Dennis Pumford Presents Revelation Decoded Weekly

WELCOME to the Revelation Decoded newsletter.  The newsletters will come out weekly.  They will usually contain articles dealing with the current trends that fulfill Bible prophecy and help us realize that we are living in the final period of time just before Jesus comes.  They will also contain some personal notes about the Pumford family and our endeavors to get out the word about the prophecies of Revelation.

POLARIZATION OF AMERICA.  

One cannot help but notice how polarized America is.  Is this a sign of the times?  I believe so.  In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, there are seven churches described.  These churches were not only literal churches contemporary to John the Revelator, but have often been seen to represent the various phases the Christian church would go through during the history between the time of Christ and His second coming.  They can also represent the differing types of churches at any point in history.  For instance, Smyrna was the persecuted church and Laodicea is the church of affluence—the lukewarm church.  It is easy to identify the church today in first world countries as Laodicea, but it would be difficult to categorize the Christian church in China that way.  Nevertheless, certain characteristics have dominated certain periods of time throughout church history.  We have been living in the affluent, apathetic and lukewarm period of Loadicea for about 160 years (since the “second great awakening” in America).  In the message to Laodicea, Jesus says, “I wish that you were cold or hot.”  The Laodicean condition will disappear just before Jesus comes and Philadelphia will reemerge to be the church waiting to receive Him (for more on how and why this happens, see the book Revelation Decoded).  People will be either cold or hot (not lukewarm) just before Jesus comes.  The polarization going on in America today could signal the beginning of the end of the lukewarm condition.  

WELL CURVE.  

In recent years, sociologists have noticed this trend towards polarization.  They say that the “bell curve” no longer applies and has been replaced by the “well curve”.  We are all familiar with the bell curve which has been used for many years not only to explain to us why we did not get an “A” on the test, but to reveal where the majority of society stands on any given issue.  The bell curve has a large middle and two declining ends.  Most people can be fit into the middle.  There were always those who were above or below those of us in the middle.  Today, the well curve has replaced the bell curve—not by choice, but because people more and more are “either/or”.  Picture an old fashioned dug well.  It has two long straight sides and a narrow bottom.  It has been observed that society is becoming polarized into two distinct large groups, whatever the subject of discussion is.  The middle contains the minority, not the majority anymore.  This is why both presidential candidates are working so hard to reach the small percentage of uncommitted voters known as “swing voters.”  They are the few who could determine the outcome of the race.  Both candidates seem quite sure of their base.  Because of the polarization, emotions are running high as many see the stakes in the outcome as higher than before.  This is not only a phenomenon of politics, but pastors are seeing the same thing going on in their churches.  People are getting off the fence.  Those hungering and thirsting for righteousness cannot get enough spiritual food, and others seem to be slipping farther from a relationship with Jesus.  Issues that used to be settled by a majority vote have people angry and leaving a particular fellowship.  We are truly in a time of polarization both in society and in the church.    

BEING READY.

Until Next Week,

Dennis
dennispumford.com

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