{"id":801,"date":"2014-03-13T20:05:24","date_gmt":"2014-03-14T01:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ebcsv.com\/blog\/?p=801"},"modified":"2015-12-20T14:36:09","modified_gmt":"2015-12-20T20:36:09","slug":"eschatological-sensationalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebcsv.com\/pa\/eschatological-sensationalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Eschatological Sensationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"buzzards\"<\/a>“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Matthew 24:28<\/h4>\n

Every year the church I grew up in would have a traveling evangelist come and hold a week long\u00a0evangelistic crusade.\u00a0 It could be counted on that one of the most powerful sermons of the week would be on the subject of the rapture and the Great Tribulation.\u00a0 I remember one especially zealous evangelist who delineated for an hour or so all the recent developments in the Middle East that combined as proof positive that the Lord would undoubtedly return that year and rapture His church. I remember him even pointing out that that year the news had reported that there was an exceptionally good recruitment of baby buzzards in the flocks of buzzards around the middle east.\u00a0 He was sure that this proved that God was preparing the buzzards to feed on the flesh of all the carcasses that would die very soon at Armageddon. I remember being so sure that the end times were upon us that I definitely planned that I would never marry and have children, let alone live to a ripe old age.<\/p>\n

Now, this is not a diatribe against the careful teaching of prophetic Scripture. Nor is this a renouncement of my premillenial\u00a0beliefs. However, it is a denouncement of the way many dispensational\u00a0premillenialists\u00a0have sensationalized the Bible’s prophetic passages and bred skepticism of God’s Word as a result. Like modern day Gnostics who have “special insight” from God or have been given special interpretive keys by the Spirit; these preachers pound pulpits with their latest predictions. The faithful who follow these ministries wait in rapt attention to see how the latest story out of the New York Times<\/span> confirms the 10 toes of Daniel’s beast.<\/p>\n

Are the children all Already Gone?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several years ago, Ken Ham wrote an insightful book called Already Gone<\/span>.\u00a0 In the book, Ken clearly demonstrated from careful survey’s of people who had abandoned the faith of their parents that somewhere near 80% of the children from evangelical homes were walking away from the Lord.\u00a0 Part of the thesis of his book was that the church had failed these kids by not teaching seriously the first 11 chapters of the Bible.\u00a0 By careful probing he found that a large percentage of these kids had become skeptical of the Bible because churches did not teach a literal understanding of the creation and flood account.<\/p>\n

Not to discount his findings nor take away from his thesis; I would also propose that the sloppy and sensational exposition of Scripture on the topic of prophecy has done enormous harm to the faith of many.\u00a0 When Pastor’s and evangelists propose scenarios, write novels, and get within a cat’s whisker of predicting dates for the rapture; the damage that is done when these predictions are false is huge.\u00a0 Remember the Deuteronomic formula for how to deal with a prophet who made a false prediction? God takes our pronouncements seriously! Its easy to\u00a0point an accusing finger at Joseph Smith for all his shenanigans-\u00a0but how about Harold Camping, or dare I say it, Tim Lahaye?<\/p>\n

How should we teach the Prophetic Word?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, lets not back away from teaching the imminent and personal return of our Savior.\u00a0 Lets not fail to point out the similarities between Noah’s day and ours, but lets live faithfully and strategically like the Lord won’t return for another 1,000 years.\u00a0 Yes, He will fold up this earth like a tattered and worn out garment, and yes He will create a new heaven and a new earth, but until He does, lets faithfully invade the enemies territory and work for the triumph of the kingdom.\u00a0 Sensationalism and showmanship may fill the pews but they don’t create deep, kingdom loving saints who faithfully watch until He comes. Rather, it creates checked out believers who just don’t want to be Left behind. <\/span><\/p>\n

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