Bill's Blogabout: From the Lighthouse BlogCOMPARISON: “New Spirituality” Leaders Reject and Ridicule the Second Coming of the Lord VERSUS Bible Prophecies Standing in Stark Contrast

From the Lighthouse BlogCOMPARISON: “New Spirituality” Leaders Reject and Ridicule the Second Coming of the Lord VERSUS Bible Prophecies Standing in Stark Contrast

COMPARISON: “New Spirituality” Leaders Reject and Ridicule the Second Coming of the Lord VERSUS Bible Prophecies Standing in Stark Contrast

December 22nd, 2012 |

Author: Lighthouse Trails Editors

Many people feared that the world would come to an end on December 21, 2012 because of Mayan calendar “prophecies.” Many New Agers believed that the 21st would be significant in seeing a global wide spiritual epiphany. In the midst of all this, there is the issue of the return of Jesus Christ. What do New Spirituality “ leaders have to say about the end-times and the return of Jesus Christ versus what does the Bible have to say? There is a vast difference in the two. The Bible tells us that in the last days men will be scoff and scorn the idea of Jesus Christ returning. Former New Age follower, Warren B. Smith, had this to say:

Coming out of New Age teachings, I had learned in a very personal way that the details of Jesus’ return are definitely our business. Understanding the events surrounding His return was critical to understanding how badly I had been deceived by my New Age teachings. I had learned from reading the Bible that there is a false Christ on the horizon and that for a number of years I had unknowingly been one of his followers. Because the Bible’s clear authoritative teachings about the real Jesus and His true return had been brought to my attention, I was able to see how deceived I was. By understanding that there is a false Christ trying to counterfeit the true Christ’s return, I was able to renounce the false Christ I had been following and commit my life to the true Jesus Christ. (from Deceived on Purpose, p. 147)

The Bible states: “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.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-6) Of that verse, research analyst, Ray Yungen, states:

Paul is saying the end of the age will come upon the world like a thief in the night. In other words, it will actually sneak up on people. Then interestingly, the apostle contrasts two groups: “But ye, brethren [followers of Christ] are not in darkness [people of ignorance], that that day should overtake you as a thief. [unaware]” (v.4). Here, Paul is saying believers in Christ will have the information (Scripture) available to them to prepare for “that day.”
Those who walk in the light can see both where they are going and what is coming up ahead. Paul then warns against spiritual slumber and drunkenness, which could lead to a person being overtaken by that day, unaware: “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (v. 6). The word sober means be alert or aware. If we are instructed to watch and be aware, there must be something to watch for—otherwise, Paul’s admonition would be useless. (from A Time of Departing, pp. 111-112)

And now, let’s look at the comparisons. First, the emergent progressives:

Mark Driscoll – The Rapture is Dumb: “One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God he actually chose to come into our fallen, sick, twisted, unjust, evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us. Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out.” (Vintage Jesus, p. 44).

Below is a clip from Joe Schimmel’s new DVD, The Submerging Church: How the emerging church is drawing multitudes away from biblical Christianity. This clip talks about Mark Driscoll’s position against end-time believing Christians.

Rick Warren – The details of Jesus’ return are none of our business – “When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. He wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. He said in essence, “The details of my return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission I have given you. Focus on that!” (PDL, p. 285)

Rick Warren – Don’t think about Bible prophecy: “Rick Warren tells readers to think about something other than Bible prophecy: ‘If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy.’ . . . ”Warren ends this section of his book by stating that Satan would have you ‘sidetracked from your mission’ and by quoting Jesus out of context, saying, ‘Anyone who lets himself be distracted [by studying Bible prophecy] from the work I plan for him is not fit for the kingdom of God’ (Living Bible). But Jesus was not referring to His return when He made that statement, which in the King James Version says: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:62). The Purpose Driven kingdom of God leaves no room for Bible prophecy, and in fact, condemns those who study it.” (Roger Oakland quoting Rick Warren in Faith Undone (pp. 154-157) from The Purpose Driven Life (pp. 285-286).

Tony Campolo – End-time Christians cause of world’s woes: “Tony Campolo says that Christians who ‘make a big thing of their claim that we are now living in the final stage of church history prior to the second coming of Christ’ have been the cause of ‘extremely detrimental’ consequences. They ‘discount the Sermon on the Mount,’ they don’t care about the needy, and they have had such a negative ‘impact on geopolitics,’ which Campolo says ‘can lead only to war.’ Basically, according to Campolo they are the reason the world is in such a mess, and they are holding back progress of a more emerging spirituality. (Faith Undone, p. 160, quoting Campolo,Speaking My Mind, pp. 209-217).

Brian McLaren – Don’t take the Book of Revelation serious: “Since Jewish apocalyptic was a popular genre in Jesus’ day, we would expect him to be influenced by it and use its language and metaphors.… against the backdrop of Jewish apocalyptic, we discover that phrases that sound like they’re about the destruction of the world—like “the moon will turn to blood” or “the stars will fall from the sky”—are actually rather typical stock phrases in Jewish apocalyptic. They are no more to be taken literally than phrases we might read in the paper today.” (McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus, pp. 177-178; for a more detailed account of McLaren’s views on end time Bible prophecies, read chapter 9 of Faith Undone by Roger Oakland.)

Occultist Alice Bailey -No interest in Heaven or Hell: ”It is time that the church woke up to its true mission, which is to materialize the kingdom of God on earth, today, here and now…. People are no longer interested in a possible heavenly state or a probable hell. They need to learn that the kingdom is here, and must express itself on earth … The way into that kingdom is the way that Christ trod. It involves the sacrifice of the personal self for the good of the world, and the service of humanity …(Occultist, Alice Bailey)

Robert Schuller and C.P. Wagner – Don’t let eschatology stifle you: Robert Schuller’s advice to young church leaders would seem to apply to new apostolic Christians: “Don’t let eschatology stifle your long-term thinking.” (C. P. Wagner, quoted in False Christ Coming: Does Anybody Care?

Barbara Marx Hubbard – Brink of destruction or humanity participating in evolution to godliness: “Here we are, now poised either on the brink of destruction greater than the world has ever seen —a destruction which will cripple planet Earth forever and release only the few to go on—or on the threshold of global co-creation wherein each person on Earth will be attracted to participate in his or her own evolution to godliness.” (Hubbard, The Revelation, p. 134, as quoted from Faith Undone.)

AND NOW, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY:

“Prophecies of the second coming of Messiah.”
by Tony Pearce
(author of The Messiah Factor)

A time of unparalleled trouble to precede the Day of the Lord:

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. Daniel 12.1

New Testament parallel:

For then there will be great tribulation such as has never been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be. Matthew 24.21

Focal point of this time of trouble to be Jerusalem:

And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. Zechariah 12.3

New Testament parallel:

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that its desolation is near. … Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21.20-24

All nations to be gathered for the final battle:

Assemble and come all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause your mighty ones to come down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat (Hebrew word means ‘The Lord judges’). Joel 3.11-16

New Testament parallel:

For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to battle of that great day of God Almighty. … And they gathered them together in the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. Revelation 16.14-16

Messiah to come in the clouds of heaven:

I was watching in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven! Daniel 7.13

New Testament parallel:

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24.30

Messiah to be visible as one who has been pierced:

And I will pour on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on me whom they pierced and mourn for Him as one mourns for His only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a first born. Zechariah 12.10

New Testament parallel:

Behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Revelation 1.7

Messiah to come to the Mount of Olives:

Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle. And His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which faces Jerusalem on the east. Zechariah 14.2-3

New Testament parallel:

“Men of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet. Acts 1.11-12

Messiah to come with the saints:

Thus the Lord my God will come and all the saints with you. Zechariah 14.5

New Testament parallel:

Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints. Jude 14. (‘Saints’ in the Bible means all who truly believe in the Lord).

The wicked to flee from the coming of the Lord:

In that day a man will cast away his idols … to go into the clefts of the rocks and into the crags of the rugged rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. Isaiah 2.20-21

New Testament parallel:

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 6.15-6

The Lord to establish righteousness and peace on the earth. Satan to be unable to deceive the nations:

‘Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2.2-4).’

New Testament parallel:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years … so that he should deceive the nations no more … Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Messiah and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20.1-6 (extracts)

Israel to be saved and blessed of the Lord in the midst of the nations:

In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless saying, “Blessed is Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance. Isaiah 19.24-25

New Testament parallel:

And so all Israel will be saved as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come out of Zion and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Romans 11.26-7

Following the Millennial reign of Messiah on earth, God to create new heavens and a new earth:

For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me,’ says the Lord so shall your descendants and your name remain. Isaiah 66.22

New Testament parallel:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. … And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21.1-4 (extracts).

(Taken from the Appendix of The Messiah Factor by Tony Pearce, used with permission.)

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