Tag Archives: Truth

Solomon’s Eschatology

Personal Eschatology or Solomon’s Eschatology

Eschatology is the study of end-time things. Where does it all lead? What is the end of life on the planet? For the planet itself, and God’s purposes for humankind, the apex of His creation on Earth? And is there an important personal eschatology—our personal end times? Do you ever think about these things and ponder the eternity planted in your heart?

Our Creator, has a plan for all of these things, and it’s past finding out totally, but not completely. By that I mean what he told us directly in verses like: “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

But then He gave us His amazing Word, the Holy Bible, with enough information about Himself to know Him pretty well, if we want to. And in the same Bible, He gave us a path or pathways for living the best, most fulfilling, and most joyful lives here and now. Many Scriptures like Psalm 23, Psalm 1, and Psalm 121 meet my eyes and heart and I see in part. I see enough connected parts to comprise a beautiful mosaic of a desirable life and plan, but not all of it. This mosaic seems like one-of-a-kind, an original, with exquisite experiences that are pleasant to the mind, the heart, the soul, and all five senses. It’s something akin to “eternity in our hearts” placed there by our Creator, so we would thirst for truth and for Him until we find Him.

All other mosaics are copies. Some are attempts that flatter the original and the Originator with joy and no ill intent. It’s been said, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.” Some are forgeries with plenty of ill intent. Those start with some of the basic elements of the true mosaic, then add other parts meant to deceive and lead people astray into something that is advertised as true and fulfilling, but is meaningless and damning.

Above it all and in it all is the Father of heavenly lights with good gifts coming down out of heaven (James 1:16-18). Amen. Take a look at nature, the sea, the stars, and the seemingly infinite types of plant and animal life. We see it in part, and we understand more of it as we study it. But we don’t really understand how it was created or the extent of it all. We just enjoy it, and have our being within its confines, never ceasing to be touched by a glorious sunrise, or sunset in silent awe, wonder, and soulful peace. So what does this mystery and beauty have to do with the end of our lives? Or how we live our lives?

Solomon’s Eschatology—Ecclesiastes

I’m pondering these things partly because I’m seventy-three, and I’ve had two good friends my age pass on to the next life in recent months. And partly because I have only one or two decades longer to live according to the natural order of things (Psalm 90:10). But mainly I ponder them with you because it’s wise to consider your ways, and the gift and the value of your earth life often, while you can. Life’s so brief by eternity’s measure, but it’s what you get to take with you into eternity—it’s what you’ve done with your soul (mind, will, emotions, passions, dreams, heart) God has gifted you.* It’s who you are.

It’s a humorous dichotomy that the older people get, the more wisdom they have from life experiences and studying the cosmos, history, and their surroundings. But at the same time, their memory and processing ability start to deteriorate or wain, and they’re left in a more childlike state of knowing only what’s most important of what they’ve learned or come to believe. And they’re less able to express it or discuss it, except with those who know similar truth and have walked similar paths, or those who ask pointed questions. This makes a good case for spending time with older people, and children.

Solomon, king of Israel, around 1000 BC, the wisest of the wise saw this dilemma or dichotomy and called it “vanity.” He also called it among other descriptors, “a vapor,” “smoke,” and a “chasing after the wind.” With an excellent mind, coupled with the gift of wisdom from God, and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, Solomon pondered and wrote about men’s individual purposes, experiences, and ends, “under the sun.” Many of his thoughts and insights are recorded for us in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I’m calling these insights a study of our personal end times, and how to view them. He wrote these truths, and they were preserved for a reason. Apparently, we have a lot of choices to make, and it would be wise to make them with God in mind and our personal end in mind. Which, by the way, will be a new beginning for those who know Jesus by faith, and are known to Him by their faith.

Here We Go…

I can’t be exhaustive here. I will encourage you to read through Proverbs for a few months, only one chapter each day. Then spend some time in silence and solitude reading and pondering Ecclesiastes. I will give you a few glimpses of what I’m talking about below and leave you to your own reading, revelation, and illumination. This should whet your appetite to learn more, and ponder why some of these things are true.

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…” “What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?  I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.” “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” “I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.” “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income.” “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.” “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart” (Ecclesiastes NASB 1995).

“A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.” “For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider—God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him” (Ecclesiastes NASB 1995).

See what I mean? I’ve not given you the references, you’ll run across them as you read and you can consider the context. May this start a search through your Bible for more light on these important truths and mysteries. I will end my thoughts with how Solomon ended his. His last written words we have are the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. I consider this a good summary of everything before it and what he might consider most salient, condensed, and important—like the last words of people usually are:

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). “The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-14).

Godspeed and blessings, with revelation, as you consider your end times, now and often as you journey. For this reason, my good friend Rick West says, “Never miss a wedding or a funeral!” The LORD’s shalom be yours.

“So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light’” (John 12:35-36).

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4).

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 20-21).

“Thus says the Lord,
‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
 where the good way is, and walk in it;
 and you will find rest for your souls’”
(Jeremiah 6:16a).

“And He will be the stability of your times,
 a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
 the fear of the Lord is his treasure”
(Isaiah 33:6).

All photos from South Fork, Colorado, Fall, 2025

[* My latest book addresses the subject of soul care in some depth and might be of interest to you.]

Are you ALL IN ?

“ALL IN” seems to be a timely word — for what the Spirit is saying and doing in the earth, and certainly in His Kingdom. Are you ALL IN to what you’re committing your time and life to? I hope so. The opposite is being lukewarm, which is something Jesus decried in His teaching, and far from what He modeled in His life on earth.

My good friend Ron has been mentoring four men for about five years next door. We meet once a week and this fall he chose the topic, “ALL IN.” We’ve discovered that Mark Batterson, a well-known author and pastor in Washington DC has a series of teachings from the Bible entitled, “ALL IN.” One of our elders taught Sunday about Jesus noticing the woman in the temple who put in only two small coins, but it was all she had. She was “ALL IN.”

With the events of recent weeks, Charlie Kirk certainly comes to mind. He was “ALL IN” by any metric. He was admired by his following of mostly young people — friend and foe, for his ideas, faith, work ethic, intellect, kindness, entrepreneurial spirit, and love for the truth.

He founded Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was just eighteen years old. He was self-educated mostly by correspondence courses from Hillsdale College, reading books (about fifty per year), and seeking out mentors. He would debate students and faculty in colleges far and wide, including Oxford and Cambridge. The Spectator asked him to write about his UK experience. They reported this, “The result was this well-observed, funny and now strangely prophetic-sounding piece about the condition of England.” They went on to say, “Charlie Kirk believed in free speech. He died speaking freely. RIP.”

To get a tiny grasp of how great this young man was, one only need watch his memorial service put together eleven short days after his murder and attended by 100,000 people according to police estimates. Over 100 million people watched on line according to a Grok search polling major TV networks and streaming services. Of course you can still watch it in segments or the whole on YouTube, which I highly recommend. You can decide for yourself what kind of young man he was.

To be only thirty-one years old, and have the President and Vice President of the United States, along with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War speak at your funeral or celebration of life service is incredible. Also to hear from his young, beautiful widow and new CEO of Turning Point USA, only days after her devastating loss was as touching as it was insightful into Charlie Kirk’s life and legacy.

With so much deception, sensationalism, and propaganda in our news media these days, I do not watch the news. I find it more peaceful to hear what I need to know from my friends, and to research newsworthy items on the web. So I’m a bit embarrassed to say I didn’t know who Charlie Kirk was. But as soon as I became aware and watched some of his debate and speaking clips, I was refreshed with his truth-loving — truth-speaking courage and candor. And I thanked God for a young man speaking to his generation and culture, in fact all generations and cultures, about a Biblical worldview of the Kingdom of God and how it relates to our personal lives and the political institutions that govern the way we live. I recently wrote a book on a Christian and Biblical worldview called Puzzling 2020. It’s the ancient path that got us to the good way we have enjoyed for so long, and holds the keys to its preservation.

Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, and may your movement and organization prosper and succeed in its mission a million times more than your wildest dreams. May God bless your organization and your family with success unimagined and peace.

*********************

“A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

“Thus says the Lord,
‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.’
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.'” (Jeremiah 6:16)

Charlie Kirk Shorts #1 (chosen because of so many views)

Charlie Kirk Shorts #2 (I’m a soul accountable to one Being)

Charlie Kirk Shorts #3 (giving your life to Christ)

Charlie Kirk Shorts #4 (about the LGBTQIA2S+ Community)

Remembering Charlie Kirk With Mike Huckabee, Franklin Graham, Matthew West, & More

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
— Pericles, Greek orator

Finishing Strong…Like a Child

Finishing Strong!

As I’ve entered the so-called retirement years, this phrase has come to me several times, and at times has become my mantra for trying to plan or order my life, especially spiritually, which is to me the most important, meaningful, and rewarding field of endeavor. “Finishing well” is another phrase  I’ve heard kicked around by my peers trying to express the same goal or thought. 

Canoeing the Buffalo River with Friends Spring 2019

In one sense it sounds right. And I’m sure there is some merit to it, in the sense of focus. One must stay focused on the most important target if he or she is to have any chance of hitting it.

But even the phrases “finishing strong” or “finishing well” seem for me today in some early morning moments of clarity to bely pride in me. Like I can do something significant for the Lord, or that He needs me.

Let’s be clear, and honest. He doesn’t.

Now He may want something from us, or enjoy it when we are walking in truth and healthy relationships. We’ll perhaps get to that later or another time. But He doesn’t need us. He tells us many times in Scripture He’s quite Self sufficient, Other from His creation and created beings, Whole and happy and content within Himself.

Several verses of Scripture and thoughts flood my mind to support those thoughts. But at the top of the list is Isaiah 66:1-2. 

“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:1–2, NKJV)

These are among the last words recorded of Isaiah, perhaps the greatest Hebrew prophet, certainly the greatest writing prophet. From the last chapter of his amazing book and life in a rather dark time for Israel and Judah, 700 years before Christ and the New Testament. It was a time of idolatry, spiritual blindness and apostasy in God’s people. It was a time marked by unhealthy relationships with their God and with each other. Sound familiar or pertinent?

Sure it does! If you have any spiritual sight or senses left. If you compare the mores of our culture to those that please the Creator from His Word and those of the USA today. It’s cause for alarm, and perhaps panic, if you have any sense from human history of what follows when this situation exists in a nation or among nations.

The American way, the humanistic way, is to start trying to fix it! Let’s analyze how we got here, or maybe just analyze the problems and tackle them until we fix them. It sounds so right, and it’s who we are and what we do, isn’t it?

But this trait can also show us who we’ve become. Man trying to be like God, or believing he is like God? This is a simple definition of secular humanism, perhaps the oldest religion, originating in the garden. 

“… in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”” (Genesis 3:5, NKJV)

Humanism is subtle and it is a part of who we are from creation. God’s people are to be humans but not secular humanist, saying “We have no need of Him,” or like a two year old, “I can do it by myself!” These are lies; substantiated in the Bible and in human history. We do need Him. It was and is always a part of His plan for us. To come to some maturity, yes, but to always need Him, trust Him, and be in relationship with Him.

We are created in His image, but we are not like Him. He is totally Other. He’s the God of all He created and we are not.

One of my favorite and most important spiritual mentors, Charles Simpson, recently said,  “They tell us now there are about one hundred billion galaxies, containing about one hundred billion stars each. I don’t know who counted them? And isn’t it like human beings, we discover something, and we act like we made it. “ Telling isn’t it?

I also had the privilege and honor of visiting with Charles for a couple days recently with three other brothers, for friendship, fellowship, and spiritual counsel. In a private time with him, I mentioned this thought of “finishing strong.” He quickly said something like, “I’ve never preached a sermon on it or thought much about it.” That’s telling. About me.

And it brings me back to how I should be living, and my focus, in this chapter and maybe all chapters of my life? Not like I have to fix big cultural or church problems, or do something significant for God?

Compare the lie giving birth to secular humanism in the garden to what David said in the Psalms. 

“O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.” (Psalm 131:1–2, NASB95)

This was “a man after God’s own heart” who “accomplished God’s purposes in his generation.” He was also Israel’s greatest king, save One.

And that King, would say that becoming like a little child would be very important. Little children are very trusting, and learning, and humble, and know they have needs. They also know the relationship with the people who gave them life and care for them is precious and most important.  So then, the way up appears down. Perhaps living life and seeing life from the height of a bended knee? Or like a little child?

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1–4, NASB95)

To be continued…

I think I’ll go outside and play!