Diogenes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:59 pm
Candle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 06, 2022 10:33 am
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Replying to Diogenes in post #1]
Neither Paul, nor Jesus, said "the world is going to end soon."
Both of them did cite the specific event in human history that will mark the "beginning of the end." Identifying that event is not the same as saying "the end is near," which is something they did not teach.
The lesson in Matthew 6:19-20 is that only spiritual things are eternal, not "the world is going to end soon, so don't bother enjoying this life."
You might want to scroll thru this thread before regurgitating the anti-scriptural orthodoxy of blind evangelicalism. Then you might actually address some of the more obvious verses:
"I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes" (Matt. 10:23).
"Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom" (Matt. 16:28).
"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Matt. 24:34).
"I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:27).
As for Paul and other early Christians, although the Christians were quite insistent that no one knew the exact time when this second coming would take place, they felt sure that it would occur during the lifetime of those who were then members of the Christian community. This is reflected very clearly in 1st Thessalonians, so much so, that a forgery in Paul's name was published by the Church [2d Thessalonians] to soften what was becoming a very embarrassing message.
Ah! One-verse-at-a-time theology. My favorite!
Matthew 10:23 Did His disciples go through all the towns of Israel? Let me know what you find out.
Matthew 16:28 The next event was the appearance of Moses, on behalf of the Law, and Elijah, on behalf of the prophets. A voice from out of a "bright cloud" says, "This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased." This vision, witnessed by 3 men from the previous chapter, is the confirmation of Jesus as The Prophet spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18. It is the confirmation of His Office. It is the endorsement by the 2 greatest figures in Israel's history and all the power of YHVH. So, yeah, He is coming in His Kingdom in this moment.
Matthew 24:34 Gosh! Just ONE MORE VERSE would have helped you so much! The PREVIOUS verse says, "So likewise, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." And THEN, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." What generation? The generation that sees ALL THESE THINGS.
What are those things?
Well, there's the old wars, and rumors of wars. But, after mentioning them, Jesus says, "But the end is not yet!"
He lists a bunch of other stuff. Then we have a bizarre linguistic issue. The text in the KJV reads, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)"
The punctuation turns verse 15 into a phrase, not a sentence. "When you see this thing Daniel spoke of standing there,"
It should be punctuated; "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. And then shall the end come when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place." (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
This is confirmed by Paul's statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?"
The abomination that causes desolation of which Jesus spoke is the erecting of an idol in the Holy Place, and a man declaring he is God. That is exactly what Antiochus Epiphanes did on December 16, 156BC. Everything in the Bible happens in cycles. A shadow of the event to come occurs. That is what the feasts of Leviticus 23 are. They are shadows of the ministry of Jesus and the end of the age. Jesus is the Passover Lamb. On His first visit, He fulfilled the Spring feasts. When He returns, He will fulfill the Fall feasts. That's why you have to know the feasts to understand the book of Revelation. But, that's another issue.
Jesus and Paul are telling us that He will not return until the Temple is desecrated by the Son of Perdition.
When the Ark of the Covenant is found, a tent like the one used in the wilderness will be erected in a single day. (I personally think there are some that know where it is.) The Temple Treasures Institute already has ALL the stuff ready to go. That will be the third Temple. That is where this event will happen. That is the sign that the end is only 3.5 years away.
Conveniently numbered sound bites only get you so far.