500 Years Later: What's Next for the Church—Another Reformation, or the Resurrection?

October is over, and we are now staring at two months left in the year 2017—the year of convergence, the year of significant anniversaries (see here and here), the year of the sign. Many in Christendom are looking back in remembrance to the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation (1517). At the same time, there is also a remnant who are looking forward, watching and waiting with great anticipation of Jesus' return.

The year 2017 is a year of stark contrasts as well: There are those who identify with Christ, who are willing to celebrate the glory days of the past and yet have little to no desire for the glory to come. On the bright side, you've got a contingent of believers who are grateful to stand on the shoulders of the saints of old but long for something greater. Not satisfied with the empty pleasures of this current world order, they long for their Savior and His future kingdom rule on earth (2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Rev. 5:9-10; 11:15).

Furthermore, in a season where many celebrate the darkness (Dia de los Muertos and Halloween), it is the light of the gospel and the courageous efforts of the Reformers that still shine brightly today. And yet, there is a tragic, bitter irony in Jesus' words to the church at Sardis which also speaks to the grave spiritual climate of today's Protestant churches:

...I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you" (Rev. 3:1-3, ESV).

Ouch. The One who searches every heart also looks down the corridors of the Church age and sees a fire that has gone out among a community of churches that has made men like Luther and Calvin household names. Like their forerunner Sardis, these Protestant seminaries and churches have a reputation for being alive, but the words of the Savior cut through the fluff and expose the charade.

Instead of being alive, the children of the Reformation today are among the dead and dying. Instead of watching for Jesus to return, many would rather be watching The Walking Dead.

How did it come to this given the positive reputation of the church (Rev. 3:1)? And what does Jesus mean by "watching" (KJV) or "waking up" (ESV) anyway (Rev. 3:3)?


The Missing Pieces of the Protestant Reformation: Ecclesiology and Eschatology 

In Acts 20:27 the apostle Paul declares to the elders of Ephesian church, "...I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God," and to his successor Timothy, he writes, "For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine..." (2 Tim. 4:3).

The whole counsel of God. Sound doctrine. Genesis to Revelation and everything in between. In order to reach maturity and "the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13), we've got to be diligent students of the Word, Spirit-led and Spirit-fed, not majoring in the minors, isolating texts out of context, or shying away from difficult passages. Oh, and a teachable spirit and a lot of humility go a long way in this endeavor.

One of the most efficient ways to become a more well-rounded believer is to read a thorough systematic theology. See here for a quick definition and explanation (What is Systematic Theology?).

Lacking as I am in the organizational department, I have appreciated the orderly compilation of others who have categorized and expounded the core doctrines of the faith. For example, during my tenure at Dallas Theological Seminary, I was required to read Lewis Sperry Chafer's systematic theology, especially in my soteriology and ecclesiology classes.

Do I keep one of these large tomes on my nightstand for bedtime reading? No (lol). But when I had the allotted time, reading Chafer and others laid a solid foundation for my further studies.

All this to say: We are blessed in this generation to have so much knowledge at our disposal. However, with instant access to an abundance of knowledge, there comes a need for wisdom and discernment to have any hope of making sense of it all. In hindsight, there are two glaring deficiencies in the systematic theologies of the Reformers: Ecclesiology and Eschatology.

This is not a knock against the work of those faithful men and women during that era. It is merely an observation that the more pressing matters at that time were issues of soteriology (e.g. justification by faith), bibliology (e.g. sola scriptura), and christology (e.g. the sufficiency of Christ's once-and-for-all atoning sacrifice). In God's sovereign plan, the emphasis and reclamation of a proper eschatology and ecclesiology didn't come to fruition until the mid-1800s with the prophecy movement led by John Nelson Darby and company.

The Reformation is so-called because the prominent leaders of the movement only sought to reform "the Church" rather than completely separate from her (which, at that time the visible "Church" was the heavy yoke of Rome). Thus, Luther, Calvin, and company assumed the ecclesiology and eschatology of Augustine (i.e. the Church is the new, or true Israel + amillennialism). Consequently, I believe those today who have inherited the legacy of the Reformers, our Lutheran and Reformed brethren, have self-imposed blinders to the prophetic reality that is unfolding in 2017.

In the grand scheme of things, it makes perfect sense for the LORD to exponentially unseal the prophetic word at such a time as this. After all, we are in the waning minutes of the last days. Don't believe me, just watch!

And on the subject of watching...


Watch What? 

Revelation 3:3 has made its rounds in our online watcher-community, and rightly so. Jesus' words taken at face value imply that it is possible to know the timing of His thief-like return. Some may interpret "watching" or "waking" as living an upright life, staying "spiritually alert" at all times. The crucial aspect of having Christ's imputed righteousness aside, aren't there Christians out there who live good lives as upstanding citizens and benefactors? Aren't there believers out there who don't think Christ is coming back any time soon (or at all in the physical, corporeal sense), and yet you would still let them babysit your kids?

So, can "watching" or "waking" really mean just living a pure life before God and others? If so, how would that help you determine the time of Jesus' arrival? Personally, I'm struggling to see a connection. I'm willing to broaden the definition of an "hour" (see Rev. 3:10), but I'm not willing to accept that "watching" in Rev. 3:3 merely means to have your doctrinal ducks in a row while striving to keep God's commandments. Sure, I acknowledge there is a connection between abiding in Christ and not being ashamed at His coming (1 John 2:28; 3:3); however, we are seeking to understand the correct interpretation of Rev. 3:3 in context.

What does the Lord Jesus want Sardis (and those of her ilk today) to watch for? Are there concrete signposts or world events that can help us to narrow down the timeframe? Yes, there's a host of them in the self-same book (and from our vantage point, the mother of all signs in Rev. 12:1-2)!

Back in January of this year, I posted an article entitled "Revelation 2–3 and the Timing of our Departure." Given what has already transpired throughout the Fall Feast season, I realize how zealous and eager I was for the Feast of Trumpets to be our go-time. Like many others who thought this way, I was wrong in my assumptions and jumped the gun. Nevertheless, I invite you to read Thomas' paper and consider the profound thought of Jesus' return for the Church and the onset of Daniel's 70th week occurring simultaneously with little time in between.

Here's a short section of what I wrote back then:

Thomas draws out further evidence from the book of Revelation that our rescue and departure from the earth occurs in tandem with the onset of the Tribulation period...I had never even considered how Jesus' statements in the seven letters were illogical if we did not understand His imminent return to include a simultaneous rescue of believers (Rev. 3:10) and judgment against unbelievers (Rev. 2:16, 22-25). It's a simple yet profound insight which confirms what some of us already know and firmly believe about the sudden removal of the body of Christ immediately prior to, or concurrent with, the start of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 12:1-5)."

As I said before in my last post, last time I checked the Tribulation hasn't started yet. The covenant with Death and Hell hasn't been signed, and there is no construction underway for the Tribulation temple. The LORD's plan is still unfolding, and we are still right on schedule. From the prophetic landscape today, as we survey our times and interpret God's word correctly, we are able to see that our rescue is imminent.

I believe the confirmations and signs from the LORD will continue unabated until we have escaped and stand before the Son of Man (Lk. 21:36). Therefore, keep watching! Do not be dismayed, but be encouraged!

Let's take on the Philadelphian mindset and keep enduring and persevering in our watching. Look for that open door (Rev. 3:8; 4:1)! The hour that sleeping Sardis fails to wake for will be the same hour of our escape...and also the hour of trial that comes upon all who dwell on the face of the earth (Rev. 3:3, 10).

Maranatha!

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