Showing posts with label bible prophecy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible prophecy. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 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.
Hamas And The Palestinian Movement In Bible Prophecy
Hamas And The Palestinian Movement In Bible Prophecy
I am aware that there are various views in our community as to the identity of Israel ’s invader of the last days. Whoever it is, it surely cannot be that the Arab world surrounding Israel will not eagerly join in or be a major part of the attack. The real aims and intentions of Hamas / the P.L.O. are perhaps not so widely known because much of their literature remains in Arabic only. I have taken some time to analyze original sources of Arab rhetoric, and the similarity of wording and intention between them and Bible prophecy is astounding. I am left with no doubt that what is happening in the Middle East right now, especially relating to the P.L.O., is a most definite sign that the Lord’s coming is near. I am grateful to newly baptized converts in Jordan and Lebanon for opening my eyes to many of the following observations. The Hebrew word hamas [basically meaning 'physical violence arising from wicked plans'] is quite common in Scripture, and the usages speak of how God is provoked by hamas to bring judgment upon the enemies of His people (Gen. 6:11-13; Mic. 6:12; Zeph. 1:9) and also to intervene in order to save His people (Ps. 18:49; Ps. 72:14). How amazingly appropriate that an organization actually called hamas has arisen in these last days to do violence to Israel! If Biblical history means anything to us, clearly enough God's intervention in appropriate judgment and salvation cannot be far off. Note how Hagar's persecution of Sarah- typical of the Arab-Jew conflict- is described as her hamas (Gen. 16:5).
Psalm 83
“For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head”
The revival of Arab nationalism and its organization in the P.L.O. They lift up / exalt the rosh, the head- they set up an individual leader over them. This could be “Gog…the chief prince” of Ezek. 38, “the king of the north” of Daniel, “the man of sin” of 2 Thess. 2, and all the other references to a latter day Nebuchadnezzar / antiChrist figure.
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
The intentions of the P.L.O. are “crafty” in that there is the impression given that they seek co-existence with Israel ; they are plotting the destruction of Israel and the Jews under the guise of humanism and peaceful intentions. But the Arab Confederacy seeks to destroy Israel , as is evident:
“The Palestinian Covenant declares as its central themes a total repudiation of the existence of Israel…the claim that Israel should not exist is implied in almost half of its 33 articles…the demand for the demise of Israel becomes a matter of inevitable necessity” (1)
“Israelis are barely human creatures who may be tolerated in the Palestinian state as individuals, with their numbers reduced” (2)
“The question of how to reduce the number of Jews in a Palestinian state…is highlighted by the use of murderous terms against the Israelis” (3)
Article 8 of the Palestinian Covenant: “The conflicts among the Palestinian national forces are secondary, and should be ended for the sake of the basic conflict that exists between Zionism…and the Arab people.”
Article 9: “Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. It is the overall strategy.”
Yet a willfully naïve world overlooks these statements because they prefer to believe the “crafty counsel” of the Arabs- that they seek for peaceful co-existence with the Jews in Israel .
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
The Arabs argue that Israel / the Jews are not a people:
“Israeli Jews…can only be nationals of (other) states, where nationality is not Jewish. The demand for the liquidation of Israel thus also stems directly as a necessary conclusion from the definition that the Jews are (already) not a nation…since the state of Israel is not based on true nationalism, it is often described in Arabic as an ‘artificial entity’…the theory that the Jews do not constitute a nation is also recited for the claim of exclusive Arab nationality of the Palestinian state” (4)
“Victory for the Arabs is possible only in the liquidation of Israel ; anything else is capitulation.”
“The Jews are not a nation and thus on principle do not deserve to have a state of their own…there is no atrocity that cannot be justified in order to bring about the liquidation of Israel ” (5)
The desire to “cut them off from being a nation” runs counter to God’s clear statement in Gen. 25:23: “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people…”. Note that they were not to be of a different ethnicity, as both Jews and Arabs often claim [for they were from the same parents], but different types of people.
For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
The Arabs will unite themselves against Israel . The ‘Palestinian National Covenant’ uses the Arab wordQawmi for ‘National’ – i.e. pan-Arab. Note the RV of Ps. 83:5: “Against thee do they make a covenant”.
“The Palestinian National Authority will strive to achieve a union of the confrontation countries [i.e. “all nations around about” Israel- D.H.]…or a step along the road to comprehensive Arab unity” – Political Programs of the P.L.O., Article 8.
“The Palestinian National Council calls upon the Arab nation [singular!] to shoulder its pan-Arab responsibilities and to pool all its energies to confront …Zionism” – Political Resolution of the 13thPalestinian National Council, Article 4.
The Palestinian Liberation Army is under an “inter-Arab High Command” (6)
“The Palestinians will have three mottoes: national unity, pan-Arab mobilization, and liberation” (Are these the three unclean spirits of Rev. 16 that gather the nations around Israel to battle?) – Political Resolution of the 13th Palestinian National Council, Article 11.
“Nasser used to argue that Arab unity is a pre-requisite for …enabling the initiation of an all-out war againstIsrael ” (7)
“The Arab ‘nation’ is made up of ‘peoples’ and the (one) Arab homeland comprises the national homeland of these peoples…the relationship of the people and the individual to the overall Arab homeland and nation is called in modern Arabic Qamwiyya (nationalism)…like the trunk of a tree that branches off into offshoots of local patriotism…the splitting up of the Arab region into separate states carved out by the colonial powers. However, once Arab unity is achieved and the frontiers wiped out…” (8)
“As for the Egyptians, the Iraqis…they are nothing but the peoples & branches of one nation, the Arab nation” (9)
“Colonialism shattered the unity of our Arab nation and the unity of our Arab homeland…but this has not prevented the masses…from feeling they are one people” -Resolution of Palestinian National Council, 1971(10)
The intention is to create a single nation which is home for all the Arab peoples. This may include not onlyPalestine but all of the land promised to Abraham. “Palestine is inseparable from the Arab homeland” (11) .
“King Hussein’s plan for the establishment of a so-called United Arab Kingdom” (12)
“This crisis has captivated the whole Arab nation throughout the greater Arab homeland” (13) – i.e. the earth/land promised to Abraham. It could well be that the entire area promised to Abraham is briefly confederated into one Arab super state once Israel is over-run. In this sense all the prophecies about theeretz (the land / earth) being dominated by Israel ’s enemies would then come true.
Not only will the Arabs unite amongst themselves but they will unite many other world forces in their anti-semitism. This must be, for if there is to be a time of trouble for Jacob such as never was, the millions of Jews living in North America are going to have to be persecuted even worse than they were by Nazi Germany. Things are going to have to change- dramatically, and in a very short time. The god of this world is humanism, and it seems that all the world will be united by the Arabs against Israel under this guise.
“The enemy of humanity’ is a phrase found in Arab writing to designate Israel ... Such a description is designed to mobilize support from all peoples, because Zionism is portrayed as an imperialist base that threatens them too” (14).
Article 16 of the P.L.O. National Covenant: “The liberation of Palestine, from a spiritual point of view, will provide the Holy Land with an atmosphere of safety and tranquility, which in turn will safeguard the country’s religious sanctuaries…. accordingly, the people of Palestine look to all spiritual forces in the world for support.”
Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
In these incidents, the Arab invaders destroyed themselves. There is plenty of evidence that the Arab solidarity against Israel is very shallow; they are deeply fractured, and a victory against the Jews could well bring out those differences immediately, in a very bitter and self-destructive way. This final destruction is likely that spoken of in Revelation, where after a brief period of unity against God’s people, “The horns hate the whore”- Babylon / Iraq ? The final phase of domination of the land of Israel foretold in Daniel 2 was by a confederacy of “iron and clay”, nations that don’t mix together well; although in the context of dominating Israel , they are united. Particularly the Palestinians and other Arabs are mutually suspicious of each other; and there is ample tension between Iraq [latter day Babylon] and its Arab neighbours.
“Expressions of suspicion toward the Arab states abound in Palestinian writings. They contain sharp criticism of discrimination against the Palestinians in the form of restrictive decrees in employment and travel. Expressions of hatred can even be found against the Arab states” (15).
“The P.L.O. will retaliate against the Arab states…if they take a line of policy which the P.L.O. regards as inimical to it’s cause” (16) .
“Arab governments (are) suspicious of the plan to organize the Palestinians into the Palestinian entity” (17).
Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
Clearly enough, the specific focus of the P.L.O. has been on taking control of Jerusalem’s holy places. This is evident in all of Arafat’s speeches. The P.L.O. refuses to cease hostilities against God’s people until they are in possession of Jerusalem.
It seems that the ideal of the P.L.O. is to establish a fake Kingdom of God in the land promised to Abraham, with Jerusalem as the capital, a new ‘temple’ built there, and some antiChrist figure such as Arafat or Saddam ruling there. Their dream is of a land of plenty and true tolerance and equality, glorifying all the principles of humanism- and yet excluding God’s people. All Arabs world-wide would be encouraged to return and live in this Arab superstate, mimicing how the true seed of Abraham will be gathered home in the last days. The P.L.O. plan to send the Jews out of the land into captivity- Saddam Hussein once said just the same. The Babylonian captivity will be re-enacted, and then in a ‘second exodus’ the Jews will return and perhaps build the temple which they were instructed to build in Ez. 40-48. This expulsion of the Jews from the land is foretold in Dt. 28- where disobedient Israel are to be taken into Egypt again by ships, something which has never yet occurred; and also in Zech. 14, where in the last days Jerusalem is to be captured by her enemies and half the city go off into captivity. And then, the Lord returns to the Mount of Olives from which He left.
“Only Jews who undertake to be loyal to the Palestinian state shall be recognized…the recurring motif in Palestinian literature which insists that the Jews who would be allowed (to remain) should relinquish Zionism” (18)
“Peace in the land of Palestine and the neighboring countries is our heart’s desire. Above all, a precondition for this is the liberation of Palestine” (19).
“The right to return includes the right to get back all former Arab property, the return of which will cause the mass eviction of Israelis from Jaffa, Nazareth, etc.” (20)
“The establishment of the Palestinian state is bound up with a mass evacuation of Jews from their homes, and they will be thus forced to emigrate” (21)
Shuqairy, founder of the P.L.O., often made the proposal to send the Jews back to their countries of origin. Naji Alush repeats the proposal and asks, “Why not ask the U.N. to finance this plan?” (22) . If accepted, this would unite “all nations” against Israel and her Messiah.
Article 11 of the Constitution of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party read: “Whoever emigrated to the Arab homeland (Palestine) with a colonialist aim shall be expelled”.
Naji Alush defines “the stand of the Arab national movement on Palestine concerning the Jews” as being that the same number of Jews that were in Palestine before 1914 (i.e. 20,000) should be allowed to remain, and own the 1% of the land they then owned – and the rest be extradited (23).
“Permission to stay in Palestine should be granted to the Jews who shall declare that they are giving up the idea of the Jewish state” (24) .
It is significant that the Arabs demand that the minority of Jews who they would let remain become ‘Arabs’. “Such a state…should be explicitly & emphatically an Arab state with a minority of Jews, who from a national viewpoint, would become Arabs” (25). It could be that this meant they accepted Islam. In this case we would have an analogous situation to that in countless historical types of the last days: Israel accept the idols of the surrounding Arab world and are judged because of it.
Notes
(1) Y. Harkabi, The Palestinian Covenant And It’s Meaning (Totowa, N.J: Valentine, Mitchell & Co., 1979) p.11
(2) Harkabi op cit. p. 13
(3) Harkabi op cit. p. 48
(4) Naji Alush, The Road To Palestine p.141
(5) Harkabi op cit. p. 12
(6) Harkabi op cit. p. 62
(7) Harkabi op cit. p. 70
(8) Harkabi op cit. p. 31
(9) Sati Al-Husri, Arabism First, (Beirut Lebanon : P.L.O. Research Centre) p. 13.
(10) As recorded in Anne Zahlan, International Documents on Palestine (Beirut, Lebanon: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1974) p. 398.
(11) Harkabi op cit. p. 99
(12) Harkabi op cit. p. 135
(13) Harkabi op cit. p. 136
(14) Harkabi op cit. p. 90
(15) Harkabi op cit. p. 72
(16) Harkabi op cit. p. 96
(17) Harkabi op cit. p. 10
(18) Harkabi op cit. p. 46
(19) Fayez Sayegh, A Handful of Mist (Beirut, Lebanon : P.L.O. Research Centre) p.19.
(20) Harkabi op cit. p. 157
(21) Harkabi op cit. p. 56
(22) Naji Alush op cit. p. 219
(23) Naji Alush, The Palestinian National Movement (Beirut, Lebanon, 1969) p. 170
(24) Niqula Al-Dor (one time member of the P.L.O. Executive), Thus Lost and Thus to be Returned (Beirut,Lebanon : Al-Hawadith Press).
(25) Harkabi op cit. p.52
Iran wants to unite Hamas, Hizbullah in anti-Israel war
Top sources in Hizbullah and Hamas told Time magazine that Hizbullah's backers in the Iranian government have called the the two organizations together to focus them on 'jihad' againstIsrael .
When Khaled Masha'al of Hamas and Sheik Hassan Nasrallah of Hizbullah meet in Teheran this week it will signal a truce in what has been the struggle to be the leading terror arm of the Palestinian uprising, reported Time. Competition between the two had generated an increase in attacks on Israeli territory and coordination will likely make those strikes more effective. A source in the Hamas military wing, IzzadinKassam, told Time that his organization has already commenced joint operations with Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad.
Top sources in Hizbullah and Hamas told Time magazine that Hizbullah's backers in the Iranian government have called the the two organizations together to focus them on 'jihad' against
When Khaled Masha'al of Hamas and Sheik Hassan Nasrallah of Hizbullah meet in Teheran this week it will signal a truce in what has been the struggle to be the leading terror arm of the Palestinian uprising, reported Time. Competition between the two had generated an increase in attacks on Israeli territory and coordination will likely make those strikes more effective. A source in the Hamas military wing, IzzadinKassam, told Time that his organization has already commenced joint operations with Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad.
GPL News, May 2001
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