Dear Bill O’Reilly,

Your books on the deaths of prominent men have been very popular in the last couple of years, and your newest one, Killing Jesus is waiting in the wings for its release in mid-September. You say this one is not written in the religious vein but in a purely historical sense. It puts me to wondering how one could separate the two, in a narrative about the death of Jesus, the Christ.

It is one thing to write about the details of the murders of Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy—they stayed dead.  The testimony of the ages, however, is that Jesus Christ did not remain in the grave!  Matter of fact, He told His disciples, recorded in John 10:17-18, that He would lay His life down that He might take it up again, and “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again.”

Quite a declaration, that one!  Perhaps your next writing should be “The Resurrection of Jesus” since the story doesn’t end with the closing of His tomb on that day of crucifixion.

I watched your interview with Franklin Graham several months ago and noted your sharp difference with him regarding his firm stand on the biblical claim that Jesus “Is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Giving some thought to that, I, myself, recalled Jesus’ telling about the two roads—one, a broad one, leading to destruction, and the other a narrow one that leads to life everlasting (Matthew 7:13-14).

If, then, there are more ways to heaven than through Jesus only, perhaps Muhammad is another way?  That would mean that the God of Jesus—who is Jehovah—would have to contend with another entity, Allah, who is identified as totally different in all aspects.  Exactly how many other ways could there be?  Who has counted them, with the authority to do so?

Actually, Bill, the problem began in the two-person disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You may have been taught that all of that account is purely allegorical but it is absolutely true. They tried to hide from God because they were guilty of disobeying Him, and they covered themselves with fig leaves, the very first man-made attempt to be okay with God (one of those “other ways”). God took the skins of animals and clothed them, the first symbolical shedding of blood to cover sin. You can see this principle duplicated down through the centuries in the sacrifices of animals in the Jewish temple offerings of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Then along comes John the Baptist, who looks upon Jesus one day, over by the Jordan, and proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  And the apostle Paul writes, “He has made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God through Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Paul also writes in Titus 1:2 that “The promise of eternal life was made before time began,” so mankind had nothing to do with deciding how he would get to heaven.  Four prominent persons of the New Testament era have made these declarations (Jesus Himself, and three apostles):

Jesus, in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Peter, in Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…”

John, in 1 John 5:11-12: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

So, it would seem proper, Bill, for you to write the “rest of the story” in a subsequent narrative—wherein the purpose of His life is displayed.

Thanks for your attention, and may your days be good.

Gene Lawley

Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com

It was a strange question the disciples asked Jesus, just before He ascended into heaven—strange for its topic and strange for it being the very last question they had on their minds, even though Jesus had been with them for forty days following His resurrection. Luke records the question, and the Lord’s answer in Acts 1.6-9:

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in Hisown authority.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Now, we know that God has restored the nation of Israel, as of May 14, 1948, and it appears to have introduced the countdown to a succeeding era that will be launched with the Rapture. I have seen prophecy watchers link that response of Jesus to, “No man can know the day or the hour of the coming of the Son of Man” but it is not related to the same question.

While their nationalistic fervor was strong, like the Tea Party patriots of today’s America, it was more so with the very present Roman occupation of their land. I submit that the question Jesus really answered was, “What is to come next, Lord?” For that is what He told them. And this was the introduction of a new dispensation, the era of grace and the “taking from the Gentiles a people for His name” (Acts 15:14).

One other time in the Bible is the phrase, the times and seasons, in the sense of a changing scenario of God’s plan for mankind. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his first letter, describing the particulars of the coming Rapture of believers and follows that with this, in that same context: “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you” (1 Thessalonians 5:1, emphasis mine)  The next verse clearly  marks the end of an era—this present one!

Paul writes, in verse 2: “For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night…” Silently, without announcement it will happen.  A thief does not appear on your block at midnight and yell, “Here I am, folks!”  The way it seems to read is that non-believers will not even know what is happening, except that some of their associates have suddenly disappeared, leaving their physical belongings intact, just like Jesus did in the tomb!

As a matter of fact, Jesus gives us the scenario in Luke 17:26-31:

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot. They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brim-stone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.”

Unexpectedly—while people are eating lunch or dinner; in the middle of a wedding ceremony.

Perhaps a car salesman is just closing a sale on a new model just out. Suddenly one member or more of the activity will disappear, and as the next verse, verse 3, says, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

This “peace issue” has to do with Israel—watch Israel.

Some very timely and interesting headlines have appeared in Rapture Ready News over the past

few days:

Silvan Shalom: Peace talks to resume next week in Washington  (Week of July 29)

Majority of Israelis would back a peace deal, poll finds

Kerry says Israel, Palestinians laid groundwork for new peace talks

Kerry obtains Israeli, Palestinian consent to negotiate interim accord, without borders issue

U.S. Guarantees Israel’s Pre-1967 Borders Will Be Basis for Renewed Talks with Palestine, Officials Say

‘Secret Obama plan’ forfeits Temple Mount to Palestinians

Israel to free Palestinian prisoners over Kerry talks

EU officially publishes settlement guidelines despite Israeli objections

Obama Urges Netanyahu to Resume Peace Talks

These are hyper-linked to the main articles referenced in Rapture Ready News. You can check them out.  There are various dates from July 20 and forward, the latest one dated is July 25, which is listed first above because it sets the next week for peace talks to be renewed.  Note the subtle duplicity of intent evident even in the headlines.

For years we have had the idea impressed upon believers that as “Pre-Trib” adherents we would not see the Antichrist or know him.  It now comes to mind that the one who is to “confirm a covenant with many” will have to be on hand to do it. Who is now available and prepared to execute that document? Or, will the Rapture occur, sudden destruction disrupt worldwide activities, and one rises out of the rubble to take charge and establish the peace accord?  Or, will a confrontation between Israel and its regional enemies erupt and the providence of God for His people, the Israelites, brings victory for them, with the resulting cry, “Peace and safety,” that sets off the “sudden destruction” described in 1Thessalonians 5:3?

Converging events of end-time significance—political, social, financial, geophysical, religious and moral—are pointed to this peace process, as the headlines and related Scriptures indicate.  The strong admonition to be ready and watching for the Lord is very timely.