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.
Oh Come, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come....
I never thought I would ache for that the way I do today. I guess because I've come to realize that the world will never provide what I'm looking for, and least the way it is today.
More than just hate speech, on issue after issue the world seems upside down.
I believe as you do.
It will get much, much worse before He comes again.
Jesus himself says to be ready.
And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times? Matt 16:3
I agree.
Man is capable of unspeakable evil, and even though we live in trying times, we haven't even scratched the surface. There are still so many things that still have to come to pass.
It's hard to get past that reconstitution of the State of Israel.
A lot of people seem to make a sport out of identifying the anti-christ, dating back to the reign of Nero. Personally, I don't think Osama bin Laden makes the best candidate, too clearly identifiable as evil. I'm thinking someon emore underhanded, like George Soros.
As for a timeline, I think we still have a way to go, although I think it could easily be sometime this century.
I think the bible predicts many anti-Christs. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot... all the most notorious mass murderers of history (million victim club)... hard to call them anything but antiChrists. Saddam was a piker.
actually "chiliasm" or belief in a 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, is a very MINORITY opinion of Christians.
You should read "The Millenium, Four Views" by Clouse, (Inter Varsity Press), if it is still in print.
It proposes a set of questions to four solid, believing, scholars, all of whom attest to the integrity, accuraccy, and inerrancy of the Bible. They represent the "historical" pre-millenial position (a millenium, but none of the stuff about the "rapture" or re-instituting OT worship in Israel), post millenial (the belief that Christ will triumph in this world thru revival and issue in his "reign"-- this was the common view of those who founded the country...., we were in the midst of a revival that caused even heathen like Ben Franklin to posit that "the whole world was becoming religious"), a-millenial (a belief that the "1000 years" is figurative...., the predominant view among bible believing Christians thru history and today), and dispensational pre-millenial, a relatively late belief, spawned by James Darby and CI Scofield, with a little help from a charismatic woman in the congregation of Edward Irving (first "prophecy" of the "secret rapture" recorded in the history of the church) in 1860. This last view is very popular among fundamentalists in America, but not well known outside.
What makes you think the anti-Christ will be a man? I'm guessing it's a female, and I bet she wears pantsuits a lot.
Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
I don't think that the Holy Spirit leaves. You remember in Revelations that there are 12000 from each tribe who are sealed on their foreheads, and then they are sent out to be missionaries after the rest of the saints are gone. They are protected... Also, recall the two prophets in Jerusalem who preach for 3 1/2 years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
(Revelation 20:5-9)
THANKS TONS!
WATCH! PRAY! BE BUSY ABOUT THE MASTER'S BUSINESS.
LOOK UP, OUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEARER!
You may be interested in . . . PROPHETIC SIGNS OF THE END TIMES thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1274030/posts
There are some rabid naysayers polluting the thread but there's also some worthy docs and discussion on it.
BLESSINGS TO U AND YOURS THIS CHRISTmas season.
LUB
OOOPS, FORGOT to ping to the PROPHETIC SIGNS OF THE END TIMES THREAD:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1274030/posts
I don't think it's appropriate to mock another's religious beliefs.
Don't expect any replies of course. I've been hammering this for years, and could add scripture after scripture to support whats just the tip-of-the-iceberg that you've posted. Do you know who wrote this?
Who wants to join me on the winning side of a cultural revolution?
Read Isaiah 46. The prophet sneers at the idols of Babylon, which burdered weary mules, and contrasts them to the God of Israel, who Himself carries His people. He also mocks the folks who use the same chunk of wood to create a cooking fire, and an idol to prostrate themselves before.
Chiliaism is very popular among irresponsible losers, looking for excuses. If God Himself has ordained that the Church, despite having access to "all power in heaven and on earth" shall fail to complete the Great Commission -- then who are we to resist God, by trying to achieve much of anything?
This article is very interesting,I think we are very close also.
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.