Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Quix; Alamo-Girl
RE: the End Times, and the watchman's job, from Ezekiel:

1. The word of the LORD came to me:
2. "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,
3. and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,
4. then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head.
5. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself.
6. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.'
7. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
8. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
9. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

10. "Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?"
11. Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
12. "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'
13. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.
14. And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right--
15. if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die.
16. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
17. "Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just.
18. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it.
19. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so.
20. Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways."

Every Christian who has read the Holy Scriptures of the Lord knows the End Times are coming. We just don't know WHEN. Even Jesus Christ did not know "when," but only His Father knew.

That being the case, it seems to me more important for Christian souls to constantly prepare for whatever is to be, whenever it happens, than to dwell on the sufferings that will beset humankind and the entire creation at the end of days. It seems to me far better to strengthen our faith in God; extend charity even to those who wish us ill; and above all, to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength.

Which basically explains why I tend to stand back from discussions about the End Times, and the various speculations regarding the renewal of divine creation to be accomplished thereby. I just leave all of that up to God: I put my full trust in the Lord.

I am His humble servant.

God's Name is I AM.

7,615 posted on 03/23/2010 11:27:25 PM PDT by betty boop (Moral law is not rooted in factual laws of nature; they only tell us what happens, not what ought to)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7593 | View Replies ]


To: betty boop

Quite a reasonable perspective.

However, I believe you distorted the bit about Christ and the End Times.

He asserted that only THE FATHER KNEW THE

DAY AND THE HOUR OF HIS COMING.

His narrative could be taken that He wants us to be watchful and prepared and even to be aware of the year or season.

I certainly believe He has an understanding of when the END TIMES ARE . . . He has certainly appeared to a number of folks and asserted that these are the END TIMES.

Thanks for your kind post and the Scriptures involved.


7,616 posted on 03/23/2010 11:47:27 PM PDT by Quix (BLOKES who got us where we R: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7615 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson