fulfill His Word exactly as promised. However, there is a tendency to relate what God has said to specific events in our day that God hasn’t specifically spoken about.

    When I speak concerning this problem, I feel like David when he said: "I once was young; but now am old!" I remember a conference nearly thirty years ago, sponsored by CAM at America’s Keswick conference grounds in Whiting, New Jersey. Dr. Charles Ryrie had been asked to be the Bible speaker, and I was asked to be the missions speaker. In one of the sessions, Dr. Ryrie chose to warn the participants about the danger of being more specific than God is concerning the future.

    He mentioned a number of speakers he had heard who made specific predictions concerning the future that didn’t come true and made them appear a bit foolish as time went on. Such prophecies have produced a generation of cynics who laugh at the whole idea that God has spoken concerning the future. What difference does it make, if we can’t figure out what He meant by what He said anyway?

    It’s frightening to think that I’m now older than Dr. Ryrie was when he issued that warning. In our generation the list of such prophecies has become much longer than any of us would have imagined in those days! I remember a seminary professor announcing shortly after the "Six Day War" in 1967 that since Israel was back in Jerusalem, the times of the Gentiles must be over; he didn’t expect to return for classes in the fall.

    A popular book on prophecy announced that the fig tree predicted in Matthew 24 began to blossom in 1948. Since the generation that saw it happen wouldn’t pass away before the Lord’s return, and a biblical generation is forty years, the rapture must occur sometime soon, around 1981. Another popular book provoked interest with the intriguing title: 88 Reasons the Lord Will Come in 1988. A sequel followed: 89 Reasons the Lord Will Come in 1989!

    Then of course who can forget the whole series of doom and gloom prophecies surrounding "Y2K!" Is it any wonder the world is becoming cynical?!! Could this be related to Peter’s warning that in the last days scoffers will come questioning that the Lord will really come to judge the world (2 Peter 3)?

    We must be careful not to be more specific than God has been in identifying the specific historical incidents He will use to accomplish His purposes and carry out His plan for the world! We want to be careful in this prophetic series to distinguish between God’s Word and our personal opinion on how some of those prophecies will be fulfilled.

 

    We must make a distinction between what God has said and popular, trendy, guesses of what to expect! It is dangerous to attempt to discover prophetic "insight" behind every event in modern history! We have come to hear what God has to say, not what Ralph Porter thinks about it! We’ll try to keep the distinction clear.

 

    In the coming weeks we want to consider together what the Bible has to say about tomorrow’s news. Current events have generated many questions about the significance of what’s happening in the world today. It seems that about every five years the cauldron begins to boil again and God’s people begin to ask, "What in the world’s going on?" The questions revive interest in looking into God’s Word to see what He has to say about our future.

    This week we want to address the central issue of the role of Israel in God’s plan. Israel is at the center of all of these events. What does the Bible have to say about Israel and their future? What does the Bible indicate about conflict going on in Israel today? How should WE react to it?

    ABRAHAMIC COVENANT Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:4-6

    These passages form the basis for the modern claim Israel makes to the land which continues to be in dispute. The land belongs to Israel because God gave it to them 4000 years ago, long before the Arab nations laid claim to it. God’s promises to Abraham were based on Abraham’s previous faith. They were not based on the future obedience of God’s people!

    God’s promises were never made contingent on the response of future generations! They were to belong to Israel forever–even after their rejection of Jesus! We saw in our study of Romans that Paul reaffirmed the promise in Romans 11:1, 2, 25-27. God hasn’t abandoned them. He will yet fulfill His promises to them.

 

MOSAIC COVENANT Ex. 19-20 (19:4-6)

    While God’s covenant with Abraham was unilateral and didn’t depend on Israel’s response for God to keep His Word, God gave additional revelation concerning that promise through Moses. Four hundred years after the initial promise was made Moses points out that God’s promises require obedience for blessing. Paul clarifies that it was impossible for God to go back on His Word, or change the covenant four hundred years later (Gal. 3:15-18).

    The promises and the land belong to Israel forever, no matter what they do, because God gave them to His people. However, Moses affirmed that if they want to experience God’s blessing in their lives and enjoy their inheritance, they must acknowledge Him and obey His revealed standards. The Abrahamic Covenant guarantees their ultimate obedience and the fulfillment of the conditions God requires so that He can bless them.

 

    The Mosaic Covenant is reiterated in Moses’ final sermon to the people of Israel, just before his death and their entry into the land. God describes how their obedience and disobedience will affect His plan for their future. The message communicated is so accurate that you can interpret the history of Israel on the basis of it! At any moment in history, from Moses’ day to the present, if you tell me how Israel is behaving, I can tell you what their political circumstances were like. Or, if you tell me what the political situation is like, I can tell you about their fellowship with God.

    The message begins by assuring them that if they will listen to God’s voice and obey His commands, He will pour out all kinds of blessing on them (28:1-14). On the other hand, if they refuse to listen to God’s voice, and disobey His commands, He will respond by sending all kinds of curses on them (28:15-68). The sermon concludes with an indication that Israel’s failure to obey didn’t surprise God. He tells them that when all this plan works itself out, and they find themselves scattered among the pagan nations–indicating where they would end up due to their disobedience–when they turn back to Him, God will restore them to their land and will bless them once again (30:1-6). Thus repentance will produce restoration of the blessings God promised to give to them.

 

 

    A quick overview of the history of Israel will demonstrate how this plan has worked out up to the present time:

leads to repentance and restoration (536-420 B.C.)

• Messiah's coming and rejection

• Destruction, persecution and dispersion (A.D. 70)

• Until 1948 Israel is out of the land, spread among the nations in a homeless state

As a result, no one thought they would ever repossess it!

• In 1948, as a result of United Nations action, the nation was reestablished in their land.

They were still a minor, oppressed country.

Opposition from the West Bank and Golan Heights left them under constant threat of attack

• In June, 1967, Israel took military action against their attackers in the "6 day war."

As a result, they took the West Bank, Gaza and Sinai.

Later they returned the Sinai peninsula to their "friends" in Egypt.

• Security by permission

They still only possess the land with permission and support from the U.S. and world community.

This is still far from the permanent possession which God promised to give them!

    Although Israel has returned to the promised land once again, they still have not fulfilled the conditions God established for blessing. They still haven’t repented. They still haven’t turned back to God. In fact, they have affirmed that they are their own Messiah. No one else is going to intervene and save them; they’re going to have to save themselves. Rather than trust God to deliver them, they are feeling pretty smug about the things they have been able to accomplish.

    Nevertheless, in spite of their failure to turn back to God, His promise to them is still true. It is still true, as it has been throughout their history that blessing Israel still brings blessing (Gen. 12:1-3); attacking Israel still results in attack. Numerous nations have tried to destroy Israel and have learned the hard way that it doesn’t pay: Assyria and Babylonia (Iraq), Persia, Greece, Rome, Germany, and others.

    It is also true that producing codependency brings judgment. Egypt demonstrated the reality of that risk. God wants His people to trust Him to deliver them. Nations that encourage Israel to turn away from their God and place their trust in them will also be judged. This may pose a greater risk to the United States than the risk of attacking God’s people (Ezek. 29:5-7; Is. 19:19-25; Jer. 46:26).

    God has predicted some specific steps in the process that will lead Israel toward the restoration of their land. The following steps present some things to watch for:

• Protective treaty made and broken Dan. 9:26-27

• Recognition of Messiah Zech. 12:10; Isa. 52:15 (52:13-53:12)

• Regathering of dispersed people Deut. 30

• Messiah returns Matt. 24:30-31

• Restoration under Messiah Rom. 11:25-27

 

    God has never reneged on His promise to give the land to Israel. Therefore His promise to restore them to the land again is still in effect. They will eventually reclaim the land. God promised to give it to them as a permanent possession. However, when He gives it to them it will be obvious that He is the One Who has drawn them back there and that He has given the land to them. It seems likely then that they are likely to lose control of this self-achieved possession of the land they presently enjoy previous to His work of restoration that is yet to come–by God’s hand!

    Similarly, while God has promised the rebuilding of the temple, there are some problems that make it unlikely to happen any time soon. The most obvious obstacle to the reconstruction of the temple is the present use of the site for Moslem worship; it is occupied by the "Al-Aqsa" Temple, more commonly known outside of Jerusalem as the "Dome of the Rock." This worship center is staunchly defended against Israel. Eventually the Dome of the Rock must come down! However, for Israel to take action to remove it under the current political situation would certainly provoke a strong Arab reaction and a negative reaction around the world. Thus it isn’t likely to happen anytime soon–though this is a personal opinion, not a biblical certainty.

    Eventually, however, God’s temple must be restored and that requires the removal of the Dome of the Rock. It is possible that Israel might not touch it until Christ comes. There will certainly be a new temple built at Messiah’s 2nd coming that will far surpass any temple that Israel has ever even imagined (Zech. 6:12-14; Ezek. 43:1-7).

    What should we watch for now as the next steps God is likely to take in restoring Israel to their place of blessing? The following steps will occur in God’s dealings with Israel. The rapture of the church could happen at any moment, without any necessary preceding signs. It could happen today, before any of these remaining steps take place. Regardless of when the rapture occurs, these steps must take place as God continues to deal with Israel.

    In the light of God’s promise to His people, and their present spiritual condition, how should the United States respond to Israel’s current situation? Our country has been blessed by God because of our acknowledgment of God and our recognition of His promise to Israel. He has promised to bless His people and to bless those who bless them. Genesis 12:3 is still true!

    While we should acknowledge God’s promises to His people and seek to treat them well, we should not defend their rebellious acts. We don’t want to encourage their self-confidence and rebellion! God won’t bless their independent, rebellious, self-confident spirit, and neither should we. Similarly we shouldn’t seek to defend unjust retaliation against innocent Palestinians.

    Although we should be careful not to excuse the inexcusable, neither should we turn against God's people. That response has never paid! On the opposite extreme, we shouldn’t attempt to motivate Israel to depend on us. Nations that have encouraged Israel to neglect God and try to live without Him have never prospered. We should avoid creating such a dependency also. Finally, we ought to pray for their repentance, so that God can bless them again!

    The final, and most important question for us to answer this morning is what we as individuals ought to do in the light of God’s plan. If we know what time it is, how should we then live? A number of biblical passages give instructions about how God’s people ought to live in times like these.

    The first and most basic instruction is a call to be alert. Keep your eyes on Israel–and on your local newspaper! (Matt. 24:42; 25:13). We need to be aware of what God is doing in the world so that we can properly prepare for the Lord’s coming. If we know what time it is, we will also want to be ready for His coming (Matt. 24:44; Luke 12:35-40). That call to faithful believers of Israel, should also impact our lives.

    Part of being alert and ready for our Lord’s coming is that we will purify ourselves (1 Jn. 3:1-3). We want to be faithful to Him and pure, even as God Himself is pure, so that we can enjoy fellowship with a pure and holy God now, and not be embarrassed before Him when He comes for His people.

    Another important response by those who know what time it is will be to proclaim Christ to people around us who don’t know Him. The time is short and our destiny is sure! f we really believe this, if we believe Christ’s coming is near, that should motivate us to let people know the truth about Jesus (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20)

    This past week was a difficult week for one of our sons-in-law. Several years ago I had the opportunity to lead Mark to the Lord, before he married Helen’s niece, one of our adopted kids. Mark came from a broken home. His dad abandoned them and the entire family was angry. No one would speak to their dad. The last couple of years, because of his walk with Christ, Mark reached out to his dad and their was a reconciliation between them.

    Mark began to pray for his dad and was planning to go see him in a couple of months in order to tell him about Christ, and what He had done for him. Before Mark could get there, he received word that his dad was in the hospital, dying with cancer. Mark called his dad to talk to him about Christ, but learned that his dad was in a coma. He never came out of it. It was too late!

    Mark never had the chance to tell his dad what Jesus had done for him. As far as we know, his dad died without Christ and will spend eternity in hell, separated from God. While Mark isn’t to blame for his father’s spiritual condition, nevertheless it’s true that he waited too long and will never have the chance to tell him about Jesus. What about the millions left when Jesus comes again? It may be too late for many! Do we care? What are WE going to do about it?