Is the second coming of Christ near?

[Sorn]

Not really, a Jew must be circumcised at the 8th day, keeping kosher diet (no pork or hsellfish) and resting on Sabbath. I doubt every pilgrim at Jerusalem met these criteria.

Perhaps, perhaps not, but if not then they would have been proselytes, people who had converted to Judaism, mostly as adults, so they probably wold have refrained form Pork, don't know about circumcision but they may have done that too at conversion.
Still counted as being part of the Jewish peoples at that point or if you like, they had availed themselves of the only way to be saved up until Christs death & also when God offered salvation directly to the gentiles without having to convert to Judasim 1st via Sauls conversion & mission.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

The restored fig tree prophetically refers to Israel

No, it doesn't. And that verse from Hosea is about Israel falling.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

At the conversion of Saul, God officially bypassed Judasim

Wasn't it the conversion of Cornelius that saw God revealing that gentiles were as much God's people as were Jews.

 

[Sorn]

Wasn't it the conversion of Cornelius that saw God revealing that gentiles were as much God's people as were Jews.

Could be viewed that way also, though its Saul / Paul that was given the specific commission to reach out to gentiles. Peter & the others were primarily focused on Jews

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Perhaps, perhaps not, but if not then they would have been proselytes, people who had converted to Judaism, mostly as adults, so they probably wold have refrained form Pork, don't know about circumcision but they may have done that too at conversion.
Still counted as being part of the Jewish peoples at that point or if you like, they had availed themselves of the only way to be saved up until Christs death & also when God offered salvation directly to the gentiles without having to convert to Judasim 1st via Sauls conversion & mission.

That's because Christ is THE intermediary between man and God, we don't need to confess our sins and bring offering to a Levitical priest - or a catholic priest, for that matter - to communicate with God anymore, we worship in spirit and in truth. If we're born of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit will point us to Christ. This direct access is explained in the book of Hebrews.

 

[JohnD70X7]

No, it doesn't. And that verse from Hosea is about Israel falling.

Yes it does.
Most of scripture is about Israel failing.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Most of scripture is about Israel failing.

A lot is, you're right on the score.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

or a catholic priest, for that matter

Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. ​

James 5:14-16 DRB

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. ​

James 5:14-16 DRB

I'm sorry to say this, but back in days of the black death, priests who followed this instruction spread the plague to the entire continent. The Catholic church's power and authority received a fatal blow, as no sick man was saved by them.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

I'm sorry to say this, but back in days of the black death, priests who followed this instruction spread the plague to the entire continent. The Catholic church's power and authority received a fatal blow, as no sick man was saved by them.

Such was the case, what does that teach us?

Is healing an automatic grace gift upon belief? evidently not.

And, I wonder, how did we get into healing as topic in a thread about dispensationalism and the complicated graphs, diagrams, verse collections and idea shuffling that the original post contains?

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

And, I wonder, how did we get into healing as topic in a thread about dispensationalism and the complicated graphs, diagrams, verse collections and idea shuffling that the original post contains?

Then let's return to the topic of the OP. I don't like those complicated graphs and the slice and dice approach, though. I read the bible as one coherent book with one coherent narrative. If you read a thick novel, you start from the introduction, not volume II or the epilogue. If you insist to start from volume II or the epilogue, you get confused, and instead of going back to the beginning, you opt to make up wild theories, draw graphs to illustrate your theories, and look for proof in other books to validate your theory, don't you think it's kind of silly?

 

[JohnD70X7]

Note in the discourse the underlined pivotal indicator when these things will take palce:

Matthew 24:1–44 (KJV)
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand...
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

What is the lesson of the fig tree? And why did Jesus curse the fig tree in the first place?

Hosea 9:10 (KJV)
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

There is a pre-seasonal fig that is particularly sweet which Jesus sought (prophetically symbolic of a harvest of any or all in Israel who understood God's Messianic plan) and he found none (in either case).

Mark 11:12–14 (KJV)
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Mark 11:20–23 (KJV)
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Israel has already been regathered into the Holy Land (by 75 years now). The fig tree is regenerated (Ezekiel 37) but there is no breath in them / no fruit. Just as Jesus said about the fig tree never producing fruit again. It will bring forth leaves, the fig tree / Israel in the rebuilt 3rd temple but it will not be the fruit of the Spirit but the place where the antichrist will defile the Holiest Place (Daniel 9:27 / Matthew 24:15 / 2 Thessalonians 2:3-11).

Interesting how the Bible consistently describes fig leaves as the useless attempt of man at religion / covering his sins. Fig leaves are what Adam and Eve first tried to cover their nakedness (and their sin) with.

The fig tree is Israel and when it produces leaves it will be the sign of the time that the end and the great tribulation are near even at the door.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Then let's return to the topic of the OP. I don't like those complicated graphs and the slice and dice approach, though. I read the bible as one coherent book with one coherent narrative. If you read a thick novel, you start from the introduction, not volume II or the epilogue. If you insist to start from volume II or the epilogue, you get confused, and instead of going back to the beginning, you opt to make up wild theories, draw graphs to illustrate your theories, and look for proof in other books to validate your theory, don't you think it's kind of silly?

I agree about the diagrams and complicated theories, they make the bible so obscure that no one has a hope of understanding it - you just end up following the theories of some person who claims to KNOW what it is all about.

 

[Diamond7]

Not really, a Jew must be circumcised at the 8th day, keeping kosher diet (no pork or hsellfish) and resting on Sabbath. I doubt every pilgrim at Jerusalem met these criteria.

The conservatives who follow all of this do not judge the liberals who do not. The only test in Israel is they have to serve in the military. Personally, I think there is something hot about women trained to use automatic weapons.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

The conservatives who follow all of this do not judge the liberals who do not. The only test in Israel is they have to serve in the military. Personally, I think there is something hot about women trained to use automatic weapons.

View attachment 336019

Please note that circumcision ONLY APPLIES ON MEN, no women is concerned. There's abundant scientific evidence showing that circumcision improves hygiene in male nether region and greatly lowers STD risks. There is no female circumcision, labiaplasty for medical or cosmetic purpose is NOT female circumcision.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

I agree about the diagrams and complicated theories, they make the bible so obscure that no one has a hope of understanding it - you just end up following the theories of some person who claims to KNOW what it is all about.

More importantly, we need holistic approach to view the bible as a consistent narrative, an overarching Judeo-Christian worldview, and we need to know the summary of each individual book and each collection of books (pentateuch, hisotory, wisdom, prophecies, gospels, epistles, etc.), the genral historic and cultural context. Then, whichever verse we read and whatever doctrine we come up with, put that into this narrative and see if it fits. If it doesn't fit into the narrative, then there's probably something wrong about it.

 

[Diamond7]

Please note that circumcision ONLY APPLIES ON MEN, no women is concerned.

What does circumcision have to do with it. They do not follow the man, they follow the women. You are "Jewish" if your mother is "Jewish".

The determination for Halacha (Jewish law) that legal Jewish status was through the mother wasn't merely because of the biological certainty of birth, but also because the mother was understood as the ultimate Jewish guarantor for appropriate traditional religious rearing.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

What does circumcision have to do with it. They do not follow the man, they follow the women. You are "Jewish" if your mother is "Jewish".

The determination for Halacha (Jewish law) that legal Jewish status was through the mother wasn't merely because of the biological certainty of birth, but also because the mother was understood as the ultimate Jewish guarantor for appropriate traditional religious rearing.

Maybe, but by the Lord's standards, there are fake Jews from the "synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9, 3:9), and it is no coincidence that they're lurking in the only two good churches (Smyrna and Philadelphia) out of the seven. Yeah, I know this is a common antisemitic term that could trigger a maelstrom of anger, but that's what the bible says. They may be ethical Jews by your worldly standard, but they are disqualified by God's standard.

 

[Laureate]

Jesus didn't refer to "the generation that sees the return of Israel to her homeland".

He said "this generation". Jesus refers to things that were fulfilled in the lifetime of His original audience, most notably, the destruction of the Temple.

Jesus is also very clear that He returns when we don't know. Our Lord could return in ten minutes or ten thousand years. Since we do not know, and since when He comes He comes without warning, speculating is a useless thing to do.

The Lord will return when He returns.
Until then be a faithful servant.

-CryptoLutheran

More specifically he said, No Man Knows the Day or Hour but the Father, and in Revelations an Angel is Sent to preach the Everlasting Gospel and declare the Hour of Judgement.

Revelation 14:6-7
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice,

Fear Alohym and give glory to him; for the Hour of his Judgment has Come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

This could only be the Father himself, for Yeshuah said he would Send the Spirit of Truth, for the Father desires to be acknowledged in Spirit and Truth.

The Gospel is Preached, and then the End Comes, just as it was in the days of Noah, who was Sent to be a Comforter, and usher in the Great and Dreadful Day.

The First Called to Work in the Vineyard is the Last person Called to Work in the Vineyard, according to Yeshuah and Yeshayahu 51 we should be Looking for Father Abvraham.

And let every believer receive his Penny, hmmm, let me see your Penny, ummm, Whose Image and Superscription is on this Penny? Abvraham! You say? Hmmm, that’s quite interesting, interesting indeed.

I’ll put my money on his return being in a dispensation where Abraham is printed on a Penny.

Render unto Caesar his Coin, and those who have the Name of Alohym written in their heart, yea render those who bear the image and likeness of Alohym unto Alohym.

 

[John Helpher]

That does not bode so well for anyone determined to pay no attention to these warnings of Christ, written in scripture.

To me, it looks like Jesus is addressing a kind of panic setting in. It's probably a reference to the pre-trib crowd. Their belief in a pre-trib rapture is so strong that even blatant reality won't changes their minds. In their panic, they will conclude that Jesus must have already returned, and it's just a matter of going to where ever he might be.