FAQ
The End
is Not Near
The End
Came and Went
and We
Are Still Here
The End
Time of Bible prophecy, Armageddon, Tribulation,
and Return of Christ all came to pass in the first
century.
1.
If the end of the world came and went, why are we
still here?
Since Jesus and other disciples only
spoke of a first century “end time”, that is where
we should be looking for answers. Most of our
difficulties understanding this concept can be
explained by many of our assumptions, that just
aren't consistent and are based on preconceived
ideas. For instance, when Jesus and the disciples
spoke of the end, and we just assume they were
talking of the end of the world? They never said so.
Many things come to an end. So the end of
what? The end in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
referred to the “end of the age.” Now that is a
whole lot different from the end of the world. So,
they did not say the world would come to an end?
They said the age would come to an end in the first
century. Now that makes a lot of sense. The question
to Jesus of the things to come were about the signs
of the end of the age, not the world. Mt.24:1-3,
Mk.13:1-4, Lk.21:5-7. And we are told the end of the
age was their own generation at that time 1Cor.10,11
and is exactly when Christ put away sin by sacrifice
of himself Heb.9:26. So the world won't come to an
end except in a few billion years when the sun burns
out. Most of the predictions Jesus made can be shown
to have occurred in a timely manner from the moment
He was speaking. Now in the end of Revelation, John
said he saw in his vision a new heaven and a new
Earth. When you die, that is what you will see. A
new heaven and a new earth. We call that heaven. And
it will be very different than life as you know it
here on Earth.
It is important
to understand how Christ understood the
“age”. We know the end of the age would come
within the generation of the apostles. That makes
it the second half of the first century. In 2Pe.3,
Peter divides time up into two ages: the first is
from the creation of the earth up till the flood,
and the second from the flood up to the last days
when the heavens and earth are reserved for fire,
the day of judgment, the coming the Lord promised
and the destruction of ungodly men. That age
actually ends with the second coming of Christ.
This would have been the second half of the first
century. After that age is the “age to come”, and
today we live in the “age to come”.
2. On
the Day of the Lord the heavens will disappear
with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by
fire, and the earth and everything in it will be
laid bare (2Pe.3:10). That day will bring about
the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the
elements will melt in the heat (2Pe.3:12). If
this has already taken place, how can we still
be here?
We must ask, who and when?
This is a letter written by Peter to those who had
received the faith in about A.D.66. Peter said "In
keeping with his promise, WE are looking forward
to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of
righteousness." (2Pe.3:13) Reading on there is an
air of urgency to the faithful. 1 Peter is a
letter written to God's elect scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. So
Peter and the faithful were looking forward to a
new heaven and a new earth, the home of
righteousness back in A.D.66, according with the
promise. The new heaven and new earth were
intended for them. This should not simply be
dismissed. "They" were looking forward to a new
heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness on
the Day of the Lord. On that day, the Son of Man
comes in the clouds, sends his angels down, and
they gather His elect. Peter is a letter written
from Peter to the elect throughout the Northern
Provinces. John (Rv.1) in A.D.69 writes the
revelation for God to show his servants what must
"soon" take place, "soon" in A.D.69. In Rv.21,
John saw a new heaven and new earth. The first
heaven and first earth had passed away. The
cowardly, unbelieving, the vile, the murderers,
the sexually immoral, those who practice magic
arts, the idolaters and all liars, - their place
will be the fiery lake of burning surfer. This is
the second death. So what is the first death? The
first death likely happens on the Day of the Lord
when the angels come down and gather the elect,
those who Peter was writing to. Those elect likely
suffered the first death when they were taken. The
familiar heaven and earth passed away, and then
they saw a new heaven and new earth with no sea, a
Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down from
heaven from God. They did not suffer the second
death. The new heaven and new earth is the
perspective of those who were taken on the Day of
the Lord. What is the first heaven and first
earth? It is the world we are familiar with before
death. So what happened on the Day of the Lord?
Vesuvius erupted on August
24, 79. The elect Peter addressed did not see any
volcanos, however, the ash plume swept over them
heading East. As described extensively in Prophecy
Paradox,
the Case for a first Century End Time the
elect saw their heavens disappear with a roar and
destroyed by fire. Elements were destroyed by fire
and melted in the heat.
Evidence here is consistent.
Simple answers should be considered first. Today
we are still here.
3. Why
do we believe in a future End Time?
The reasoning goes something like this.
Since the Bible is the inerrant word of God, all
prophecy must be fulfilled. Any predictions which
have not yet come to pass must be fulfilled in our
future. Therefore the End Time including the
Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ, and
Armageddon must be yet future.
This logic opens many
doors to "interpretation" of the Bible to force a
future End Time while the intent of the passage
seems to be an imminent End Time in the near
future of the disciples.
This reasoning presumes
all prophecy has not been fulfilled. This is due
to lack of knowledge, historical ignorance, gaps
in historical accounts, a religion so focused on a
future End Time and Return of Christ that other
considerations are abominations, abundance of
assumptions, and seminary schools standardized so
most graduates don't think beyond this faulty
logic and do not consider other
possibilities.
4. If
Jesus already returned, how do we fit into God's
plan?
In the New
Testament, future generations are called "the age
to come" and "all generations forever and
ever". See Mt.12:32, Mk.10:31, Lk.18:29,30,
Jn.3:5, Eph.1:21, Eph.2:4-7, Eph.3:21, Jude
1:25. You will find the "ages to come" and "all
generations forever and ever" (that's us) are
blessed with the Holy Spirit, Eternal Life,
forgiveness, the Kingdom of God, and we are saved
by grace, and are blessed with the glory and grace
in the Church and Jesus Christ..
You may order PROPHECY
PARADOX:
The Case for a First Century End Time,
through Amazon.com.
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