Billy Graham Fulfilling last Prophecy? (posted in Oct., 2001)

unknown | unknown

[Florida native]

I know I mentioned this very thing about two weeks ago when replying to an earlier post about the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. I think I noted the fact that Rev. Billy Graham once more spread the Gospel, but this time to the entire world simultaneously, via cable, internet, cell phone, etc.

The Bible says that Jesus would not return until good news has been told to all the nations. I agree that may have been one of the greatest opportunities for that to have occurred, on Sept. 14, 2001.

[reflecting]

I do not know who or what you've been listening to over the years, but the accusations you have made against Billy Graham are not true. You've had some very bad sources. I've have closely watched BG for decades now and he has been immanently faithful to preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Star Traveler]

You know yours isn't the only interpretation of eschatology, I held yours for many years until after much prayer and study I was convinced of the amillennial interpretation.

Well, it would help to see the four positions, charted out. The Amillennial, Post-Millennial, Dispensational Pre-Millennial and the Historical Pre-Millennial.

 

Amillennial

 

Post-Millennial

 

Dispensational Pre-Millennial

 

Historical Pre-Millennial

 

The STORY OF THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST

 

  Revelation 19:11-21 
      
  11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white 
     horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and 
     True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 
      
  12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His 
     head were many crowns. He had a name written that no 
     one knew except Himself. 
      
  13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and 
     His name is called The Word of God. 
      
  14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, 
     white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 
      
  15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that 
     with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself 
     will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads 
     the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of 
     Almighty God. 
      
  16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name 
     written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 
      
  17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he 
     cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds 
     that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather 
     together for the supper of the great God, 
      
  18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of 
     captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of 
     horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh 
     of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 
      
  19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and 
     their armies, gathered together to make war against 
     Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 
      
  20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the 
     false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by 
     which he deceived those who received the mark of the 
     beast and those who worshiped his image. These two 
     were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with 
     brimstone. 
      
  21 And the rest were killed with the sword which 
     proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the 
     horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.



  Revelation 20:1-15 
      
   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. 



   Revelation 21:1-8 
      
   1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 
     first heaven and the first earth had passed away. 
     Also there was no more sea. 
      
   2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 
     coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a 
     bride adorned for her husband. 
      
   3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 
     "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He 
     will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. 
     God Himself will be with them and be their God. 
      
   4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; 
     there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor 
     crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former 
     things have passed away." 
      
   5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I 
     make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for 
     these words are true and faithful." 
      
   6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and 
     the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of 
     the fountain of the water of life freely to him who 
     thirsts. 
      
   7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I 
     will be his God and he shall be My son. 
      
   8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, 
     murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, 
     and all liars shall have their part in the lake 
     which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the 
     second death."

 

And then on into eternity and more "ages" to come...

 

[greggy]

certainly was not broadcast in most of the islamic world.

Actually, they did listen, while they were cheering on the destruction. But they heard it.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Scripture tells us often, to watch, take heed, and stay alert, for we do not know when the appointed time is.

Which is the most important message. Don't be sleeping when the master comes home..........

[winodog]

I realize that you might not be able to answer my question but I am wondering if post 17 was foul language. Or is it against the rules to criticize pastors?

I have not researched Graham but I have heard that he has been known to water down the gospel.

[pgkdan]

Many ministers have their messages broadcast in other countries and carried around the world, but this is the first time that the entire world listened to the Gospel preached at one time. The World and All its leaders tuned in and heard the gospel.

Sorry, I didn't hear Billy Graham, so I know for a fact that the whole world wasn't listening.

[Jerry_M]

Nice charts. They seem to accurately capture the essence of the major Millenial viewpoints.

Even though I am a "Historical Premillenialist", I notice that you are missing one chart: The "Pan-Millenial" one. The one that states that it is going to "all pan out" in the end!

[greggy]

It may be related to that, but do not go around setting dates. The return of Christ may not happen for 500 years. We simply do not know.

Actually, we do know that Jesus will return within the next six years. Look at Mark 21:20-32. Notice that Jesus said that this generation will not pass away until all is fulfilled. So what generation was he talking about? The generation of the until... That was the generation that saw Israel take back Jerusalem in 1967's six day war. A generation is 40 years, so we see that Jesus will come back for the church before the end of 2007.

As for setting dates, we don't know, but we do know we are in the season. We know it is almost time. And you will see the faces of Christians shining with the Glory of God, for God will make his church glorious for his Son Jesus to return and gather to himself. We will be rescued from the coming wrath.

And if you care to accept it, we passed the third seal back in the late 1980's.

[PJ-Comix]

So who do we believe? Hal Lindsay or Billy Graham? I see a street fight between these two over the correct prophecy.

[Jerry_M]

What if you have to buy a 2008 calendar? Plenty of people had to eat crow when they purchased 1989 calendars, and they based their assumptions on the same Scriptures that you do.

What if you don't get "raptured" out before things get bad? Maybe those who can't or don't rely solely on Christ during those times of tribulation will be the fulfillment of the "great falling away".

[Mark17]

Within the next 6 years is date setting. Whether you are right or wrong, is not important. What another poster said, is: don't be asleep when He comes to save us from the wrath to come.

[greggy]

The think I watch for is not only preaching the Gospel to the world, but "making disciples of all nations"

The bible does not say that the whole world will heed the gospel, but will "hear" it. And I agree that this is most likely the fulfillment of the scripture, which Jesus says, "then the end will come" (no mention how much longer, before the end, only that it could not come before the preaching of the gospel to the whole world.

I think the Islamic fundamentalists could not resist watching us mourn, so they had to hear the gospel.

But I will say this about your comment. The bible does say that there will be representatives of every nation (not country) in the church before we are rescued from the wrath of God. This means that within a country, you may have hundreds of nations (each indian clan in America is a nation unto itself). Each nation will have people in the church. So in that regard, I do agree with you about the disciples, but we are not to watch for that.

Jesus was talking about things we would see, and seeing the gospel preached was the last event he said to watch for and know once that happened, then the end could come.

[Texas Mom]

This is NOT the first time Billy Graham has preached to the world. This happened 4 or 5 years ago and I remember people saying the exact same thing you just did.

[BibChr]

First, I am not a Billy Graham basher. Having said that....

Here is the Gospel:

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

On that premise, when did Billy Graham "preach the gospel" during that service? I only heard him talking about beliving in God, for the most part. He struck me — and I was very much wanting to be supportive of him — as being almost apologetic when he made brief, glancing, sidelong references to "to a Christian, to a Christian, now," and the like.

So, when did he preach the Gospel in that service?

Dan

[billbears]

Excellent graphic presentation of the main schools of thought. I'm tending lately to lean towards the idea of the Rapture happening at the beginning of the 7 years of tribulations, but who knows. Only Christ so I guess we'll just have to wait, even though I know it will be a glorious day whenever it happens