Friday, February 12, 2010

Let me see if I got this right…

According to popular interpretation of prophecy….

A human man will become the ruler of the entire planet. He will be very charismatic.

The Jews will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and resume the sacrifices commanded in the books of Moses.

The above-mentioned Anti-Christ will sacrifice a pig on the alter in the temple causing the Jews to become enraged and realize that Christ really was the Messiah. They all get saved (some believe by becoming Christians, some by returning to the true practice of Judaism as outlined in the Mosaic Law).

There is a seven-year period of time when true believers are persecuted greater than any other time in history. This may be the church and the newly christianized (or repented) Israel, or the church may be raptured out before or in the middle of this Seven-Year Tribulation.

Christ will return and take charge of the army of Israel to fight the evil army coming from the north in a physical battle. All nations in the world will choose one side or another. Of course, Christ wins, then sets Himself up as ruler of the world for 1000 years.

After the “Millennial Reign” time ends and we all go to heaven or hell.

Do I have it right? I must say, this reminds me an awful lot of the method of Bible interpretation that produced the “Satan is a Fallen Angel” doctrine. Surely I am missing something somewhere.
Best I can tell:

A human man will become the ruler of the entire planet (a revival of the Roman Empire). He will be very charismatic.
Comes from a mixture of the legs and feet of the statue in Daniel 2, the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel 7, the horn of the goat in Daniel 8, part or all of Daniel 11 and 12, and parts of the book of Revelation. How do we know these are all supposed to go together?

The Jews will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and resume the sacrifices commanded in the books of Moses.
From various prophecies in Ezekiel and Isaiah (given before and just after the carrying away into Babylon- c.500-600BC. ignores that the temple was rebuilt in the time of Ezra- c.500BC. And the sacrifices were given in the first place as a sign of our need for Jesus. If we now have Jesus, why resume the sacrifices? Isn’t that going backwards? Why would God do that? Doesn’t that destroy the whole point of Calvary?)

The above-mentioned Anti-Christ will sacrifice a pig on the alter in the temple …
From Daniel 11 which does not mention the word anti-Christ. 200 years after Daniel’s prophecy, Antiochus IV sacrificed pigs on the alter in Jerusalem as well as doing all the other things Daniel talked about in this chapter.

…causing the Jews to become enraged…
The Jews in the time of Antiochus IV did become enraged. The Macabees led a rebellion against Antiochus’ Syrian Empire.

… and realize that Christ really was the Messiah.
Many, many Jews DID realize Jesus was the Messiah. The church at Jerusalem alone had a membership of more than 50,000. So Paul’s wish for his countrymen expressed in Romans 11 was, for the most part, fulfilled. Also, he makes it plain in this book that “jews” are not those who are physically descended form Abraham, but those who follow Christ. (“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart, I the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28-29)


They all get saved.
From Romans 11 which doesn’t mention an anti-Christ or a sacrifice. It does say that all who accept Christ are Israel and will be saved. Those who do not believe will not be saved, whatever their nationality.

There is a seven-year period of time…
From Daniel 11. This reference never says it is a seven-year tribulation, but the seven last years of Israel’s time of special status with God, and the time for the Prince (Messiah) to complete His work. The preceding verses discus 483 year of Israelite history from the time of the command to rebuild the temple until the Messiah begins His work. This is a timeline given to guide Israel and prepare them for Christ. Cutting this last week off and moving it 2000 year into the future totally destroys the whole purpose of the prophecy. Measuring sticks don’t work well if you cut them into pieces.

… when true believers are persecuted greater than any other time in history.
From Matthew 24 and one verse in Daniel 11 which both say Israel will face the greatest tribulation history will ever see. The time of the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 was a horrendous time of fighting, pain, starvation and disease. It was truly the greatest time of suffering the planet has ever seen. This was God’s punishment on Israel for her refusal to accept Jesus. Josephus tells us that all the Christians in Jerusalem heeded Christ’s warning in Matthew 24 and fled the city before the siege began. Rome slaughtered the Jews in the whole country and the nation of Israel ceased to exist.

This may be the church and the newly christianized Israel, or the church may be raptured out before or in the middle of this Seven-Year Tribulation.
Daniel 11 for the seven year number and Matthew 24 for the tribulation. The two aren’t mentioned together. The word “rapture” is not mentioned in the Bible.

Christ will return and take charge of the army of Israel to fight the evil army…
From Ezekiel 38. In fact, that is exactly why the Pharisees didn’t believe Jesus was the Christ; they expected Him to lead a physical army. Christ however, made it plain that His kingdom is NOT a physical one, but a spiritual one. He at no time gave any indication that He would ever set up a physical kingdom on this planet. Quite the opposite. The Kingdom of God came into existence at Calvary with Jesus as the ruling monarch. This Kingdom has grown to include every nation of the world.

…coming from the north in a physical battle.
From Daniel 11. Syria is north of Israel. Antiochus IV and his father both marched on Israel from the north 200 years after this prophecy was given.

All nations in the world will choose one side or another. Of course, Christ wins, then sets Himself up as ruler of the world for 1000 years.
From Revelation 20. All people DO choose sides…in their hearts. Christ is fighting the battle of Armageddon right now in the hearts of human beings. He is ruling from His throne right now.

After the “Millennial Reign” time ends and we all go to heaven or hell.
From Revelation 21-22 and Daniel 12. The word in Revelation translated “thousand” does not mean 1000, but “a large amount of time.” Certainly, Christ has been ruling for nearly 2000 years now; a large amount of time.


Prederist view:
 Most of Isaiah was fulfilled before Christ was born with the rest fulfilled in Him.
 Ezekiel was fulfilled before Christ with the return from the Babylonian captivity.
 Daniel was fulfilled by AD 70 with the majority being fulfilled in Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
 Matthew 24 was talking about AD 70.
 Romans 11 is clearly talking about the Christian church, not the physical Jew. (“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly but who is one inwardly”)
 Revelation was talking about the persecution from Nero and Ad 70, with the modified prederests believing the last two chapters are still ahead of us.
What’s left?
 The final return of Christ and the end of time.
 The things offensive to God being removed from the universe and cast into the lake of fire.
 The melting of the elements and their remolding to remove all traces of the curse.
 PARTY TIME!

Historical view:
 Most of Isaiah either was fulfilled before Christ or was fulfilled in the Middle Ages.
 Ditto Ezekiel.
 The later parts of Daniel’s prophecies refer to the Catholic church during the Middle Ages (the pope being the little horn)
 Matthew 24 is answering three different questions. The first (“When will the temple be torn down?”) was answered and then fulfilled in AD 70. The second (“When is the end of the world?”) was answered and then fulfilled during the Middle ages with the Catholic churches persecution of true believers. And the third (“When will you take the throne?”) has yet to be fulfilled.
 Romans 11 is clearly talking about the Christian church, not the physical Jew.
 Revelation is describing the church age, specifically, the totalitarian rule of the Catholic Church during the middle ages (the pope is the anti-Christ, the church is the beast, the angelician church is the dragon/image of the beast, etc.)
What’s left?
 The final return of Christ and the end of time.
 The things offensive to God being removed from the universe and cast into the lake of fire.
 The melting of the elements and their remolding to remove all traces of the curse.
 PARTY TIME!

Repetitive view
Since history repeats itself, prophecy does too. The things that have happened in the past will continue to happen over and over again until Christ returns to rule (unless that is symbolic and time will simply continue like this forever.) “The Great Tribulation” happened under Antiochus IV, AD 70 and Nero, the Middle Ages, Hitler, and will happen again.

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