QUOTE(Gavrial @ Apr 23 2007, 07:22 PM) [snapback]110219[/snapback]
Preterist on April 23, 2007, at 9:08 AM in post # 110164 asked, “Will someone please tell me what Matthew 24:15 means? Were not Jesus' disciples standing right there with Him told that THEY would see Daniel's abomination of desolation?”
Also asking, “Where is the justification for all of this baseless speculation? Airle Sharon?”
Preterist are you so far in the past that the “day of vengeance and the year of recompenses” are going to take you unawares? Do you even know that they’ll fall on one or both of the following ‘appointed times’ of God in 2007, Shavuot, May 23 or Yom Kippur, September 22, 2007.
Yes, today Ariel Sharon’s ‘life support system’ being pulled by the AC, is speculation and it very well could be the ‘stoppage of prayers’ that are continually being lifted up to heaven from the western wall that are taken away.
Ariel Sharon is being kept alive for a reason and I do believe the AC will definitely pull the western wall down!
Preterist, Here’s your problem and I have asked you twice TO PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION; “The book of Daniel is open, don't you agree?” If you answer one way or the other, YOUR “COVER” that all things have been fulfilled, IS EXPOSED?
Yeshua was speaking of Daniel 11:31 through 45, in Matthew 24:15, note in verse 11:35, speaking of the sealed ‘remnant’ who were falling because they were being tried and purged even to the TIME OF THE END, because it is YET FOR AN ‘APPOINTED TIME’, either one of ‘2’ possible choices are on God’s calendar, Rosh Hashanah 9-30-08 or Yom Kippur 10-9-08!
Look at verse 40, right after “dividing God’s land” in 11:39 it says, “and at THE TIME OF THE END”.
BACK TO MY QUESTION, the book of Daniel is open, don’t you agree?
These quotes are from the “2300 day vision” chapter of Daniel 8, a chapter most "Christian" prophecy gurus claim is referring to Alexander the Great?
This is an end time and end time prophecy ONLY! Take a careful read of these verses, Daniel 8:17… UNDERSTAND, son of man, for the vision, is for the TIME OF THE END. (see 11:40)
And 8:19--- "what shall take place in the latter time of the wrath, for at the `appointed time' shall BE THE END,(see 11:35)
Then 8:26--- shut up the vision; for it shall be for MANY DAYS.
Preterist, this is 'THE ISSUE'! God will allow the antichrist to 'divide' His land, (Daniel 11:39) so He can bring in the Millennial reign of His son, Yeshua!
Preterist, come out of the past, the future is NOW.
Your eyes are closed as if in a spirit of deep sleep, the ‘2300 day vision’ from the words of the book of Daniel are still sealed in your mind and you won't open it.
It has been delivered to you, Preterist, because you are learned. The Lord, through His now opened book, (Daniel 12:9) is saying, read this, I pray thee, but you say, I CANNOT BECAUSE IT IS SEALED.
Preterist my friend, answer my question, I pray that the spirit of understanding will open your eyes, much love, Gavrial
Dear brother Gavrial: I will answer your question, but do you not see that you do not answer mine? What did Jesus mean in Matthew 24:15--THEY were to see Daniel's abomination of desolation! How much clearer could Jesus have said it? YOU will see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet! Did Jesus lie? Was He mistaken? What would they have thought? Would not they, as Jews, have thought, "He means the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy with which we are very familiar!"
I never said that Daniel's book is still sealed! Daniel's book is indeed OPEN and fulfilled--It was opened when Jesus said it would be--THIS generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
"But you, Daniel, seal up the words, and seal the book UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END." Daniel 12:4.
" . . . when the power of the holy people has been COMPLETELY shattered, ALL THESE THINGS shall be finsihed" (Daniel 12:7).
Daniel did not understand and asked "My lord, when shall be the end of these things?" He was simply told to go his way because the words were sealed up "till the time of the end."
Compare this to the disciples' questions--when will be the end of the AGE? They were given an answer. Why? Because the time of the end was THEN near. It was nearing time to unseal the words!
What is the end spoken of? The end of the "holy people" and the Old Covenant. Hebrews tells us this. The old was THEN becoming obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish away (Heb. 8).
The power of the "holy people" was indeed shattered in AD 70. All that made them Israel was brought to the ground and destroyed never to be restored! The nation that calls itself Israel today is not biblical Israel. They were scattered among the nations never to be a nation again. The tribes are lost and all identity is lost. God intended it that way!
What did Abraham and the OT saints long for--a physical land and physical promises? What do the Scriptures say, Gavrial?
Abraham himself "waited for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). All those who died in faith never received the promises but they saw them "afar off" (verse 13). They "were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims ON THE EARTH" (verse 13). Does this sound like people looking for a physical city and a physical land? What was it, then, that they sought?
They sought a homeland, but what kind of homeland? They desired "a better, that is, a heavenly [country]" (verse 16). Why does the Church today seek for these OT saints that for which they themselves never longed?
Where are the problems then?
1. not taking time reference words seriously or at face value.
2. not understanding the nature of God's kingdom.
3. not understanding the nature of the END.
4. not understanidng the nature of His coming.
You are indeed telling people your "opinion" when they ask, but you are not giving them biblical answers, my friend.
It is shameful what the Church today does with God's Word. Verses are ripped out of their contexts (which are often completely ignored), time words are redefined to fit the current "eschatology," and Jesus' simple words and statements are misinterpreted. Today's skeptics are clearly justified when they point their fingers at the Church and cry foul! Even they recognize, in their spiritual blindness, what Jesus and the apostles were clearly saying--Jesus was coming back in that generation. So they accuse, and justifably so:
1. The apostles said He was coming back to them--He didn't. They lied. The apostles are false teachers!
2. The Bible, with all of the many time statements, teaches that He was coming back in that generation--He
didn't. It is full of errors. Christianity is a false religion!
3. Jesus said He was coming back in that generation--He didn't. He lied. Jesus is a false prophet!
When will the Church stand up for the truths of God's Word and Jesus' words and defend His honor? As someone very aptly put it--the only answer for nonoccurrence is occurrence! The modern Church's postponement and dual fulfillment teachings are unsatisfactory and unsupportable by the Scriptures.
Again, I ask, what is the CONTEXT of Matthew 24? What did Jesus' words mean to THEM when He plainly said to them YOU, YOU, YOU? Why is the expression "this generation" not taken in its normal, everyday, common, usual usage as Jesus intended it? Why are time reference words either ignored or redefined only in eschatological passages but seen in their normal, common way in noneschatological passages?
What did Jesus mean in Matthew 16:28? (some standing there would see His coming)
What did Jesus mean in Matathew 26:64? (Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin would see His coming)
What did Jesus mean in Revelation 22:7, 12, 20? (Jesus was coming quickly)
What did James mean in James 5:8? (the coming of the Lord was at hand)
What did Peter mean in 1 Peter 4:7? (the end of all things was at hand)
These verses must be dealt with honestly and seriously. Futurists, especially dispensationalists, do not deal with them in such a manner. There is a growing number of saints in churches today who are tired of the endless, fanciful speculations and dishonesty with the time references of the Bible and who are asking questions and finding answers in preterism. IMO this is the second great reformation. It is not 95 theses being nailed to a door but the 100 plus time statements of the NT that are being offered at their face value to those seeking truth.
Also, IMHO, I believe many today cling to the idea of present-day fulfillment because they have a need to be in the thick of things. Where's the excitement for us if we are not to be partakers of these "end time" events? But what makes us so special? Have not many generations come and gone without any biblical prophetic fulfillment? Was it for everyone to see the parting of the Red Sea--or was it clearly THAT generation? Was it for everyone to experience the falling of the walls of Jericho or was it clearly for THAT generation? Was it for everyone to live when Jesus walked this earth and spoke His heavenly words or was it specifically for that generation? Every prophecy has a definite time of fulfillment. That for which you still look was not for us! The Church today has the same attitude of those unbelieving Jews of the first century AD--They missed the first advent of their Messiah and those who call themselves Jews today are still looking for Him. Sadly, Christians today have missed the return of their Lord and the marvelous ramifications of that and are still looking for Him!
"You are depriving us our blessed hope, Preterist," people accuse! Blessed hope? Jesus has come again to take us to be with Him--whether in this life or departed from this life--we are forever NOW with Him and He is with us! The Church is victorious, death has been defeated, Satan has been crushed, Jesus is on His throne in His kingdom which is not of this world, etc. God is in control and nothing can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are priests for Him and instruments for His use to share His words of life to an unbelieving world. What more do we want?
Many Christians today seem to be excited about a coming Antichrist and the horrible persecutions upon millions of people. They opt out of getting involved in world affairs (unless of course it has something to do with "Israel") because the world is supposed to get worse and worse before the end! What an attitude!
When will we get back to realizing that we are on the winning team and that the fields are still very ripe for harvest? When will we take up our message of hope and blessings in a now existent kingdom which has no end?
Why are people beginning to look seriously at the claims of preterism? Because time after time dates have been set and have come and gone without incident. They are becoming tired of hearing that the Lord is coming SOON (something that was claimed almost two thousand years ago) but He never comes (and please don't quote 2 Peter 3--that was for that generation of people, not ours)! I predict that this growing unrest and dissatisfaction will only increase. Every year that goes by further erodes the claims of futurists and dispensationalists.
Preterist