The Anti Christ can be a touchy subject, especially when people realize what it truly is. The bible doesn't leave us guessing either. Let me show you.
Daniel 7 clearly and unmistakably identifies the antichrist so it'll be a good idea to go read Daniel 7 first. What you discover today may displease or sadden you, but please remember that the prophecy of Daniel chapter 7 comes from Jesus, who loves you. Pray for God's guidance as you delve into this urgent subject.
As the the chapter begins, Daniel sees four beasts coming up out of the sea. In prophecy, what does a beast represent? What does the sea represent?
Daniel 7:23 says The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth. Revelation 17:15 says The waters... are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
Ok so a beast represents a kingdom and the sea represents people.
The four beasts of Daniel 7 represent the four world kingdoms (verses 17,18). Babylon, the first kingdom (Daniel 2:38-39), is represented as a lion in Daniel 7:4. (Look at Jeremiah 4:7; 50:17, 43, 44 for Babylon pictured as a lion elsewhere.) What do the eagle's wings mean? What do the four winds of verse 2 represent?
Look at Deuteronomy 28:49 it says, The Lord will bring a nation against you... as swift as the eagle flies. Then look at Jeremiah 25:32,33 as it says Thus says the Lord of hosts.... a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the earth. And ... the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth.
The wings of eagles represents speed. Look also at Jeremiah 4:13 and Habakkuk 1:6-9. Winds represent strife, commotion, and deestruction. See also Revelation 7:1-3
What kingdom does the bear represent in Daniel 7:5? What do the three ribs in its mouth symbolize?
Read Daniel 8. Notice that the beasts in chapter 8 parallel those in chapter 7. Daniel 8:20 specifically names Medo-Persia as the kingdom that precedes the rough goat, or Greece, of verse 21. It is the second world kingdom, the same power as the bear in Daniel 7. The empire was made up of two groups of people. The medes came up first (represented in Daniel 7:5 by the bear coming up on one side), but the Persians eventually became stronger (represented in Daniel 8:3 by the ram's second horn which grew taller). The three ribs represent the three principal powers conquered by Medo-Persia: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.
Greece, the third kingdom (Daniel 8:21), is represented by a leopard with four wings and four heads (Daniel 7:6). What do the heads represent? What do the four wings represent?
The four heads represent the four kingdoms into which the empire of Alexander the Great was divided when he died. The four generals who headed these areas were: Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Selecus. The four wings, instead of the two like the lion, represent super-speed, which was true of Alexanders conquests. (Jeremiah 4:11-13)
The Roman empire, the fourth world kingdom, is represented by a horrible monster with iron teeth and ten horns (Daniel 7:7). What do the horns represent?
The ten horns represent the ten kings or kingdoms into which pagan Rome was eventually split (Daniel 7:24). These ten kingdoms are the same as the ten toes of the image described in Daniel 2:41-44. Roving barbarian tribes swept in upon the Roman empire and carved out land niches for their people. Seven of those ten tribes developed into the countries of modern Western Europe, while three were uprooted and destroyed. Here are the kingdoms listed:
Visigoths=Spain
Anglo-Saxons=England
Franks=France
Alemani-Germany
Burgundians=Switzerland
Lombards=Italy
Suevi=Portugal
Heruli=Uprooted
Ostrogoths=Uprooted
Vandals=Uprooted
In the Daniel 7 prophecy, what happens next?
Daniel 7:8 says I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
The little horn power appears next. So we must identify it carefully because God takes more space describing it than the other four kingdoms combined. Why? Because the biblical characteristics identify it as the antichrist of prophecy and history. There must be NO mistake in making this identification. So lets list these characteristics and see who or what it points to.
A. The little horn or kingdom came up among them.... the ten horns which were the kingdoms of Western Europe (Daniel 7:8). So it would be a little kingdom somewhere in Western Europe.
B. It would have a man at its head who could speak for it (Daniel 7:8).
C. It would pluck up or uproot three kingdoms (Daniel 7:8).
D. It would be diverse or different from the other ten kingdoms (Daniel 7:24).
E. It would make war with and wear out or persecute the saints (Daniel 7:21, 25).
F. It would emerge from the pagan Roman empire, the fourth world kingdom (Daniel 7:7, 8).
G. God's people (the saints) would be given into his hand for a time and times and the dividing of time (Daniel 7:25).
H. It would speak great words against or blaspheme God (Daniel 7:25). In Revelation 13:5, the Bible says the same power speaks great thing and blasphemies.
I. It would think to change times and laws. Daniel 7:25.
Don't forget, all these identification points come directly from the Bible. They are not some human opinion or speculation. Historians could quickly tell you what power is being described. These points can fit only one power and that is the papacy. But in order to be certain, lets carefully examine all nine points, one by one. There must be NO room left for doubt.
A. "Itcame up among the ten kingdoms of Western Europe." The geographical location of the papal power was in Rome, Italy, the very heart of Western Europe.
B. "It would have a man at its head who could speak for it." The papacy meets the identifying mark because it does have one man at the head, the pope, who speaks for it.
C. "It would pluck up or uproot three kingdoms."
The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy in its growth and authority. Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not support the papacy, the Vandals, Heruli, and the Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed. The Catholic emperor Zeno arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom Arian Herulis in 493. The Catholic emperor Justinian exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and broke the power of the Ostrogoths in 538. And there we have Daniels three horns. It's not difficult to not notice that the papacy fits here perfectly.
D. "It would be diverse or different from the other ten kingdoms."
The papacy clearly fits this description also. It came on the scene as a religious power and was totally different from the secular nature of the other ten kingdoms.
E. "It would make war with and wear out or persecute the saints."
It's a well known fact that the church did persecute. The papacy even clearly admits it. Even conservative historians claim that the church probably destroyed at least 50 million people over matters of religious conviction.
F. "It would emerge from the pagan Roman empire, the fourth world kingdom."
We obviously know that the papacy rose from the Roman Empire.
G. "God's people (the saints) would be given into his hand for a time and times and the dividing of time."
Several things need clarification here:
1. A time is a year, times is two years, and the dividing of a time is a half-year.
2. This same time period is mentioned seven times (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5) in the books of Daniel and Revelation: three times as a time, times, and half a time; twice as 42 months; and twice as 1,260 days. Based on the 30 day calendar used by the Jews, these time periods are all the same amount of time 3 1/2 years= 42 months= 1,260 days.
3. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34).
4. The little horn, or the antichrist, was to have power over the saints for 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years.
5. The rule of the papacy began in A.D. 538, when the last of the three opposing Arian kingdoms was uprooted. Its rule continued until 1798 when Napoleon's general, Berthier, took the pope captive with hopes of destroying both Pope Pius VI and the political, secular power of the papacy. This period of time is an exact fulfillment of the 1,260 year prophecy. The blow was a deadly wound for the papacy, but that wound began to heal and is still healing today.
6. This same period of persecution is mentioned in Matthew 24:21 as the worst period of persecution God's people will ever experience. Verse 22 tells us it was so devastating that not one soul would have survived if God had not shortened it. But God did shorten it. The persecution ended long before the pope was taken captive in 1798. It's plain to see that the papacy clearly fits.
H. "It would speak great words against or blaspheme God."
Blasphemy has two definitions in Scripture:
Claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21)
Claiming to be God (John 10:33)
Does this point fit the papacy? Yes! Want evidence? In A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion by Joseph Deharbe on page 279 it says, "Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ." The papacy further undermines Jesus by setting up a system of confession to an earthly priest, thus bypassing Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 8:1,2) and only Mediator ( 1 Timothy 2:5).
Now lets consider the evidence of it claiming to be God. Letter written by Pope Leo XIII dated June 20, 1894: We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.
Here's another straight from the July 1895 issue of Catholic National: The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.
I. "It would think to change times and laws."
This almost requires another entire study, but what about changing the "laws"? The reference is to changing God's law. Of course, no one can really change it, but has the papacy attempted to do so? The answer is YES.
In its catechisms, the papacy has omitted the second commandment against veneration of images and has shortened the fourth commandment from 94 words to 8 and divided the tenth commandment into two commandments. Check this for yourself. Compare the Ten Commandments in any Catholic catechism with God's list of the commandments in Exodus 20:3-17.
There is no doubt that the little horn power of Daniel 7 (the antichrist) is the papacy. No other organization could possibly fit these nine points. And incidentally, this is no new teaching. Every Reformer, without exception, spoke of the papacy as antichrist, according to R. Allen Anderson's, Unfolding the Revelation on page 137.
Now you might be asking yourself, Wasn't Daniel told to seal up his book until "the time of the end" (Daniel 12:4)? When will Daniel's prophecies be opened to our understanding?
Yes, in Daniel 12:4, the prophet was told to seal parts of the book till "the time of the end."In verse 6 an angelic voice asked, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?" Verse 7 says, "it shall be for a time, times, and half a time." The angel assured Daniel that the section of the book dealing with end-time prophecies would be opened after the end of the 1260 year period of papal control, which was, as we learned earlier, 1798. So the time of the end began in 1798. Obviously the book of Daniel contains crucial messages from heaven for us today. We absolutely must understand it.
Many Christians today have been tragically misinformed regarding the antichrist. To believe an untruth about the antichrist could easily cause a person to be deceived and lost. What should a person do when new Bible teachings are encountered?
Acts 17:11 says These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
When a new Bible teaching is encountered, the only safe procedure is to compare it carefully with Scripture to see if it is in harmony with God's Word.
One last thing that I would like to share: If some of you should think that I am attacking fellow Christians by identifying the little horn power, please keep in miind that the prophecy is aimed at a system and not individuals!There are sincere, devout Christians in ALL churches, including the Catholic faith. Daniel 7 is simply a message of judgment and correction upon a large religious institution which compromised with paganism, like so many other churches that arose after her.
Other prophecies point out the faults of Protestant and Jewish faiths. God has true people in all religions. His true people, no matter their faith, will always humbly accept the correction of the Lord and will not shut their ears and hearts against Him by self defensiveness. We should be very thankful that God's Word speaks with impartial honesty on every subject.
As we speak and teach the Word, we often mention that the whole Bible is a Jewish book, and that all the writers of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, were Jews. Frequently, someone asks the question, �What about Luke, wasn�t he a Gentile?� This has been taught throughout church history for so long and so consistently, that it is assumed without question it must be true. However, when you study how this conclusion was reached by biblical commentators, you realize how slender their evidence is. The idea that Luke was a Gentile seems to be based more on tradition than any strong biblical evidence.
Importance of the Question
It may not seem important whether or not Luke was a Gentile, but when you think about the magnitude of his work, the issue becomes truly significant. By counting the pages written by Luke in both his Gospel and Acts, it is clear that Luke wrote more pages of the New Testament than any other writer, including Paul and John. If Luke was a Gentile, then the Lord entrusted more pages of New Testament revelation to a Gentile than to any other writer. This would be remarkable, to say the least.
Personally, as a Gentile Christian, I would love to have one of �our guys� as a writer in the canon of Scripture, so I am naturally reluctant to find otherwise. However, the evidence appears overwhelming to me that Luke was, in fact, a Jew. The matter cannot be settled conclusively, because the Scriptures never specifically tell us Luke�s background, but the arguments for his being a Jew appear to far outweigh those for his being a Gentile.
Arguments for Luke Being A Gentile
Usually, biblical commentators simply assert that Luke was a Gentile, without offering any proof at all, as it is so universally believed. Some commentaries, though, present arguments for sustaining the concept of the Gentile background of Luke. Chief among these arguments are the lists from the Epistle to the Colossians.
The Lists in Colossians
In Colossians 4, the Apostle Paul closes his letter by listing the various people who are with him as he writes the epistle, and some of those who are addressed. In these lists Paul makes mention of some who are of �the circumcision� (Col. 4:10�11), and are, therefore, Jews. Although it is not perfectly clear which men are referred to, they are presumably the previous three: Aristarchus, Mark and Jesus called Justus. Paul apparently does not include Tychicus and Onesimus, mentioned before in verses 7�9, as being in the circumcision group.
Later in this same chapter, in verse 14, Paul refers to Luke, the beloved physician. The argument is made that, as Luke is not mentioned in the list of those of �the circumcision�, he therefore must not be a Jew. However, this is very slim evidence, indeed. In the above reference, Paul is speaking of his fellow workers in the preaching ministry. However, Luke was not ever described as being actively involved in the work of preaching, but was rather Paul�s personal physician and historian. It would not be appropriate to put Luke in the list with those who were active in the preaching ministry, regardless of background.
Thus, there are reasons other than background why Luke would not be included in the list of �the circumcision.� It is risky to build a concept on evidence which is so weak, and this is the strongest evidence in the Bible that those who believe Luke was a Gentile use to prove their point.
The Name and Profession Arguments
Proponents have also argued that the name Luke (Lucas) is, in itself, evidence that he was a Gentile. However, the very names mentioned in Col. 4 as being in �the circumcision� are Gentile names: Aristarchus, Marcus and Justus. Paul�s name itself is a Roman name, which he used throughout his ministry among the Gentiles, instead of his Hebrew name, Saul. In the same way Peter�s Hebrew name was Simon. The fact of the matter is that most Jews who lived in the Diaspora used two names: one, a Jewish name, which was used in the synagogue, and the other, a Gentile name, which was used in business. So Luke could well be the public name of a Jew who lived among the Gentiles.
Others have actually claimed that Luke�s profession as a physician would be evidence that he was a Gentile. This would assume that there were no Jewish doctors in the Roman world. Such an idea is preposterous. Christ referred to physicians in Israel on several occasions:
�Physician, heal thyself�� (Luke 4:23)
�They that are sick have need of a physician�� (Matt. 9:12)
There is as much reason to believe that Jews were in the medical profession in ancient times as they are today.
Thus, none of the arguments supporting the idea that Luke was a Gentile are strong. It is helpful, then, to turn to the arguments that Luke was a Jew.
Arguments for Luke Being a Jew
There are several arguments that support the idea that Luke was a Jew. As has already been stated, there are no specific statements as to the background of Dr. Luke. Therefore, the only way we can know anything about Luke�s background is from inferences in the Scriptures.
The Rule: Oracles Given to Jews
After showing the sinful condition of the Jewish people, explaining how the Jews are just as much subject to sin as are the Gentiles, Paul asks the question, �What advantage has the Jew?� His answer was �Much every way, chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God� (Rom. 3:1�2). The main advantage that Paul recognizes in the Jewish people was that when God gave revelation to the human race, He gave it to and through the Jews. He did not utilize the Gentile people for this purpose. This was the rule: that Jews were the vehicle for revelation. If Luke was an exception, the burden of proof is on those who would claim that he is an exception.
Thus, one has to prove conclusively that Luke was a Gentile before one should abandon the clear rule about the Jewish writing of Scripture. We must assume that Luke is a Jew unless the evidence is so overwhelming that we must conclude he is a Gentile. As we have seen above, the evidence from the lists in Colossians is so weak that it does not meet that criterion. Gentiles are blessed in many ways, especially during this Church Age, but God has never indicated that He has changed His rule of using only Jews to record His revelation.
Trophimus, Not Luke, the Cause of Paul�s Arrest
Dr. Luke was a constant companion of the Apostle Paul from the time that he joined the missionary apostle when he sailed from Troas to Europe. Luke accompanied Paul on his fateful last return trip to Jerusalem, and was an eyewitness to the arrest of Paul in the Temple in Acts 21. The crowd was greatly agitated by the presence of Paul in the Temple, and charged him with bringing Gentiles into the Temple precincts. This was a crime punishable by death. Luke explains that Paul never did bring any Gentiles into the Temple, but he was seen on the streets of Jerusalem with �Trophimus an Ephesian.� Apparently, Paul brought Trophimus with him to Jerusalem so that the apostles and the mother church there could see first-hand the fruits of his labor among the Gentiles. Even though the charge was false, they were able to spread the rumor among the people, and cause a near riot against Paul on the Temple Mount, and for this reason he was arrested.
The point is that, when the Jewish people wanted to accuse Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple, they chose Trophimus. Why didn�t they choose Luke, who was also with Paul, and was an eyewitness to these events? If Luke were a Gentile, it would have been far easier, and far more believable, to accuse Paul of bringing Luke with him into the Temple, rather than Trophimus. The fact that Luke was not mentioned in the accusation is a strong indication that he was not a Gentile. Luke was with Paul on several occasions when they made the various trips to Jerusalem in order to report on their missionary efforts to the apostolic church. The issue was never raised about Luke being a Gentile, although he was there in Jerusalem with Paul.
As Luke was not controversial when he travelled with Paul to Jerusalem and the Temple, our assumption must be that he was also a Jew. Thus, there was no mention of Luke as a problem when Paul was arrested.
Luke�s Intimate Knowledge of the Temple
Another argument for the idea that Luke was a Jew is that he showed such an intimate knowledge of the Temple, more than any other of the Gospel writers. When he described the announcement to Zacharias concerning the birth of John the Baptist, Luke went into considerable detail to describe the rotating selection of the Levitical priests for service according to their families. He further described the position of the priest before the altar of incense, where the angel appeared to Zacharias (Luke 1:8�20).
The fact that Luke alone of the four Gospel writers gives this account, and he does so with such vivid detail, argues for his being a Jew, familiar with the Temple procedures. One could even speculate that Luke might have been a Levite as well, as he knew so much about how the Temple operated. Is it logical to assume, without question, that Luke was a Gentile, when he had such a clear understanding of the most intimate workings of the Temple, where no Gentile was allowed to go?
Luke�s Intimate Acquaintance with Mary
Yet another argument is the striking intimacy that Luke had with the mother of Jesus, Mary. He relates the story of the birth of Jesus primarily from Mary�s point of view, and then said that she hid these things �in her heart� (Luke 2:19, 51). How did Luke, of all the Gospel writers, get so close to Mary that he was able to find out what she had hidden in her heart? As close-knit as the Jerusalem church was, and as difficult as it must have been for Gentiles to have gotten to the �inner circle� of the apostolic leadership, it seems highly unlikely that Luke could have gotten that close to Mary if he were a Gentile.
Actually, it appears that Luke might have served Mary for a time as her personal physician. This is speculation, but how else could he have had such a close relationship with her, so that he could draw from her the details she had hidden in her heart, and had discussed with few others? Luke would have had the opportunity to consult with Mary on the occasions when Paul made his reporting trips to Jerusalem, and especially while Paul was in prison in Caesarea for two years. Such access would have been quite understandable if Luke were a Jew, but would have been most unlikely if he were a Gentile.
Conclusion
My conclusion is, then, that we must infer that Luke was a Jew. The idea that he was a Gentile appears to be based on nothing more than wishful thinking and tradition. The biblical evidence strongly supports the position that Luke was a Jew, and we should always believe the Scriptures over tradition, when there is a conflict between the two.
Just like you said, "we should always believe the Scriptures over tradition, when there is a conflict between the two."
It's kinda like laying fence posts... after laying all the posts, you look down the line of them to make sure they all line up. Well there are a few posts that don't line up, so what would the logical thing to do? Line up ALL the other posts with the handful of other posts? Or the few out of line posts with all the rest? Doesn't take a genius to figure out the ideal solution.
Yet you ignore all the Scriptures that point to death in hell and all the evidence pointing to the papacy being the antichrist. Instead what you do is you ignore the clear and evident verses in Daniel and pick and choose the verses that fit with YOUR opinion of the prophetic interpretation. How can you be so educated yet so blind? When I was shown this the first time, I understood it immediately because it's just that obvious. You're playing a dangerous game with doctrine. Especially with us being in the very last days. That is exactly why the book of Daniel was given to us, so that we (The people living in the last days) would be prepared for what's to come.
The 7th Day Adventists believe in the ridiculous idea that the 42 month {See Rev 13:5} reign of 666 was actually 1260 years which ended when Napolean put a Roman Catholic Pope in jail for a few years. However God's Word says that when Jesus comes again on the Last Day of the 42 month Great Tribulation He will throw 666 and his False Prophet alive into hell as per Rev 19:19,20 & 2 Thess 2:8.
WHAT ARE THE 3 PASSAGES IN GOD'S WORD WHICH SHOW THAT THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE REIGN OF 666 WILL LAST EXACTLY 1260 DAYS OR 42 {30-DAY} MONTHS??
**{#1}** Daniel 12:1b,2,7b:� �There will be a time of distress {The Great Tribulation} such as not happened from the beginning of nations until then.� But at that time {The Last Day} your people--*EVERYONE* whose name is found written in the book {Both OT & NT Saints}�will be delivered.� Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt�It will be for a time. times and half a time {Which is also 1260 days as per Rev 12:6,14, or 42� {30-day} months as per Rev 13:5} *ALL* these things will be *COMPLETED.��
**{#2}**�Rev 13:5,7: The beast will be given a mouth to utter blasphemies and to exercise his authority for 42 {30-day} months {Not 7 years}�He will be given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. COMPARE WITH:
**{#3}**Dan 7:25: �He will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints.� The saints will be handed over to him for time {12 months}, times {24 months} and 1/2 a time {6 months}. {Not 7 years}
Events in Revelation that will occur during the 1260-day Tribulation are discussed in Rev 6:1 to 18:24, Events that will occur on the Last Day are recorded in Rev 6:12-17; Rev 11:15-19; Rev 14:14-20; Rev 16:17-21; Rev 19:1-21 & Rev 20:9b-15.�There is absolutely no reference to any other resurrection before or during the Tribulation in Revelation chapters 6 through 19. The Olivet discourse by Jesus about the End-Times are recorded in Matt 24 & 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21.� Events that will occur during the 1260-day Tribulation are recorded in Matt 24:9-28; Mark 13:5-23 and Luke 21:8-24. Events which will occur on the Last Day of the Tribulation including the 2nd Coming of Jesus are recorded in Matt 24:29-31; Matt 25:31-46; Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28 and 2 Peter 3:10-13. There is absolutely no mention of a rapture or resurrection before or during the Great Tribulation in the Olivet Discourse passages!! The glorious APPEARING of Jesus and the resurrection of His saints on the Last day of the Tribulation are mentioned in God's Word about 50 other times such as Titus 2:13: �WE wait for the blessed hope�the glorious APPEARING of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,�
For example: If the coming of 666 and the 1260-day Great Tribulation starts on April 5th, 2015 then the 2nd coming of Jesus would occur exactly 1260 days later on Sepember 16th, 2018. When the 1260-day Great Tribulation begins God's saints will then know the exact day of the 2nd coming on the Last Day as per: Rev 3:3: Jesus says, �But {*IF*} you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.� I Thess 5:4: Paul said �But YOU BROTHERS {*CHURCH SAINTS*}, are not in darkness so that {*THIS DAY*} should surprise you like a thief.�
�70 7'S OR 490 YEARS ARE DECREED TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY, TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS AND TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS!!�
Dan 9:24-27: �70 7�s {490 years} are decreed for your people TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY, TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS and TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNSS.. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree {By Cyrus-Isa 44:28 above} to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes {Oct 23, AD 29?} there will be 7 plus 62 7's {Which is 69 7's or 483 years}. "After the 7 plus 62 7's {actually 1260 days after on April 3-5 AD 33} the Anointed One will be cut off but not for Himself..... He {The Anointed One} will confirm a COVENANT with many for one 'seven'. In the middle of the 'seven' {After 1260 days} He {The Anointed One; not 666} will put an END TO SACRIFICES {ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS}{And then after a long pause} the abomination of Desolation {666} will come {for the 1260 day Great Tribulation} until the decreed end is poured out on him.� on the Last day of the last 7 {See Rev 19:20} And so the first half of the last 7 was already COMPLETED when Jesus put and END to all sacrifices for sin 1260 days after His Anointing which occurred after 69 7's.
When the Anointed One came 69 7's or 483 years were 100% completed [See Dan 9:25 above} leaving just one 7 in the future; which will be totally used by those who wrongly believe in a future 7-year Tribulation; which means that the ATONEMENT FOR WICKEDNESS by Jesus about 3 1/2 years after His Anointing can not be included in the 70 7's Prophecy. However, God's Word clearly states that 70 7's are decreed ...TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS which occurred about 3 1/2 years after the end of the 69 7's and therefore the first half of the last 7 has already been completed since there are only 3 1/2 times left in the 70 7's. And so the Great Tribulation and the rule of 666 will last exactly 1260 days or 42 months or 3 1/2 times which agrees which God's Divine time periods found in Dan 12:1,2,7b; Dan 7:25 & Rev 13:5.
Now many saints believe the reign of 666 and the Great Tribulation are extremely close. I Peter 1:13: �Therefore, prepare your minds for ACTION, and set your hope *FULLY* on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED*!�
Mark 13:20: Jesus says, �If the Lord had not cut short those {Tribulation} days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them.�The first 69 7's were 365-day years {7 years = 2557 days} but the Last 7 has been shortened to 360-day years and two 1260-day periods or 2520 days. And so God has shortened the last 7 of the 70 7's from 2557 days to two 1260-day periods or 2520 days. And God has shortened the Great Tribulation from 3 1/2 years or 1278 days to 3 1/2 times or 1260 days.
You do know that the papacy killed around 50 million Christians right? And that the persecutions ended way before 1798? Again... you're just TRYING to make everything fit when it doesn't. I know the truth and don't need no man telling me what truth is. God has led me to it and I'm sharing with everyone that I can. Some will be open to the truth and others will not listen. You'll see one day and you will remember all these things that were presented to you.
THE DISCIPLES ASKED JESUS, �WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE??�
Is it a pre-trib rapture or the persecution and testing of God's saints and a great falling away at the beginning of the Great Tribulation??
Matthew 24:3,9-13: The disciples asked Jesus, �What will be the sign of your Coming and the *END OF THE AGE*?? Jesus answered�.. {During the 1260-dayGreat Tribulation} �Then *YOU* will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and *YOU will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the Faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of *MOST* will grow cold,{THE GREAT APOSTASY} but he {The Called, Chosen & Faithful-Rev 17:14b} who stands firm to the *END will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to *ALL NATIONS*, and then the *END will come!�
And then we find just before the beginning of the 1260-day Great tribulation that there will be saints saved by the blood of Jesus from *EVERY Tribe, Language and Nation:
Revelation 5:9: �You {Jesus} are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from *EVERY Tribe, Language, People and Nation!�
Just after the coming of the 4 Horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8 and just after the start of the 1260-day Great tribulation; we see this scene in Heaven:
Rev 6:9-11: When He {Jesus) opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain {MARTYRS} because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, �How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitanrts of the earth and avenge our blood?� Then each of them was given a *WHITE ROBE*, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed {Martyrs just like Jesus} as they had been was completed!
Rev 8:9, 13,14: After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from **EVERY** nation, tribe and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing WHITE ROBES......Then one of the {24- See Rev 4:4,10} elders asked me, �These in WHITE ROBES�who are they and where do they come from?�...And he said, �These are they who come out of the Great Tribulatoion {Tribulation MARTYRS}; they have washed their ROBES and made them WHITE in the blood of the Lamb. At present the God's Word has only been translated into about 2,000 of the 6,000 languages in the world and faith comes by hearing and reading the Word of God! And so this prophecy in Matthew 24:13 above which must take place *BEFORE* the Harvest and 2nd Coming of Jesus will only be fulfilled *DURING the Great Tribulation!
The Heavenly rewards for the faithful and courageous *MARTYRS* is one of the most important central themes in the book of Revelation. For they will reign with Jesus in Heaven and according to Revelation 7:14-17: They are before the Throne of God and God will spread His tent over them before the Second Coming of Jesus. They will receive WHITE ROBES washed in the blood of the Lamb. Never again will they hunger or thirst and God Himself will wipe every tear from their eyes. Jesus will be their Shepherd and will lead them to springs of Living Water.
Trent, Richard doesn't like to play fair, you'll notice he uses quite a few logical fallacies to discredit you first, without really addressing the evidence you bring forward, and that's not counting his "copy and paste" tactics. It's better to just treat him like a computer throwing up random challenges for you to meet with biblical evidence for other people to read. You probably shouldn't even try to report him if he gets unreasonable, the best method is to just answer his attempts to discredit you and watch him become more desperate and unreasonable. Show your fruits, and let him show his. Don't waste your life on him though, you'll probably never get the last word. Most people here already know to just pass over the huge articles he repeatedly posts EVERYWHERE, and if they don't, they'll learn quickly.
Trentdubb and Dont hit that mark are both 7th Day Adventists so I can understand why they do not respond to The Scripture that absolutely contradicts their ridiculous Satanic doctrines.
I was a missionairy in Israel and it is quite comical how the Orthodox Jews try to keep the OT Sabbath laws. One OT law states that you should not light a fire during the Sabbath and anyone who lights a fire on the Sabbath shall be put to death as per Exodus 35:2,3. This would of course mean that any Eskimo who lights a fire to keep from freezing to death must be put to death.
Since car motors have pistons that continually light fires the Orthodox Jews will not drive their cars on the Sabbath but the 7th Day Adventists drive cars to their churches on the Sabbath so according to OT Sabbath laws all SDA members should be put to death. A Sabbath days walk is only about 2/3rd's of a mile so you must not walk or travel over 2/3rd's of a mile on the Sabbath.{Acts 1:12}
Now in Israel most utilities burn coal which of course lights a huge fire so the Orthodox Jews turn on their lights and heaters a few minutes before the Sabbath begins??? But of course all the Jews and SDA's who do this are increasing the amount of coal utilities burn thus increasing the fires set during the Sabbath.
The last time the NT saints kept the Sabbath was the day before The resurrection of Jesus as per Luke 23:55,56. The NT saints worshipped and witnessed every day and so every day was the Lord's Day especially TODAY.
Acts 2:44-46: All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ***EVERY DAY*** they continued to meet in the temple courts.
Hebrews 3:13: Encourage one another ***DAILY***, as long as it is called **TODAY**, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Colossians 2:16,17: Therefore *DO NOT LET ANYONE JUDGE YOU* by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration **OR A SABBATH DAY**!! These are a **SHADOW** of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ!!!
SOME GREAT TIPS FOR 7TH DAY ADVENTISTS WHO WANT TO KEEP THE OT SABBATH LAWS:
***If someone commits the unpardonable sin of driving their car to church on the Sabbath thus starting thousands of piston fires just drop a cyanide pill in their Communion cup!!
Remember, to keep from sinning you can always go to church on a horse and buggy!!
***If someone puts their lights or electric heater on {To keep from freezing to death} during the sabbath thus starting Utility coal burning fires just burn their house down; but wait until a minute after the Sabbath to start the fire!!!
***It would be wise to move to an area where you will not freeze to death during the winter such as South Georgia which is the same Longitude as Israel!!!
***If you live over 2/3rd's of a mile from your church or a Sabbath Days travel just come to your church a minute before the Sabbath starts {Be sure and bring a cot} since you cannot leave until a minute after the Sabbath ends. You could also stay at a friends house which is 1/3 of a mile from the church so you can go *ROUND-TRIP* on the Sabbath!!
*** If you do not want to obey the above tips you can always join another church which doesn't believe you have to obey OT Sabbath laws!!!
Galatians 2:14-16: Paul said, When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.!"
Galatians 2:20,21: The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 3:10-13: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written "Cursed is everyonewho does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us!
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW!!"
Hebrews 8:8,9,13: "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the first one OBSOLETE; and what is OBSOLETE and aging will soon disappear."
Hebrews 8:6: But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is Mediator is SUPERIOR TO THE OLD ONE, and it is founded on better promises.
Colossians 2:16,17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you **EAT** or drink, or with regard to a religous festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a *SHADOW* of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found in Christ!!!
Luke 4:23 has nothing to do with Luke being a physician:
22And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" 23And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'" 24And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown...
This is the primary reason why NO ONE should cherry pick verses out of the bible. This chapter is about Yeshua's reasoning for not teaching in his hometown.
Now on to Luke the man.
I cannot find a passage that refers to Luke as a Rabbi. According to the Virtual Jewish Library (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0013_0_13493.html) Those who were physicians did so beacuse they were not allowd to accept money for Rabbinical services. Luke is not known for teaching the old testament, he is known for chronicling Yeshua and the Acts of the Appostles. If Luke was Jewish, he would not be the typical Jewish doctor for the simple reason there is no evidence he was a Rabbi as the Virtual Jewish Library suggests the two jobs were not separate functions. It is not that I say there is absolute proof, I say that Luke's connecteness to gentiles is likely.
Again I can point out where you are wrong. Also, as you will notice, we must look at an ENTIRE passage and not just a verse or two. Now was Jesus a prophet? Of course He was. In Matthew 24 Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the end of time. Jesus mixes two prophecies into one. He is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the time before His return. Look at verse 20, it says "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath." Hmm... so even 70 years after His death, He is still mentioning about keeping the Sabbath. Lets go look at a verse that you mentioned in Colossians 2:16-17 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
Notice the difference between the 2 passages? Look at the word Sabbath in Matthew 24:20... it is capitalized and singular. Look at the word sabbaths in Colossians 2:16... it is lower cased and plural. One is a Holy Sabbath and the others are not. Now we must know what laws are the shadow of the cross and which are not.
When some read in the New Testament about sabbath days that were shadows of the body of Christ and that passed away at the cross, they become confused and declare they mean the weekly Sabbath. They do greatly err and lead many uninformed people into error. Let us turn to Colossians 2:14-17 and read about the abolition of these sabbath days that were in the law and that enjoined meat offerings, drink offerings, new moons, and festivals: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ... let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday [a feast day, A.S.V.], or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
There was nothing in the Ten Commandment law about meats, drinks, new moons, sabbath days (plural), or feast days. All these were in the law which the Lord told Moses to command to the people. The weekly Sabbath is not mentioned in these texts. Paul says plainly that he is speaking of "sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come," and not of the weekly Sabbath which was a memorial of something that happened in the past at creation.
The fourth commandment does not tell us to keep the seventh day as a type of something to come. It says: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ... For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
There is all the difference in the world between a typical shadow and a memorial. A shadow points forward, and a memorial points backward. The contrast is as distinct as that between night and day. And to show that He never had the weekly Sabbath in mind, the Holy Spirit distinctly mentioned "sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come." Of course the word "days" in this text (Colossians 2:14-17) is supplied, but this is justified by the fact that the word "sabbath" in the Greek is in the plural. Anyone may confirm this by consulting any Greek lexicon.
The King James Version uses the word "holyday," and some may content that it means "the weekly Sabbath" and the expression "sabbath days" means "the yearly sabbaths." The American Standard Version uses "feast day" instead of "holyday." This is correct. For the word translated "holyday" here is from the Greek hoerte, and in John 5:1 this word is used to designate one of the yearly festivals of the Jews: "After this there was a feast [hoerte] of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."
This is one of the holy days that Paul spoke of as having been abolished. Thus do the evidences multiply that it is absolutely wrong to tell people that these verse prove that the weekly Sabbath was abolished. We should further observe that "shadows" point to Jesus as a Saviour from sin and we observed with that in mind. But the weekly Sabbath was made for man before sin ever entered into the world. The shadows pointing forward to His death as an atonement for sin certainly were not instituted until after sin. But the Lord's rest day existed before man needed atoning blood to save him from his guilt. Now since the weekly Sabbath was instituted before sin, just as was the marriage institution, it was not a shadow of Christ's death as a Saviour from sin, and His death never brought it to an end any more than it brought the marriage institution to an end. Both institutions came to us from the sinless Garden of Eden.
Paul's very language to the Christians at Colosse proves he had reference to the shadowy ceremonies which pointed forward to and ended at the cross. Notice carefully his words in Colossians 2:14: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."
As plain as he can make it, Paul declares they were "ordinances" that were nailed to the cross. They were ordinances that would be "contrary" to the faith of Christians to observe. In fact he declares that the observance of these would be "against us." Now for the use of some good common sense. Would it be contrary to Christian faith and practice and against Christian principle to refrain from idolatry, profanity, Sabbath desecration, dishonoring parents, murder, theft, adultery, lying, and coveting? How could it be "contrary" to Christian principle and "against us" to refrain from the immoralities and vices condemned by the Ten Commandments? How unreasonable to think that Paul was arguing thus! He was talking of another law which enjoined meat offerings, drink offerings, the observance of feasts, new moons, and yearly sabbaths.
Why would the observance of these ceremonies after the death of Christ be contrary to Christian faith and teachings? The answer is easy. Take the Passover sabbath that came during the first month every year. The killing of the Passover lamb typified the death of the Lamb of God. To offer it after His death would be saying, in figure, that Jesus had not died. It would be a repudiation of His death and atoning blood. Surely such an observance would be contrary to the teachings of Christianity. The apostle Paul declares, "For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). All the other typical ordinances in this law pointed to the death of Jesus on the cross, too. All these feasts, meat and drink offerings, and sabbaths that were nailed to the cross, Paul declares, were "a shadow of things to come"; and then he adds, "But the body is of Christ." That is, the body, or substance, that casts these shadows was Christ's body on the cross.
Now even a child knows that late in the afternoon when a tall tree casts its shadow eastward, one can begin at the farthest end of the shadow and follow it until he gets to the tree, or body, that casts it, and there it ceases. Just so, we may go back to the time when "by one man Adam, sin entered into the world, and death by sin," and there a merciful God promised to send a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15), a Substitute, to die in man's place. To keep man continually reminded of this fact and to supply him with a means of expressing his faith in the coming sacrifice, God instituted these ceremonies. Most of them were given to man immediately after the fall; later several others were added, and all were included in the law which was not written on tables of stone.
Follow these shadowy ceremonies all the way from Eden to the time of Moses, and from then through the wilderness journey, and then on for hundreds of years after the settlement of Canaan, and at last to Calvary; there they cease. So it would be "against us" and "contrary" to our faith to observe these ceremonies after Jesus' death. To do so would be to deny that He had died. Not so with the other law. It is just as necessary to refrain from idolatry, profanity, Sabbath desecration, murder, adultery, and theft after the cross as before. In fact it was the violation of these principles that caused the death of Christ. Could they have been set aside or changed to accommodate the carnal mind, Jesus need not have died.
Now with these truths before us, let us again read Colossians 2:14-17 and see how plainly Paul reveals that he had not reference to the Ten Commandments: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
You seem like an intelligent guy Richard... how can you not figure this out?
