The Scriptures Are Amazing

This article has a few current events, but it is mostly about showing that the Scriptures are amazing.

First, here are four amazing things that happened on the exact day that the Bible said they would happen when Jesus came the first time:

From the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the Triumphal Entry of Messiah, there were 173,880 days (69 Weeks of years or 483 years; Dan. 9:25; Neh. 2:1-8). From the Triumphal Entry of Jesus as the Lamb of God (Isa. 53) to the death of Jesus as the Lamb of God on Passover, there were 5 days (Nisan 10 to Nisan 14; John 12:1, 12). From the death of Jesus on Passover to the resurrection of Jesus on the Feast of First Fruits, there were 3 days (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). From the resurrection of Jesus on the Feast of First Fruits to the beginning of the Church on Pentecost, there were 50 days (Lev. 23:15-16). No one but God could reveal in writing the exact day that these events would happen before they happened.

Second, here are some amazing facts regarding Bible prophecy (Jesus not only told us to watch for His Second Coming, He also gave us some things to watch for):

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great statue (Dan. 2) is a Gentile timeline from Babylon to the Second Coming and Millennial Kingdom, and history has moved from the top of the head to the beginning of the toes on the statue (near the end of the feet; EU, USMCA, etc.). Jesus told us to watch Israel, and for 1,878 years (70 A.D. to 1948) there was no nation of Israel to watch, but our generation can watch Israel. Jesus said the generation that sees Israel growing will not pass away until everything is fulfilled, and our generation has been watching Israel grow for 72 years (Matt. 24:34). Gabriel told Daniel that the Antichrist will rise to power in a reunited Europe, and Europe has been reunited (the EU; Dan. 9:26). Daniel said Ten kings will rise before the Antichrist appears, and the WEF wants to replace the U.S. with a handful of nations perhaps as soon as 2021 (Dan. 7:7-8, 24). Gabriel said the Tribulation Period will begin when the Antichrist confirms a covenant with many, and it looks like many nations will make a covenant with Israel soon (Dan. 9:27). The world government will be anti-God, and the Democrats left God out of their party platform (Rev. 13:4-6). The world government will reject the Scriptures, and there has been a relentless effort to bring down the heads of the only two nations (Israel and the U.S.) that were founded on the Scriptures. The Antichrist will be supported by a False Prophet, and Pope Francis supports world government and world religion (Rev. 13). God said Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others will attack Israel in the latter days and latter years, and it looks like this could happen soon (Ezek. 38:8, 16). There will be a system that will let everyone on earth see the resurrection of the Two Witnesses and the Second Coming of Jesus, and that system is being put in place by Elon Musk now (Rev. 11:9-12). Capitalism will be done away with under a world government, and there will be a meeting next May to discuss the end of capitalism (Biden supports the end of capitalism). There will be a world government after the Rapture, and the UN plans to have a world government up and running by 2030 (World government is why the effort to remove Trump has been so strong and unrelenting). The Jewish Temple will exist during the Tribulation Period, and the recent peace treaties between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE say all faiths should be allowed to worship on the Temple Mount. Third, it is possible (emphasis on possible) that Peter said the Church will be here 2,000 years.

Peter was a student of the Old Testament, and it is obvious that Peter was familiar with the prophet Joel’s writings (Joel 2:28-29). In the book of Acts, Luke wrote, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). A crowd gathered, and some accused Peter and the others of being drunk, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:13-18). Was Peter talking about 24-hour days, or 1,000-year days? What did Peter mean when he said we are in the last days? Know that it was Peter that said, “Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet. 3:8). This is partly why some early Church leaders (Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and others) believed the Church Age would last for 2,000 years (2 God-Days on the Gentile calendar). The 2,000 years are almost up, and our generation is seeing all of the prophecies coming on the scene. Fourth, here are some amazing things that show that the Tribulation Period is shaping up:

The rider on the white horse is the Antichrist, and he will bring in a world government through deceit (Rev. 6:1-2), and the U.S. election could be an effort to bring in a world government through deceit. The rider on the black horse is hyper-inflation and economic collapse (Rev. 6:5-6), and trillion-dollar stimulus packages are leading the U.S. toward hyper-inflation and economic collapse. The rider on the pale horse is global pestilence, hunger and more (Rev. 6:7-8), and the lockdowns are attributed to global pestilence, and they are leading to record levels of hunger. The Antichrist and False Prophet will force everyone to take a Mark (Rev. 13:14-18), and Biden plans to force everyone to wear a mask starting on Jan. 21, 2021, and Bill Gates wants to force everyone to be tattooed (take a mark) when they are vaccinated for Covid. The Antichrist and False Prophet will deny those that refuse to take the Mark the right to buy and sell, and some politicians want to deny those that refuse to be vaccinated the right to buy and sell. The Antichrist and False Prophet will track the buying and selling of everyone on earth, and some politicians have suggested that the government use “contact tracing” to track everyone that tests positive for Covid. Some prophecy teachers believe the Antichrist and False Prophet will establish a cashless society, and some globalists want to establish a digital currency (cashless society). The Antichrist and False Prophet will outlaw freedom of religion, and some politicians are outlawing freedom of religion. Here are two other things that fit into the “For Your Information Category”:

One, here are four things that must happen before the Tribulation Period (do not assume that the last three must happen before the Rapture).

The Rapture (II Thess. 2:5-10). The rise of the Ten Kings (Dan. 7:7-8, 24). The appearance of Elijah as one of the Two Witnesses (Mal. 4:5-6). Confirmation of the covenant with many (Dan. 9:27). Two, here are three things that God said will happen on an exact day in the future:

From Antichrist’s confirmation of the covenant that begins the Tribulation Period to the end of the Tribulation Period and the Second Coming of Jesus, there will be one week of years (7 years on the Jewish calendar) or 2,520 days (Dan. 9:27). From the confirmation of the covenant until the Jews in Judea flee into the wilderness, there will be 1,260 days. From the beginning of Jesus’ kingdom on earth (Millennial reign) to the end of the Millennium, there will be 1,000 years (Rev. 20:4). Now, here are four events with prophetic implications that recently made the news:

One, concerning an economic collapse, some Democrats are proposing a Universal Basic Income (UBI; people that support the government will get a monthly check, but those that do not support the government will not get a monthly check).

It is beginning to look like some politicians (Democrats and Republicans, but mostly Democrats) are using the lockdown with no science behind it on small businesses that are obeying the rules to crush them (employers and employees) and to force them to depend on the government for handouts to control them.

On Dec. 6, 2020, it was reported that the Director of Medicine at Stanford and more than 43,000 learned scientists believe some politicians are creating “a medical police state.”

America’s debt has now topped 27 trillion dollars, and it is unlikely that future generations will be able to pay it back.

Two, in response to my statement that I believe there has been widespread election fraud, I have received two e-mails telling me that Atty. Gen. Bill Barr said the DOJ has not found any fraud.

That is a distortion of what he said, and even if it was accurate, how can we trust the DOJ after the way it has handled the Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden investigations and spied on and trapped Michael Flynn.

While this article was being written, one Republican congressman was accusing the DOJ of hindering the voter fraud investigation.

If citizens are to believe what the DOJ officials say, many of them need to clean up their act.

Because officials in Democrat-run cities and states have allowed criminals to riot, loot and burn without consequences, there is no reason to believe those officials would not allow voter fraud without consequences.

Three, on Dec. 3, 2020, the U.S. Dept. of Defense introduced a vaccination card that people can carry in their wallet to show that they have been vaccinated for Covid.

Four, on Nov. 30, 2020, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the FDA, said 30% of the U.S. population will probably be infected with Covid by the end of 2020.

Please take notice: If the Scriptures are accurate, and they are, that includes everything in them: heaven, hell, only one way to be saved, resurrection of the dead, and more.

Jesus said you must be born again (John 3:7), and the number of prophecy teachers that believe society is running out of time is growing larger and larger.

Finally, God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

Yeah... you’re gonna hafta explain how we know for certain that passage is related to The Elders by anything other than the number 24.

Each one might stand for one hour in a day; speaking to the worship of God continuing around the clock.

If it’s ONLY the 24, maybe each Elder stands for one instance where God spoke to one of the Prophets on the 24th day of the month.

For that matter, how do we know they don’t symbolize Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Team?

Gonna need more evidence than just 24.

“But this is not a description, rather a symbolism...”

Quite true. Prior to citing the verse, I had noted that John explains the symbolic things he introduces, saying, “Seven Lamps burn before the Throne, and John tells us what they symbolize.”

My key point is — and it’s my opinion, though shared by many — that the door to more egregious interpretive error is opened wider when we take things as symbols that John does not specifically note are symbols.

We know the Seven Lamps are symbolic, because John tells us what they symbolize. Many other things he saw are not noted by John as symbolic. In such cases, I think it better to take them as literal; as if giving John credit trying to describe literal things beyond his conception using just objects and metaphors contemporaneous to him.

True, one needs to connect it and it is not explicit.

To my point - the entire imagery given in that vision is based on John trying to make human sense of the divine mystery he saw. John sees a seven horned, seven eyed lamb who TAKES (with what? a hand?) the scroll.

The 24 elders with crowns should be read in the same sense of him trying to make human sense to himself of what he saw

Many other things he saw are not noted by John as symbolic. In such cases, I think it better to take them as literal; as if giving John credit trying to describe literal things beyond his conception using just objects and metaphors contemporaneous to him.

Good point. Which things besides the elders, do you see as literal in the book of Revelation? I do see some literal points as well (need time to compile them)

When things in Revelation stand for other things, John the Revelator tells us so; seven lampstands standing for the sevenfold Spirit of God, etc. So far as I can see in the text, John makes no such statement about the 24 Elders, and Rev. 1:6 doesn’t confirm it. Is there a text elsewhere that makes the linkage clear?

https://naghsheh.info/ew-bullinger-number-in-scripture-95/

scroll down to twenty-four

Yes. Thank you.

Bullinger’s thorough investigation leads to the same result cited in the footnotes to the New English Translation, which I previously cited.

“Thus the ancient and true reading takes away all ground for making these elders redeemed men, and leaves them the angelic leaders of the heavenly worship.”

I do wish John had been more verbose at a few points, and saying who these Elders are would be one. As it is, it seems he didn’t know, wasn’t told, and didn’t pursue the matter.

Rev 5:

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God

Your quote is faslse. The foru and twenty elders represent The Redeemed, according to the Word of God given to Jon.; And we shall reign on the earth.”

And from Rev : 1 we read the following ... see if it sounds familiar since you just read Rev5:

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Word of God refutes this lie: "Thus the ancient and true reading takes away all ground for making these elders redeemed men, and leaves them the angelic leaders of the heavenly worship.”

Unless you believe the elders are lying in Heaven, they tell you THEY ARE THE Redeemed men who I might add have already been before the Bema Judgment Seat for their crowns which they cast at the feet of the Redeemer.

I responded to that earlier and Bullinger cites the selfsame point from the RSV: that in v.10 it's not correctly rendered "us"; it's correctly rendered "them."

That reading is given in the Revised Version thus: -- 'And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for Thou wast slain and dist purchase unto God men* of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them** to be unto our God a kingdom^ and priests: and they reign^^ upon the earth.'

* The word ηµας (heemas), "us," goes out, with the authority of Lachmann, Tischendorf, Alford, Westcott and Hort, the Revisers, and the Codex A. It is true that the authorities are divided as to this word, but as they are unanimous as to the other changes in the verse, this word necessarily must go out as the result.

** The word ηµας (heemas), "us," must be changed for αυτους (autous), "them," with all the critical authorities.

”

Rev 4:5
Out from the throne come
flashes of lightning and
sounds and peals of thunder.
And there were
seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are
the seven Spirits of God;
Rev 1:20
As for the mystery of the
seven stars which you saw
in My right hand, and the
seven golden lampstands:
the seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches,
and the seven lampstands are
the seven churches.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

Okay, now I feel like you’re just trolling me. John makes really clear what those 7 burning lamps are, and they ain’t us.

From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD, were burning in front of the throne
Revelation 4:5 NET
https://bible.com/bible/107/rev.4.5.NET

These burning torches are decidedly NOT to be interchangeable with the Seven Lampstands of Revelation 1; John clearly records Jesus telling him they are the Seven Churches, to whom he would subsequently write.

I completely get this impulse to connect the dots, but when John clearly says this is one thing and that’s another, those are two dots that we are NOT to connect; and I mean like, flashing lights and sirens, all-caps DO NOT.

I should add that “the Seven Spirits of God” is sometimes rendered “the Sevenfold Spirit of God” in recognition that there is but One Holy Spirit.

As the symbolism isn’t further explained by John, there is discussion of the Sevenfold Ministry of The Holy Spirit, and there is talk about “Spirits” not refering to any personage, but to essential attributes. Much as we would say someone is of a pleasant spirit, maeaning that their essential nature was to be pleasant. Terse as it is, we take the text as written, and repeat it verbatim when asked. All the rest must remain in the realm of conjectures about the deeper details we haven’t been told.

9 And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. 10And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Douay-Rheims Bible

9 and they sung a new song saying: thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast killed, and hast redeemed us by thy blood, out of all kindreds, and tongues, and people, and nations, 10and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth. Tyndale New Testament

And they sung a {b} new {11} song, saying, {12} Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Geneva Study Bible

9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Strong's KJV

I am seeing 'us' in these versions. I'll take the collected wisdom of these writers over you Bull inger.

And I’ll take the benefit of the Dead Sea Scrolls confirming which manuscripts are most reliable; information that Tyndale and the authors of the King James had no access to, and in light of that I’m going to side with “them.”

It’s not a matter of salvation, after all, so let’s keep this in perspective. But, it will make a radical difference at some point. We’ll either be here when we shouldn’t be, or we’ll be gone before we should be, depending on perspective. Wisdom says embrace the view that you find most believable, but don’t overplay your hand as a fallible human, and be prepared for either sequence to play out in Reality.

Frankly, although I’m convinced we’re in this right up to The Second Coming, I rather hope you’re right, as my preference would be to NOT be here when “Egypt” gets judged with the events loosed by the breaking Seals, and sounding Trumpets.

Dude - it happenED

A population of 10 million Today.

Paul went to a street named Straight, which is still there to this day.

“Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin.?

Damascus was conquered by the Assyrians as your commentary states.

But it was never destroyed to a point where it was no longer a city and became a heap of ruins in the manner Isaiah 17:1 describes.

In fact Damascus makes the claim of being the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city.

Isaiah 17 awaits a future fulfillment.

Here is an article about Paul’s Letter To The Galatians. I found this very helpful in understanding some of what Paul went through.

Below is a small excerpt that has a couple things that really caught my eye.

One of the great fears of the day in Jerusalem was that belief in Jesus would spread to Damascus, a major commercial hub in the region. It was feared that if this new faith took root there it would quickly spread in all directions and there would be no stopping it. Paul agreed to go to Damascus to make sure that didn’t happen. He was on the way when He had a personal encounter with the risen Lord that changed everything. Instead of rounding up the believers in Damascus when he got there, he began teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, which so angered the Jews that they conspired to kill him.

With the help of friends, Paul escaped from Damascus and traveled into Arabia. Some say he went to Mt. Sinai and stayed in the same cave Elijah had used during his time on the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:8-9). If so, the place where Moses received the Law would have been the same place where Paul received his revelation from the Lord concerning the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. After that Paul returned to Damascus where he continued teaching.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie (Galatians 1:18-20).

Paul is going to great lengths here to differentiate himself from the Judaizers. They were simply repeating the traditions they had been taught by men. But Paul was sent by God with a gospel he received directly from the Lord Jesus.

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