The End of Days (Part 1)

[Steven Budlong]

Dear Way Corps,In the early seventies, when I was quite young in the Word, I spent my weekends and summers up at The Way International around the Ohio believers, the first few Way Corps and around Uncle Harry. Uncle Harry was Dr. Wierwille’s older brother. What I loved about Uncle Harry was his simplicity. He took God at his word and he really, really yearned for the Return of Jesus Christ to gather together the Church of the Body. He kept things simple and praised God continuously for his blessings. God prospered him through his re-upholstery business and he put up the seed money for Dr. Wierwille to start his ministry. He was not grandiose or egotistical; he was simply authentic and honest. A real breath of fresh air. In fact, he sat with my father through the PFAL class and tried to help my parents through some rough patches in their marriage.He also taught things his brother didn’t teach, but V.P. never stopped him. Uncle Harry taught me latter day Bible prophecy. He had a very good dispensationalist understanding of the difference between the Bride (Israel) and Bridegroom (Jesus Christ and the Church of the Body), along with an understanding of the sequence of events that would lead up to the Gathering Together. And like the Seventh Day Adventists, he looked at the biblical thousand year spans of time, starting with Adam, to be numerically significant to God’s plans for man. I grew rich on that. I really did. It allowed me to expand my scope of the word.Back then the big thing was Hal Lindsey and his book, "The Late, Great Planet Earth". People were gobbling it up and trying to figure out who Gog and Magog were. Who was the anti-Christ (Henry Kissinger, no doubt) and what about the ten-nation confederacy? Was it the Warsaw Pact or a Unified Europe? First you had books, then movies, then televangelizing and Crusades! The Mark of the Beast (666) must be the beginning of digital surveillance via a microchip implanted in your head to keep order in the one world government.Well, we in The Way didn’t jump into the national hysteria because Dr. Wierwille kept us out of all those prophetic books (even though “J.C. divided the Word into the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms… or the rest of the writings”). But Uncle Harry was into it and he taught what he knew. Because of who he was he could get away with an awful lot! And then again there was always the back door into the topic.The back door was, "Are the Dead Alive, Now?" Which I think is probably Dr. Wierwille’s most original work. And I mean that because to understand the resurrections you have to understand the sequence of events leading up to them. And that is all there in that book if you work it.In the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, being well taught in the scripture and attune to the world (for I have traveled extensively and felt the pulse of the world working in the heart of NYC, or modern day Babylon) I knew the latter days, or end times were not yet. I felt those decades were leading up to something, like a preamble to rapture. I too, like Uncle Harry and many fringe Christians, felt that there was something key to our understanding in the verse that says one day is as a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years as one day.I couple that awareness with the first four verses in Habakkuk Chapter 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.We could discuss these four verses for days and not exhaust the riches of God’s plan for the ages. But lets not do that. The point I want to make is that a prophetic vision “speaks” at a specific appointed time. That specific appointed time is when it occurs. As with all biblical prophecy, it is not and cannot be fully understood until it is actually fulfilled. I am reminded of the anticipation that a movie trailer generates for a release. You finally go to the movie, you think you know what you’re getting for your ten bucks, but hey “that’s not like the trailer!” Anticipation and realization are two very different things, no matter how well you’ve been informed.Note the figurative use of language in these verses. How can a vision speak? Well, the watchman, who has been looking from his tower for the enemy for 2,000 years, finally sees something moving on the horizon. And it hits him like a ton of bricks that, “this is it!” He then gathers his wits and opens his mouth to announce to those who will take action that, “this is it!” It will be hammered home, it will be spread abroad, it will be obvious, and it will be a media blitz! And the media will say to all the people rich and poor, “This is it!” Now that’s how you get a sound byte!That my friends, is the first thing you have to know about prophecy. So, you can speculate and you can guess and you can get your calendar out and set dates for the Lord’s Return but… it is all for naught because no man knows the time or season, for the Lord Himself shall come as a thief in the night.So, what do we do? Do we ignore the things not written to us, like Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation? Or, do we do what the watchman does and “watch”? Do we stay awake or do we sleep? Do we get drunk or stoned and escape into our addictions or do we sober up and crack open our Bibles and say, “hey… you know that stuff on TV, what’s going on between Iran and Russia… it sure reminds me of those verses in Ezekiel 39.”Now, if Uncle Harry were alive he and I would probably agree that it is not too long before the clock strikes seven to commence The Lord’s Day. Personally, I feel like we are sailing right into God’s “perfect storm.” But remember, feelings are no guarantee for truth. So we just keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully making full proof of our own ministries, yes? Are you awake? Are you sure? Remember, Jesus Christ said, “When I come again, will I find faith in the earth?” That is a question for you. How will you answer it?When I come back to you, lets discuss the idea that prophecy, like God’s Word, can ripple and echo across time and speak to situations that are similar or like (but not identical to) the fulfillment of the real deal.Finally, let me leave you with these verses from Hebrews 10, which tie in nicely with what we read in Habakkuk:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.God bless you richly through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Oh, yeah!Truly Yours,Steven C. BudlongCopyright 2009 -- Sojourner Media LLC

[Ken & Sue Brown]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for sharing about Uncle Harry. I knew him pretty well, but did not have conversations with him about end times as you described. Interesting. Uncle Harry was very open with me about his sex life with Aunt Naomi; not a mind picture that should be passed on to others. But the point is that the man was honest. He had no fear of what others might think of him. He absolutely loved God, and his brother, and his brother's ministy, and all of us. I always enjoy learning more about him.
You have made astute observations about prophecy. Generally speaking, prophecies about future events are not understood until the events happen. Who in the Old Testament could have ever put together the references about the messiah as pertaining to Bethlehem, Egypt, and Galilee? Once it happens, then it is obvious. People look back and say, "Yep, that was what was prophesied." Prior to the event, it is a bunch of guesswork. Still, as we see events unfold, "Could this be preparation for the one who will be the antichrist" or whatever, we have cause to wonder if the Return might be more imemate than most have dared to hope.
Bless.
Ken