Pastor Frank DeFusco
To understand what will happen to this world in the future, we must first look back to what has occurred in the past and how that will affect the future, mainly through the lens of Holy Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, the 66 Books of the Bible depict the history of God’s creation and plans for us.
It starts with, “In the beginning, God …,” and climaxes with the words of Jesus, the risen Christ in Revelation 22:12. In it, He promises to return quickly and judge the world. In His first coming, He fulfilled no less than 108 Biblical prophecies. In 1976, mathematics and astrological scientist and professor, Peter Stoner, published a book called, “Science Speaks.” In it, he analyzed eight of the most recognizable prophecies that were predicted 500 to 1,000 years before Jesus’ birth; with the odds of an accidental fulfillment by one person being 1 in 1017 power. This would be the same odds as filling the state of Texas knee deep in silver dollars, then marking one with a checkmark, and having a blind man walk in and have him pick up that one marked coin on his first attempt. How much more impossible would it be for one man to fulfill the 108 prophecies? But with God, the impossible is possible.
Now comes our history lesson, which truly is, “His story.” God created the heavens and the Earth, filling the earth and seas with all its life forms, including the first man and woman who were commanded to populate and be stewards over the earth, and to not partake of the fruit of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” lest they die. Disobedience led to their spiritual death, followed by physical death. Centuries of separation from God led to all mankind succumbing to evil constantly. The exception being Noah and his immediate family when God sent a worldwide flood to wipe out all air-breathing life, except for him and his family. After the flood, mankind refused to fill the whole earth, refused to worship their Creator, and instead built a great tower to honor themselves. So God confused their languages, forcing them to spread out from that region.
Next, we find Abraham, whose strong faith in God was the main factor in God’s promise to him that all the nations of the world would be blessed through his seed, the Messiah. Centuries later, that promise was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified on the cross, resurrected three days later, defeating death. He promised that all who believed in Him would have eternal life, and that He would return again to judge the world, being recognized by all as “the One whom they have pierced.” This judgment will occur at the end of the seven plague-filled years of Tribulation under a global world government, economy, religion, and leader, the Antichrist. This is sinful man’s future and can only be avoided when they accept Jesus as Lord of their life.
Pastor Frank DeFusco, from Calvary Chapel of Casa Grande, teaches Bible studies held in the Cheyenne Room of the Ranch House.