Questions for Bible2

[ThomasGuthler]

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In the U.S., true Christians could begin to come under persecution by the government even before the Antichrist institutes his 42-month Luciferian world-reign (Revelation 13:4-8). What the Luciferians could do is perpetrate a series of false-flag attacks "launched by right wing Christian terrorists" against liberal government and private targets within the U.S. This could enflame public opinion against all "fanatical Christians" and cause them to be focused on as "dangers to society", so that all so-called "fanatical" churches will be shut down and all "intolerant preaching" outlawed as "hate speech".

Even the Bible itself, or at least those parts of it which are deemed "intolerant", could be outlawed as hate speech. This could become a standard law around the world, paving the way for the Antichrist, as anyone who preaches anything against him, even from the Bible, could be arrested. All warnings against him will be silenced. The world will be easy prey after that.

Christians must never become terrorists or "Patriots" employing violence because they are forbidden to use violence against anyone, even in self-defense (Matthew 5:39, 26:52). So any "Christian terrorists" or "Patriots" employing violence won't truly be Christian, even if they're falsely presented as such to the world by the Luciferians, who could have some of their own agents masquerade as Christians and then commit terrorist acts "in the name of the Lord and His Holy Bible", or "in the name of the Christian United States founded by our Christian Founding Fathers".

In the future, Christians could indeed be jailed for "hate crimes", for it could become a hate crime to even say that any GLBT person is a sinner (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9), or to say that anyone of any non-Christian religion is damned (John 3:36).

One way this could come about is by a secret campaign by the Luciferians to paint Biblical Christians as dangerous, violent fanatics. A series of gruesome terrorist attacks against GLBT and non-Christian religious people such as Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, etc. could occur, with false-flag notices appearing on internet web sites claiming responsibility for the attacks, and saying that the victims were "slain in the name of Jesus Christ by the wrath of the Lord of the Holy Bible". This will make the world think that Biblical Christians are starting to get violent against GLBT and non-Christian religious people, so that laws will be immediately passed to "put a stop to the madness of the fanatical Christians".

Any Christian who refuses to sign a declaration that GLBT people aren't sinners and that those of non-Christian religions won't be damned, could be held indefinitely in detention centers and given "re-education classes" until they agree to sign the declaration. Those who refuse to partake in the classes could be placed in regular prison due to (what could be called) the "dangerous hatred which they have displayed against other people simply because of their sexual orientation or religious views".

It won't matter if a Christian has never committed any violence against other people, the very refusal to sign the declaration could be deemed a case of "hate speech", or even "hate thought against innocent people". It could be said that "Modern society, in this age of terrorism, can no longer afford to condone such vile, medieval thinking".

Even if things reach this state in the future, Biblical Christians must never become violent to (as they could say) "take action to defend our religious and free-speech rights". There must be no modern-day Mattathiases (1 Maccabees 2:1) who take it upon themselves to start murdering government officials (1 Maccabees 2:23-26) and leading armies of rebel Christians against sinners (1 Maccabees 2:44). For this will not only play right into the hands of the government that Biblical Christians are all dangerous, violent fanatics, but will be a direct disobedience to the commands of Christ that Christians are never to use violence: "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matthew 26:52). Even if Christians are attacked violently, they are never to return violence: "I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).

The victory of Christians won't be in their slaughtering sinners, but in their patiently being slaughtered by sinners for the sake of Jesus Christ: "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" (Matthew 24:9). "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:36-37). "And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11).

"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:25). "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35).

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer" (1 Peter 4:12-15).

"And it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them" (Revelation 13:7). "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Revelation 13:10). "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit" (Revelation 14:12-13).

 

[Bible2+]

Thank you for these.

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry as new entries under *Mk. 4:31 and *Gen. 32:2.

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Also, regarding post #78 above, I hope to add a part of the 1st entry as a new entry under *2 Thes. 2:12.

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Thank you for helping me to make these additions to the blog.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't in the blog?

 

[Bible2+]

Also, I hope to add parts of post #81 as a 2nd section under *Rom. 1:26.

 

[ThomasGuthler]

More entries:


Besides miracles, what other "evidence" could Satan employ in his deceiving of the world?

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/do-you-think-its-possible.6701376/#post-42574426

(see the whole page 1)

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Quote: „Jesus humbled himself only to his Father, not to men.“

A: To both (John 13:4-14).

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Those in the church are disciples (Acts 11:26).

The original Greek noun translated as "disciple" simply means a "learner", and Paul uses the verb form of the Greek word to refer to what those in the church have "learned" (Romans 16:17, Philippians 4:9, 2 Timothy 3:14) and need to "learn" (Titus 3:14) and can "learn" (1 Corinthians 14:31, 4:6).

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Hebrews 13:24 says "all the saints", it means "all the other saints" besides "them that have the rule over you" mentioned in the same verse, for "them that have the rule over you" are also saints (Hebrews 13:7,17).

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Jude 1:22-23 refers to the two basic ways that we save people, depending on what those people are like. We save some people by concentrating on God's compassion, His loving mercy toward sinners (Romans 2:4b); while we save other people by concentrating on God's fire-and-brimstone punishment of those sinners who refuse to repent; that is, we save some people primarily through the fear of God (Matthew 10:28b, Revelation 14:6-7).

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The binding of a stone to a scroll by Jeremiah about the fall of the ancient empire of Babylon, and the casting of the scroll into the Euphrates to sink down to the bottom (Jeremiah 51:63-64) could have been a symbolic act which included a representation of the binding of the four powerful fallen angels and their being cast into the Euphrates to sink down to the bottom.

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Psalms 89:34, in its context, refers to the covenant which God made with King David of Israel (Psalms 89:33-55,28,20,3) that his seed will endure for ever, and his throne will endure to all generations, as long as the sun and the moon exist (Psalms 89:4,36-37, cf. Jeremiah 33:20-21).

God won't break this covenant, but will fulfill it at the second coming of Jesus Christ, when Jesus, who in his humanity is of the seed of David (Romans 1:3), will sit upon the throne of David (Luke 1:32, Isaiah 9:7). Jesus will rule the entire world (Psalms 72:8), and the church will rule on the earth with him for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, 5:10, 2:26-29).

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Revelation 19:7-21 makes quite clear which Person of the Godhead will be seen on a white horse at the second coming, for it says regarding that Person: "his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13), and the Word of God is the Son, who has been made flesh (John 1:1,14). Revelation 19:7-21 is the second coming of "this same Jesus" (Acts 1:11), "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

At his second coming, it is the Person of Christ who "treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15); ...

Just as he ascended bodily from the Mount of Olives into heaven, so at his second coming he will descend bodily from heaven to the Mount of Olives: "Then shall YHWH go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:3-4). So Jesus in his body of flesh can be called YHWH as much as the Father can be called YHWH: "YHWH is my shepherd" (Psalms 23:1); "I [Jesus] am the good shepherd" (John 10:11).

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"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." (John 16:2)

The excommunication of John 16:2a had already been happening by the time it was spoken (John 9:22, 12:42), and the murdering of John 16:2b began to be fulfilled as early as the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 6:9,11, 7:59, 22:20).

Verses such as Luke 21:12, Mark 13:9, and Matthew 10:17 could still have an endtime fulfillment for those Christians who will be in Israel when the tribulation begins, when laws could be passed in Israel allowing civilian ultra-Orthodox Jews to enforce laws against Christian proselytizing (they've already conducted a burning of new testaments handed out in one city in Israel), although what is spoken of in those verses began to happen as early as the Jewish persecution of Christians led by Saul in the first century (Acts 22:19, 26:11).

The Greek word translated as "synagogues" in Luke 21:12, Mark 13:9, and Matthew 10:17 is translated as "assembly" in James 2:2 in reference to an assembly of Christians (James 2:1), so the possibility remains open that some endtime Christian assemblies could be involved in the persecution of Christians referred to in these verses, just as Roman Catholicism during the Middle Ages would burn at the stake Christians it considered to be heretics, and just as even the Protestant Calvin agreed to the execution by burning of the heretic Servetus.

Just as Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in the past found ways to rationalize their execution of people they disagreed with theologically, despite the clear scriptural admonitions against Christians committing any violence against anyone, even evil people who have actually harmed them (Matthew 5:39, 26:52), so some endtime Christians could return to the old rationalizations in their executing of people they have some doctrinal disagreement with. We'll have to wait and see.

But even if endtime Christians don't return to executing people over theology, it's clear from scripture that some Christians will betray other Christians, even their closest family members (Mark 13:12), to those who will be hating and killing Christians worldwide (Matthew 24:9-13). The Christians who will betray other Christians could do so to save their own skins, not realizing that in saving their merely mortal lives, they will have forfeited eternal life (Mark 8:35-38). Also, their saving themselves from the Christian-killers will no doubt also require that they themselves formally renounce Christianity, commit apostasy, thereby ensuring their eternal damnation, no matter how saved they may have been up to that time (Hebrews 6:4-8, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 3:5).

 

[ThomasGuthler]

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If Josephus is correct that the Romans didn't completely destroy Jerusalem, but left some towers and part of the city wall "in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified" (War of the Jews, Book 7, Chapter 1), then preterism will have to admit that Luke 19:44 wasn't fulfilled in 70 AD, for Luke 19:44 requires that not one of Jerusalem's stones be left upon another.

Also, nothing Josephus says requires that the Wailing Wall wasn't also left standing by the Romans. He could have not mentioned it, and it could have been spared by the Romans, simply because it had become obscured, and access to it had become blocked, by a mound of temple rubble which had fallen off the Temple Mount.

The Wailing Wall is above ground level, and always has been, for its whole purpose has always been to hold up the higher-level plaza of the Temple Mount.

The Antonia Fortress was just beyond the north end of the temple, whereas the Wailing Wall (also called the Western Wall) supported the southwest side of the temple. There's no proof to the contrary.

If one stands today on the Mount of Olives and looks out over Jerusalem one cannot see the Wailing Wall, because the Wailing Wall is on the other side of the Temple Mount than the Mount of Olives.

Luke 19:44 means that throughout the whole of the city of Jerusalem, not just the temple complex, there will not be left one stone upon another. So Luke 19:44 requires, just as Matthew 24:2 requires, that sometime in our future even the stones of the Wailing Wall will be torn apart and thrown down. This could happen during the great battle in Jerusalem which will occur right before and then during the second coming (Zechariah 14:2-5), after which Jesus will restore Jerusalem and make it the capital of the world (Zechariah 14:8-21, Micah 4:1-4). Jesus will also build a fourth temple in Jerusalem, which will be a New Covenant temple for use during the millennium (Zechariah 14:20-21, 6:12).

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While God may have not specifically authorized Herod's building of the Wailing Wall to support an expanded Temple Mount, God accepted it, for he kept his presence in the second temple after the wall had been built (Matthew 23:21, John 2:16).

According to Jesus, God the Father dwelt in the second temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 23:21, John 2:16). That's why the temple was able to sanctify the gold of the temple (Matthew 23:17), and the altar of the temple was able to sanctify the gifts on the altar (Matthew 23:19).

Jesus railed against corrupt practices in the temple, because it was still God the Father's house (John 2:16); God the Father was still dwelling inside the temple in the time of Jesus (Matthew 23:21).

When non-Christian Jews worship at the Wailing Wall, they in no way worship the wall itself, which Herod built, but are simply trying to get as close as they can to the second-temple experience of God's presence. The problem, of course, is that in rejecting Jesus they reject God (John 1:1,14, 10:30, 20:28, 1 John 2:22-23), and their forbears' rejection of Jesus/God at his first coming resulted in the whole of Jerusalem being left spiritually desolate of God's special presence until Jesus' second coming (Matthew 23:38-39).

That's why when Christians go to Jerusalem today and pray at the Wailing Wall or even walk inside the Dome of the Rock, built over the very site of the Holy of holies of the second temple, if they are honest with themselves, they have to admit that there is simply no special spiritual presence of God in these places. Yet they can go back to their hotel room and open up their Bible and begin reading and immediately feel that special presence.

When Christians go to Jerusalem today and pray at the Wailing Wall, that isn't idolatry because they aren't praying to the wall or worshipping the wall in any way, but are simply acknowledging that the wall was part of God's second temple in which he dwelt during the time of Jesus' first coming (Matthew 23:21, John 2:16), and that the wall is located where Jesus will build a fourth temple at his second coming (Zechariah 14:20-21, 6:12-13).

 

[Bible2+]

Thank you for saving these and letting me review them.

I will pass on them, at least for now.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't yet in the blog?

Thanks.

 

[ThomasGuthler]

More entries:


It isn't a waste of time to try and set dates, if our efforts are based on a sincere attempt to interpret...

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/1988.6147582/page-2#post-48072316

(see the whole page 2)

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*Matthew 24:15

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This fleeing isn't commanded so that the church will be seen as nerdy or weak, but so that the church can continue to preach where it isn't being persecuted and where people need to hear the gospel (Matthew 10:23). Why waste time fighting with people in one place who don't want to hear the gospel when there are so many other people in other places who haven't heard it yet and will be willing to hear it?

It just makes sense to move on whenever persecution arises, not only so that others can hear the gospel but so that one doesn't overly harden the hearts of the people who are doing the persecuting. Once unbelievers get hostile against someone who is preaching to them, they aren't going to suddenly cool down if the person preaching just stands there and keeps on preaching to them; they're going to get madder and madder, harden their hearts more and more against the preaching, to where they might never give any other preacher a chance in the future. But if a preacher calmly walks away when hostility starts, the angry hearts of the unbelievers can begin to cool down right away, so that their hearts could be willing to give another preacher in the future a chance.

So it just makes sense to walk away whenever persecution arises, not out of nerdiness or weakness, but cool calculation, for the benefit of others.

No one has said that believers should ever "run" away from anything in the sense of literally running like a frightened deer, for that can incite the attack-mode of persecutors no less than it incites the attack-mode of dogs. But simply walking away calmly and coolly from a persecutor, without any fear whatsoever, can help a persecutor to cool down. And if a persecutor comes after a believer anyway and, say, hits him, then the believer should calmly turn around and turn the other cheek to show that he has no intention of fighting the persecutor (Matthew 5:39), and also to show that he has no fear of the persecutor. And if he gets hit again, he should simply try to walk away again until the persecutor tires of following him.

Fox's Book of Martyrs refers to people who were killed for their faith. It refers to people who were captured and usually imprisoned or tied up so that they couldn't walk away from the persecution. This is how it will be for those in the church who won't or can't flee from the cities when they see the abomination of desolation: they'll be captured and beheaded by the Antichrist (Revelation 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4).

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Also, Luke 21:12, like Mark 13:9 [and Luke 12], can include reference to a future Jewish persecution of Christians living in southern Israel (Judaea) during the first half of the future tribulation. They could be beaten in ultra-Orthodox synagogues for trying to preach the gospel there. For, even today, Christian proselytism is outlawed throughout Israel.

This has already begun a little bit in that ultra-Orthodox Jews living in Israel have already begun burning New Testaments handed out by Christians living in Israel, and they are trying to get Christians living in Israel banned from being able to preach Jesus or hand out New Testaments in Israel. As the ultra-Orthodox Jews gain more and more political power in Israel, they will no doubt come down harder and harder against the Christians living in Israel, to where they will even begin to use violence against them, such as beating them and driving them out of synagogues and ultra-Orthodox towns in Israel. Ultimately, the ultra-Orthodox Jews will succeed in being allowed to institute the Mosaic law in parts of Israel, and so will be allowed to execute anyone who preaches anything different than the Mosaic law, as they will define that as blasphemy against YHWH, which is punishable by death under the Mosaic law (Leviticus 24:16).

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If one means define the word "tribulation", the original Greek word translated as "tribulation" in the New Testament scriptures is "thlipsis", which is defined as "pressure (lit. or fig.)" by Strong's Greek Dictionary, which shows that the same Greek word is also translated in the KJV New Testament as affliction, anguish, burden, persecution, and trouble.

So the word "tribulation" in the New Testament scriptures means a bad time, just as it does in English outside of the scriptures.

But if one meant "define THE tribulation" with scriptures, then there are at least two definitions of that.

The first would be the general tribulation that the Church has had to go through on the earth since its founding (John 16:33, Acts 14:22). This is even referred to in the original Greek as "the" tribulation in Revelation 1:9.

The second "the" tribulation is the specific, endtime tribulation of Revelation chapters 6-18, which is the same as that described in Matthew 24, which Jesus refers to as "the" tribulation "of those days" in Matthew 24:29.

What will set the endtime tribulation apart from the general, historical tribulation suffered by the Church is its intensity. It will begin with a great war which, with its aftermath of famines and epidemics, will end up killing one-fourth of the world (Revelation 6:4-8). Sometime subsequent to that war, one-third of its survivors will be killed off (Revelation 9:18). So just two events of the coming tribulation will end-up killing one-half of the world. (For if we start with some 6 billion people on the earth, and one-fourth are killed, that leaves 4.5 billion. If then one-third of those are killed, that leaves only 3 billion of the original 6 billion.)

A key thing to note in Matthew 24 in Jesus' description of the coming tribulation is His reference to the abomination of desolation in Matthew 24:15, which refers back to Daniel 11:31,36 (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4). This is the event with which the Antichrist will begin his 42-month reign (Revelation 13:5), and Jesus says in Matthew 24:15 that we will still be here to see it, just as Revelation 13:10, 14:12-13, and 20:4 shows that we will have to suffer and die during the Antichrist's reign.

So the coming tribulation definitely includes the reign of the Antichrist. Indeed, it will be Jesus' return to gather together the Church after the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27) which will destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8), just as we see happening in Revelation 19:20.

Even if we just stick with Matthew 24 alone, there's simply no way to place Jesus' return to gather together the Church (in Matthew 24:29-31) anytime before the abomination of desolation (in Matthew 24:15) because "the tribulation of those days" in Matthew 24:29 is referring back to the tribulation of Matthew 24:21, the "then" of which is referring back to the abomination of desolation of Matthew 24:15.

And Matthew 24:21 specifically says that the part of the tribulation which will come after the abomination of desolation will be unprecedented in its intensity, so that if it wasn't cut short, nobody would survive. So it's not talking about just the general, historical tribulation which the Church has survived for 2,000 years without any problem at all.

The great tribulation referred to in Revelation 7:14 includes not only Revelation 6, but all the rest of Revelation chapters 6-18 as well. Jesus won't come to gather together (rapture) the church until after the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31) of Revelation chapters 6-18, in Revelation 19. That's why the marriage doesn't happen until Revelation 19:7. Jesus' coming to gather together (rapture) the church (2 Thessalonians 2:1) must destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8), just as we see Jesus destroying the Antichrist in Revelation 19:20.

"The great tribulation" is found in Revelation 7:14, in the original Greek (cf. NIV). It's the coming tribulation of Revelation chapters 6-18, immediately after which will occur the second coming and rapture (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7).

~

Some protestant churches already kick Christians out of their churches because these Christians don't conform to the theologies of the churches. For example, a man was kicked out of a Pentecostal church for telling someone in the church that divorce and remarriage is adultery (Luke 16:18, Mark 10:12, Matthew 19:9, Romans 7:3, 1 Corinthians 7:11). And a man was kicked out of a Calvary Chapel church for telling the pastor that the pre-trib doctrine is wrong (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 24:29-31, 24:9-13, Revelation 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4).

But John 16:2 doesn't apply to such churches, for they don't and won't kill anyone over doctrinal disputes. Jesus forbids Christians to use any force against those they consider (whether rightly or wrongly) to be their enemies (Matthew 26:52, 5:39). All that's allowed is excommunication (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13).

So John 16:2 would apply only to those who say they believe in God but don't believe in the new testament, such as non-Christian religious Jews, as well as Muslims. It would also include the gnostic Luciferians who will worship Lucifer and the Antichrist during the reign of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:4). The Antichrist will claim that he's God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). So his followers will kill Christians thinking that they're doing God service.

 

[ThomasGuthler]

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Our current Gregorian calendar was derived from the Julian calendar ("July" was named after "Julius" Caesar; later, "August" was named after Augustus Caesar), which came into regular effect in 45 B.C., and so wasn't based on the birth of Christ. It wasn't until 525 A.D. that a monk suggested the B.C. - A.D. calendar system, based on the year of Christ's birth. And then it took another 500 years for the B.C. - A.D. system to take hold throughout Christendom. So it's unlikely that our current B.C. - A.D. system was some great conspiracy to set the clock ahead by 7 years; it was more likely based on the best available knowledge of the true year of Christ's birth.

Luke 3:1,23 says that it was "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" in which "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age". Even our modern historians set the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar at 28 A.D. So, even by modern reckoning, the true year of Christ's birth could have been 2 B.C. So how does the Ethiopian church arrive at 7 A.D.?

Regarding the January-December system of our current Gregorian calendar, it, like the Julian calendar on which it was based, retained the previous and ancient Roman naming of a month as "SEPTember", which meant that that was the 7th month of the pre-Julian Roman calendar, just as "OCTober" was the 8th month, "NOVember" was the 9th month, and "DECember" was the 10th month. So the 1st month of the pre-Julian Roman calendar was March, to coincide with the Spring Equinox on March 21.

It was in 153 B.C. that the pre-Julian Roman calendar changed its start of the year to January 1st, to coincide with the date when Roman consuls took office. So the setting of January 1st as the start of the year happened a long time before the birth of Christ.

The Julian and our Gregorian calendar retained January 1st as the start of the year, just as they retained (like the the pre-Julian Roman calendar subsequent to 153 B.C.) the old names for the months September through December, even though those months were no longer the 7th through 10th months of the year.

It wasn't until 1582 A.D. that Pope Gregory XIII established our current Gregorian calendar, which made only a minor adjustment to the Julian calendar (regarding how often to have leap-years). But, even then, England and its colonies (including in America), which were Protestant and so didn't follow the dictates of the Pope, refused to change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar until 1752.

For some reason, not even Pope Gregory XIII, nor the Protestants, changed the old pagan Roman names for the months of the year (just like they didn't change the old pagan names for the days of the week). Pope Gregory, like the Protestants, kept the name "January" even though it honors the pagan god Janus, the god of beginnings. "February" was named after a pagan time of religious atonement. "March" was named in honor of the pagan god Mars. "April", which was from the Latin word "aperire", which meant "to open", was named in honor of the opening of spring flowers. "May" was named in honor of the pagan goddess Maia, who was thought to cause the growth of plants. "June", from the Latin word "juvenis", was named in honor of youth. (The origins of the names of the rest of the months were mentioned above.)

 

[Bible2+]

Thank you for these.

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry as the last 2 sections under *Rev. 12:6.

-

Thank you for helping me to make these additions to the blog.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't in the blog?

 

[ThomasGuthler]

More entries:


Judah and Israel are both present in the end times insofar as the tribes which were originally ...

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/judah-and-israel-in-the-end-times.7236277/#post-49227988

(see the whole thread)

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Romans 10:19 means that some elect Jews have gotten saved (ever since Acts 10:45 down until our own time) because they were jealous over the salvation of Gentiles.

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Paul was right in Romans 11:11b to view Deuteronomy 32:21 as a prophecy that was being fulfilled in the time he was living. But nowhere does Paul say or imply that Deuteronomy 32:21 was a prophecy that would be completely fulfilled in the time he was living, for some unsaved Jews have continued to be moved to jealousy by saved Gentiles during the thousands of years since the time Paul was alive in the first century.

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The life from the dead which will be associated with the future fullness of elect Israel (Romans 11:12,15) is the bodily resurrection of the church (Romans 8:23-25) which will occur at the second coming (1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, Revelation 20:4-6), the second coming being when all of unsaved elect Israel still alive at that time will be saved (Romans 11:26, Zechariah 12:10-14).

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[*Romans 11:25-29]

There are also some unbelieving genetic Jews who are elect but have not been spiritually blinded until the second coming, so they can be granted faith in Jesus before the second coming, like the apostle Paul was: "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew ... there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Romans 11:1-2,5).

...

The future "fullness" of the Gentiles coming in (Romans 11:25b) will be when a certain number of Gentiles have been saved, just as, for example, "full" in Acts 7:23 refers to a certain number.

The Greek noun pleroma (fullness) doesn't by itself require that it's already happened. It can be employed with reference to a future fullness, just like its verb form pleroo can refer to the future (Luke 1:20b).

While the spiritual fullness of some Gentiles was already a past event (Acts 10:45) when Paul the apostle wrote his letter to the Romans, that couldn't have been the fullness of the Gentiles referred to in Romans 11:25, because the blinded part of Israel was still blind [enemies of the gospel] (Romans 11:28) when Paul the apostle wrote his letter to the Romans.

In Romans 11:25, when Paul says "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25), the original Greek verb translated as "be come in" is not in the present tense, as if the fullness of the Gentiles had already occurred at the time Paul wrote Romans 11:25. Instead, "be come in" is in the aorist tense, subjunctive mood, for there is an "until" preceding it. The fullness of the Gentiles has not already come in, and the blindness in part that has happened to Israel will continue "until" the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

The blindness in part that has happened to Israel was ongoing at the time Paul wrote Romans 11:25, and still is ongoing, for part of Israel was, and still is, an enemy of the gospel: "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes" (Romans 11:28). Still today, there are Jews who are rabidly opposed to people preaching the gospel. For example, in one town in Israel recently, after some people had gone through the town door to door handing out New Testaments, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the town got wind of it and went door to door demanding that the people in each house hand over the New Testaments, which were then cast into a pile in the town square and set on fire until they were burned to ashes. As horrible as that was, some of the Jews who did that could still be elect; they could still be chosen by God to come to faith sometime in the future, even though currently they are part of that part of Israel which has been blinded and is an enemy of the gospel.

The blindness in part that has happened to Israel will continue "until" the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, which could happen at the end of the coming tribulation, right before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The blinded unsaved elect Jews (Romans 11:25a,28) who were alive in the time of Paul died before the coming in of the fullness of the Gentiles and the second coming (Romans 11:25b-26), and so they died unsaved.

They could be resurrected after the millennium, at the great white throne judgment, along with all of the other people throughout history who died unsaved (Revelation 20:11-15).

Or, if all elect people are considered Christ's (John 6:39), then the blinded elect Jews who died unsaved could be resurrected along with the church at the second coming (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). If they are, it's possible that they could be saved at that time, along with all of the unsaved elect Jews still alive at the second coming (Romans 11:26, Zechariah 12:10-14).

The mystery of Romans 11:25 isn't the jealousy of Deuteronomy 32:21, Romans 10:19, 11:11, but the blindness which has happened to part of elect Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and Jesus returns to save all of the elect Jews who are still alive (Romans 11:25-26, Zechariah 12:10-14).

...

Israel is the Church (cf. Revelation 21:9b,12b). Romans 11:25-29 in no way contradicts that, for the very same chapter had just finished showing that Jews in the Church are Israel (Romans 11:1), and that Gentiles in the Church have been grafted into the good olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:24, cf. Jeremiah 11:16); just as Paul shows elsewhere that all Gentiles in the Church have been made fellowcitizens in Israel (Ephesians 2:12,19), the very seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

"The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken." (Jeremiah 11:16)

Romans 11:25-29 is simply referring to the non-believing elect Jews who will all get saved (and so become part of the Church, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:4-5) at the second coming, when they see Jesus (Zechariah 12:10-14).

...

Here the original Greek word "ethnos" is properly translated as "Gentiles", for in the context of Romans 11, as in the book of Romans generally, the apostle Paul uses "ethnos" to refer to the Gentile nations as opposed to the Israelites/Jews:

"I say then, Have they [the Israelites, Romans 11:7] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles [ethnos], for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles [ethnos]; how much more their fulness? [...]; For I speak to you Gentiles [ethnos], inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles [ethnos] ... I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles [ethnos] be come in" (Romans 11:11-13,25).

"Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles [ethnos]? Yes, of the Gentiles [ethnos] also" (Romans 3:29).

"Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles [ethnos]" (Romans 9:24).

Also, the fullness of the Gentiles coming in during the tribulation doesn't mean that no Gentiles will be added to the church during the millennium, because they will (Isaiah 66:19-20). And it doesn't matter they will be added to the church/bride after the marriage occurred at the second coming (Revelation 19:7), because as many husbands have discovered, a bride can increase in size after her wedding.

~

[*Romans 11:26]

Note that elect and unbelieving are not mutually exclusive terms, for all of the elect Jews who are enemies of the gospel will become believers and be saved at the second coming of Jesus: "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes" (Romans 11:26-28).

The unsaved elect Jews who will all be saved at the second coming (Romans 11:26) probably won't be saved because of their jealousy over the salvation of some Gentiles, but because they'll have seen the amazing return of Jesus himself (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30, Zechariah 12:10-14, 13:6).

… the unbelieving elect Orthodox Jews will be ashamed at Jesus' second coming, and will all weep when they see Jesus and realize that He truly is their salvation (Zechariah 12:10-14, Romans 11:26).

The Greek word translated as "so" in Romans 11:26 can be used in the sense of "then" (Acts 20:11b).

~

[*Romans 11:28]

Romans 11:28 refers to elect unbelievers, enemies of the gospel, just as 2 Timothy 2:10 refers to elect unbelievers, who have yet to obtain salvation.

Even though many individuals in Israel have had their sins forgiven (e.g. Acts 2:36-41), Israel as a whole hasn't yet had its sins forgiven (Romans 11:28), as it will at the second coming (Romans 11:26, Zechariah 12:10-14).

~

The "now obtained mercy" and "now not believed" in Romans 11:30-31 included the time that Paul wrote Romans, but there's no second "now" in Romans 11:31 in the Textus Receptus, nor, no doubt, in the original manuscript of Romans, for the blinded elect Jews couldn't get saved at the time that that manucript was written, for Paul had just finished saying that they can't get saved until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in and the second coming occurs (Romans 11:25-26).

 

[ThomasGuthler]

~

Acts 2:5-11 refers to first century descendants of those in the southern kingdom of Judah (Jews) who had voluntarily gone to live in many nations, but then had come back to dwell in Jerusalem, perhaps just temporarily in order to observe the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1, cf. 20:16b).

--

If Big Brother is watching, who's watching Big Brother?

God (Jeremiah 23:24) and his angels (Ecclesiastes 5:8): watchers (Daniel 4:13). Think of them as part of the DIA (not Defense, but the Divine Intelligence Agency). They have amazing skills as intelligence operatives: invisibility; they can enter into any place, even the most guarded, secret facility of the most undercover government agency. They can learn every secret, know everything that's going on. They can invisibly wreak havoc with computer systems, surveillance system, the very minds of men.

And so can the devil and his angels. Think of them as the SIA (Satanic Intelligence Agency). Humans are just pawns in the undercover war between the DIA and the SIA. Even the most intelligent, most cunning, most ruthless human intelligence operative in the CIA or Mossad is putty in the hands of Satan's angels. They can make him or her do almost anything, even the most cruel, to the destruction of his or her soul; and they can make him or her do even the most stupid thing, to the destruction of his or her cover and physical life.

 

[Bible2+]

Thank you for these.

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry to sections 1-2 under *Rom. 11:25, and to section 2 under *Rom. 11:26, and to a new entry under *Rom. 11:31.

Also, I hope to add the 3rd entry as a new (10th) section under *Lk. 22:36b.

--

Thank you for helping me to make these additions to the blog.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't in the blog?

 

[ThomasGuthler]

More entries:



The ultra-Orthodox Jews want a true theocracy ruled by their rabbis, where everyone will have to live under the old Mosaic law. They see the current state of Israel as a godless, sinful mess, an abomination to God. So some of them would love it if the current state of Israel got wiped out.

http://www.christianforums.com/thre...o-be-looking-for.7262006/page-4#post-48373277

(see the whole thread)

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No pastor can save anyone who doesn't in prayer personally come to Jesus themselves. But anyone who does that may still need a pastor to keep them on the straight and narrow (Ephesians 4:11-12, Matthew 7:14). Also, one needs a pastor (or least some other Christian) to baptize one, baptism being something which is crucial to being a Christian (Galatians 3:27, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, 22:16, Romans 6:3-5). Also, one needs a pastor (or at least some other Christian who is Spirit-filled and has the ability to impart the Spirit) to lay hands on one that one may receive the Holy Spirit in the full measure intended for Christians (Acts 19:2,6, Acts 8:15-17). Also, one needs a pastor (or at least some other Christian who is a Bible teacher) to preach the Bible to one and keep one in correct, Biblical doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2). Also, in being a Christian, one should be exhorting other Christians daily, not forsaking assembling together with them (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25).

When a preacher tells Biblical Christians a theological doctrine, they don't believe it as being necessarily true without confirming that the Bible itself teaches that doctrine (Acts 17:11b, 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4).

If a believer has received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2,6, 1 Corinthians 2:11-16) and has read every verse of the Bible for himself, with a completely open mind, over and over and over again, he'll learn so much directly from the word, through the Spirit, that when he goes to church or turns on the radio or TV to listen to preachers he'll find that he already knows everything that they're teaching (1 John 2:27, John 16:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17), and he'll also be able to immediately recognize anything in their teaching that isn't in line with the Bible (Acts 17:11).

~

Leaders in the church should never exercise their authority in an imperious manner (1 Peter 5:3, Matthew 20:25-27), but neither should they shrink from their responsibility to expel from their congregation a believer who is continuing in unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). This expulsion can be done in a loving manner (2 Thessalonians 3:15), with the motive of hoping that it will wake the person expelled up to the seriousness of their situation, and so cause them to want to repent, instead of continuing in their sin until Jesus returns and cuts them to pieces as a hypocrite (Matthew 24:48-51).

~

A congregation that no longer has differences of opinions about scripture could still be in error in its united opinion, for there could be another congregation that no longer has differences of opinions about scripture which has a united opinion directly opposed to that of the first congregation. Both congregations can't be right, yet they both could have perfect peace that they are right, having sunk themselves into cocoons of their own understanding, never questioning, never examining their beliefs to see if they actually hold water, can actually stand up to opposing interpretations, and prove themselves, from the scriptures themselves, to be correct instead of mistaken.

Congregations can smother over all perennial questions like: When is the rapture in relation to the tribulation? What is the relationship between the church and Israel? Are works necessary for salvation? And other questions the answers to which people in opposing camps can never seem to convince each other about. Congregations can prohibit all discussion of such questions as evil, and say that this prohibition has brought peace to their congregations, but all they could have done is assume that their side of each position is the "obvious meaning of scripture; no interpretation is required", while squelching those in the congregation who may hold to the opposite position, whether by official warning to button their lip, or by an oppressive peer pressure to "not bring division".

But what good is peaceful unity if it's in error? And how can it be known whether or not it's in error unless it's actually tested against opposing views?

It is God who gives us His Holy Spirit to lead us into the fullness of truth:

John 16:13 ... when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ...

The Holy Spirit does this through His Word the Bible:

2 Peter 1:20 ...Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Timothy 3:16 ...All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect ...

The Bible doesn't say that the Church [who in their fallibility can never possibly be] is the pillar and foundation of truth, but God Himself:

1 Timothy 3:15 ... the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1 Corinthians 3:11 ...For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 ...I am the way, the truth, and the life ...

There is no particular church in which its members aren't divided and scattered in their beliefs regarding many different matters, regardless of what that church's official positions are, so it's no good preaching any particular church pretending that that church has unity of belief among its members.

And even if there were a church in which all of its members agreed on everything, that still wouldn't necessarily mean that what they're agreed on is the truth, and what good is unity in falsehood? So it's no good preaching any particular church instead of preaching the Bible itself:

2 Timothy 4:2 ...Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

How absurd it is when fallible humans try to take the place of Jesus Himself and His perfect Word.

~

God isn't interested in worldly, man-made credentials which are highly esteemed among men. In fact, they are abomination to God (Luke 16:15).

God purposely goes out of his way to choose as his greatest servants those men who are most despised by the world (1 Corinthians 4:13), so that he can utterly confound those most esteemed by the world with his divine wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:27-31).

He'll take a guy who herds cows and gathers fruit and send him off as a prophet to speak divine truth to the most powerful men in the land (Amos 7:10-17). He'll take some unlearned and ignorant men and fill them with divine truth and power through their personal relationship with Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4) to where they utterly confound those with the highest religious credentials in the land (Acts 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 1:28).

He'll even send his divine Son as a human being with no reputation whatsoever (Philippians 2:6-8), a baby lying in a cow-feeding trough in a barn (Luke 2:7), a mere carpenter as an adult (Mark 6:3), all so that he can show his utter rejection of all worldly credentials (Luke 16:15), the worthless idols of proud and haughty men (Isaiah 2:17-22).

As believers, we should also forbear flashing any spiritual credentials received from God himself if this will help people not to think of us above what we are actually saying and doing (2 Corinthians 12:6). For how many people blindly follow "great spiritual leaders" because of some past glories, only to be led into spiritual stagnation, lifelessness, even backsliding, as their "spiritual giant" withers and crumples over time into a dried up bag of complacency, laziness, and pride.

--

Some reasons for Christians to get rid of any dreamcatchers that they may have:

1. Dreamcatchers could bring demonic activity into the lives of Christians owning them:

a) Demons associated with American Indian occult practices could be attracted to dreamcatchers.

b) Christians owning occult objects such as dreamcatchers could give demons a legal right to affect the lives, if even only the sleep, of those Christians.

c) Some dreamcatchers could have had demons purposely attached to them by American Indian shamans through occult ceremonies.

2. For some people, dreamcatchers appear to be evil, and Christians are to abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

3. There could be some weak believers who before they got saved used to employ a dreamcatcher in an occult fashion, but then got rid of it once they got saved. If they subsequenty hear about a believer holding onto dreamcatchers, they could get emboldened to reacquire one and use it in an occult fashion (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:9-13).

 

[Bible2+]

Thank you for these.

I hope to add parts of the 1st entry as a new (3rd) section under *Titus 2:13, and a new (5th) section under *Mt. 24:36.

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry as new sections under *Eph. 4:11, and add the 3rd entry as a new (10th) section under *Lk. 11:1.

--

Thank you for helping me to make these additions to the blog.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't yet in the blog?

 

[ThomasGuthler]

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry to ... section 2 under *Rom. 11:26.

Maybe you missed this one or cancelled it? See also this additional entry:

In Romans 11:26, the definition of the original Greek word translated as "so" is "in this manner". Romans 11:25-31 is showing in what manner the elect will be saved: after a certain number of elect Gentiles have been saved (Romans 11:25), all of the elect Jews who are still alive at the second coming will be saved at that time (Romans 11:26), when they see the physically-returned Jesus and come into faith in him (Zechariah 12:10-14).

Paul's build-up to Romans chapter 11 by the context of chapters 9 and 10 was to show that not all genetic Jews are Israel because not all genetic Jews are elect (Romans 9:6-8). He also shows that elect Gentiles are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17,24).

"All Israel" in Romans chapter 9 (verse 6) is referring to the elect (Romans 9:11). Romans 9:24 shows that the elect include not only Jews, but Gentiles as well.

"All Israel" in Romans chapter 11 (verse 26) is still referring to the elect.


--

More entries:


One of the definitions of slavery is "submission to a dominating influence" (Webster's).

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/luke-17-the-second-coming-or-70-ad.7322317/#post-50465397

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The Antichrist can't be just about anybody at this point, but can only be someone who fulfills the requirements of Revelation 13:7b-8 and Daniel 8:8-9,21-25.

The church will be able to easily pinpoint the Antichrist when he commits the abomination of desolation (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 11:31,36, Matthew 24:15) [so long as they are not in any unrepentant sin and so are sent the strong delusion from God (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)], which, along with an apostasy in the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3, Matthew 24:9-13, 1 Timothy 4:1), has to occur sometime before Jesus comes to gather together the church (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4), for when Jesus comes to gather together the church he will destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1,8, Revelation 19:7,20). The church will have to go through the reign of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4).

Before the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation, he could also be pinpointed by the gematrial number of his name equalling 666 (Revelation 13:17b-18), and by his making a seven-year treaty with a false ultra-Orthodox Jewish Messiah after the Antichrist defeats that false Messiah militarily (Daniel 11:22-23a, 9:26a-27a).

Another good hint, shortly prior to this, will be when he is given power (Daniel 11:21) over a three-nation confederacy consisting of three of ten major nations arisen on the former territory of the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:24). For example, he could be given power over a Baathist confederation of Iraq, Syria (including "Palestine", i.e. a defeated Israel), and Egypt put together by force of arms by a Baathist predecessor of his (Daniel 11:15-17; in v. 17 the Hebrew word translated as "daughter" is "bath").

The world won't know that the Antichrist is the Antichrist, or think that he's evil, even after he breaks the treaty with the false Messiah, attacks a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, stops the Old Covenant sacrifices performed in front of it, and commits the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15), when he'll sit in the temple and proclaim himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 11:36), for the world will be deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9) into worshipping the Antichrist and Satan (Revelation 13:4-8), probably not as "Satan", but as "Lucifer".

~

It's said that Stalin started out as a Georgian nationalist, and that he was even thrown out of a Russia-friendly Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary because of his anti-Russian nationalism.

Stalin could have subsequently joined the forces aiming for a revolution in Russia thinking that it would break the back of Russian domination over Georgia. But he eventually came to embrace communism for its own sake, no doubt because he saw it as the path to power not only over Russia, but over the conquered nations of the former Russian Empire, including his native Georgia. Why bother trying to get tiny Georgia independent and then taking power over just it when he could use Soviet communism to rule over not only Georgia, but the entire USSR?

Stalin became the most brutal opponent of Georgian nationalism: if he let Georgia be independent from the USSR, then other nations in the USSR could clamor for similar independence and he would lose control over them.

Also, and perhaps even more importantly, if he let Georgia be independent from the USSR, then his Georgian identity might cause some in the USSR to question his right to rule over the USSR when he wasn't from any of its constituent nations.

He may have also over-compensated for any lingering doubts by his followers that he could still be a Georgian nationalist at heart even though he touted the USSR. He could have ruthlessly oppressed the especially-rebellious Georgians in order to show without a doubt that he wouldn't stand for any independence-minded nationalism in the USSR, not even in his home nation.

The Antichrist could follow a similar path as Stalin with regard to his relationship with his home nation. He could start out as a vehement nationalist, only to subsequently embrace a multi-country political movement, such as Baathism, in order to gain control over many countries. He could then become especially hostile toward his home country and make sure to keep it under the total control of a Baathist confederation, for all the same reasons that Stalin became especially hostile toward Georgia and made sure to keep it under the total control of the USSR.

~

The greatest deception that is coming is that Lucifer (Satan, the dragon) and his Son the Antichrist (the beast) are the true, beneficent God of mankind (Revelation 13:4-8), while YHWH is an evil, tyrant god (Daniel 11:36, Revelation 13:6) whom mankind must unite against and fight and defeat in a great battle (Revelation 16:14).

Note that what one said could be exactly how the Antichrist will present himself when he commits the abomination of desolation. That is, he's not going to say "I am come as the Antichrist", but could say "I am come as the agent of Christ". And when he breaks the power of the church (Revelation 13:7-10) he's not going to say "I am breaking the power of the true God's church", but could say "I am breaking the power of an evil institution masquerading as the true God's church". And when he gets people in every nation to hate Biblical Christians and kill them (Matthew 24:9-13), those people aren't going to say "We are the instrument destroying the army of Christ", but could say "We are the instrument destroying the army of Antichrist". And when the Antichrist has taken over the world, he's not going to say "I have removed Christ from influence", but could say "I have removed the Antichrist from influence". And when the Antichrist imposes his Luciferian reign of terror over the earth (Revelation 13:4-18), he isn't going to say "I am now imposing a reign of terror over the earth", but could say "Now a time of blessing is occurring on the earth, for now the whole earth is at peace and worshipping the true Christ".

~

Those who live in heaven in Revelation 13:6 could include all the angels in heaven as well as all those in the Church who have died and gone to heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:21,23) as well as the 144,000 part of the Church which had just been caught up into heaven (Revelation 12:5, 14:5).

The Antichrist could blaspheme YHWH (Revelation 13:6) not in the sense of claiming to be YHWH, but in the sense of claiming that YHWH is evil and not the supreme God, and that Lucifer (Satan) is the supreme God.

 

[ThomasGuthler]

~

Not all of the powers of this age are those described in Revelation, for some powers have been instituted by God in order to control wickedness through police and judicial authority (Romans 13). But when the Antichrist comes to power, and rules the entire world for 42 months (Revelation 13:5-7), this will not be to control wickedness, but to bring the whole world into the open worship of the dragon Satan and the Antichrist and his living, speaking image (Revelation 13:4-15, cf. Revelation 12:9), and to institute the mark of the Antichrist, which will be placed on the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16-18, cf. 14:9-11).

The beast system, as in the way that things will be during the 42-month reign of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:5b), will make the current police powers in the U.S. seem extremely tame, for the Antichrist's police will be able to imprison and behead anyone who refuses to worship the Antichrist or his image, or receive his mark on the forehead or hand (Revelation 20:4, 13:7-10, 14:9-13).

~

The blasphemies at the start of the Antichrist's 42-month reign (Revelation 13:5) could be the abomination of desolation and self-deification of Daniel 11:31,36 (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

~

During his rise to power, the Antichrist will necessarily have to show himself very friendly toward all religions. As he's taking over the Middle East, he'll have to show himself a friend of Islam; as he's taking over Europe he'll have to show himself also a friend of Christianity; and as he's taking over the rest of the world he'll have to show himself also a friend of other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. He could even show himself friendly toward Judaism and the Jews, so long as they (as he could say) "don't infringe the rights of other religions to worship in their holy shrines".

When the Antichrist first comes to power (Daniel 11:21), by being given control over three nations (Daniel 7:24), which could be Iraq, Syria (including "Palestine", i.e. a defeated Israel), and Egypt, the first thing he could do is attack the walled Old City of Jerusalem, where the ultra-Orthodox Jews, led by a false, ultra-Orthodox Jewish Messiah, could have managed to set up a theocracy, with a rebuilt temple, Mosaic animal sacrifices, and everything. They could have completely driven out all Christians and Muslims, and every non-kosher thing, from the Old City, and even desecrated the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al Aqsa Mosque, not to mention the Dome of the Rock, which they could have blown up to make way for the temple.

The Antichrist could succeed in defeating the ultra-Orthodox Jews, including their false Messiah, who could be the "Prince of the covenant" in Daniel 11:22, as in the old covenant.

But instead of killing the false Messiah, who could be a Jew of the priestly line of Aaron, the Antichrist could instead allow the false Messiah and the ultra-Orthodox Jews to continue to offer the Mosaic animal sacrifices before their temple, so long as they give up the outer court of the temple (Revelation 11:2) to the Muslims, so that they can worship in the Al Aqsa Mosque at the southern end of the Temple Mount. He could also require that the ultra-Orthodox Jews permit Christians to enter the Old City and worship in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Antichrist could even "cut" a treaty with the false Messiah (Daniel 9:26a, 11:23), which treaty the Antichrist could confirm with the West that he will keep for seven years (Daniel 9:27a).

But the Antichrist won't keep it for seven years, for after only two or three years he'll break the treaty, attack the temple, stop the sacrifices, and commit the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27b), when he'll sit in the temple and proclaim himself God (Daniel 11:31,36, 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

At this point, he'll necessarily have to make a complete break with Koranic Islam, as well as Biblical Christianity and the traditional forms of other religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, for he will reveal himself openly to the world as a gnostic Luciferian, and bring the whole world into the worship of Lucifer and himself (Revelation 13:4,8).

~

There are no passages of scripture that require that the countries which are currently Islamic will be brought down by God before the Antichrist comes upon the world stage.

The Antichrist could be an Arab who will first come into great power by uniting the Arab countries into a massive confederation.

The power of the Islamic nations which are also Arab could be greatly augmented before the 42-month world-reign of the Antichrist, for he could be an Arab himself, from Tyre, Lebanon (Ezekiel 28:2, cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4), who could manage to unite all of the Arab nations, from Dubai to Morocco, into a massive Baathist confederation, a veritable Arab Empire, so that the Arabs will return to their former state of world-glory and power which they had during the Middle Ages. Indeed, this is the whole aim of the Arab "Baathist" movement, to bring about an Arab "Renaissance" or "Resurrection". And Baathism isn't antithetical to Islam, insofar as even Saddam Hussein, a staunch Baathist, had no problem with the Iraqi masses being Muslim. So, likewise, the Antichrist could start out having no problem with the masses of his Baathist Arab Empire being Muslim.

Islam could continue before the 42-month world-reign of the Antichrist, but then be completely squelched, along with all other religions (except gnostic Luciferianism) during that reign (Revelation 13:4-8).

Islam doesn't fulfill the actual verses regarding the "antichrist" religion, because the antichrist religion also denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22) and also denies that Christ is in the flesh (1 John 4:3), whereas Islam affirms that Jesus is the Christ and affirms that Christ is in the flesh.

The false prophet Mohammed didn't fulfill the False Prophet of the Antichrist scriptures (Revelation 13:11-18, 16:13-16, 19:20), just as Mohammed's empire didn't fulfill the empire of the beast scriptures (Revelation 13:4-18, 16:1-21, 17:8-17, 19:19-21).

~

The "Maitreya" could be just one of the multiple false Christs who have to come before Jesus comes (Mark 13:22), just as the spokesman for the "Maitreya" could be just one of the multiple false prophets who have to come (Matthew 24:24).

Ultimately, they will all be replaced by the Antichrist and his False Prophet (Revelation 19:20, 13:11-18), who will bring the whole world into the worship of the dragon (Satan/Lucifer) and the Antichrist (Revelation 13:4,8), and a living, speaking image of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:15).

~

Could the entire Marian phenomena of the past be employed by the Antichrist to bring some Catholics into his deception? If so, how? And what about Satan creating some future Marian phenomena for this purpose: are most Catholics who believe in the validity of all past Marian phenomena well-schooled enough in Biblical doctrine to be able to recognize any shifts in doctrine which might be parlayed through any such future, purported apparitions of "Mary"? Could any such future apparitions even succeed in leading some Catholic Christians gently down the road toward the endtime apostasy? (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 2:3).

~

The sword of Revelation 13:14 doesn't have to be Jesus; it could simply refer to a literal weapon which will kill the Antichrist before he is restored to life. But because literal swords aren't used much these days, it could simply refer to a knife; the original Greek word translated as "sword" in Revelation 13:14 can simply mean "knife".

~

Regarding Revelation 19:20, where the Antichrist is cast alive into the lake of fire, this doesn't require that the Antichrist was in an eternal body at any time before the moment in which he will be cast into the lake of fire. That is, after the church is resurrected at the second coming, and then after Jesus defeats the Antichrist, Jesus could then change the Antichrist into an eternal body which will be able to remain in eternal conscious torment in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20, 20:10, cf. 14:10-11).

Just as the church will be judged at Jesus' 2nd coming (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10, Luke 12:45-48, Matthew 25:19-30), so could the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of the beast) and his False Prophet (also an individual man) be judged at that time, before they are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). The great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which won't occur until over 1,000 years later (Revelation 20:4-15), will be for all people (of all times) not judged at Jesus' 2nd coming.

~

… your house, neither bid him God speed" (2 John 1:7-10).

So Christians cannot even welcome into their homes anyone claiming to be a Christian who teaches the lie that Jesus Christ is not in the flesh, not in a fully-human body. This shows how crucial the doctrine of Christ-in-the-flesh is to the true Christian faith.

Because it is so crucial, Satan will no doubt try to completely obliterate the true Christ-in-the-flesh doctrine during the coming world-reign (Revelation 13:7) of the man commonly called the "Antichrist", who "shall come" (1 John 2:18).

 

[ThomasGuthler]

~

1 Timothy 4:1-3 will be fulfilled in the future during the reign of the Antichrist, who will teach gnosticism (1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7), which upholds celibacy and vegetarianism.

~

Q: Will the antichrist know he they are the antichrist and when?

A: The Antichrist may not know that he is the Antichrist. He could be so deceived by Lucifer that he could actually believe that he is the embodiment of Christ himself, the veritable second coming.

~

Nothing requires that the tribulation last exactly seven years, only that the treaty the Antichrist makes with the Jews in Jerusalem will be a seven-year treaty (Daniel 9:27a). Before the Antichrist even arises on the scene to make that treaty (Daniel 11:21-23a), the tribulation could have started a few months earlier with the war of Daniel 11:15-16, in which Israel and Egypt will be defeated.

--

In this NT era the temple of God is in many different places at the same time:

1. There is a literal temple building in heaven (Revelation 11:19).

2. There was a literal temple building on earth in Jerusalem (the second temple) which remained holy even after the NT era had begun (Luke 24:53).

3. The church altogether, both the dead believers in heaven and the living believers on the earth, form one figurative temple building (Ephesians 2:21).

4. The physical body of each individual believer alive on the earth is its own separate temple (1 Corinthians 6:19).

5. The physical body of Jesus in heaven is its own temple (John 2:21).

6. There will be a third, earthly, literal temple building which the ultra-Orthodox Jews will build during the coming tribulation on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2, Daniel 11:31,36, Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). Because it will be built and sanctified under the auspices of the OT, and the OT remains holy before God, the temple building itself will be holy before God, just as the second temple building in Jerusalem remained holy before God even after the NT era had begun (Luke 24:53). The third temple will become unholy only two or three years after it has been built and sanctified, when the Antichrist will break his seven-year peace treaty with the ultra-Orthodox Jews (Daniel 9:27), will attack the temple, will set up the abomination of desolation (possibly a standing image of the Antichrist) in the holy place of the temple (Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15), and then will sit in the temple and proclaim himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 11:36).

7. There will be a fourth, earthly, literal temple building which Jesus will have built during the coming millennium on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:20-21, Zechariah 6:12-13) [it will serve the same function for the church during the coming millennium that the second temple served for the church in the first century (Luke 24:53)].

8. God the Father and Jesus themselves are called the only temple which will be in the city of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:22) after it descends to the new earth (Revelation 21:1-5) after the millennium, Gog/Magog event, and white throne judgment (Revelation 20:7-21:5).

 

[Bible2+]

ThomasGuthler said in post 95:

Bible2+ said:

I hope to add parts of the 2nd entry to ... section 2 under *Rom. 11:26.

Maybe you missed this one or cancelled it?

The addition was made, but it was a small one, and so was understandably unnoticed:

OLD:

~

(Re: Don't dispensationalists mistakenly change the "so" to "then"?)

Note that someone doesn't have to be a dispensationalist to understand that... (see the section above)

Also, in Romans 11:26, the original Greek word (houto: G3779) translated as "so" can refer to "what precedes or follows" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), i.e. the salvation of all surviving, elect, genetic Jews in Romans 11:26 will follow the fulness of the Gentiles being come in, in Romans 11:25c.

That is... (See the "fulness" section under Romans 11:25 above)

-

NEW:

~

(Re: Don't dispensationalists mistakenly change the "so" to "then"?)

Note that someone doesn't have to be a dispensationalist to understand that... (see the section above)

Also, in Romans 11:26, the original Greek word (houto: G3779) translated as "so" can be used in the sense of "then" (Acts 20:11b). For it can refer to "what precedes or follows" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). That is, the salvation of all surviving, elect, genetic Jews in Romans 11:26 will follow the fullness of the Gentiles being come in, in Romans 11:25c.

(See the "fulness" section under Romans 11:25 above)

--

ThomasGuthler said in post 95:

More entries:

Thank you for these.

I hope to add the 1st entry to the 1st section and a (new) 3rd section under *Rev. 2:27.

I hope to add a part of the 2nd entry to *1 Tim. 4:1.

-

Thank you for helping me to make these additions to the blog.

Can you post 3 more entries that aren't yet in the blog?

 

[ThomasGuthler]

The addition was made, but it was a small one, and so was understandably unnoticed

Thank you for pointing this out, was not sure about it.


--

More entries:


The Meaning of Predestination to this Non Calvinist

http://www.christianforums.com/thre...-to-this-non-calvinist.7239264/#post-47164217

(see the whole thread)

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/the-meaning-of-predestination-to-this-non-calvinist.7262553/

--

God's absolute sovereignty in Dan. 4:34-35 (just as in Rom. 9:20, Isa. 40:17, Ps. 115:3) applies to cases even where God allows bad things to happen to those who are righteous in his eyes (e.g. Job).

~

Isaiah 26:17 could refer to the church in the tribulation (Revelation 12:2).

~

(Re: *Chambers)

Q: By protected do you mean under God's protection, or just because they will be in hiding in the wilderness?

A: It will have to be both (cf. the principles of Psalms 127:1 and Proverbs 21:31).

~

Psalms 27:5 will happen during the tribulation for those in the church who will flee into protected places in the wilderness (Revelation 12:6), the mountains (Matthew 24:16). Compare Psalms 91, Ephesians 6:13.

~

John 11:52 is referring to the elect Gentiles who would be saved along with the elect Jews (Romans 9:8-24).

~

Quote: „I'm looking for specific verses, besides John 14:6, which say that Jesus is exclusively the only way to God or Heaven.“

[Acts 4:12
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”]

A: (Also besides Acts 4:12)

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Jesus taught that belief in him and his death on the cross is the only way for our sins to be forgiven by God (Matthew 26:28, John 8:24). This explains one reason for the first point, why "Only Jesus can give a person access to the Father", which Jesus taught in John 14:6.

Below are some other exclusive teachings of Jesus:

-Jesus taught that belief in him is the only way to obtain eternal life (John 3:16).

-Jesus taught that he existed with God the Father before the world was created (John 17:5).

-Jesus taught that he and God the Father are one (John 10:30).

-Jesus taught that as a human he is also the Son of God (John 10:36), the only begotten (born) Son of God (John 3:16), meaning that he is the only human who was born with no human father; God the Father was his only father.

-Jesus taught that God will not forgive our sins if we do not forgive others (Mark 11:26).

-Jesus taught that in order for someone to be loved by God the Father and indwelt by God the Father, they have to actually obey Jesus' commandments (John 14:21-24).

-Jesus taught that those who do not love him and his teachings are not of God, do not have God as their Father; instead, they are the children of Satan (John 8:42-47).

-Jesus taught that all of the human children of Satan will be cast into everlasting punishment in everlasting fire along with Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41,46, Matthew 13:38-42, Mark 9:45-46).

~

The church is Israel literally in the true sense (Revelation 21:9b,12b).

In Revelation 21:12, the gates of the bride have the names of the 12 tribes written on them to show that the 12 tribes are the bride, just as in Revelation 21:14 the foundations of the bride have the names of the 12 apostles on them to show that the apostles are the bride.

Note that the church is Israel (Revelation 21:9b,12b) by virtue of all Jews in the church remaining Israel by birth (Romans 11:1), and all Gentiles in the church becoming grafted into Israel by faith (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29).

If Jews in the church (like the apostles) are still Israel and members of the tribes in they were born (cf. Romans 11:1), then there is no dichotomy between the church and Israel like dispensationalism tries to invent.

And the good olive tree which all Gentiles in the church have been grafted into is the Jews' own olive tree (Romans 11:24); the good olive tree is Israel (Jeremiah 11:16). And if Old Covenant strangers in Israel could be grafted into the 12 tribes of Israel and inherit the land (Ezekiel 47:21-23), then how much more can those New Covenant Gentiles in the church who are no longer strangers in Israel, but fellowcitizens in Israel (Ephesians 2:12,19), the very seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29), be grafted into the 12 tribes of Israel.

Only dispensationalism wants to try to divide the church from Israel, so that it can put all the bad, tribulation stuff on Israel, while keeping all the good, rapture stuff for the church.

But what dispensationalism forgets is that if it cuts itself off from Israel, then it cuts itself off from the New Covenant which saves the church (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15), for the New Covenant which saves the church was made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Unelect unbelieving Jews have been cut off from Israel (Romans 11:20) and are no longer considered to be Israel (Romans 9:6-8) or even Jews (Romans 2:28-29, cf. Philippians 3:3), but the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 3:9, 2:9), the children of Satan (John 8:39-47).

Elect unbelieving Jews, although they have been cut off from Israel temporarily, are still considered Israel insofar as they are still elect and will be grafted back into Israel when they come into belief in Jesus at the second coming (Romans 11:23-29).

~

The word "Jew" doesn't mean only a member of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin, but a descendent of a member of the kingdom of Judah (JEW-duh). See Webster's etymology.

Elect descendants of these first-century "Jews" from all twelve tribes of Israel now live in the land of Israel. So "Israel" will go through the future tribulation in the land (Deuteronomy 4:1,30, Jeremiah 30:7).

Quote: „They did it through the detection of a genetic marker identified as being exclusively that of the Kohanim. This means that many a group of previously unconfirmed pseudo-hebrews are and will continue to be examined and confirmed.“

A: This brings up the question of how are we to determine who is a Jew and who isn't, for not all Jews will have the Kohanim, or Aaronic priesthood, gene, just as not all Jews will practice the rites of Judaism. And even if someone can't prove matrilineal Jewish heritage in order to convince Jewish rabbis of his Jewishness, he could nevertheless be genetically descended from Jews. But thank God that the problem is moot under the New Covenant, insofar as now being a Jew is neither based on genetics (Romans 9:6-8) nor on Judaic religious practices (Romans 2:28-29) nor on matrilineal heritage, but simply on whether one is in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:29, Philippians 3:3), or has been elected by God to come into faith in Jesus Christ in the future (Romans 11:26-29).

 

[ThomasGuthler]

--

In the Bible, a "vision" doesn't have to be visual; the original Hebrew word translated as "vision" in 2 Samuel 7:17, for example, can simply mean "revelation", even one that is only heard in one's mind.

...if a prophetic vision doesn't have an inspired interpretation given afterward, that could mean that it doesn't need one, that it can be taken literally, as in the case of Isaiah 53. But if a prophetic vision does have an inspired interpretation given afterward, that probably means that the vision contained some symbols which couldn't be taken literally if their prophetic meaning were to be properly understood. So it would only make sense that where the prophetic meaning of a vision were different from the vision itself, that God would often provide an inspired interpretation afterward.

As a boy, Samuel was scared to share a vision (1 Samuel 3:15b). Some of the apostles were commanded not to share a vision until a certain time (Matthew 17:9). John the apostle was commanded not to share a certain part of a vision (Revelation 10:4). During a trip to heaven, Paul the apostle heard things which he could not lawfully share (2 Corinthians 12:4).

On the other hand, sometimes people have dreams or daydreams that they think are visions, but are just the imagination of their own heart (Jeremiah 23:25-32, Ezekiel 13:2-9).

One way to tell if a vision is false is to check it against what the scriptures say and see if it contradicts anything in the scriptures. But even if it doesn't, it could still be false; one will just have to wait and see if it actually comes to pass (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Time will always tell.

Most Christians who say things like "God spoke to me this morning" don't mean an audible voice, but ideas from God placed within their minds. Although it is rare, it is possible for non-psychotic people to hear an audible voice from God (1 Samuel 3:4-10).

~

The book of Revelation is an unsealed book (Revelation 22:10), intended to be understood right away by anyone reading it; it's in no way some difficult symbolic book which no one can possibly hope to understand.

Almost all of Revelation is literal, and the few parts which are symbolic are usually explained afterward [(Revelation 1:20, 17:7-18) or have prior scriptural explanation (Revelation 5:6, John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19)]. For example, the symbols of Revelation 1:12,16 are explained in Revelation 1:20.

The symbols of the beast and the harlot in Revelation 17:3 are explained in Revelation 17:7-18.

The symbol of the Lamb with seven eyes and seven horns in Revelation 5:6 is explained in Revelation 5:6,9, for Jesus is the Lamb who was slain to redeem us by his blood (John 1:29, Matthew 26:28).

The locust-like creatures which will come up out of hell during the coming tribulation (Revelation 9:1-11) will be literal demonic creatures. That's why there's no explanation afterward saying that they're just symbols representing something else.

The two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-12 will be two literal men. That's why there's no explanation afterward saying that they're just symbols representing something else.