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1
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2
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3
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- BUT RELATIVE to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and
our gathering together to [meet] Him, we beg you, brethren, Not to allow
your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or
alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or
by word or by letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day
of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here. Let no one deceive or
beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy
comes first, and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the
son of doom (of perdition), [Dan. 7:25; 8:25; I Tim. 4:1.]
(2Th 2:1-3 AMP)
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4
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- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- From Greek απο, apo, "away, apart",
στασις, stasis, "standing".
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5
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- Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and
over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually]
taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is
God. [Ezek. 28:2; Dan. 11:36, 37.] Do you not recollect that when I was
still with you, I told you these things?
(2Th 2:4-5 AMP)
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6
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- Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall
asleep [in death], that you may not grieve [for them] as the rest do who
have no hope [beyond the grave]. For since we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him through Jesus those
who have fallen asleep [in death]. For this we declare to you by the
Lord's [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of
the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any
advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in
death].
(1Th 4:13-15 AMP)
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7
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- For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of
summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the
trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will
rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall
simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity
of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! Therefore comfort and
encourage one another with these words.
- (1Th 4:16-18 AMP)
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8
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- For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of
the] Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the
night.
- (1Th 5:2 AMP)
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9
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- But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for
that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. For you are all sons
of light and sons of the day; we do not belong either to the night or to
darkness.
(1Th 5:4-5 AMP)
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10
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- For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us
to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our
Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who died for us so that whether we are
still alive or are dead [at Christ's appearing], we might live together
with Him and share His life.
(1Th 5:9-10 AMP)
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11
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- But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good;
[to that] hold fast.
- (1Th 5:21 AMP)
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12
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- Just like when Jewish Christians told Gentiles to be circumcised –
another problem was that forged letters from Paul were being sent that
said the Day of the Lord (Armageddon) had already began and Christians
wouldn’t escape the wrath of the Tribulation. Even though Paul taught
them in 1st Thessalonians that Christians would be caught up
to meet Jesus in the air.
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13
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- Because Christians don’t “prove all things” like they are supposed to –
we get many “troubling” teachings like the Thessalonians got.
- One of these is that Armageddon or the Day of the Lord has already
started.
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14
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- Something that was a “mystery” was the dispensation of Grace.
- In the middle of Israel’s program – God blinded them and called a
special apostle, Paul, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles after Israel
rejected Jesus.
- As soon as the fullness of all Gentiles is gathered in (along with the
remnant of Israel) and meet Jesus in the air then God will resume
Israel’s program with the Feast of Trumpets.
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15
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- Israel Killed Stephen (and blasphemed the Holy Spirit.)
- Israel’s program put on Pause.
- Paul called and Gospel goes to Gentiles.
- Once fullness of Gentiles comes in.
- Israel’s program will resume with Feast of Trumpets – tribulation,
armageddon, crowning of King Jesus etc…
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16
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- For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is
happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(Rom 11:25 KJV)
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17
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- Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
(Rom 16:25 KJV)
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18
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- Mystery dispensation where God is forming one new Spirit man in Christ
of Jews and Gentiles.
- These are the two loaves of Pentecost.
- This is the Body of Christ which Jesus will come for in the Clouds right
before the feast of Trumpets.
- Then Israel’s program will resume.
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19
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- Many powerful in word bible teachers have taught that the Day of the
Lord began. Just like the troublemakers in Thessalonica.
- I will show a few in the next few Frames.
- But they all have one thing in common.
- They didn’t use the framework of the Holy Days (God’s Appointments) to
test their work.
- They just did their own private math and because of their pride assumed
they were correct. That’s a no no.
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20
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- In January of 1939 Armstrong made this statement:
- "Undoubtedly, then, the "Beast" who will capture half the
city of Jerusalem, fighting at Armageddon against Christ at his Second
Coming, is MUSSOLINI, with ten European Dictators, and their armies! It
is coming in This Generation!" (The Plain Truth, p. 4)
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21
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- In the Good News magazines of April 1962 and October 1963, among others,
Worldwide Church members were shown pictures of Petra in Jordan which
was said to be the "place of safety" they were going to live
in during the tribulation. The Lord would warn them when to flee and the
Worldwide members would depart for Petra, probably by large airplanes.
- The year 1975 arrived and nothing occurred. Like the Jehovah's Witnesses
and the Children of God, the Worldwide Church of God had predicted
falsely that 1975 would be the end of man's reign. A colossal failure
for Herbert W. Armstrong.
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22
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- "The year A.D. 1878, being the parallel of his assuming power and
authority in the type, clearly marks the time for the actual assuming of
power as King of kings, by our present, spiritual, invisible
Lord...." Studies in the Scriptures - Thy Kingdom Come p.239
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23
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- "But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the
beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. Zion's Watch Tower
1894 July 15 p.226
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24
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- The founder of the Lutheran Church was the reformer, Martin Luther (1483–1546
A.D.). According to one authority, Luther ventured to predict: "For
my part, I am sure that the Day of Judgment is just around the corner.
It doesn't matter that we don't know the precise day... perhaps someone
else can figure it out. But it is certain that time is now at an
end."[1]
- "In 1590 the Gospel would be preached to all nations and a
wonderful unity would be achieved. The last days would then be close at
hand. Nachenmoser offered numerous conjectures about the date; 1635
seemed most likely."[3] Other date predictions followed but all
failed.
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25
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- Cardinal Nicholas de Cusa (1401–1464 A.D.) was "a cardinal of great
learning...At the age of 23 Nicholas became a doctor of law, but when he
lost his first lawsuit he left the profession of law for the study of theology.
Possessing a thorough knowledge of the Greek, Latin and Hebrew
languages, and a rare degree of eloquence, soon attracted attention...
was made a cardinal (1449 A.D.)"[4] Cardinal de Cusa later held
that the end of the world would come in the year 1700 A.D. Another
Catholic scholar, Arnald of Villanova predicted that an Antichrist would
appear in 1378 A.D.[5]
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26
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- Some Baptists also have a history of date and time predictions that have
failed. In the early 1900s, the well-known Dr. Isaac M. Haldeman, pastor
of the First Baptist Church in New York City, predicted that before the
Jews returned to Palestine to establish a Jewish State — an event that
happened in 1948 — that the Antichrist would appear. Haldeman explained:
"The Scriptures teach that this man (the Antichrist) will be the
prime factor in bringing the Jews back, as a body into their own land;
that he will be the power that shall make Zionism a success; that
through him the nationalism of the Jews shall be accomplished."
There is still a group of believers that continue to believe that
Haldeman was correct; and that in truth, Adolf Hitler was the Antichrist
predicted in the Bible (or perhaps one antichrist of many). They offer
as "proof" the fact that the end result of WWII and the
holocaust drove many Jews out of Europe to their new Israel. The fact
that Hitler's Holocaust killed millions of Jewish believers (called
"saints" in many Old Testament prophetic passages) would
correlate positively with several Bible predictions that the Antichrist
will seek to murder multitudes of "saints."[6]
- The "one of many" Antichrist theory has some stability within
Biblical limits. In 1 John 2:18, John writes that "many Antichrists
have come."
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27
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- Certain Anabaptists of the early sixteenth century believed that the
Millennium would occur in 1533.[7] Another source reports: "When
the prophecy failed, the Anabaptists became more zealous and claimed
that two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) had come in the form of Jan
Matthys and Jan Bockelson; they would set up the New Jerusalem in Münster.
Münster became a frightening dictatorship under Bockelson's control.
Although all Lutherans and Catholics were expelled from that city, the
millennium never came."[8]
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28
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- Thomas Brightman, who lived from 1562 to 1607, has been called "one
of the fathers of Presbyterianism in England." This well-educated
and esteemed fellow predicted that "between 1650 and 1695 [we]
would see the conversion of the many Jews and a revival of their nation
in Palestine...the destruction of the Papacy...the marriage of the Lamb
and his wife."[9] This did not happen.
- Christopher Love who lived from 1618–1651 was a bright graduate of
Oxford and a strong Presbyterian. Love predicted that: (1) Babylon would
fall in 1758 (2) God's anger against the wicked would be demonstrated in
1759 and (3) in 1763 there would occur a great earthquake all over the
world.[10] None of this occurred.
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29
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- The Assemblies of God Church has made an indelible impression because of
its active evangelical work. Like other popular groups, this community
has a rich history of failed predictions. One definitive study of
predictions made within this church was published by an Assemblies of
God scholar and pastor, Professor Dwight Wilson. The book was entitled Armageddon
Now! On the jacket of his book is this caveat: "The author cautions
his fellow Premillenarians that they will lose their credibility if they
continue to see in each political crisis a sure fulfillment of Biblical
prophecy — despite their obvious errors concerning earlier crises."
- During World War I, The Weekly Evangel, an official publication of the
Assemblies of God, carried this prediction: "We are not yet in the
Armageddon struggle proper, but at its commencement, and it may be, if
students of prophecy read the signs aright, that Christ will come before
the present war closes, and before Armageddon...The war preliminary to
Armageddon, it seems, has commenced."[11] Other editions speculated
that the end would come no later than 1934 or 1935.[12]
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30
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- In volume II of The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, author Leroy Edwin
Froom tells us about a prominent Anglican prelate who made a relevant
prediction: "Edwin Sandys (1519–1588), Archbishop of York and
Primate of England was born in Lancastershire... Sandys says, 'Now, as
we know not the day and time, so let us be assured that this coming of
the Lord is near. He is not slack, as we do count slackness. That it is
at hand, it may be probably gathered out of the Scriptures in diverse
places. The signs mentioned by Christ in the Gospel which should be the
foreshewers of this terrible day, are almost all fulfilled."[13]
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31
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- Russian Mennonite minister Claas Epp, Jr. predicted that Christ would
return on 1889-03-08 and, when that date passed uneventfully, 1891.[14]
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32
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- The founder of the Calvary Chapel system is the charismatic Pastor Chuck
Smith. Some years ago, he published a book entitled End Times. On the
jacket of his book, Smith is called a "well known Bible scholar and
prophecy teacher." In this book he wrote:
- As we look at the world scene today, it would appear that the coming of
the Lord is very, very, close. Yet, we do not know when it will be. It
could be that the Lord will wait for a time longer. If I understand
Scripture correctly, Jesus taught us that the generation which sees the
'budding of the fig tree', the birth of the nation Israel, will be the
generation that sees the Lord's return; I believe that the generation of
1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty
years and the tribulation lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could
come back for his church anytime before the tribulation starts, which
would mean anytime before 1981.
(1948 + 40 − 7 = 1981) However, it
is possible that Jesus is dating the beginning of the generation from
1967, when Jerusalem was again under Israeli control for the first time
since 587 B.C. We don't know for sure which year actually marks the
beginning of the last generation.[15]
- This same viewpoint was published by the popular Pastor Hal Lindsey in
his widely published book entitled The Late Great Planet Earth.[16]
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33
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- Though not strictly unfulfilled (due to its predication on the Prophet’s
longevity), the first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (colloquially, the “Mormon church”), Joseph Smith, Jr.,
prophesied that if he lived to be 85, he would see the Son of God.
- President Smith then stated… it was the will of God that those who went
to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary,
should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard
for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh — even
fifty-six years should wind up the scene.[17]
- Joseph added that the voice of the Lord told him the following:
"'My son, if thou liveth until thou art eighty-five years of age,
thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man,' I was left to draw my own
conclusions concerning this; and I took liberty to conclude that if I
did live to that time, He would make his appearance, But I do not say
whether He will make his appearance or I shall go where He is."[18]
- One writer notes that: "in 1890 there was a widespread belief among
church members that Joseph Smith's prediction of 1835, that fifty-six
years would 'wind up the scene,' would be fulfilled."[19] Although,
as even Joseph Smith specified in the above-mentioned quotation, this
was never spelled out in his own revelation.
- As mentioned previously, "Though not strictly unfulfilled",
this section should probably be removed from the list of unfulfilled
religious prophecies. In truth this prophecy is fulfilled because he did
die before he was 85. He died when he was 38 years old, quite a number
of years less then 85. This fact that the return of the Son of God
(Christ) did not happen, and Joseph did not live to 85 years old,
actually testify of the truthfulness of the prophecy.
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34
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- Main article: Controversies regarding Jehovah's Witnesses#Unfulfilled
predictions
- Charles Taze Russell, the first president of what is now the Watchtower
Society, prophesied that Armageddon would break out in 1904. Joseph
Franklin Rutherford, the second president of the Watchtower Society,
predicted that in 1918, God would begin to destroy churches and millions
of its members.[20] He also predicted that in 1925, the Millennium would
begin, with Biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David
coming back to life. The Watchtower even bought property and built a
house in California for their return.[21]
- "In the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the
church members by the millions, it shall be that any that escape shall
come to the works of Pastor Russell."[22]
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35
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- The well known Scottish cleric, Edward Irving, is the founder of the Catholic
Apostolic Church and a forerunner of the Pentecostal movement. In 1828
he wrote a work headed The Last Days: A Discourse on the Evil Character
of These Our Times, Proving Them to be the 'Perilous Times' and the
'Last Days'. On pages 10-22 we find some telling information which
includes the following:
- I conclude, therefore, that the last days... will begin to run from the
time of God's appearing for his ancient people, and gathering them
together to the work of destroying all Antichristian nations, of
evangelising the world, and of governing it during the Millennium... The
times and fullness of the times, so often mentioned in the New
Testament, I consider as referring to the great period numbered by
times...Now if this reasoning be correct, as there can be little doubt
that the one thousand two hundred and sixty days concluded in the year
1792, and the thirty additional days in the year 1823, we are already
entered upon the last days, and the ordinary life of a man will carry
many of us to the end of them. If this be so, it gives to the subject
with which we have introduced this year's ministry a very great
importance indeed.
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36
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- In 1951 the then-reigning head of the New Apostolic Church, Chief
Apostle , declared that he would not die before Jesus Christ returned to
take the predestined into his kingdom (First Resurrection). In 1954 this
teaching, called "The Botschaft," became an official dogma.
Those ministries especially the apostles who did not preach this lost
their office and were excluded from the New Apostolic Church. Bischoff
died in 1960, without this dogma being fulfilled.
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37
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- But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I
have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of
other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart,
How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a
prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor
come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the
prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
(Deu 18:20-22 KJV)
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38
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- Jehovah’s Witnesses say Jesus returned invisibly.
- Otherwise they’ll appear to be “presumptuous” prophets and need not be
feared.
- Instead of trusting the scriptures they cover their tracks and make more
wrong predictions.
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39
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- By using the Holy Days and the rest of the scriptures there are ways to
test predictions.
- The bible says that any prophet that’s wrong even once is presumptuous
and shouldn’t be feared.
- And in the Old Testament false prophets were put to death.
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40
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- Who can prove me wrong?
- The Bible.
- But if I’m a good speaker with a strong personality I can convince those
who don’t “prove all things”, of anything I want.
- All Scriptures must harmonize. You need two or three scriptural
witnesses to make a matter final in the bible.
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41
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- Jehovah’s Witnesses, Worldwide Church of God, Children of God, and many
other “true churches” of God are batting zero when it comes to prophecy.
- Without fail churches that consider themselves the “true churches” of
God have the worst records when it comes to prophecy and bible
interpretation.
- Why?
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42
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- Bible students will admit when they aren’t sure of something.
- Spiritual groupies won’t because they trust their spiritual rock star.
- We must always “prove all things”.
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43
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- And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And
when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable
year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the
minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the
synagogue were fastened on him.
- (Luk 4:17-20 KJV)
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44
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- The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of
the LORD, [church age 2000 years gap]
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
- (Isa 61:1-2 KJV)
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45
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- And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times
seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto
thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the
jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of
atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And
ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all
the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto
you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall
return every man unto his family.
- (Lev 25:8-10 KJV)
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46
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- And she [Israel/Mary] brought forth a man child [Jesus], who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne. [church age 2000 years gap] And the woman [Israel]
fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that
they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
- (Rev 12:5-6 KJV)
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47
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48
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- Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
(1Co 15:51-52 KJV)
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49
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- But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
- (1Th 4:13-18 KJV)
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50
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- And then break the framework of the bible and say you’re right out of
pride or circumstantial evidence.
- There’s a prophetic framework in the bible that’s simple and can’t be
broken.
- Only people who “don’t prove all things” and trust a personality instead
of scripture will fall for this.
- And yes – I’ve done that before.
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51
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- Is when the King of Israel is crowned.
- Is when Armageddon begins.
- Is the beginning of Birth pains.
- Is the tribulation.
- Is the day of the Lord.
- Is when God removes the blinders from flesh Israel.
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52
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- And the living are changed in a twinkling of an eye and meet Jesus in
the air.
- Jesus won’t be crowned per the Moads (appointments of the Holy Days).
- God has specific appointments and keeps them exactly.
- Jesus won’t be crowned King until Israel’s program is resumed.
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53
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- There’s no shortage of fancy calculations for the end of the world.
- Until the saints meet Jesus in the Air in their new bodies – Jesus isn’t
crowned King and Armageddon hasn’t started.
- Instead of focusing on good speakers and believing everything they tell
us we should have a readiness to hear but then to “prove all things.”
- Even if we make a few enemies we’ll please God.
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54
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- If you look at the world does this seem like Jesus is King or Satan?
- If you drive around the neighborhood does it look like Jesus is in
charge or Satan.
- If you look at most people’s level of bible ignorance does it seem like
they’re being led by the Holy Spirit or just reciting what they’re told
too recite?
- God’s Kingdom on earth has not yet happened. It’s on Pause until the
church meets Jesus in the air.
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Notes
