Showing posts with label Last Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Last Days. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Friday, 3 October 2014
The Dragon And The Child
The Dragon And The Child
The copious links between Rev.12 and Matt.24 have been tabulated elsewhere (4). This chapter therefore has reference to the last days as well as AD70, bearing in mind the reference of the Olivet prophecy to these two periods. What proves this beyond doubt is that as soon as the dragon is cast out we are told " Nowis come salvation...the Kingdom of our God...for the accuser of our brethren is cast down" (12:10). Neither salvation nor the Kingdom of God can fully come without the second coming. If Scripture interprets Scripture, then the dragon being cast out must refer to the events of the second coming. There is rejoicing because the believers were no longer being accused (Greek 'seized upon' or accused in a law court), implying that this will be going on until the dragon/beast is cast out by Michael, the Angel who acts for God's people in the last days (Dan.12:1). The dragon accusing them before God sounds like Job's satan- as if the supreme intensity of suffering brought upon a materialistic, self-justifying Job to make him fit for God's full fellowship points forward to our tribulation to come. As Job was brought to say that he had heard of God by the hearing of the ear (theoretically), but now, through his sufferings, " mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5), so the latter day tribulation will develop us.
The tell-tale three and a half year period occurs again in Rev.12:6, and again there are references to Israel in Egypt; the woman flees away from the dragon (cp. Egypt) into a wilderness, but is pursued by the dragon (12:13), who tries to use water as a means of destroying her (12:15; cp. the Red Sea), but miraculously this is rendered powerless. The woman is carried on eagle's wings, as Israel were out of Egypt (Ex.19:4). The woman is " nourished" during the three and a half years, as Israel were fed with manna in the wilderness. Jesus reasons in John 6 that the manna represents the word of God. It may follow that the nourishing of the seed of the woman in the wilderness of her latter day tribulation will be through some special spiritual feeding programme designed by God. It may well be through an increased level of understanding of the Apocalypse and other prophecies of the tribulations which we will then be experiencing (see later).
The description of a conflict between a serpent and a woman and her seed in 12:14-16 must refer back to Gen.3:15- from which we can conclude that there will be a short term victory for the devil/ dragon over the seed of the woman in the last days. Rev.12 indicates that the dragon is unsuccessful in totally destroying the woman, and therefore turns in a brief period of fury " to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus" (12:17). Here we have the same idea as in 11:7; three and a half years of witnessing amidst persecution, followed by a brief, intense period of horror, as Christ's three and a half year ministry was terminated by three and a half days of especial suffering. Notice that the dragon goes into the wilderness to persecute the woman's seed; 17:3,8 describes a beast from the wilderness, full of the blood of the saints. Thus the beast of Rev.17 is also to be read in a la tter day context.
The persecuted believers overcome the persecution by " the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (12:11). Only by preaching and being fully prepared to give our lives for doing so during this period will we truly overcome and survive. In passing, the emphasis on the preaching that will take place by the persecuted saints at this time means that those being persecuted cannot just refer to natural Israel. Because the true believers have the attitude of loving not their lives unto death, their guardian Angels are told " Therefore rejoice, ye Heavens, and ye (Angels) that dwell in them" . But by the same token, " Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil (dragon- v.7) is come down...when the dragon (devil) saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman" (12:12,13). This equates the believers with those dwelling on the earth ('land'- of Israel ?) and sea (of nations world-wide). Perhaps these two groups in earth and sea have a link with the two witnesses of Rev.11, i.e. persecuted Jews and Gentiles respectively. Other similarities are:
Rev. 11 | Rev. 12 |
" They finished their testimony" (cp.6:9) | " The word of their testimony" |
Then " the beast thatascendethout of the bottomless pit shall make war against them... | " The dragon went to make war with the remnant of her seed" |
and kill them" | " They loved not their lives unto the death" |
The final furious persecution at the end of the tribulation (v.7) | " The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" . |
Revelation 13
Again, the three and a half year period (v.5 " forty and two months" ) of blaspheming and making war with the saints is mentioned, and again they are overcome, due to the beast having power " over all kindreds, and tongues and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him" (13:7,8). The method of persecution will be by leading into captivity and killing with the sword (13:10)- ecclesias herded into cattle trucks and hauled away to mini prison camps, sharing the sufferings of natural Israel ? Once again, the account of the beast here is underpinned with hints of out Lord's sufferings (13:10=Mt.26:52; he that leadeth into captivity recalls Jesus being led away by Judas and the soldiers; 13:7 cp. the disciples being 'overcome' in Gethsemane). The beast acquires a puppet beast (or " publicity agent" in the words of another brother) who does " great wonders" (miracles) which deceive many (13:13,14; 19:20). These miracles must be impressive, seeing that they result in all that dwell on the earth, except the faithful, receiving the mark, of the beast. It is hard to make this prophecy of such impressive false miracles have a significant fulfilment in the past. Miracles of the credibility described here have not been seen since the first century. Again, remember that the Olivet prophecy describes false miracles being done in the last days, which almost convince the very elect. They must therefore really be something very impressive.
The beast system will insist that all people receive the mark in their foreheads (Rev. 13:15,16; 14:11). This was an allusion to the way slaves were branded with a mark of ownership. And so in the very last days it will intensely cost to have the stigmata, the marks / brand, of being true servants of Jesus. It will cost and hurt to really believe His words, that we cannot serve two masters. 1 Tim. 4:2 RV speaks of how some will depart from the faith in the last days, having their consciences branded “as with a hot iron”. Presumably this is to be connected with the fact that the beast system will brand people in the last days; and it seems that some in the latter day ecclesia will fall for this. And, interestingly enough, it seems it will not just be the liberals who fall to this temptation: those who will thus fall away are those who ‘forbid to marry and command to abstain from meats’ (1 Tim. 4:3).
Revelation 14
The 144,000 who remain faithful during the tribulation are called " they which follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth" (14:4). This connects with the description of the believers at the cross following Jesus always, even from the calm days of Galilee, right through to the bitter end (Mk. 15:41)- again indicating that our experiences then will be a co-crucifying with Christ. Let us make maximum use of the calm Galilee days in which we are now, building up our reserves of strength from the Lord's words.
Those who do not worship the beast or have his mark will be killed (13:15,16; 14:11 cp. Dan. 3:6); in this context we are told by a special announcement from Heaven " Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth" (14:13)- as if there will be a special blessing for those who die in the tribulation. " Them that had gotten the victory over the beast...his image...his mark...sing the song of Moses" (15:2,3)- implying that their persecution by the beast was like being in Egypt, and their deliverance therefore gave rise to a new song of Moses.
Revelation 20
The chaining of the devil/ dragon/ serpent in 20:2 probably refers more to the binding of the manifestation of sin in the political devil/ dragon/ beast/ serpent of 12:7 than to abstract sin. Seeing that their will still be nations in the Millennium, it may even be that the beast revives in a similar political form to which it existed in our last days; i.e. a collection of Arab nations, confederate with the forces of sin latent within all other peoples. The beast is returned to the pit from which he emerged (20:3). The souls of those beheaded for being witnesses to the word in the tribulation are made rulers with Christ, and live with him (20:4). Does this speak specifically of some special honour for the two witnesses during the Millennium?
The Seals
The Seals The vital key to interpreting the seals is found in the clear links between them and the Olivet prophecy. The connections are so copious that it must surely be admitted that consideration of them is important in coming to an understanding of the seals. Consider the following summary of the links:
John was told that the events of the seals "must take place"- dei genesthai. The Olivet prophecy uses the same phrase (Mt. 24:6; Lk. 21:9). We have seen that the Olivet prophecy describes the events of both AD70 and our present last days, with special reference to the tribulation of God's people, both natural and spiritual. The connections between the Olivet prophecy and the seals would therefore indicate that the seals, and therefore much of Revelation, has reference to these same two time periods. Fairly conclusive evidence for a pre-AD70 date for Revelation has now been published (1). In any case, the connections with the Olivet prophecy cannot be shrugged off as incidental. The seals, then, can be applied to our latter day tribulation. There seems no reason to insist that they should be interpreted chronologically; they can quite comfortably be seen as describing different aspects of the same period. This is how series of judgments described in the prophets often have their fulfillment (notably in Isaiah), rather than being a chronological prophecy of events. Zech.12:3-11 is a passage which contains seven occurrences of the phrase " In that day..." . The passage does not have to be interpreted chronologically; this is a list of events which will occur around the same time, " in that day" . They are snapshots of the same scene from different angles. The seals and the repeated references to a 3.5 year tribulation period can be understood likewise; they do not necessarily refer to chronologically different events, but are giving different aspects of information about the same basic scene. The lack of strict chronological sequence in prophecy is a major feature of the Old Testament; thus a consideration of the phrase " in that day..." in Isaiah reveals that the context 'jumps around' all over the place, from the first coming of Christ to the Babylonian invasion to the Kingdom. There is no reason to think that Revelation is any different. The sixth seal concludes with the great day of the Lamb coming, with the fig tree casting her immature figs (cp. the fig tree parable), and great changes in Heaven and earth. This must have some reference to the second coming. If it does not, then where is the principle of interpreting Scripture by Scripture? This sixth seal appears to be an extension of the fifth seal, where persecuted believers plead for vengeance to be shown against their persecutors. They are assured of their salvation (by being given white robes), and rest " for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (6:11). Once these brethren were killed, the Lord would take vengeance- by His second coming. It follows that this violent persecution of brethren is going on before the second coming. Perhaps the " little season" refers to the three and a half year period? The persecuted souls under the altar would then describe the early sufferers in the persecution. It should be noted that once a set number of believers have been slain, then the Lord will come (Rev. 6:11 Gk. and modern versions). This must mean that there will be violent slaying of believers going on right up until the Lord’s return (so the Greek for “killed” implies); which suggests that we have yet to see violent persecution before the second coming. A further indication that the fifth seal concerns the last days is in the obvious connection between the altar scene and the parable of the widow crying for vengeance on her persecuting adversary; she would be avenged " when the Son of man cometh" (Lk. 18:8) (2). Thus the intense prayers of the persecuted saints of the last days are what prompt the second coming; at least, this is how God wishes us to see it. If our prayers were that fervent now, perhaps the tribulation could be avoided. Revelation 7 then describes how the 144,000 are sealed to ultimately survive the persecution, and due to the accumulated intense prayer of the persecuted believers, the seventh seal of judgment is poured out on the world (8:3,4), resulting finally in the establishment of the Kingdom. Footnotes (2) Several relevant studies could be referenced here. The most conclusive is N. Lunn, Alpha And Omega(Sunderland: Willow, 1992). (3) The many connections between Revelation and the Gospels need to be followed up; the incidents in Christ's earthly experience seem to be woven by him into the fabric of the visions he gives John. The theme of persecution is especially common. The widow crying to God because of persecution represents the prayers of the " elect" remnant of the last days (Lk. 18:7 cp. Mk. 13:20). They will be asking for vengeance against the beast which is persecuting them, and thus this parable is the basis for the souls under the altar crying out for vengeance (Rev. 6:9). Christ's return is therefore the day of vengeance (Lk. 21:22; Is. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4) of his persecuted latter day ecclesia. Despite the power of prayer in bringing about the Lord's return in vengeance, Lk. 18:9-14 continues in this same context to warn that despite this: - Perhaps the Lord won't find such faith in prayer when he returns - Many will pray but be so sure of their own righteousness that their prayers are hindered - The disciples will tend to despise the little ones in the ecclesia. All these are latter day problems: abuse of " the little ones" , self-righteousness and lack of real faith in prayer. |
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Does The Olivet Prophecy Have A Break In Fulfillment?
Does The Olivet Prophecy Have A Break In Fulfillment?
Some have tried to impose a break in the Olivet prophecy between Lk.21:24 and v.25, saying that only after v.24 the prophecy applies to the last days. The following problems have to be tackled if this is done:
- Mt. 24:14 is located in the first half of Lk. 21 (i.e. before v.24, in the so-called AD70 section): " this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the endcome" . The first century fulfillment of this was only typical of the major, latter day fulfillment. " The end" can hardly refer to AD70!
- The 'gap' between Lk. 21:24 and 25 is matched by Mk. 13:24: " But in those days, after that tribulation" - there is no room here for a gap of 1900 years! The prophecy flows straight on!
- v.24 is quoting Zech.12:3 (LXX) concerning the last days.
- In what sense were " the times of the Gentiles" fulfilled in 1967? Plenty of Gentiles, especially in the developing world, are still being baptized.
- The signs of v.9-11 are obviously being fulfilled now and will be to an increasing extent, given the irreversibly worsening world situation.
- V.22 " These be the days of vengeance that all things that are written may be fulfilled" - language of the last days. " All things" were not fulfilled in AD70.
- V.25,26 were fulfilled prior to AD70, not just in the last days. The description of Heaven and earth passing away is highly applicable to the ending of the Jewish heavens and earth in AD70; 2 Peter 3 uses similar language about this.
- The suggested break in fulfillment between AD70 and the last days runs into particular difficulty at Mk.13:24: " In those days (of v.6-23, which some limit to AD70 alone), after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened..." - i.e. the tribulation of the first part of the prophecy is in the " days" of the second part of it. Thus the entire prophecy must have reference to both AD70 and the last days.
So it appears that we have to face the uncanny conclusion: if the whole of the Olivet prophecy applies to the last days, then the verses about persecution of the saints must also come true. For many readers approaching the Olivet prophecy seriously for the first time, what has been laboured at such length above may seem painfully obvious. It will seem strange to them that some argue so strongly and even aggressively that the Olivet prophecy has no relevance to our days. I have often wondered why there has to be such enthusiasm to disprove this relevance. Is it not something to do with the fact that deep down, far beyond our conscious thought processes, we just can't brook the idea that we could be in for a persecution which will shake our little cosy world inside out?
Valid Interpretation?
We need to examine more carefully how we have used the Olivet prophecy in our preaching to the world. For ease of reference we will stick mainly with Luke 21. As with many Bible prophecies, this had an initial fulfillment in AD70 as well as a latter day one. The clarity of its reference to the last days before Christ's return is frequently hammered home by Christian preachers. Time and again we put the graphs on the Powerpoint, show the ghastly slides from Oxfam- and then read Luke 21:9-11: " Wars and commotions...nation shall rise against nation...great earthquakes, famines and pestilences...fearful sights and great signs" . And yes, we make a convincing case. The lecturer then does a dramatic Biblical leap-frog to v.24: " Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" - cue to talk about the present position of Israel. Next, v.25,26: " Distress of nations with perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear" - plenty to talk about there. " And then shall they see the Son of man coming" (v.27)- the real crunch point of the lecture.
Now there is nothing wrong with interpreting Luke 21 this way. Only someone blind to reason could deny that there is a marked correspondence between this chapter and the present world condition. Indeed, what we are now seeing is but a prelude to the real time of trouble and persecution: " Wars...famines...pestilences and earthquakes...all these are the beginning of (the) birth pangs" . These labour pains will result in the glorious birth of the Spirit into the Kingdom (Mt.24:6-8). But we must not overlook Lk.21:12-23, which are all about the persecution of God's people " before all these (things)" , v.12. It seems that the real time of world crisis will only be seen after a period of active persecution, and we are therefore only experiencing a very small fulfillment of these prophecies now. In the same way, we quote Ezekiel's prophecies regarding the fruitfulness of Israel and the return of Israel in the Kingdom as having some fulfillment now, in the present re-establishment of the Jewish state.
The greatest signs
The watchful student will note that the persecution of God's people spoken of in Lk. 21 is hard to slot in as coming before the earthquakes and famines in the parallel records of Mark 13 and Matthew 24. A glance at Strong's concordance will reveal that the Greek for " before" can also mean 'more importantly than'. Now this fits the lock even better. Jesus is saying 'The greatest indication that I will soon be back is when " they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you" - a far more important and obvious sign to you who suffer it than earthquakes, famines etc...'. So if there is no period of persecution, will there be a second coming? Notice that in v.12-20 Jesus is not talking to the natural Jews but to the believers. They were to be delivered up to the synagogues (i.e. Jewish powers), and the descriptions of being given the right word to speak in courts, and being betrayed and put to death, find ample fulfillment in the record of the early church in Acts. It is at this time that " ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies" (v.20), a situation clearly foretold in the prophets as occurring before the second coming. It could be that the latter day witness to Israel that takes place within the land results in the Jewish synagogues brutally persecuting the preachers (Lk. 21:12). Orthodox Jewish response to some Christian preaching makes this not hard to believe.
" Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (v.24) is a direct quote from the Septuagint of Zech.12:3. This is a prophecy of the latter day invasion of Jerusalem just prior to Christ's intervention. This treading down of Jerusalem is probably that predicted in Zech.14:1,2 also. " The times of the Gentiles" connects with the 42 months downtreading of Jerusalem in Rev.11:2, thus suggesting a 3.5 year period of Gentile domination of Jerusalem in the last days- and an identical period of persecution of the saints?
We have tended to think that wars, famines, plagues etc. are the clearest signs of the second coming. Yet this view of the Olivet prophecy fails to appreciate the context. The preceding Lk. 20 and Mt. 23 concern the weaknesses of the ecclesia of Israel at the Lord's time. The parables which follow directly on from the Olivet prophecy are all concerning the state of the ecclesia at the time of the Lord's coming. The prophecy itself has the state of the ecclesia as its main focus. Again, notice how the Lord turned the disciples' question round. They were so worried about when the temple would be destroyed. He gave them some relevant signs, but basically said: 'Don't worry so much about the physical temple. Watch for the well being of the ecclesia, the spiritual temple. Weep not for the temple, but for yourselves. Don't get too caught up with the feeling that the world / age has come to an end when the temple's destroyed; look instead for the day of my coming'.
Thus the persecution of God's people was spoken of by the Lord as being one of the clearest signs. And he also emphasized that apostacy within the ecclesia would be the other major sign. When they asked him for the signs, Mk. 13:5 says that Jesus began by warning them of deception from false teachers. The way the NT writers allude to this passage indicates that they saw this deception as not coming from the crazy bogus-Messiahs of the world, but from false teachers within the ecclesia, sometimes supported by apparent possession of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:3; Tit. 1:10; 2 Jn. 7). A state of total ecclesial apostacy was the sign which Jesus began with, according to Mk. 13:5.
The reader who pays attention to detail will note a significant use of pronouns in the Olivet prophecy: " ye" seems to refer to the faithful minority, who would (e.g.) understand, be persecuted, perish, lift up their heads, and finally endure to the end. " The many" (Gk. the majority) in the ecclesia would fall away. No fewer than four times does the Lord stress that " the majority" would be deceived by false prophets, be offended, and have their love wax cold (Mt. 24:5,10,11,12). Probably he connected this, at least in his own mind, with his earlier statement that " the many" would be called to his truth, but not chosen (Mt. 22:14). This difference between " the many / majority" in the ecclesia and the minority of suffering faithful is a theme in the parables which are an appendix to the Olivet prophecy.
The Olivet Prophecy And The Last Days
The Olivet Prophecy And The Last Days
A fundamental starting point of all Bible study is that we must not be afraid of the conclusions to which our Bible research leads us. This is especially true in the field of prophecy. God's prophetic word has always required faith to believe it and visualize its fulfilment; it invariably predicts things which at the time seem almost impossible to conceive of. Think of Noah proclaiming destruction by flood to a self-satisfied world that had probably never seen rain. Or of Jeremiah pursing his lips and sticking to his grim message of doom for Babylon, the great and invincible power of his day. Brother Thomas nailing his colours to the mast concerning the return of the Jews was of the same ilk.
It is therefore likely that interpretations of prophecy which will later be proved correct, may in the short term appear unlikely in the light of the present world situation. Our faith in the supremacy of God's inspired word should help us accept this. And even on a human level, it is worth reflecting that the course of human history is full of dramatic, unexpected changes. World events seem to change with increasing rapidity. For example, who would have thought in 1929 that within the next 15 years the affluent, powerful, respected Jewry of Europe would be systematically persecuted and coolly exterminated by their thousands- without a whimper of significant protest from the Gentiles living in the region?
Guilty?
We may be guilty of increasingly seeking to interpret prophecy by trying to fit it around current events, to the exclusion of studying the Scriptures and letting them alone paint the likely picture of the future. We need to be prepared to accept that they may prophecy things which the contemporary world scene would not appear to countenance. Many times our expositors have had to re-work time periods and prophetic interpretations to show how they have been fulfilled by world events.
This section suggests that as natural Israel will be persecuted in the last days, so spiritual Israel will follow suit. There is a large amount of Biblical information concerning the latter day tribulation of the saints, especially in the Olivet prophecy. This prophecy has many connections with those of Daniel and Revelation, which refer to the same persecution period. Obviously there is ample room for divergence of opinion in this area. The following 'persecution thesis' is put forward only in a spirit of serious suggestion.
The Olivet Prophecy: All About The Last Days
The disciples (in their childish way) showed the Lord the greatness of the temple, and he commented that soon it would be destroyed. They asked the obvious question: When? Usually, the Lord didn't reply directly to questions; he gave answers which branched out into something altogether more comprehensive than the original question (Consider Mt. 13:10,11; 15:2,3; Mk. 10:4,5; Lk. 17:20; Jn. 3:4,5; 4:9,10; 6:28,29; 8:53,54; 11:8,9; 14:22,23). Nearly every example of the Lord Jesus answering a question includes this feature. To the disciples, the destruction of the temple meant the end of the age- it was a calamity. They assumed that if the temple was destroyed, it must be replaced immediately by their Jesus coming again with his Messianic Kingdom. Their minds were still not suitably distanced from their Judaist background. They asked onequestion: " When shall these things (the destruction of the temple) be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?" (Mk. 13:4). Mt. 24:4 can make it seem that they asked two questions: " When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of they coming, and of the end of the world?" . But the parallel record in Mk. 13:4 makes it clear that actually these were parts of the same question concerning the temple's destruction. To the disciples, the coming of Christ, the end of the world and the temple's destruction were all the same event. The Lord answered their question by speaking of how there would be the destruction of the temple , but his real coming and the main ending of this world would be at a future date. His answer was therefore fundamentally relevant to his second coming, although built into it was some reference to the destruction of the temple in AD70.
As he so often does, the Lord turned round the terms of the question. They thought his " coming" would be at the temple's destruction, and so they asked for signs of his " coming" . But Christ shows that this wasn't a correct view: his real " coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Mt. 24:30) would not be then, but after all the various signs he described were fulfilled. He was surely saying: 'OK the temple will be destroyed, and many of the signs I'm giving will have some application to that period; but the destruction of the temple isn't the sign of my coming. Note the signs I give you, and watch for their fulfilment: and thenyou'll know when to expect my coming'.
It's a tragedy, a real tragedy, that a school of thought has arisen (based on an expositional blunder of JohnThomas) which insists that Christ " coming in the clouds of heaven" refers not to his second coming, but to some mystical, invisible 'coming' of Christ in AD70. This is a perpetuation of the disciples' mistaken perspective.
If we insist that the Olivet prophecy concerns AD70 and not the last days, we must answer the following points:
- The prophecy is an answer to the question concerning when Christ would come. The Lord's answer, especially in Mk. 13, reads as if it is a flowing narrative, leading up to the crux: " Then...they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds" (Mt. 24:30,31). No way can this refer to anything other than the second coming; and the whole prophecy has been leading up to this.
- The flow of the prophecy is indicated by the repetition of words like " then" : " Then shall they deliver you up...then shall many be offended...then shall the end come...then let them which be in Judea...then shall be great tribulation...then if any man shall say unto you, Here is Christ...immediately after the tribulation of those days (" in those days, after that tribulation" , Mk. 13:24)...then shall appear the sign of the Son of man...then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming" (Mt. 24). There is no suggestion here of any break in application, from AD70 to the last days. If the reference to Christ coming in glory with the Angels is accepted as referring to the last days, but the earlier verses of the prophecy to AD70 alone, we have to find the point where Christ breaks from AD70 to the last days. And I would suggest such a point cannot be found.
- Mk. 13 speaks of how " in those days" those in Judaea should flee to the mountains; " for in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of creation...neither shall be (referring to Dan. 12:1 concerning our last days)...except that the Lord had shortened those days...in those days, after that tribulation...then shall they see the son of man coming" . Surely " in those days" shouts for a continuous application to the same " days" - the days of the second coming. At best, " those days" can have a primary reference to the events of AD70, but the main fulfilment of the whole prophecy must be in the last days. This point seems impossible to answer by those who disallow any reference to the second coming.
- The Olivet prophecy doesn't finish at the end of Mt. 24; the chapter break with chapter 25 is unfortunate. The context runs straight on. The Lord spoke a number of parables at the end of the prophecy, which teach us the need for watchfulness against his coming. Each of them speak of his " coming" and the state of his ecclesia. They refer back to various parts of the Olivet prophecy. Without any doubt their main relevance is to the second coming; whatever minor relevance they may have to AD70, when they speak of the Lord coming and judging us, they speak of his second coming. They are a further elaboration on the things of which he had been speaking in the prophecy: and therefore the prophecy must basically concern his second coming and the state of the ecclesia at the time of the end.
- Some parts of the Olivet prophecy had a limited application in the first century (e.g. Mt. 24:14 = 10:18), but this doesn't mean that this is the only fulfilment of it. It is a feature of prophecy that it often has a short term fulfilment in order to validate the prophet in the eyes of his own generation. It would be strange indeed if the Olivet prophecy had only a short term fulfilment.
- When these things begin to come to pass, we can know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. There’s no way this applies to AD70. It clearly refers to the last days.
Friday, 12 September 2014
Israel Preparing for Very Violent War with Hezbollah
Israel Preparing for Very Violent War with Hezbollah 7 Sep 2014, 3:47 PM PDT This morning's key headlines fromGenerationalDynamics.com Israel preparing for 'very violent' war with Hezbollah In a series of articles in the last week, we've been highlighting the Mideast realignment following the Gaza war and the effect of the rise of ISIS on Saudi Arabia as well as rise of ISIS on India. I used a Generational Dynamics analysis to outline how the Mideast is realigning itself around a growing fault line separating Israel plus Egypt plus Saudia Arabia versus the Palestinians plus Qatar plus Turkey, with vitriolicly anti-American Iran increasingly aligning itself with America and the West. The terror groups Hezbollah, which is funded and controlled by Iran, is not facing the same kind of schizophrenia that its puppetmaster Iran is experiencing. Iran's attitudes towards Israel are greatly split along generational lines, where the older generations talk about destroying Israel, and the younger generations like the West don't have anything particular against Israel. The same cannot be said for Lebanon's Hezbollah. I've seen no signs that there's any split at all in Hezbollah's attitude towards Israel, which is a desire for its destruction. The new story that, just a few days after the end of the Gaza war, Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing for a "very violent" war with Hezbollah highlights the situation. In Israel's 2006 war, Hezbollah's rockets did not reach far into Israel, and they were poorly aimed. The same was true of Hamas's rockets in the Gaza war. But today Hezbollah has an estimated 100,000 rockets and missiles, many with precision guidance systems and large warheads, able to target all of Israel. In the 2006 war, Israel targeted Lebanon's infrastructure, in order to inhibit the transportation of weapons. In a new war, Israel would target homes in villages across Lebanon from which Hezbollah is launching rockets into Israel. Israel received a great deal of international condemnation for those actions in the Gaza war, and they would be stepped up in a new war with Hezbollah. In addition, it's believed that Hezbollah has build tunnels that travel from homes in Lebanon deep into Israel, and these tunnels would be targeted. There's a real question whether Hezbollah's puppetmaster, Iran, would hold Hezbollah back from this war. Despite anti-Zionist rhetoric, Iran has little to gain from a Hezbollah attack on Israel, and Israel could retaliate by carrying out its long-time threat to bomb Iran's nuclear installations. Times of Israel Could such a war and a decisive Israel victory be the very event the Four Blood Moons are a sign for? Whether it is or not, what we know for sure is that Israel must be a land dwelling at peace with her neighbours before the final conflict of man takes place in the Middle East. The current threat of Hezbollah in the North on the border with Israel must be removed for this to be the situation as the Bible Describes in Ezekiel 38. |
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Daniel 2 Papal and Muslim "legs"
Papal and Muslim "legs"
"There are two great antichristian religious systems of deceit revealed in the book of Revelation. The 'great western antichrist' of Roman Catholicism (Rev 17; 18) and the 'great eastern antichrist' of Islam (Rev 9). This has been the majority position of historic Protestant interpretation (Historicism) for centuries (though later writers often see this with more clarity). Dr Lee gives us evidence of this in 'Calvin and Islam', citing Calvin as follows,"In our own day, indeed [1550], very many people begin to waver -- when they consider the long continued dispersion of the Church. As if this had not been regulated by the purpose of God!... The pretext of the Romanists which they make in extenuation of the tyranny of their idol [the Papacy] -- is that it was not possible for Christ to forsake His bride. But here, the weak have an assurance on which to rest -- when they learn that the disfigurement which they see in the Church, has long since been foretold. The impudence of the Romanists, on the other hand, is clearly exposed. Because Paul declares that when the World has been brought under the rule of Christ -- a defection will take place....
"The minds of ancients were so bewitched -- that they believed that Nero would be Antichrist! However, Paul is not speaking of one individual -- but of a kingdom that was to be seized by Satan, for the purpose of setting up a seat of abomination in the midst of God's Temple. This we see accomplished in Popery.
"The defection has indeed spread more widely! For, since Mohammed was an apostate, he turned his followers, the Turks, from Christ.... The sect of Mohammed was like a raging overflow, which in its violence tore away about half of the Church. It remained for [the Papal] Antichrist to infect with his poison the part which was left."
Yet, in the words 'the Lord Jesus shall slay' in 2Th 2:8 -- Calvin insists Paul "predicted the destruction of the reign of Antichrist... He will be annihilated by the Word of the Lord... Paul does not think that Christ will accomplish this in a single moment... Christ will scatter the darkness in which Antichrist will reign, by the rays which He will emit before His coming -- just as the sun, before becoming visible to us, chases away the darkness of the night with its bright light.
"It does seem that the fourth iron kingdom was in fact both the pre-Papal and the pre-Islamic undivided Pagan Roman Empire, as well as the later Western-Roman Papal and the contemporaneous Eastern-Roman Islamic Empire into which it then subdivided. Indeed, both 'Mahomet' and 'the Pope' -- as we have already seen -- Calvin called 'the two horns of Antichrist.' Thus they correspond to the two legs of the later Roman Empire Islam and the Papacy.
In fact, when the classic historicist position is studied, the fulfillment in the case of Islam and Rev 9 is seen to be so striking and well attested that "'even advocates of other approaches who are adamant in their rejection of the historicist system of interpretation have admitted the convincing nature of this particular identification' (Steve Gregg, commenting on Rev 9:1-6 in 'Revelation: Four Views' 176)."
Since the Papacy (Roman Catholicism) and the powers of Islam are both blaspheming and agitating against Israel today, it surely does seem that we are still in the "two legs" interpretative section of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of future empires, and very, very close to the image's feet becoming shattered by Christ's return.
Osama Bin Laden
Compared to the professional analysts, we Christadelphians are completely unqualified as journalistic fact-gatherers on the world news scene. We don't directly interview world leaders or investigate material facts.
But when it comes to analyzing the facts that these people gather, Christadelphians have the distinct advantage of approaching matters from a point of view that is radically different from everyone else in several important ways. This advantage allows us to analyze a situation in ways that others cannot possibly do, and if this advantage is used properly (and that can be a very big "if" !!) then it can help us to better understand the reasons why we are to act the way that God calls us to act.
The following is my own analysis of the situation, particularly relating to the motives of Osama Bin Laden and other militant fundamentalist Muslims.
I start by asking you to think about five dates in history: 586 BC, and 70, 1948, 1967, and 1973 AD.
You already know what I am referring to with regard to each date. The destructions of the Temple in 586 BC and again in 70 AD. The emotional response that we have to these dates is one of sadness and lamentation. Then comes 1948. The establishment of the modern state of Israel, and the miraculous victory of little infant Israel against the combined Arab armies. The hand of God working in the nations. The fig tree budding. What a wonderful prophetic sign. Then comes 1967. The miraculous Six Day War. Again the hand of God working, with Israel regaining control of full Jerusalem including the Temple Mount. And finally 1973. Israel's miraculous recovery after nearly being annihilated in the surprise Yom Kippur War. Again we see the hand of God working.
But how do Muslims feel about these last three dates?
In the early years, and by that I mean roughly from the 1920s to the 1970s, most Muslims were adamantly opposed to the idea of the existence of a modern nation of Israel. They wanted to drive Israel into the sea, and to deny it any recognition of statehood.
But over time the attitude of many average Muslims softened, and they began to accept the notion of a modern nation of Israel in its present location. Militant Muslims therefore had a battle on two fronts. First was the Israelis, and they were certainly willing to attack them and anyone who supported the Israeli "right to exist". Second were these "soft" Muslims. That is, Muslims who were willing to recognize Israel, in deed if not in word. Many of these "soft" Muslims also have had and continue to have a gradual adoption of and toleration for many Western societal mores.
Most Westerners have no appreciation for the amount of "domestic" terrorism that goes on within many Middle Eastern countries, where militant Muslims are adamantly opposed to the current "moderate Muslim" regimes. Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular are beset with this problem, and it has been an important feature on the political scene of many other countries. For example Iran, which was "moderate" under the Shah, "fundamentalist" under the Ayatollah Khomeini, and is wrestling its way back to being "moderate" despite enormous internal pressure from the fundamentalists.
My point is that all of the politicians and journalists are talking about Bin Laden trying to scare or terrify the Western public, and how that's not going to work because we are a better people than that, and that Bin Laden and his kind of people underestimate our courage, love, and resolve.
In doing so these Western leaders either don't understand or are misrepresenting Bin Laden's motives.
Bin Laden and other militant Muslims have one ultimate goal with two parts, and use the violence of terrorism as a two-sided tool.
The two sides of the tool are (1) to encourage and embolden their fellow Muslims, and (2) to get the United States and others to make a semi-rational determination that the cost of supporting Israel outweighs the benefits. The ultimate goal is to achieve a worldwide Islamic society, but as this is so far off it is far more important to concentrate on the two immediate steps or parts of this goal. They are (1) to replace the "moderate" Muslim leadership currently in place in many Middle Eastern countries, and (2) to eradicate Israel. This second part can be further broken down into two steps. First, get nations such as the United States to stop supporting Israel, because with American backing the eradication of Israel is considerably more difficult, and then the second step of the actual eradication of Israel.
I would like to deal with this issue of Bin Laden's motives by asking: whose thinking is he trying to change and how?
His primary audience is NOT the people that he is attacking, but rather his fellow Muslims, most of whom are spectators. His hope is that these people will be emboldened and encouraged by his actions, and that every Muslim will become more fundamentalist. He knows that he can't start with a big victory against Israel and the United States and others. What he wants right now is a small victory so that others will join his cause, thus making his organization and its allies strong enough to achieve a big victory in the future.
His SECONDARY audience is the "western" nations, and even here he knows that he is not going to scare us to the point that we are afraid to come out of our homes. He knows that we will never become this afraid. BUT he knows that we will demand more security, which costs much in the way of time, money, and sacrifice of the individual liberties that we cherish and have become so accustomed to. He is implicitly using a carrot-and-stick approach against Western society. "Support Israel, and I will attack your civilian population as much as possible. Abandon Israel, and I will leave you alone, which means that you can open up your society again and live a better life for yourselves." I am setting aside the fact here that if we did as a society stop supporting Israel he would in fact not let up on his terrorism. He would simply continue to use terrorism to achieve the next step along towards his ultimate goal. I can set aside this fact because I am dealing here with his implicit approach at this time, and not with what he would actually do if his approach were to become "successful" (that is, help him to achieve his goals).
President Bush and Vice President Cheney and others have been all over television the last few days talking about Bin Laden's hatred for the American way of life. Yes he does find the American way of life objectionable because in many ways it acts contrary to the Muslim ethic, but that has almost no relevance to the question of what fuels Bin Laden's internal fire. He is far more upset about Muslims adopting Western ways than he is about Westerners having Western ways.
This also brings up an important point about what this war against terrorism might hope to accomplish. Bear in mind that just as he will not make "us" afraid but will impede our movements, any war against Bin Laden and other militant Muslims will at best accomplish the same thing. No amount of force will scare these people into rethinking their basic position. But it is possible to constrain their movements, to make it far more difficult for them to operate.
My own speculation that stems from this realization is that this will only delay the inevitable, as the relentless march of technology makes massively deadly weapons easier and easier to obtain. How long until a small group, operating underneath the "radar screens" of the nations, acquires nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons? Such a group need not even be Muslim. Certainly the Japanese sect that released nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system a few years ago was not Muslim. So at best we can eradicate and prevent the formation of large terrorist organizations who have at least some level of state support. But we can never stop the "lone madman" or the very small group.
There are terrorist groups out there that are not Muslim. But the Muslim ones are the ones that perpetrated this attack and that are the greatest near-term threat. And so while in theory we should be thinking about all of the terrorists that are out there, in practice we should concentrate upon understanding the thinking of these militant Muslims.
My note at the beginning regarding our unique perspective needs explaining here. Our world view is neither Ameri-centric or freedom-centric. Therefore, we can consider this situation not as the world does, but from the perspective that considers Bin Laden's motives to be very much like the motives of Cain and his "seed" (that is, those who have persecuted and murdered the prophets of God, and God's Son).
The Apostle Paul wrote that "as to zeal, [I was] a persecutor of the church" (Phi 3:6) and that he was also "a persecutor and violent aggressor" (1Ti 1:13). He was thinking that he was rendering service to God. He didn't hate Christians because he envied their freedom and wealth. He thought that he was doing God a favor by eradicating these blasphemous followers of the blasphemous Nazarene. The motives of militant Muslims are similar.
My point is that when we hear President Bush or ANY commentator talk about this attack on the American way of life, they are avoiding the real issue. The real issue is nothing less than the veracity of Islam, and the question must therefore be asked of us: when we take a stand and say that Islam is false, what do we suggest is true? The American ideals of freedom and democracy? Christianity, as in Christendom? Or True Christianity? This is why we must realize that when we speak against what has recently happened we must be careful to point out that in doing so we are also standing against the false teaching of the world in all its forms. We speak against Islam because it is patently false, and while militant Muslims are certainly worse, this does not change the fact that all Islam is false. And so are the eastern religions, many of which by their fundamental nature do not breed militarism. And so is Christendom, which in the past has bred much militarism and today does so only occasionally. All of these are false regardless of whether they compound their error by adopting violence to promote their viewpoint.
We stand against all systems of thought that are false, including those who are militant as well.
At the same time we must be careful to note that we are not militant. We appeal to people's intelligent reasoning and deliberation, and we never threaten force against anyone as a means of coercing them into adopting our way of thinking. We don't even threaten people with eternal hell-fire torment. This of course is a byproduct of our theology, but nonetheless the fact remains that we do not threaten people at all in any way.
And so IF people start to become suspicious of us as a group because we are relatively small and quite fundamentalist, point this out to them. Being fundamentalist and being militant are two entirely different matters. All or virtually all militants are fundamentalist, but not all fundamentalists are militant.
But when it comes to analyzing the facts that these people gather, Christadelphians have the distinct advantage of approaching matters from a point of view that is radically different from everyone else in several important ways. This advantage allows us to analyze a situation in ways that others cannot possibly do, and if this advantage is used properly (and that can be a very big "if" !!) then it can help us to better understand the reasons why we are to act the way that God calls us to act.
The following is my own analysis of the situation, particularly relating to the motives of Osama Bin Laden and other militant fundamentalist Muslims.
I start by asking you to think about five dates in history: 586 BC, and 70, 1948, 1967, and 1973 AD.
You already know what I am referring to with regard to each date. The destructions of the Temple in 586 BC and again in 70 AD. The emotional response that we have to these dates is one of sadness and lamentation. Then comes 1948. The establishment of the modern state of Israel, and the miraculous victory of little infant Israel against the combined Arab armies. The hand of God working in the nations. The fig tree budding. What a wonderful prophetic sign. Then comes 1967. The miraculous Six Day War. Again the hand of God working, with Israel regaining control of full Jerusalem including the Temple Mount. And finally 1973. Israel's miraculous recovery after nearly being annihilated in the surprise Yom Kippur War. Again we see the hand of God working.
But how do Muslims feel about these last three dates?
In the early years, and by that I mean roughly from the 1920s to the 1970s, most Muslims were adamantly opposed to the idea of the existence of a modern nation of Israel. They wanted to drive Israel into the sea, and to deny it any recognition of statehood.
But over time the attitude of many average Muslims softened, and they began to accept the notion of a modern nation of Israel in its present location. Militant Muslims therefore had a battle on two fronts. First was the Israelis, and they were certainly willing to attack them and anyone who supported the Israeli "right to exist". Second were these "soft" Muslims. That is, Muslims who were willing to recognize Israel, in deed if not in word. Many of these "soft" Muslims also have had and continue to have a gradual adoption of and toleration for many Western societal mores.
Most Westerners have no appreciation for the amount of "domestic" terrorism that goes on within many Middle Eastern countries, where militant Muslims are adamantly opposed to the current "moderate Muslim" regimes. Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular are beset with this problem, and it has been an important feature on the political scene of many other countries. For example Iran, which was "moderate" under the Shah, "fundamentalist" under the Ayatollah Khomeini, and is wrestling its way back to being "moderate" despite enormous internal pressure from the fundamentalists.
My point is that all of the politicians and journalists are talking about Bin Laden trying to scare or terrify the Western public, and how that's not going to work because we are a better people than that, and that Bin Laden and his kind of people underestimate our courage, love, and resolve.
In doing so these Western leaders either don't understand or are misrepresenting Bin Laden's motives.
Bin Laden and other militant Muslims have one ultimate goal with two parts, and use the violence of terrorism as a two-sided tool.
The two sides of the tool are (1) to encourage and embolden their fellow Muslims, and (2) to get the United States and others to make a semi-rational determination that the cost of supporting Israel outweighs the benefits. The ultimate goal is to achieve a worldwide Islamic society, but as this is so far off it is far more important to concentrate on the two immediate steps or parts of this goal. They are (1) to replace the "moderate" Muslim leadership currently in place in many Middle Eastern countries, and (2) to eradicate Israel. This second part can be further broken down into two steps. First, get nations such as the United States to stop supporting Israel, because with American backing the eradication of Israel is considerably more difficult, and then the second step of the actual eradication of Israel.
I would like to deal with this issue of Bin Laden's motives by asking: whose thinking is he trying to change and how?
His primary audience is NOT the people that he is attacking, but rather his fellow Muslims, most of whom are spectators. His hope is that these people will be emboldened and encouraged by his actions, and that every Muslim will become more fundamentalist. He knows that he can't start with a big victory against Israel and the United States and others. What he wants right now is a small victory so that others will join his cause, thus making his organization and its allies strong enough to achieve a big victory in the future.
His SECONDARY audience is the "western" nations, and even here he knows that he is not going to scare us to the point that we are afraid to come out of our homes. He knows that we will never become this afraid. BUT he knows that we will demand more security, which costs much in the way of time, money, and sacrifice of the individual liberties that we cherish and have become so accustomed to. He is implicitly using a carrot-and-stick approach against Western society. "Support Israel, and I will attack your civilian population as much as possible. Abandon Israel, and I will leave you alone, which means that you can open up your society again and live a better life for yourselves." I am setting aside the fact here that if we did as a society stop supporting Israel he would in fact not let up on his terrorism. He would simply continue to use terrorism to achieve the next step along towards his ultimate goal. I can set aside this fact because I am dealing here with his implicit approach at this time, and not with what he would actually do if his approach were to become "successful" (that is, help him to achieve his goals).
President Bush and Vice President Cheney and others have been all over television the last few days talking about Bin Laden's hatred for the American way of life. Yes he does find the American way of life objectionable because in many ways it acts contrary to the Muslim ethic, but that has almost no relevance to the question of what fuels Bin Laden's internal fire. He is far more upset about Muslims adopting Western ways than he is about Westerners having Western ways.
This also brings up an important point about what this war against terrorism might hope to accomplish. Bear in mind that just as he will not make "us" afraid but will impede our movements, any war against Bin Laden and other militant Muslims will at best accomplish the same thing. No amount of force will scare these people into rethinking their basic position. But it is possible to constrain their movements, to make it far more difficult for them to operate.
My own speculation that stems from this realization is that this will only delay the inevitable, as the relentless march of technology makes massively deadly weapons easier and easier to obtain. How long until a small group, operating underneath the "radar screens" of the nations, acquires nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons? Such a group need not even be Muslim. Certainly the Japanese sect that released nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system a few years ago was not Muslim. So at best we can eradicate and prevent the formation of large terrorist organizations who have at least some level of state support. But we can never stop the "lone madman" or the very small group.
There are terrorist groups out there that are not Muslim. But the Muslim ones are the ones that perpetrated this attack and that are the greatest near-term threat. And so while in theory we should be thinking about all of the terrorists that are out there, in practice we should concentrate upon understanding the thinking of these militant Muslims.
My note at the beginning regarding our unique perspective needs explaining here. Our world view is neither Ameri-centric or freedom-centric. Therefore, we can consider this situation not as the world does, but from the perspective that considers Bin Laden's motives to be very much like the motives of Cain and his "seed" (that is, those who have persecuted and murdered the prophets of God, and God's Son).
The Apostle Paul wrote that "as to zeal, [I was] a persecutor of the church" (Phi 3:6) and that he was also "a persecutor and violent aggressor" (1Ti 1:13). He was thinking that he was rendering service to God. He didn't hate Christians because he envied their freedom and wealth. He thought that he was doing God a favor by eradicating these blasphemous followers of the blasphemous Nazarene. The motives of militant Muslims are similar.
My point is that when we hear President Bush or ANY commentator talk about this attack on the American way of life, they are avoiding the real issue. The real issue is nothing less than the veracity of Islam, and the question must therefore be asked of us: when we take a stand and say that Islam is false, what do we suggest is true? The American ideals of freedom and democracy? Christianity, as in Christendom? Or True Christianity? This is why we must realize that when we speak against what has recently happened we must be careful to point out that in doing so we are also standing against the false teaching of the world in all its forms. We speak against Islam because it is patently false, and while militant Muslims are certainly worse, this does not change the fact that all Islam is false. And so are the eastern religions, many of which by their fundamental nature do not breed militarism. And so is Christendom, which in the past has bred much militarism and today does so only occasionally. All of these are false regardless of whether they compound their error by adopting violence to promote their viewpoint.
We stand against all systems of thought that are false, including those who are militant as well.
At the same time we must be careful to note that we are not militant. We appeal to people's intelligent reasoning and deliberation, and we never threaten force against anyone as a means of coercing them into adopting our way of thinking. We don't even threaten people with eternal hell-fire torment. This of course is a byproduct of our theology, but nonetheless the fact remains that we do not threaten people at all in any way.
And so IF people start to become suspicious of us as a group because we are relatively small and quite fundamentalist, point this out to them. Being fundamentalist and being militant are two entirely different matters. All or virtually all militants are fundamentalist, but not all fundamentalists are militant.
Saturday, 6 September 2014
New Book Islamic State ISIS in Bible Prophecy
http://www.lulu.com/shop/duncan-heaster/the-islamic-state-in-bible-prophecy/paperback/product-21778153.html
Product Details
- ISBN
- 9781291997941
- Copyright
- Duncan Heaster (Standard Copyright Licence)
- Published
- 27 August 2014
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 121
- Binding
- Perfect-bound Paperback
- Interior Ink
- Black & white
- Weight
- 0.23 kg
- Dimensions (centimetres)
- 14.81 wide x 20.98 tall
ISIL Islamic state Beheadings in Bible prophecy
Steven Sotloff James Foley David Haines Jihadi John: ISIL Islamic state Beheadings, forced conversion of Yezidis to Islam, are foretold in Bible prophecy . Carelinks Ministries .
“When you encounter the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads until you have crushed them completely; then bind the prisoners tightly,” (Sura Chapter 47). The world today is indeed shocked at reports of ISIS' gruesome sweep into northern Iraq. The UK Daily Mail reported of ISIS: “They lined the streets with the decapitated heads of police and soldiers”. Beheading is now a well-known method used by the IS, popularized by their YouTube videos of beheading Western hostages. We note that it is the fate of those who do not worship the beast or accept his mark in Rev. 20:4. Apologists claim that the Koran doesn’t support these beheadings; but it does. Sura 8:12 says that beheading can be used in order to psychologically terrify the non-Moslems: "I will cast dread into the hearts of the unbelievers. Strike off their heads, then, and strike off all of their fingertips”. Sura 47:3 is similar: "When you encounter the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their”. Beheading is justified in some of the hadith on the basis that Muhammad ordered the beheading of 700 Jews in Medina for allegedly plotting against him. It is therefore to be used specifically against God’s people. Until recently, it seemed impossible that such a method of death would be literally used- but it is now becoming known worldwide that it is indeed being practiced and gloried in within the entity that is taking over the land promised to Abraham. It must be noted that Islam is the only major world religion today that legitimizes beheadings.
Rev. 20:4 says that there will be a special blessing for those who were beheaded for the sake of Jesus, and this involved them in not worshipping the beast or receiving his mark. The short term fulfilment of this was in the beast as the Roman empire. But the Roman Empire only beheaded citizens (e.g. Paul); non-citizens were killed in other ways, e.g. by crucifixion, throwing to wild beasts. Mentioning beheading was therefore purposeful. The text could more easily have said ‘martyred’ or ‘killed’. The blessing in view was therefore particularly for Roman citizens who refused to accept the faith of their own empire, for the sake of Christ. The climax of all Bible prophecy, however, is not in history; it is in the literal coming of Christ to earth. In the last days, therefore, Revelation 20:4 must have its final and ultimate fulfilment. But the incipient fulfilment in the days of Rome guides us towards understanding that final fulfilment. I suggest therefore that this class of latter day martyrs refers specifically to those who are citizens within the area controlled by the latter day entity known as the beast. Those who do not submit to its rulership will be beheaded. And we are already seeing that happening in the IS, with roads lined with heads. And we see the IS forcing Christians and Yezidis to convert to Islam, or to face the sword- quite literally, in beheading, They stated themselves in July 2014: “We offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract—involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword”.
Friday, 5 September 2014
The Rise of ISIS and it's challenge to Russia and the West
This week another shocking video of a beheading by the Terrorist group ISIS was promoted on social media. This weeks Bible in the News looks at this organisation and how it could rapidly bring a militant Russia into the Middle East
Steven Sotloff is the second American journalist the jihadist group Islamic State (ISIS) has publicly killed.
The group claimed his killing was in revenge for continued US air strikes targeting its fighters in Iraq.
The group claimed his killing was in revenge for continued US air strikes targeting its fighters in Iraq.
Steven Sotloff who was executed by ISIS earlier this week.
Source: Wikpedia
Source: Wikpedia
Apparently, unbeknown to his captors, he was in fact Jewish. According to interviews with other released captors he managed to fast during Jewish holidays like Yom Kippor. Sotloff’s family were advised to obscure all evidence of his Jewish identity after he was captured in northern Syria in August last year. The general concern of the authorities was that he could be subject to a greater level of torture should his captors discover his religion.
It has since been reported that Sotloff did in fact have dual American and Israeli citizenship and was a published writer for the Jerusalem Post.
But who are the Islamic State and what could they mean for the stability of the Middle East?
What is ISIS?
The "Islamic State" or the "Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham" is a Sunni Muslim group who believe they are a caliphate, a Muslim state, run by a successor to Muhammad and upholding Sharia law.
The organisation has come from the Iraqi insurgency against the Western forces and their Iraqi allies which followed from the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Initially the group wanted to establish a Caliphate in Iraq but since the civil war in Syria it's ambitions have widened to include areas of Syria and the wider Middle East.
The organisation has come from the Iraqi insurgency against the Western forces and their Iraqi allies which followed from the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Initially the group wanted to establish a Caliphate in Iraq but since the civil war in Syria it's ambitions have widened to include areas of Syria and the wider Middle East.
The black flag of the Islamist State.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
The Black Flag of the Islamist State. Source: WikipediaThe Black Flag of the Islamist State. Source: WikipediaIts bands of militants have one clear goal - to enforce a pure Islamic state. It wages a holy war (or "jihad") on all who oppose it and when it takes territory it enforces sharia law immediately, beheading and killing all those who do not accept it's authority.
It now dominates territories in Northern Iraq, and parts of Syria and it currently has troops on the boarder with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran.
According to the The Economist apparently "ISIS may have up to 6,000 fighters in Iraq and 3,000–5,000 in Syria, including perhaps 3,000 foreigners; nearly a thousand are reported to hail from Chechnya and perhaps 500 or so more from France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe".
The organisation, aspires to unify the Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under it's political control, beginning with Iraq, Syria and other territory in the Levant region, which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey.
According to some reports the Black Isis flag has been seen in Israel on Palestinian rallies (e.g. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/israel-thousands-isis-supporters-rally-temple-mount-jerusalem-1464043). This concept of a militant Islamic State is unifying extremists and will pose a huge threat to the stability of the region.
It now dominates territories in Northern Iraq, and parts of Syria and it currently has troops on the boarder with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran.
According to the The Economist apparently "ISIS may have up to 6,000 fighters in Iraq and 3,000–5,000 in Syria, including perhaps 3,000 foreigners; nearly a thousand are reported to hail from Chechnya and perhaps 500 or so more from France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe".
The organisation, aspires to unify the Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under it's political control, beginning with Iraq, Syria and other territory in the Levant region, which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey.
According to some reports the Black Isis flag has been seen in Israel on Palestinian rallies (e.g. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/israel-thousands-isis-supporters-rally-temple-mount-jerusalem-1464043). This concept of a militant Islamic State is unifying extremists and will pose a huge threat to the stability of the region.
ISIS & Russia
In a report by the International Business Times an interesting insight was given this week into the groups view of Russia. The report was entitled: "Isis Tells Vladimir Putin: 'We are Coming to Russia' to 'Free Chechnya'"
Part of the report reads as follows:
"The radical Islamist group Isis (now known as Islamic State) has released a new video threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin that it plans to come to Russia and "free Chechnya".
The video footage, believed to be filmed in the Taqba airbase captured from Syrian government forces in Raqqa, shows an IS fighter in a military jet.
"This message is for you, Vladimir Putin! These are the aircraft you sent to Bashar [Assad], and we're going to send them to you. Remember that!" he said.
"This is Russian technology," said a militant with a Russian voice, according to The Moscow Times.
"We will with the consent of Allah free Chechnya and all of the Caucasus! The Islamic State is here and will stay here, and it will spread with the grace of Allah!" another militant warns.
The militant then addressed Putin, adding: "Your throne has already been shaken, it is under threat and will fall with our arrival [in Russia] ... We're already on our way with the permission of Allah!"
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on Instagram the group's warning was a "childish threat".
In the post that showed Kadyrov with a shirt emblazoned with Putin's face, he said the Islamist militants were "saying only what their masters in the West's security services were telling them to say".
"These jerks have nothing to do with Islam. They are the blatant enemies of Muslims all over the world. Naive people decided to threaten Chechnya and all of Russia with two aircraft. They can sit in 2,000 aircraft and still not make it to Russia," he wrote.
"I declare, with all responsibility, that whoever gets it into their heads to threaten Russia and speak the name of President Vladimir Putin will be destroyed as soon as he says it." He added: "We won't even wait for him to sit at the helm of a plane.""
ISIS do indeed seem to be reflecting the spirit of the ancient militant Muslims led by Mohummed who inflicted God's punishments on the Eastern Roman Empire as prophesied in Revelation chapter 9. With their fearless aggressive stance, use of social media and brutality, ISIS are fast becoming a player to be recognised in Middle East politics.
Part of the report reads as follows:
"The radical Islamist group Isis (now known as Islamic State) has released a new video threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin that it plans to come to Russia and "free Chechnya".
The video footage, believed to be filmed in the Taqba airbase captured from Syrian government forces in Raqqa, shows an IS fighter in a military jet.
"This message is for you, Vladimir Putin! These are the aircraft you sent to Bashar [Assad], and we're going to send them to you. Remember that!" he said.
"This is Russian technology," said a militant with a Russian voice, according to The Moscow Times.
"We will with the consent of Allah free Chechnya and all of the Caucasus! The Islamic State is here and will stay here, and it will spread with the grace of Allah!" another militant warns.
The militant then addressed Putin, adding: "Your throne has already been shaken, it is under threat and will fall with our arrival [in Russia] ... We're already on our way with the permission of Allah!"
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on Instagram the group's warning was a "childish threat".
In the post that showed Kadyrov with a shirt emblazoned with Putin's face, he said the Islamist militants were "saying only what their masters in the West's security services were telling them to say".
"These jerks have nothing to do with Islam. They are the blatant enemies of Muslims all over the world. Naive people decided to threaten Chechnya and all of Russia with two aircraft. They can sit in 2,000 aircraft and still not make it to Russia," he wrote.
"I declare, with all responsibility, that whoever gets it into their heads to threaten Russia and speak the name of President Vladimir Putin will be destroyed as soon as he says it." He added: "We won't even wait for him to sit at the helm of a plane.""
ISIS do indeed seem to be reflecting the spirit of the ancient militant Muslims led by Mohummed who inflicted God's punishments on the Eastern Roman Empire as prophesied in Revelation chapter 9. With their fearless aggressive stance, use of social media and brutality, ISIS are fast becoming a player to be recognised in Middle East politics.
Russia drawn into the Middle East as prophesied in the Bible
So who will eventually quell the aggression of this new player in the Middle East? Will America with it's weakening influence? It seems that Russia is perfectly placed to get more of a foothold in the region and come to the aid of it's allies. It has already been supplying arms to those fighting ISIS including the Iraqi government and president Assad of Syria. It is also an ally and supporter of Iran. Despite it's current issues with it's involvement in the Ukraine how the West would cheer on Russia in this battle against a common enemy and how prestigious a strong Russian leader would become who manages to tackle this problem!
It is interesting to consider this all in the light of Bible prophecy and the time period of the "latter days" - A time period in the Bible which begins with the restoration of the Jews to Israel (Hosea 3:5) and ends with the great establishment of the Kingdom in Israel (Isaiah 2:2).
In the time between these momentous events the Bible tells of a world leading up to a crisis called "Armageddon" where a number of nations invade Israel before God acts to rescue His people (see Ezekiel 38, Joel 3 and Revelation 16). When tied to the prophecies of Zechariah 12-14 it is clearly seen that this is the time when Jesus Christ will appear on the world stage and establish His throne in Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 38 the invading forces are described by their ancient names and consist of the territories of Europe, Turkey, North Africa and the far East, notably Persia which consists of part of the modern day territory where ISIS is gaining ground. The leader of the force is termed "Gog" and he is a ruler of the modern territories of Russia, called by their ancient names in the prophecy of Rus, Magog, Meshech and Tubal (v2).
In Balaam's prophecies of the "latter days" he, by inspiration, gives a hint that the peoples of Persia will be associated with this invasion by force. Speaking of the crisis of the latter days the prophet tells of an invading force, just as Ezekiel 38 does: "And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever." (Numbers 24:24).
These ships which come down to Chittim, or Cyprus and who afflict Eber, or the Hebrews of Israel also "afflict" Asshur, or Assyria. Who is this latter day Assyria which is mentioned? Could it be a revived Muslim state which is brought under control and tamed by Russia? Russia, who has it's current interests and allies in Syria and Iran? Russia, who has President Putin setting a president for a fearless, militant leader as it is currently showing in the Crisis in the Ukraine? Will ISIS draw Russia into the Middle East ready for the scene to be set for the events outlined in Bible prophecy to come to pass?
The Kingdom is Coming
Whether ISIS will be the catalyst for the great crisis of events which will unfold in these latter days we cannot be sure, but we do know that Russia and the nations will eventually be compelled to invade the land of Israel before the great manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ and his immortalised saints who will appear on the world stage.
One thing is for sure, God's Kingdom is coming on this earth. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to sit on "the throne of his father David" (Luke 1:32). Bible believers must therefore keep the vision of this coming age in the forefront of their minds eye as we look forward to the time when this world will almost be un recognisable under the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. That time when; "many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Micah 4:2).
Until then we watch and wait in faith, "working out our own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12).
One thing is for sure, God's Kingdom is coming on this earth. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to sit on "the throne of his father David" (Luke 1:32). Bible believers must therefore keep the vision of this coming age in the forefront of their minds eye as we look forward to the time when this world will almost be un recognisable under the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. That time when; "many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Micah 4:2).
Until then we watch and wait in faith, "working out our own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12).
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