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.
He is King, he reigns now. I look forward to the resurrection. This earth is not my hope, it will be destroyed.
THX.
And Merry CHRISTmas to you and your loved ones and may we all walk ever closer to God.
bttt
"MARANATHA"
bumpity uppity
THANKS MUCH!
There is nothing in the Gospels that even hints at a rapture.
True... but there are a few more books in the NT.
Jesus's words were spoken in the Gospels. Jesus has prophecied what will be the signs of the latter days, AND he said He will come and take believers to heaven on the last day. Not a thousand years from the last day.
Yes.
taxes: Not a thousand years from the last day.
UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I don't know what prophetic commentators you've been reading. I'd suggest some new ones.
I don't recall anyone who asserts that
THE LAST DAY
comes BEFORE the thousand years of PEACE.
I'd think that THE LAST DAY came AFTER satan had been released again for a time to tempt those born during the thousand years of peace--and then he's 'locked up' forever. Seems logical to me that THE LAST DAY would be after that in terms of this time/space dimension.
Then we get into the new heaven and new earth, evidently.
But, hey, God is rather cryptic and not overly specific with any kind of linear detail about all this. It may well be that He isn't ready for any of us to have it precisely figured out yet.
He does seem to expect us to watch, be ready and to be aware of the broad outline.
Some seem determined to resist the broad outline.
Amazing, that.
Others have done a much better job interpreting the biblical prophecies of Christ's Second Coming.
"36. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation--As it was only in the last generation of them that "the iniquity of the Amorites was full" (Ge 15:16), and then the abominations of ages were at once completely and awfully avenged, so the iniquity of Israel was allowed to accumulate from age to age till in that generation it came to the full, and the whole collected vengeance of heaven broke at once over its devoted head. In the first French Revolution the same awful principle was exemplified, and Christendom has not done with it yet."(in loc.)"30. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass fill all these things be done--or "fulfilled" (Mt 24:34 Lu 21:32). Whether we take this to mean that the whole would be fulfilled within the limits of the generation then current, or, according to a usual way of speaking, that the generation then existing would not pass away without seeing a begun fulfilment of this prediction, the facts entirely correspond. For either the whole was fulfilled in the destruction accomplished by Titus, as many think; or, if we stretch it out, according to others, till the thorough dispersion of the Jews a little later, under Adrian, every requirement of our Lord's words seems to be met." (in loc.) (David Brown, Christ's Second Coming, Will it be Pre-millennial?, 1858)
You seem to be offering more hogwash for CHRISTmas I C.
All I can say to your analogy is, show me where your 1000 years theory is supported by the rest of the Bible, specifically Matthew Mark Luke and John where Jesus actually, in His own words, prophecies the Last Day.
"CHRISTmas" or "Christmass" or "Christ Mass" or however you wish to spell it is a human invention. God did not authorize its observance. Perhaps it is just "hogwash".
I find that
CHRIST'S PREDICTIONS, CLUES, WARNINGS, EXHORTATIONS
about the end times in the Gospels
mesh quite will with the whole counsel of Scripture on the subject.
Sorry you don't believe Him in that light.
I have this fantasy . . . that you, like the rest of us, will arrive in eternity as you came into the world--naked.
But somehow--though you'll be without money, and a long list of other acquisitions,
SOMEHOW, YOU'LL HAVE MANAGED TO HAVE YOUR PILE OF THROWING STONES.
I doubt you'll get into Heaven with them, however.
If it will make you feel any better, He is already here, but can only be recognized by those the Blessed
Oh?????
I'm not surprised.
There might be some Freepers on today who are actually in Japan (as I'm not as you know). They might have some new news on that to report.
Sorry about the typo....My point was he can only be seen now by those who he is revealed to by the Lord, he has no control over that. Later, yes, he will be revealed to all
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