Featured Watch for the beast!

And, for the umpteenth time, Why would Jesus and the NT writers tell their immediate audience that those events are to happen soon if they were not? Why would Jesus leave them confused about when to expect these events?

And, for the umpteenth time, Christ's 2nd Coming is still in our future.

 

Yes, in this world we will have tribulation. That's not the same as the Great Tribulation of the Jewish Wars (AD 66-70). Jesus fulfilled the conditions of Daniel 9:24. The "end of sin" was when Christ took our sins upon the Cross. The "70 Weeks" prophecy began with the decree to restore Jerusalem 9n 458 B.C. (Ezra 9:9), and ended with Christ's crucifixion and resurrection in 33 A.D. - 490 years. The crucifixion was in the middle of the 70th week (Daniel 9:27). The destruction of Jerusalem didn't come during the 70th week because the things that determined its desolation were set in place earlier (rejection of Christ, His crucifixion). The destruction of Jerusalem was a judgment upon Israel, ending the Old Covenant system and ushering in a new system.

 

Where in the world did you get this idea? Revelation 20:4 speaks of martyrs who were beheaded for the sake of Christ. This was fulfillment of Revelation 6:9-10, where the souls of those martyrs were crying out for vindication.

How are you okay with denying the fact that Jesus clearly told His disciples that the Great Tribulation, AOD, etc would take place within their generation? Was Jesus wrong?

 

I strongly disagree, Brother. Audience relevance is key to understanding all Scripture, especially prophetic events. Jesus spoke specifically about the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:2). When the disciples asked about when this would happen, Jesus told them of things that THEY would see that no other generation would see. Obviously, the Temple was destroyed in AD 70, so it doesn't apply to all generations since then. In Luke 21:20, Jesus told His disciples "when YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near". This would also be in fulfillment of Daniel 9:26.

 

Every time Jesus spoke of "this generation", He always meant the generation He was speaking to. If Jesus meant a different, future generation when He gave the Olivet Discourse, He would have said something like "THAT generation", "the generation THAT SEES THESE EVENTS", etc. Jesus said "THIS generation" and His disciples understood He was talking about their generation.

While Israel becoming a nation again in 1948 was wonderful, and God has blessed them, this has nothing to do with Biblical prophecy. The cursing of the fig tree in Matthew 21 has nothing to do with Israel. Jesus was giving an object lesson on hypocrisy - "all leaf but no fruit".

 

Thank you for taking the time to elaborate. I disagree with pretty much everything in your answer, but you are very civil about it. I think I addressed several of those points in your other responses.

We have such different viewpoints that I'm just going to sum up from the sequence of events you listed.
1) The Abomination of Desolation was when General Titus destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.
2) The Great Tribulation was the Jewish Wars in and around Jerusalem from 66 - 70 AD.
3) The 2nd Coming is in our future. Jesus "came" in judgment on Apostate Israel in 70 AD, but He did not physically return.
4) While 1948 saw Israel become a nation, it has nothing to do with prophecy. The "fig tree" of Matthew 19 was just an illustration from nature. (I addressed that in post # 125).

Our views couldn't be more different. I find your views to be pretty strange, and I'm sure you think mine are strange as well. I think I'll be content to agree to disagree. May God bless you and keep you, and may He grant us both a clear understanding of Scripture. After all, the Scriptures are inspired, but our interpretations of what they say are not.

 

The fact that the 2nd Coming is in our future does not mean that all of the prophecies of the Olivet Discourse, Revelation, etc. are in the future. The Beast (Roman Empire) was in power when Jesus brought judgment upon Israel. You are stuck on Rev 19, but overlook where Revelation says "the time is near", "soon", etc. You also change "this generation" to "the generation that sees those things". Adding to the prophecies is a bad idea, and changing what Jesus actually said to what you want it to say is the same as saying He didn't know how to get His message across.

 

Let's see - you can't get past changing what Jesus Himself said about those events coming to pass within the lifetime of His disciples, yet, I am the one who has no basis for my argument. Sure, you go with that . To paraphrase your own post, it was JESUS - not I - who said "all these things" (meaning the Great Tribulation, AOD, etc) would happen soon. It was JESUS - not I - who told them "when YOU see these things". That rules out the Beast's future coming, since it's already happened.

[EDIT] When Jesus’ clear words don’t suit the "futurist" view, words are removed, new words added, and Greek words redefined. “This generation” becomes, “the generation that sees these signs,” as if Jesus was addressing a generation other than the one to whom He was speaking. Jesus made it clear that it was His present audience (the repeated use of the second person plural “you” throughout Matthew 24) that would “see all these things”.

 

To put it very simply, do you believe the "Left Behind" fantasy promoted by "futurists" who misinterpret Scripture, or do you believe the crystal clear words of Christ. If you believe the "Left Behind" view, you ignore what is taught in Scripture. If you believe Christ, you recognize that "this generation", "soon", and the other time indicators used in the NT mean exactly what they always mean. Did Jesus deliberately confuse His disciples? If yes, this is not the Jesus of the Bible. If no, then these events must have already happened because Jesus said that His disciples would see those events happen. Think about this carefully and prayerfully, then choose whom you should believe.

 

The Word of GOD reveals that there are TWO MAN Beasts:

The old/ancient Beast of sea-Revelation 13:v.1 to 10;

and the future ruthless Beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb (a false lamb, of course) , and he spake as a Dragon. - Revelation 13:v.11-18

Watch for the Beast?

Which one of the TWO BEASTS are you suggesting looking more specifically at?

Could you identify the Man Beast of sea who has a NAME of blasphemy?

By the way, the Man Beast of the earth will give his Power, and this Throne and great Authority to the Beast of sea, then the Beast of sea will be LINKED to the Man Beast of the earth. And no man will buy or sell, save he that has the mark, or the NAME of the Beast LINKED to the Man Beast of the earth, or the number of his Name - a NAME of blasphemy.. If you know what is the NAME of blasphemy of the Man Beast of sea, then you will be able to count (NOT CALCULATE, BUT COUNT) the number of the Man Beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

By the way, in what place is or will be the Throne of the Man Beast of the earth like a lamb?

Why the Man Beast of the earth will give to the Man Beast of sea his Power, and his Throne and Great Authority? Yeah, what will really be in player in this satanic event?

By the way, your point is to be focused and watching for the Man Beast, no? Which of the two Man Beasts you are watching specifically?

 

Jesus clearly said:

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

This generation that sees the fig tree bloom. Did the fig tree bloom in the first century?

 

Dude, are you paying attention to what’s been happening recently.

Swedes Are Implanting Microchip Vaccine Passports. It Won't Stop There

Implanted vaccine passports.

Already I can’t go to local government facilities for work, lost my contract, can’t buy alcohol in the shop, can’t return to the state if I leave, can’t go to the gym or any event venue with over 500 capacity, without a vaccine passport. This is just phase 1.

Look at what’s happening around the place, events will overtake your interpretation of scripture and you won’t be able to argue that the apocalypse isn’t happening before your very eyes.
Keep your eyes on the weather out there.

 

Jesus was using the fig tree as an example from nature. He could just as easily have used apples or figs. His point was the things that His disciples would see - Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20), the Gospel preached throughout the Roman Empire (Matthew 24:14), the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15), etc. As you pointed out, Jesus said "this generation would not pass until all these things are fulfilled". Jesus meant His immediate audience (not a future generation), otherwise He would have said "they", "the generation then living when the fig tree blossoms", etc. There is no such thing as a "fig tree" generation, as it was just an illustration from nature.

 

I must admit that the events of recent days are really scary. Furthermore, if the events of Revelation were pointing to our day, it could very easily look like that. However, I think it's more coincidence than anything else. WWII looked a lot like the end of the world to their generation. For that matter, the American Civil War had many people convinced they were living in the last days.

Even though @robycop3 and I disagree on the timing of the "end times" events, we agree that all the "end times" prophecies have to happen.