True science will always confirm the existence of God! That is great news for a believer, because we never have to worry that science will uncover something that will disprove what the Bible says, because it has never happened and it never will. In fact, it is just the opposite, what the Bible has said is now being verified by science and creates such a compelling case for Christians that what was predicted over thousands of years ago is in fact true. Did you know what one resource all archaeology departments have on hand whenever they make a discovery? The Bible because it has validated the existence and time frames of civilizations more than any other document because of its reliability. It has never been proven to be in error. He is the God who created science.
Proverbs 30:4 ~ "Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name and the name of his son? Tell me if you know."
In the end, it will be the LORD who will judge and His judgment will span all of history.
Revelation 11:18-19 ~ "The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great - and for destroying those who destroy the earth. Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of the covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm."
Verse 18 is one of the most remarkable scriptures in the Bible, because it spans from Jesus' First Coming to His Second Coming. 2000 years of history is covered in just this one verse. This one verse is a collection of many verses. Consider a mountain range. From a distance the mountain range looks like a cardboard cutout. It's just a silhouette of tall jagged peaks but as you begin to approach these mountains, you begin to see shades of color and you begin to see that there are canyons and valleys between these mountains. The same is true with some scriptures. They blend together from a distance, but the closer you get, the greater the detail and the more defined it becomes. This is an example of what is referred to as near/far fulfillment.
Isaiah 61:1-7 ~ "The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs."
But when Jesus read it out loud, listen to what He did.
Luke 4:16-21 ~ "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Why didn't He finish? Because your life and mine is held back by a comma. In Isaiah 61:2 is says, "to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God," this is the title of the Tribulation Period, " the day of vengeance of our God." Jesus preaches the church and salvation to the world. He told His disciples to go forth and preach the gospel to the world. When did you accept Christ? It was during a comma. He saved us by a comma.
It states that the nations were angry, they have always been angry. From the rebellion of man in the Garden of Eden to the culmination of the events in the Tribulation Period, and that the conclusion is very near. Does not the world hate God. Have you seen the news recently. They are arguing right now over Christmas and where or not Nativity scenes are allowed to be displayed. Other things are allowed to be displayed, the crescent moon of the Muslims, to the Star of David are fine, just no crosses or nativities. America is a post Christian nation. Wake Up!
When you throw the 10 Commandments out of the United States of America, it's a post Christian nation. This nation is hanging on by a thread. Thank God the Lord has hold of the other end of it. The nations hate God and they are angry. They rejected Him.
When it says that the time has come for judging the dead, it is talking about their spiritual death not their physical death. They were still alive in their physical bodies but they never had a spiritual life. Because of their rebellion against God, judgment came upon their land and homes as the rest of the scripture references. It would stay depressing if we left this chapter at that. But it doesn't. It ends at a glorious up tempo beat.
Revelation 11:19 ~ "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of the covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm."
John, a Jewish man, is now telling us that he saw into heaven and saw the temple opened up. None of us understands the magnitude of this. It also says that he saw the ark of the covenant. How did it get there? If you have read your Bible carefully, it has always been there. Hebrews 8-10, it's always been there, it's never left. The Bible says in those chapters, that the ark of the covenant was just a man made copy, it means nothing to God. The temple on earth didn't mean anything to God either. If is did, why didn't Jesus enter into it? If it meant something to Jesus, wouldn't He have taken it from Rome? He visited the temple but He never went inside. He stepped into the Outer Courts, but never inside.
If you being saved was predicated on a temple, then there would be a temple standing today. This is what John is seeing in verse 19. He saw the one true temple that would never go away or be destroyed. Not only did the door to the temple open up, and the veil was pulled back, but he also saw the ark of the covenant.
Hebrews 9:11 ~ "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man made, that is to say, not a part of this creation."
No temple will get you into heaven that is made by human hands. Our salvation isn't in any temple, palace or church is connected to your salvation. Nothing you do or associated with your salvation. You will not go to heaven based on association with anything on this earth. Jesus said the kingdom is within you as long as you ask Him to sit in on the throne in your life. Will you respond to His invitation today? Jesus said He is The Way, there is no other way or ways. It is sad that there are so many in the world today that could care a less about their eternity and more about what is in it for them right now.
Is God speaking to you right now and let Him fix your life today? Repent now, change direction and follow Him. People view God in one of two extremes. He is either too weak with a long beard and doesn't care about anything or He sits in judgment waiting to condemn man into fire and wrath. .But we live in an age of fire and grace. He is fair and just and will bring forth judgment one day but in His love right now He is doing all He can to reach those who still have not accepted Him before it's too late. How you view God determines your actions and reactions.
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