Truth Magazine

By Raymond E. Warfel, Sr.

Several parts of the Bible are misunderstood, misused, and abused but none more so than Matthew 24 and 25. We have those today who claim these things are yet to be fulfilled in the future or soon to be fulfilled in our time. They come to these chapters and declare that the wars and natural disasters that are happening today are the very things Jesus was talking about. They tell us that the “signs of the times” show that Jesus is about to return. Men of the past have made the same claims about the times in which they lived.

As long as the Lord allows time to continue, there will be men arise that pervert the things written in Matthew 24 and 25. To guard ourselves from this deception we first must read and study the Bible for ourselves. God said of his people “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Most of those who are deceived have very little knowledge of God’s word and are there-fore the more easily deceived. Second, read all that God’s word has to say on the subject.

Most of those who are confused and misled concerning this topic and others usually fail to read and study every thing that God has said about that topic. In studying about “the abomination of desolation” we will need to read at the very least Daniel 9 and 12, Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Third, we need to keep in mind that in the discourse of Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus and his disciples had just been in the temple. On coming out of the temple they talked about its buildings and Jesus told them that all they saw would be torn down to the point that not one stone would be left upon another. Jesus and his disciples proceeded to the Mount of Olives from which they had a good view of the city of Jerusalem and the temple. As they are looking upon these things the disciples ask Jesus, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3). And so it is that Jesus answers their questions in this discourse.

Jesus answers these questions in order and so he first answers the question “when shall these things be?” (i.e., when shall the temple be destroyed?). He tells them several things that are to happen before the destruction of the temple would take place. First, false Christ would come. Second, they would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but they were not to be troubled by this because this was not the end. In fact there would not only be wars, but there would be natural disasters as well and these were just the “beginning of sorrows.” Third, some of them would be persecuted and killed for his name’s sake. Fourth, many would stumble and would betray one another. Fifth, false prophets would come deceiving many. Sixth, iniquity would abound and love would wax cold. Then with all this gloom and doom he has these words of encouragement, “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Seventh, the gospel would have been preached in all the world.

Did the things Jesus talked about come to pass or are they yet to be fulfilled? Well consider this: Josephus, the Jewish historian tells of many false Christ and false prophets that came along before the destruction of Jerusalem. This clearly shows the apostasy Jesus spoke of came to pass. This was also a time of war and natural disasters as well. Many of the small nations went to war with Rome. Remember that Daniel had prophesied that the Roman empire would be one that was “iron mixed with clay,” a kingdom that was composed of many smaller kingdoms which continued to try to free themselves from Rome and fought among themselves as well. The rulers of Rome also seemed to be in constant turmoil. Remember that in the space of about two years there were four men (Nero, Otho, Galba, Vitellius) who seized rule in Rome. History tell us that there was a famine during the time of Claudius Caesar. In fact in Acts 11:27-30 we find a prophecy of a coming world famine such as came in Claudius’ time. There were also numerous earthquakes during this time  remember that this area of the world is filled with fault lines.

The Bible in the book of Acts tells of Christ’s disciples being “delivered up.” In chapters 4 and 5 the apostles were arrested and commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. Steven was martyred in chapter 7. The church was “scattered abroad” because of the persecution at Jerusalem in chapter 8. In chapter 9 Peter and James were imprisoned by Herod, and James was beheaded. Then Paul tell us in Colossians 1:5-6, 23 that the gospel had gone unto all the world.

Jesus was not describing tragedies which would not come until the twentieth or twenty-first century, but in fact those things which occurred during the first century that proceeded the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This has to be the case because in verse 34 Jesus said, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” As we’ve seen these things did take place in the first century and Jesus said after they took place then the end would come. The end that is not yet and the end that would come, is not the end of the world as some have misconstrued, but rather the end of the temple (i.e., it being torn down so that one stone was not left upon another) for that is the question Jesus is answering. The horrible end is seen in that fact that not one stone was left upon another in the temple building. This was brought about by the temple burning and the precious metals seeping into the joints of the stones. To retrieve the gold and silver the Romans literally took the temple apart stone by stone, and it was left totally desolate.

Having told the disciples what would precede the destruction of the temple, he then tells them the last thing to look for, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). Let’s also consider the record of Luke, it will help us in getting a better understanding of what the abomination of desolation is. Luke writes, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20).

Though it is hard to say exactly what the abomination of desolation is, it seems clear to me that it has reference to the Roman army and what they would do. When these pagans entered the temple it would be an abomination and when they left, the city would be desolate. So Jesus tells the disciples that when they see the Romans surrounding Jerusalem it is time to get out of the city, and they were to make haste in doing that. Another thing that causes me to think that the abomination of desolation has to do with the Roman army surrounding the city is that this was the last thing to happen before Jerusalem was destroyed, and once the city was surrounded there would be no time to escape. This was just the last of a whole list of things by which God let his people (Christians) know what was about to happen to save them from great suffering. It is generally thought that no Christians died in the siege of Jerusalem. If they had no better understanding of this than those of our day, they most certainly would have perished.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 18-19
February 20, 1997

By Donnie V. Rader

Ephesians 1:5 teaches predestination. That is undeniable. The text says, “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Just what does that mean? This passage has been greatly perverted by those who have bought John Calvin’s thoughts on salvation.

Misunderstanding And Abuse Of The Text

Calvinism teaches an unconditional and individual pre-destination. This is necessary in view of their doctrine of total depravity. This says that man is born in sin and is completely depraved. He is unable to do any good. He cannot believe unless God causes him to believe. Thus, any election (chosen to be saved) would have to be unconditional.

Consider how the Calvinists use Ephesians 1:5. In The Doctrines Of Grace, Lasserre Bradley, Jr. (speaker for Baptist Bible Hour) has a chapter on each of the major points of Calvinism. In his chapter on unconditional election he says, “election is a sovereign act of God whereby He chooses certain individuals from the fallen race to eternal life for the glory of His name. . . . One of the clearest definitions of the doctrine of election is found in the first chapter of Ephesians” (p. 14). He then quotes verses 3-5 and applies them to his chapter heading: “Unconditional Election.” He adds, “By unconditional election, we mean that the choice of God was not conditional on anything within man” (p. 16).

Notice two things in the above quotes. Mr. Bradley says that Ephesians 1:5 teaches an election or predestination that is (1) unconditional and (2) individual. Thus, Calvinists wrest this text to say that before creation God arbitrarily and unconditionally selected certain individuals to be saved and certain individuals to be lost.

The Context of Ephesians 1:5

The book of Ephesians is about God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (cf. Eph. 1:9-10 and 3:10-11). Chapter one describes the blessings we have in Christ through God’s eternal purpose. Chapter two describes the object of God’s eternal purpose: salvation. Chapter three tells of the revelation of God’s eternal purpose.

Back to chapter one. Verses 3-14 tell of the blessings that we have in Christ: (1) All spiritual blessings  v. 3, (2) We were chosen before the foundation of the world  v. 4, (3) We were predestinated  v. 5, (4) We receive God’s grace  v. 6, (5) We have redemption through the blood of Christ  v. 7, (6) God has made known to us the mystery of his will  v. 9, (7) We have an inheritance  v. 11, (8) We receive the Holy Spirit  v. 13.

The point I want us to see is that the context is dealing with God’s eternal plan.

The Meaning of the Text

1. Predestinated defined. The word “predestinated” means to “mark out beforehand, to determine before, fore-ordain” (W.E. Vine, I:305). Darby’s translation says “having marked us out beforehand” in Ephesians 1:5. Both the ASV and Young’s Literal Translation render this phrase, “having foreordained us.”

2. Two questions. No one can or should deny that our text teaches that God marked out our salvation beforehand. How-ever, we must ask: (a) Is the predestination conditional or unconditional? (b) Did God select particular individuals or did he select salvation in Christ and all in him are chosen?

3. Conditional. Receiving salvation (being chosen or elected) is conditional upon our obedience to the gospel. Consider these simple texts.

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14).

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matt. 7:21).

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace … (Rom 4:16).

If predestination is conditional, then the Calvinist concept of the text is wrong.

4. The selection is not particular individuals but choosing that those who are obedient will be saved. “God foreordained that all those who voluntarily choose to walk by faith in Christ shall be added to his family by adoption. God willed in his love that those in Christ should be his sons with the full benefit of inheritance” (C.G. “Colly” Caldwell, Truth Commentaries: Ephesians, 21).

“God foreordained the provisions of salvation, the characters that should be saved, and the conditions and tests by which they would be saved. He left every man free to choose or reject the terms and provisions of salvation and in so doing to refuse to form the character God has foreordained to be his children and so predestined to everlasting life” (David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate Commentaries: Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, 19-20). B.W. Johnson said, “The whole line of argument is general in-stead of particular” (Peoples’ NT Commentary; On-line edition).

This is much like a man predestinating (marking out beforehand) a secretary. His choosing is not unconditional nor is it a “marking out” of a particular individual. Before he hires anyone he marks out the qualifications. She must take shorthand, do word processing on the computer, have some knowledge of his type of business, have at least two years of college, and be in good health. She must meet these conditions. He did predestinate her. No, he did not arbitrarily choose Sally Jane. But he chose the qualities of the person who would be hired. Sally Jane meets those and is hired. We can easily see how that works with God’s eternal plan.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 20-21
February 20, 1997

By Max Tice

Among a seemingly endless list of misunderstood Bible phrases, is the expression “until the times of restitution” found in Peter’s sermon in Acts 3:21. In order that the reader may be able to easily consider the context of its usage, the relevant portion of the text is cited below. After preaching the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to the crowd gathered in Solomon’s porch, Peter then exhorted them:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21).

A few readers may recognize this passage and the phrase of interest as one that is misapplied by the Mormons to the supposed restoration of the gospel in the days of Joseph Smith. Others may have heard it applied to an expected restoration of national Israel during a millennial reign. Still others may have never heard it applied to any-thing in particular, but are puzzled as to its meaning. In any event, a few brief observations are in order.

Reading Theories into the Passage

It is very common and very easy to read preconceived theories into Bible texts. By assuming that an idea is al-ready gospel, people sometimes imagine they have found references to it in vague phrases. Since it may be difficult for someone else to disprove their interpretation, they feel confident that it must be correct.

Nevertheless, those who prefer to read from the Bible, rather than into it, will hardly be satisfied with such practices. Needless to say, one has to read Joseph Smith’s latter-day heresy into Peter’s statement, and the same holds true for any premillennial application. While the phrase `until the times of restitution” could mean many things when taken in isolation, it should be interpreted in the light of what the Bible does say, not what it doesn’t say.

Defining Peter’s Terms

A fundamental principle in analyzing any passage is to make certain that all terms are clearly understood. In the case of the phrase in question, the terms “times” and “restitution” are of interest. The former is translated from the Greek word chronon and refers to an unspecified period of time. The term “restitution” is translated from the Greek word apokatastaseos and is found only here in the New Testament. Verb forms of this term are used in Matthew 17:11 and Acts 1-6 where the idea of “restoring” is in view. Consequently, Peter refers to a period in which something is to be restored. Of course, the big question is  what?

Looking More Closely at “All Things”

Just how encompassing are the “all things” which Peter says are to be restored? Good Bible students know that the expression “all things” should be understood in accordance with the context of its use (e.g., Rom. 8:28). A failure to confine its meaning in Acts 3:21can result in some unjustified conclusions. For instance, Origen used this verse to teach that God would restore all created things. Others have seen the doctrine of universalism in it.

Although Alford insists that the “all things” here is not limited to the things which were spoken by the prophets, this does not necessarily follow. This part of the verse must, at least, be given consideration as a possible restricting clause. Nevertheless, even if Alford is correct in saying that “all things” stands alone in the text, this does not prove that the expression has no limits. In Matthew 17:11, the reader is told that Elijah (John the Baptist) was to restore all things. Did he come to restore everything in creation to some pristine state? Of course not! His work as the first century Elijah was to change the hearts of those who would listen (Mal. 4:6).

Conclusion

The phrase “until the times of restitution” must be understood in the light of what is taught in the Scriptures. Otherwise, its meaning cannot be ascertained this side of eternity. As has been shown, John the Baptist lived in and was part of a restoring of all things through his preaching. Likewise, this period of restoring continues as God’s word is preached today. Christ will remain in the heavens until these times have come to a close.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 15
February 20, 1997

By John Isaac Edwards

The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. Genesis, meaning origin, ascribes an origin to all things except God.

There are many different beginnings in the Bible. A lot of people fail to understand how the word “be-ginning” is used in the Bible. A failure to make a distinction in these beginnings has lead us to not understand some simple Bible truths. This study involves a look at some of the different beginnings in the Bible.

The Beginning of Creation

The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. Genesis, meaning origin, ascribes an origin to all things except God. The first chapter of Genesis reveals the beginning of creation. The first verse says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). There were six days of creation and on the seventh day God rested from his work (Gen. 2:2-3). The first day was the creation of light (Gen. 1:3-5). The second day was the creation of the firmament, called Heaven (Gen. 1:6-8). The third day was the creation of land and vegetation (Gen. 1:9-13). The fourth day was the creation of the sun, moon, and stars (Gen. 1:14-19). The fifth day was the creation of sea animals and birds (Gen. 1:20-23). The sixth day was the creation of land animals and man (Gen. 1:24-31). This is what the Bible refers to as “the beginning of the creation” (Mark 10:6; 13:19; 2 Pet. 3:4). The phrase “And God said” appears ten times in Genesis 1 and suggests that “the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Heb. 11:3). The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was the agency through which God created all things (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; 1 John 1:1). The Hebrew writer declared, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands” (Heb. 1:10).

The Beginning of the Family

and God’s Marriage Law

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about divorce, he pointed them back to the beginning of the family and God’s marriage law (Matt. 19:3-9). This beginning is found in Genesis 2. The Lord saw that it was not good that man should be alone and decided to make a suitable companion for him (Gen. 2:18). “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:21-24). This marks the beginning of the family in the home and God’s law concerning such. God’s law from the beginning was one man for one woman for life. The apostle Paul wrote, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband is dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:39). The Lord added fornication as being the one exception to the rule (Matt. 19:9).

The Beginning of the

Work of the Devil

Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Jesus spoke of the devil being a murderer from the beginning. The apostle John stated, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). We read of the beginning of the work of the devil in Genesis 3. The Lord placed man in a garden eastward in Eden and gave him a law to abide by (Gen. 2:8, 16-17). The devil, or Satan, appears on the scene in the form of a serpent (Gen. 3:1). The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety (2 Cor. 11:3) and Adam and Eve were made subject to death. This is the beginning of the devil’s work. He used three avenues in tempting man to sin: (1) Lust of the flesh; (2) Lust of the eye; and (3) Pride of life. Satan is a tempter (1 Thess. 3:5); a liar (Acts 5:3); a murderer (John 8:44); a deceiver (1 Tim. 2:14); a hinderer (1 Thess. 2:18); a thief (Luke 8:12); and a sinner (1 John 3:8). Satan’s devices are many (2 Cor. 2:11) and his appearance can be among any (Job 1:6; Matt. 26:20-25; Luke 22:1-6). The devil is always at work in trying to lead as many as he can into apostasy and ruin (1 Pet. 5:8). He is the enemy (Matt. 13:39) and we must resist him (James 4:7).

The Beginning of the

New Testament Era

In rehearsing the conversion of the military officer named Cornelius unto those of the circumcision (Acts 11:4), Peter declared, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). Peter affirmed that the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as it fell on the apostles at the beginning. This does not go back to the beginning in Genesis. The Holy Spirit fell on the apostles in Acts 2. Therefore, Acts 2 is another Bible beginning. The second chapter of Acts records several beginnings. We read of the beginning of the Holy Spirit guiding the apostles into all truth (Acts 2:1-4; John 16:13).

We have the beginning of repentance and remission of sins being preached in the Lord’s name among all nations (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38). Also, we have the beginning of the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47). For the first time the church is spoken of as being in existence. The church was produced by the seed, God’s word (Luke 8:11), being planted in the hearts of men.

Every time some folks read the word “beginning” in the Bible they automatically think it refers to Genesis 1. Not so! These are all Bible beginnings. Yet, they did not begin at the same time. Perhaps this will help us to better understand how the word “beginning” is used in the Scriptures.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 8-9
February 20, 1997