Posted on 12/21/2004 11:49:02 PM PST by JohnHuang2
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
By Joseph Farah
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness. From then on and forevermore ..."
– Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this week and prepare for 2005 next week, I can't help but think about how close we must be to the Second Coming – when the Lord will return for His church and personally rule over the Earth for 1,000 years.
Oh, I know, some of you don't believe in such things. You think it's just a bunch of silly superstition. Even some Christians don't believe in the Second Coming. Many prefer I stick to writing about news events of the physical world rather than arcane spiritual matters.
But, as a journalist, I can't ignore hard evidence – no matter where it may lead me. And the more I study the prophetic scriptures of the Holy Bible and look at the condition of our world today, the more convinced I become that we are nearing that time. In fact, I think we are very close.
For just as Jesus' virgin birth in Bethlehem was foretold by the Hebrew prophets hundreds of years earlier, so, too, was His return to Earth predicted. The only question is when.
The most dramatic evidence for His imminent return our generation has witnessed was the rebirth of the nation of Israel more than 50 years ago. The Jews, God's chosen people, were, as prophesied, scattered over the whole earth for nearly two millennia beginning shortly after Jesus' death on the cross. Yet, in my opinion, the scriptures leave no doubt that the Jewish state would exist once again before He returned.
Interestingly, Orthodox Jews have long taught that the world would last for 6,000 years before the Messiah would come and usher in a 1,000-year period of restful human history. Since God created the world in six days, according to Genesis 1:31, and rested on the seventh day, according to Genesis 2:1, they reasoned the world's history would climax the same way. They cite Psalms 90:4, which says: "For a thousand years in Thy sight are like yesterday when it passes by."
Likewise, Christians have looked to II Peter 3:8: "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
The early church understood this "six-day theory" of world history. It was widely accepted teaching for the first three centuries of the church. From the time of Adam, we've got genealogical records to show that 4,000 years passed until the time of Christ. From Jesus' time until the present age represents another 2,000 years for a total of 6,000 years or six days.
There's also a three-day theory: Jesus rose on the third day. Would the beginning of the third millennium – or thousand-year period – not be the likely time for His return to Earth? There is even strong scriptural evidence for such a theory provided in Hosea 6:2: "After two days will he revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight." Note that this prophecy is not about the Resurrection of Jesus – it's either about the resurrection of Israel after 2,000 years of dispersal or the physical return of the Lord.
In 1772, Edward Gibbons published "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," in which he cites early documents suggesting the Christian disciples of the first century were taught that Jesus would return after 2,000 years. We'll soon find out if they were right.
For many reasons, I believe Jesus is returning soon. But I'm especially drawn to II Timothy 3:1-5, which describes the state of the world in the "last days." Tell me if this doesn't sound like our world:
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
To me, that sounds like our world today.
Christmas represents a time of great hope for Christians. Of course, we're grateful that Jesus came about 2,000 years ago and died for our sins. Now we should be hopeful and expectant of His imminent return.
Merry Christmas. And happy birthday, Jesus.
AMEN! AMEN!
I'm of the opinion that the time may be near, but things will get a LOT worse than what we have now. I have studied the first few centuries of Christianity, and there were cycles of persecution and relative calm. During the short periods of calm, the numbers of people converting to Christianity swelled. Then persecution set in, and there was significant apostacy, as people deserted the faith in order to save their business / family / necks (take your pick).
I believe that prior to Christ's second coming, believers will be put into a cruciable, and there will be a period of apostacy again - but the remnant will remain. Will this be ralized via a period of Muslim takeover, with worldwide Sharia law imposed? Seems like a possibility to me.
Hmmm. Spellcheck didn't catch that one...
"Matt 24:3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."
In vs.3, the disciples ask Jesus TWO QUESTIONS. The first one was "when shall these things be?" - the things Jesus had talked about in vs.2 - and then ANOTHER QUESTION - "what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" - which Jesus had not talked about.
The two questions are NOT RELATED.
Jesus uses the rest of the chapter to describe what conditions will be "the sign of thy coming".
The majority of Bible scholars have designated the "fig tree" to represent Israel; and the "blooming of fig tree" as Israel becoming a state in 1948.
Thanks, John. Another good one as always! Merry Christmas!
The thousand years is this gospel age that we now live.
The first time Jesus came, a mistake was made, they thought he had come to set-up an earthly kingdom. We should not make that mistake again. His kingdom is not of this world. He will return as judge and take believers to heaven.
Be ready.
Doesn't the thousand year reign begin AFTER the second coming? Mxxx
Anti-Christ is anyone against Christ. It is not any one individualt that we are watching for. There have been many. There will be more.
I believe that when the time approaches, we will know. He always warned His people and I don't think He'll keep us unawares. We should be able to read the signs as they transpire.
I believe God does this purposely so that we will live the kind of life He wants us to, to be aware and ready and to tell others. Past folks weren't reading the signs correctly. Israel had to come to pass before the end times period began.
This actually sounds like 1864...
Man hasn't changed a bit... No one knows when he will come... I don't buy into all of the rapture and Lehave books...
Happy Christmas
Amen, CyberAnt. I agree.
I once heard a teaching where the six day war in ??? was the date of the beginning of the generation but I'm not sure if that's correct or not. It was an interesting theory.
"The whole world with their hands on the Middle East, the region of Jerusalem and Babylon."
I was musing along these lines recently. For the last 2000 years the world's attention has been centered on certain conflicts. In our times we have seen the world focus on Europe, WW1, expanded to include the pacific in WW2, and various wars attempting to contain communism (Korean war, Vietnam).
But it occurred to me that since 9/11 something VERY different is beginning to happen. The eye of the storm is not Europe or the Pacific, it is the middle east. And not just Israel, but the entire Islamic area of the world.
This is biblical. 9/11 is definitely moving us into the endtimes. Not just the normal age-long conflicts, but the eye of the storm is increasingly becoming Jerusalem.
Didn't God say he would gather all nations to Jerusalem to battle? (Zech. 14:2) Since 9/11 the US has been drawn into the middle east. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria - we are being sucked into it whether the liberals like it or not.
And this is just the beginning. Increasling so, thanks to the Islamic terrorists, wars with Islamic nations are in the our future. We have entered into a new era. The final one, in my opinion.
By the way, are you the same Buggman that used to post on prophecy forums? Real good posts too if I remember right. I am post-trib, and premillennial, by the way.
Uh, I think it's Bill Clinton or is it Hillary? (just a joke)
He is reigning now. He is King. When He returns, it will be as Judge. People experience tribulation (past, present, future) but it isn't a "special time of tribulation."
Why don't you ask Him. I'm sure He'll be glad to let you know.
(spit) sorry too many th's...
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