Thursday, July 30, 2009

49. The Rapture. What, where, and when?

This is just an introduction: call it Rapture 101

Q1 - What is the rapture? And where do we find it in the Bible?

First, lets take care of one important issue:
It is claimed by some that the word rapture is not used a single time in the Bible, and that it is an event not taught in the Bible. Right, and wrong, in that order. It is true that the word 'rapture' is not found in the English Bible. But the words Trinity, Bible, missions, and missionary are not found in the Bible either, yet most would agree that they are concepts found in the Bible.

The English word rapture is an English transliteration of the Latin word rapio, of which raeptius is the form of the word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in the Latin Bibles written long ago. This word is usually translated snatch up, catch up, take up suddenly in the English.

In Thess 4:17, we find the verse where the "catching up" of the Church happens:

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Most recent Bible versions use the words "caught up" in this verse. And the event taking place here is the rapture of the church. The church is being "caught up" from the Earth to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. Throughout the New Testament, thirteen times various similar terms are used to tell of other "catching up" or "snatching up" or "snatching away" events that occur.

Q2 - Where will this catching up to meet the Lord happen?
It will happen all over the earth, wherever living or dead believers reside. The verse before the one above says:

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Why do the dead in Christ rise first, before the living do? Some have facetiously (and humorously) said it's because they have 6 feet further to go. But actually the surrounding text tells us why: So that those who are in sorrow about their dead family members won't think that those family members have missed the rapture.

Most believe it will be a wonderful, glorious day above, but a terrible, horrific day down on Earth.

Q3 - When will the rapture of the church take place?
If you are hoping for an exact year, I can't help you. Only that
it hasn't happened yet, so we are in the same position as the Thessalonians, who are now ALL long dead, and whose bodies are still down here on Earth waiting for the upward trumpet call from the heavenlies, to be reunited with their souls which are currently with the Lord.

My two earlier posts #27 (long) and #29 (condensed) attempted to describe the order of the Future History of Earth. As I said elsewhere, most premillennialists believe that the catching up of the church is the next thing on the prophetic calendar. As to whether it is 2 years away, or 20, or 200, we cannot tell -- although most students of the prophetic times agree that it is doubtful that we'll make 200 years without the rapture occurring.

And there is one more issue about "when" that we will cover in the next post: if the rapture does NOT happen before the tribulation starts, what are the other views for the timing of the rapture compared to the timing of the tribulation?
.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

48. Will I be naming the Antichrist soon?

'
Probably not soon, and maybe never, although I am certainly willing to, if God so wills.

Let me explain:
In both posts #27 (long version) and #29 (short version), you see the outline of the Future History that God indicates in scripture will happen. There are debates about the first item in both lists, the Rapture of the Church, as to when it precisely comes in the Bible prophecy sequence, (1) at the first, or (2) in the middle, or (3) near the end of the sequence. I and most premillennialists now take the position that the church will be taken up (lit. snatched up) to heaven before the tribulation begins. And only after that event can the Antichrist be revealed in all his strength and wickedness.

Consider what it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8a:
"6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now restrains will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,..."

Here is a restatement of the same passage indicating whether the Antichrist is meant, or whether the Holy Spirit and the Church are meant:
"6 And now you know that the Holy Spirit and the Church are holding back the Antichrist, so that the Antichrist may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the Holy Spirit who now restrains will continue to do so until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way.
8 And then the Antichrist will be revealed,..."

I've tried to color-code the references to make it clear who is being talked about in the verses. If it doesn't work for you, let me know via comment, and I'll try plan "B".

The timeline around these events can be described as:
1. Currently, the Holy Spirit in believers is working in the world, restraining evil and lawlessness in general; previously in and through Israel, but now in an expanded way in and through the Church.
2. The one who is to become the Antichrist is born and becomes active in the world, but is restrained by the Holy Spirit, and is not yet recognized as "the lawlessness one". Some premillennialists see evidence that we are in this period of history.
3. The Church is snatched up from the earth (popularly known as the rapture), whose loss will be felt immediately due to the absence of the Holy Spirit living and working in and through believers.
4. The Holy Spirit, now "taken out of the way", no longer restrains the Antichrist nor evil in general. And so,
5. The Antichrist is now revealed -- but I believe slowly and partially over the first half of the tribulation (first 3 1/2 years.)
6. During the last half of the tribulation, the Antichrist and his followers unleash their fury upon Israel and the saints who have come to believe in Jesus since the church was snatched up. During the same time, God unleashes his fury and wrath against the Antichrist and his followers.

So will anyone in the Church know who the Antichrist is before the church is raptured? Yes, I think that as time goes on, more and more believers will figure out who it is based on the scriptures. The ones who search the scriptures most diligently, will be the first ones to figure it out and to spread the early warning. But I do not expect this soon.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

47. The Third Lens (w. thanks to Joel Rosenberg)

What I have written below is greatly influenced by Joel C. Rosenberg's best-seller “Epicenter 2.0” (Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2008) which I highly recommend. Still, the words below are my own.

As I watch the news programs on TV, I gravitate toward the conservative shows and commentators, such as Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Greta van Susteren, Karl Rove, Dick Morris, and Newt Gingrich. And yet, I am aware that the main advice and counsel that they give has been generally only viewed through what Joel Rosenberg calls the two lenses of politics and economics. We could call the view “two-dimensional”.

Many such commentators may have Christian moral principles, and may in fact be Christians. But for reasons known best to themselves and to the networks that employ them, they rarely speak about the Biblical view on their shows or on their commentary. They might say that is not their purpose.

By way of comparison, have you ever watched a 3D movie where special glasses were required? Regardless how long you watch it without the 3D glasses, it just doesn’t look like it is supposed to. Watching a three-dimensional movie with only a two-dimensional setup is confusing, as well as unreliable, and even deceptive. (Addition: post-Avatar 5/05/10 10:05 CDT): For example, I saw "Avatar" in a 3D theatre -- and during the showing I took off my special glasses a few times, just to see what it looked like in 2D. It was difficult to watch, and it didn't clarify anything.

It takes adding the third-dimension to make the viewing of the movie trustworthy and accurate. And this also applies to the world of politics and economics. It takes the Bible to add a third-dimension to provide clarity, perspective, reliability and true understanding to the 2D-lens view that most commentators use.

Such TV hosts and commentators usually realize that there is a “problem” that needs to be solved, but rarely is that problem denounced for being evil. Some of the commentators do not have the imagination to see something as actually evil, and not just (1) impractical, or (2) inconvenient, or (3) exorbitant, or (4) against the Constitution. When we add the third lens of scripture, we are able to add the perspective of ‘evil’ vs. ‘godly’ to comments, arguments, events, and proposals.

We need to remember this: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the dark powers of this world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…" Eph 6:12

And this is why in my blogsite profile in the left column, I state that "I have long been convinced that the most reliable guide to what the future holds is the Bible." It gives us the extra insight we need to discern which side of local, national, and world issues we should be on, and how best to fight the battle.

Monday, July 20, 2009

46. You still have time to start with post #1

.
Yes, 46 posts seems like a lot, but the whole thing since inception (June 12, 2009) can be read in about an hour (except for the outline of the book of Revelation). I recommend for new viewers to do that, because so much of the later posts depend on the earlier ones -- even at this early date.

However, as I stated in a previous post, the topics here are not orderly, but rather are scattered for varying interests, drawing closer together in content as time goes on.

I also said this in an earlier post: The Future History Blog is not very far along, and you can still follow the King's advice. I'm speaking, of course, of the King in "Alice in Wonderland", where he exclaims: "Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

If you're new to viewing blogs, the fastest way to start with #1 is to scroll to the bottom of this page (way-way down), and click on the link Older Posts (and maybe a second time on a second page...), then scroll down to #1, and off you go, reading the topics upward! NOTE: This does work if you are viewing just one post at a time -- for example, when you have been linked here to this one post. So the alternative is to find June 2009 in the left column, click on it to reveal the individual posts, scroll down to #1, and then open that post, and continue clicking to get the next post #2.

My hope is that you will find the topics interesting enough to interact with the topics, posting comments and questions. My goal is to answer within 24 hours.

Larry Gott
.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

45. Is the 7-year tribulation clearly mentioned in the NT?

.
A reader asks this question on post #29:
“Where does the New Testament clearly mention anything about a 7-year tribulation?"

Here’s the short answer: "Nowhere", because the reader inserted the word “clearly” in the question. But let’s proceed on anyway, and not answer hastily.

Sigh… Here is the problem:
At times, I wish that God had just given us a Bible Dictionary instead of the Bible -- that way everything about a given subject could be looked up and found alphabetically. Or, perhaps, he could have given us a Systematic Theology instead of the Bible, so we could look up each issue topically. Rarely are things easy in the Bible. That is why (among other reasons) we should study the Bible regularly, diligently, continually, and prayerfully.

For instance, we should learn to not take things out of context. The three most important things in Bible study are context, context, and context.
1. The context of the passage within the immediate context (i.e. the chapter),
2. The context of the passage in the book of the Bible being read, and
3. The context of the passage in the whole Bible. (And sometimes it takes the entire Bible to determine the context. The great and complex topic of the rapture/tribulation/second coming/judgment is so broad and so deep that it is like that.)

That is why we do not want to limit our search for the 7-year tribulation period just to the NT. It rarely happens quite as neat and clean as that. Nor as “clearly”.

But here, there is good news, for both the “tribulation” and the “great tribulation” are mentioned in the NT, and both by Jesus! In Matthew 24:21, He says, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world (or age) until now, nor ever will be.”

The same period is spoken of in Revelation 7:14b […] And he (the angel) said to me, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Many other passages in the NT mention just “tribulation” usually speaking of tribulation in general, but sometimes specifically -- for example, in Matt 24:29 when Jesus says, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

But what about the 7-year issue? Does it tell us somewhere in Matthew that the tribulation period (or great tribulation) will be 7-years?

No, not in Matthew, nor clearly. But as I study the Bible, it helps me to understand that after every verse in the Bible there is an invisible asterisk* that means “Take this verse in the context of the entire Bible”. And the asterisk after “great tribulation” in Matthew says, *see Daniel 9:20-27 and other verses, for a somewhat complex understanding of where the 7-year period comes from.

In its simplest form, in Daniel 9:24 it says that it will take 490 years (70 'sevens' of years) for God to accomplish six (or seven) things in His program for Israel. 483 of those years (69 'sevens' of years) have already occurred and are accounted for in God’s program, but the final 7 years have not yet happened. That 7-year period is still future.

In a future post, I will list and discuss all the Biblical references to
3 ½ years (half the 7-year period), and how the 3 ½ year-long events relate to the 7-year tribulation period, but here I will say simply that most pre-millennialists believe that the 7-year period is the entire tribulation period, and the last half (3 ½ year portion) is the great tribulation.

Thanks for your question! Keep checking, because we will be discussing this some more.

44. What are the 7 churches in Revelation?

.
This question comes from a personal friend, who wants to know if there is something special, perhaps something symbolic about these seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.

First of all, it is important to know that the seven churches that John mentions in chapter 2 and 3 were actual churches that existed at the time of his writing. These churches were planted long before John began writing Revelation, and continued afterward although in some cases not for long. These seven churches were at Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, and were located in the area that was then called Asia (or Asia Minor).

It is good to have a Bible Dictionary on hand (I recommend Holman's) so you can look up where these churches were. Looking at a map, it is obvious that these seven churches were in somewhat of a circle, so they could be visited in order by a bishop, elder, or overseer. There were actually an eight and ninth church in this circuit, the church at Colossae for which the book of Colossians was directed, and the church in Hieropolis (Col 4:13) near Colossae and Laodicea.

And where were these churches on today's map? They were in what
is now western Turkey, southwest of Istanbul. They no longer exist today, and many were only mentioned this one time in the Bible. Some of the churches grew to be large, even through trouble and sorrow. Ephesians we know best by far, from the book of the same name in the Bible, and from the Apostle Paul's journeys to Ephesus in the book of Acts. It likely was the head church of the seven.

The fact that they were in what is now Turkey, means that these cities long ago fell under Muslim domination, and even before that, from the first century, this part of Turkey has fallen under various invader's control. It has been under the control of Islam now for 1300 years, except for short periods.

So, yes, John is writing to seven churches, some as small as a house church, to encourage, instruct, praise, and warn them about their behavior and their belief.

But, on the other hand, these churches may also be something special in two ways:

First, these seven 1st century churches are representative of every church that exists today. There is no church today that does not exhibit some of the good traits and bad behaviors that John warns these 1st century churches about. So if you see your churches' problem here, you'd better work to fix it -- at least your part of the problem.

Second, there is a viewpoint that used to be held more widely than it is today, that these seven 1st century churches are not only examples of the current church situation, but that in their specific order in Revelation, they are representative of the churches throughout history. That is, the church in Ephesus and the things Christ said to it, are representative of the early 1st century church. And that the next church, the church at Smyrna and the things Jesus said to it, are representative of the church under persecution in the last third of the 1st century. And so on, until you get to the church of Laodicea, which is representative of the church of the last days, considered almost always to be the church of the current period, lukewarmness being the primary characteristic.

Hopefully, this will help with understanding the seven churches of Revelation.
.

43. Another new pestilence: mussels.

.
Headline:
Invasive mussels imperil western water system

“Two years after an invasive mussel was first discovered at Lake Mead, the population has firmly established itself and gone on a breeding binge, with numbers soaring into the trillions.

"Despite efforts to stop their spread, scientists say it's only a matter of time before quagga mussels appear throughout the West's vast system of reservoirs and aqueducts, raising operation and maintenance costs by untold millions.”

So starts this article from the Associated Press. Later on, it continues,

"At Hoover Dam, mussels first colonized intake towers and other structures. What started off as one or two mussels every square foot has increased to 55,000 mussels in the same space, said Leonard Willett, the lower Colorado River mussel coordinator for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

"The mussels also are in pipes that cool generators, compressors and transformers, which could disrupt operations. One of the infestation's side effects has been that the mussels can affect water quality and clarity. That's a major concern at Lake Tahoe on the border of California and Nevada."

Click here to read the whole article.
.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

42. How can we know whether Jesus' coming is near?

.
In Matthew 24:32-33 Jesus himself addresses the question, "Is there a way that we can know when His second coming (and the end times) are approaching?"
In a teaching situation, Jesus says, "32 From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."
In verse 24:42, he adds where our starting place should be:
"42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

My wife and I have lots of plants and flowers in our yard. Since Dallas's temperatures often get down to 18-22 degrees in the winter, we are used to having our plants and flowers look almost dead, and then in the spring we watch them revive and blossom forth again. So, when we see the daffodil leaf shoots pop up through the soil, we know that daffodils are near. We WATCH for evidence of life, and when we SEE the early signs of growth, then we KNOW that buds and then flowers will burst forth soon.

Also, when my children were much younger, my mother and I took them on a trip from Fort Worth to San Antonio by train. In the Fort Worth station the train was not yet in sight, but we could see baggage handlers, food service carts, and more and more travelers coming out where the train would stop and load. Then we heard the whistle, and saw the train approach in the distance. We WATCHED for evidence, and when we SAW the early signs, then we KNEW that the train would be at the station soon.

In these verses, Jesus is saying that this 'watching' is legitimate and desireable! It is his only approved way of knowing that his coming is near: WATCH, then SEE, then KNOW.

Note that Jesus is only telling us to watch for the signs so that we can know that the time is approaching, but in the same context he tells us that we cannot know the day or the hour.
.

Friday, July 17, 2009

41. How much of the Bible is prophecy?

.
There is an unstated but significant question being asked here: "How important is prophecy in the grand scheme of the Bible?"
The answer: VERY important and very significant.

The following figures are from Mark Hitchcock's book "101 Answers to the most asked questions about the End Times." (Multnomah Books: Colorado Springs, 2002). He credits J. Barton Payne's "Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy" (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1980)

Total Verses in the Bible: 31,124

Total Number of predictions in the OT: 1,239
Total Number of OT Verses that contain predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210 = 28.5%

Total Number of predictions in the NT: 578
Total Number of NT Verses that contain predictions: 1,711 out of 7,914 = 21.5%

Total Percent of the Bible that is Prophecy: 27 percent.

And yet, my guess is that less than 5% of all sermons, messages, and lessons are taught about prophecy. There's something wrong about that.
.

40. The Thousand Year period - Part 2 of 2

a.k.a. The Millennium
.
This is a continuation of post #39 below, and addresses some issues raised near the end of #39, especially why there would be more than one view of the Millennium, and what the various views might mean and include.

There are three main views of the Millennium, the thousand year period described in Revelation 20: 1-8.

The three views (a.k.a. positions, systems) are called premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial, and are often shortened to pre-mill, post-mill, and a-mill in conversation. Within the premillennial and postmillennial views, there are important divisions that will be discussed sometime in a future post (perhaps in a Part 3 of 2. :^)

The three terms refer not so much to the Millennium itself, but rather its relationship in time and history compared to the second coming of Christ.

Here is a short description of what each of the views believe:

> The premillennial view believes that Jesus' second coming happens before (pre-) the Millennium, and that both the second coming and Millennium are yet future.

> The postmillennial view believes that Jesus' second coming happens after (post-) the Millennium, and that the second coming is future, but the Millennium has either ended, or is still going on (and is longer than a literal 1000 years). [An important variant says that the second coming has already happened, at least in part.]

> The amillennial view does not believe that the Millennium is a literal, actual, 1000-year period, and therefore it is meaningless to place Jesus' second coming in a time and history relationship within such a period. The second coming is generally considered still in the future, although some amillennialists do not believe in a literal, visible, actual second coming.

The postmillennial and amillennial view share a few things in common, in that both of them believe that (1) the Millennium is the period between the two comings of Jesus, (2) that Jesus began reigning in his fullness after he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, (3) that Satan was bound at that same time, and (4) that the Kingdom of God arrived when Jesus was raised and ascended. The amillennial position has historically been the dominant view of the Christian church.

The postmillennial view grew in popularity from the 1600's to the early 1900's, and traditionally has believed that while we await Jesus' coming, the world has been getting better and better, eventually ushering in a new golden age. This view fell upon hard times after the two world wars, and the historical postmillennial view is now in decline, with one important exception: a robust and important recent view usually dated from the 1980's known variously as dominion theology, christian reconstruction, and theonomy. More about this view in a later post.

For the sake of honest disclosure, the writer of this website believes that the premillennial view explains the whole of Biblical prophecy most satisfactorily for many reasons. To mention the two most important, premillennialists feel that both the other two views suffer from two fatal flaws, which are:

First, the interpretation of the binding of Satan. The amillennial and the postmillennial views believe that this happened when Christ was raised from the dead and subsequently ascended to heaven to begin his Kingdom reign. In other words, Satan has been bound since approximately 35 A.D. If you have lived long in this world, you may be surprised to hear that.

Since to the normal Christian it has not seemed (nor does it now seem) that Satan is bound sufficiently, adherants of the two views generally explain that he will be further bound at the end of the age, when Jesus returns.

Now if there were no detailed description in scripture of the actual binding, perhaps we could agree with this position. But the only binding of Satan that the bible describes is not a partial and tentative binding whereby he is weakened, but a full and complete binding in which he is totally disabled. Here is the scripture passage that describes the binding of Satan:

20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the bottomless pit, and shut it up and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. But after that he must be released for a little while.

Note that not only is Satan bound with a great chain during the Millennium, but he was thrown into the bottomless pit. And not only that, but the pit was shut up and locked with a key. And not only that, but it was sealed over him. And further, during this period, the nations cannot be deceived by Satan and his forces. That does not seem to square with the reality of the times since Christ's first coming.

That is why premillennialists say the period starting at Christ's ascension (35 A.D. - present) cannot possibly be the Millennium as the two other views say, because Satan has been active during the entire period and is surely currently active. Therefore the Millennium must be yet future, and the post-mil and a-mill views must be mistaken.

But there is a second reason of equal strength: In Revelation chapter 20, the Millennium begins, not after Jesus Christ's first coming, resurrection and ascension (which in Revelation's prophetic chapters can be seen only in Rev 12:5), but instead after his glorious and victorious second coming which can be seen happening in the 19th chapter, leading the way logically into the 20th chapter. First, His glorious, victorious coming in 19, and only then the Millennium in 20.

I'm sure I will be addressing this issue more in later posts, but as for now, hopefully this will help you understand that while there are three main views, they are not equally valid. And, there is only one view that has no fatal flaw, and which generally adheres to the most reasonable and the most literal meaning of the passages involved.
.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

39. The Thousand Year period - Part 1 of 2

a.k.a. The Millennium
.
Printed below is the only section of the Bible that specifically mentions the Millennium (Revelation 20: 1-8) [many other passages tell of events during the millennium]:

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the bottomless pit, and shut it up and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. But after that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who participates in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years has ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.


You can see that the term "thousand years" is used six times in this portion of scripture, and only here in the entire bible -- AND that the term "Millennium" is never used in the Bible!

Here is a list what is happening during the Millennium:
1. Satan is bound for 1000 years.
2. He will not deceive the nations for 1000 years.
3. Those believers who have been martyred during the great tribulation come to life and reign with Christ for 1000 years.
4. The rest of the dead did not come to life until after the 1000 years were ended.
5. This (3. above) is the first resurrection. (Note: comparing scripture here with other scripture, this is the first resurrection after the victorious return of Christ)
6. After the 1000 years, Satan will be released for a little while.

From my Topic #29, the condensed version of the Future History as presented in the Bible, I have copied the section in which the 1000 years are included:
H. Armies come together at Armaggedon, bloodbath occurs on 7th anniversary of peace pact.
I. Jerusalem falls, Jesus Christ returns with armies of heaven. Evil resistance is crushed.
J. Christ sets up his Kingdom for a 1000 year period, Satan is bound, and martyred believers are raised.
K. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is loosed, a great battle is again fought, and Satan is forever thrown into the lake of fire.
L. The New Heavens and the New Earth are completed. . .

So we can place the Millennium after the Rapture of the Church, after the 7 year period of great tribulation and chaos, after the battle of Armaggedon (which ends the tribulation), and after the glorious and victorious return of Jesus Christ (which ends the battle of Armaggedon).

At least it seems we should be able to put the Millennium after the return of Christ. But not all scholars and leaders in the Christian community agree with this assessment. Next, in post #40, we shall revisit the Millennium and look at the various views held within Christianity.
.

38. ALERT: Post #33 on 1 & 2 Thessalonians

.
The blog software pulled a fast one on me. It stuck my bible study on 1st & 2nd Thessalonians not on the date I completed it (7/15), but rather, back on the date when I started it (7/11) sticking it down a few topics in the stack.

So, if you are keeping up with the topics in order, you need to go down to #33 to see a topic posted last night (7/15).

Once I discovered that, I renumbered the last few topics.
.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

37. Q - What's coming up in the next 30 topics?

'
I remain available for the moving of the Spirit (and for a new idea) [which sometimes may be the same thing], but likely topics in the near future include:

1. The Millennium: Three (four, or five) different viewpoints
2. The Rapture: When will it be? Four views.
3. The Prime Attribute of God: Is it Love?
4. The Future Event that does not cast a Shadow
5. Prophecy: Literal versus Symbolic Interpretation
6. RePost: Future Events indicated by Current Trends
7. Preterism: The future happened in the past
8. It will be worth it all -- when we see Jesus!
9. Biblical Prophecy's call to Holiness
10. Completion of the Future History outlines in topic #27 and #29.
.

36. Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles

'
In Topic #19 "Is North Korea mentioned in Biblical Prophecy", we discussed the Euphrates river, including this passage from the Book of Revelation, chapter 16, verse 12:
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

Incredibly, this may be starting already, no thanks to the countries that are North and North-West of Iraq, that are limiting the Euphrates River water entering into Iraq which is downstream from the source waters.
Here is an article about it.

The article is long, but there is a wealth of information about the problem, its history, and its likely future.

Thanks to end times website "Last Trumpet Living" for the article, originally published in the New York Times.
.

Monday, July 13, 2009

35. One World Government and the Pope

Updated and revised on July 18, 2009 4:55 p.m. CDT

I'm hopping into the middle of something we have not yet discussed on my posts, although if you read the Future History outlines, (long outline or short outline) you can see the One World Government is coming in the future.

In addition, I tend not to be a Pope-basher or Catholic-basher, since both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II are appreciated in protestant circles for their strong stands on morality, on right-to-life, against radical Islam, and for the reliability of the Bible. But here (strangely) Pope Benedict (whom I doubt very much is the Antichrist, nor any Pope!) comes down on the wrong side.

Here's the link to this news item on another end times website. Thanks to David Rozzell for linking me to it on twitter. If you're on twitter, you might follow David at: bearmycross714
.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

34. Put this down in the pestilence catagory!


Headline:
Fast-growing kelp invades San Francisco Bay

A couple of quotes:

A fast-growing kelp from the Far East has spread along the California coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay, worrying marine scientists and outpacing eradication efforts.

Because of its wide range, it has been nominated as among 100 of the world's worst invaders, according to the Global Invasive Species Database. Though Thursday's dive may remove the immediate threat to the bay, Lonhart believes they are fighting a losing battle against a persistent pest.

Click here for the article
.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

33. The Second Coming in 1st & 2nd Thessalonians


BIBLE STUDY - Self-Study

The books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians (5 chapters and 3 chapters) are unusual in that the Second Coming of Jesus is mentioned in every chapter except one (2 Thess 3).

Here are the passages in each of the chapters:

Note that the 1 Thess 4 passage is the longest section in the Bible about the rapture (snatching up, catching up) of the church. More about this important topic in later posts.

1 Thess 1:9-10 : 9 For they themselves (believers in other towns) declare concerning us (Paul and his companions) what manner of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thess 2:18-20 : 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy!

1 Thess 3:11-13 : 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

1 Thess 4:13-18 : 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thess 5:1-11 : 1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

2 Thess 1:5-10 : 5 This is obvious evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give you who are afflicted relief with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, on that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

2 Thess 2:1-12 : 1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a word or by a letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ (or day of the Lord) had already come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (apostasy, rebellion) comes first, and the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the very temple of God, showing himself that he is God.5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

These are all the passages in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians that refer and relate to the second coming of Jesus Christ, be it soon, or a long time from now. Bold highlighting is used to point out the words "come" and "coming".

Future Guided-Study posts will examine these verses one by one. But for now, you have them all in one place for your personal study and comparison.
.

32. And another medium quake in Calif today


Headline: "Quake Rattles California Coast Near San Diego"

see news story here

As the news story says, this quake was estimated as a 4.0 scale. Sounds puny, but it was 10 times larger than any other this last month in California. No injuries or damage.

Do you know how the Richter Scale works?
True or False: A 6.0 scale earthquake is twice as big as a 5.0 scale quake.
FALSE.
A 6.0 scale quake is ten times larger than a 5.0 scale quake.

And a 7.0 quake is a hundred times as big as a 5.0 quake.
And the 8.0 quake is a thousand times as big as a 5.0 quake.
Each number in the Richter scale goes up ten-fold.

Here are a few Richter Scale ratings for noteworthy quakes:
Damage usually occurs at 6.0 and above.

2004 Indian Ocean quake that raised the tsunami: 9.0-9.3 (one hundred times larger than 1994 and 1989 quakes listed below)
1994 Northridge, CA quake : 6.8
1989 San Francisco/Oakland, CA: 6.9-7.1 happened during practice for the 1989 World Series between (strangely) San Francisco vs. Oakland
1985 Mexico City, Mexico quake : 8.1 (Approx 10-15 times as large as either of the two CA quakes)
1964 Alaskan earthquake: 8.5-9.2 (measurements differ, but largest ever in No.Amer.)
1906 San Francisco, CA quake: est 7.8-8.1 (based on damage, no measuring equipment)
1755 Lisbon, Portugal quake & tsunami: est 9.0, opinions differ. Almost leveled the city.

A survival service of The Future History.
.

Friday, July 10, 2009

31. Earthquakes and the End Times

Seven Bible passages and a few current events

Headline today, July 10th, 2009: California 'due for big earthquake' after tremors near San Andreas Fault signal increased stress.

And another today in the Dallas Morning News: 7th earthquake since June rattles Cleburne, TX

California, yes, we’re expecting that one someday – but Texas??

First, let’s do a survey of the scriptures for all the end-time earthquake passages:

1. Ezekiel 38-39 is the main passage that deals with a Russia/Iran alliance with other countries against Israel, that apparently takes place in the early days of the 7-year time of tribulation and chaos.
Ezek 38:19-20 says: For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, on that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish […] and the birds […] and the beasts […] and all creeping things […], and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.
From this passage only you might be surprised to learn that the Russia alliance is demolished by God's direct intervention.

2. Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are three passages that cover essentially the same issues about earthquakes as the last days draw near:
Matt 24:7 says, …for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are just the beginning of birth-pangs.
Mark 13 and Luke 21 are almost identical.

3. Revelation 6:12 tells of the opening of the sixth seal (see outline of Revelation)
Rev 6:12 says: When he (the Lamb) opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood...

4. Revelation 8:5 tells of the opening of the seventh seal, and says: Then the angel took the censer* and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it down to the earth. And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

5. Revelation 11:13 speaks of an event that may be at the middle of the 7-year tribulation period: And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city [Jerusalem] fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

6. Revelation 11:19 tells of the same time period: Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within His temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

7. Revelation 16:18-19 tells of the pouring of the seventh bowl of judgment in the air: And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there has never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city [Jerusalem] was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell…

These are all the passages in the Bible that speak of earthquakes in the end times. (Find another one? Let me know)

Just one thing more about relevant current events:
There have been over 500* earthquakes (of recordable magnitude) in California in the last week. See Cal-Earthquake-Chart

(Note that by Feb 27th, 2010, this figure was up to 750 per week. See blogpost #90.)

Chances are good that the earthquake era is only just beginning.

*censer - Old Testament vessel used for offering incense before God.
*over 500 - this figure continually changes.
.

30. Who is this website for?

Or should that be "Whom" ?

Or should it be "For whom is this website?" ?

Regardless, I see a full range of target audiences:
(A) Unbelievers; the non-religious; the merely curious; those apprehensive about the things coming upon the earth; those who think prophecy in general is a “cool thing”.
(B) Seekers: those genuinely interested in spiritual things like Bible prophecy, but themselves not yet in the Kingdom,
(C) New believers or stealth believers, untaught in Bible prophecy, but interested.
(D) Seasoned believers, for information and confirmation on things to come.

There will be something in here for everybody. As I have said elsewhere, some topics will be at the Prophecy 101 level,
some 201, and some 301 (Greek & Hebrew and all).

I am hoping that the readers will also leave comments to be discussed. I know you're checking in here, because the view count on my Profile keeps going up. I guarantee any reasonable comment will be answered, AND, may be important enough for me to discuss it as its very own numbered post.

(And it's still not too late to start with post #1 -- and it will help with the flow.)

Monday, July 6, 2009

29. Future History Events - condensed ver 0.1

.
Here is the (very) condensed version of my post 27, "Initial Future History Events ver 1.0"

A. The Great Disappearance/The Rapture of the Church
B. The Russia Coalition War/Anti-Israel Coalition Devastated
C. Global Leader-Antichrist emerges/makes 7 year peace pact to protect Israel
D. Catastrophic events on earth and in the heavens/Israel builds temple
E. Global Leader-Antichrist profanes the Jewish Temple, breaks peace pact after 3 1/2 years.
F. Terrible persecution is increased against Jews and Christians, since they are not aligned with OneWorldFaith.
G. Disasters from the heavens and from the abyss ravage earth/world prepares for war against Israel.
H. Armies come together at Armaggedon, bloodbath occurs on 7th anniversary of peace pact.
I. Jerusalem falls, Jesus Christ returns with armies of heaven. Evil resistance is crushed.
J. Christ sets up his Kingdom for a 1000 year period, Satan is bound, and martyred believers are raised.
K. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is loosed, a great battle is again fought, and Satan is forever thrown into the lake of fire.
L. The New Heavens and the New Earth are completed, the New Jerusalem descends, and the Eternal Kingdom is forever ruled by the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with the saints of God as under-rulers and priests of praise.

Final additions of version 0.1 made July 16, 2009 11:14 p.m. CST

Sunday, July 5, 2009

28. Uncertainty below, Certainty above

Rev 9:15...

I tried this message on twitter, and it took two tweets, and I still didn't think I did the verse or idea justice, so I thought I'd expand a little over here on the blog.

Studying prophecy often takes you far outside of prophecy (and that's a good thing!)

Take Revelation 9:15 in context. Here is what is happening, starting in Revelation 5:
(1) A worthy one to open the 7-sealed scroll has been found (Jesus!!), (2) the 7 Seals have been opened by Jesus Himself and the 7 judgments pronounced and consummated, and (3) the angels of God now blow their trumpets in announcement and causation of the next set of judgments from God. (4) Five angels have blown their trumpets, and the sixth sounds his trumpet in announcement of (5) the releasing of four other angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates (Rev 9:13).

Regardless of whether this future event takes place in 2013 or 2023 (or 20230), for us, the timing of this event is uncertain; but for God the timing is exact and precise. Notice His preparation: these four angels had "been prepared for the hour and day and month and year" that they might be released. It could only have been more precise if God would have added "and minute and second". But I think that is contained in the verse, not explicitly but rather implicitly.

God "holds the whole world in His hand", and we tend to think of material holdings like birds and people and the world itself, but he also holds the times and seasons in his hand. Thank God that our times (and seasons) are in his control.
.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

27. Initial Future History Events ver 1.0

Version 1.0 of the Future History event list will be updated further as continued study goes on.
Revised, Enlarged on Sunday, July 5th 10:21

As for now, here is a short and simplified list of the future events anticipated and prophesied in the Bible, with possible related news headlines.

1. The Great Disappearance; Chaos occurs in many parts of the world
. . . Media News: "Hundreds of Millions Disappear; Theories Abound"
. . . Christian News: "Rapture of the Church occurs, world disbelieves"

2. Russian-lead multi-national attack on Israel; anti-Israeli coalition destroyed.
. . . Media News: "Massive Attack on Israel Mysteriously Fails.
Smoke seen around the world"
. . . Christian News: "Ezekiel 38-39 war takes place, God routs the nations"

3. Emerging world leader proposes solution to end war and bring peace to Middle-East.
. . . Media News: "Grand Unifier takes control, promises peace."
. . . Christian News: "Grand Unifier believed to be the Antichrist."

4. World Leader brokers peace for Israel for seven years.
. . . Media News: "Pax Israeli signed by all parties! It is PEACE FOR ISRAEL in our time!"
. . . Christian News: "Grand Unifier shown to be Antichrist,
prepare for chaos and tribulation."

5. Cataclysmic events happen upon the earth, chaos and devastation break out again.
. . . Media News: "Wars, Famines, and Earthquakes ravage the globe. Fatalities uncountable."
. . . Christian News: "The four horsemen of the Apocalypse gallop out. World trembles."

6. Jewish temple being rebuilt in the midst of temple mount.
. . . Media News: "Jews proceed with temple plans heedless of Mid-East catastrophes"
. . . Christian news: "Some Christians warn Jews about building the temple."

7. Jewish temple opens 2 years after peace pact. Jews rejoice!
. . . Media News: "All things ready, says High Priest, for God's plan to begin again."
. . . Christian news: "Miraculous provision of safety during temple construction"

8. World Leader enters, pollutes, closes down temple due to Jewish intolerance.
. . . Media News: "Jews refuse to join OneWorldFaith, temple ordered leveled by Deity-on-earth"
. . . Christian news: "Jews betrayed by Antichrist, three and a half years after pact"

9. Terrible persecution begins for Christian believers due to position against OneWorldFaith.
. . . Media News: "OneWorldFaith leader orders Christians jailed and tried for sedition and treason"
. . . Christian news: "Consign Mystery Babylon to the abyss, cry jailed Christians"

10. Meteors strike Earth; Demonic hell released upon the world; Nature in chaos.
. . . Media News: "The Deity-on-earth has no answer for cataclysmic natural disasters, demon-like creatures"
. . . Christian news: "Billions die under the righteous judgment of God; Babylon and Antichrist stagger but remain powerful"

11. Allies of World Leader prepare for war against Israel; Giant army marches west from Orient. Middle-East armies gather near newly-devastated Babylon.
. . . Media News: "World War III nears? Deity-on-earth headquarters destroyed; OneWorldFaith base demolished, likewise Economic Centre area"
. . . Christian news: "Babylon the Great is fallen, thrice; Antichrist rallies the Army of the West, militaries of the East, South, and North seem possessed."

12. ARMAGGEDON! Four armies converge, battle each other on 7th anniversary of peace pact.
. . . Media News: "Bloodbath in Northern Israel extends for miles. Israel not yet eradicated."
. . . Christian News: "As prophesied, Armaggedon runs with blood. Second coming must be near"

13. Jerusalem falls, Armies of heaven appear; Remainder of world armies unite.
. . . Media News: "Armies thrown into chaos by supposed 'return of Jesus and saints'. Leaders disappear.
. . . Christian News: "CHRIST RETURNS!!! Jews delivered, Antichrist and false prophet thrown into lake of fire"

14. Jesus Christ sets up his Kingdom; Satan is bound; martyred believers are raised.
. . . Media News: "Repair and reconstruction begin as Christ takes control; discontent begins almost immediately"
. . . Christian News: "Recovery directed by the Lord Jesus and the saints. Satan is bound, thrown into the pit, which is shut and sealed"

Construction has begun again...


.

26. A short summary of what to expect...

...on this site.

There are many excellent sites that are specifically for tying in biblical prophecy with current events, that subject often being 70-80% of such sites. Here, that'll be more like 20%, with 80% devoted to the scriptures.

The Future History blogsite will be concentrating upon discussing the scriptural basis for believing that the last days are coming soon, concept-by-concept, event-by-event, and scripture-by-scripture. Although some of the prophetic passages in the Bible are disputed even among similar-minded people, much of it is also basically agreed upon. The posts will often point out places of agreement and disagreement.

It is the conviction of the writer that the bible tells specifically about events that may begin within the next two to ten years. So believing that, we are called to warn and to be alert.

I have already published my outline for the book of Revelation, although as I said there, it is preliminary -- but I don't expect many changes to be made. So it is a tool you can already use if and when you begin to study the book for yourself, even though Revelation is not meant to be the total word on what is to come. My guess is that 60%-plus of what is included in End-Times prophecy lies outside of the book of Revelation.

Some postings will be at a Prophecy '101' level, and others at a '201' or '301' level (Greek syntax and all), although I doubt if I will be rating my posts in such a way for a generally unknown readership.

As stated before, soon I will post a basic outline of what is to come according to the Bible, and according to the pre-mill, pre-trib world view. More about that topic later.

25. Clearing the Decks for Action

Alternatively, this could have been called "Clearing the Desk for Action".
I haven't been goofing around (since I haven't posted much in 6 days), but rather have been sorting out the wheat from the chaff in my life -- but mostly sorting it out in my garage and library.

Let me explain:
I have a library in the house of about 200 books.
I have a library in the garage of about 2000 books. (At one time, my friend Anthony Foster operated on the same principle -- the best in the house, the bulk in the garage.)
Plus, I had 4 days off over the July 4th holidaze.

So putting two and two together, I decided I would rework my books, resorting, rearranging, but mostly releasing and recirculating. Of those 2000 books, they are fairly evenly split between Christian and secular, and I wanted to get rid of about 300-400 or more of each.
My secular castaways usually go to Paperbacks Plus for cash.
My Christian candidates for recirculation always go to First Baptist of Dallas's Prison Ministry.
And plus, I would put all my 100 or so books about the Last Days, End times, Bible Prophecy, etc in one place in my library.

So, since it's 102 in the afternoon here in Dallas, I dress light, drink lots of water, mop my head and face regularly, and tear into it.

The result of three mornings of this? A lot straighter garage, books now shelved so I can see them, one section of shelves torn down !!, and 240 books in my trunk heading ASAP to Paperbacks Plus, and 120 books boxed for First Baptist, with many more to come.

There. I said it all in 140 characters, just like twitter.

I'm back to studying now, and soon I will post a few things.
May God bless your Independence Day holidays, and three cheers for the red, white, and blue!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

24. The Future History Blogsite Bible Passage

Updated 7/2/09 10:14 a.m. adding plain English interpretation.

The BLOGSITE PASSAGE (see left column) is posted here so it can be available for comments.
God has laid this mission upon the heart of the blogwriter, and his prayer is that others will join him as watchmen (and women!) for the Kingdom -- especially as we see the day approaching (Heb 10:25).

1 The word of the LORD came to me again: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 For since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

7 "So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked one to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you do warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your own soul.

Here's a try at it in plain English:
It is the God-given responsibility of a watchman to warn of coming danger. If God gives him a message of warning for the people, and he does not give it, he is a faithless and unworthy watchman, and he will be held responsible for the destruction of the people. But if he does give it, he is faithful and worthy, and cannot be held responsible for whatever happens.

But there is more: If the watchman gives the God-given warning and the people hear him and act as they should and repent, no one is held responsible for whatever happens. But if the people refuse to acknowledge the warning and die, the watchman is not held responsible.