In a world bent on acquiring more and more knowledge, the adjective intelligent has supplanted the idea of ​​a moral and dignified life. I attended a funeral where the deceased was known to have been a moody, ungodly, and loveless man all his life. I thank God they didn’t ask me to give the eulogy. The person who had to deliver the eulogy had a hard time finding a decent word to say about the deceased. I will never forget the single word he could find in praise for the deceased. He said that “he was, as we all know, a very intelligent man.”

While being intelligent has never been a requirement to enter the kingdom of God, neither is it required to interpret scripture or expound Bible prophecy. That does not mean that the ignorant are left to say what is in the scripture. Only believers and faithful are allowed to see what the word of God says. Jesus said that the Pharisees heard what he was saying, but because they chose not to believe it, the truth was hidden from them despite their intelligence. Pharisees as well as scholars and scoffers today continue to carry out the adage that “the worldly say let me see and then I will believe while the pious say I believe and so they see.”

That revelation and understanding are hidden from certain people has nothing to do with their intelligence or lack thereof. In fact, it is God himself who promises to keep them in the dark because of their unbelief.

He answered and said to them: Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Matthew 13:11

And he said: To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but to others in parables; so that seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand. Luke 8:10

At that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said: I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little children. because it seemed good to you in your eyes. Luke 10:21

The Apostle Paul made fun of scoffers, especially those who believed they were men of letters and science. O Timothy, keep what has been entrusted to you, avoiding profane and vain talk, and the oppositions of what is falsely called science, which, professing some, deviated from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20,21

Scholars have never understood the principle of revelation. It is not what we learn that shows what God is saying, but what God reveals to us about what he has said that matters. This principle is seen in Christ’s response to Peter when Peter told him that he knew that Jesus was the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:17

When the history channel aired its review of the Christian view of the apocalypse, they called in several prominent university professors to comment on the renewed interest in the doctrines of the second coming of Christ. Many allusions to movies such as “Left Behind and the Omen” were also pulled. After presenting what is commonly believed in the church today about the Second Coming, the rest of the program was used to discredit or cast doubt on those views. the opinions and comments of incredulous doctors of divinity and television and Hollywood puppets, managed to raise more questions than they answered. No laughing matter though, it seemed like they were getting their best answers from Dr. Twiddle DD and Rufus T. Firefly I think it’s safe to say that certified biblical apostles, prophets and preachers in any generation are much more credible than those who channel the history to speak for them.

Before Christ was born in Bethlehem, King Herod wanted to know where he was going to be born. After reviewing the writings of the prophets, he asked his scribes and priests to inform Herod that he would be born in Bethlehem of Ephrathah. Two surprising things can be learned from this little passage of Scripture. First, what could be known about the first coming of Christ was readily available through the prophecies contained in the Scriptures. The second was that this knowledge was used to carry out one of the bloodiest massacres of children in the history of the world.

Nothing much has changed over the years. Everything that can be known about the second coming of Christ can still be found in the Scriptures. And for those who are unbelieving and wicked, that knowledge will be mocked or misused to lead themselves and others to their own inevitable judgment.