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| You have no idea what you're doing, do you? |
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 Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:09 am
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:20 am
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Now you two just need to stop. I don't want debate to flood this forum. You're both smart, but you need to quit. Ricette, you are booksmart, and logic and all laws of physics point away from this event, and I should know, I have several books on physics. And mazuac, you are plenty smart as well, but if you keep reading this forum, I'll explain how some of this is and is not metaphoric, and a lot of it is metaphoric. And a lot of stuff in the Bible are things that can only be believed in, and volition gives us a choice whether or not to believe. So, in essence, you're both right, now if you want to keep arguing, make something in the subforums to continue. Any more arguing, I'll try to get one of the crew members to delete that post.
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:34 pm
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topsecret221 Ricette topsecret221 I know Catholic people reject the fact of the Rapture, but what church did you go to? I went to a Lutheran church. Before I said screw religion. I can tell you're smart, but don't stop being Christian. I just pray that if the Rapture happens in your lifetime, you'll remember what you read here, and turn back to God. PS, Ablazed, no offense. |
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:52 pm
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sad Awe, I pray someday that you would turn to Christ. Why don't you believe in God? since you said that, i suppose you are Athiest, right?
Revalations is my favorite book of the Bible. I'm always trying to figure out how people interpret it.
I believe the Rapture will happen after many people come back to God. I forgot what the period was called. Rise of the Church? Something like that, but it will be a time when many people come back to Christ, then those left behind go through the tribulation. 7 seals, 7 bowls, the mark, etc. The anti-christ is now alive and telling by what is going on in the world now, the rapture could happen any time soon. But it really shouldn't matter when it happens, but what should matter is that when that time comes, we're prepared.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:50 pm
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Darkx_xAngelx_x237 sad Awe, I pray someday that you would turn to Christ. Why don't you believe in God? since you said that, i suppose you are Athiest, right? Revalations is my favorite book of the Bible. I'm always trying to figure out how people interpret it. I believe the Rapture will happen after many people come back to God. I forgot what the period was called. Rise of the Church? Something like that, but it will be a time when many people come back to Christ, then those left behind go through the tribulation. 7 seals, 7 bowls, the mark, etc. The anti-christ is now alive and telling by what is going on in the world now, the rapture could happen any time soon. But it really shouldn't matter when it happens, but what should matter is that when that time comes, we're prepared.
And again, the whole anti-christ, tribulation thing, you an apply that to almost any tumultuous period in human history after that acid trip in text was written. And Revelation, to me, completely screwed up Christianity after it was canonized and became part of the whole bible.
And, you can be prepared for your whole life, and your descendants for generations to come, but, in the end, no matter who you are or your beliefs, if that end does come, it'll catch us all by surprise. There is no real way to prepare for the end of the world, if it ever comes to pass. |
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:44 pm
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I enjoy Revelations as much as the next person. It's an interesting book and it challanges the mind. However, I don't see any reason in trying to determine the end of the world/universe/what-ever-you-call-it.
For one, there are multiple antichrists. If you go to biblegateway.com and search "antichrist" you will discover that the bible says that anyone who denies Jesus is the son of God si the antichrist. They have been around since Jesus started his three year...mission trip, if you will (sorry, didn't know what to call his time spent preaching all over the Middle East).
Second, no one but the Father knows. Not even Jesus. and yes, that is in the Bible. If you search "the day and hour unknown" on biblegateway.com you will find it to be true. So if Jesus doesn't know, why would we be able to figure it out, or even be told the day.
I think the thing that we can do is try to live a Godly life and to spread the word of God and show his love to those who don't know. It's what God asked us to do, so why not do it? As long as we believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died to save us from our sins, and we try to live a Godly life, we are promised eternal life.
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:35 pm
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Darkx_xAngelx_x237 sad Awe, I pray someday that you would turn to Christ. Why don't you believe in God? since you said that, i suppose you are Athiest, right? Revalations is my favorite book of the Bible. I'm always trying to figure out how people interpret it. I believe the Rapture will happen after many people come back to God. I forgot what the period was called. Rise of the Church? Something like that, but it will be a time when many people come back to Christ, then those left behind go through the tribulation. 7 seals, 7 bowls, the mark, etc. The anti-christ is now alive and telling by what is going on in the world now, the rapture could happen any time soon. But it really shouldn't matter when it happens, but what should matter is that when that time comes, we're prepared.  He has Redeemed Me!Though I
I must agree with you there~ It does matter that we are ready. I just hope I'll be able to become a missionary to Japan by then~
And just asking out there, are there any other people out there who take the Book of Revelation non-metaphorically? Maybe it's because of my wild sense of imagination, but it's easy to picture the catastrophes befalling the Earth. Especially after reading the Left Behind Series (A great series of books, by the way~) Just me though ^^
am undeserving, He gave his life for mine. |
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:10 am
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:24 am
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Quote: No offense, but that is a wasted prayer.
No prayer is a wasted prayer that has faith behind it. A speaker at a camp I go to met a woman who prayed for her husband's salvation for, if I remember correctly, 25 years. He died on May 7th in a car crash just minutes after he dropped off a Christian hitchhiker and she gave up on God. Five years after the car crash, she found out from the hitchhiker that her husband had accepted Christ just minutes before he dropped him off.
Quote: If you take that book, of all the bible books literally, you sir, are an idiot. I'm sorry but you are. Its a book filled with symbolism and metaphor. Learn that.
If we are not to take the Revelations of Jesus Christ as something that will happen word for word as the Apostle John understood, then we believe it to be a work of fiction, much like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And since "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16), this includes Revelations. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who will return one day to take His own up to Heaven. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that God created the universe in six literal days as the original Hebrew proves. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny the existence of God.
As for the existence of the Rapture, the fact the Rapture will happen is no doubt true; it is mentioned in John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. Other verses refer to what will happen when it happens (these can be found by searching for keywords on an online Bible): 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and Philippians 3:20-21. There are more verses, but as of right now I am away from my list of End Times verses at Village Creek Bible Camp as a counselor, 200 miles away from home.
I wait, nay, yearn for the day when Crhrist returns to bring His own to the greatest party that has ever been held. I just hope that when I go to that party, no one will be able to say to me, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Ponderings of a Revelationist. |
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:05 am
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rillegas08 Quote: No offense, but that is a wasted prayer. No prayer is a wasted prayer that has faith behind it. A speaker at a camp I go to met a woman who prayed for her husband's salvation for, if I remember correctly, 25 years. He died on May 7th in a car crash just minutes after he dropped off a Christian hitchhiker and she gave up on God. Five years after the car crash, she found out from the hitchhiker that her husband had accepted Christ just minutes before he dropped him off. Quote: If you take that book, of all the bible books literally, you sir, are an idiot. I'm sorry but you are. Its a book filled with symbolism and metaphor. Learn that. If we are not to take the Revelations of Jesus Christ as something that will happen word for word as the Apostle John understood, then we believe it to be a work of fiction, much like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And since "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16), this includes Revelations. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who will return one day to take His own up to Heaven. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that God created the universe in six literal days as the original Hebrew proves. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny the existence of God. As for the existence of the Rapture, the fact the Rapture will happen is no doubt true; it is mentioned in John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. Other verses refer to what will happen when it happens (these can be found by searching for keywords on an online Bible): 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and Philippians 3:20-21. There are more verses, but as of right now I am away from my list of End Times verses at Village Creek Bible Camp as a counselor, 200 miles away from home. I wait, nay, yearn for the day when Crhrist returns to bring His own to the greatest party that has ever been held. I just hope that when I go to that party, no one will be able to say to me, "Why didn't you tell me?" Ponderings of a Revelationist.
And you know, Revelation is full of metaphor. Why do we need some mythological guy come save us? Why can we not save ourselves? If he died to save us, that should give us some sort of incentive to keep us saved, not to let ourselves further our descent into deeper realms of sin to where we beg and cry and pray uselessly for this guy to save us again cause we got really lazy! Christ is dead. Been dead for a couple millenia. I doubt he will come back. We do not need to wait and wait to be saved by cloud dwellers. And to be honest, Revelation is a work of fiction and propaganda to me. Its more of a giving hope to those poor souls who had none when the Romans were still very pagan and hated all things that wouldn't worship their emperors as the sons of the gods. I mean it makes a hellava lot more sense that way than it does as some literal prophecy. And on that, most prophecy is self-fulfilling. I hope that makes some sense. |
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:28 am
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Ricette rillegas08 Quote: No offense, but that is a wasted prayer. No prayer is a wasted prayer that has faith behind it. A speaker at a camp I go to met a woman who prayed for her husband's salvation for, if I remember correctly, 25 years. He died on May 7th in a car crash just minutes after he dropped off a Christian hitchhiker and she gave up on God. Five years after the car crash, she found out from the hitchhiker that her husband had accepted Christ just minutes before he dropped him off. Quote: If you take that book, of all the bible books literally, you sir, are an idiot. I'm sorry but you are. Its a book filled with symbolism and metaphor. Learn that. If we are not to take the Revelations of Jesus Christ as something that will happen word for word as the Apostle John understood, then we believe it to be a work of fiction, much like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. And since "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16), this includes Revelations. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who will return one day to take His own up to Heaven. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny that God created the universe in six literal days as the original Hebrew proves. If we deny the reality of Revelations, we deny the existence of God. As for the existence of the Rapture, the fact the Rapture will happen is no doubt true; it is mentioned in John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. Other verses refer to what will happen when it happens (these can be found by searching for keywords on an online Bible): 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and Philippians 3:20-21. There are more verses, but as of right now I am away from my list of End Times verses at Village Creek Bible Camp as a counselor, 200 miles away from home. I wait, nay, yearn for the day when Crhrist returns to bring His own to the greatest party that has ever been held. I just hope that when I go to that party, no one will be able to say to me, "Why didn't you tell me?" Ponderings of a Revelationist. Where is the solid proof that the world and all its wonders was made in 6 literal days, eh? I smell Creationist. And you know, Revelation is full of metaphor. Why do we need some mythological guy come save us? Why can we not save ourselves? If he died to save us, that should give us some sort of incentive to keep us saved, not to let ourselves further our descent into deeper realms of sin to where we beg and cry and pray uselessly for this guy to save us again cause we got really lazy! Christ is dead. Been dead for a couple millenia. I doubt he will come back. We do not need to wait and wait to be saved by cloud dwellers. And to be honest, Revelation is a work of fiction and propaganda to me. Its more of a giving hope to those poor souls who had none when the Romans were still very pagan and hated all things that wouldn't worship their emperors as the sons of the gods. I mean it makes a hellava lot more sense that way than it does as some literal prophecy. And on that, most prophecy is self-fulfilling. I hope that makes some sense.
True: I am a Creationist. If I were anything else, I would be decieving myself. By asking where the "solid proof" is, you ignored my explanation that the original Hebrew used the word for a literal 24-hour day. If you're going to go against what I go for, please read what I write.
If we try to justify ourselves through our works, we become like the world and we deny that we need God. Christianity is the only religion where its members are justified through the death and resurrection of Christ. If we deny Christ's resurrection, we are reduced to believe that Christ was just a man who was either a lunatic or the devil. With the things Christ said (claiming to be God, claiming to be God's Son, claiming to be able to forgive sins, doing miracles, etc.), He could have been right. If He wasn't right, He would have been a lunatic on the same level as a man who said he was a fruit and believed it to be true. If He was the devil, of course he would have said that he was God; Satan wants to destroy God, even though God can veto anything Satan wants to do (see the book of Job for how God overrules Satan). If Jesus was Satan, why did Jesus tell us to listen to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength? If Jesus was Satan, why did Jesus pray to God when, as Satan, he could have prayed to himself or not prayed at all? If Jesus was a lunatic, he would have been demon-possessed, which is pretty much the same thing as being Satan. If Jesus was not who He said He was, then the Bible is a work of fiction and we have no biblical reason to wonder why the number and intensity of earthquakes, wars, famines, and other natural disasters have all increased since Israel became a nation again (see Matthew 24 smile . If Jesus wasn't who He said He was, then God never kept His promise to send a Messiah to redeem all the earth of their sins, and if God didn't keep His promise, then God is Allah.
What you said about Jesus being mythological contradicts what you said about His death 2000 years ago. Show me proof that Jesus is still dead and I will turn from Christianity. Until then, I will remain a soldier for Christ and I will not deny my God.
What you said about prophecy being self-fulfilling intrigues me. Please expound on that statement. |
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:16 am
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rillegas08 True: I am a Creationist. If I were anything else, I would be decieving myself. By asking where the "solid proof" is, you ignored my explanation that the original Hebrew used the word for a literal 24-hour day. If you're going to go against what I go for, please read what I write. If we try to justify ourselves through our works, we become like the world and we deny that we need God. Christianity is the only religion where its members are justified through the death and resurrection of Christ. If we deny Christ's resurrection, we are reduced to believe that Christ was just a man who was either a lunatic or the devil. With the things Christ said (claiming to be God, claiming to be God's Son, claiming to be able to forgive sins, doing miracles, etc.), He could have been right. If He wasn't right, He would have been a lunatic on the same level as a man who said he was a fruit and believed it to be true. If He was the devil, of course he would have said that he was God; Satan wants to destroy God, even though God can veto anything Satan wants to do (see the book of Job for how God overrules Satan). If Jesus was Satan, why did Jesus tell us to listen to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength? If Jesus was Satan, why did Jesus pray to God when, as Satan, he could have prayed to himself or not prayed at all? If Jesus was a lunatic, he would have been demon-possessed, which is pretty much the same thing as being Satan. If Jesus was not who He said He was, then the Bible is a work of fiction and we have no biblical reason to wonder why the number and intensity of earthquakes, wars, famines, and other natural disasters have all increased since Israel became a nation again (see Matthew 24 smile . If Jesus wasn't who He said He was, then God never kept His promise to send a Messiah to redeem all the earth of their sins, and if God didn't keep His promise, then God is Allah. What you said about Jesus being mythological contradicts what you said about His death 2000 years ago. Show me proof that Jesus is still dead and I will turn from Christianity. Until then, I will remain a soldier for Christ and I will not deny my God. What you said about prophecy being self-fulfilling intrigues me. Please expound on that statement.
Prophecy being self-fulfilling is simple. Take a look at some famous Greek myths where a prophecy is involved. Man gets told his son or grandson will kill him, so he dwells on it, gets rid of the kid, and continues his ways thinking he outsmarted it but its forever on his mind, years later kid is grown up, kills the guy he was "destined to"
Now it can be said that had he not freaked in the first place he could have let the kid know him in a different light and prevented dying by his hand.
To apply it to biblical prophecy, specifically the End of All Things, we get told the world will end based on signs. The signs come and we panic about it, we try and push the "oh noes teh end is near11!" and causes escalating panic, which in turn if let to go far enough, would end us all. Most prophecy, is not all, is sorta vague, can be applied to nearly any time, and can really screw with a person psychologically causing them to panic and cause that prophecy to fulfill itself.
Pardon the flaws if there are any, I have been stuck in this streak of insomnia. |
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:21 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:37 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:23 pm
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Wow... I haven't posted in this topic in forever. In fact, I forgot it was here sweatdrop . Well, now that I'm here, here's a big old thing me and my grandma typed up together:
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
REVELATION 20:6a BLESSED IS HE THAT HAS PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION, THE “FIRST RESURRECTION” BEING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
1 THES 4:16-17
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.
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE DISPENSATIONS WHICH IS THE WAY GOD DIVIDES THE OUTLINE OF HUMAN HISTORY.
WE HAVE THE AGE OF ISRAEL:
THE AGE OF ISRAEL BEGAN WITH THE EXODUS GENERATION.
THEN WE HAVE THE AGE OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION
THE AGE OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION BEGAN WITH THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF HUMAN HISTORY, EVERYTHING IN HUMAN HISTORY REVOLVES OVER THE EVENT OF HIS BIRTH, THE CROSS AND HIS RESURRECTION. ALL OF HISTORY FROM ADAM TO THE VERY END OF THE MILLENIUM REVOLVES AROUND THIS EVENT,
HISTORIANS HAVE ALL SORTS OF INTERPRETATIONS OF HISTORY AND THEY DECIDE WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT, BUT YOU A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST ALREADY KNOW, THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIFE CHANGING, EARTH CHANGING, EVENT OF HUMAN HISTORY, WHEN THE GOD MAN SAVIOR APPEARED AND PROVIDED FOR OUR SALVATION AND OUR ETERNAL FUTURE. ONCE THAT ENDED AT HIS ASCENCION, THE CHURCH AGE BEGAN AT PENTECOST..
AND HERE WE ARE, WHAT GOES BEYOND WE HAVE NO IDEA, BUT IT ENDS AT THE RAPTURE
REVELATION 20:6a BLESSED IS HE THAT HAS PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION
THE “FIRST RESURRECTION” BEING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF DISPENSATIONS
1. DEFINITION OF A DISPENSATION IS A PERIOD OF HUMAN HISTORY DEFINED IN TERMS OF DIVINE REVELATION. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DEFINE A PERIOD OF HISTORY, YOU CAN DEFINE IT BY TIME, BY EVENTS, BUT IN THIS CASE, ITS DEFINED BY DIVINE REVELATION
2. THESE CONSECUTIVE AREAS REFLECT THE UNFOLDING OF GOD’S PLAN FOR MANKIND THROUGH TIME AND HUMAN HISTORY, THAT IS WHY DISPENSATIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
HUMAN HISTORY STARTS WITH ADAM AND IT ENDS WITH THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, WE DON’T KNOW WHEN, BUT ITS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE WITH NO END, THERE ARE BREAKS, AND THESE BREAKS ARE DEFINED AS DIVINE REVELATION,
WHAT HAPPENS IN EACH ONE OF THESE PERIODS, THESE AREAS, THESE DISPENSATIONS, ARE DEFINED BY DIVINE REVELATION.
THERE ARE SIMILARITIES AND CONTINUITIES IN EACH ONE AND THERE ARE DISCONTINUITIES BETWEEN EACH ONE, UNTIL WE EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURE, THE SCRIPTURE TELLS US WHAT THEY ARE.
3. EACH DISPENSATION IS A PROGRESSION IN GOD’S PLAN, YES THEY ARE DIFFERENT, THEY HAVE SIMILARITIES BUT THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE PROGRESSION OF GOD’S PLAN, FROM BEGINNING OF HUMAN HISTORY TO THE VERY END OF HUMAN HISTORY WHICH CLOSES AFTER THE ONE THOUSAND YEAR OF MILLENIAL REIGN OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT IS THE END OF TIME AS WE KNOW IT.
4. DISPENSATIONS CONSTITUTE THE DIVINE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORY AND THE TEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY.
IF YOU READ HISTORY OF DIFFERENT AUTHORS OF ONE ERA OF HISTORY, YOU WILL GET DIFFERENT FACTS, DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS, AND DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SAME TIME IN HISTORY, NOT SO HERE, DISPENSATIONS CONSTITUTE THE DIVINE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORY AND THE THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE A DISPENSATIONAL VIEWPOINT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO ACCURATE INTERPRETATION OF THE WORD OF GOD, THESE ARE GOD’S TIMES AND THERE ARE DISSIMILARITIES, THESE DISSIMILARITIES ARE VERY CRITICAL TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SO YOU CAN INTERPRET ACCURATELY.
5. THE DOCTRINE OF DISPENSATIONS IS THE VEHICLE BY WHICH BELIEVERS LIVING AT A SPECIFIC TIME IN HISTORY CAN ORIENT GOD’S PLAN, WILL AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE, THAT IS HOW CRITICAL DISPENSATIONS ARE.
HERE IS AN OUTLINE OF EACH ONE OF THESE PERIODS, HOW THEY ARE SIMILAR AND DISSIMILAR AND HOW THEY ARE BROKEN INTO DISPENSATIONS.
THERE ARE THREE AREAS OF THEOLOGY WHERE DISPENSATIONS ARE VERY CRITICAL:
ONE IS HERMENUTICS, WHICH IS THE SCIENCE OF INTERPRETING SCRIPTURES, THE OTHER ONE IS EXCLESIOLOGY WHICH IS THE SEPARATION OF THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL AND ONE IS ESCATHOLOGY WHICH IS FUTURE EVENTS. YOU WILL SEE HOW IMPORTANT DISPENSATIONS ARE FOR UNDERSTANDING ESCATHOLOGY.
1. THE DISPENSATION OF THE GENTILES
FROM THE CREATION OF ADAM TO THE EXODUS. YOU FIND THIS IN EXODUS CHAPTER 1 THRU CHAPTER 11.
THERE ARE THREE SUBHEADS UNDER THAT AGE OF THE GENTILES:
1. AGE OF POSITIVE VOLITION – ADAMS CREATION TO HIS FALL, GENESIS CHAPTER 1-26 THRU CHAPTER 3:6 THE PERIOD OF ADAM AND THE WOMAN IN THE GARDEN
2. THE AGE OF NEGATIVE VOLITION – THE FALL OF ADAM ALL THE WAY TO ABRAHAM, GENESIS 3:70 THRU CHAPTER 11:32
3, THE PATRIARCHS: ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB ALL THE WAY TO THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT. THE AGE OF ISRAEL DID NOT START UNTIL THE FORMATION OF ISRAEL, WHICH IS THE SECOND DISPENSATION.
2 THE DISPENSATION OF ISRAEL
FROM THE EXODUS TO THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST - 1441 BC ALL THE WAY TO 4 BC, EXODUS CHAPTER 12 THRU THE BOOK OF MALACHAI, ALL THE REST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
THERE ARE FIVE SUBCATEGORIES UNDER THE AGE OF ISRAEL:
1. THE THEOCRATIC KINGDOM EXODUS TO SAMUEL THE FIRST HIGH PRIEST.
1441 THRU 1020 BC INCLUDES JOSHUA, JUDGES AND RUTH. A KINGDOM RULED BY GOD DIRECTLY, THE JUDGES WERE SUBORDINATES TO GOD, THERE WAS NO HUMAN RULER, THE RULER OF ISRAEL WAS GOD.
2. THE UNITED KINGDOM, FROM SAUL TO REHOBOAM, ISRAEL WANTED A KING SO GOD GAVE THEM A KING, THE MOST HANDSOME, THE TALLEST, THE STRONGER, ONE OF THE BEST JEWS OF ALL OF THE TIMES BUT HE WAS A MISERABLE FAILURE SPIRITUALLY AND HIS REIGN, THEN THERE WAS SAUL, DAVID AND SOLOMON. THIS WAS FROM 1020 TO 926 BC WHICH WAS THE DEATH OF SOLOMON, WHEN SOLOMON DIED THERE WAS A SPLIT, ONE PART OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BECAME THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM AND THE OTHER PART THE NORTHERN KINGDOM.
3. NORTHERN KINGDOM, FROM JEROBOAM TO JOSHEA FROM 926 TO 721 BC, IN 721 BC THE SYRIAN EMPIRE MARCHED AGAINST THE NORTHERN KINGDOM AND DESTROYED IT
FOR APOSTASY.
4. THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM, FROM REHOBOAM TO ZEDEKIAH, OVERLAPED THE NORTHER KINGDOM BECAUSE THEY EXISTED AT THE SAME TIME, FROM 926 TO 586 BC THOSE TWO DATES 721 AND 586 BC WAS THE FIRST AND SECOND DIASPORA OF THE JEWS. 721 THE JEWS WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE LAND BY THE ASSYRIANS AND SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD, SOUTHERN KINGDOM REMAINED UNTIL 586 BC THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM WAS DESTROYED BY NEBUCANEZZAR OF BABYLON. THE STORY OF DANIEL.
THEN THE 70 YEARS OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY BEGAN AND ISRAEL IS SLAVE IN BABYLON.
5. THE RESTORED NATION, CALLED JUDAH. FROM NEHEMIAS WHO REBUILD THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM, WHEN THEY WERE COMPLETED THEY WERE READY FOR THE RETURN OF JUDA. THIS DISPENSATION WAS FROM NEHEMIAH REBUILDING THE WALLS TO THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT WAS FROM 516 BC TO 4 BC. JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN IN THE SPRING OF 5-4 BC
EACH ONE OF THESE DISPENSATIONS HAS A DIFFERENT REASON IN THE PLAN OF GOD
AND EVERYTIME THERE IS A BREAK, THERE IS A CHANGE, NOT A CHANGE IN THE OVERALL PLAN OF GOD JUST A CHANGE IN THE WAY THAT IT IS ADMINISTERED.
IN THE AGE OF THE GENTILES IT WAS AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION,
IN THE AGE OF ISRAEL IT WAS A NATIONAL SITUATION, AND
IN THE HYPOSTATIC UNION IS THE AGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND OUR SALVATION, THE FOCUS IS ON ONE PERSON, WE DON’T HAVE A NATION, WE DON’T HAVE INDIVIDUALS, WE HAVE AN ORGANIZATION MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS,
EACH DISPENSATION HAS BEING ADMINISTERED IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT WAY AND EACH ONE OF THESE ADMINISTRATIONS MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THE RAPTURE PROPERLY.
WHAT WE GOT NOW IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EXODUS GENERATION AND THE CHURCH AGE, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE RAPTURE PROPERLY WE MUST UNDERSTAND EACH DISPENSATION. BECAUSE THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE CHURCH AGE.
3. THE DISPENSATION OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION
ALSO CALLED THE INCARNATION OR THE FIRST ADVENT OF JESUS CHRIST, INCLUDES THE ERA OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL AND IT DATES FROM 4 BC TO AD 30, THE SHORTEST OF THE AGES IT COVER THE LIFE, OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO HIS DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECION AND ASCENSION.
4. THE CHURCH AGE
4. THE CHURCH AGE – FROM THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST TO THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. THE AGE ON WHICH YOU LIVE, IT BEGAN ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST AD 30 WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON THEM, AND IT WILL LAST UNTIL THE RESURRECTION OR RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH,
I CANNOT GIVE YOU A TIME FRAME, WE KNOW THAT IT STARTED IN AD 30 BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHEN THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE. THERE ARE TWO SUBHEADS UNDER THE CHURCH AGE,
1. THE PRECANON PERIOD, IN OTHER WORDS, THE ERA BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THE CANNON OF SCRIPTURE, THIS ERA COMENCE WITH THE BOOK OF ACTS AND CONTINUOUS UNTIL JOHN WROTE THE BOOK OF REVELATION THAT WAS THE END OF THE PRECANON PERIOD. AD 30 TO APPROXIMATELY AD 96. THE ERA OF THE WRITING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
2. THE POST CANON PERIOD OF THE CURRENT ERA GOVERNED BY CHRIST’S UPPER ROOM DISCOURSE JOHN CHAPTERS 14 THRU CHAPTER 17 ALL THE NEW TESTAMENT EPISTLES, AND REVELATION CHAPTERS 2 TO 3. IT RAN FROM AD 96 UNTIL…….THE RAPTURE.
5. THE TRIBULATION
THE TRIBULATION IS A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, CANT PUT DATES, BUT WE KNOW IN FACT THAT ITS SEVEN YEARS, IT COVERS THE PERIOD FROM THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF JESUS CHRIST, PROHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND IN CHRIST’S OLIVET DISCOURSE, ITS FOUND IN MATTEW CHAPTER 24 THRU CHAPTER 25 AND REVELATION CHAPTERS 6 THRU 19.
THERE ARE TWO SUBHEADS IN THE TRIBULATION:
1. SATAN’S FAILED UTOPIA, ONCE THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH TAKES PLACE, WHATEVER GENERATION THE RAPTURE GENERATION IS, WHEN THE CHURCH IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH THERE ARE NO MORE BELIEVERS ON EARTH, WE ARE ALL IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST GETTING OUR REWARDS OR GETTING EMBARRASSED, ALL IS LEFT ON THE EARTH IS UNBELIEVERS, SATAN’S WORLD IS COMPLETELY HIS OWN, SO SATAN ATTEMPTS TO SET UP THE UTOPIA HE ALWAYS WANTED
2. AFTER THE RAPTURE UNTIL SATAN’S EXPULSION FROM HEAVEN
THAT IS 3-1/2 YEARS INTO THE TRIBULATION, SPLIT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, THE FIRST 3-1/2 YEARS SATAN’S FAILED UTOPIA THE SECOND 3-1/2 YEARS IS CALLED THE GREAT TRIBULATION IN REVELATION, IT RUNS FROM SATAN’S EXPULSION FROM HEAVEN UNTIL THE SECOND ADVENT OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
WHEN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST RETURNS AT THE SECOND ADVENT AT THE END OF THE SEVEN YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL WILL BE DESTROYED AT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDON.
6. THE MILLENIUM
MILLENIUM SIMPLY MEANS ONE THOUSAND, IT REFERS TO THE ONE THOUSAND YEARS REIGN OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ON EARTH, FROM THE TIME OF THE SECOND ADVENT TO THE END OF HUMAN HISTORY, ONE THOUSAND YEARS. WHENEVER THE SECOND ADVENT OCCURS ONE THOUSAND MORE YEARS OF HUMAN HISTORY, THIS IS PROPHESIED THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT AND IN REVELATION CHAPTER 20, THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL IS THE MILLENIUM.
HERE IS THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST ADVENT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH CAME, THE MESSIAH WAS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT OVER AND OVER, WHEN THE JEWS LOOKED FOR THE MESSIAH THEY LOOKED FOR A KING, THEY WANTED A CROWN, THEY DID NOT EXPECT A CROSS, SO WHEN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST DID NOT COME AS A KING, THEY REJECTED HIM, THEN THE CHURCH HAD TO BE INSERTED AFTER THE AGE OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION, HE WAS A KING BUT HE WAS REJECTED, AT THE SECOND ADVENT HE WILL COME AS THE KING OF KINGS, THE RULER OR ISRAEL AND HE WILL REIGN OVER ALL OF THE EARTH, AND THAT IS A LITERAL ONE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN. THIS IS THE KINGDOM PROMISED TO ISRAEL,
FOLLOWING THOSE THOUSAND YEARS THERE IS THE ETERNAL STATE, THERE WILL BE NO MORE TIME, ITS ETERNITY, THERE IS NO TIME AND NO HISTORY.
REVELATION 20:6a BLESSED IS HE THAT HAS PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION, THE “FIRST RESURRECTION” BEING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
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