The Christian brotherhood is made up of spiritual brothers of course.
So in the sense of a brotherhood Christians are brothers.
Who are the 'sheep' of Matthew 25v32 and who are the 'brothers' of verse 40 ?
They are not one in the same are they?
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how does a christian understand the bible?
- Thread starter waitasec
- Start date
The Christian brotherhood is made up of spiritual brothers of course.
So in the sense of a brotherhood Christians are brothers.
Who are the 'sheep' of Matthew 25v32 and who are the 'brothers' of verse 40 ?
They are not one in the same are they?
starlite
Texasgirl
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On the night before Jesus was put to death that he told his faithful apostles: In the house of my Father there are many abodes. I am going my way to prepare a place for you, that where I am you also may be. He further said to them: I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom. (John 14:2, 3; Luke 22:29) However, Jesus did not mean that only those apostles would rule with him in his heavenly Kingdom. Later it was made known that 144,000 redeemed from the earth would have that privilege as well.[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] Jehovah began selecting them at Pentecost 33 C.E., shortly after he resurrected Jesus. [/FONT][/FONT]
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The Scriptures say much about the fleshly Israelites and also speak of the spiritual Israel of God. They were members of Gods new nation, not on the basis of their Jewish descent, but on the basis of faith in Jesus. Thus, this new Israel of God was something uniquea spiritual nation. When the majority of the Jews refused to accept Jesus, the invitation to be part of the new nation was extended to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. The new nation was called the Israel of God.Jewish and Gentile believers were to make up the full number of this group anointed by Gods holy spirit. The book of Revelation shows that the total number of spiritual Israel is 144,000, all of whom are shown with the Lamb, Jesus Christ, on heavenly Mount Zion. Along with Christ, they would be kings and priests in heaven. (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-4; 20:6) [/FONT]
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Once Jesus was ruling as King of God's heavenly government the resurrection of those who would be ruling with him began. Since we are now living in his presence some are still alive on earth. In order to be raised to heaven they would first die as did Jesus and the others. (1Corinthians 15:30)[/FONT]
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Luke 22: 28-30 However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; 29 and I make a covenant with YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 that YOU may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 We the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangels voice and with Gods trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with the Lord. [/FONT]
waitasec
Veteran Member
i still don't see what this has anything to do with pauls letter to thessalonia...
paul expected for jesus to come back before he died when he wrote that letter...he used "we" which includes him-paul.
"According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep..."
in the other passages i posted he speaks of "the the time is short" and jesus will not delay...
as far as revelations is concerned;
Dating
According to early tradition, this book was composed near the end of Domitian's reign, around the year 95 AD. Others contend for an earlier date, 68 or 69 AD, in the reign of Nero or shortly thereafter.[23] The majority of modern scholars accept one of these two dates, with most accepting the Domitianic one.[5]
Those who favour the later date appeal to the earliest external testimony, that of the Christian father Irenaeus (c. 150-202),[24] who wrote that he received his information from people who knew John personally. Domitian, according to Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263–339), started the persecution referred to in the book. While some recent scholars have questioned the existence of a large-scale Domitian persecution,[25] others believe that Domitian's insistence on being treated as a god may have been a source of friction between the Church and Rome.[26]
The earlier date, first proposed in modern times by John Robinson in a closely argued chapter of "Redating the New Testament" (1976), relies on the book's internal evidence, given that no external testimony exists earlier than that of Irenaeus, noted above, and the earliest extant manuscript evidence of Revelation (P98) is likewise dated no earlier than the late 2nd century. This early dating is centered on the preterist interpretation of chapter 17, where the seven heads of the "beast" are regarded as the succession of Roman emperors up to the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.[27]
John W. Marshall dates the book to 69 or early 70 AD, saying it predates any formal separation of Christianity and Judaism,[28] and that it is a thoroughly Jewish text.[29]
Some interpreters attempt to reconcile the two dates by placing the visions themselves at the earlier date (during the 60s) and the publication of Revelation under Domitian, who reigned in the 90s when Irenaeus says the book was written.[30]
Book of Revelation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
if i'm not mistaken..the gospels and NT letters were written after the destruction of the temple. which had to have been something the jews needed to reconcile as to why god allowed this to happen in order to keep their faith and a hope for a brighter future alive...since the temple was destroyed, paul and jesus' contemporaries believed the 2nd coming was just around the corner...
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starlite
Texasgirl
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The apostle Paul wrote the Thessalonians: Respecting the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here.2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2.[/FONT]
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Pauls words indicate that some early Christians had developed erroneous expectations. Although the Christians in Thessalonica may not have predicted a particular date for their being gathered to Christ in heaven, they clearly thought that event was at hand. They needed to have their views corrected, and Pauls letter did this.[/FONT]
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Consider what occurred in the first century. When Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, his apostles eagerly asked: Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? They wanted to enjoy all the blessings of the Kingdom right away, but Jesus said: It does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.Acts 1:6, 7.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Just three days before his death, Jesus had spoken similarly: Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. He added: Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father. Keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is. A few months earlier, Jesus had also encouraged: Keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely the Son of man is coming.Luke 12:40.[/FONT]
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So, early Christians, eager for Christs presence and the blessings it would bring, began speculating about when Kingdom promises would be fulfilled. Jesus closest followers were so anxious for the end to come quickly that they overlooked what he had recently told them about physical evidences that had to develop during his presence prior to that end.[/FONT]
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So...could it be that he has already returned in Kingdom power and that the world in general is not aware of this?[/FONT]
waitasec
Veteran Member
ok know i see what you mean. thank you for clearing that up.
i found this...you may find it interesting
The traditional view is that the second epistle to the Thessalonians was probably written from Corinth not many months after the first. Apparently the first letter was misunderstood, especially regarding the second advent of Christ. The Thessalonians had embraced the idea that Paul had taught that "the day of Christ was at hand", that Christ's coming was about to occur. This error is corrected (2:1-12), and the apostle announces what first must take place before the end times. The "Great Apostasy" is first mentioned here as is the "Katechon".
Second Epistle to the Thessalonians - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Katechon (from Greek: τὸ κατέχον, "that what withholds", or ὁ κατέχων, "the one who withholds") is a biblical concept which has subsequently developed into a notion of political philosophy.
The term is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 in an eschatological context: Christians must not behave as if the Day of the Lord would happen tomorrow, since the Son of Perdition (the Antichrist of 1 and 2 John ) must be revealed before. Paul then adds that the revelation of the Antichrist is conditional upon the removal of "something/someone that restrains him" and prevents him to be fully manifested. Verse 6 uses the neuter gender, τὸ κατέχον; and verse 7 the masculine, ὁ κατέχων.
The interpretation of this passage has raised many problems, since Paul does not speak clearly.
The following interpretations has been given : the katechon is
The Name of God (or God's presence)
The Holy Spirit
The Archangel Michael
The Catholic Church (and the perpetual sacrifice of the Eucharist)
The Pope
The Christian Emperor
The Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire (not the pagan Roman Empire)
Some more or less important eschatological figure(s) preceding the Antichrist and the end of times (like the two witnesses of the Book of Revelation).
The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions consider that the Antichrist will come at the End of the World. The katechon, what restrains his coming, was someone or something that was known to the Thessalonians and active in their time: "You know what is restraining" (2:6). As the Catholic New American Bible states, "Traditionally, 2 Thes 2:6 has been applied to the Roman empire and 2 Thes 2:7 to the Roman emperor ... as bulwarks holding back chaos (cf Romans 13:1-7)..."[1] However, some understand katechon as the Grand Monarch or a new Orthodox Emperor, some as the rebirth of the Holy Roman Empire (see, e.g., Ultimate Things: An Orthodox Christian Perspective on the End Times, Dennis Eugene Engleman, Conciliar Press, 1995).
In Nomos of the Earth, German political thinker Carl Schmitt suggests the historical importance within traditional Christianity of the idea of the katechontic "restrainer" that allows for a Rome-centered Christianity, and that "meant the historical power to restrain the appearance of the Antichrist and the end of the present eon." The katechon represents, for Schmitt, the intellectualization of the ancient Christianum Imperium, with all its police and military powers to enforce orthodox ethics (see Carl Schmitt, The Nomos of the Earth in the International Law of the Jus Publicum Europaeum, G.L. Ulmen, trs., (New York: Telos, 2003), pp. 59-60.)
Paolo Virno has a long discussion of the katechon in his book Multitude: Between Innovation and Negation [1]. He refers to Schmitt's discussion. Virno says that Schmitt views the katechon as something that impedes the coming of the Antichrist, but because the coming of the Antichrist is a condition for the redemption promised by the Messiah, the katechon also impedes the redemption.[1]p.60.
Virno uses "katechon" to refer to that which impedes both the War of all against all (Bellum omnium contra omnes) and totalitarianism, for example the society in Orwell's Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four). It impedes both but eliminates neither. Virno locates the katechon in the human ability to use language, which makes it possible to conceive of the negation of something, and also allows the conceptualization of something which can be other than what it is; and in the bioanthropological behavior of humans as social animals, which allows people to know how to follow rules without needing a rule to tell how to follow a rule, then a rule to tell how to follow that rule, and so on to infinity. These capabilities permit people to create social institutions and to dissolve or change them.
Katechon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
there are other letters in which paul states a sense of urgency, for example 1 cor 7:29
What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not
given the political climate of that time... highly improbable.
i recommend if you haven't seen it already...
FRONTLINE: from jesus to christ - the first christians: watch the full program online | PBS
starlite
Texasgirl
Katechon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
there are other letters in which paul states a sense of urgency, for example 1 cor 7:29
What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not
All were encouraged to "keep on the watch".
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As to the early Christians belief in the imminence of Christs presence, a scholarly reference work states: The case for assuming that Paul expected the parousia soon in 1 Thess. is far from water-tight. As early as 1 Thess. 5:10 Paul reckoned with the possibility that he might die. The possibility cannot be dismissed that in speaking of we in 1 Thess. 4:15 and 17 Paul was identifying himself with the last generation without necessarily supposing that he himself belonged to it. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul clearly stated that he did not hope to receive his reward until that day, the day of Christs manifestation in his Kingdom, when He would judge the living and the dead.2 Timothy 4:1, 8.[/FONT]
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While awaiting Jesus Christs presence and the coming of his Kingdom, Christians were to remain watchful. Proper Christian alertness enabled the Judean Christians to recognize the sign Jesus had given for the approaching destruction of Jerusalem. (Luke 21:20-24) When Cestius Gallus attacked Jerusalem in 66 C.E., vigilant Christians took advantage of his sudden, inexplicable withdrawal and fled from the city as well as from the surrounding territory of Judea. According to early church historians Hegesippus, Eusebius and Epiphanius, the Judean Christians took refuge across the Jordan at a place called Pella. Being spiritually wide awake saved them from death or captivity when the Roman armies returned in 70 C.E. under General Titus and destroyed Jerusalem. How happy these Christians must have been that they had kept on the watch.[/FONT]
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Christians had to be parousia oriented. That is, day by day they had to live in expectation of Christs presence. Ernst Benz, a professor of church history, writes: The last things were the first things, in terms of urgency, for the faithful of the early church. The central content of their faith and their hope was the coming Kingdom of God. Even if the Kingdom were not to come during their lifetime, this proper attitude of expectation would protect Christians from becoming spiritually drowsy and getting involved with Satans world.1 John 2:15-17.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Admittedly, as the apostasy developed after the death of the apostles, some got wrong ideas as to the nearness of Christs coming in his Kingdom. In his work The Early Church and the World, C. J. Cadoux states: Irenæus [second century C.E.] and Hippolytus [late second, early third century C.E.] both thought it was possible to calculate with some degree of accuracy the time when the end would come. Some, due to faulty chronology, thought that 6,000 years of human history had nearly elapsed and that the advent of the seventh millennium was near. They were wrong, of course. But at least they were endeavoring to keep spiritually awake.[/FONT]
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On the other hand, most apostate Christians lost all sense of urgency and expectation of the Kingdom. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament informs us: Influenced by the metaphysics [philosophy] of Plato and the ethics of the Stoics, the Christian Apologists [second- and early third-century church fathers] make little use of the concept of the kingdom of God. In so far as they have an eschatology, it is dominated by the idea of the perfection of the individual Christian. . . . Greek concepts of immortality, eternal life and knowledge are more important than the biblical concept of the [Kingdom of God]. . . . Similarly in Origen [c. 185c. 254 C.E.], . . . there is almost no place at all for the biblical message of the kingdom of God.[/FONT]
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In the main, this was the attitude that prevailed throughout the centuries among the so-called Christian churches. The Encyclopædia Britannica reveals: Since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine (died 337) the political recognition of Christianity has been understood as a realized hope in the Kingdom of Christ. Futuristic eschatology continued to exist in the suppressed underground sects. In the period before the 16th-century Reformation, heretical groups . . . accused the Roman Church of betraying the original eschatological imminent expectation.[/FONT]
starlite
Texasgirl
(2:1-12), and the apostle announces what first must take place before the end times. The "Great Apostasy" is first mentioned here as is the "Katechon".
given the political climate of that time... highly improbable.
Who then would you say make up the AntiChrist?
Bible prophecy and secular history indicate that Jesus Christ has already begun ruling as King of God's Kingdom.
waitasec
Veteran Member
what i find interesting is that these letters from paul were for his contemporaries. meaning, he did not think that 2000 yrs later people would still be reading his letters. same with the "prophecy" of the destruction of the temple jesus made in luke. he was speaking to his disciples and said "this generation will not pass"'
from what i get, the destruction of the temple is directly correlated with the end times
luke 21:20When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
so here is the destruction of the temple
25 There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
2000 yrs later?
29 He told them this parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
jesus was talking to his contemporaries...that is what the narrative indicates
32 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
many scholars believe that luke/acts was written after the destruction of the temple because of: Differences of chronology, "style", and theology suggest that the author of Luke-Acts was not familiar with Paul's distinctive theology but instead was writing a decade or more after his death, by which point significant harmonization between different traditions within Early Christianity had occurred.[68] Furthermore, Luke-Acts has views on Jesus' divine nature, the end times, and salvation that are similar to the those found in Pastoral epistles, which are often seen as pseudonymous and of a later date than the undisputed Pauline Epistles.[69]
Some scholars from the Jesus Seminar argue that the birth narratives of Luke and Matthew are a late development in gospel writing about Jesus.[32] In this view, Luke might have originally started at 3:1,[32] with John the Baptist....
...Like Mark (but unlike Matthew), the intended audience is Gentile, and it assures readers that Christianity is an international religion, not an exclusively Jewish sect. Luke portrays his subject in a positive light regarding Roman authorities.[66] For example, the Jews are said to be responsible for Jesus' crucifixion, with Pontius Pilate finding no wrong in him.[66]
The Gospel is addressed to the author's patron, Theophilus, which in Greek simply means friend of God[77] or (be)loved by God or loving God,[78] and may not be a name but a generic term for a Christian. The Gospel is clearly directed at Christians, or at those who already knew about Early Christianity, rather than a general audience, since the ascription goes on to state that the Gospel was written "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:34).
Gospel of Luke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
starlite
Texasgirl
waitasec
Veteran Member
that is why i mentioned that luke's audience was primarily gentiles.
what do you suppose the "time of the gentiles are fulfilled" means?
i have a feeling it means when all the gentiles of the roman empire have been exposed to the message of christ... their time has been fulfilled.
starlite
Texasgirl
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]During the appointed times of the nations, also called the times of the Gentiles worldly governments would be allowed to interrupt rulership approved by God. That period began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. Jesus regarded Jerusalem as Israels capital city, where kings anointed by Jehovah in the line of David sat upon Jehovahs throne, ruling as kings for Jehovah God. The fact that the kings in Davids line sat on the throne of the kingship of Jehovah underscored the truth that the kingdom really was Gods. The kingdom of Israel as centered in Jerusalem was a typical kingdom of God. Jerusalem thus stood for the kingdom of God.[/FONT]
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Jesus said Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) When did this trampling begin? Clearly, it began long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, for human kings in the line of David had long since ceased to reign in Jerusalem. The Davidic dynasty of kings came to an end when King Zedekiah was dethroned by the invading Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet Ezekiel foretold the dethroning of Zedekiah--Ezekiel 21:26, 27. The promised Messiah would regain that right and rule in the kingdom of God forever. (Luke 1:32, 33) The prophet Daniel gives us the clue as to how long until the Gentile times would end and the Messiah would begin his rule--and seven times themselves will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind, and that to the one whom he wants to he gives it. (Daniel 4:32)[/FONT]
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The seven times as applied to the Gentile Times must be much longer than seven literal years. Remember, Jesus spoke of the fulfilling or ending of these Gentile Times in connection with the conclusion of the system of things. How long were the seven times, or appointed times of the nations, to last? Obviously, they would extend much longer than 7 literal years of 360 days each, which would amount to 2,520 days. Scriptural precedent indicates that we should substitute one year for each day. ( Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6 ) Such a calculation would mean that the seven times lasted 2,520 years. If they began with Jerusalems destruction in 607 B.C.E., they would end in the year__________. This calculation determines that Jesus has already begun ruling as the Messianic King of God's Kingdom. [/FONT]
waitasec
Veteran Member
daniel 4 was about king nebuchadnezzar...who reigned c. 605 BC 562 BC
i'm not understanding how you come to this conclusion...can you explain how you can come with this understanding that,
numbers 14 is about how long the jews were in the wilderness
ezekial 4 was in reference to nebuchadnezzar's rule
remember the temple was recently destroyed...it was not a good time for the jews...these people were desperately trying to figure out why the kingdom of heaven hadn't arrived
at the time of the temple's destruction everything changed:
The period between the construction of the Second Temple in 515 BCE and its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE witnessed major historical upheavals and significant religious changes that would affect most subsequent Western (or Abrahamic) religions. The origins of the authority of scripture, of the centrality of law and morality in religion, of the synagogue and of apocalyptic expectations for the future all developed in the Judaism of this period.
Second Temple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Developing over a period of five centuries (until c.A.D. 500), rabbinic Judaism completed the process already underway, which saw the replacement of the Temple by the synagogue (the Second Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70), of the priest by the rabbi, and of the sacrificial ceremony by the prayer service and study. Basic to these changes was the redaction and codification of the Oral Law (see Mishna; Talmud) and the Midrash, which, as outgrowths of the biblical religion, centered on the relationships between God, His Torah, and His people, Israel. Emphasis was placed upon study of the Torah (in its broadest sense) as the most important religious act, leading to an understanding of the proper way of life; upon the growing need for national restoration in the face of continued Exile from the Promised Land; and upon the function of this world as preparatory for the World to Come (Olam ha-Bah), while not devaluing the importance of life in this world.
Judaism: After the Destruction of the Second Temple — Infoplease.com
remember there was high tension between the jews and the roman empire leading up to the revolt..the gospels were used as propaganda for this new movement to reconcile what was happening and what ended up happening.
how i see it... the jews went through many hardships as they presumed to be gods chosen people...
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. john 4:22
(which was written around the end of the 1st century)
they were nomads and subjected to slavery and their temple was destroyed 2 times. they developed belief that there was a reason for these hardships and that one day they will over come their oppressors...it was their hope for a hopeless time...and now israel is a sovereign state.
it amazes me that these three abrahamic religions are holding the rest of the world hostage for a tiny piece of land in a planet so small compared to the expanse of the universe and that this this bronze age ideal of an ancient tribal tradition of using a scape goat is more awe inspiring...than black holes.
i don't get it....
starlite
Texasgirl
Daniel chapter 4
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As represented by the great tree, Nebuchadnezzar symbolized world rulership. Prophetically it symbolizes the universal sovereignty of Jehovah, the King of the heavens, especially with respect to the earth. Before Jerusalems destruction by the Babylonians, the kingdom centered in that city with David and his heirs sitting on Jehovahs throne represented Gods sovereignty with reference to the earth. (1 Chronicles 29:23) God himself had such sovereignty chopped down and banded in 607 B.C.E. when he used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem. Exercise of divine sovereignty toward the earth by a kingdom in the line of David was restrained for seven times. As previously posted how long were these seven times? When did they begin, and what marked their end?[/FONT]
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During Nebuchadnezzars madness, his very hair grew long just like eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws. (Daniel 4:33) This took longer than seven days or seven weeks. The seven times were treated as seven years by the first-century Jewish historian Josephus. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 10, Chapter 10, paragraph 6) And certain Hebrew scholars have viewed these times as years. Seven years is the rendering in An American Translation, Todays English Version, and the translation by James Moffatt.[/FONT]
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Evidently, Nebuchadnezzars seven times involved seven years. In prophecy, a year averages 360 days, or 12 months of 30 days each. So the kings seven times, or seven years, were 360 days multiplied by 7, or 2,520 days. But what about the major fulfillment of his dream? Since the seven times are prophetic, we must apply to the 2,520 days the Scriptural rule: A day for a year. This rule is set out in a prophecy regarding the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 4:6, 7; compare Numbers 14:34.) The seven times of earths domination by Gentile powers without interference by Gods Kingdom therefore spanned 2,520 years. They began with the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem in the seventh lunar month (Tishri 15) of 607 B.C.E. (2 Kings 25:8, 9, 25, 26) From that point to 1 B.C.E. is 606 years. The remaining 1,914 years stretch from then to 1914 C.E. Thus, the seven times, or 2,520 years, ended by Tishri 15, or October 4/5, 1914 C.E.[/FONT]
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In that year the appointed times of the nations were fulfilled, and God gave rulership to the lowliest one of mankindJesus Christwho had been considered so low by his foes that they even had him impaled. (Daniel 4:17) To enthrone his Messianic King, Jehovah loosened the symbolic iron and copper bands around the rootstock of his own sovereignty. The Most High God thus allowed a royal sprout to grow from it as a manifestation of divine sovereignty toward the earth by means of the heavenly Kingdom in the hands of Davids greatest Heir, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 11:1, 2; Job 14:7-9; Ezekiel 21:27)[/FONT]
starlite
Texasgirl
starlite
Texasgirl
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What were the consequences for Israel's unfaithfulness and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah? Jesus said to the city of Jerusalem: Your house [the temple] is abandoned to you. (Matthew 23:37, 38) Yes, God withdrew his protection, and the Roman armies subsequently destroyed Jerusalem with its temple. With the acceptance of the Gentile Cornelius, God ceased dealing with any person on the basis of national origin. Peter said: For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34, 35) The apostle Paul later wrote: There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. (Romans 10:12) Jews then had the same status before God as non-Jews, and that is still true today.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Following the Babylonian exile, when Israel was restored to its land, the people were to restore true worship in their God-given land. One of the first projects undertaken was the rebuilding of Jehovahs temple in Jerusalem. However, since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E., the temple has never been rebuilt. Instead, in the former temple area stands an Islamic shrine. If the Jews, who say they are under the Mosaic Law, and are Gods chosen people, would not the temple devoted to his worship have been rebuilt?[/FONT]
waitasec
Veteran Member
who says the islamic shrine isn't it?
it's just silly really.
no one is chosen. no one is on gods side.
this only gives way to an undue sense of importance...and ultimately creates division
division leads to justified bias
which perpetuates a state of ignorance
ignorance will lead to hate...
any history book will lay that out for you...
starlite
Texasgirl
Jesus said there would be an identifying mark of his true disciples: John 13:34,35
New International Version (©1984)
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"I'm giving you a new commandment: Love each other in the same way that I have loved you. Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other."
King James Bible
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
waitasec
Veteran Member
yes the bible says very nice things. however, you also need to take a look at history and show me how am i wrong...
starlite
Texasgirl
Further investigation will reveal what I say is true.....