Program 251
Re-discovering Old Truths in Prophecy

Christ warned that the Second Coming would come as a surprise even to believers, so all are to live in constant readiness for his return.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: The longing of Christians everywhere has been to live to see Yahushua return. At Christ’s ascension, two angels told the disciples, “Ye men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Yahushua who has been taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” Since then, Christ’s return has been the long-awaited dream of every generation of Christians. We preach sermons about it. We sing hymns about it. Books, both theological and fictional, have been written about the time of trouble that is widely expected to occur just prior to the Savior’s return.

WLC has joined in. We’ve produced articles, sensational videos, and even dozens of radio programs focusing on the future fulfillment of prophecy and how we thought these various prophecies would be fulfilled.

But we … were … wrong.

Hello, my name is Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, Biblical beliefs, practical piety and constant readiness for Yahushua, either in death or at his return.

Today, Dave Wright is going to be explaining the differences between historicism and preterism. Don’t let the words scare you away. There’s a very simple explanation for them, but the impact on our understanding of truth is profound. On our website, as well as in up-coming radio broadcasts, you will notice a marked difference in our position on prophecy. Today, we’re going to discuss just what that change is, and why our beliefs have changed. This is something you’ll definitely want to hear.

Then, in our daily mailbag segment, Dave will address the problem of grief and shame. Grief is often mistaken for guilt, and shame can make grieving much worse. It’s an issue we’ll all face at one time or another. What can a believer do if feeling overwhelmed with grief and shame?

Next, Jane Lamb will share a promise for those who are compassionate. Compassion is one of the most beautiful divine character attributes. It means “suffering with another.” It can be a painful sympathy when you see someone struggling or suffering and you feel bad for them. You sympathize. Compassion is a deep awareness of someone else’s suffering combined with a kind desire to help relieve their suffering. This is what is in the heart of the Father for us, and how we, as fallen humans, can reflect His image to others.

Dave? Historicism. Preterism. Before we get into anything else, could you define those terms for us? Technical theological jargon isn’t something we typically like to toss around. What do those terms mean?

Dave Wright: Well, they have to do with prophecy. Specifically, when you think prophecy has been, or will be, fulfilled.

The historicist school of thought looks for specific individuals, specific events, even specific nations to explain various symbols used in Scripture. It is believed that the prophecies of the Bible spell out in exacting detail events of the past, the present, and the future. So don’t let the historicism label fool you. Historicists will tell you that there are many prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

Miles: Could you say the term simply means prophecy depicts history, both the past and the future?

Dave: Yes, that’s quite accurate. WLC has traditionally been historicist. A great deal of our content has been focused on prophecy. We’ve said things like, “Prophecy is Yah’s gift to the last generation” and “Yahuwah wants us to know what’s going to happen, that’s why He’s given us prophecy.”

While historicism acknowledges that some prophecies have been fulfilled, there is a tremendous emphasis on the prophecies they expect to be fulfilled in the future.

Preterism, on the other hand, claims that all prophecies have already been fulfilled. Partial preterism states that most prophecies have been fulfilled leaving only a few yet future. But nothing like the amount of prophecies the historicist method claims have yet to be fulfilled.

Miles: Let me just insert, here at WLC, team members come from a variety of denominational backgrounds, but most of us were raised in denominations that were heavily historicist.

Dave: That’s right. And, unfortunately, that theological background has left us with baggage it’s taking time to shed. Just as truth builds on itself, so does error. It takes time to dismantle an edifice of doctrines that have been built on errors, assumptions and traditions of men.

In historicism, the two most important books of the Bible for understanding prophecy, and where we believe we are in the stream of history, are Daniel and Revelation. And that’s been reflected in our content. We’ve had articles and radio programs on the king of the north, and articles and radio programs on the king of the south, and still more on the “willful” king. That’s all from Daniel.

We’ve had still more on the churches of Revelation, and the seals of Revelation, and the trumpets of Revelation.

Miles: Not to mention the beasts of Revelation—

Dave: The beasts of Daniel and Revelation!

Miles: —the image to the beast, the mark of the beast, the enforcement of the mark of the beast and so much more. I think it’s safe to say we’ve been beast watchers, wouldn’t you say, Dave?

Dave: That’s a good way to put it! The team members that work on our website have been busy deleting hundreds of articles, eCourses, videos and radio programs that we now know to be tainted with historicist error.

And now, it’s past time to return our eyes to the Lamb and the truths he taught, rather than the understanding we’ve imposed on Scripture. Historicism has been a barrier, a blindfold, if you will, preventing us from seeing what Yahushua really taught about his return. And it’s quite astonishing because we’ve always known what he said. We’ve even quoted it! But it’s like we weren’t taking him at his word.

Miles: It’s true. Historicism explains away some of the clearest statements Christ made about his return.

Dave: It’s also opened our eyes to the significance of three other chapters of Scripture and that is Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In the past, we’ve believed and taught that in these chapters, Yahushua taught about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. In fact, if you look in some Bibles, the editors have added subheadings to those chapters that say it is about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. This is what I was raised to believe.

Miles: Same here.

Dave: But after going back and carefully reading through it all in context, it has become very clear that Christ was actually speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem only. He wasn’t mixing the destruction of Jerusalem with the end of the world. We’ve accused the disciples of conflating the two, but we’re the ones who have!

Miles: Ironic, isn’t it?

Would you say these are salvational issues?

Dave: Absolutely.

Miles: Really! Now, see, I wasn’t expecting that. There aren’t very many things I’d consider actually salvational. Why do you say these are?

Dave: Clinging to error is always dangerous. As we just said, just as truth builds on itself, so does error. As you’ve seen in the last few weeks, letting go of the error of historicism has brought about huge, truly cataclysmic changes in our beliefs.

I say these are salvational issues because historicism influenced our beliefs in the past in such a way that we were prevented from understanding Christ’s very clear statements in Revelation. And not just Revelation, but woven throughout the gospels as well, and particularly in his words to Peter, Andrew, James and John when he was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

And it’s not just us. Anyone who bases their interpretation of prophecy off of an historicist foundation is going to miss some very important teachings. When you impose an historicist interpretation on these passages, you miss very clear warnings Christ makes that we need to pay attention to.

See, we’ve been so busy looking and watching for “signs of the times,” that we’ve completely overlooked what Christ said would actually be happening at the time of his return. And that’s serious!

Miles: Soooo … you’re saying historicism contradicts the teachings of Christ.

Dave: Very much so. It runs contrary to very clear statements he’s made, and it’s so contrary to the truth that, even though we’ve read these statements before, we either explained them away or didn’t notice their significance.

I spoke of the truly cataclysmic changes this shift has had on our understanding of Scripture, and prophecy, and … oh, so many areas. But the truth is, discarding error and replacing it with truth is a very joyous experience.

Miles: I’d say it’s also hard.

Dave: Of course it’s hard; it’s very hard. When you make this sort of shift in your beliefs, you have to go back and re-examine everything all over again because you end up discovering more areas are affected than you first realized. But still, personally, hard as it is, I still find it exciting. It’s exciting to learn new light; it’s exciting to gain clearer understandings of truth.

Miles: It is. It really is.

Dave: Turn to Isaiah 58. This is a fascinating chapter that’s addressed specifically to believers. What does verse 1 say?

Miles: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

Dave: We don’t like having our sins pointed out. It’s not fun. We like to squirm aside and say, oh, that’s just for the Jews who were always in rebellion. But are we any different? This chapter is a call to return to Yahuwah and worship Him with more than the words of our mouths. With the deeds of our hands and our whole heart and soul as well. When we do this, we will treat others as Christ treated them: helping, encouraging, not criticizing and fault-finding. You can read the whole chapter later and you’ll see this is a description of true religion. What does verse 6 say?

Miles: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”

Dave: And if we do this, the promise is that Yahuwah will draw close and guide us personally. Read verses 9 to 12.

Miles:

Then shalt thou call, and Yahuwah shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and Yahuwah shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Dave: It’s not easy following truth wherever it leads. It requires being willing to set aside long-cherished beliefs if the weight of evidence points elsewhere. It requires being willing to walk alone if need be, while at the same time treating those who haven’t yet grasped the new light with the same kindness and compassion we want to receive when we’re in error – not castigations and denouncements.

Miles: What I’ve been noticing as we lay aside inherited error, is just how much we’ve been projecting into Scripture. We’ve been making some huge assumptions. But when we go back, read everything in context and take it just as it reads, it becomes very clear and very simple. We’ve woven assumptions through Scripture and that’s where we’ve gotten off.

Dave: Preterism is not a view that’s popular among Christians. We like to have “signs of the times” to point to. We like to know, Oh, yes. This has already happened, so that means This happens next. But if we will lay aside all those assumptions that we’ve mixed in with our interpretations of Scripture and accept it just as it reads, new light is going to open up before us, and that is very, very precious.

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In the sermon on the mount, the Savior said that believers are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. That’s all well and good when things are going well, but how do you remain salt and light when dealing with aggravating situations or, worse, annoying people? In fact, if indeed all things work together for good for those who love Yahuwah, why does the Father allow such people and circumstances into our lives where often the only thing they do is wreak havoc or bring stress?

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Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: Historicism contradicts Christ’s teaching in two very important ways. The first is that it has led millions of believers in all ages to look for the Second Coming in their day. Now, on the surface, this may sound insignificant. After all, it’s a great way to scare people into getting ready, right? If Christ is coming in our day, then we better get ready!

Miles: Yeah, I’ve pretty much spent my entire life that way.

Dave: The problem is, this belief has had very devastating consequences. People have been more focused on watching for signs of Christ’s return than in living their lives in a way to glorify Yah. And I say this as someone who has spent my life doing this: always studying the signs of the times, always convinced that it was indicating that Christ’s return was imminent.

Miles: Some people even set dates. My mother-in-law does this. She’s convinced Yahushua is returning within the next 18 months. Literally, within the next 18 months. And she’s held this conviction for years.

Dave: People have been doing that for generations. There’s even a term for it: millennialism, or “millennial fever.” There were expectations that Christ would return in 600 CE. There were expectations that he would return in 2000 or shortly thereafter.

Miles: Yeah, I remember all the Y2K panic. Was there a Y1K panic a thousand years ago?

Dave: Not to the extent there was in the 1990s leading up to 2000, but there were definitely times when believers expected him to return. And when that didn’t happen, what do you suppose did?

Miles: They found reasons to pick a different date?

Dave: That’s exactly what happened. Again, and again, and again. And while it’s true that some people lose their faith when a date passes, for most they simply find a new date to point toward.

This is what happened in the 1830s. An American named William Miller became convinced that Christ would return in 1843. As word of his “discoveries” in Daniel spread, more and more people embraced the belief that Christ would return soon and began spreading the word. It went around the world, although was predominantly preached in Europe and North America. It’s called the Millerite Movement.

When Christ didn’t come in 1843, they studied some more and—to their credit—discovered the ancient, Biblical calendar. Using that, they pinpointed October 22, 1844, as the date for Christ’s return.

Miles: Didn’t some people even give away their belongings, their farm animals, etc., because they believed Yahushua was coming?

Dave: Yes, and they didn’t harvest their crops. Why should they? Because Christ was coming!

Well, obviously, he didn’t return as expected. But instead of recognizing that the problem was with the historicist method of prophetic interpretation and discarding that, many of them doubled down on their beliefs. Several denominations were formed that continued to build entire complicated doctrinal beliefs based on this incorrect method of Biblical interpretation.

Miles: Didn’t the Seventh-day Adventist Church grow out of that?

Dave: It did. With over 22 million members worldwide, that’s the largest denomination that grew out of it. But there are others. The Advent Christian denomination grew out of the Millerite Movement as did the Church of God (Seventh Day), among others.

Miles: It’s so tragic. Instead of learning from their mistake, they’ve perpetuated it. Their doctrines, built on this erroneous method of prophetic interpretation, have prevented literally millions of people around the world from correctly understanding not only the Book of Revelation, but Christ’s very clear warnings about his return.

Dave: Date-setting is a very seductive line of prophetic study.

Miles: So is watching for “signs of the times.” You can read through the news headlines and feel you’ve had your morning devotions because you see so many indicators to support your belief that Christ’s return is imminent.

Dave: Not all Christians who hold to the historicist method of prophetic interpretation get involved in date-setting, but both date setting and the historicist method naturally lead to something else that contradicts Christ’s teachings and that is … sign watching.

We already mentioned it but I want to expand on this just a bit. Like you said, you can read the news and feel like you’ve had your morning devotions because every bad thing on the news is just more proof that the Second Coming is soon.

But the problem is, reading the news isn’t reading Scripture!

Miles: You can say that again! I’ve noticed this in a relative. All this sign watching has turned her into an incredibly negative person. The worse news she can find, the worse the accounts of evil and suffering, the more confirmed she is that “Jesus is coming soon to call a halt.” One of her favorite proofs is stating over and over and over ad nauseum how many children die each day from hunger. She’s worked out the math to how many die every X-number of minutes. It’s very depressing.

One day, my wife, who’s very empathetic, got frustrated with hearing this heart-breaking statistic used yet again and asked this relative, “Why are you always talking about that? That’s like your favorite go-to statistic. It’s heartbreakingly sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it!”

Dave: What was her response?

Miles: She said, “Well, it’s the worst example I can think of. It lets us know that Jesus is coming back soon to call a halt because things can’t get any worse.”

The thing is, things can get worse—much worse. In fact, they have! You look at the suffering in China during the cultural revolution, you look at Stalin’s terror famines, the way Soviet soldiers would bury Christians alive, India’s Bengal famine in 1943, the Armenian genocide, the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994, where even Christians joined in slaughtering their fellow countrymen …

We know it can get worse because it has! And that’s just the last 100 years or so.

Dave: You said this sort of sign-watching has transformed this relative into a negative person?

Miles: Oh, it really has. By constantly focusing on the dark, the negative, and the evil in the world, she has become a very negative person. But in some twisted way, it feeds her belief that Yahushua is coming very, very soon because, as she keeps repeating over and over, “It can’t get any worse.”

Dave: And the worst of it is? These aren’t even the signs Christ gave us to watch for!

When you’re looking at current events, you’re not focused on the Bible. Perhaps worst of all, you can’t “sign watch” and accept what Christ said about his coming. Watching for “signs of the times” is mutually exclusive from what Christ said to do.

Miles: In what way?

Dave: Well, we’ve always believed that Matthew 24, as well as Mark 13 and Luke 21, prophesied both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. We believed it had a dual application. That’s what we were raised to believe.

But when we went back and studied those chapters in context and in conjunction with everything else Christ taught about his return, it becomes clear that most of Matthew 24 is dealing just with the destruction of Jerusalem. Later in the chapter, he transitions to talking about the end of the world, but that transition is clear and there is no dual application of the same prophecy to two separate events.

When you look at the totality of what Christ said about his return, there is one point that comes through loud and clear, and that is that his return would be when no one was expecting it. It would take everyone by surprise.

Miles: Could we take a few minutes and look at some of those passages? This is opposite of everything you and I were raised to believe. We thought if we just paid attention to the signs of the times, if we just knew prophecy, we could get a pretty good idea of when Christ would be returning.

Dave: We didn’t know what we didn’t know.

Let’s go ahead and start with Matthew 24. The chapter starts with letting the disciples know that Jerusalem would be destroyed with not one stone left upon another. They wanted to know when this would happen so most of the chapter is dedicated to that. But at verse 36, it shifts to talking about the Second Coming. And as you read through this passage, pay attention to what Christ said the signs of his return will be.

Miles: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” [Matthew 24:36]

Okay, but … it doesn’t say no one will ever know, or that we can’t know when it is near.

Dave: Yes, it does. Keep reading.

Miles:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Dave: “And they new nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. THAT is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Miles: But doesn’t this refer to the lost?

Dave: No. Keep reading. Skip over the next two verses. Some people use those to try to prove a secret rapture, but as we’ve covered in an earlier program, that’s a misinterpretation of the verses. Start with verse 42 and see if there is anything here to indicate that only the lost will be taken by surprise. See if there is anything here that indicates the righteous will know when he’s going to come.

Miles:

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. [Matthew 24:42-44]

Dave: There’s nothing here to indicate that the righteous will know when Christ returns. On the contrary, verse 42:

“Therefore [because you don’t know] keep watch, because—” Why? “Because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

This is repeated throughout Christ’s parables of his return. In the next chapter, Matthew 25, we’ve got the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. This parable, as well as several others, reveals that there would be a delay that the waiting ones weren’t expecting. This is an important point.

Now, we don’t have time to read the entire parable, but just read the first five verses of Matthew 25.

Miles:

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Dave: What was the result of the bridegroom’s delay? The foolish virgins fell asleep? Verse 5.

Miles: “They all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

Dave: Correct. So what is the lesson Christ is wanting believers to learn from this parable? Verse 13.

Miles: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Dave: We’re to keep watch, we’re to be ready, precisely because we don’t know when the Second Coming will occur. That is what Christ taught and that is what we’ve overlooked in our focus on “signs of the times.” There won’t be any. He’s coming will take everyone by surprise.

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You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question is coming from the country that gave the world the very first 365-day calendar.

Dave: Uhhh … Rome? Italy? I know all ancient calendars used the moon for months, but the lunar year is only 354 days long rather than the 365 of the solar year.

Miles: You’re on the right track. But it wasn’t the Romans that gave us the first 365-day calendar. That was the ancient Egyptians! They had 12 months consisting of 30 days each. Because that came to only 360 days, they intercalated an extra five days to bring the total count to 365.

Dave: The knowledge the ancients had of celestial movements is always so fascinating. So, what’s our question today?

Miles: Well, it’s one that I think a lot of us can relate to. A woman named Nour writes, quote: “My childhood home was very unhappy. My mother died when I was 7 and my stepmother was very abusive while my father was distant and uninvolved. I don’t think I’m carrying a grudge. Years ago, I made a conscious choice to forgive them, but I feel ashamed because I’m still hurt by their words and actions—or lack, thereof. It seems like I should be over it by now, but it still affects me. I feel too ashamed to talk about it with anyone. Can you help?”

Dave: Wow. Shame and grief. It’s such a lethal combination, and yet you find it everywhere! People are grieving? More often than not, they’re also going be struggling, Lure with shame.

Say you have a health scare. People are very helpful at first, but after a while, they get on with their lives and may even express frustration over the fact that you’re not back to “normal.” So, what do you do? You hide your struggles because you’re ashamed you’re still having them.

Miles: Or maybe you lose a friend or loved one. A year after their death, you’re still missing them and people are telling you that you need to “move on,” so you feel ashamed for not having gotten over it by now.

Dave: Exactly. Shame and grief are a horrible combination. Unfortunately, it’s a combo that’s all too common.

What’s ironic, though, is that shame by definition is the humiliation or pain you feel for having done something wrong. So, for example, has a parent who lost a child really done something wrong if, a year after the child’s death, he or she still isn’t “over it”?

Miles: No. No, of course not.

Dave: And yet, over and over, we harshly judge ourselves and we feel shame.

Now, let’s look at Nour’s experience. She lost her mother at a tender age. Her stepmother was abusive. Her father was disconnected. I think we can safely read into that that he didn’t protect Nour from her stepmother.

All right. That’s a lot to grieve. Is any part of it something for which she should feel shame? Has she done something wrong?

Miles: No. But that’s not what she said. I think she’s saying she feels shame for still being affected by her upbringing. She’s ashamed she’s not over her upbringing by now.

Dave: Our upbringing does impact us! We all carry baggage from childhood of some sort or another. Has Nour done something wrong—has she herself sinned in some way—because she’s still impacted by a miserable upbringing? Remember, she has forgiven them. So, is she sinning in some way?

Miles: Not that I can see.

Dave: This is where we get confused. We have a right to grieve! Yahuwah wanted to protect us from the results of sin, but we’re still living in a sinful world. We’re going to have experiences and encounters that leave wounds and even scars. Deep ones. But that’s not a sin!

Being hurt, being impacted by the consequences of sin—our own or others—long after the fact, is not a sin. It’s nothing we’ve done wrong.

Turn to Revelation 21. Let’s read verses 1 to 4, because this passage shows us that being hurt, being wounded, feeling sorrow is not the same thing as sinning. Go ahead and read that once you’ve got it.

Miles: It says …

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from [Yahuwah], prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of [Yahuwah] is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. [Yahuwah] Himself will be with them and be their God. And [Yah] will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Dave: This is clearly set in eternity future. But there are still hurts that need comforted. There are still tears to be wiped away and Yahuwah Himself shall provide that comfort. So, again, grief is not a cause for shame, although it often gets mixed up in our minds that way.

The thing we must remember is that grief isn’t the problem. Grief is normal, even healthy.

Miles: Yeah, I remember reading something that’s stuck with me. In talking about the grief experienced over the loss of a good friend, the comment was made, “It’s not supposed to be easy.” I’ve always remembered that. There’s something wrong if something really bad happens and we don’t grieve!

Dave: Exactly. The problem is when we mix shame up with our grief. Grief is an important part of the healing process, but shame can keep us trapped there. And a big part of the problem is that shame is invisible. Precisely because we feel shame, we try to bury it, then we struggle on alone with these overwhelming feelings. And often, the platitudes we give each other, such as “Look on the bright side,” or “She’s in a better place,” or . . . whatever, these are all shame-based statements. They make a person feel as though they don’t have the right to grieve, and it’s that which keeps a person from moving on into healing.

Miles: That’s a good point. My brother and sister-in-law lost a baby when she was about six months pregnant. One of the most hurtful, least helpful things they were told was when my sister-in-law’s father told them, I kid you not, “Look on the bright side: You get to make another one! Cheers!”

Dave: He actually said that?

Miles: True story. He actually said that.

Dave: That’s terrible. And do you see how it denied them their right to grieve? Most people have more social awareness than to say something that bad, but there are plenty of other unhelpful, unaffirming things we tend to say that denies the person the right to grieve. Again, grief isn’t the problem. Grief is normal. It’s shame that’s the problem.

Miles: So what are we supposed to do? We find ourselves in a situation where we’re grieving, where we’re feeling ashamed, what are we supposed to do about that?

Dave: Well, understanding the definition of shame is a good first step. If you can analyze your situation and realize that you’ve done nothing for which to be ashamed—and grief is not a cause for shame—then that can help you analyze your feelings with greater clarity. It’s easy to confuse grief with shame.

I think the biggest thing though is to give yourself permission to grieve. Whether that’s the loss of a job, the loss of a friendship, the loss, in Nour’s case, of a happy, safe childhood … whatever the cause, give yourself permission to grieve. You have a right to those emotions and suppressing them is not going to heal them.

Miles: I remember you once said that Yahuwah created us to have emotions, so it’s not a sin to feel them.

Dave: It’s really not. Yahushua himself, on the cross, cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” Now, how many of us, when feeling such depths of despair, would feel guilty for feeling that way?

Miles: Probably most of us.

Dave: Probably so. And yet it clearly wasn’t a sin for Yahushua to feel and express that emotion.

Again, give yourself permission to grieve. When shame comes up, don’t suppress it. Be aware of it. Analyze it. Ask yourself if you’ve truly done something wrong and if not, give yourself permission to let the shame go. As you do this, it will get easier.

You can also make a point, when you feel this way, to tell yourself: “It’s not my fault.” Say it: “It’s not my fault.” It’s important to take responsibility for when we do err, but we also have the right to reject feelings of shame that we don’t deserve.

Miles: What about therapy?

Dave: That can help, too. In recent years, different modalities have been developed to help veterans with PTSD. These same modalities have helped people struggling with other problems.

I know Christians often feel as though they shouldn’t seek help for mental health, but if our bodies can get sick, don’t you think our brains can, too? From chemical imbalances that cause depression to slipping into harmful habits of thought following trauma or loss, there is a place for getting help and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it.

Have you heard of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross?

Miles: Uhhh … yeah! Swiss-American psychiatrist, right? She published a book called On Death and Dying.

Dave: Right. She defined the five stages of grief as being denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She applied it to people who are dying, but I believe it also applies to grief. I have a quote here from her I’d like you to read. Would you please read where it’s marked?

Miles: “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you’ll learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”

Dave: We’re still in a world of sin and sorrow. We still have many things, many wounds, many experiences for which to grieve and we’ll continue to do so until Yahuwah Himself will wipe away all tears. But the promise is that He will. Until then, if you find yourself grieving, know that’s it’s all right to grieve. Yahuwah is not judging you for that. Be kind to yourself; give yourself permission to grieve and you will find that will be a big step in your healing journey.

Miles: All right. We’ve time for one more quick question. Sebastião [seh-BAS-tee-oh] from Alvorada in Brazil says, “I work long hours and don’t have a lot of time for study. I can’t sit at a computer for reading long articles or watching videos on YouTube. Does World’s Last Chance have any other options for ways to stay connected and learn the truth?”

Dave: Yes, we do. Obviously, you can always download an article to your phone to read while commuting—if you’re not driving yourself to work—but for those who live in countries where social media is available, we also have an educational group on Facebook called World’s Last Chance. We also post things on Twitter. Actually, I think Twitter is called something else now. Whatever. You know what I mean.

Again, I know that these platforms aren’t available in all countries, but for those that have them available, you can get quick thoughts shared that way, something to think about and, again, most people have smart phones now. You can always download something to read when you’ve got a spare minute here or there.

Miles: A lot of people find that memorizing Scripture is a great way to improve the time while commuting to and from work.

Dave: That’s good, too.

Miles: That’s all the questions we’ve time for today. If you’ve got a question, a comment … a prayer request? Send us a message. Just go to our website and click on Contact Us. We enjoy hearing from our listeners.

Up next is Jane Lamb with today’s daily promise. Stay tuned.

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Singing, preaching, praying and even dreaming about the time of the end is a large part of Christian subculture. There have even been movies made about the time of trouble or, as it’s widely know, the “Great Tribulation” that’s expected to occur before Yahushua returns.

As scary as many believers find the thought of a Great Tribulation, there’s also a certain comfort in looking for “signs of the times” that let you know where you are in the stream of time.

The truth, however, is very different from the scenario envisioned by the majority of Christians. Yahushua actually never gave “signs of the times” to warn when his coming was near. He did for the destruction of Jerusalem, but not for the end of the world. Instead, his repeated warning was “Watch and be ready because my return is going to take you by surprise.”

To learn more, visit our website. Look for the article called “Yahushua Never Predicted the End of the World.” This is serious and you need to know. Read “Yahushua Never Predicted the End of the World” on WorldsLastChance.com.

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Daily Promise

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your daily promise from Yah’s word.

Anyone who has ever driven in rush hour traffic, anyone who has ever tried to make it to an appointment on time while driving through bumper-to-bumper traffic knows how stressful it is. It’s not just boring, sitting there and moving forward incrementally. It’s also aggravating. Tempers between drivers sometimes flare. It’s not a situation where one can expect to receive kindness, help, or even tolerance from strangers.

This was the situation in which Krystalya Marie found herself one afternoon as she had to drive through downtown Houston, Texas at rush hour. The interstate freeway, I-10, circles downtown Houston in a large loop with an exit that shoots more traffic onto the freeway. As Krystalya approached the exit, she encountered a construction area that slowed traffic down even further, narrowing four lanes down to only two.

Krystalya realized she was going to be late to her next appointment but, as there was nothing that could be done about it, she turned up her music and sang along while drivers around her cursed, cut each other off, and blared their horns in frustration.

Far ahead, Krystalya saw a semi-truck sitting on the right side of the road. At first, she didn’t pay any attention to it, but as she inched her way forward, she could see the 18-wheeler had his left blinker on and was trying to merge into traffic, but no one was letting him in. Krystalya realized that to help him, she would have to block both lanes of traffic, otherwise vehicles from the left lane would simply cut in front of her, keeping the truck from having the space to merge. As she got closer, Krystalya slowly started merging her car to the side, but instead of completely moving to the next lane, she stayed in the middle, straddling both lanes.

As soon as she pulled up right behind the trucker, she flashed her lights at him and then turned her car, efficiently blocking both lanes. Horns were an angry chorus behind her as the truck driver pulled the huge 18-wheeler into her lane. Then, stopping the truck, the driver stepped out onto the upper step on the side of his truck, turned towards Krystalya, removed his cowboy hat, and swept her a full, formal bow. The horns fell silent as he turned, got back into his truck, and drove on. It was a small act of kindness on Krystalya’s part, but it made a huge difference for one man, stuck on the side of the road, unable to move until someone cared enough to show compassion for his predicament.

In Colossians 3:12, Paul urges believers to remember that, as Yahuwah’s “chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

It’s in the little things, the small, daily kindnesses, that believers can most reveal Yahuwah’s character on earth. It doesn’t have to be some grand gesture. It can be as simple as taking a moment to hold the door for someone behind you, smiling in understanding rather than sighing in impatience at the mother struggling to soothe a crying baby. It can be taking an extra half hour to shovel snow off of your neighbor’s sidewalk while you’re out there doing your own or offering your arm to escort a frail, elderly person across the street. These are the ways the rays of the light of Yahuwah’s love shine in the world today.

Second Corinthians 1 verses 3 and 4 says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from [Yahuwah].”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

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Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: It’s kind of scary when you realize we’ve been spending years looking for the wrong signs for Yahushua’s return.

Dave: Oh, it is! It’s very solemn, and we’re very blessed to now know the truth.

The danger of being sign-watchers has always been that when you don’t see the sign you’re expecting, you figure you’ve got more time: more time to go back to sleep, more time to play around with sin, more time before you make a complete and total commitment to Yahuwah.

But we don’t have that luxury. Who knows? Accidents happen all the time. Either of us could get in a fatal accident on the commute home. We don’t have time to waste.

But looking for obvious signs like an alien invasion, or a great tribulation, or the antichrist or the seven last plagues … we’ll never see those things and if you’re watching for them, Christ’s return will catch you unprepared.

Here’s the thing: everyone is going to be taken by surprise.

Miles: Even believers?

Dave: Even believers.

Miles: But if we stay prepared, we shouldn’t be taken by surprise.

Dave: But see, you’ve shifted away from your original question. You asked if believers would be taken by surprise, and I said yes because that’s what Christ said. Remember what you read in Luke 12 verse 40? Yahushua said, “You also must be ready.” Why? “Because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

That’s why we’re to be ready; that’s why we’re to be prepared. Being prepared isn’t the same thing as not being taken by surprise. Being prepared is necessary because we’ll be taken by surprise.

Miles: So the issue is preparation rather than being able to know when he’ll return so you’re not taken by surprise.

Dave: Exactly. Saying that believers won’t be taken by surprise goes against what Yahushua said.

• We’re to be ready because he’ll return when we’re not expecting him.
• We’re to be ready because there will be a delay.
• We’re to be ready because during the delay, all slumber and sleep.

Miles: That doesn’t really make sense to me. How can you be prepared and yet still slumber and sleep during the delay? Isn’t that mutually exclusive?

Dave: Not according to Christ. Take the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. He made a point of stating that they all slumbered and slept. And yet, when the shout was heard, “Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him!” were the wise virgins prepared?

Miles: Uhhh … yeah! Yeah, actually they were. They’d brought along the extra oil so despite falling asleep themselves, they had made preparations.

Dave: And that’s what we can do, too—especially now that there will be no visible signs to watch for. We can turn our attention to being ready spiritually whenever he should return or in the very likely event that we die before he returns.

Miles: That shifts the whole focus, doesn’t it? It gives me chills to think how awful it would have been to keep on sleeping, looking for signs that will never come. Praise Yah for bringing us more light!

Dave: Amen.

Miles: Thank you for joining us today. If you enjoyed today’s program and would like to share it with friends or family, you can find it on our website at WorldsLastChance.com. We’ve also uploaded it to YouTube. Just look for Program 251 called “Re-discovering Old Truths in Prophecy.” That’s “Re-discovering Old Truths in Prophecy,” program number 251.

If you already listen to our programs on YouTube, let us know what you think in the comments. If you enjoy our programming, consider giving us a thumbs up to help others find our channel. If you’d like to receive notifications when new episodes are uploaded, just click the subscribe button.

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.