Today, focus is on false prophets, the need for divine end time prophecy, and the fullness of sacred revelation through Jesus Christ. Instruction on the end times are not intended to frighten believers, threaten sinners with death, or cause panic and upheaval among the faithful. For many, end time prophecy focuses solely on recognizing and responding to current events and conditions that may be seen within the present geopolitical system and world order (we say, signs of the Apocalypse, and that the world as we know it is ending). Specially sensitive are time prophecies that attempt to calculate and predict a specific day, year, or hour for the return of Jesus to harvest the earth (we also say, his appearing; the Advent; the Rapture; the Second Coming). While no angel, apostle, disciple, preacher, prophet, or other spokesperson from GOD has been entrusted with, ordained to disclose, or sent to reveal the secret information regarding the Day of the Lord, there have been men and church groups on the earth who—insisting on the authority of the Bible, and the righteousness of their own faith—foolishly have preached a time for the Last Day based on their discoveries through prayerful and scholarly study. The fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” forum using the ID “Grandma” (Level 1 with zero (no) points shown, a member since November 09, 2007) posted the following:
Don't preachers who keep saying "Jesus is coming soon" realize they are damaging credibility of Christianity?
And playing into the hand of the scoffers of II Peter 3:3-4? Saying "the end is near" repeatedly is like crying wolf when there is no wolf.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. (Ezekiel 13: 3-11, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Coming(s) of Christ (03/11/2018); Recognizing True Christian Prophets (02/26/2018); Avoiding Confusion About Antichrist (11/08/2017); Sharing The Correct Message (01/30/2017); Sodom and Gomorrah Again? (05/30/2016); About The End Of The World (08/30/2015); The Imminent Return of Christ? (07/19/2015)
“Grandma”, Christians are commanded to not be “troubled” by talk that the “end is near.” The process of GOD for salvation is not one dependent on the finite human tools of intellect, logic, carnal reason, and science. Christian believers become joined to GOD through the consciousness and self-will that continues within Jesus Christ, and that present sacred substance in place of the approaches for compiling data, recording observations, and making various tests of the soundness of ones conclusions. Rather than say, “the end is near,” developing believers proclaim that completion, fulfillment, transformation, and the will of GOD are near.
The Gospel (we also say, good news) proclaimed by Jesus Christ and his followers to advance the revelation of divine fullness (we say, the GODhead; the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) includes guidance, instruction, promises, signs, and warnings that enable disciples of the Lord to avoid error, false prophets, and spiritual confusion. In the same way divinity has appeared through the works of Creation, existence and life, the majesty, righteousness, and sovereign mercies of GOD will appear through judgment, resurrection, and the second death.
Mature Christians who center their awareness on eternal purposes and sacred knowledge will not rely as much on the frameworks of time and space that generate such finite features as destiny, doom, fate, history, politics, science, secular knowledge, and speculation. The proclamations of GOD received as declarations of love, divine law, promise, and prophecy are as shining truth that always dispels the darkness of “the unknown.” Sinners who become “born again” are to receive a fresh endowment of inseparable spirit content from the makeup of GOD that includes certainty, faith, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, oneness without sameness, personhood, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Similarly, the operations of end time prophecy further establish sacred joining and relationship to divinity along with readiness, security, vigilance, and zeal. Already Christians are to acknowledge they exist as the new creation through Jesus Christ. Even so, at present, only GOD is immortal and incorruptible (not the holy angels, the sacred beasts of heaven, nor the 24 elders). Both heaven and earth are temporal, and all the things of heaven and earth will undergo permanent change. Consider the following that uses language from the Bible:
(1.) Isaiah 65: 16-18, King James Version (KJV): 16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
(2.) 2nd Peter 3: 9-14, KJV: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
(3.) 2nd Thessalonians 2: 1-4, KJV: 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 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. 3 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; 4 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.
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Revelation 21: 1-3, KJV: 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
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