How does any believer know anything is veritable?
Through faith alone in Christ alone.
Obviously the AntiChrist was not the person referenced in Jerusalem in 70 AD, when soldiers removed every stone from atop another. Surely nobody here would consider such a thing as fulfilling that prophecy, do they?
Have learned on FR that what I thought was very basic OBVIOUS Scripture . . . some folks would consider otherwise.
The absurd notion that most of the END TIMES prophecies were fulfilled in 70AD etc. is just mind bogglingly UNBIBLICAL-TO-THE-MAX.
It's hard for me to conceive that there are even folks who dare to think of themselves as "Christians" who would dare to imagine that God would fail to fulfill even the tiniest of His promises to Israel literally.
Am reading an interesting book:
FROM IRAQ TO ARMAGEDDON: The Final Showdown Approaches
by Keith Intrater.
He notes . . . ---------------------------------------------
If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? "Most Jewish people, because of their rejection of Yeshua, have been like branches cut off of their own tree. The gentile church has been like branches grafted into the tree of faith (see Rom 11:16-22). However, we are to believe that the Jewis people will return and be grafted into the faith of their own Messiah--the most spiritually "natural thing" for them to do." In the meantime, we have a paradoxical position toward the Jewish people who have not yet eceived the Lord. It is part negative and part positive.
If their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
They also, if they do not continue in unbelief will be grafted in, for God is ABLE to graft them in again. [Qx emphasis]
And so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED. [QX emphasis]
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this MYSTERY, lest you should be WISE IN YOUR OWN OPINIONS, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullnes of the Gentiles has come in. And so . . .
[Qx emphasis]
Concerning the gospel they are enemies FOR YOUR SAKE, but concerning the election they are BELOVED for THE SAKE OF THE FATHERS.
. . . The third group is the Messianic Jews, those who are Israeli citizens, Jewish and believers in Yeshua. This group currently numbers around seven housand. It is this group that I am primarily identified with. I believe they have a key role to play in the Kingdom of God. . . . p92 We know that Paul's answer tot he question whether the prophetic purposes of Israel have been made void is "CERTAINLY NOT! (Se Rm 11:1). But how could the destiny of Israel not be canceled, considering the rejection of the Messiah and the punishment from God? Here Paul's answer is also clear: The Remant. Throughout history there was always a minority of true believers within the greater nation of Israel. Despite the sins of the nation, that believing remnant carried within it (in seed form) THE DIVINE DESTINY OF THE NATION. Every nation, in fact, has a propheticcalling from God.That calling is not seen in the overall population of the nation, but in the community of true believers found within the nation. The prophetic calling of the United States is not seen in the motion pictures from Holywood. That of South Africa is not seen in the racial problems; of Germany, not in Nazism; of Russia, not in communism, etc. The destiny of a nation and its covenant with God are found within the remnant of believers within the nation. Th same is true in Israel. The source of its destiny is not in Tel Aviv discos, nor political parties, nor rabbinic councils. It is in Yeshua, and in the community of citizens that believe in Him. If one wants to understad the destiny of Israel, he must look not to the larer unbelieving population of Israel, but to the core community of believers within the nation. Gentile Christians become confused by not making this distinction. Either they reject God's purposes for Israel altogether, or they try to make something overly spiritual of Israel's pioneers and politicians. . . . The way tohave a balanced theology concerning israel and its destiny is to consider the Messianic jewish community within Israel. Paul wrote [p93] that the way to understand God's plan for Israel was TO COMPARE THE FAITHFUL REMNANT IN THE TIME OF ELIJAH TO THE MESSIANIC JEWISH COMMUNITY OF HIS DAY. In Elijah's time, in Paul's time, and EVEN SO AT THIS PRESENT TIME--there was a remnant and there still is a remnant. AND HOW MANY ARE IN THAT REMNANT? SEVEN THOUSAND. In the time of Elijah, there was a remnant of seven thousand believers within Israel who carried with them the destiny of the nation. Today there is also a remnant within Israel numbering about seven thousand. This remnant is part of bringing us to a new 'age of Elijah' in our generation. God had to point out to Elijah the importance of the seve thousand faithful ones. The revelation of the remnant gave him hope, faith, and a better understanding of God's purpose. I believe God is trying to point out the importance of the Messianic remnant within Israel today as well. p95 The prophetic call for the community of faith to recognize the place of Israel is not a racist preference for the Jewish people, bu rather a SUBMISSION TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. ,FONT COLOR=NAVY> It is a recognition of Jerusalem as the seat of HIS earthly authority and a recognition of Yeshua as King of the Jews.
God has not cast away His people whom He oreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Eliljah . . .
what does the divine response say to him? 'I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
It is even somewhat conceivable that his Biblical insights COULD be a path or some fair-minded REPLACEMENTARIAN Calvinsts to acquire a BIBLICAL understanding of prophecy in our era. . . . perhaps even in the nick of time, at the rate Biblical prophecy is being increasingly fulfilled.
And so how does that help you decide whether antichrist is alive and well on planet earth? Or that modern Israel is the fulfillment of specific Bible prophecies? Or, how would that cause a pastor to make a comment like, "I'm convinced that the Lord is coming for His Church before the end of 1981." based largely on his views about modern Israel?