Posted on 03/26/2017 6:05:10 PM PDT by grumpa
I have heard smart pastors say some pretty dumb things about Bible prophecy. It is amazing to me how blinded otherwise intelligent men can be about this subject. Here are just three examples.
1. I remember being in a Bible class with a very bright young pastor as he began a study of Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews clearly declared that HE AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES were living in the “last days” (Hebrews 1:2). But this pastor just could not accept it. I shook my head listening to the violence he did to this text and the hoops he went through to explain away what the author of Hebrews (probably Paul) clearly said. His comments were largely unintelligible, but included this: “We know that the writer of Hebrews was not REALLY in the last days, because we know that the last days are still future.” At best, the pastor was using a logical fallacy called “begging the question” (or “circular reasoning”) which means ASSUMING something to be true that one is trying to prove to be true. The pastor was also ignorant of the fact that there are 15 primary texts in the New Testament about the last days/end times, and the culmination of none of them can be placed outside of the first century. (Other examples include Acts 2:14-20; 1 Corinthians 7:29-21; 10:11; 1 Peter 1:20; 4:7; 1 John 2:17-18). All the writers of the New Testament were speaking with one voice, of course, about the END OF THE OLD COVENANT AGE which culminated in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple—at Jesus’ divine presence in judgment (Matthew 23:29-39; 26:64; etc.)—not the end of history.
2. Another pastor on staff at this church frequently closed his sermons beseeching Jesus to come soon (Revelation 1:1; 22:20). I queried the pastor about this and he said, “Well, Jesus is always coming soon.” Good grief. Some Christians have been saying that for 2000 years. Do words have any meaning at all? Does love mean hate? Does joy mean sadness? There is no dictionary meaning that can make “soon” mean 2000 years later. And look, we can we know for certain what SOON means in the New Testament by using Scripture to interpret Scripture. The timing of the last-days’ events are consistently expressed to be in the first century. Examples include: BEFORE THE DISCIPLES HAD FINISHED GOING THROUGH THE TOWNS OF ISRAEL (Matthew 10:23), WHILE SOME OF THE DISCIPLES WERE STILL ALIVE (Matthew 16:27-28); IN THEIR GENERATION (Matthew 23:36; 24:34; 26:64; Mark 8:38-9:1); ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE (Luke 21:32; Revelation 3:10—see a literal translation such as Young’s); THE TIME WAS NEAR (Revelation 1:3; 22:10). When Timothy and Paul were to come soon/quickly in Philippians 2:19, 24), could that mean 2,000 years later (see also Acts 22:18; 25:4; 1 Corinthians 4:19)? Of course not.
3. I also remember a pastor in another church insisting that “this generation” in Matthew 24:34 (also Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32) means “some future race of people.” Again, let’s use Scripture to interpret Scripture. There are nine other times in the New Testament where we see the phrase “this generation.” Each of these clearly means the group of people who were contemporaries of Jesus. Look them up for yourself: Matthew 11:16-24; 12:39, 45; 16:4; 23:33-38 (ref. 21:33-45); Mark 8:38-9:1; Luke 11:50-51; 17:25; Acts 2:40.
Words like THIS GENERATION, SOON, and NEAR are God’s words. God said things that mean something and that could be understood. He is not a deceiver. Futurists, especially dispensationalists, pride themselves on taking the Bible literally. But they certainly do not take the time-statements literally. It is only the preterist view that honors the numerous imminency passages, restores Jesus’ credibility, is consistent throughout, and is faithful to Scripture.
The first-century fulfillment expectations were the correct ones and things happened right on time—no gaps, no delays, no exegetical gymnastics, and no changing the meaning of commonly used and normally understood words. Such manipulative devices have only given skeptics and liberals a foothold to discredit Christ’s deity and the inerrancy of Scripture. What needs adjusting is our understanding of both the time and nature of fulfillment to comport with Holy Scripture, and not manipulation of the time factor to conform to our popular, futuristic, and delayed expectations.
https://prophecyquestions.com/2014/02/01/articles-by-charles-meek
We are living in the last days and Jesus is coming soon.
Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
This would include ‘last days’... Course there are those that are under the ‘spirit of slumber’, Romans 11.
Notice Christ declared that He had already foretold us all things, before one jot or tittle of the so called New Testament, was placed on plant fibers or animal skins...
Less than six months for those who believe in Jesus. Slightly longer and much more intense for everyone else.
Always avoid hearing anything from professional Christians trying to get your you money and go straight to a real relationship with Jesus and stay out of that mortgages church building.
Bttt.
Another very well laid out position. Thanks! It takes more twisting than I can stand to read these passage any other way than what they clearly say. The End of the Age happened after the books of scripture were closed, so we need to look at Josephus to read what really happened to Jerusalem - it exactly fits the descriptions in Revelation.
192 days and a few hours. http://october-5-2017.com
Amen. For those wanting to learn more about prophecy: http://thebibleprophecywatchers.org/
If that’s the case we should be in Eternity by now, and I don’t see Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem and this sure isn’t Heaven on Earth.
www.thereishopeinJesus.com
and you never will see Yeshua on an earthly throne because it’s a spiritual kingdom and you are living in eternity now. Just wait for your heart to stop beating and you will immediately be in the presence of God. You were transferred there when you accepted him as savior. You actually started living in eternity at that point. Remember that Yeshua Pilot that His kingdom was not of this world. Christians need to stop acting like Jews waiting for an earthly appearance. He came already and His kingdom is here. Otherwise, we have no King and no kingdom
From the refiner’s fire about preterism:
http://www.therefinersfire.org/preterism.htm
They believe we are now in the “Kingdom of Christ” and have been since the days of the early church. Satan is bound, they say....Never mind that the earth is reeling with sorrow, pain, disasters, and godless governments under Communism and radical Islam. More than 50 million believers have died since 70 AD and there have been 15,000 wars - so how can this possibly be “the Kingdom of Christ”?
As for Nero - he couldn’t have been the antichrist, as he died in 68 AD before the destruction of Jerusalem. He was a whimpy emperor though evil, indeed, but he doesn’t come close to being the “King of fierce countenance” of Daniel 8:23 and he made no covenant with Israel, Daniel 9:26, 27.
Dispensationalists believe he will be destroyed by the King of kings, but Nero committed suicide. Before that, he issued no “mark” and people could buy and sell. He sat in no Temple declaring himself God, demanding he be worshipped (2 Thess. 2:4). All Preterists deny there will be future Temples such as the Tribulation Temple and Millennial Temple.
Last Days and End Times are not the same time periods.
Last Days began after Christ’s death.
The End Times is the period of time very close to the return of Christ, and the prophetic end times events described by writers in various books.
Eternity begins now - and we are at one with God just as Adam and Eve before the first sin. You are invited by Jesus to join us in Eternity Now!
Excellent post. The Bible is so simple, but people would rather contort simple truths to mean something else.
Why don’t they hurry up and get here already.
I’ll do my best to remember to bring this issue up with you again in November. I’m pretty confident you and I will still both be here, or — if God so wills — we will have left earthly life in the entirely usual way.
And that passage is speaking of the Jewish Temple, not a temple in Italy.
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