Look Back, But Don’t Go Back :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: November 30, 2024 by RR10

God gives us many lessons we need to learn, and many of those lessons can be learned by studying the lives of the people in Scripture. In fact, He tells us to learn from the past.

The New Testament is full of reminders from the Old Testament of how God dealt with Israel. We can be certain that Genesis is the true story of Creation, and in the Gospel of John, we are told who did the creating. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

Was the Word Jesus? Yes. We just need to read a little more in this chapter to see that clearly. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Jesus was the Creator, and by looking back to Genesis and forward to the New Testament, we can be sure of the truth. Paul even describes very graphically in Romans chapter 1 the consequences of rejecting God as the Creator. I suggest you read and study that chapter and pay attention.

Many prophecies are quoted in the Gospels to prove Jesus is the Messiah. These come from Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and more. The Disciples were Jewish, so they were familiar with what we call the Old Testament. They would easily be able to understand the references to Jesus in various prophecies.

The New Testament contains many, many references to the Old Testament, so that tells us that we need to study both Old and New Testaments. The writer of Hebrews dedicates an entire chapter to some important people in the Old Testament. Chapter 11 is called the “Hall of Faith” and lists some very amazing people who served God, even when they made mistakes. It would be a very good idea to study each one listed and see how God used them in spite of their weaknesses.

The first one named in Chapter 11 is Abel. He offered a sacrifice that was acceptable to the Lord. Cain, on the other hand, offered an unacceptable offering. “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).

By looking back, we can learn that God wants our best. When we give our best to God, we have a clear conscience before the Lord. In whatever situation we find ourselves, we need to give Him our best. Look back at Abel and see that he honored God by obeying Him. Instead of giving God what is easy for us, give God what pleases Him. Instead of “sacrificing” an hour to Him on Sunday, give Him your life.

Next, we find out about Enoch who shows us the first picture of the rapture in Scripture. We learn from Enoch that it’s never too late to give our life to God. “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:21-24).

In Hebrews, we read that Enoch was “translated.” “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). He was taken by God prior to God’s judgment of destruction coming by the flood. All flesh was destroyed except for Noah and his family. By looking back to Enoch, we can understand that by faith, Enoch was taken by God prior to judgment. Faith is how we please God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Brothers and sisters, have faith. Unshakable faith that honors God in all things. If you haven’t put your faith in Christ, do that now, and don’t put it off. You don’t need a big flashy ceremony or a pastor to grill you in the tenants of their own denomination. Just faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Be like Enoch and walk with Him all the days you have left in this world. If you choose to accept His shed blood for salvation, then give Him a sacrifice that honors Him. Be like Abel and sacrifice what God desires, not what’s easy for you as Cain did.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

A living sacrifice? What could that mean? It means we set aside our own carnal lusts and desires and live for Christ. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Seek the Lord with all your heart, and you will find that your desires change. You’ll desire to know Him better and study Scripture. You’ll begin to apply Scripture to your life. You’ll follow the example of Abel who gave a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. You may even find yourself studying prophecy.

Yes, prophecy is a huge part of Scripture, and if God thinks it’s important to tell us what to look for, then it’s important that we pay attention. We do that by looking back into the Old Testament and studying. If you look back into the Old and New Testaments, you’ll find many, many prophecies that have been fulfilled, but many that are unfolding today.

This world is a very dark and evil place to live, but prophecy shines a light on world events and tells us that God isn’t surprised by the way things are going. Through faith in Jesus, Christians have the Blessed Hope of being taken Home prior to God’s final judgment on the unbelieving world. The Apostle Peter understood this. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

Unless you study prophecy, you’ll be confused and maybe frightened by much of what you see happening in the world. Russia and Ukraine are at war, but it seems as if that war will help Russia move into the Middle East to support Iran against Israel. Study Ezekiel to understand that one.

On October 7, 2023, Israel was viciously attacked and fought back, but the world seems to be against them. Why? God called Abraham away from his pagan life of idol worship and promised that a great nation would come from him. God is true to His word, and the nation of Israel was indeed the result of God’s promise to Abraham. God also promised blessings on whoever blesses Abraham and, by default, Israel. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Because Israel is God’s chosen people, many people in this world are jealous and despise Israel. Just like a child who thinks a sibling gets more love from their parent. It’s important to pray for Israel.

We also learn that there are times when looking back was the wrong thing to do. When talking to His disciples about the end of the age, Jesus spoke of Lot. He told how Lot lived in Sodom when God’s judgment was upon that city. Sodom was a very evil city filled with sin. Much like today, nobody was very upset by the evil, and they just went about business as usual. They were “woke,” but judgment was upon them. God sent two angels to take Lot and his family away from the evil prior to judgment. When the angels arrived in Sodom, the men desired to have sexual relations with them, but Lot stood in their way.

Lot and his family had to leave in a hurry, but his sons-in-law laughed at him and chose to stay amidst the evil. “And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city” (Genesis 19:16).

Again, this is a picture of the rapture. The angels couldn’t bring the destruction until Lot and his family were out of danger. They urged the family to run fast and not look back. Lot’s wife did the unthinkable. “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). Why did she look back? Was she just curious, or did she want one last look at the home she loved? Whatever her reason, she disobeyed and paid the price. When we come to salvation through Christ, we need to move forward in our new life instead of looking back and desiring to return to old sins.

Another example of when not to look back is found in Nineveh. This was a very violent and wicked place, and God was going to destroy them but sent Jonah to witness to them. Jonah wasn’t a willing witness, but the people and leaders of Nineveh did repent and were spared the destruction they deserved. This puts me in mind of America and the judgment we faced in our last election. The evil found here is the same as found in Sodom and can be compared to the time before the Flood of Noah. American Christians prayed, and God had mercy. The Liberal agenda has been delayed.

What happened to Nineveh? Their judgment was delayed, but they looked back and returned to their wickedness. About 100 years after they repented, they were destroyed because they returned to their wicked ways. Christians must continue to pray and give God our best. We must teach our children and grandchildren to honor God. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Christians are called by the name of Christ. We must stand strong in our service to God. We must demand that public schools stop teaching Satan’s ways, and we must demand that our pastors teach God’s truth. We must not look back and return to the wicked ways that will bring destruction.

There are many lessons to be learned as we study Scripture. We learn that obedience to God makes a difference. It doesn’t always smooth the road we must follow, but the result of obedience is always a blessing.

If you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, do it now. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Eternity is a long time to live by your choices. If you have accepted Christ for salvation, then obey His command. Follow Him. Leave the sinful life of disobedience. Study to learn how all of the people mentioned in Scripture served God in spite of their weaknesses. Look back and learn, but “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). That’s good advice from Jesus. Obey and serve God with joy.

Should we look back? Yes, but not with a desire to return to the sins of the past which bring destruction. Look back with thanksgiving that God, in His mercy, has given grace and mercy when He rightfully could have given judgment and destruction instead. Look back, but don’t go back.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

Biblical Necessity of the 7-Year Tribulation :: By Jonathan Brentner

Published on: November 30, 2024 by RR10

The Bible tells us there must be a seven-year period when God again turns His attention to the Jewish people and Jerusalem. The length of this still future time comes the prophet Daniel, who specified seventy weeks of years, during which time the Lord will complete His redemptive purposes for choosing Israel (Daniel 9:24-27).

Why am I so confident that the last week of Daniel’s prophecy awaits a future fulfillment? It’s because the events that mark its beginning and midpoint have never happened in human history.

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator” (Daniel 9:27).

This last seven-year period will begin with a “prince” (9:26) establishing a seven-year peace agreement with Israel. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Daniel’s prophecy regarding the seventieth week is the ending of temple sacrifices, which the prophet later refers to as the “abomination that makes desolate” (Daniel 12:11).

Does it make sense that there’s a long gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy? Yes, the text itself tells us that that last week would not immediately follow the cutting off of the Messiah.

“Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed” (Daniel 9:25-26).

Bible scholars have calculated that the sixty-ninth week ends exactly on the very day Jesus rode into Jerusalem just days before His crucifixion. This fulfilled the prophet’s words that after the next to last “week,” the Messiah would be “cut off and shall have nothing.” Please note that Daniel placed the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple during the interlude between the final weeks. This necessitates a gap of at least forty years before the start of the seventieth week, which we read about in Daniel 9:27.

That leads me to the next question: how do we know that the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy didn’t occur in the first century AD or any time since then? It’s been two thousand years since the end of the sixty-ninth one. Is it possible that the last week still remains unfulfilled? Yes, absolutely!

Jesus Placed the Temple Desecration in the Future

Four centuries after the time of Daniel, Antiochus Epiphanes came to power and subsequently desecrated the second Jewish temple by setting up idols in it and offering pigs on its altar.

Although the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes foreshadowed the words of Daniel 9:27, they didn’t fulfill the prophecy. First, Antiochus defiled the temple during the first sixty-nine weeks rather than during the last seven-year period of years in Daniel’s prophecy (9:24-27). That alone disqualifies his actions from contention.

Second, two centuries later, Jesus referred to Daniel’s prophecy of the temple’s desecration as a still future event:

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)” (Matthew 24:15).

As He answered His disciples’ questions pertaining to the end of the age, the Lord referred to the key event of Daniel’s seventieth week as a literal and still future event and one that would signal the nearness of His Second Coming.

Today, most Bible teachers and pastors claim that the Roman General Titus fulfilled the seventieth week of Daniel when he destroyed both Jerusalem and the temple. However, this is impossible for several reasons:

The Lord told Daniel that Titus’ siege of Zion would happen in between the last two weeks, not during the last one.
There’s no record whatsoever of a peace agreement between the Roman general and Israel such as must happen to start the seventieth week of Daniel.
Daniel tells us that the coming “prince” would defile the temple, not destroy it.

There are also key details that Paul adds to the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15, which eliminates Titus as the one to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy of the last week.

Jesus Himself Will Destroy the Desolator at His Second Coming

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul identifies the one who will desecrate the temple as the “man of lawlessness,” the one we refer to today as the “antichrist.”

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

The apostle reveals that the coming desolator will blaspheme the Lord, sit in the “temple of God,” and “proclaim himself to be God.”

Then Paul adds one critical detail about the one who will commit Daniel’s “abomination of desolation” at the midpoint of Daniel’s seventieth week:

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

At His return to earth, Jesus Himself will destroy the “man of lawlessness” whom the apostle had just identified as the one who would desecrate the temple and thus fulfill the words of Daniel 9:27. This totally disqualifies Titus as the one who would fulfill the words of the prophet and of Jesus in Matthew 24:15 because two things must be true in order to identify Titus as the one to fulfill this prophecy.

First, Jesus would’ve returned to the earth in about AD 73-74, or three and a half years after Titus destroyed the temple. This gap for the last half of the seventieth week perfectly coincides with the time of the “great tribulation” that Jesus said would happen between it and the Second Coming (Matthew 24:15-31).

Second, the Lord Himself would’ve killed Titus at His return in AD 73-74. However, we know from history that Titus died of natural causes in AD 81.

And if the desecration of the Temple didn’t happen before or during the time of this Roman general, and it most certainly did not, then it couldn’t possibly have occurred since then because there has never been another Jewish temple for the coming prince to defile.

The Apostle John Witnessed the Desolator’s Future Demise as Predicted by Paul

In Revelation 13:6, John tells us that the coming beast, whom we today identify as the antichrist, will open “its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling.” This is the “man of lawlessness” of 2 Thessalonians 2, the one who will defile the temple.

In Revelation 19:19-20, John provides an eyewitness of the future destruction of this future beast that will desecrate the Jewish temple:

“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”

Just as the Apostle Paul prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Jesus Himself will destroy the “desolator” of Daniel 9:27 at His Second Coming. He will cast him into the lake of fire.

The Witness of Irenaeus (AD 130-202)

Irenaeus, an early church leader and prominent theologian, wrote Against Heresies in AD 180 to combat the spread of Gnosticism. It’s noteworthy that he was born in Smyrna and received his training in the faith by Polycarp, whom the Apostle John himself discipled.

In Against Heresies, book 5, chapter 30, section 4, Irenaeus wrote these words:

“But when the antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple in Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous times of the kingdom….” [i]

This direct quote from Irenaeus reveals significant details about his beliefs regarding the desecration of a future temple, which fulfills Daniel’s prophecy of the seventieth week:

Writing 110 years after Titus destroyed the second temple, he wrote that there would be a future temple in Jerusalem.
Irenaeus stated that the antichrist would “sit in the temple in Jerusalem” exactly as Paul said he would do in 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
He predicted that Jesus Himself would destroy the antichrist at His Second Coming, which aligns with what both Paul and John wrote about the one who would desecrate the temple.

Although Irenaeus’ words are not Scripture, it’s more than a little significant that this highly respected second-century AD theologian believed there would be a future “antichrist” who would fulfill the words of Jesus, Paul, and John concerning the key event of the seventieth week of Daniel.

Why Does This Matter for Us Today?

Does the fact that Daniel’s seventieth week awaits a future fulfillment matter to us today? It does because of the following reasons:

The Lord’s purposes for Israel remain incomplete

Since the seventieth week of Daniel has not yet happened, it signifies that the Lord’s purposes for Israel remain in place. His redemptive purposes for Jewish people and Jerusalem remain incomplete based on the words of Daniel 9:24.

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.”

Those who say that God has rejected Israel must also fit Daniel’s seventieth week into the events of the first century, which according to the words of Jesus, Paul, and John is impossible. According to Daniel 9:24, the Lord’s redemptive purposes for both His “people” and Jerusalem remain incomplete and await a future fulfillment.

Modern-day Israel fulfills Bible prophecy

In order for the seventieth week of Daniel to start, Israel must exist as an established nation and because of threats to its future, be willing to agree to the future covenant of peace offered by the antichrist. The nation must also possess the city of Jerusalem and have both the means and passion to build the third temple. These things are all true.

If one were to write a script for what must happen before the last week of Daniel’s prophecy begins, one couldn’t do better than what’s now happening in the Middle East. The only thing missing is Israel’s access to build on the temple mount, which most students of Bible prophecy believe will be a part of the coming peace agreement with the “man of lawlessness.”

There must be seven-year Tribulation

Since Daniel’s seventieth week awaits a future fulfillment, there must be a future seven-year period of turmoil on the earth when the Lord will turn His attention to Israel and bring a remnant of His people to repentance. Jeremiah famously referred to it as the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (30:7).

John placed the beast’s defilement of the temple in the midst of the judgments he wrote about in Revelation chapters 6-18 and wrote that the Lord would allow him to “exercise authority for forty-two months” (Revelation 13:5-6). This fits perfectly with the time of “great tribulation” Jesus said would happen between the desecration and His return (Matthew 24:15-31).

The Church doesn’t belong in the Tribulation

If the Lord’s purpose of Daniel’s seventieth week is to complete His purposes for Israel, and it is, does that mean the church age must end before its start? Yes, it does!

In other articles on my website, I have written at length citing biblical evidence supporting the pre-Tribulation Rapture. The purpose of Daniel’s seventy weeks further supports the Church’s absence during the Tribulation.

The purpose of the entire seven years along with many Bible passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 enable us to confidently place the Rapture before entire seventieth week, which the Old Testament also identifies as the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

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My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. In it, I lay a firm biblical foundation for our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home.

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[i] Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 10 vols., Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979), p. 560.