4/1991 - Be Anxious for Nothing

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [guard] your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).

Jesus had just given His disciples some very disquieting news—about Himself; about them, about the world—and in the course of it, urged them not to be troubled or fearful.

One of the by-products of the Persian Gulf war has been a large number of questionable books and articles, to say nothing of lectures, on the prophetic implications of this conflict. One of the unfortunate results of the careless handling of the subject, has been the increase of anxiety among Christians everywhere.

The Gulf Crisis has demonstrated this point, the people have been stirred up with absurd predictions about America’s doom and the eminent approach of Armageddon.

As far as America’s doom is concerned, America is probably the greatest bastion of Christianity in the world. The polls all show a high majority of believers (possibly as much as 80%). It is not that America could not use considerable help in its moral fiber and social problems. I have always agreed that there are many pockets of iniquity in this country that need attention, but to make this a cause for the destruction of America is an unwarranted conclusion.

Unfortunately, many believers are kept in a state of nameless fear. When is God going to strike America with catastrophe? When is the world going to blow up with nuclear bombs? When will earthquakes wipe out our cities? All of this fear is based upon the assumption that the coming of Christ has got to be accompanied with great cataclysmic terrors. Who then will look for the coming of Christ with great expectation? Human nature would hope that He delays His coming.

We handle them by understanding what the New Testament is really saying about prophecy. As far as the present situation is concerned, there are a number of things that can be said that will lead to peace of mind. In the first place, there is no indication in the Scripture whatsoever that the coming of Christ is tied in with all of these natural cataclysms and catastrophes. Those events, outlined rather extensively in the book of Revelation, relate to the Jewish era and will take place largely when the Church—the bride of Christ—is already in heaven. Revelation 6 begins the setting forth of this scenario of destruction and takes place after the scenes in chapter 4 and 5 which depict the bride of Christ already in heaven. The so-called "seven-sealed book" in chapter 6 is something of a summarizing of the events that are to follow. Revelation 19 shows Christ recovering Jerusalem, with His heavenly hosts.

Chapter 20 gives us the millennial period with Satan bound for a thousand years, followed by his release "for a season." Upon his release, he gathers together the forces symbolized by "Gog and Magog," and begins the events that have been predicted in Ezekiel 38. This is the true Armageddon. It shows the host of Satan in a final siege of Jerusalem, which is, at that time, "an unwalled city," that is, a city without defenses. God intervenes in the matter and makes short work of the enemy and Armageddon is over. There is no indication whatsoever that Armageddon will be an extended battle with great war machinery. It may, in fact, literally be fought on horseback. God wipes out the enemy forces with celestial fire "in order to show forth His own power and glory."

The idea that nuclear weapons are used, as someone suggested, is not in keeping with this point. In fact, there is no suggestion at any point that the earth will be destroyed by nuclear power. There are devastations that are wrought by natural phenomenon. An interesting point is found in Zechariah 14, which depicts Christ coming back to deliver Jerusalem. At that time, according to that chapter, the nations surrounding Israel are all in place and mentioned, which does not fit in with any kind of universal destruction. It is never suggested that the earth is completely destroyed, although a very large portion of the Middle East might be devastated. Any suggestion that the United States might be involved in any of these cataclysmic events does not have any real support in Scripture. Some have selected some very obscure passages to make this point.

In considering the entire scenario of the last days, it is important to realize that the word "earth" (eretz) is more likely translated "land" (compare Matthew 12:42), and indicates that all the events of the "last days" will take place in the Middle East. Since the United States is not ever mentioned, it is quite possible that such a large part of its population will be taken to heaven that it will no longer be a significant power at that time. Surely the Bible, which predicted so precisely the events of the Middle East and the nations involved, could have made some major references to the Western Hemisphere, had it been important to do so. As I have always said, if you have to find it with a "pair of tweezers" it cannot be all that important.

I am certainly not going to be absolute about it, but the indication is that there will have to be a considerable period of time yet, during which events will take place that are more in keeping with precise Biblical prophecies. For one thing, a temple is going to have to erected in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 44-48). For another, Israel will have to come to a far more penitent state, where she once more gives primary attention to God and would welcome a Messiah (although a false one). For all the speculations about the present Middle Eastern Crisis, we are certainly nowhere near Armageddon.

To think that the President meant anything more than a renewed effort to bring to the world peaceful co-existence is absurd. Those who pick up on such an idea are desperately searching for some spectacular event to justify their failed system of prophecy which has been off the track since World War I. Reading about these predictions, one has the irrepressible urge to say "here we go again." We really should go back to the turn of the century when many respected Bible teachers were predicting that we were on the threshold of the Millennium and that there would be no more war. There had actually been no major conflict in the world since the end of the Civil War, with the exception of a rather minor "scuffle" in the Spanish-American War.

Ten years ago the Council on Foreign Relations was the scapegoat. This was supposed to be the basis of the "one world order." The "insider’s club" of predictors were all bringing to bear obscure facts about that body, including the famed "Tri-lateral Commission" and the "Bilderberg Conference." Nothing ever came of that, because there was nothing in it to begin with. It was largely a body of specialists who gathered together to debate the world situation and see what they could do about it. Prior to that was the EEC or Common market and before that was the Zionist Movement and before that was the "Yellow Peril" and so on back to Nimrod and the tower of Babel. After a century of misfiring, it would seem that the predictors would be less bold and of course far less absolute.

What you are really asking is, "Isn’t this used as leverage to get the people of God motivated?" The great fallacy of this is that human motivational techniques are substituted for the work of the Spirit within. The truth of the matter is that believers are indeed motivated by the Holy Spirit within to do what Christ wants as He distributes the gifts, but it is not obvious to the leadership because people are not doing what their programs call for. Paul says to the Philippians, "Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

But now back to the more important issue of our own peace of mind. Whatever the "predictors" have to say, the important thing is that the Lord has all of these things in His own hand and, as Jesus urged the disciples to pray, "The will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven." This is our ultimate hope. Beyond that, our peace comes from within and not from any circumstances without. Apart from that peace within, we have no confidence in any of the world events or of the events surrounding our own personal lives. In the midst of many distressing situations, not only as Jesus spoke to His disciples in the garden on the way to the cross, but also as He spoke of the final days. He urges His people not to be troubled.

The answer is that His presence in our spirits gives us a continuous river of peace within. He said to the disciples, "My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you." Galatians 5:22 says that the "fruit of the Spirit is peace." And Paul tells the Philippians that the "peace that passes all understanding" shall keep [guard] their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Actually, the presence of Christ gives us a worship center within, where we worship God in the Spirit (John 4).

One indicator is that the ministry will lead to peace and not to confusion and anxiety. Paul tells the Corinthians that "God is the Author of peace and not of confusion." If it is confusing or produces anxiety, leave it alone. Another evidence of substantial scholarship is the reluctance to be absolute. Even Jesus said that it is "Not for you to know the times or seasons." It is all right to speculate as long as one makes it clear that he is speculating. Even then, it must be done cautiously and in more general terms. The more absolute one is, the more likely he is to claim some kind of special "revelation from the Lord." A great host of these "words from the Lord" have been in error.

The final suggestion is that one simply commit these matters to Christ and realize that in the great profusion of voices, there has been much error. Unless one is a qualified scholar, it would be almost impossible to sort out all of the various opinions.

Be anxious for nothing . . . A final word about the Philippians 4:6,7—the word translated "careful" really means "anxious." It is from a Greek word which means to be "distracted" or "torn apart." It should further be noted that the peace of Christ supersedes our human power of understanding, and thus we must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us steadfast. It is well to recognize that all of the fears and anxieties of the human mind are based upon illusions of one kind or another. Most of the things that we are anxious about never happen, in the first place, and in the second place, if and when they do happen, we are given the grace of God to handle them. God does not give us the grace to think about these future events or to handle events that are happening in someone else’s life. Only when we face the situations themselves, will God give us the grace to handle them.

The Holy Spirit has established a worship center within—our own temple. So keep in touch with that worship center, where the Spirit energizes our prayers and don’t pay undue attention to the profusion and confusion of the voices around you.