Page 160 - Advanced New Testament Survey Student Textbook

Appendix A

What’s next on the Agenda?
We concluded our study of the New Testament with a look to the future. History is linear. It has a
beginning and it will have a conclusion. So from our vantage point, what is coming next in the history of
the church?

Obviously, we cannot know the future. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow. However, the
Bible does give us a “perspective” from which we can view what is happening in our world with
confidence in the fact that God is SOVEREIGN over everything that has happened and will be happening
next month and next year. Remember, History is HIS STORY.

Where are we at today?
Most Bible scholars today place our generation in the “last days” of the Bible. Why? Because of the
hundreds of prophecies concerning the last days, we have seen many now fulfilled. For example, Israel
has not been a nation for over 2,500 years, but the Bible predicts that in the last days, the people of
Israel will once again become an independent nation on earth. In 1948 we saw that prophecy fulfilled.
The Bible talks about the federation of nations in Europe from which the Antichrist will arise. That
federation in Europe is now complete. The Bible predicts that Iran, Turkey, and Russia will be a coalition
of countries that unite against Israel. For the first time in history, those three countries are now aligned
in a coalition. So we see daily the world’s political structures aligning up as predicted in the Bible.

Another indication that signifies that we are in the last days is the condition of mankind morally. Check
out these verses in 2 Timothy 3:1-5:

3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will
2
be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
3
ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
4
loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
5
God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Never before in history, no matter how decadent mankind has been, have we seen the lot of mankind
better described by these verses. As we watch the news, daily we see these descriptions lived out in the
lives of our politicians and even our spiritual leaders.

This was published recently on Facebook:

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following
statistics:
• 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
• 7 have been arrested for fraud
• 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
• 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 business
• 3 have done time for assault
• 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
• 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
• 8 have been arrested for shoplifting

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