Posted on 10/02/2015 11:44:48 AM PDT by NRx
BUMP. TEOTWAWKI
Thought it said minimalist..... Good read.... BTTT !
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The entire article is mindless falsehood.
If anyone has a match, light it! - It’ll all go up in a second.
Fr John is a convert to Orthodoxy and knows of which he speaks.
First Christ needs to return. Whatever He wants to do after that is fine with me.
“You also would have to believe that when Christ returns that the general resurrection would not take place then, but only a thousand years after that, and only then would final judgment take place:”
Well, that’s exactly what Rev. 20:5 says, as the author even quotes directly after this. So why shouldn’t we believe it???
“Such an interpretation does not square with what is stated clearly elsewhere in Scripture, that when Christ returns He will raise the dead and judge everyone”
None of those other statements in Scripture give us a timeline of the events, but Revelation does. So why would we ignore the more detailed prophecy in favor of the less detailed ones? I can only see one justifying that on the grounds that they simply don’t like the timeline, which is not a proper justification.
Premillenialism is nonsense. Good to see a sensible argument pointing that out. Christ will come again. Once, and he will judge the living and the dead at that time.
The good news is that a multitude that can not be counted will be saved during Daniel’s Seventh Week of Years!
Remember that if you are here when the Antichrist goes into the restored Temple and declares himself to be God, run for the hills. DO NOT TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST! It is better to loose your head in this world, than to loose your eternal soul in the next.
Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
16 “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; †the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1190). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
He talks about “premillennialism.” But there are actually two different types today; there is the “dispensentional” premillennialism, and the “historic” premillennialism.
It seems in this article he is referring consistently to the “historic” premillennialism, since he references many early Christians. But almost everyone today when talking about premillennialism, is actually referring to “dispensentional” premillennialism.
Subtleties yes, but quite a difference.
This is how the the Millennium is described in the Bible in Revelation Chapter 20:
Satan is bound for 1000 years.
The saints reign with Christ for 1000 years.
At the end of the 1000 years a satanic rebellion is crushed.
Then the Great Whit Throne Judgement occurs.
Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 He laid hold of†the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw †the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such †the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone†where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face†the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another †book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1200). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
If you add to or take away from this prophecy, this is what happens to you:
Revelation 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1202). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
...I don’t even.
You started well, but got lost in the weeds. There is a better answer: www.prophecyquestions.com
Denial of the future millennial reign is falsehood.
It begins at the last trump, which is the event that ends Satan’s tribulation of the saints.
Thinking that Satan is “bound” when he’s in the throne room of God accusing the brethren is also absurd.
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
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Lucifer is not yet fallen. That is an unfulfilled prophecy.
The fulfillment of that prophecy will be the beginning of Daniel’s “70th week.”
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There is no apostolic authority supporting that view. The Messiah said he saw him fall, that the adversary is now cast out and judged. The Apostle wrote the adversary is roaming the earth now, seeking the ruin of souls. Taking the the view the adversary still has access to the throne of the Most High where the Messiah sits right now and that salvation, strength, the kingdom of God, and the power of the Messiah do not exist (yet) does not conform with the scriptures.
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There is no way any apostle could have weighed in on it but John, who made it plain in The Revelation that Lucifer has not fallen, and will be defeated in a heavenly battle and cast down to Earth just before the beginning of the Tribulation.
That is what makes his tribulation of the saints possible.
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