Posted on 10/24/2021 7:37:55 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
At times we need no interpretation, or hermeneutically derived extrapolation to predict something from the prophetic word of the Bible. Most of the time the bible says what it means—and means what it says.
Since time is measured both by the passing of events, and the ticking of the clock, it takes little discernment to uncover the time we are in and when the next major event will transpire.
Want the simple version? While the exact time of an event may not be in the Bible, the estimated time of that event can and does come from the scripture, based on a fulfillment of other prophecies, and just how many of them are already part of history. It is the simple process of elimination.
How many eschatological (prophecies of future events) have already been fulfilled? In fact, there are very few that have not been completely fulfilled at this very moment.
Three major events yet to come.
The rebuilding of the Jewish Temple
The war over Jerusalem that ends in the sudden defeat of the armies that come against Israel—sometimes referred to as “Ezekiel’s War.”
The revealing, the rise to power, and the fall, of the world’s last dictator known as the Antichrist.
> The Arab hatred for Israel will be the impetus for the first two and that hatred is seen every day in the Middle East. Number three is predicated on the moral decline of nations and a move toward worldwide anarchy along with the full corruption and decline of world governments.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
Stanne, I don’t know you, but do understand the underlying concern or fear any person should have when reading prophetic texts from Scripture.
Well over 1/3 of the Bible is Prophecy (Eschatology) from God, and or fulfulled prophetic word from God.
Many pivotal prophesies have already taken place, such as Israel being conquered and spread out to the ends of the earth for their lack of faith in God for their salvation, and for adopting rebellious pagan idol worship, (which included the pagan sacrifice of little unborn and newborn children in horrific ways, to ga iij n prosperity). GOD warned them in great detail, but they rejected and even killed Gods prophets.
Gods son Christ, (The Lamb and sacrifice for sin), coming to earth, and going to the cross, which was the fulfillment of hundreds of references in the Old Testament, including Isaiah 53*
Because I have to get out the door, I am going to throw a significant block quote in here, which has as it’s most significant author quoted as Jesus Christ himself, by Matthew to Luke !
For everyone on this thread, and for anyone who claims to believe or read the Bible, keep in mind —
“All Scripture was given by God [or literally God breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and righteousness.
(2 Timothy 3:16)
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“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention* as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
But false prophets also arose [or will arise] among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
(2 Peter 1:19 - 2 Peter 2:1)
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I will also use brackets where there is a plausible context clarification to be highlighted[.]
From MATTHEW 24 [A prophesy of Jeremiah 24, and Jeremiah 30] —
https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/parable-of-the-fig-tree-matt-24/
“The Parable of the Fig Tree
In Matthew 24, Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree to His disciples (Matt 24:32ff). This passage is prophesying of the time we know as the seventieth week of Daniel (Daniel 9), the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer 30:7), and the Great Tribulation (Mat 24:21)
Jesus began His discourse with a mandate to learn this parable. Since Jesus commanded that we learn it, we should take it very seriously and do our best to understand His teaching.
*Mat 24:32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
Israel is the Fig Tree
Israel has been represented typologically, in the Old Testament, as a fig tree with both good and bad figs.
Jer 24:2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
Jer 24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
This clearly indicates that the “fig tree” is a symbol for Israel. It is a “tree” that produces both good and bad figs. The good figs representing those devoted to serving God (David, Daniel, etc) and the bad figs representing self-righteousness (many, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day). The leave of the fig tree are what Adam and Eve tried to use to cover their sin (Gen 3:7) and the fig tree is the only tree that God ever cursed (Matt 21:19,20). Jeremiah clearly tells that fig tree represents religious Israel without fruit (Jer 24:2,5,8).
Young and Tender?
Matthew 24:32 raises the question: since the fig tree is Israel when was Israel “young and tender?” Certainly, it was not when Jesus was teaching. The nation of Israel, God’s people, was ancient, dating as far back as God’s covenant with Abraham. But in 70 AD the nation ceased to exist.
[In all reality, Israel ceased to exist as a sovereign nation, with it’s people being largely dispersed, or carried off into captivity, in two phases, nearly 800 years BC. In fact many Old Testament prophets wrote from captivity in Babylon, which was also foretold in detail hundreds of years prior.]
The [Non-sovereign-Israel, and gentile permitted and administered] Temple was destroyed by the Romans and [many of the remaining] the people were dispersed throughout the nations. The language died [ancient Hebrew ceased to be spoken], and there was no Israel [in its land]. But God, in His faithfulness, regathered His people and on May 14th, 1948 Israel was” born again” (statehood declared) and became a “young and tender fig tree.”
Israel was “young and tender” but not for long. The day after statehood was declared a war with Arab nations began and then seven years later, in 1956, the Jews fought the Suez Canal War. With overwhelming odds, God gave them victories. Again in 1967, Israel was at war. This time with their neighboring nation, Egypt and the combined forces of the Arab nations. Known as the “Six Day War, Israel fought for six days. Once again, God gave them victory, and on the seventh day they rested (what a beautiful pattern from “the beginning” Gen 1). In the Six Day War, Israel gained control of God’s holy city, Jerusalem, the Sinai peninsula, and the west bank–the lands known to the Jews as Judea and Samaria.
[I have always been taught, and is my position, Israel without their capital Jerusalem, a name and place more significant prophetically in Scripture than the name Israel itself — marked the actual formal prophetically aligned “Israel as a nation”]
Jesus Gave a Warning and a Prophecy
Mat 24:33 “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it [the Tribulation] is near; at the doors!
All what things? Earlier in His discourse, Jesus had said spoken of things they would see that would precede the Great Tribulation (Matt 24:4-21). Let’s look at some of those verses. Since Israel was reborn:
many have come in His name (vs 5). there have been many wars (vs 6),nations have risen against other nations (vs 7). there has been famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places (vs7).
Israel, in its “young and tender” years, has seen all these things. All these are the “beginning of sorrows,” told Jesus (vs 8). He then continued by telling of the things that will take place in the first 3 ½ years of the seventieth week of Daniel (Matt 24 9-20), things that are yet to come. And finally, He told of the coming Great Tribulation (the last 3 ½ years) that would come, “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Mat 24:21)
When?
Remembering that we cannot know the day or the hour (Matt 24:36), but understanding that we are able and expected to discern the times and seasons (Luke 12:56), let’s continue
Mat 24:34-35 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
What generation? And what did Jesus mean when He said that this generation shall assuredly not pass away until all these things take place?
End Times Prophecy
Biblical scholars have long understood this chapter to offer information about the timing of the Great Tribulation. It is centered on the “fig tree,” the young and tender Israel that was “birthed” in 1948. It’s believed that is the generation that “will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”
This now raises an important question. How many years is a generation? The Bible defines a generation by various numbers of years.
According to the standard set down in Genesis 15:12-16, a generation is 100 years. According to Moses, in Psalm 90:10, it is 70 (or 80) years. According to the passage in Matthew 1:17, it is about 42 years.
Forty-two years? Seventy years? One hundred years? We can rule out forty-two years since that would have been 1990 and the Tribulation did not take place then. The next possibility would be 70 years. Does that fit?
Seventy does seem to fit. The nation was exiled from the land for 70 years (in Babylon) before they returned to rebuild the Temple. So is it plausible that the nation could be “rebirthed” for 70 years before the Tribulation comes? Could this be God “restoring the years the locust have eaten” (Joel 2:25) and “redeeming the time” (Eph 5:16, Col 4:5). The answer is, we don’t know. Those are simply thoughts for consideration. We certainly know that we are in the season of the last days. Sin is rampant, apostasy is greatly increased. We certainly live in a time that is likened unto “the days of Noah,” which Jesus said is another sign of the coming Tribulation (Mat 24:38).
Could the generation be 100 years? Yes, it could be. Remember, Jesus said the generation would not pass away. It’s certainly possible that people born in 1948 could live for 100 years. Is a generation of 100 years more probable? We simply do not know.
Conclusion
With the 70th “birthday” of Israel, we, [[which I believe really began with the Re-established Jerusalem and covenant related *City of David as Israel’s capital]] as Christians, should be well aware of how quickly we are approaching the time of God’s fulfilling all things. We do live in the last days. There will be a time when Jesus comes for His Bride (Read: What is the Rapture?) There will be a time of Jacob’s Trouble, a seventieth week of Daniel, a Great Tribulation (Jer 30:7, Dan 9, Matt 24:21). And whether the generation of the fig tree is 70 or 100 years, our commission remains the same as it has been since Jesus gave it:
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
We are to be Jesus’ hands, His feet, and His mouth to show His love and to speak His good news of saving grace. We don’t want anyone to go through the Tribulation. The Book of Revelation tells how terribly bad it will be and Jesus desires that none should perish but rather obtain salvation in Him (2 Pet 3:9, 1 Th 5:9). He has paid for all the sins of the world, but not all the people of the world have repented and trusted in Him. Share the gospel with someone today:
Rom 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
In a nutshell, Matthew 24, like hundreds of other New Testament texts, is loaded, and empowered by fulfillment of Gods Old Testament blueprint!!
Oy
Put your big boy pants on and make a decision.
If this is stuff is nonsense why spend so much time and energy trying to deflect and mock it?
Aren’t there other threads to daydream on and pretend this world is all perfectly fine?
There’s this massive disease among Christians (let’s call them psuedo Christians since they hardly even think about Christ) that you can be a sincere believer in Him and shrug off the idea that He’s ever coming back.
These people live that way daily and you probably know a lot of them.
There is a difference between Christians looking to His Return and those who scoff and say it won’t happen any time soon.
Very well laid out and thoroughly explained. Well written. I don’t know if it was a cut and paste, but again, thoroughly explained. I love Bible prophesy.
👍
Well put and those days have returned.
Agree, we’re pretty darn close.
We may even know or have seen his name in print.
Let the lost and scoffers find out the hard way. They’re already duped at this point.
Agreed. But I'll bet his False Prophet is someone we know.
I agree, there’s only one guy trying out for the part and he seems like a shoe in.
I do it for a precise reason. I have followed these false prophesies. They are disturbing. I have spoken with theologians about them. That’s all they are. I stopped in, let’s see, 1998.
I no longer entertain them. I follow what Jesus Homself said about them
That’s for anyone disturbed by reading this particular one.
So you feel led astray and wish to enlighten everybody else by suggesting it’s hogwash?
Nobody is picking dates here and We Christians are called to discern the times and seasons.
Up to you to believe whatever you want, that you were personally suckered into a false prophesy doesn’t make what is currently happening in the world less prophetic.
If you are disturbed, like I suggested earlier, there are other more rosy and pretend threads that you can ignore the reality of our perilous world and the situation we’re in.
Just reading the first sentence
People who ad hominem, as I predicted and which is a violation of FR rules, tell others how they feel engage in a particularly obnoxious creepy behavior.
Yuck
This coming from the guy who says the post is “crap” in #2?
LOL! Believe what you want dude.
that you can be a sincere believer in Him and shrug off the idea that He’s ever coming back.
***I’m also running into ‘sincere believers’ who don’t even try to obey scripture, and others who blow off scripture such as what Martha did to Mary. Christianity is becoming a ChurchLadyMartha browbeaters’ club.
You need to read more than just Matthew. And any ‘intelligent priest’ is gonna have his agenda of bringing you into their fold rather than just let scripture speak for itself.
You’re way off.
Been seeing those all of my life.
We’ve got a hard walk bro - it’s not easy, never was meant to be either.
Luke 12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.
2Peter3:3-4
…3Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “ Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”
Stanne, I think I understand what you are trying to say.
First of all, no one likes to be attacked unfairly when they are just trying to explain how they feel, and you are right that no one should do that to you. Contradicting you with an ad hominem is unfair and unchristian to say the least. I think that is is possible that those here that have done that didn’t mean to hurt you. We have all done it at one time or another, as we all do this unknowingly over and over to even those we love. I think in their zeal to show you the Way, the Truth, and the Light they misspoke and that is only “human”.
And second of all, I can somewhat understand your reluctance to think this end of the world prophecy is happening now because I too have been there. I have always been very optimistic… sort of a everything-is-going-to-be-alright-if-we-just-believe-God-will-make-it-alright kind of a person. I adamantly believe the Bible is the Word of God and take it very literally. But in my Pollyanna way I wanted to think of the events spoken of in Revelation to be a time far far away. But then a few years ago too many “signs” seemed to be telling me that I may be wrong. This was very frightening and I wanted the Lord to tell me not to worry, it’s not happening now, it’s far far away. But our Heavenly Father is faithful in answering our prayers, just sometimes not the way we want them answered. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that I was finally able to see the fulfillment of this Revelation prophecy in a whole different way. I don’t see it as so frightening anymore. I see it as a beautiful fulfillment of God’s plan for we His people (Jew and Gentile), His Church, His Bride. I don’t know the exact timing of it, and we are not to know, but we are to know the signs and warnings so we can be aware and prepared.
The traditional Hebrew wedding ceremony is a true picture of what will happen to believing Christians. First Just as the bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom, so the believers in the Messiah are chosen by God. (John 15:16) The bride’s father (God) chose the bridegroom (Jesus) for her and He lavished his love upon her and she returned his love. A price would have to be paid for the bride. Jesus, being our bridegroom paid a very high price for His bride, the body of believers. The price He paid was His life. (1Cor 6:20) Betrothal is the first of two steps in the marriage process. Betrothal legally binds the bride and the groom together in a marriage contract, except they do not physically live together. Whenever you accept the Lord into your heart and life, you become betrothed to Him while living on earth. A contract is signed, to those who desire the Lord to come into their hearts and lives is to accept his invitation to do so by faith. As His bride, we are saying “I do”. At this point, the bridegroom leaves for his father’s house to prepare the bridal chamber for his bride. It was understood to be the man’s duty to go away to be with his father, build a house, and prepare for the eventual wedding. Before he goes, though, he will make a statement to the bride, “I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you.” Meanwhile, the bride was to wait eagerly for the return of the bridegroom. In the mind of the bride, the bridegroom could come at any time, even in the middle of the night or at midnight. Therefore, she had to be ready at all times.
It is a very beautiful picture, and I now know that Jesus will be returning for His bride (the Rapture) and that day will be a wonderful “wedding feast” celebration.
Now I don’t look to the fulfilling of this last prophecy in fright, but rather in joyful anticipation. Yes, there may first be persecution, difficult times, possible death but God has promised to provide the comfort we need to endure no matter what.
So, Stanne, no matter where you are now in your Christian journey there is always room for the Holy Spirit to give you more. Stand firm in the knowing that no one here can hurt you in what they say to you intentionally or unintentionally if you forgive them and move on. If you indeed believe in Jesus as you have indicated, then know you are loved and cherished and that you can ask the Holy Spirit to further open your eyes to see and He will do so and bless you greatly (or “biggly” as we MAGA people say) 😀
“...people who cite Revelations...”
AAAND there is the proof of biblical illiteracy.
At that point, every statement you make about your proclaimed Bible knowledge disappears in a puff of logic and your biblical opinion is invalidated and irrelevant.
🕶👍
I agree!
If we love Jesus, how can we not look forward to His return!
Additionally, we are commanded to rema in n, and be ready for His return in multiple texts.
We will not know the “day or hour” but the command is there.
As well, many Christian’s, when written, presently, and in the future, only have this “Glorious Hope” and fulfillment of Gods promised return to look forward to.
For the world, which will largely reject Christ (as Scripture teaches), they can only hope these biblical promises from God are not true, and must mock and segregate out those who believe all of this is Gods word.
Changing thoughts here, as a historic nation, Israel has now returned to the land of Israel, as a sovereign nation, as prophesied in several dozens of texts in both Old and New Testaments, is biblically and historically pivotal. As well, the detail is literally impossible in the natural world.
I would state however, while 1948 is absolutely functionally critical, in my opinion pre 1967 Israel, without Jerusalem, was not nationally intact as the prophetically defined whole sovereign Israel.
In biblical eschatology, Jerusalem is critical to everything going forward.
Gods promise to David, to fulfill the cut off covenant includes Jerusalem. As well, Jerusalem is the “Apple of Gods eye”.
Jerusalem will be hotly contested,”a millstone around the neck of the nations”, a stumbling block, etc...
However, historically and prophetocally, Jerusalem is also the “City of David”, Israel’s Levitical order will be restored in Jerusalem’s millennial temple, and God will reign on the Earth from Jerusalem! And this includes with a restored King David in the future! Wow!
As such I strongly believe, “this generation” spoken of by Christ himself in His Matthew 24:32- “parable of the fig tree” (Israel), actually almost had to have begun when Israel’s historical and prophesied capital city was taken back. This too was a powerful fulfillment of Scripture, and happened not in 1948, but in 1967.
Put another way, the countdown arguably didn’t begin in 1948 (although 48’ was functionally critical to this prophesy), but rather the countdown of Jesus warning that “this generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled” began in 1967.
My opinion, (which could also be wrong, but not by far), would be Christ was referring to a 70 year generation (which contrary to some authors, was still actually traditional to Jewish culture when Christ was here), began in 1967.
This does not mean the generation must complete its 70 year cycle, but rather everything happens within this generation.
The further we push through “this generation” the more crazy and intense, and awful the world will become. And 7 years of Gods wrath will also be completed in this generation.
I believe the “Trump of God will sound” for His people soon, as “we are not appointed to Gods wrath” (as Paul defined in detail to the Thessalonians), which will mark the beginning of fulfillment of Daniel’s “70th week” (biblivally defined as 7 years), which is also synonymous
with the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, soon.
In the parable of “The Ten Virgins”, Christ warned us to be ready for His return.
What a time to be alive!
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