Believers in the Lord are Seekers?

 

          The following was written by Brother Harold Camping of Family Radio fame:

 

Quote:

A very common assertion is made, especially by those who are members of local churches, that: “Christ will come as a thief in the night.”  Thus, they contend that no one should be interested in attempting to learn from the Bible what God says about the timing of the end of the world. 

 

These people are correct. The Bible does teach that for many people, Christ will come as a thief in the night.  We read in I Thessalonians 5:2-3:

 

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [KJV]

 

But then the Bible says in verses 4-6:

 

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. [KJV]

 

These verses are teaching that there are two kinds of people in the world who realize that this world will come to an end, at which time God will separate the saved from the unsaved.  Both groups know that the unsaved will experience the full wrath of God, and that those who have become saved will be forever with Christ in the greatest happiness and glory.

 

One group includes many people who believe they are saved, but in reality, they are not saved.  They are not aware that in our day, God has revealed, in the Bible, a great amount of information that relates to the timeline of history, all the way to the end of the world, and they do not care to try to learn all that the Bible teaches.  They are confident that they have become saved, and therefore, it really makes no difference when Christ will come.  For them, He will come as a thief in the night.  But sadly, these verses teach that when Christ comes, "sudden destruction" will come upon them.  By their lack of interest in wanting to know as much as possible about what the Bible teaches, they are demonstrating that they are not saved, and they are still subject to the awful wrath of God.

 

There are also many people who, because of their love and respect for the Bible, have learned that the Bible gives much information about the timeline of history.  Thus, they have learned a great many details concerning end-time events, as well as the timetable of these events.  The Bible speaks of them as "watchmen" (Ezekiel 33:2-9), in that they are able to warn the unsaved of the world of the impending end of the world, which is so near.

Unquote.

 

While it is true that some may not seek the full meat that is given to us in Scriptures, it is wrong to jump to a conclusion, as admiral as brother Camsping’s analysis is, to assume that they are not “in Christ Jesus.”  We cannot, nor should we, judge these people.  It is not for us to say who is or who is not in Christ.  Oh yes, we can judge the fruit of the spirit, but our limited reasoning and understanding can never be absolutely assured.  These people who only take the milk of scriptures and not seek the meat, if they are true believers and are “in Christ,” will only loose out on the blessings that greater understanding offer.  The Bible does not say that all believers are watchmen; it only refers that watchmen are people of the land; we read:

 

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.  He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.  So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.  When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

 [Ezekiel 33:2-9, KJV]

 

It is the opinion of this commentator that “sudden destruction” will come upon those who are not ready, not in the Lord Jesus Christ.  There, brother Camping’s analysis should end.