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Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Harry Truman? Not the president, though—the other Harry Truman, the guy whose life had something to teach us about last-day Bible prophecy.
Harry Randall Truman, the other Harry Truman, ran the Mount St. Helens Lodge at Spirit Lake. Originally born in West Virginia back in 1896, Harry brought his family to Spirit Lake in 1926, where he started a small business that consisted of a gas station, grocery store and boat rental shop.
By 1939, he had added a lodge and eventually his fleet of watercraft included 100 boats. That really should have been the end of the story—a successful man with a successful business and a long life of prosperity. But then came the spring of 1980, when park rangers came and knocked on Harry’s door.
Rangers: “Harry, you’ve got to get off the mountain, because we have evidence that before too long, it’s going to blow.”
Harry: “If this mountain blows, I’m going with it.”
In Harry’s mind the reports of danger at Mount St. Helens were greatly exaggerated. In his opinion, the signs of impending destruction weren’t all that clear. So when the mountain exploded on May 18, 1980, with a force 500 times greater than a Hiroshima atomic bomb, Harry Truman lost his life, and to this day his body has never been found, because it’s buried so deeply under the ash and debris of Mount St. Helens.
You know, when you think about a guy like Harry Truman, you have to wonder why anybody would choose to deliberately ignore the obvious signals that your life is in danger. The mountain was already rumbling, and once in a while it would spit out just a little bit of smoke and ash, but for some reason Harry just couldn’t see it. The geologists could see it, the rangers could see it, and the people who lived a long way off could see it, but the man who lived closest to the problem just couldn’t believe it.
There was no way, in his mind, that the place where he had spent the last 54 years of his life would ever be subject to the kind of apocalyptic devastation that wiped out half the mountain in 1980.
Then again, if you really think about it, most of us are wired a little like Harry Truman. We hate to think that in spite of the doomsday predictions of environmentalists and other modern pessimists that anything truly catastrophic could ever happen to this little Out of marble we call home.
The reason that most of us hate to think about it is because we’ve spent so much of our lives building our personal little empires. The loss of everything we have would be more than most of us could bear. But the fact remains that our generation has been warned that the way things are is not the way things are going to be.
Listen, for example, to the words of Jesus found in the 24th chapter of the gospel according to Matthew, where Jesus gives us a long list of things to watch for that will let us know when we are running out of time. As He gets to the end of His detailed description, which includes signs in the political, religious and natural world, Jesus sums it up like this (Matthew 24:32-33):
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the door!”
So what exactly is Jesus talking about? Well, if you study Matthew 24 carefully, you discover that He’s really describing two events that closely parallel each other. On the one hand, He’s describing the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans almost 40 years into the future. But at the same time, He’s using the destruction of Jerusalem to paint a picture of what the world is going to look like as it enters the final lap of human history.
In the underlying message that runs through the whole thing, it’s pretty hard to miss. When the end comes close, when we are pulling up to the Second Coming of Christ, you are going to have plenty of evidence to let you know we are getting close.
Let me take you back to Harry Truman for just a minute. Not only could Harry feel the rumbling of the mountain, but people actually showed up on his doorstep to let him know that time was short.
He had absolutely every opportunity to save his life before the tragedy struck, and if you compare what happened to Harry Truman with the book of Revelation, you’ll find a startling parallel, because not only does the Bible speak about natural signs that tip us off when times are changing, but it also mentions a last-day messenger that knocks on every human heart before the prophetic clock hits midnight. Listen to this (Revelation 18:1-4):
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority. And the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’”
You know, I’ve come to believe that a lot of folks have the wrong idea about God. Far too many people grow up thinking that God is all to eager to wipe out those who make a mistake, but the evidence of the Bible presents a completely different story.
In the last moments before Jesus comes, a message born in heaven flashes across the planet pleading with people to make things right. And if you study it carefully, you’ll notice that it’s not the timid voice of someone making a quiet announcement so that the legal notice has been served. It’s the passionate voice of the Heavenly Father, whose heart is broken over the fact that some of his children might not be ready for Jesus to come.
It reminds me of the heartfelt message God sent to Israel when they were captives in Babylon almost 2,500 years ago. As the prophet Ezekiel communicates the words of God to a stubborn, rebellious people, you can almost hear the tears in the voice of the creator (Ezekiel 18:30-32):
“‘Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,’ says the Lord God. ‘Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions, which you have committed. And get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God, ‘therefore turn and live!’”
You know, when some people read that God is going to judge this world, they assume it’s some kind of vendetta against people who don’t do things God’s way. But nothing can be further from the truth. A God of love has to draw a line in the sand, because the thought of suffering, should the problem be allowed to fester forever, is simply unbearable to God.
At the same time, God’s not eager to put a stop to it, because the ones who are so wrapped up in wickedness might still be saved for the kingdom. So, if you think about it, it is a fine line that God is walking. How do you minimize the suffering caused by sin and still save as many sinners as you can?
All through the Bible, you find God drawing a line in the sand, but at the same time he pleads with people to change their ways.
“I have no pleasure in the death of an unrepentant sinner,” God says. “So why in the world won’t you change your ways and live?”
Over the years, I’ve seen people stand on the sidewalk with a sign that says God hates this group, or God hates that group, but when I checked that against the words of the Bible, I find that’s not true. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s no question God hates sin, and there’s no question He hates what sin does to us, but throughout the Bible, you always seem to find God pleading with people to turn their backs on sin, because He doesn’t want them to reap the terrible consequences of what they’ve done, and the pattern you find in the Bible. It seems that God waits until there are no more options left before he pulls the plug on human civilization.
Take, for example, of the remarkable story found in Genesis 18 and 19, where God declares his intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, because those cities had become so desperately wicked.
Frankly, God could have carried out his plan without bringing it to anybody’s attention, because it is well within his rights as God. But you’ll notice something really important beginning in the 20th verse of Genesis, chapter 18, where God reveals his plans to Abraham, a man whose heart belonged to God.
Here’s what it says (Genesis 18:20-21):
“And the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to me. And if not, I will know.’”
Now, before I go any further, we should probably clear up the fact that God already knew how wicked Sodom and Gomorrah really were. It’s not as if he needed to pay a personal visit to the streets of the city to find out just how wicked the people really were, because the Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.
So then why did God say he was going down to check things out? Well, pay attention carefully to the very next verse. The Bible says (Genesis 18:22):
“Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.”
You know, every time I read this story it gives me goose bumps, because what happens here on the plains of Mamre actually shows us what’s going on behind the scenes as our world gets ready for Jesus to come. If you’ve never seen it, let me show you what I mean.
As the story begins in Genesis 18, three mysterious beings come to visit Abraham, and we discover that those three men are actually the Lord himself accompanied by two angels. And when God says that He’s going down to visit the cities to see how wicked they have become, you read that it’s not actually God who goes to take a look. The two angels go to visit Sodom while God stays right there by Abraham’s tent to have a discussion with him regarding the fate of Sodom. Why is that so important?
It’s because it teaches us something critical about the character of God as you and I move toward the final moments of human history. The pattern you find over and over and over again is that God will always keep his people well informed before He makes a move to permanently solve the problem of sin.
In fact, in the book of Amos, chapter three, we are told that surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets. In other words, you are always going to know if something big is going to happen. Before the world was destroyed by a flood, Noah sounded a clear alarm.
“Time is running out!”
Before the Assyrians invaded northern Israel, God sent the prophet Isaiah.
“Listen all you distant lands!”
Before the Babylonians sacked the city of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah publicly wept for the sins of his people. And before this world comes to a grinding halt, God’s people are going to know it’s getting close.
The Bible reveals that before God makes a move, He’s going to keep the world informed, and that’s exactly what happened in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. As the two angels leave to go and investigate the cities, God stays behind to discuss this thing with Abraham, and that discussion begins in verse 23 (Genesis 18:23-24):
“And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city, would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?”
Now pay careful attention to what’s going on. God has no question in his mind about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham does. In fact, his nephew, Lot is living in the city of Sodom, so Abraham has a vested interest in what is about to happen.
God, you wouldn’t destroy that city if you found out there were still some righteous people living there, would you? I mean what if there were 50 people whose hearts still belonged to you? What sense would it make to lose all those righteous people?
Do you see what’s going on? Before he destroys the wicked, God actually subjects himself to the scrutiny of his people. It’s almost as if God is putting Himself on trial, and you can see that in the very next verse. Listen carefully to what Abraham says next (Genesis 18:25):
“Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”
Did you catch it? Abraham is asking God if this is really the right decision. And the truly amazing part of this story is the fact that God lets Abraham do this.
In fact, if you remember what happens next God says, “Listen. For 50 people I would spare the city.”
“But Lord, what if there are only 45? What about them?”
“Well, even for 45 people I would spare the city.”
“And if there were only 40?”
“Yes, Abraham, even for 40 I would spare the city.”
And so it goes all the way down to 10 people, until Abraham is convinced that God is really doing the right thing, and at the same time God has already stated that the purpose of his visit is to conduct an investigation of the cities that he plans to destroy.
What we discover as we examine the story is that God’s investigation seems to be a public examination of the facts. Angels go to look at the city and Abraham asks his questions of God. So what does that have to do with last-day events?
Well, more than you might suspect. In the book of Daniel there is a stunning passage that shows us the judgment process that takes place just before Jesus comes. Take a look at this, beginning in Daniel. It’s amazing (Daniel 7:9):
“I watched till thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days was seated. His garment was white as snow and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame. Its wheels a burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated and the books were opened.”
Now, without a question, that is one of the most awe-inspiring things you find anywhere in the Bible. Millions—maybe billions—of angels are gathered all around the throne of God, and the books are opened so the judgment can begin.
And of course we know that God, whose eyes run to and fro through the earth, who knows the name of every star in the sky, who knows the number of hairs you have on your head—well, he doesn’t need a bunch of books to remember what happened here on planet Earth. But the angels, because they are not all-knowing, just might need those books.
So, consider this stunning possibility. Before God brings an end to human history and before he brings us into the kingdom of heaven, he opens the books so the angels can examine the records for themselves. Not only is that a possibility, the Bible says that is exactly what happens. And you have to ask: Why would the angels want to check?
Don’t forget that the struggle between good and evil didn’t start here on earth. The book of Revelation, chapter 12, tells us that before we had any trouble here on earth, war first broke out in heaven, and because one third of heaven’s angels listened to Lucifer. Because Lucifer was kicked out, and because God now plans to bring forgiven sinners back into the courts of heaven, all the faithful angels just might have a few questions. And throughout the Bible there are a number of hints that heavenly angels spend a lot of time studying the plan of salvation.
No, God doesn’t need a bunch of books to conduct the judgment, but the angels might need those records. So God opens himself up to investigation before he brings the world to an end. He allows the angels to ask their questions and weigh His motives so that everybody’s clear on what He is about to do. And then, when it’s all over, He allows the human race to do the same thing. Listen to this in Revelation 20 (Revelation 20:12):
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”
There comes a point in the history of our race where God is going to open the books and let you ask your questions. “Lord, where’s my best friend, Mike? Why didn’t he make it into the kingdom of heaven?”
And with tears of compassion in his eyes, God can point you to the facts.
“Come,” He’ll say, “and take a look.”
“I did everything I could, short of forcing your friend into the kingdom of heaven, and he still chose to turn away from Me.”
Here is what it really boils down to: There really is going to be a final bell for planet Earth. The warnings are all over the place and the prophetic signs the Bible told us to watch for are headlines in the evening news right now.
Somewhere in heaven, before it all comes to a close, the judgment sits and the facts are examined. God doesn’t make a move without first giving us a warning. His motives are perfectly clear, because that’s just the kind of God He is.
And if you really want to see something stunning, look at the 14th chapter of the Book of Revelation, because you find that even as the judgment begins, God sends a message to the world (Revelation 14:6-7):
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”
You notice, he doesn’t say the judgment is coming, doesn’t say it will come, it says the hour of his judgment has come. And the question that leaves for you and me is really very simple. When the indicators are so clear all around you, and the message of God knocks on your door to get you off the mountain, are you going to respond?
Harry Truman blew it. Right now you don’t have to. You see—we get all these warnings because two amazing things are about to happen. First, God is going to put an end to sin and suffering. Secondly, He is going to save you if you are willing to let Him do it.
Right now, God is doing everything He can think of to get you ready for Jesus to come. As you think about what we’ve studied today, can you think of one good reason not to accept the gift of Jesus Christ?
Why don’t we pray together?
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, we marvel at a God of love who does so much to keep us informed as we move toward the prophetic finish line. We believe today that your message is for us, and we know that your deepest desire is to keep us for the kingdom. So, today we humbly and thankfully accept the gift of forgiveness that you offer us, and we ask you to take control of our lives. For we ask it in Jesus’ name, believing that He is coming again, Amen.
Scriptures Used in “A Final Warning”
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors!”
—Matthew 24:32-33
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority. And the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’”
—Revelation 18:1-4
“’Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,’ says the Lord God. ‘Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions, which you have committed. And get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God, ‘therefore turn and live!’”
—Ezekiel 18:30-32
“And the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether, according to the outcry against it that has come to me. And if not, I will know.’”
—Genesis 18:20-21
“Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.”
—Genesis 18:22
“And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city, would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?’”
—Genesis 18:23-24
“Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”
—Genesis 18:25
“I watched till thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days was seated. His garment was white as snow and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame. Its wheels a burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated and the books were opened.”
— Daniel 7:9
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”
—Revelation 20:12
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”
—Revelation 14:5-7