WAKE UP CHURCH!
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” – Romans 13:11
By Mike Wingfield
We are living in the days of Noah. For a moment, go back in time and imagine what it was like for Noah and his family when he was given the task of warning the people of God’s coming judgment. Noah warned of the coming global flood and he was ignored. I think about this very often. In Matthew 24:27-39, Jesus declared that His coming, and the subsequent horrific judgments that would come upon the world, would fall upon the inhabitants of earth as it did in the days of Noah. Up until the moment it started to rain, the people of Noah’s day were immersed in their daily routine, with no concept of what was coming upon them. The only people who were aware of what was about to happen were Noah and his family. In faith, they worked hard for 120 years in preparation for the very moment the rain would begin to fall in divine judgment, covering the entire earth and drowning everyone who would not be in the ark.
I believe that for the first few decades, the early church was passionate about the message of Jesus’ return. They believed the Lord would soon return and take them to heaven, just like He promised. (John 14:1-3) The hope of the Second Coming of Christ was the heartbeat of the infant church. It was the passion that compelled their evangelism and the discipleship of new believers. (2 Thessalonians 2:5) It was the motive for purity and godliness, as they anticipated that at any moment they would be in the presence of their holy Lord. (1 John 3:3)
Notice that one-third of the Apostle Paul’s Pastoral Epistles were answers to questions believers were asking as they anticipated the imminent return of their Lord. The Apostles did not rebuke these early believers for their passionate expectation of the return of their Lord. The words they recorded while being moved by the Holy Spirit always encouraged these believers to keep looking, watching, and waiting for their Lord. They viewed this fervent expectation of the Second Coming as being normal and essential to the godly lifestyle of a true believer.
However, when several decades had passed, and some of the early church believers began to lose their ardent expectation of the Lord’s return, the apostles rebuked and warned the church about the dangers associated with such an attitude and its accompanying lifestyle.
In Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica, written about 51 A.D., he reminded them that events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ would come upon the world “as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) The judgment of the Lord at the beginning of the Tribulation Period would come as a “sudden destruction … as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) While the world would be caught totally off guard, Paul reminded these believers that this should not happen to them. He said: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-9) Please notice that Paul contrasted the world and the church as those who were either not living or living under that light of divine revelation. Those who are believers in Jesus Christ should know the prophetic Word of God and not be caught off guard when the end comes. Those who are not focused upon God’s prophetic revelation are compared to those who are spiritually asleep or drunk, like the world. Obviously, this is a condition that should not exist within the fellowship of believers. In this context, Paul admonished the believers to rejoice in the promise that the church will not face the “wrath” of God (verse 9) in “the day of the Lord,” – the Tribulation Period. (verse 2) He exhorted the church to proclaim this message within the body to “comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.” (verse 11)
About five years later, 56 A.D., Paul wrote a letter to the church at Rome, in which he gave a similar plea: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12) With these words, Paul reminded the professing believers in the church at Rome that the Rapture could take place at any moment. His rebuke of their godless lifestyles and its connection to not looking for the coming of the Lord, seems to suggest that this was the core problem in the lives of these believers. This illustrates that the doctrine of the Second Coming, and its daily application in the life of the believer, was considered by the Apostles to be an essential truth.
It is shocking to realize that in most churches today there is a very subtle rejection of the doctrine of eschatology (the doctrine of last things). Most pastors avoid any mention of this subject. The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is treated as being meaningless, impractical, divisive, and confusing. I am convinced that if the apostles were to return and enter our churches on any given Sunday morning, they would be horrified by what they would see and hear. They would see almost no resemblance of the church they began almost 2,000 years ago. You might be saying, “But, that is what we should expect. This is the 21st century, not the first century.” It is true that our culture is different and our methodology has changed. However, the subject matter of our teaching and preaching (doctrine) must not change. Notice that in the days of the beginning of the church, it is reported that the believers in Jerusalem “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” (Acts 2:42) Almost four decades later, the early church was plagued with false teachers and those who were mocking the doctrine of the Second Coming. With this in mind, the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle Peter to write about this problem in his second epistle. He wrote: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” (2 Peter 3:1-2)
It is imperative that the church today realize we have been commanded to believe and proclaim the doctrine of the apostles. This is the essential body of truth that we call the New Testament. We are in grave danger when we attempt to ignore or alter any of God’s truth. Christianity is not about finding parts of the Scriptures that we like, while ignoring or rejecting other Biblical truths because they don’t fit our frame of reference, or make us feel uncomfortable. “All scripture” has been given to us so that we might know what to believe (doctrine), to be convicted, to be corrected, and to give practical instruction on how to live godly. (2 Timothy 3:16) The interpretation of the Bible is not subjective. It is not a matter of how we feel, or what we want, or who we are. “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy [Spirit].” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Truth never changes. The Bible is THE Word of God! It is the very declaration of the One and only holy God who knows all things and is the sovereign Ruler over His creation. God is infinite and perfect. He is not getting better or worse. He is not learning or being informed about anything. When we think about the essence of God and who He is, we must agree with the Bible when it says that God is immutable – He does not change! (Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6) Therefore, God’s truth never changes. Like Jesus, who is the Living Word, God’s written Word is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) God’s Word is perfect, and will endure forever. (Psalm 119:89, 160) “The word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room that the “Spirit of truth” would come and guide them “into all truth.” (John 16:13) When a believer is walking in the Spirit, he will allow the Holy Spirit to guide him into all truth. He will not resist the Spirit by avoiding certain passages or doctrines. How can he humble himself to the work of the Spirit while at the same time defiantly refusing to examine all truth? Please read Isaiah 55:6-11. We must be careful to not trust our human intellect or reasoning. We don’t think like God. The human mind, without the aid of the Holy Spirit, will consider the things of God “foolishness.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
I am greatly burdened that the vast majority of pastors and church members today are walking in spiritual darkness. They are purposely clueless concerning the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ, and the signs of the end of this age that are attached to it. As I mentioned before, the apostles exhorted the church to walk in the light of God’s revelation concerning the end-time events so frequently spelled out in the Word of God. While answering His disciples’ question about the end of this age, Jesus said: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) Jesus exhorted His disciples to know what the Scriptures say about the conditions that will be manifested in the last days. Then, He admonished them to be encouraged by these signs and realize this should produce a hope that the ultimate process of our redemption is getting much closer. This is exactly what the apostles and the early church did. They taught about this hope and lived it on a daily basis. We desperately need a revival in the church to recapture this essential doctrinal and the daily perspective it brings.
If our faith is only about the work of God in our lives at this time and on this earth, then we have missed the message of hope that is expressed in the ultimate goal of our salvation at the moment of our Lord’s return. In 1 Corinthian 15, the Apostle Paul wrote about the gospel, Christ’s death and resurrection, our resurrection and resurrection body, and the rapture of the church. In the context of these truths that are at the heart of the gospel and all truth in the Bible, he states: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) Our faith must focus upon our eternal hope in Christ. We, of all people, must not passionately anchor our lives in the past or present, but in the future. If our faith focuses only upon what Christ can do for us now, then we will be “most miserable.”
We are living at a most incredible hour! When the believer obeys the Lord by studying His prophetic Word and observes the conditions and events in our world at this present hour, it is evident that we should know that our Lord’s promised coming is very near. There needs to be a sense of urgency concerning the Lord’s work as never before.
You might be saying, “There is really nothing new developing in our world today. Therefore, the coming of the Lord could be hundreds of years from now.” If you are saying this, then you are living like the scoffers of the Second Coming in Peter’s day. These scoffers, Peter said, were “walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers feel asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4) This is the problem with those who make light of looking for the return of the Lord. They are only focused upon their own agenda. This was the problem of the people in Noah’s day (Matthew 24:38) and the religious bigots of Jesus’ day. (Matthew 24:1-3) A true follower of Jesus Christ will not be so focused upon his own personal agenda within the church, that he forgets the overall eternal plan of God. Too many are guilty of asking the Lord to join them in what they are doing, rather than joining the Lord in what He is doing! Biblical prophecy is the big picture of what He is doing. How can He be the Lord of your life if you are not interested in His eternal plan? God is passionate about His eternal plan. That is why 30 percent of the Bible is about the first and second comings of the Messiah. What He has purposed will come to pass! (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27)
I am deeply moved by what is taking place in our world today. Let me briefly share with you a few of the major developments that indicate the coming of our Lord is extremely near.
The Work of the Spirit of God in the Middle East
When one examines the history of the Middle East, it is very evident that it has been enveloped in spiritual darkness for many centuries. However, there are many astonishing testimonies of the work of the Spirit bringing Jews and Muslims in the Middle East to salvation in Jesus Christ. This is an incredible sign that the Church Age is coming to a close and the Lord is about to come for His church.
In Romans 11:25, the Apostle Paul declared that spiritual blindness among the Jewish people would persist “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” The reference to the completion of God’s unique work and focus upon the Gentiles is a reference to the Lord’s work through the body of Christ, the church. According to the Bible, the church was born at the Jewish feast of Pentecost in Acts 2, and will suddenly end with the Rapture of the church to heaven. After the church has been caught up to be with the Lord, the most dramatic spiritual awakening among any people of all times will take place in Israel. Shortly after the Rapture, the Lord will send two Jewish witnesses, probably Moses and Elijah, to proclaim His truth during the first half of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 11:1-6) At the same time, probably due to the ministry of the two witnesses, 144,000 young Jewish men will be saved and trained in Jerusalem to become evangelists to reach the world with the gospel during the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5) This combined ministry will have a major spiritual impact in Israel among its Jewish inhabitants (Joel 2:28-32), and in all nations. (Revelation 7:9-17) Millions will probably be saved in Israel in a very short period of time.
The Holy Spirit is working in Israel today. More Israelis are coming to Christ than ever before. The Messianic congregations in Israel are having a significant impact. A recent survey in Israel indicates that the majority of Israelis want to have a greater understanding of the Bible. The son of the prime minister of Israel is conducting a Bible study in the home of the prime minister, inviting the political leadership to join them.
In 2006, a very well-known rabbi at the age of 108 in Israel, Yitzhak Kaduri, told his son that the Messiah had visited him in a vision. He told his son that upon his death, he was to guard a concealed note upon which he had written the name of the Messiah. After his death, one year later, the note declared that Yeshua, the Hebrew form of Jesus, was the Messiah. This caused great debate in Israel. But, according to some of my friends who live in Israel, this has initiated the process for some to come to Christ for salvation.
The Spirit of God is doing a mighty work in Israel. This is a very powerful sign that the spiritual awakening that will happen at the beginning of the Tribulation Period is just around the corner.
It is quite amazing to note that the work of the Spirit in the Tribulation Period will also focus upon the Arab Muslim nations that surround Israel (Isaiah 60:6-14), especially Egypt and northern Iraq. (Isaiah 19:19-25). It is astonishing to hear the stories of hundreds of thousands of Muslims coming to Christ in the Middle East. I recently met with a dear Egyptian brother who lives in Cairo, home to 17 million people. He shared with me how thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ in Cairo, causing hundreds of house churches to spring up throughout the city. He shared with me how these new believers are hungry for the Word of God. “Probably in the last 10 years, more Muslims have come to faith in Christ than in the last 15 centuries of Islam,” said Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia director for e3 Partners, a Texas-based missions agency.
God’s work among the Egyptians during the Tribulation Period will be so great that Isaiah 19:21 says, “And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day…” The current unusual work of the Holy Spirit in Egypt tells us the Tribulation Period is not far away.
The Global Hatred for Jews and Christians
It is very apparent that the hatred for Jews and Christians is escalating around the world. Jews are being attacked and killed throughout Europe. Christians are being brutally murdered throughout the Middle East. Reports of Christians being decapitated are occurring almost daily.
Those of us who have been studying the prophetic Word of God know that the Tribulation Period will be a horrific time for those who confess Jesus to be their Savior. The world of the Antichrist will declare war upon the followers of Jesus. (Revelation 13:7) Believers from all nations will be killed. (Revelation 7:9-14) They will be beheaded (Revelation 20:4) in the name of the religion of the Antichrist. (Revelation 13:15; 17:6) The killing of believers will be one of the marks of the opening months of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 6:9-11) Therefore, it is very easy for us to believe the world is now ready for the Rapture and the horrific Tribulation Period that will follow.
Many Jewish agencies are reporting that the immense hatred directed toward Jews has reached a very dangerous level, comparing it to 1938. Jews from Ukraine, France, and Great Britain are immigrating to Israel this year because they are afraid to remain in countries where their families have lived for hundreds of years. A seething hatred for Israel is being perpetrated around the world. Much, but not all of this, is being promoted by Islamic elements that have had a history of anti-Semitism since the beginning of Islam 14 centuries ago. Media, political, and religious elements have twisted facts to make Israel in particular, and Jews in general, the focus of lies to promote sheer hatred. They want to use this hatred to fuel the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people.
Once again, this is exactly what the prophetic Scriptures declare will unfold during the Tribulation Period. The Antichrist will force a deceptive peace treaty upon Israel, in effect, triggering the Tribulation Period. (Daniel 9:27) However, at the mid-point of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and attack the Jewish people with a hateful venom (Revelation 12:13-17) that will ultimately cause him to openly declare war on them, leading to Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16) This attack against the Jewish people during this time of hate and war will lead to the death of two-thirds of the world’s Jewish population. (Zechariah 13:8-9) With a very heavy heart of love for God’s people, it is extremely difficult for us to fathom that a time of death for the Jewish people will surpass the efforts of the Christ haters during World War II, who murdered one-half of the world’s Jewish population during the Holocaust.
In light of this, it is very easy for us to see the momentum building toward this time of great global hatred for Israel and the Jewish people. It is another very powerful sign that the end is in sight.
The Formation of the Gog and Magog
Coalition in Ezekiel 38-39
More than 3,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel wrote about an invasion of Israel in the last days. In this prophecy, he named the principle nations that would make up this coalition of invading nations. They are Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan. (Ezekiel 38:2-6) They will invade Israel because they are against the Jewish nation and want to plunder the riches in the land. I have written about this in many previous newsletters. However, the formation of this coalition and the conditions in Israel seem to be at the exact point mentioned in the prophetic text. The levels of hatred in Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan for Israel is reaching a fever pitch. The Russian economy, due to the fall in global oil prices and economic sanctions imposed by the West, is on the verge of collapse. The Russian Bear is poised to go to war to reclaim its self-deluded supremacy.
The Appearance of ISIS (Islamic State) in Iraq
The relative sudden appearance of a global militant Islamic force in Iraq, ISIS, is alarmingly similar to what will take place during the Tribulation Period. The forces of the Islamic Antichrist will set up his headquarters in Iraq, being called “the king of Babylon [Iraq].” (Isaiah 14:4) He will declare war on believers in Jesus (Revelation 13:7), decapitating those who reject him. (Revelation 20:4) He will begin the Tribulation Period with the aim of bringing global destruction and death so that he can seize power and rule the world. (Revelation 6:1-8) These are the exact stated goals of the Islamic State.