What the Bible says about End-Time Church
(From Forerunner Commentary)
This prophecy concerns the economic, political, and military machinations that will occur as the end approaches, but these maneuvers end with the return of Christ. Many parallel prophecies are fulfilled during the same period, for instance, the appearance of the Two Witnesses and their work. Even God declares that what He is going to bring to pass will be astounding, partly because it runs counter to what most believe could happen. Nonetheless, God will have His Two Witnesses expounding upon these prophecies and warning all who are willing to listen that a new world order is being ushered in through the tumultuous, worldwide events of the end-time "Axial Period."
It will not be the "New World Order" of human dreams, but Christ will return and continue to develop this new, God-devised revolution. The Babylonian image, which has governed and influenced the world since the sixth century BC, will be smashed on its feet, but the entire system will fragment into millions of pieces and be blown away into the dustbin of history, replaced by the Kingdom of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial PeriodRelated Topics: Axial Period | Babylon, End-Time | Babylonish System | End Times | End-Time Church | Jesus Christ's Return | Jesus Christ's Second Coming | Two Witnesses
Matthew 25:1-4 shows all the virgins have the same beliefs, represented by the lamps they carry with them. The lamps represent the Word, the laws, and the statutes of God. Five of the virgins are foolish and five are wise, showing that the end-time church is composed of two types of members. The foolish have the Word of God but lack a sufficient level of His Holy Spirit, which opens the converted mind to understand and live God's way of life. The wise are actively using God's Spirit to enhance their understanding and have sufficient amounts of it to last them.
Staff
Y2K: You-2-the-KingdomRelated Topics: End-Time Church | Foolish Virgins | God's Holy Spirit | Holy Spirit | Lamp Image | Lamp of Truth | Lamps as Metaphors | Law and Prophets | Law and Prophets, Reading of | Law, Prophets, and Writings | Parable of the Ten Virgins | Spiritual Preparedness | Virgins | Wise Virgins | Word, God's | Word, The
Because of its abundance of well-known symbols, the Parable of the Ten Virgins is perhaps the easiest to understand in a prophetic light. The Bridegroom, of course, is Christ. Virgins are often symbols of churches or individual Christians, most likely the latter in this case. Lamps are vessels that contain oil, a common symbol of God's Spirit, thus they represent our minds, which, when filled with the Holy Spirit, provide illumination for the path to the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 2:10-16). The wedding refers to the marriage of the Lamb to the church (Revelation 19:7).
Jesus flatly states that this parable deals with conditions just before His second coming (verse 13). It does not take much interpretation, then, to understand what will happen - maybe has happened in part. All of God's people will go to sleep spiritually, but only half of them have enough spiritual strength to prepare for Christ's return. When He does return, our Savior shuts the door on the other half, proclaiming that He has no relationship with them (compare Revelation 3:7, 20). The warning to us is to draw close to God now because we do not know when Christ will come back.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables and ProphecyRelated Topics: Bride of Christ | Bride/Bridegroom Analogy | Christ as Bridegroom | End Times | End-Time Church | Foolish Virgins | God's Holy Spirit | Lamp Image | Lamps as Metaphors | Marriage Supper of the Lamb | Oil | Oil as Analogy | Oil as Metaphor | Oil as Symbol | Oil Imagery | Parable of the Ten Virgins | Parables, Prophetic Nature of | Spiritual Lethargy | Spiritual Preparedness | Vigilance | Virgins | Wise Virgins
The sense is that these messages for each church—for all Christians. This means that the attitudes and conduct described dominate the group accused or complimented by Christ, but they also exist in the other groups as well. Otherwise, the advice to whoever hears would not apply.
In other words, the Ephesian attitude might also be in Smyrna, Pergamos, Laodicea, Philadelphia, etc., but it dominated the church in Ephesus. The attitude that dominated in Smyrna would also describe, though with less accuracy, one or more of the other groups. The same would be true of Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
All the messages apply to all of the churches. All the messages apply to each of us as individuals, and it is a matter of "if the shoes fits, wear it." That is God's approach here. We are to live by every word of God. It is only under this principle that we can apply these messages.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Four)Related Topics: Church, Attitudes of | Church, Personalities of | Churches of Revelation 2-3 | End-Time Church | Ephesian Attitude | Ephesian Church | Ephesians | Ephesus | Laodicea | Laodicea, Church of | Pergamos Attitude | Pergamos, Church of | Philadelphia | Philadelphia, Church of | Philadelphian Attitude | Revelation, Seven Churches of | Sardis Attitude | Sardis, Church of | Seven Churches of Revelation | Smyrna Attitude | Smyrna, Church of | Thyatira | Thyatira Attitude | Thyatira, Church of
If we consider that these letters are written not only to the historical churches since the first century, but also to the seven churches that exist at the end time—churches that have the attitudes described in these letters—then this verse brings Balaam and his doctrine (his error, sin, rebellion) right down to our time. It is something we should think about and be wary of.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 1)Related Topics: Balaam | Balaam's Sin | Balaamism | Church, Attitudes of | Churches of Revelation 2-3 | End-Time Church | Revelation, Seven Churches of | Seven Churches of Revelation
This verse indicates that some of the Thyatira church will be alive on earth in the end time, just prior to Christ's return.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Revelation 10 and the Laodicean ChurchRelated Topics: Church at Thyatira | Church Eras | Churches of Revelation 2-3 | End-Time Church | Seven Churches of Revelation | Thyatira
There is no sense that they are going to die before He comes. His return is so imminent, He says, "Hold fast till I come." It is as if He is saying, "You only have a little while to hang on."
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Four)Related Topics: Church at Thyatira | Church Eras | Church, The | Church, Work of the | End-Time Church | Holding Fast | Jesus Christ's Return | Seven Churches of Revelation | Thyatira | Thyatira, Church of | Work Of God | Work, The
One can hold fast only to what one has previously been given. They had been given something in the past. They had drifted away into a relationship with the world. Idolatry was present in their character. But Christ says, "Hold fast to that which remains"—something that had previously been given—so that they would not drift any further.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part Four)