5. TUESDAY: THE DAY OF SALVATION
Tuesday, the third day of Revelation, began when the Holy Spirit came in power at Pentecost and will last until the coming of the Antichrist. Traditionally, this period of time has been called the Church Age, but I prefer to call Tuesday the day of Salvation; because it is the only day of Revelation (and therefore, the only period of time in history, past or future) in which there exists a significant opportunity for people to attain salvation. In fact, essentially every person who ever accepts Christ as Savior and Lord does so on Tuesday.
Why? Because on Sunday Christ had not yet come; on Monday only a handful had an opportunity to accept Christ; on Wednesday and Thursday (as we shall see) many will die but few will believe; and on Friday and Saturday it will be too late. Only Tuesday provides an appreciable opportunity for salvation:
2CO 6:
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
As of today, Tuesday has lasted almost 2000 years. No one knows exactly how much longer it will last, but the mounting evidence suggests that it is rapidly coming to a close.
Surprisingly, neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament clearly predicted the coming of the Church Age. Nor did the early Church fully appreciate its reality. But through hindsight, we today can recognize Tuesday, the Church Age, as an important period of history -- distinguished from previous periods by the way God revealed himself to the world. Specifically, we see that on Sunday God revealed himself through the character of the Father, on Monday through the Son, and on Tuesday through the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday is the first of the last days of the Bible -- the first day to be emphasized in Revelation. This day is mentioned in one form or the other in six of the seven parallel accounts. Two of these accounts describe events taking place on the earth and four describe events in heaven.
The Church Age on Earth
In the fourth account of Revelation, the Apocalyptic Animals, we see a brief overview of what happens on the earth during the Church Age:
IV
REV 12:
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Here we see again the extensive symbolism that always leaves room for debate. But through the advantage of historical hindsight, we can formulate a most reasonable interpretation of this apocryphal writing.
When Satan was defeated by Christ on the cross, he knew that his fate was sealed and that he had only a short time remaining. In rage he began persecuting the Jews. Historically, we see that Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans, the temple destroyed, and the Jews dispersed throughout the nations of the world.
But Satan never was able to completely destroy the Jewish people, religion, or culture (one of the miracles of history), because the Jews were protected and preserved by God. Furthermore, according to Revelation 12:6 and 12:14 they will continue to be protected and nourished until Tuesday is over.
Since Satan was not allowed to eliminate the "woman," he made war with "the rest of her offspring," the spiritual descendants of Abraham, the Church. So, throughout the Church Age, Satan's war is not so much with Israel as it is with the Church.
But even here his power is limited (as described previously) and he is unable to prevail against the Church. Therefore, before Tuesday is over, the Gospel shall have been preached in every tongue and to every nation on the earth.
Of course, one does not have to be a genius to recognize that this prophecy has already been or is very close to being fulfilled. In fact, recent events[1] suggest that Israel's days of protection in the wilderness are over. Therefore, it is only logical to conclude that the Day of Salvation also is essentially over.
The Letters to the Seven Churches
In my mind, there is no question but that the first account of Revelation, the Letters to the Seven Churches, pertains to certain historical churches of the first century, because the letters were addressed specifically to those churches. However, these seven churches in Asia Minor -- Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea -- are not the only churches in history to which these letters have pertained. In fact, throughout the whole Church Age (in every generation) there have been individual churches that have been characterized by these letters. Just like all other Biblical Scriptures, these letters were intended to speak to Christians in every generation.
But according to the Harmony of Revelation, these letters to the seven churches constitute one of the seven accounts of the last days. Therefore, there should be a special meaning or interpretation of these letters that is particularly appropriate during the last days.
Without the advantage of hindsight, this meaning probably could never have been understood. But to us who are living during the end of the Church Age, the meaning is fairly obvious. In retrospect, we can see how these letters constituted a prophetic, chronological history of the overall characteristics and problems of the collective church body throughout the whole Church Age.
Let us look at each of the letters in turn and see how the church as a whole has evolved throughout history.
Ephesus (A.D. 50 -- 100)
I
REV 2:
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
The letter to Ephesus is quite descriptive of the first century church. After the initial explosive spread of the Gospel, the Church lost its first love and began serving less and less out of love and more and more out of a sense of duty. Yes, the members worked hard, demonstrated patience, hated evil, tested the prophets, and persevered. But they were not working as hard as they did at first nor did they, as a group, repent of this complacency; so their "candlestick" was removed and they entered a period of great persecution.
Smyrna (A.D. 100 -- 300)
I
REV 2:
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The letter to Smyrna typifies the second and third century church. During this time of persecution, the church experienced severe tribulation and poverty (but were rich in God's sight). They saw how the Jews blasphemed God by rejecting his Son; they were thrown into prison to be tested; and, being faithful even to death, they eventually impacted the whole Roman Empire.
Pergamos (A.D. 300 -- 600)
I
REV 2:
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
The letter to Pergamos describes the church during the fourth through the sixth centuries. It was during this period of time that the church merged with the state, committing spiritual adultery through such a worldly alliance. Oh, they did hold fast to Jesus' name and did not deny the faith, but being merged with the state, they were living where Satan had his throne. Just like Balaam (NUM 22-24) they wanted to serve God, but they also wanted the things that only worldly power could bring. So they compromised their principles and incorporated false doctrines into the church.
Thyatira (A.D. 600 -- 1500)
I
REV 2:
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The letter to Thyatira is appropriate to the church of the Middle Ages. During this period of time the church allowed itself to be seduced more and more into superstition and pagan practices. Yes, its members worked hard, loved God, served well, kept the faith, and endured patiently, but they also stopped seeking the knowledge and truth of God. By blindly accepting the religious dogma handed down by those who claimed to be God's spokesmen, they allowed themselves to be beguiled into ignorance and immorality. Consequently, sickness and suffering were common occurrences during this period of time.
Sardis (A.D. 1500 -- 1750)
I
REV 3:
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The letter to Sardis typified the church during the Reformation Era. By this time the church had evolved into a form of tradition and hierarchy that gave it the appearance of being alive without the Spirit of life. Realizing this, a "few" Christians tried to revive the church. They rediscovered (remembered) the foundations of their faith (how they had received and heard the Gospel) and brought about a certain amount of reform (repentance). The resulting reformed church therefore believed itself to be alive. But being complacent in its newfound knowledge and still clinging to its traditional orthodoxy, it too was dead in the sight of God. Both the traditional church and the reformed church failed to realize that orthodoxy, legalism, and theology (religious theory) are not sufficient to breathe life into a church.
Philadelphia (A.D. 1750 -- 1925)
I
REV 3:
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The letter to Philadelphia applies to the church during the Great Missionary Era. Finally, after seventeen hundred years, revival came to the church. Once again concern for the lost rekindled a zeal for winning souls, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ was spread throughout the world. During this period of history the door to evangelism truly was open and no one was able to shut it.
Laodicea (A.D. 1925 -- ?)
I
REV 3:
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Unfortunately, the letter to Laodicea typifies the church of today. During the last part of the twentieth century, the church has become more and more complacent (lukewarm). All too many Christians today think they've got it made: their salvation is secure, they have food on the table, and they really have no need of anything. They want to live good moral lives but usually are too busy to think about spiritual matters. They also wish more people were being saved, but not enough to witness to their neighbor or to sacrifice for missions. Obviously, Christ is not going to tolerate this lukewarm attitude forever. It is only a matter of time (and probably not much of that) until he spews us out of his mouth.
The Multiple Meaning of the Prophecy
From the above discussion, we can see that the letters to the seven churches describe quite accurately the evolution of the collective church body throughout the whole Church Age. This first account of Revelation also makes it vividly clear that we currently are living in the very last part of the Church Age and that the Day of Salvation could end at any moment.
Since this account ends at the end of the Church Age, this account appears to differ from all the other accounts in that it describes what happens during one and only one of Revelation's seven days. But this is not the case. Just like the other six accounts of Revelation, this one describes more than just one last day.
However, unlike the other accounts, which need to be read and interpreted only once, this one needs to be read and interpreted twice. The first interpretation pertains to the history of the church during the Church Age, the second to the history of the church during the subsequent last days.
But how do we justify this practice of interpreting the Church account twice? We simply demonstrate that this is how the account fits into the Harmony of Revelation.
Since we have already shown that the first interpretation fits the historical evolution of the church, all that remains is to show that a second interpretation fits the harmonistic view of the other last days. But before we do this, let us take a look at what Revelation says is happening in heaven during the Church Age.
The Church Age in Heaven
During the Church Age, while the above chronology is taking place on earth, certain things are also happening in heaven. Four of the seven accounts of Revelation describe these events:
II
REV 4:
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
REV 5:
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
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III REV 8: 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. |
V REV 15: 5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. |
VII REV 20: 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. |
From these accounts we can see that in heaven during the Church Age:
1. God is on his throne. He rules and reigns, is worshipped, praised, and adored by angels, celestial beings, and resurrected saints.
2. Christ, the Lamb, also reigns and is worthy to be worshipped, praised, and adored.
3. Resurrected Christians also sit on thrones and reign with Christ. Revelation 4 mentions 24 elders on 24 thrones (perhaps the Apostles and the Sons of Israel, symbolizing all Christians and all Jews). Revelation 20 mentions martyrs sitting on thrones having judgment committed to them. Revelation 3:21, although not a chronological part of one of these accounts, is a general statement that agrees with the fact that Christ now reigns in heaven and that we too will join him when we die.
4. Only Christians will be resurrected during the Church Age. Revelation 20:5 calls this the "first resurrection," and asserts that the rest of the dead will not be raised until later.
5. Revelation 8:2-4 shows that the prayers of the saints are heard throughout the Church Age.
6. Revelation 15:5-8 reminds us that Tuesday is the Day of Salvation. It tells us that the Church Age began when the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. This opening occurred when Christ died on the cross and the veil of the temple on earth was torn from top to bottom (MAR 15:38). This event ushered in the Day of Salvation because it meant that access to God was no longer denied. As long as salvation is possible, this age of witnessing will continue. But when the Day of Sin begins, access to God will be denied, not because of any closing of the temple,[2] but because the smoke from the glory of God and from his power will fill the temple and prevent anyone from entering (REV 15:8). In other words, during the Day of Sin evil people will be repelled by God's glory (they want the pleasures of sin) and during the Day of Death they will be repelled by his power (they want peace and tranquility). Only after all of the plagues are over will people again have any opportunity to be saved. Unfortunately, as we shall see, few will survive until that time.
The Duration of the Church Age
There are three Scriptures in Revelation that predict how long the Church Age will last. Revelation 12:6 says "1260 days," Revelation 12:14 says "for a time and times and half a time," and Revelation 20:3-7 says "1000 years." At first, these three times seem inconsistent with one another, but if the Harmony is correct, they must all be saying the same thing.
But how can this be?
Well, in the first place, 1260 days is a lot of days; time and times and half a time is a lot of time; and 1000 years is a lot of years. So they all say the Church Age will last a long time.
In the second place, if one remembers that other Biblical prophecies use the word "day" to signify a year,[3] then we can see how 1260 days could easily symbolize approximately 1000 years.
In the third place, "a time and times and half a time" means three and a half units of time. Traditionally, this symbolism has been interpreted to mean three and a half years. But 1260 days is also three and a half years, so these two symbolic numbers mean precisely the same thing.
In the fourth place, the number three and a half is exactly half of seven. Since seven signifies complete in Biblical numerology, three and a half signifies half complete or a complete part. We shall see that other days of Revelation also endure for three and a half units of time.[4] Therefore, we should interpret the number three and a half to mean a complete part or in harmonistic terminology a whole day. This means that the Church Age, regardless of its duration, will last a whole day of God's time.[5]
In the fifth place (and here I admit to stretching the logic somewhat): (1) since both 1260 days and "a time and times and half a time" are associated with the number three and a half, (2) since the number three and a half is just "half complete," and (3) since 1000 years represents the same half-completed time interval, then (4) the corresponding completed interval of time should be exactly twice the 1000 years, and (5) the Church Age should last literally 2000 years.
But this is exactly the same amount of time as the Biblically emphasized part of Sunday (2000 years from Abraham to Christ). So, if the above argument is valid, it would appear that Sunday and Tuesday last, literally, the same length of time. Now, isn't this an amazing coincidence? Or do you think it might be the result of some kind of planning?
Furthermore, we shall see that the duration of the rest of the last days is insignificant when compared to Tuesday. Therefore, if Tuesday does last literally 2000 years, then Monday, the Day of Christ, would occur precisely at the center of God's time frame. In other words, Christ literally would be the central figure of human history. Again I ask you, "Is this coincidence or planning?"
In any case, if we assume that Tuesday lasts exactly 2000 years and that Monday ended somewhere around 30 A.D., then we can conclude that the Church Age will end in or about the year 2030.
The Population Explosion
When I first encountered this date I experienced a strong feeling of deja vu. I knew I had seen the number 2030 before. In fact, as a scientist, I recognized it as being almost exactly the same date that the population of the world is projected to reach catastrophic proportions.
This conclusion is based upon the following graph, which shows the amount of living space available for each person on the earth during the past two thousand years.[6]
Fig. 2.1.
Graph of living space versus time.
As you can see, the living space has decreased linearly over time as the population of the world has increased. For example, when Christ was born, there were approximately 100 million people living on the earth so that each person had, on the average, about 95 acres of land from which to derive a livelihood. But by 1982 there were about 4.55 billion people on the earth, and so each person's living space had been reduced from 95 acres down to only 2 acres!
The graph shows the trend that has persisted for the past 2000 years. It also shows that if this trend continues only for another 30 years, then sometime around the year 2026 A.D. the amount of living space per person will be reduced to ZERO! Therefore, LIFE ON THIS PLANET WILL BECOME IMPOSSIBLE!
Obviously, between now and the year 2026 the historic population trend must change. But the fact that it hasn't changed significantly as of today means that when it does change, that change will have to be dramatic and occur in an ever-decreasing amount of time.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: I don't care what you believe about the Bible, about eschatology, or about the future of mankind (even if you optimistically believe that human beings somehow are going to survive for billions of years into the future), it is a scientific fact that the current population trend (which has prevailed for the past 2000 years) cannot possibly continue for another 30 years.
So what?
So the population explosion MUST stop. One way or another it WILL stop. And the shorter the time in which it comes to a stop, the more catastrophic will be that stopping. The closer we get to that 2026 deadline without slowing down, the greater become the chances that that stopping will constitute a devastating COLLAPSE.
Therefore, whether Christ returns or not, the world's population is going to peak in or about the year 2026. After that date it will almost certainly decrease dramatically. (Use your own imagination to guess how.)
But even if you take the most optimistic scenario possible and assume that the world's population abruptly stabilizes at some viable level (in which case it better start happening soon), then it still will be true that the largest FRACTION of the world's total population will be alive during the generation that lives in 2026 than in any other generation, past or future.
Let me put it another way. The world's population is growing so fast that more people were born during the last 35 years than the total number of people that ever existed on the earth before that time. If this trend continues, the same statement will be true during the next 35 years and so forth until -- but not beyond -- the year 2026. This means that more than 90% of the people who ever lived on this planet throughout all of history will be alive during the time interval between 1900 to 2026. Regardless of what happens to the population after 2026, such a statement never again will be true.
So if Christ waits until 2026 to end the Day of Salvation, then the maximum possible percentage of the total population of the world will have had an opportunity to attain salvation before his return. Isn't it strange how close this date coincides with the date of 2030 which we derived from the Harmony of Revelation? Again, I ask you, "Do you think this is pure coincidence or a consequence of planning?"
The Expansion of Christianity
But the population explosion is not the only 2000-year-old trend that appears to converge toward a date around 2030. The following graph demonstrates that the expansion of Christianity throughout the world is another.[7]
Fig. 2.2. Expansion of
Christianity during the past 2000 years.
The vertical axis of this graph is the ratio of the number of people in the world to the number of Bible believing Christians. For example, in the year 100 A.D. the estimated world population was 181 million with 180 million of them claiming not to be Christian, 1 million claiming to be Christian, and, of that 1 million, about 0.5 million estimated to be serious believers. Therefore, at that time there were 362 people on the earth per believer. Similarly, by 1992 it was estimated that 10% of the total world population was Bible believing Christians, so that the ratio of people to believers would be 10 to 1.
A more recent plot of this same trend over the past 600 years renders a similar, more detailed result.[8]
Fig. 2.3. Expansion of
Christianity during the past 600 years.
As you can see from both of these graphs, if the trend in Christian growth during the next 25 years continues as it has for the last 600 to 2000 years, then by the year 2020 every person in the world will be a Bible believing Christian.
Wouldn't this be wonderful?
But I seriously doubt that this will be the case.[9] Christ himself said that only a small percentage of mankind would ever attain salvation (MAT 7:13-14). Therefore, I cannot believe that everyone alive in 2020 will be a Bible believing Christian, especially since the previously discussed population trend shows that more than half of the people who ever lived on this planet will still be alive at that time.
So, once again, we conclude that a trend that has persisted for the past 2000 years cannot possibly continue for another 30 years. From both of the above graphs we conclude that the growth of Christianity must stop on or before the year 2020.
But according to 2 Peter 3:3-9, the only reason Christ has delayed his return is to provide as many people as possible an opportunity of salvation. Since the number of people being saved must approach zero on or before the year 2020, there is no reason for Christ to delay his return beyond that date. Therefore, Christ ought to return shortly after the year 2020.
So once again, I ask you, "Isn't it amazing how close this date coincides with the date of 2030 which we derived from the Harmony of Revelation?" And once again I ask you, "Do you think this is pure coincidence or a consequence of planning?"
The Conclusion of the Matter
Now, please don't get me wrong. I don't want to be accused of trying to predict the exact time of Christ's return. Such an effort is doomed to failure from the start; for Christ himself said that no one knows -- nor will anyone know -- the day or hour of his return (MAT 24:36, 25:13).
However, Christ also said that when you see certain things come to pass, you will know that the time is near (MAT 24:27-34). So it is possible for the last generation to know when the end is near. Exactly how near, I cannot say.
There is sufficient scattering among the data points on the above graphs for the projected intersection dates to lie anywhere between 2010 and 2050. The historical date of the end of Christ's ministry is also uncertain by a few years. And there is no real assurance that Tuesday will last exactly 2000 calendar years. So the ending date of 2030 is only an estimate and could easily be off by a few decades. That means that the end of the world could occur at any time between now and a few decades from now. But a few decades is nothing compared to 2000 years. So for all practical purposes, the Church Age is already over!
I hope you find this to be a truly sobering thought: TUESDAY'S GONE! THE DAY OF SALVATION IS OVER! THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WINNING SOULS IS PAST!
Essentially EVERYONE who is not a Christian TODAY (or who is not saved in the IMMEDIATE future) will almost certainly spend eternity in HELL. If you delay any longer in telling your friends, relatives, and neighbors about Jesus, then you might as well kiss them good-by right now. You certainly won't see them a few years from now -- nor throughout eternity.
If we as a Church remain complacent and "lukewarm" about the spiritual condition of the world during this period in which 90% of mankind lives, then we certainly should not be surprised when Christ "spews us out of his mouth."
We Christians simply must get serious. Our commission is so great and the time is so short.