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Progressive Illumination

"If it is new, it's not true!"

Some sayings are quaint but remain functionally inaccurate. Many Bible teachers believe and teach that if the First Century "church fathers" did not teach, preach, or write concerning any particular matter, then it lacks credibility. These Bible teachers surmise that anything new must be false. The fact remains that there “is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Herein lies a most important truth. Though something may come to new light for us personally (illumination), the truth was already known when God initially unveiled it (revelation). Illumination is not the reception of truth, but the enlightened understanding of truth previously given. God’s truth remains unchanged, but man’s understanding of that truth is constantly changing.

Progressive Technology and Progressive Illumination

Progressive illumination explains why the current generation has focused on end times' events more than all preceding generations combined. Think about it. The Bible says that the beast will have a deadly wound that will be healed. For the first twenty centuries, people may have wondered how news of the beast's healing could be known by “all the world.”

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Of course, television, satellites and the internet make all of this possible. The advent of television did not take place until the end of the twentieth century. However, satellites and the internet have made covering news events an instantaneous worldwide phenomenon. This is another example of progressive illumination. The prophecy may have been written almost twenty centuries earlier, but not until this generation do people have the understanding of the prophecy's ease of fulfillment.

Additionally, could anyone in the first, or even the nineteenth, century have conceived how the mark of the beast could be IN the right hand or IN one's forehead? Yet, the Bible has always taught that the mark will be both UPON the forehead (Revelation 20:4) and IN the right hand or IN the forehead.

Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

What could the Bible mean by saying the mark will be "in" the individual's forehead or right hand? The writers nor prophetic teachers had any concept over the last 1,900 years of computer chips that could facilitate the prophecy concerning the mark of the beast.

In fact, no writer for the last 5,900 years ever wrote about other current spectacles. No writer mentioned prior to the last 100 years mentioned Social Security numbers, computer chips, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) chips, verichips, cashless societies, brain scans or biometrics, so how could these serve as a fulfillment of end-times' prophecy since these concepts do not precede the current or last century? All this serves to validate the fact that our God declares “the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10).

Christians prior to the current generation had no concept of satellites or surveillance cameras and drones used to spy and remotely kill. All of these gadgets have emerged to help prepare the world for the end times. However interesting these new developments, it is just as likely that the world could experience a high altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), wiping out all electronic equipment, necessitating the return of swords, horses and maybe even guillotines as possibly alluded to in scripture.

Ezekiel 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

Ezekiel could simply have used this description to represent a mechanized military force or maybe a HEMP device will necessitate a return to primitive weaponry. This is most interesting because earlier generations would have accepted this truth with no question, but as intelligence progressed generations might have been tempted to doubt that warfare could ever return to such a primitive fashion. As intelligence has progressed to an even greater degree, men can once again imagine how militaries might be forced to return to the sword, shield, armour, and horses. This occurrence would also explain the necessity of beheadings of the followers of Christ during the tribulation.

Revelation 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.

The beheadings could infer the return to antiquated weaponry or even point to the chosen method of Muslim execution. Regardless of the significance of the future beheadings, the book of Daniel offers further insights into the effects of progressive illumination.

The Prophecies: Revealed, but Not Illumined

Daniel, along with other Old Testament prophets, wrote about things he did not understand though he prayed for understanding.

Daniel 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

According to Daniel, the prophecies and their meanings were closed to the prophet who prophesied them. Herein lies a perfect example of the difference between revelation and illumination. The truth was revealed to Daniel, but he lacked the level illumination that would be known by future generations. In fact, the Bible declared that the illumination of these things would not take place until the time of the end.

Peter's first epistle further suggests that the prophet Daniel was not alone in his desire and maybe even frustration in not understanding these prophecies. Similar to Daniel, other of the prophets, inquired and searched for answers concerning their prophecies.

1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

These prophets inquired and searched diligently. They wanted to know “what” and “what manner of time,” or, in other words, what was going to be and when it was going to come to pass. The actual understanding of these prophecies was not, however, intended for the prophets but for future generations.

Their Eyes Deceived Them

To this day, the body of Christ is divided on the events preceding the return of Christ. Much of this can be attributed to a lack of biblical understanding, especially as it pertains to rightly dividing the word of truth, but another problem exists. Historically, churches witnessed great spiritual stirrings that led to thousands of souls being saved, the closing of wicked establishments, and the purification of communities. One can easily see why they would assume that they were building the kingdom and paving the way for the King to come sit on His throne. In order to match the scripture to what they saw, they would often spiritualize kingdom prophecies and apply them to the church. The wolf and the lamb of Isaiah 11:6 were not, in reality, a wolf and a lamb, but were representative of fierce men being altered by the power of the gospel of Christ to the point where they could fellowship with the meekest of men. As the stirrings slowed and evil men began to “wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13), believers became more aware of the reality that scripture taught things would get worse before getting better. One by one, believers began to return to the doctrinal philosophy of the earliest Christians – that Christ’s coming would be the only means by which a kingdom could be established. There is no doubt that many good Christians merely allowed what they saw to influence their doctrine. As the tide turned, believers were reminded that scripture is the only trustworthy authority. The closer we get to the return of Christ the more obvious this will become.

New Light on Old Words

One must tread very carefully in the subject matter at hand. One of the latest Christian fads is to stand and claim a new revelation from God. Some would even boldly assert that this is a fulfillment of the Spirit’s promise to show us things to come. This is more than a matter of semantics, it is a matter of doctrine.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

As the canon of scripture came to a close, revelation ceased! God’s attention turned fully on shedding light on the truth already revealed. The Holy Ghost, our indwelling teacher, teaches us “all things” by bringing to our remembrance those things that Christ has already said.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Scripture is fulfilled before our eyes on a daily basis. The fact that God has been right all along becomes clearer with each passing day. Oftentimes, we have access to a better understanding of scripture than the very men who put quill to paper when the word of God was initially revealed. This knowledge should cause us to walk closer to the Lord than any previous generation.

1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Pastor Andrew Ray

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