P.O. Box 5251, Denver, Colorado 80217, USA
Volume 1 - Number 5
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Melchizedek Vigilance P.O. Box 5251, Denver, Colorado 80217, USA Volume 1 - Number 5 |
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CONTENTS:
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Definitions:
1. IDENTITY: A movement dedicated to indexing WHOM the Bible was written to, including the prophecies, Covenants and Commandments. It is mainly concerned with identifying who the Israel of God is historically in both the Old and New Testaments. 2. ESCHATOLOGY: ("eschotos" is Greek for "last.") This domain of theology refers to "the study of last things" 3. PRETERISM: (From "Preterit" meaning: past tense). The term preterist is a theological designation for the eschatological view that holds that all prophecy of the Apocalypse has already come to fruition or been fulfilled. INDEXING: To understand & accurately interpret the Scriptures we need to index the following:
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Men who don't "rightly divide the Word of God" do violence to it by not understanding what law was ended at the cross. The carnal Mosaic law that was added because of transgression was what Christ fulfilled and "nailed to the cross."
God's Law is called the "Law of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:24)
The Mosaic Law Ordinances were called the "Law of Moses" (Luke 2:22)
God's Law is the "Royal Law" (James 2:8)
The Mosaic Law was a "Law contained in ordinances" (Eph. 2:15)
God wrote His law on stone (Ex. 31:18; 32:16)
and later on the hearts of men. (Jer. 31:33, Heb 8:8-10)
Moses Law was written by Moses in a book (II Chron. 35:12)
God's Law was placed inside the ark (Exodus. 40:20)
Moses Law was placed in the side of the ark. (Deut. 31:26)
God's Law will stand forever. (Ps 111:7-9, Luke 16:17)
Moses Law ended at the cross (Eph. 2:15,16; Col. 2:14)
"the ordinances that were against us."
God's Law points out sin. (Romans 7:7; 3:20)
Moses law was added becuase of sin. (Gal. 3:19)
God's Law judges all men. (James 2:10-12)
Moses Law judges no man. (Col. 2:14-16)
God's Law is spiritual. (Romans 7:14)
Moses Law was carnal. (Hebrews 7:16)
God's Law is perfect. (Psalms 19:7)
Moses Law made nothing perfect. (Hebrews 7:19)
Look at a coal covered with ashes; there is nothing appearing in the hearth but only dead ashes; there is neither light, nor smoke, nor heat; and yet when these embers are stirred to the bottom, there are found some living gleams, which do but contain fire, and are apt to propagate it. Many a Christian breast is like this heart, no life or grace appearing there for the time, either to his own sense or to the apprehension of others. Whilst the season of temptation lasteth, all seems cold and dead; yet still at the worst there is a secret coal in his bosom, which, upon the gracious motion of the Almighty, doth manifest some remainders of that Divine fire, as is easily raised to a perfect flame. Let no man, therefore, deject himself, or censure others, for the utter extinction of that spirit which doth but hide itself in the soul for a glorious advantage. -- Spencer.
(With 12 responsible apocalypticism responses)
1. Lifting "The Last Days" out of their 1st century, historical context and reapplying them to our times, today.
One Problem: every mention of the "last days" or equivalents (last times, last hour) in the New Testament refers to the 1st Century. There are no execeptions. Check: Heb. 1:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18; I John 2:18.
2. Separating Daniel's 70th Week from his other 69 weeks, inserting a time gap of indeterminable length and calling it a future, 7-year tribulation period.
Daniel's 70 Weeks of years (490 years) were literally, perfectly and sequentially fulfilled, within the time frame of his four world empires. Its starting point was the Decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C.. Its finishing point was in 34 A.D., when the time deterimed exclusively upon the Jews (Judaites) was over the gospel was free to go to the Gentiles (Israel dispersed abroad). There is no scriptural warrant, nor precedent, for inserting a gap of any kind of duration.
3. Claiming the "This Generation" in Jesus' Olivet Discourse, which would experience everything He described, means some other, yet-future generation.
Every New Testament use (36) of the phrase "this generation" always refers to the generation then-and-there present in the 1st Century. See, for example: (Mt. 23:36; 11:16; 12:41,42; 16:4). Jesus' usage in Matthew 24 was no different. He never mentioned nor inferred any other generation different from that of those He was addressing.
4. Assuming the book of Revelation [or most of it] is a forecast of future world events still unfilfilled.
This assumption violates what the book of Revelation says about itself. In both its prologue and epilogue, it states, concerning the whole of its prophecy, that it was: "at hand," "obeyable" and, finally, "not to be sealed up." Revelation's total relevance starts in the lifetime of its original hearers. But it doesn't stop there.
5. 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."
Daniel's two visions (Daniel 2 & 7) portrayed four, successive world empires, not five. They were: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the 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 hijinks.
6. Teaching that 1st century social, political and religious conditions must be re-enacted for endtimes fulfillment to occur, again.
Why go through this needless redundancy and gyration? The source of almost all entimes error is in the failure of interpreters to recognize the significance of the historical events surrounding the predicted destruction of Jerusalem, the Jewish temple and biblical Judaism in 70 A.D.... the real Endtimes.
7. Limiting the comings of Jesus to only two, or three.
The popular use of so-called "Second Coming" terminology has conditioned us to a flawed, two-advent mindset. Not only is this not the terminology of Scripture, it's not its pattern or concept, either. The many comings of Jesus run like a thread through both the Old and New Testaments. Many different and varied types of His comings are also promised. Remember, "hope deferred makes the heart [the "church"] sick." (Proverbs 13:12).
8. Postponing all or part of the coming (i.e. consummation) of the Kingdom of God.
Daniel prophesied the coming of ONLY ONE, everlasting Kingdom of God. It was to take place in the days of the fourth world empire (the old Roman empire). That kingdom is THE kingdom which John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed as "at hand." What's more, Jesus' coming in power and glory consummated that kingdom when the old Judaic system was completely destroyed. All this occurred exactly as and when Jesus said ‹ within the lifetime of those then living (Mt. 10:23; 16:28; 24:30-34; 26:64).
9. Misusing Jesus' 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.
Scriptures is precise in its use of time statements. For 1st Century believers, not being able to know the "day or hour" was no excuse. Jesus emphatically warned "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies. . . get out" (Lk. 21:20-21). Armies surrounded Jerusalem four times in 66, 67, 68 and, lastly, in 70 A.D..... Those who read this sign and acted in time, escaped. Those who didn't, or wouldn't, suffered the wrath of God's judgment at this particular, time-restricted and end-of-the-age coming of Jesus.
10. Subscribing to a pagan, "End-of-the-world" paradigm.
Do you know what the Bible says about an "end of the world?" Nothing. What do the historical creeds say? Again, Nothing. What the Bible actually says is:
11. Conceding by default that all 1st century imminency expectations of the New Testament writers, the early church believers and Jesus Himself proved false.
If our 1st Century ancestors in the faith, and even Jesus Himself, were mistaken about something as important as the coming again of Jesus and "the end of all things is at hand" (I Peter 4:7) as being imminent in their lifetimes, how can we now trust them for passing on any other aspects of the faith? They were not mistaken.
12. Buying into a new teaching in church history (last 150 years) of an escape from this planet, from this life's tribulations and from Kingdom responsibilities.
The relatively new teaching of a "rapture-removal" from planet Earth is a distortion of key scriptures historically interpreted to refer to a general resurrection. Jesus specifically prayed against the human weakness for removal (Jn. 17:15). And His prayer is still in effect.
Are You Tired of Supporting an Ungodly State that Refuses
to Be Accountable to the Law of God?
Would You Like to Learn How to Get Out of the Way
of the Gov't Train?
Would You Like to Learn How it is Possible to Live
in God's Kingdom NOW and Keep the Gov't Train from Running You Down?