Common "End-time" Prophecy Mistakes
Common mistakes people make about "End-time" Prophecy (Eschatology), and the false teachings of fictional movies like "Left Behind" using the Greek New Testament. Everything in the Hebrew Bible is fulfilled, as was prophesied. You must test the prophets, go here to find out how you must test prophets: http://aoycascade.com/Documents/Prophet-Testing.html
1. THE ERROR OF LIFTING "THE LAST DAYS" OUT OF THEIR 1ST CENTURY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND ATTEMPTING TO RE-APPLY THEM TO OUR TIMES, TODAY.
Comment: The problem, every mention of "the last days" or
equivalents [last times, last hour, etc.] in the New Testament Scriptures
refers to the 1st Century CE. There are no exceptions. Check: Hebrews
1:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18;
1 John 2:18.
2. THE ERROR OF SEPARATING DANIEL'S 70TH WEEK FROM HIS OTHER 69 WEEKS,
INSERTING A TIME GAP OF INDETERMINATABLE LENGTH AND CALLING IT A FUTURE, 7-YEAR
TRIBULATION PERIOD.
Comment: Daniel's 70 Weeks of years [490 years] were literally,
perfectly and sequentially fulfilled, within the time fame of his four world
empires. Its starting point was the Decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC. Its
finishing point was in 34 AD, when the time determined exclusively upon the
remaining Israelites in Palestine was over and the gospel was free to go to the
Diaspora (lost 10 tribes of Israel by Yahshua (aka Jesus)). The most important
point is that the book of Daniel was written very late, some 400 years after
the Captivity of the Yahudi (the Southern tribes of Israel). Therefore Daniel
is not a prophetic book and there was no Israelite prophet named Daniel. The
events in the Book (a historical novel) are in fact mostly fabricated, and any
historical appearances had already occurred, or was well in the process at the
time the book was written by the unknown author during 167-164 BC. There is
no scriptural warrant or precedent for inserting a gap of any kind or duration.
3. THE ERROR OF CLAIMING THE "THIS GENERATION" IN YAHSHUA'S (JESUS’) OLIVET
DISCOURSE, WHICH WOULD EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING HE DESCRIBED, MEANS SOME OTHER
FUTURE GENERATION.
Comment: Every New Testament use [36 times] of the phrase
"this generation" always refers to the generation then-and-there
present in the 1st Century CE. See, for example: (Matthew 23:36; 11:16; 12:41,
42; 16:4). Yahshua's usage in Matthew 24 was no different. He never mentioned
nor inferred any other generation different from that of those he was
addressing. (Note: The Scriptural generation is approximately 40 years)
4. THE ERROR OF ASSUMING THE BOOK OF REVELATION [OR MOST OF IT] IS A FORECAST
OF FUTURE WORLD EVENTS STILL UNFULFILLED.
Comment: This assumption violates what the book of Revelation says about
itself and to whom the book was written. In its prologue and epilogue, it
states, concerning the whole of its prophecy that it was: "at
hand," "obey-able" and, finally, "not to be sealed
up." Revelation's total relevance (in Old Testament Scripture's Poetic
Picture language) starts and ends in the lifetime of its original hearers, and
to those who were originally addressed, "the seven assemblies that are
in Asia", Rev, 1:4. If you are not of these Assemblies, living
during the times of the address of the letter (book), the Prophecy in
Revelation is NOT for you.
5. THE ERROR OF SPINNING OFF ATTRIBUTES OF DANIEL'S FOURTH WORLD EMPIRE,
INSERTING A TIME GAP AND CALLING IT A FIFTH WORLD EMPIRE...A
YET-TO-COME,"REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE."
Comment: Daniel's two visions (Daniel 2 & 7) portrayed four
successive world empires, not five. They were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and
the old Roman Empire. Daniel places the coming of one like the son of man [the
Messiah] and the establishment of His everlasting kingdom during the time
of this fourth world empire, the old Roman Empire. This was all
fulfilled, exactly, without gaps, gimmicks or any interpretive high jinks. But,
if Daniel was actually a prophetic book, why didn’t know about the coming
Byzantine Empire in 565 AD, or the Islamic Empire in 750 AD, each one of these
two much more significant than the Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greek Empires
combined.
6. THE ERROR OF TEACHING THAT 1ST CENTURY SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS
CONDITIONS MUST BE RE-ENACTED FOR ENDTIMES FULFILLMENT TO OCCUR, - AGAIN.
Comment: It is the failure of interpreters to recognize the significance
of the historical events surrounding the predicted destruction of Jerusalem by
Messiah, of the Second Temple of Herod and of cultic sacrificial system in 70
CE --- This was the real "End-times" also referred to as the "end
of the World", with the meaning "the end of the formal
ceremonial sacrificial Religious system".
7. THE ERROR OF POSTPONING ALL OR PART OF THE COMING [I.E. CONSUMMATION] OF THE
KINGDOM OF YAHWEH.
Comment: Daniel prophesied the coming of ONLY ONE, everlasting Kingdom*
of God Yahweh. It was to take place in the days of the fourth world
empire [the Roman Empire]. That kingdom is THE kingdom which John the Baptist
and Yahshua proclaimed as "at hand." What's more, Yahshua's
coming in power and glory consummated that kingdom when the old Israelite
cultic system was completely destroyed (70 CE). All this occurred exactly as,
and when Yahshua said it would--within the lifetime of those then living
(Matthew 10:23; 16:28; 24:30-34; 26:64). * Note: In Aramaic, the word “Kingdom”
also means “Counsel” since in ancient Middle-East culture, Kings were also
councilors
8. THE ERROR OF MISUSING YAHSHUA'S STATEMENT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE
"DAY OR THE HOUR" OF HIS COMING TO IMPLY NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE
MONTH, YEAR OR EVEN THE GENERATION.
Comment: Scripture is precise in its use of time statements. For 1st
Century believers, not being able to know the "day or hour" was no
excuse. Yahshua emphatically warned, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies...get out" (Luke 21:20-21). Armies surrounded Jerusalem four
times in 66, 67, 68 and, lastly, in 70 CE.... Those who read this sign and
acted in time, escaped, (were saved by believing in Yahshua). Those who didn't
leave, or refused to leave, suffered the wrath of YHWH's judgment at this
particular, time-restricted and end-of-the-age coming (the nearness) of
Yahshua.
9.
THE ERROR OF SUBSCRIBING TO A PAGAN, "END-OF-THE-WORLD" PARADIGM.
Comment: Do you know what the Bible says about an "end of the
world?" NOTHING. What do the historic creeds say? Again
NOTHING. What the Bible actually says is: The earth remains forever --
Ecclesiastes 1:4 End of the age -- Matthew 13:39, 49; 24:3. Biblically the end
of one age is always followed by a new age.
10. THE ERROR OF CONCEDING BY DEFAULT THAT ALL-1ST CENTURY IMMINENCY
EXPECTATIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS, THE EARLY BELIEVERS AND YAHSHUA
HIMSELF PROVED FALSE.
Comment: If our 1st Century ancestors in the faith, and even Yahshua
Himself, were mistaken about something as important as the coming again of
Yahshua and about "the end of all things is at hand" (1 Peter
4:7) as being imminent in their lifetimes, how can we now trust them for
passing on any other aspects of the faith? The answer is they were not
mistaken.
11.
THE ERROR OF BUYING INTO A NEW TEACHING IN CHURCH HISTORY [ONLY THE LAST 150
YEARS] OF AN ESCAPE FROM THIS PLANET, FROM THIS LIFE'S TRIBULATIONS AND FROM
KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITIES.
Comment: The relatively new teaching of a "rapture-removal"
or 'Left Behind' from planet Earth is a distortion of key scriptures
historically interpreted to refer to a general resurrection. Yahshua
specifically prayed against the human weakness 'for removal' (John 17:15 if you
can believe this book). And His prayer is still in effect. This is the most
dangerous of all corrupted teachings, because it attempts to remove the
believer, from his responsibility of ruling with Messiah as the body, over this
world. It leaves a void of righteous believers in Civil and Governmental
affairs, which are subsequently filled by Pagans, with obvious results. Wake
up believer, only you have been given the knowledge, and the wisdom to rule
with Messiah as King, get involved, get elected, START RULING!
See the Document "The Left Behind Deception"
See the Document: http://aoycascade.com/Documents/Kingdom-of-yhwh.html
Assembly of Yahweh, Cascade