The Return of Jesus: Awaken To The Call of The Shofar!

Just a couple of days ago, I spoke to a friend who asked me the age-old question, "Do you think we'll see Jesus coming back in our lifetime"? He quickly followed up that inquiry with, "I know that no man knows the day or hour, but just what is your opinion [based on what you're seeing in the world]? I mean, I know Israel is back in their homeland, but what else are you looking for"? 

I understand there are lots of Christians who are asking those questions out of their concerns and fears [as they sense the instability in the world]. But I also think it is as much a result of the lack of depth in their understanding of the Bible and of God, Himself. I don't mean to offend anyone in particular, but over the 12 years of writing this blog, I have discovered that the desire to seek God's Truth through knowing Him in a real relationship, or through study of His Word, is lacking in a large portion of "the modern Church".

I used to say that we all have a worldview, or a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. But I find that there is a separation in belief systems that leaves so many without any solid ground to stand on. Maybe you are still mired in a normalcy bias, choosing to not look at what is going on in the world; or your senses are highly alert to the drums of war that are sounding across the globe and you instinctively discern that we are on the edge of a dramatic course of events; or whether, like me, you have a Biblical worldview, which is my framework of ideas and beliefs through which I interpret the world and how I choose to interact with it.

So, rather than give my friend a direct Yes or No as to whether I expect to see Jesus in my lifetime, I explained that throughout history people have lived during destructive times that looked like what Jesus told us it would when He returned. And, yes, I recognize that Israel is back in the Holy Land, given to them by YHWH. But there is more that I wanted him to understand. It's not hard to see that the current situation in Israel is affecting the entire world, so yes, it would be easy to say "God's Zion" is under attack and on the verge of destruction, so surely Jesus will soon be coming back! 

So, before I am called a "Zionist Christian" or ridiculed for my "pro-Feast, Jewish tendencies", I want to make this simple statement ... I see the nation of Israel as that land promised to God's Chosen People in the Bible. And I recognize that there is a distinction between the future prophetic restoration of that land, and the existence of the current state of Israel. My Biblical worldview tells me that Jesus will not return again until God turns the focus of His saving mercies on Israel again, and Israel responds to God through Jesus Christ, their Messiah. That hasn't yet happened in a national sense.

Yet, the circumstances there right now should be waking a lot of Israelites up! The spiritual and temporal attacks against them should be driving them to search what their ancient prophets have revealed regarding their salvation, deliverance, preservation and redemption! As I explained to my friend, the question is not really about whether Jesus will come back during my lifetime, but how God sees the state of the world and how He measures Israel's continued rebellion against Him. 

In Biblical language, Zion refers to God's spiritual kingdom. But, in this modern century, the word Zion and Zionist have taken on negative connotations because the love of Zion [from its establishment as a Jewish state in 1948] has become a nationalistic and political movement, rather than a religious/spiritual or cultural identity. Zionism, today, continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the nation of Israel and address the threats to its continued existence and security. It has little to do with God's spiritual view of Zion. 

Let me be clear in explaining my sensitive position, and please read this paragraph in its entirety before you pass judgment ... the state of Israel, as it exists today in the Middle East, does not represent the Israel that will say, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord."  They are largely a secular and political state, with no religious connection to Yeshua, their Messiah at all.They are true political Zionists. However, the population also includes a sizable number of religious Orthodox Jews who remain blinded to their future, and most probably view themselves as Zionists from a historical, Old Testament perspective. But I also want to point out that there is a growing population of Messianic Jews, who know and believe in Yeshua as the Biblical Messiah, and are evangelizing "in the Name of the Lord." And I praise God for this remnant that is returning to its true identity in the land.  

BUT, as I continued to share with my friend, it is not only Israel that God has His eye on. The Bible tells us that Jesus will return when all the nations have drunk from the cup of wine of God's wrath [Jeremiah 25:15-17]. "They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword [Jesus, the Word] that I will send among them." I have no doubt that our own nation has drunk from this cup, and God abhors our rebellion against Him as much as He does Israel's. We have squandered His favor and goodness towards us -- being responsible for killing 60+ million innocent babies; supporting, promoting, and exporting child trafficking and pornography; for turning our humility into endless greed; and if that's not enough, we have sought to remove His influence in every sector of our society, while much of "the Church" maintained their self-promoting identity in the shelter of their extravagant buildings. 

My friend had to acknowledge that we deserve God's judgment and have surely drunk the cup of wine of His wrath. If God did not spare the fallen angels, the ancient and wicked civilizations in Noah's day, or Sodom and Gomorrah, how much more will He bring certain judgment upon those of us who have knowledge of the Good News of His Salvation and Kingdom?!? As I explained further, Jesus has told us the times will get worse until He returns, and I do not believe we are destined to be raptured out of this wicked earth. God does not want to lose even one soul, and we need to be present to speak into the unsaved, the skeptical, and the wicked themselves who have yet to sear their minds against God's love for them. So, we will have work to do right up to the moment that we hear the trumpets sounding the Lord's return!

And let us not forget that we are entering the season and rehearsal of the Lord's Fall Feasts... As you read this blog post, the Feast of Trumpets is upon us, which has us looking heavenward, anticipating the blowing of the shofars announcing His return as we repent and celebrate renewal in the Lord. If He doesn't come this year, what would I advise my friend and all Christians? Let us live in patience and with purpose! Let us trust in God's timetable as we live out our New Covenant responsibilities. Let us proclaim that all the promises of God in the Bible are possible because of the work of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit. Let us not bemoan the delay of His return, but rather seize each day as new, transformed people who bear witness to Jesus, continuing His work to heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and spread the Good News that God's Heavenly Kingdom has broken into our world! And let us never tire of fighting back the power of evil and wickedness, thereby bringing new disciples into His kingdom on earth. I don't know if my Lord and Savior will return in my lifetime ... I'd love to see that! But I will devote however many years I have left to hasten His coming! May the shofars sound soon!

Habakkuk 2:3   For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end -- it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.         

Today's Christian and the Quandary Over Romans 13

It goes without saying that Romans 13:1-7 has been a subject of debate among Christians since it was written nearly 2000 years ago. But as with any critical consideration or interpretation of Biblical text, one must evaluate this passage within the context of what Paul is experiencing in his environment, and what God wants him to teach readers. I will admit that it is difficult to do that in the midst of our own experiences and environment; we are always wanting to contrast the two.

But this isn't about explaining our own biases in interpreting Romans 13. We must comprehend what Paul is explaining to the First Century Believers, with the clear understanding that God intends for us to take this teaching and apply the same Godly principles, not substituting our own prejudices. It's not an easy thing to do, and can lead to false justifications for our actions. So, let's dive in and see what we can discern.

It's important that we understand what has led Paul to this point in his letter to the believers in Rome. Remember, all the chapters prior to this one have related to instructing the Jewish and Gentile believers that God has a had a plan to reconcile [and bring into unity] all those who will believe in Jesus as His Son and the Redeemer of the world. God sees no difference between a Jewish believer and a Gentile one. In Chapter 12, Paul's letter brings everything from the previous chapters into focus to reveal that God demands our action [towards each other] as well as our believing and thinking, which leads to faith that expresses itself in obedience. 

All that coalesces into the instruction in Chapter 13 to "Submit to Authorities" or "Be Subject to the Government", depending on your translation. But here is what is not made clear in this short chapter. At the time, the Roman government imposed a hefty tax burden upon its subjects [which included the Jews], and those taxes had to be paid in coins [called a denarius] that portrayed the image of Caesar with an inscription calling him "divine". In addition, the Jewish people had a temple tax, which was required of Jewish males over age 20, and the money was used for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple. In this case taxes were paid in shekels.   

This information brings Romans 13:1 clearly into focus ... Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Here, I believe, knowing the context of the culture Paul was writing from, he is saying, "Whether it be Caesar, or the Temple authorities, we are to render ourselves as subjects". Why, you may ask? Verse 2 tells us ... For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God. These authorities, whether a nation's leaders or church/synagogue leaders have been appointed by God to serve a purpose in His plan. The problem is that citizens, whether in Paul's time or our own, are short-sighted. We have only looked at these leaders as to how they have served or affected us, instead of understanding and honoring that God appointed them for HIS purpose.

So, here is what we need to come to terms with: God has not always appointed them to bless the people. Sometimes He puts them in place to judge the people or to ripen the nation for His coming judgment [bring His judgment to maturity]. If we would rightly discern the Word, we would see that neither the Lord nor Paul disputed or denied the authority of either the Roman Emperor or the Pharisee priests. In fact, both Jesus and Paul would suffer and be killed by the Roman authorities, having been targeted by plots of religious Jews. 

Just as Jesus did, we are not to resist [governmental] authority because to do so is to resist the decree of God. [NOTE: The exception to that is if authorities order us to do something in contradiction to God's law. We see that instruction in Acts 4:19, when Peter and John told the Sanhedrin that God's law superseded the laws of men, including the Sanhedrin's]. Back to Romans, Paul teaches that those who resist governmental authority will bring civil judgment and penalties on themselves. This should be a warning to all the people... if you do what is good, according to the law, then you have nothing to fear from the civil authorities, because they are God's servant to you for good. And in contrast, if you do wrong, then you should expect to be punished for going against God's protectors of society and social order. 

The mention that the civil authorities carry a sword of punishment and law and order seems to imply that force may be used, when necessary, to maintain order. If the authorities are acting in accordance to God's mandate to them, and the citizens comply with ethical and principled laws, then society operates in unity, everyone knowing what is right before God. It is through just punishment that government serves God's plan to hold man's sinful tendencies in check. IF a government fails to carry out this mandate from God, then it will find itself subject to God's own judgment and correction. This should be a stern warning to all the DA's who are not upholding our laws as we see crime escalating at extreme rates.

Then comes the verses that are most problematic for American Christians. Romans 13:6-7 says, For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. From our cultural context, these verses rub us the wrong way. Having been birthed in rebellion to governmental authority, our national inclination is to object to an overlord that taxes our own hard work that has made us prosperous. But remember, Paul is writing to the First Century believers in Rome; both Jew and Gentile. We are to give to the state the money, honor and respect which is due them, while also giving to God for the work He desires to do. 

But it must be made clear [and understood] that these verses are implying that the taxes collected are for the purpose of restraining evil and keeping an orderly society -- not to line the pockets of the government officials. Paul leaves a lot of questions unanswered at this point in his letter. So, here we are in the 21st Century wondering how God wants us to respond to government authorities whom it is clearly discerned are not acting as righteous servants or ministers in accordance with His governmental "plan and purpose". At what point do we take a stand as Peter and John did? When and how do we justify actions to resist these ungodly authorities? We must remember that they are sometimes put in place [by God] to render judgment, not blessings, to a nation that has fallen far from Him. We must all be seeking God for these particular answers. We do not want to interfere with His purpose, but we want to do His will.

At this point in the chapter, Paul switches to the only "debt" we are to carry: Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Yes, we are instructed that we have an obligation to pay our taxes and follow the laws our government has put in place. That is all the responsibility we have to our society. But Loving our Neighbor is a "forever" obligation and a debt that is never released. You can be religious and do all the "works of man", but to love like God loves is true obedience to our Lord and Master. 

Then we come to verse 11, which speaks so deeply to my spirit ... Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ]. This verse reminds me of the parable of the Ten Virgins, five of whom were asleep in their spiritual contentment and slackness; unprepared for the hour that would divide those invited to enter and receive their kingdom inheritance from those whom the wedding feast was withheld. We cannot sleepwalk into the Kingdom! We must be wide awake, clothed in righteousness and in Christ, with our armor on and ready to defend our faith in the Name of Christ, as well as attack the forces of Evil that are readying for the return of our Lord! 

Romans 13 is a call to spiritual arms for every Believer in Jesus Christ, the Messiah! We must be discerning of both our government and church authorities. We must do right by God and His appointed authorities, trusting that whether they have been appointed to bless us or judge us, God will be with us and for us. And so, we look forward to that day we hear the trumpet blast that announces His return. It can't come soon enough for me!

Proverbs 21:1    The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will.