The images coming out of last week’s earthquake and tsunami are just mind-boggling. I saw amateur video on YouTube last night of the tsunami coming in that rocked me to the core. When I think about what those poor people must have experienced first hand, my heart aches for them.

The Los Angeles Times had an article in the paper that talked about how the whole world has a front-row seat to tragedy in real-time. As I read the article, I began thinking about future, prophetical events in the Bible and how this wired world we live in has direct implications.

HT: iStockphoto

In Matthew, Jesus gives a private briefing on end-time events to Peter, James and John. The discourse is found in Matthew 24. The verse that I kept mulling over in my mind was:

“Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), “then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” –Matthew 24:15-16.

Two short verses, but they are full of prophetic implications. While it’s difficult to summarize even these verses in a short blog post, I wanted to focus on a couple aspects of what Jesus says.

1. “when you see the Abomination of Desolation”
2. “standing in the holy place”

The Abomination of Desolation

First for some background on the terms being used here. When Jesus says “the Abomination of Desolation,” he is referring to something very specific in the book of Daniel. You can refer to some prior posts on The 70 Weeks of Daniel for some additional background.

In Daniel, we read:

“Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.” –Daniel 11:31.

According to the Jewish calendar, during the months of Kislev 168 B.C., Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) went into the Temple in Jerusalem and into the Holy of Holies, and erected a statue to Jupiter and sacrificed pig’s blood on the altar. This so outraged the Jewish people that this event was the start of the Maccabean revolt, which is commemorated on Hanukah.

That is the historical event. But the book of Daniel and Jesus’ own words in Matthew 24:15 speak of this event as something that will happen again! That is what the passage in Matthew is about, the future personage we commonly call “antichrist.”

Seeing the Event in the Holy Place

Referring back to the passage in Matthew, when Jesus says “when you see” these events happening, I think the common reaction is to gloss over what He is saying. But stop and consider His words for a moment.

The event Jesus is prophesying is something that is going to happen in Israel, in Jerusalem, in the rebuilt temple, in the Holy of Holies.

How will anyone living in, say, Jerusalem see what is going on inside the Holy of Holies? How will the rest of the entire world see what is happening in the Holy of Holies?

Jesus is not only uttering prophecy, it’s a technology statement! There is no way Peter, James and John could have figured out how anyone was going to see this event in their day. The only way everyone can see the Abomination of Desolation at the same time is via our modern-day, wired world!

Just as we all were able to instantly see what was occurring in Japan last week, one day in the not-to-distant future the world will be able to witness the antichrist entering the Holy of Holies. The whole world will witness him committing the same, despicable acts as his predecessor, Antiochus IV, did so many centuries ago.

What did it make you feel, watching the devastation of the earthquake and the tsunamis?

If you are not a believer, stop and think about what you will feel after the temple has been rebuilt in Jerusalem and you are witnessing the start of a chain reaction that will bring about absolute terror on the earth, the likes of which have never been seen before (Matthew 24:21).

It doesn’t have to be terror for you. Jesus provides the only escape to those days of horror. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

May He Increase!

And so when we sat down to eat dinner, I was lost in my thoughts as we all started eating. My soon-to-be-three year old son, Nicholas, said in the moment:

“Daddy, let’s pray.”

My mouth dropped to the floor and then my heart filled with joy inexpressible. The verse in Matthew came flooding into my consciousness:

And [the chief priests and scribes] said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?” –Matthew 21:16.

Jesus was quoting from Psalm 8:2.

At times it really seems like God has put an anointing on my son. Then again, kids “get” God for the most part. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. What did Jesus also say?

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” –Mark 10:14-15.

That’s what God is looking for in all of us. That child-like faith that just trusts, and says “Abba! Father! Daddy!”

My family and I are entering a new phase in our lives where this is exactly what God is expecting of us. It’s partly exciting and partly scary at the same time. Seemingly God is asking me to put-up-or-shut-up with my faith and trust in Him.

God used my son last night to remind me how critical it is to be in constant prayer for thankfulness and for His will to be done in our lives.

Is God asking you to step out in faith and trust Him? Have you been through a season such as this? Care to share your experiences?

May He Increase!

I think a lot of us know that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, but I don’t think we really ask why.

Origins In Genesis

If we start with Genesis, we find a somewhat familiar passage right after Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden. God is handing out judgments and He is starting with Satan. The key verse we want to focus on is:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.” –Genesis 3:15.

When we think of “seed,” we commonly associate this to the male species. Here, God is associating to the woman which is in anticipation of the virgin birth.

From this point on, Satan goes to work doing everything he can to corrupt this “seed.” Here’s a short list of some of the things he tries to spoil the seed:

• He causes Cain to murder his brother Abel (Genesis 4)
• He causes his fallen angels to corrupt the bloodlines of many generations that precipitate the flood (Genesis 6)
• He causes the tower of Babel to be built (Genesis 11)
• He causes Abram and Sarai to have Ishmael by Hagar (Genesis 16)
• He causes the rise of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19)
• He causes Joseph’s brothers to deal treacherously with him (Genesis 37)
• He causes the illicit affair between Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38)
• He causes Aaron to make the golden calf and the resulting worship (Exodus 32)
• He causes David to commit adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)

There are many more examples, but let’s jump ahead to the event that probably caused Satan to rejoice.

King Jehoiachin (Coniah)

All through the books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, we read of Israel’s many failures and departures from worshipping God and turning to idol worship. Things would get better but then go right back to mire. There would be good kings, and then bad ones. The northern and southern kingdoms would seeming go from bad to worse.

God finally has enough and so with king Jehoiachin He pronounces a blood curse upon him.

“Thus says the LORD, ‘write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.’” –Jeremiah 22:30.

With this proclamation, Satan thinks he finally has succeeded in undermining God’s plan of redemption through David’s bloodline. It was announced by God that the Messiah would come from David’s line, but now Satan thinks that the plan has been ruined by his doing.

Joseph

So if we turn to Matthew now, we run across king Jehoiachin in Jesus’ genealogy.

Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. –Matthew 1:11-12.

Here, Jeconiah is another spelling of Jehoiachin. The genealogy continues and we’ll pick it up in verse 16:

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. –Matthew 1:16.

Remember, Joseph was not Jesus’ natural father. If he were, then the blood curse that God pronounced on the lineage of David would apply to Jesus! No, Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, thus fulfilling the specifications that the Messiah was a descendant of David.

Something also peculiar that you might gloss over. In Luke 3, there is a little verse that has significant implications.

When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli. –Luke 3:23.

Did you pick up on that? In Matthew 1:16, it says that Joseph’s father was Jacob. Here in Luke, it makes it sound like there is a contradiction by saying “Joseph, the son of Eli.”

Who is Eli?

Eli is Mary’s father! In other words, Joseph is Jacob’s son by birth, and Eli’s son (in-law) by marriage to Mary. In order to really get at what is going on here, we need to dig back into the Old Testament to the book of Numbers.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

I won’t get into all the scriptures here, but will provide them in a moment. Basically what happened is that Zelophehad did not have any sons, only daughters. In ancient Israel, inheritance would typically go to sons. After Zelophehad had died, his five daughters came to Moses asking him what would happen to their father’s property who died without sons?

Moses then took the question directly to God who made a very particular exemption. However, this exemption was absolutely critical to the coming of the Messiah that we don’t appreciate the implications until we get to Jesus’ birth! God anticipated this detail a thousand years before Jesus’ birth!

If you want to dig into the background, check out these passages:

• Numbers 26:33
• Numbers 27:1-11
• Numbers 36:2-12
• Joshua 17:3-6
• 1 Chronicles 7:15

Merry Christmas 2010!

On behalf of the Chavez family, I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s love, grace, and mercy.

May He Increase!

Israel is front-page news again. Israel, the cup of trembling, once again has the ire of the world at large concerning their blockade of Gaza.

I don’t worry about Israel. The whole world can go ahead and condemn them. I’m not the least bit worried nor concerned about Israel. You know why?

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. –Psalm 121:4-8.

The Creator of all things keeps Israel. Do you hear me all you enemies of God’s chosen? God keeps Israel, and He will neither slumber nor sleep! And for how long? Forever!

That is security.

Discern the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3): Israel’s Messiah is returning soon: which side will He find you on?

May He Increase!

One day turned into two and before I realized it, it’s been over a week. Things have been quite stressful for me at work and family life has been hectic of late. I decided to change my routing up a little, put the blog on the back-burner for a little while and try to find some rest in the Lord.

In truth, I found myself really leaning not upon my own understanding but on God’s promises (Proverbs 3:5). I also felt a lot of spiritual warfare and lies whispered in my ear. Then one day last week, I heard a message on K-Wave 107.9 from 1 John. I believe it was Chuck Smith who was giving the message. The passage that struck me was:

We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. –1 John 3:19-20.

Friends, God is so good. I love it when God speaks to me right when I needed it most.

For God is greater than our heart and knows all things . . .

Amazing. But it continues:

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because keep keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. –1 John 3:21-22.

When Satan tries to lie to you and tell you: “Wow, you really screwed up your testimony there, buddy,” God knows all things, He is greater than our heart. When your heart tries to tell you, “You really aren’t doing all that much for the Kingdom,” God knows all things, He is greater than our heart.

Really. What are we made of? Dust. What do you expect from dust? Nothing. God knows our frailties and God knows we are sinners. But in spite of this, He loves us. He knows how many hairs you have on your head! (Matthew 10:30) I know that, this side of heaven, I will never understand the depths of God’s love for you and I.

God is greater than this wicked heart, out of which flow so much evil (Matthew 15:18-19). God provided Himself (Genesis 22:8) as the propitiation for my sins, my frailties, my wicked heart. That is the kind of love that I will never understand. But that is the kind of love that I can put my complete trust and faith in, that no matter how hard I may fall, He is there to pick me back up and get me on the path back to His home.

May He Increase!