Posted on 04/06/2009 4:48:19 PM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta
I recall a conservative political commentator saying that the Democratic Party was the "A" team, while the Republicans were the "B" team on the road to socialism. Boy, oh boy was that a truism. Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening so fast that no one person can keep up with events. Prophecy is on fast-forward!
Stage Setting
Virtually all future prophecy will start to be fulfilled when the rapture occurs ending the church age. Then the world will enter the time when the birth pangs that Jesus spoke of begin to be fulfilled (Matt. 24:8). This post-rapture period known in the Old Testament as the "latter days" (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:24; 48:47; Dan. 2:28; 10:14), the "last days" (Jer. 23:20; 49:39; Ezek. 38:16), and the "latter years" (Ezek. 38:8) will last for seven years (Dan. 9:24–27; compare with Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:6; 13:5). None of what is happening today indicates that the rapture is near since that event is a signless event that could happen at any moment. Are you ready for the rapture?
The signs of the times that are occurring today relate to Israel as God is preparing the world for the time when He will resume His plan for Israel and that will then involve the fulfillment of times and seasons. One major indicator that we are likely near the beginning of the tribulation is the clear fact that national Israel has been reconstituted after almost 2,000 years. The signs also relate to what is happening in the Gentile world as we move toward a global government centered in the Revived Roman Empire, which is mainly Europe. Dr. John Walvoord explains the significance of signs occurring in our own day as follows:
But if there are no signs for the Rapture itself, what are the legitimate grounds for believing that the Rapture could be especially near of this generation? The answer is not found in any prophetic events predicted before the Rapture but in understanding the events that will follow the Rapture. Just as history was prepared for Christ's first coming, in a similar way history is preparing for the events leading up to His Second Coming. . . . If this is the case, it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Rapture may be excitingly near.[1]
Signs For Our Day
In every generation since Christ's ascension there have been Christians who thought that there was reason for His return in their lifetime. However, almost all of these past expectations were derived from the belief that they were experiencing events of the tribulation in their own day. Only in the last 200 years have some interpreters begun to return to a literal, futurist understanding of the impending events of the tribulation, as generally held by most in the early Church. Thus, while so many have believed that Christ's return was near, the basis for such an understanding has not always been the same down through the history of the church—that the church was in the tribulation. The fact that Israel became a nation in 1948 is an undeniable fact of history that indicates that God is up to something in history in our day that could not be said in previous times.
God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's "super-sign" of the end times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history.
Recently we have seen that the European Union threatened and warned Israel about not being open to the so-called "two-state solution" of the Arab-Israeli conflict in their effort to impose a human solution to the conflict.
The prospect of a new hawkish government, with Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as a possible foreign minister, will be seen in Europe as a setback to the Middle East peace process.
"Let me say very clearly that the way the European Union will relate to an [Israeli] government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," said Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief.[2]
New Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is opposed to the two-state solution, which is the EU's framework for dealing with the problem. Whatever the supposed human solution affixed to this crisis will bring, the situation will not be genuinely solved until our Lord returns and imposes His will as the ultimate solution to the situation.
Since the election of Obama to the White House, we also see the United States changing from a sympathetic supporter of Israel to one who will be pressing for an imposed solution. New Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton is said by observers of the Mid-East Conflict to have shifted her pro Israel position she displayed as a U. S. Senator from New York.
Morton A. Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, is just one of many supporters of Israel who say that Hillary Clinton, an outspoken supporter of a Palestinian state, has made an anti-Israel switch of late. Klein writes that the U.S. Secretary of State, once a "reliable and vocal supporter of Israel," has now taken many positions that are not in Israel's interest.[3]
Globalism
When George W. Bush was president he was ostracized and viciously attacked for acting upon the national interests of the United States within the now dominate global environment. As a pronounced citizen of the world, Obama instead insists that we must all shoulder "the burdens of global citizenship."[4] Thus, the United States of America, the last major holdout against global governance, has under President Obama joined efforts to deal with most matters within the framework of globalism. Whatever reluctance was shown in the past, America has now officially under the Obama administration joined the global community lock, stock, and barrel.
Scripture teaches that the Antichrist will rise to power out of a federation of nations that correlate in some way with the Roman Empire of two thousand years ago. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost explains:
Now, when we turn to the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 and to Revelation 13 and 17 and other parallel passages, we find that at the end time, during the Tribulation period, the final form of Gentile world power is a federation of ten separate nations, the ten toes or ten horns. It seems as though Europe's leaders are advocating that which Daniel prophesied hundreds of years before Christ, when he said that the final form of Roman world power would be a federation of independent states who elect one man to take authority over them while maintaining their own sovereign authority. The more movement we see in Europe for a common market and a federation of nations, the closer the coming of our Lord must be.[5]
One would have to be totally ignorant of developments within the world of our day to not admit that through the efforts of the European Union, Humpty Dumpty is finally being put back together again. This is occurring, like all of the other needed developments of prophecy, at just the right time to be in place for the coming tribulation period. Prophecy popularizer, Hal Lindsey tells us:
"A generation ago, no one could have dreamed that an empire formed of the nations that were part of old Rome could possibly be revived. But today, as Europe is on the advent of real unity, we see the potential fulfillment of another vital prophecy leading to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ."[6]
Conclusion
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently said concerning the global economic downturn that we all should seek global solutions. He further said that the world has never been more willing to see globalism as the answer to our problems, to which he also promised a bright future if we join arms and march in this direction. Henry Kissinger has recently said on multiple occasions that President Obama has a tremendous opportunity to steer America toward globalism in an effort to deal with our problems. Kissinger has further opined that only globalists can solve these problems in the area of economics, environment, agriculture, religion, political, and so on.
It may be true that mankind without God and His word cannot figure out how to solve the pressing problems of humanity without some kind of global governance. However, the realities concerning these matters are always and only found in the Bible and in our Lord's plan for the future as outlined through biblical prophecy. Some critics say that we become fatalists because we trust the veracity of Bible prophecy and thereby contribute to the decline of culture and society. Yet, how can we expect people to find biblical solutions to their problems when they are clearly and vocally in rebellion against God? What Bible-believing Christian would want the unbelieving world to succeed in solving the world's problems apart from God and His word? The Bible predicts this kind of direction and outcome because man is sinful and God is righteous. However, for any individual who will listen to God's word, He has provided a way of salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Him. Maranatha!
Got it, thanks.
Bridesmaids???
Thanks for understanding.
Some seem to be understandingly challenged! LOL.
What things soever I command you,observe to do:thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish.
Rev 22:18-19
18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plaques that are written in this book.
19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy. God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city , and from the things which are written in this book.
QUITE SO!
QUITE SO!
THX.
He’s a FORMER Catholic, now a born-again believer.
Quix, my information seems to indicate that Sarah Hoffman is/was a Mormon, (hence here interest in Salt Lake City).
If so, would you still give this the same credence?
Under the rapture which many have made separate of the 2nd coming and the 1st resurrection you create a class of believers who are not the bride or the church since the church has been resurrected and raptured out. Yet the bible says that the resurrection of the just and the catching up of those who are alive and who are dead is the first resurrection. You can not have two separate resurrections and being caught up to meet Him in the air and say that it is all the first resurrection with out making it up ad hoc whole cloth from a doctrine that was born out of the Irvingites of the 1800”s who were the fore runners of the Latter Rain movement with the manifest sons of thunder and all that other junk that goes with that doctrine.
I didn’t per se screen those docs so much for kosher sourcing.
I wouldn’t exactly consider the Hopi elders as kosher Christians.
However, I have the bias that God is so ‘outrageously’ loving that HE even insures that SOME information gets shared rather liberally—even through more or less satanically compromised channels.
I mostly selected docs that affirmed something about the END TIMES that was in more or less a similar ball park.
Seems to me that a great diversity of sources—MOST OF THEM kosher Christian prophetic sources—that such a great diversity ought to be
MORE SOBERING
than single sources or a single TYPE of source would be alone.
I hope that answers your question.
I don’t hold even the kosher modern Christian prophetic sources to the Old Testament standard and take up stones against those who miss this or that detail.
I’ve not found ANY to be 100% accurate on TIMING.
And, I COR 14 does NOT include the exhortation to stone those who’s prophetic utterance has been judged in that process to be less than 100% perfect.
I realize that’s quite controversial but that’s my stance.
If the wicked were "removed", it was through death.
God removed Noah from the judgment of the water by way of an ark, and God will removed the Church from the judgment of the earth by way of the Rapture.
by Phillip Goodman
(We explain the Bible's teaching on the coming Resurrections in answer to a question to our Prophecy Watch Television program)
Q. You mentioned on Prophecy Watch that there are 3 resurrections. I thought there were only two. Could you please explain?
A. We mentioned on the Prophecy Watch television program that there are at least 3 parts to the resurrection of the righteous (the resurrection of Christ, the “first fruits,” the Rapture resurrection of the Church saints, and the resurrection at the end of the Tribulation of the Old Testament and Tribulation saints). Let’s take a closer look at the sequence of the resurrections.
Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28-29
Believers and unbelievers will be raised, but not all at the same time. Scripture, in the original language, says that believers will be resurrected “out from among” all of those who are dead. ( Luke 20:35; Philippians 3:11) That means that there will actually be two phases to the resurrection of people—one phase when believers will be raised, and another when unbelievers will be raised. This is confirmed in Revelation 20:4-6 where the resurrection is seen to actually come as two episodic events known as the “first resurrection [of believers]” and the [second] resurrection of “the rest of the dead.” Thus there will be two phases to the resurrection of people—one phase when believers will be raised, and another when unbelievers will be raised.
Furthermore, the resurrection of believers is specifically said to unfold “each in his own order” of succession. There is the resurrection of Christ “the first fruits,” followed by “those who are Christ's at His coming [believers], ” then comes the end [and the resurrection of unbelievers at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, Rev. 20:11-15].” (1 Corinthians 15:23-24)
That means there will be several phases to the “first resurrection.“ Upon careful reflection on several passages of scripture, we can see the phases of the resurrections:
(1) Christ Himself was the first in the resurrection of the righteous.
(2) At the time of the Rapture of the church, the resurrection of all believers who have died since the time of Christ, will occur.
(3) Next will come the resurrection of all of the Old Testament saints who lived before Pentecost. Daniel 12:13 says that Daniel himself will “rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.” The “end of the age” is specifically said to occur at the time of the harvest when Christ comes to the earth. (Matthew 13:39)3. Those who have been martyred during the Great Tribulation will also be raised at this time. (Revelation 20:4)
(4) What about those who have been born into natural bodies during the Millennial Kingdom, who may die during that period? No saved person will die during the Millennium. (Isaiah 65:20; for the lost who die, see #5 below)
(5) Finally, all unbelievers are raised and judged at the end of the Millennium. (Revelation 20:11-15)
The resurrection of the righteous, then, is our greatest hope for the future. For any of you who are forlorn, downcast and weary, turn your heart and your face toward Jesus now, at this moment. If you have not received Him, ask Him into your heart now, believing that He died for your sins and was resurrected to life so that you too may be raised to life eternal— with the promise that He will personally “raise [you] up on the last day.” John 6:39 If you have already received Jesus as your Savior, ask Him to remind you often that “this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40
Qx, you’ve posted some excellent stuff here lately. I pray I get the time and energy to read it. Thank you.
THANKS THANKS.
No where does it say that there will be a resurrection of dead born again saints twice. If you can show me this please do.
4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1st resurrection)
4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I will not ever dispute the allegation that I am ignorant concerning Biblical things. I have during the course of my life made some attempts to deal with the matter. Regarding the origin of the compilation of the New Testament, I'd claim less than perfect knowledge, but certainly not complete ignorance either.
It seems from here that you are having things in more than one fashion. The "Church Fathers" acknowledged Revelation as inspired, and you seem to take exception to that fact.
Perhaps another look at the text might help you to discern.
"John, to the seven churches which are in Asia......."
I submit to you that if you would seriously take the time to even attempt to to discern just what the message following was about, you might better consider the true nature of the decisions of the 'Church Fathers'."
You seem to suppose that the Apostles in the first century knew less about the root of the Church than did the adherents who came along centuries later.
Good luck with that presupposition.
Here is a clue for you to think about........John was in the Spirit when he witnessed what he reports in The Apocalypse aka Revelation.
The seven churches are "types" of the Church over time.
I doubt that you will see it because you are already satisfied with what you have.
It seems from here that you are having things in more than one fashion. The “Church Fathers” acknowledged Revelation as inspired, and you seem to take exception to that fact.
Perhaps another look at the text might help you to discern.
“John, to the seven churches which are in Asia.......”
I submit to you that if you would seriously take the time to even attempt to to discern just what the message following was about, you might better consider the true nature of the decisions of the ‘Church Fathers’.”
You seem to suppose that the Apostles in the first century knew less about the root of the Church than did the adherents who came along centuries later.
Good luck with that presupposition.
Here is a clue for you to think about........John was in the Spirit when he witnessed what he reports in The Apocalypse aka Revelation.
The seven churches are “types” of the Church over time.
I doubt that you will see it because you are already satisfied with what you have.
WELL AND WISELY PUT.
THX.
***It seems from here that you are having things in more than one fashion. The “Church Fathers” acknowledged Revelation as inspired, and you seem to take exception to that fact.***
The consensus patrem was very divided on Revelation and there is much of the Church that still is wary of Revelation today, not the least because it is written in Jewish apocalyptic text and is the most difficult to understand of all Scripture, even more difficult than Paul’s works. There is still much conjecture as to how much is symbolic and how much is speculative prophecy or historicist recounting.
There may be a good reason for that....
The rest of this post is from Freeper 'Stingray' back in 2001 (I saved it back then as it was very interesting to say the least)...
"Note the following:
| “...I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last...” And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Revelation 1 |
| “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:” Revelation 2:1 |
I did a search of the O.T. to see if there had ever been any mention of the “seven stars” there. Not only did I find a passage, but it’s in the book of Amos! Look!
| “Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, O you who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth! He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name, who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.” Amos 5:6-9 |
Now look at this:
| Pleiades , in astronomy, famous open star cluster in the constellation Taurus; Six stars are easily visible to the naked eye—Alcyone (the brightest), Electra, Celaeno, Sterope, Maia, and Taygete. Known as the Seven Sisters, this group was named by the Greeks for the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione; the seventh Pleiad was, according to legend, lost or in hiding. Many faint stars associated with the other six are visible with the telescope; one of these stars may have been much brighter and visible to the naked eye in ancient times, thus accounting for the many early references to seven stars. |
And again, from Strong’s:
| Strong’s Ref. # 3598 Romanized Kiymah Pronounced kee-maw’ from the same as HSN3558; a cluster of stars, i.e. the Pleiades: KJV—Pleiades, seven stars. |
The more I dig into the parallel passages and imagery between Revelation and the Old Testament prophets, the more thoroughly convinced I am that the message in the Book of Revelation is not for Gentile Christians, but for “End-time” Jews. Read the whole chapter of Amos 5! It’s all about the prophet telling the children of Israel to straighten up their act, or terrible judgement would be visited upon them. Look at the message to some of those same “churches” in Revelation 2 & 3! It’s the same message! Finally, look at this, from Revelation 1:
| “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Revelation 1:10-20 |
”Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light.”It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.”Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?”Amos 5:18-20 |
Again, I am convinced (but not yet dogmatically so) that the message in the Book of Revelation is not for Gentile Christians (we will be taken out of harm’s way) but for Great Tribulation Jews. And the message is clear:
”Here, within these pages, is your Messiah, and He will save you from the impending ‘day of the Lord’ if you repent and believe.” |
In truth, Revelation is a book that every Jew ought to be reading now, before it’s too late."
End Stinray's post.
*If* the rapture is pre-trib the above makes a lot of sense.
God bless
Sorry,meant to ping you to above.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.