Aren't we in the end times now, and things are supposed to get worse and worse till Jesus comes back?
Last modified 2016-02-04 ....................... 8 pages
When were the End Times:
Hebrews 9:26 “but now once, in the end (1) of the world/age (2), hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (3)
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(1) In the original Greek it reads “completion of the ages”. And it reads: "culmination of the ages" NIV, "consummation of the ages" NAS
(2) Greek "Aion" which is plural for "Age". The KJV "world" is a poor translation for this noun, but it was true the old world creation was ending with this age. Evidentally there were some sub "ages" contained in this one big age or old world creation, or Paul would not have used the plural "Aion" here. Covenant Theologian James B Jordan has done the most research into this topic, to my knowledge. All of which would tend to justify Dispensationalisms' breaking up of history into 7 Dispensations, or Jordans' "sub ages" see www.biblicalhorizons.com.
(3) We know that the millennium or Kingdom age started with the beginning of Jesus public ministry "If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you." and to the 12 "as you go, preach saying "the Kingdom of Heaven, is at hand". We know that it will last for at least 1000 years and most likely longer than that since God doesn't want you taking 1000 literally, but to mean a "fullness" number of years, or "a complete" number of years. So we see that God created an overlap period, from 30 to 70 AD. The Last Days of the Old Covenant, (of the Jews as a covenant people of God), of the Levitical priesthood, of the ceremonial law, of temple worship, etc. were winding down and would end in 70 AD, and the Kingdom of God, like a mustard seed started out small in 30 AD and by 70 AD it alone was standing as the New Covenant age.
When are, or were the Last Days: According to the Apostle Peter, he thought his days (pre the 70 AD coming of the Lord in judgment on the Jews) were the last days.
Acts 2:11,15-21
(list of many countries) Cretans and Arabs, we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.... 2:15 (Peter Says) For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day (9 AM); 2:16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 2:17 and it shall be in the last days (end of the Age, Mt 24:1), God says, that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon ALL Mankind (Gentiles too, not just the covenant people, i.e. the Jews); and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 2:18 even upon My bondslaves (Jews were never referred to as bond slaves (i.e. volunteers), for they were born into it), both men and women (surely not women, how un-Jewish, when did a Jewess ever prophesy in the O.T., they simply held no office, as a rule (Deborah was an exception), I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. 2:19 And I will grant (towards the end of the age, near 70 AD) wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and Fire, and Vapor of smoke.(1) 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord(2) (70 AD) shall come. 2:21 and it shall be, that every one who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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(1) That would be an apt description of the Wars of the Jews, 70 AD conflagration with the Romans, per Josephus
(2) Sun, moon and stars in the Bible often means "your guiding luminaries", i.e. your religious and political rulers and leaders (Isaiah 13 and Genesis: Josephs dream).
1 Cor 7:26, 29, 31
... because of the present distress.(1).., 29 “But this I say brethren, the time is short”(2) 31 “For the form of this world is passing away”(3)
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(1) What present distress? Ans: Jews persecuting Christians in the book of Acts and throughout the New Testament age. i.e between 30 AD and 70 AD. This is in fulfillment of Matthew 23 "and some of them you will kill, and crucify, (it was forbidden to Jews to do capital punishment. As an occupied people, Rome insisted that criminals go through the Roman courts to guarantee that justice was done, before anyone got put to death by the state. Of course the Jews could assassinate and put out contracts to have men killed, but that all had to happen under the table. But notice the word "crucify" here. Jesus laid the blame at the feet of the Jews for every Roman crucifixion of a Christian under Nero, and there were thousands upon thousands. In his book, SKEPTICS ANSWERED D. James Kennedy, says on page 74: "Tacitus was the most famous of the Roman historians. Born in AD. 55—in the middle of the New Testament period—he gives a thorough account of Christianity, which includes these facts:
1) Christ, the founder of the Christian sect, was put to death as a malefactor by Pontius Pilate;
2) Christianity began in Judea and spread in spite of Christ’s ignominious death;
3) Christianity encountered hatred and contempt throughout the Roman Empire, and vast multitudes of Christians were cruelly put to death in Rome at the hands of Nero as late as AD. 64;
4) The Jerusalem temple was destroyed, and the Jewish people were subjugated, which was a fulfillment of Christs' prophecy (Josephus also wrote of these events.)"
authors comment: If even the pagan historians recognized that the destruction of Jerusalem was the fulfillment of Christs' prophecy, how then can our Dispy and literalists friends object to "the sign of the son of man in the sky" NAS, or "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven." NIV & KJV meaning that the Destruction of Jerusalem and the temple "Tell us, what will be the sign of Thy Coming, and of the end of the age ... not one stone will be left upon another" means that Jesus is vindicated. He is ruling as King in heaven. The day of wrath and vengeance has come. It's His sign, to the Jews, to the Christians, and to the entire Known (civilized) world. Also, as for laying the blame of the Roman persecutions of the Christians upon the Jews remember that it was Neros' Jewish wife Poppea who suggested that Nero blame the fire of Rome on the Christians, after which followed 3 and 1/2 years of EMPIRE wide persecution of the Christians. But, continuing on with our quote of Mt 23 " and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon YOU (Jews of this evil and adulterous generation, Last Days generation) may be laid the blood of all the righteous, from Able to Zachariah.
(2) what does the time is short mean? 2000 years later? Or, within that same generation, i.e. 70 AD.
(3) What does the “for the form of this world is (presently) passing away” mean? ANS: the Jewish Age, the O.T. economy of how they related to God through types and shadows (when I was a child, I used to think as a child, act as a child... but now, I’ve put away childish things [ i.e. baby rules of touch not, handle not, this is unclean, that sacrifice is required to atone for such and such a sin, etc.].
Are things prophesied to get WORSE AND WORSE on Planet Earth?
Just ask any Baptist, NonDenominational, 7 Day Adventist, Fundamentalist, Dispensational, Dallas Theological Seminary Followers Church Pastor, if we are still in the Last Days? You will get a resounding "yes". Oh my goodness, cant you see the unemployment, falling birth rate, crime, homosexuality, unstability in the Middle East, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines in Africa, global warming threatening the whole earth ...yep, we are DEFINITELY living in the Last Days, just look around.
Or talk to anyone into conspiracy theory and the patriot movement: Oh yes, these are the last days Just look at the tyranny the government has set up over us ever since 9-11. Creation of the multi-billion dollar Homeland Security, NSA spying on us, NDAA patriot act. The government will soon round us up into FEMA camps and guillotine the Christians. That is AFTER they take away our guns, and crash our energy grid with a virus or an EMP, or kill us off with GMOs, etc. Yep, we are DEFINITELY living in the Last Days, just look around.
Yes (joke) it will get worse and worse, until the Lord Jesus comes back, and sets things aright and raptures us out of here, (out of this mess).
To which the Biblical Scholar (the postmillennialist) says:
We are in the New Heavens and a New Earth (a picture of things at the END of the millennium, not now, but of this age we are in)
See the exposition of Is 65:17-25 in "Is Jesus 2nd coming soon. The NAY sayers" off the main web page.
Objections:
Havent you heard that there are more Christians being persecuted today than ever?
"Approximately 10 per cent of the 2 billion Christians in the world suffer persecution, said Gyula Orban, an official of ACN, the Catholic relief agency founded by Norbertine priest Fr. Werenfried Von Straaten. Orban told the ZENIT news agency, this means that some 200 million Christians suffer harsh repercussions because of their religion.
A report presented in March to the United Nations in Geneva by the WEF, a global network of 160 million Evangelical Christians, also estimated that over 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith. Moreover, persecution of Christians often serves as an indicator of the status of religious freedom for other minorities, since where Christians are persecuted, other religions tend also to suffer.
A more startling figure on Christian persecution was published by the German news agency, IDEA. It claimed that since the crucifixion of Christ, more than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith." http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.net/messaggero/pagina_stampa.asp?R=&ID=118
PostMill Response: 1) as a percentage of the persecuted Christians today, vs Christians alive now, the 10% figure given above is a VAST IMPROVEMENT over what it was like under the Great Tribulation that the Jews underwent during the Jewish War against Rome AD 64-70. Consider:
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no (Jewish) flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Authors Comment: Note the context before and after these verses. Talk of the Sabbath before and Messiah after, both primarily Jewish concerns.
As for your friends and neighbors saying "just look around" cant you see that things are getting worse and worse? Well, it's not that way in every country in the world. Russia right now is prospering. China was booming economically, and still is doing very well. In South America, Christianity is making great inroads, and their economies are growing well, except where USA economic hitmen have enslaved their governments into debt. Read the book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins, or listen to the audible book.
American Christians, DESERVE all the wrath they have coming their way. They are COMPLETELY deceived and controlled by the Zionists even to the point of fighting their wars for them, killing and murdering for them. American seminaries have been bought off by the Zionists (as have the colleges) and so every pastor in the land is afraid of being called "anti-semitic". Even good Reformed scholars like Ken Gentry, refuse to take the Replacement Theology Stand. Jordan is laying low, though he knows the truth. I've heard nothing of Replacement Theology out of Gary North. Instead of:
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of her plagues. 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven
America has partnered with Israel in world terror, assassinations, debt enslavement of other nations, and torture. All of our politicians brag about walking "lock step" with Israel. Ask any country in the world whom they fear the most, of being attacked by, they will say "the Christian one, the USA". We have dragged Gods name thru the mud, and we deserve nothing but judgment and wrath. Try to wake up your fellow Americans and you will get nothing but derision and scorn.
Never-the-less, we are in the Kingdom Age, and it's "thy kingdom come (more and more in its fullness), thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".
What most such "end of the world" chicken littles dont realize, is that modern communication, i.e. the media tells us about every bad thing going on, because it's bigger news than every good work. In order to promote a one world government, we have to have world wide, big problems that the national governments cannot solve. Or at least the news has to be portrayed that way. If they dont do that, we will NEVER surrender our national sovereignty over to the UN. So the depressing news continues, and everyone thinks the world is getting worse and worse.