Interlocked

To conclude the series, we go through one final Faith in Action Drill: critically evaluating worldviews. We examine what a worldview is. It is a map of our beliefs that lead to our behaviours. A worldview is made up of four interconnected levels and we will examine what they are and how we can use this understanding to analyse the worldview of someone we’re engaging with so we will know where they are coming from. We can also use the drill to check if we are thinking biblically. Then we go into how to review all that we have learnt by going through the 55 challenge statements. And we conclude with six final thoughts on the importance of continuing our study of Scripture so that we know Yahweh better and better, and therefore know how to live, how to respond to the world around us and what to expect of God in the future. The whole point is become a thriving disciple who is able to disciple others into spiritual maturity. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/55-Faith-in-Action-VI.pdf

The class works through the statements in the Faith in Action exercise. The first step is to identify the assumptions, its sources of truth and the type of logic used. Then we draw on the biblical events and use God’s truth as revealed in the biblical events to respond to the statement. We learn how to take apart the idea for ourselves, then if needed, we form a polite, respectful response if we need to reply to someone. This is how we use the biblical framework to “think God’s thoughts after Him”. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/54-Faith-in-Action-V.pdf

Another Faith in Action drill is learning how to evaluate thoughts, ideas and philosophies that come from a non-biblical worldview. We first examine the book of Acts to see how the apostle Paul shared the gospel with Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, people with an understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures. Then we compare that with how he shared the gospel with the philosophers in Athens. At the Areopagus, he used a different approach. He used the biblical framework to surround or flank their worldviews. He began by addressing the gap in their knowledge about the Creator-God and he explained who Yahweh is, what He has done in history and how He holds all people accountable to Him and how He would come to judge the world in the future. This comprehensive speech resulted in a number of the people putting their faith in Christ. Then we will follow Paul’s model and work through an example of talking to a friend who holds a non-biblical worldview. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/54-Faith-in-Action-V.pdf

We’ve concluded our journey through the Bible’s meta-narrative from Genesis to Revelation. We have examined the major events of history and have looked ahead to the major events of the future. We can now construct an interlocked network of truth, or a biblical framework, which we can use as the foundation of our worldview. Using the biblical framework, we can then critically examine the Christian material that we read, watch and hear. In this faith in action exercise, we will first go through the key doctrines that the New Testament events are teaching us. Then we will go through what it means to think biblically and how to use the framework to analyse so-called Christian material to see if what we’re reading, watching or listening is truly biblically or poor teaching or even false teaching. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/53-Faith-in-Action-IV.pdf

We conclude the narrative of God’s Word by first examining how it is possible that there are so many unbelievers in the Kingdom. The problem with fallen mortal mankind is that the sin nature still leads people to rebel against the God whom they can see and personally interact with. Then we continue with the final battle, also named Gog and Magog where an untold number of rebellious mankind follow the released Satan for one more battle against Jesus; we see Satan’s defeat and permanent banishment to the Lake of Fire; and we see the Great White Throne judgment where all unbelievers from across human history are brought before Jesus to be judged. We see Jesus sentence the unbelievers to the Lake of Fire and also get rid of death and the grave, for He no longer has need of them after this. Then Yahweh brings in the new heaven and new earth and the new Jerusalem descends from heaven to the earth. God is moving to live with immortal mankind on earth. His home is with His people. The new creation is a place of perfection, untouched by sin and evil. Immortal mankind will reflect God’s glory and enjoy God forever. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/52-The-Kingdom-of-God.pdf

At last, we get to see the Kingdom of God return to earth! Immediately after the Tribulation, the prophet Daniel describes a 75-day gap before the Kingdom begins. King Jesus will personally and physically reign on the earth from His capital in Jerusalem for a thousand years. During this time, Satan is bound up in the bottomless pit. He will not have any influence on the earth during this time. King Jesus and His resurrected people will govern the planet and the physical environment of the earth will be renewed and will be flourishing. Mankind will flourish and will be finally be able to exercise responsible dominion well. All the prophecies and covenant promises of God will finally be fulfilled. The believing nation of Israel will perform as God intended and be the nation of priests for the whole world. Besides the resurrected people who will be in the Kingdom, it will also begin with the mortals who have survived the Tribulation and who have put their faith in Christ. These believing mortals will be the ones who can continue to marry and have children. And these mortal children will each have to make a personal decision to place their trust in Christ. At the end of the thousand years, God will release Satan one last time and he will gather the mortals who never actually put their trust in Christ for salvation. The devil will lead them into one last battle against Yahweh. But Yahweh will destroy them all swiftly. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/52-The-Kingdom-of-God.pdf

We conclude Lesson 51 by examining John’s description of how Babylon at the end times will be destroyed by God. While the evil earth dwellers mourn the loss of Babylon, they are aware that Yahweh is the One judging Babylon. In heaven, there is a different reaction—one of celebration for Yahweh has judged evil. We also see that Revelation’s description of Babylon’s destruction is not the first time God has described it. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah have also recorded prophecies of Babylon’s destruction at the end times. Then we see in heaven, the prelude to the second coming of Christ. We see that the church, the bride of Christ, has prepared herself to return with Jesus to the earth. Jesus then comes back with His church, as well as His angels. On earth, there is the great battle at the place called Armageddon. The Antichrist, the false prophet and their evil forces who are attempting to fight Jesus will be destroyed by Him rapidly. And then Jesus judges the survivors of the Tribulation. He judges the mortal Jewish survivors, dividing them into two groups: those who reject Him and those who have come to faith in Messiah. Those who reject Him are removed from the earth, leaving only the believing mortal Jews who will then form believing national Israel. They will get to enjoy the Kingdom of God with their King. Likewise, Jesus will also judge the surviving mortal Gentiles. The Gentiles who reject Him, He will remove from the earth and the Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ will be allowed into the Kingdom. Thus the Kingdom of God will begin on earth with believing mortals and the returning resurrected believers. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/51-The-Kingdom-of-Man-Destroyed.pdf

We conclude Lesson 50 by examining the seven bowl judgments, the last of the Tribulation judgments. These seven are very similar to the plague judgments of the Exodus. There we saw Yahweh judging Egypt. Now we see God judging the rebellious world. When the bowl judgments are complete, a voice announces, “It is done!” This is in much the same way that Jesus at the cross announced, “It is finished!” God is the One doing the work of judging the rebellious earth, clearing it in preparation for the returning Kingdom of God. The book of Revelation describes how the rebellious people on earth know it is Yahweh who is sending judgments (just like it was in Egypt) and yet many unbelievers refuse to repent. It shows that no one is ignorant of God. Lesson 51 begins at 1:20:50 and we now go back to the start of Tribulation to observe the politics of the Tribulation years—how an end-times Babylon (the great prostitute) has great economic, cultural and religious influence on the world but then the Antichrist (the scarlet beast) and the coalition of ten kings overthrow Babylon. Then the ten kings agree to hand over complete power to the Antichrist, opening the way for him to rule the world. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/51-The-Kingdom-of-Man-Destroyed.pdf

As we continue our journey through Revelation, we go to Revelation 12 and study the two beasts. The first is the ultimate false christ, often known as the Antichrist. We will learn he is a Gentile whom Satan empowers with his power and authority. We see that both Daniel and John in Revelation describe the beast as a man as well as the kingdom he takes over, the final version of the pagan, rebellious kingdom of man. The Antichrist is aided by a second Satan-empowered beast (a second man) who is also known as the false prophet. This false prophet is able to perform signs and wonders (like God’s prophets) to convince the Yahweh-rejecting peoples of the world to think that the Antichrist is the true god. The false prophet directs the unbelieving world to worship the Antichrist and he also takes economic control of the world by forcing the unbelievers of the world to take the mark of the first beast so that they can trade and buy food. Though the world increases in evil, Revelation makes it very clear Yahweh is still in charge and allowing these things to happen. Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/50-The-Beasts-and-The-Bowl-Judgments.pdf

We conclude Lesson 49 by examining who the two witnesses are and what they do. And we see that the “third woe” or seventh trumpet is the announcement of Christ’s second coming to judge the rebellious peoples of the world and then to establish His Kingdom. Then moving into Revelation 12, we see a very brief and symbolic summary of the history of Israel and her battle with Satan and also what happens to Israel during the time of the Tribulation. And finally, we see that Satan is at last cut off from heaven and can no longer go up there. This angers him greatly and he goes all out one last time to destroy Israel but Yahweh steps in to protect believing Jews. We conclude with the question: “Is the Tribulation really that bad? With the world being so evil, aren’t we already living in a time of tribulation?” Access the notes at: https://interlocked.online/s/49-The-Trumpet-Judgments.pdf