Jasher

These comments bring to mind my experiences from when I was 12 years old back in 1954. There was an evangelist who came to our local AOG Church and really packed them in with sermons on subjects like “the atomic bomb found in the book of Revelation” and “When Israel is invaded by Russia.” It was so sensational and exciting we couldn't hardly wait to get to the service. I'm still waiting for the latter to happen after 54 years.

All this was to happen within one generation of 40 years. That ended in 1988 (40 + 1948) So the theology had to be changed just like the “return” date setters. So it was revised from the founding of Israel to the date of the six days war of 1967. (1967 + 40) The theology was updated to 2007. So at the end of this year it will have to be re-guessed again. Ezekiel 38-39 is an apocalyptic account of the Maccabean period of history – it is already in the past. The newspapers are used daily to constantly upgrade and revise the Dispensational view – it changes frequently, but never comes to pass.

The Dispensational view is built on the dualism of Gods plan for gentiles and Jews, a rejection of history, pulling scriptures out of context, and taking apocalyptic passages literally.

Someday you will be like me looking backwards in time wondering why none of this has come to pass.

Boanerges

Never believe a date setter- God will not contradict His Word!

GordonSlocum

I am not exactly sure how to understand your view. Christians are killed daily in the land of Islam. Christian women are raped, men are torched in from of their families, beheaded, beaten, crucified upside down and more. These sold out godly believers are the archenemy of Islam.

It is my humblest of opinions that in light of the actions against real and professed believers that Israel lost or saved at this point would not change the hearts or gain physical protection for them.

Yes, as the stage grows closer to the final week of Daniel and the second coming God will intervene in a mighty saving way.

Gordon

PreciousMessage

Thanks for sharing your thoughts we me Gordon. Consider the following:

When Jesus had been betrayed into the hands of His enemies, and a mob of man came to seize Him and put Him to death, Peter drew a sword in His defense. The blow just missed the head of one of the gang of murderers, and cut off his ear. “Then Jesus said to him, Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.� Matt. 26:51, 52. And then, as an evidence that He came not to take life but to save it, Jesus healed His wounded enemy. Luke 22:50, 51.

Speaking softly, How then can any of His followers fight in defense of themselves, or even of their brethren who are persecuted? The disciple is not greater than his Lord.


And further, “I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.� Matt. 5:38, 39, 44, 45.

When He was rejected by the Samaritans, and two disciples wished to command fire to come down and consume the inhospitable people, He rebuked them, saying, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.� Luke 9:51-56.


It was Peter, after his conversion never fought again, but he too laid down his life on an upside down cross. During the inquisition, reformers and millions of Christians laid down their life without a fight.

Are we to fight? Absolutely, "Fight the good fight of faith."

"Thou shalt not kill"

blessings,
John

Boanerges

There are so many opinions on what will happen (or has already happened) but I have the feeling that when it's all said and done everyone will have some surprises-


Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Jasher

I ran a search on the library of congress years ago for all the books registered on the subject of Revelation. I went to our local library and ordered some of them over about a year through the interlibrary lending program. Over the years I have probably read about 100 books on Revelation including the ones I have in my home library.

After all of that - I still do not know what the book of Revelation really means! Not from cover to cover. Just bits and pieces that have come out of the historical record. There are so many different opinions that I have never been able to sort it all out.

I do believe that the book of Revelation was a book of comfort written to a persecuted Church - and God just hasn't taught us what it really means. Maybe if the Christians in the USA again come under intense persecution he will - and he can do this quite easily. When you hear his interpretation it will click in your mind and have that ring of truth. And like you say we will all probably have a major paradigm shift when this happens.

Oh sure there are plenty of televangelists who are 100 percent confident that they are correct, but historically those who are overconfident have the highest degree of error in my experience. After all - this was the same crowd that told us in the 1950's that everything Jesus predicted would have come to pass by 1988 - one generation of 40 years from the formation of Israel.

Can't disagree because now that I am retired I read so much my theology changes weekly. I really don't think any of us will ever live long enough to graduate from the many schools in God's university. And as before - the Lord doesn't seem to give a fig about our Theology - just his relationship with us. For this reason I have to remember that you guys are far more important than my theology.

I will always remember the message on the sign outside of the Church in the movie Peyton Place. "Those who love God must also love those whom God loves." Very profound.

Dusty

Jaser, I can't agree with you more ,cause those are my sentiments exactly. It seems sometimes, and I am not discounting the fact, that people get onto one aspect of the Bible and get cought up in just that and forget the rest of the Bible , if you know what I am trying to say.

Like you said our relationship with the Lord is more important and if we loose sight of that then what do you have?

Case in point..... My niece is married to a professor in a universiity who teaches religion. He can sit down and argue theology and back everything up with what he has learned but he cannot understand the simplist fact that ..... you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. He has so much head knowledge that the devil has blinded his eyes.

__________________

Trials prove a Christian

Love confirms a Christian

But death crowns a Christian

PreciousMessage

Hi Dusty,

Something to consider:

I'm not sure what you mean by theology, but we do know, "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." John 7:17.

I am sure you pray and will to do the will of God.

blessings in Christ,
John

Dusty

Preciousmessage..... What I am trying to say is my niece's husband has studied theology and religeous doctines and he believes that he knows it all and yes he does but it is head knowledge but not heart knowledge. He does not know the saviour of his soul. He is missing the whole point of his studies.

__________________

Trials prove a Christian

Love confirms a Christian

But death crowns a Christian

Jasher

I sure liked the spirit of that post!

Thank you
Jasher