Apocalypse



Most people suppose the word "apocalypse" has to do with judgment and destruction ~ probably, due to the fact that the final book in the Bible has long been known as "The Apocalypse".  That book of Scripture is indeed full of judgment and destruction ~ so much so, that many (even of professing Christians) fear to come near it, no, not even to read it.

The word apocalypse actually means "to uncover; to reveal".  Thus, the last book in the Bible (formerly called, The Apocalypse) is now commonly known as The Revelation.  It is something of a paradox that a word which means "to reveal", and which word was used as the title to identify a book of Scripture wherein God gave great revelation to mankind, came instead to be associated with dark mysteries and tribulation too horrible to contemplate.  But such is the fallen nature of man, that he is always ready to look on the dark side of everything.  The well known saying, "All good things must come to an end", is but one example which illustrates the innate hopeless of fallen mankind.

Once in a while I find the perfect graphic for an essay.  This is one such instance.  The above image is called a stereogram.  If you view it in a certain way (fixate upon the center and allow your eyes to cross slightly, as if trying to look a little beyond, or behind, the surface), you should be able ~ with a little patience, to see what clearly appears as a 3-dimensional object within the image. 

On the surface, it appears that the image ONLY consists of a single word, NO, printed thousands of times.  But when you look 'beyond the surface', as it were, and with some patience wait for that which is hidden to appear to your sight ~ you should very clearly and distinctly see the word YES! stand out boldly and as if in 3-D.  So strong is the effect, that once you perceive the hidden message, it will then take some effort to make it disappear, similarly as was required to visualize it in the first place.

All of which I have chosen to illustrate a most important point I want to make, concerning the (hidden) message of the Bible.  'On the surface', as it were, the Bible seems to paint a very bleak picture of the future (that is to say, the time between now and the Second Coming of Christ).  Scripture texts such as the following: "...in the last days perilous times shall come" (2 Timothy 3:1); wherein, "...evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" (2 Timothy 3:13); and, where Jesus himself asked the troubling question: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8): those and many other like verses strongly suggest that the End-times (the end of this present Church Age) shall be a time of extreme trouble and suffering and weakness ~ for Christians!

But for those who will make diligent effort to look 'beyond the surface' of the text of Scripture, and who will with patience wait upon the teaching of the Holy Ghost ~ a very different image of the End-times will clearly and distinctly appear within the Scriptures themselves!  Which is to say that, whereas it appears (on the surface) that the Bible says a thousand "NOs" to the possibility of Revival in these final days of the Church; yet, hidden deeper in the Word of God there is a resounding "YES!" to the possibility of a great, End-time Revival ~ before the Rapture of the Church.
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It is sadly the case that the great mass of 'Christendom' has apostatized (turned back from following the truth of God).  It should go without saying, that the defining characteristic of backsliders and of apostates is unbelief.  "Unbelief", as one dear brother says, "is not weakness; it is wickedness".  Unbelief is condemned in Scripture (see, Titus 1:15; Revelation 21:8).  The Apostate Church does not believe the truth of God's Word ~ notwithstanding their many "feigned words" which they speak, as though they both know and love the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 2:3; Titus 1:16).

Why does it matter what the Apostate Church thinks and believes?  It matters for at least several important reasons, namely:

First: They say they expect a great Revival in the coming days.  But their expectation is not according to the truth of God.  For one thing, they believe that the coming Revival is going to occur during the Tribulation.  Such expectation, however, shall be found to be their own destruction; there shall be no such Revival as they suppose, after the Rapture of the Church.

Second: Their professed desire for Revival is not according to the will of God.  For in every case, Revival can only come where there is first a deep desire and willingness to repent, and in every way to get right with God.  The Apostate Church has no real interest in being conformed to the holiness of God.  Thus their professed desire for Revival, as well as their professed expectation of the same, is all self-delusion and a lie.

Third: The Apostate Church is very much like the so-called Main Stream Media (MSM).  As a matter of fact, the Apostate Church and the various MSM corporations are good bedfellows.  I mean that those, many, large, organizations with their multitudinous members very largely dominate every sphere of public discourse.  It is the combined voice of the Apostate Church(es) that overwhelmingly influences public opinion, concerning spiritual matters.  Therefore, the truth of God, concerning Revival, is made more difficult to discern ~ due to the dense fog of deception and confusion that issues from the worldly churches and their worldly publicists.  The devil is the author both of lies and confusion.

A right view of Scripture is imperative to our proper spiritual development, as well as to our effectual labor, in Christ.  It is impossible to understand Revival, apart from understanding God in His Word.  It is the ministry of the Holy Ghost ~ who is "the Spirit of truth", to "guide you [Christian] into all truth" (John 16:13).  Only as we learn to know God as He is in truth, may we then understand Revival.  God is the source and power of Revival.  Revival is God's will; it is his way ~ his only way, of bringing Salvation to men.  A sleeping Church (much less a dead one) is not a vehicle which God can or will use to advance the kingdom of God, through the Gospel ministry. 

"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psalm 25:14)

"But without faith it is impossible to please him [God]" (Hebrews 11:6)

"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7)

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna" (Revelation 2:17)

There is "hidden manna" in the Word of God.  There are secrets hidden in God ~ which God is willing to reveal to them that will "diligently seek him".

(I do not thus intend to draw any attention to myself; God forbid.  Nevertheless, as God has taught me, and has called me to teach and thus to edify the Body of Christ; so do I.)

One most important precursor to Revival is sound teaching.  The awful lack of Biblical teaching on the subject of Revival, has been a great obstacle to Revival in this generation.  But God is moving to restore the foundation of Truth (in our understanding), in preparation for bringing Revival to his End-time Church. 

It used to be easy for me to believe that:

• things are only going to get worse and worse in the world ~ and in the Church, until Jesus comes at the Rapture
• "few" will be saved
• our hope as Christians is to "endure unto the end"
• the Apostasy will very nearly wipe out Christianity in the earth
• the glorious days of Revival died with the rise of the Apostasy
• the Rapture shall be "the great escape" for faithful Christians

Where did I get such ideas as those?  I will say, with great regret, that I imbibed those ideas ~ not from a right understanding of God in his Word, but from growing up surrounded by a certain, culture of religion.  Out of which culture and its distorted beliefs, it has taken many years for God, in unfathomable mercy to my soul, to extricate me and bring me to see God as he is in the beauty, majesty, and goodness, of his Person.  God had first to rescue me from the deadly current, the veritable riptide, of the Apostasy, before that he could begin to teach me of Himself.  The better I see God as he is, the better I understand Revival: I have come to know Revival as God's own nature; and it is so great! so lovely! so desirable! so necessary to our own life! so important to our knowledge of God.

Revival is the revelation of God.

Revival is the Apocalypse of God.

Revival is the treasure of God ~ in his giving of the "unspeakable Gift".

Revival is why God was willing to sacrifice Jesus.

Revival is why Jesus was willing to lay down his life.

Revival is why the Holy Ghost was willing to condescend; it is the sum of his ministry.

Revival is the only hope of the Church ~ and of the world.

Revival is God: where God is, there is Revival.

Revival is God's love expressed, poured out.

Revival is God sitting in PRE-judgment, to save men from THE Judgment.

Revival is the inheritance of the saints.

Revival is the high privilege and sacred duty of the Church.

Revival is God's Answer to the present darkness.

Revival is the doorway of the Rapture.

Ought we to seek God, and to believe God, for Revival?  Or shall we continue ~ and perish ~ in the darkness of unbelief?  I shall not be dissuaded by ten-thousand "NOs", to the question of Revival in this generation.  For, I have clearly seen God's "YES!"

"Yes!, son, yes! ~ if you faint not....if you will not draw back...."