Bible Prophecy in crisis? Boy if that isn’t the truth. Every day I receive at least one new “wild” dooms day/last day prophetic word or revelation from someone who falls into the “prophetic” category spoken of in Ezekiel 13:
Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! (verse 3)
From Herescope:
In the context of the Jasher account, that story makes a whole lot more now sense doesn’t it? I mean think about it. Without Jasher, the story in Genesis 25 makes no sense at all…. After reading Jasher, you now completely understand what is going on and why. Esau had just killed the king of the world!
By the way, the “valuable garments” that Nimrod had, “with which he prevailed over the whole land” were the original garments God made for Adam and Eve back in the garden… so here Esau has chopped off Nimrod’s head and stolen his “magic garments.” The rest of Nimrod’s “mighty men” were after him now. Esau came home famished from a very busy day! So, when Jacob says he wants his birthright, Esau basically said, “Look. What do I care about my birthright? I just killed King Nimrod! I’m a dead man. His warriors are probably coming for me as we speak. Just give me something to eat!” Esau was extremely vulnerable here and Jacob totally took advantage of the situation for his own selfish gain….
The Fifth Trumpet blows, and the spirit of Apollyon (Apollo) ascends back into its former host body – Nimrod. Thus, empowered by the dragon himself, the Anti-Christ will rise. And his first order of business will be to kill the Two Witnesses! (p. 135, 258)[bold added]
(Rob Skiba, Babylon Rising, http://babylonrisingblog.com/PDF/Babylonrising.pdf)
This eschatological teachings of the postmodern evangelical church are in a state of revision and flux. It is no longer possible to categorize endtime teachings according to the old standard recognizable Postmillennialism, Amillennialism and Premillennialism. There are emerging permutations in these teachings, hybrid eschatologies that blend in New Age evolutionary progression, quantum physics (including quantum spirituality), “incarnating” Christ, “Forerunner Eschatology,” science fiction, UFO lore, secret codes, and ancient pagan mythology, astrology and apocryphal writings. The result is a prophecy mish-mash. These strange new configurations of eschatology are apocalyptic in nature and go far beyond the descriptions of an apocalypse that are found in Scripture alone.
Postmodern endtime prophecy no longer reflects the humble Gospel message of salvation, nor does it find hope in the soon return of Jesus Christ.
The most noticeable aberration in eschatological prophecy can be found in the classic Premilliennnial or Pre-Tribulation Rapture positions. There are such substantial revisions as to render these barely recognizable. While many prominent evangelical prophecy teachers still profess a basic Premillennial view, in actuality many of them have mixed in extrabiblical teachings to such an extent that it substantially revises their position. Specifically, the Premillennial position has been added to with large amounts of extrabiblical material, especially including ancient apocryphal literature. This ancient apocalyptic literature serves as the foundation to all of their endtime scenarios. Building upon this unstable foundation the postmodern prophecy teachers add all sorts of other “spiritual” teachings.
The quotation at the top of this article is a perfect case in point.
What started thirty years ago as intriguing speculations about difficult passages in the Bible has now turned into full-blown heresy. When prophecy leaders first began to examine apocryphal literature with curiosity, they cracked open the door to considering sources outside of Scripture. Little did they realize that within several decades a flood of occult teachings from the ancient pagan world would come pouring into the church. It is no wonder that the History Channel’s miniseries version of The Bible can go so far afield into fiction. After years of a steady diet of seeker-sensitive pap, people are desensitized, de-moralized, dumbed-down and don’t know their Holy Bible. And thus they are rendered receptive to these evocative enhancements to Scripture.
In the recently devised endtime scenarios there is a new focus. Attention is placed on cataclysmic events that include space aliens, Nephilim creatures, and other entities and deities – all of which are said to be coming to invade earth. Prophecy teachers are making extravagant claims about events they say will take place imminently. Some predicted dire cataclysms on 12-12-12. It didn’t happen, but that hasn’t deterred them from developing alternative future apocalyptic scenarios. The hype surrounding these proposed end-time scenarios is often accompanied by bizarre teachings borrowed directly from occult sources.[1] Prophecy has now been turned into apocalypse. These apocalyptic teachers portray dramatic portents of doom and disaster that are far removed from plain Scripture. There seems to be an insatiable market for this kind of fear-mongering.
A noteworthy feature is the inclusion of apocalyptic America scenarios that drum up hysteria about how our nation will be ruined. This is actually a potent form of operant conditioning – the trigger creates a panic reaction; people want to “do” something to “fix” things before America is doomed. Create the crisis, propose the solution. Thus, drummed-up fear renders people more susceptible to potent solutions such as Dominionism or spiritual warfare.
The focus is no longer on teaching the Gospel to those who are lost – a message of conviction and truth that would have a real and lasting impact on the terrible morals of our land’s inhabitants. Evangelicals are no longer “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13).
Please continue here: The Rise of Apocalyptic Paganism in the Church: Bible Prophecy in Crisis
Sola Dei Gloria 
Enjoyed reading that article , but really , there is nothing new under the sun, those who equate parts of the Olivet discourse to events described by Josephus in 70 AD have been doing this for years, so who knows , maybe one day the book of Jasher may well become part of the bible.
That’s a good description of what eschatology looks like in the US today. At the same time, I’m aware that there never has been a church council held to come up with a unified view on eschatology, even though (it is said that) 27% of the Bible is made up of prophecies. I wonder what would have happened if a council was held to discuss eschatology around the same time that councils were held to discuss the doctrine of the Trinity and the canon of Scripture?
Ray, I’m curious why you believe it’s dangerous or problematic to link the Olivet Discourse to Josephus’ writings. Didn’t Jesus say that the signs He gave would take place before the temple fell, and before His generation would pass away? And didn’t Josephus write “War of the Jews” in 75 AD, detailing the collapse of the temple and other events of that time period? Here are two interesting quotes in this regard from two different eras in church history:
Adam
I guess the intent of this article was to call into question the validity of extrabiblical writings , and the consequent effect that they have on prophetic interpretation ,and for mine , the question is not whether we should trust some of these writings over others , but whether any extrabiblical source has any place in the interpretation of the prophetic at all . Not only do I find the accounts given by Josephus as problematic , but biblicly , they are downright wrong. Joephus claims that the temple was destroyed in AD 70, but clearly , the guy was deluded, for what saith the scriptures,
John 2:19
Jesus answered and said unto them , Destroy this temple , and in three days I will raise it up again.
Would you not agree that the reference to “three days ” points to the death and ressurection of Christ , and would you not concur that if Jesus said he would destroy the temple , that it would indeed be destroyed . The temple construct was just a building that was symbolic of the ordinances that represented the old covenant [, the holy of holies , the sacrifices and the feasts etc], and at his death , Jesus [ literally] destroyed that temple , and at his ressurection , became the true temple , the true high priest and the true Israel of God.
So my one question would be this , if Jesus said he would destroy the temple , as indeed he did , why would anyone take some secular observers account and believe that this occurred some 40 yrs later. And to quote you on a reply on another thread on this site Adam , this is even more confusing,
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and why there is no ground for looking for a dual fulfillment in the future.
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So true , why look for a dual fulfillment in the future, the temple was destroyed at Christ’s death, and there was no dual fulfillment some 40 yrs later.
IMHO , there are a good many folks who have been taken for a ride by Josephus [and others] , and i believe the answer is a very simple one , why not let the bible interpret itself. And regarding the Olivet discourse , I believe again that we should allow scripture to speak , and recognise that the timing of the events described in the discourse , precede the second coming of Christ. Of particular note , not once in any of the discourse accounts , does Jesus refer to the temple being” destroyed “, but that there would be not one stone left upon another . If Christ is the temple , and the chief cornerstone of the temple , then we are as lively stones being built into that temple . The olivet discourse concurs exactly with the accounts given by John in Revelation 13:7, where we see the church being dismantled by the releasing of Satan to once again deceive the nations.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints , and to overcome them.
I read this article before I saw your excerpting of it. I do see what the author sees, in fringe dispensational circles. What bothers me is that I’m starting to see some of these names in association with more mainstream people.
If you do much reading into church history, eschatology thought back then did not always fit into modern categories. Even the author’s “the old standard recognizable Postmillennialism, Amillennialism and Premillennialism” is modern. Amillenialism is a modern category. No one thought of themselves as amil before (so I read) Abraham Kuyper. it was thought of as a variety of postmillennialism.
Likewise, the way premillennials in the past thought of eschatology didn’t always line up with modern constructions of it (especially dispensational). See Charles Hill, Regnum Calorum (for patristic examples) and The Eschatalogical Views of the Westminster Divines for a more modern example.
Thank Lee..
I don’t doubt that the terminology has changed through out the centuries. As one obvious case we don’t see any of these terms (or differences) within the letters of the new testament! In other words Paul doesn’t claim to be amil” while Peter was “premil”. ahaha!
The history surrounding these eschatology splits would be interesting!
Hi Ray. I agree with you that Jesus was talking about His own body in John 2:19 when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” Verse 21 of that chapter even tells us plainly that “the temple He had spoken of was His body.”
However, Josephus recorded the destruction of something different, the Second Temple (as it was known), in 70 AD. He was one of many historians to do so. Early church fathers affirm that this event took place in that year, and that the temple was destroyed at the hands of the Romans in the midst of the Roman-Jewish War. Jesus also prophesied in Matthew 22:7 that an army sent by God would burn the city (Jerusalem) of those who murdered His servants and His Son. Jerusalem was burned in August 70 AD.
I also agree with you that Jesus is the true temple, the true high priest, and true Israel. We also agree that the Second Temple was spiritually void by the time Jesus was crucified and rose again, and that the old covenant sacrifices and ordinances that continued for one generation were meaningless and of no spiritual value to those who performed them.
I don’t agree, though, that the Second Temple was destroyed at the time of Jesus’ resurrection. It was marked for destruction, yes, but the carrying out of that destruction occurred about 40 years later. This destruction was predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24:1-3 / Mark 13:1-4 / Luke 21:5-7, even though He didn’t use the word “destruction.” In Matthew 24:1 and Mark 13:1 we see that “Jesus was leaving the temple.” The disciples then expressed their deep admiration for the buildings and the beautiful stones that made up the temple. Jesus promised that the time would come when every one of those stones would be thrown down.
In response to Jesus’ prophecy, the disciples asked Him when this would happen, and what sign(s) would take place to show that it was about to be fulfilled. Jesus then foretold all that would occur prior to the temple’s destruction, and said that it would all occur before their generation would pass away. This was to include the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,
I completely agree that we who are in Christ have been made into the Lord’s temple, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone (I Corinthians 3:16, I Cor. 6:19, II Cor. 6:16, Ephesians 2:19-22).
Hi Adam
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Hi Ray. I agree with you that Jesus was talking about His own body in John 2:19 when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” Verse 21 of that chapter even tells us plainly that “the temple He had spoken of was His body.”
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Actually Adam , I think there was a misunderstanding in quoting that verse, for the record , I believe that the temple mentioned and marked for destruction in that verse was indeed the one you call the second temple. For what reason would Christ have destroyed his own body , it was without blemish , and until his ressurection , it was not considered a temple.
I prefer what the writer to the Hebrews has to say on this ,
Hebrews 9:8
The Holy Ghost this signifying , that the way into the holiest of all , was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing.
So correct me if i’m wrong here Adam , but doesn’t this verse attest to the fact that the way into holy of holies , by way of Christ , could not be manifested until the first temple had been destroyed[ in keeping with John 2:19]? . Regardless of whether it was the first or second incarnation of the temple construct , that temple stood as a shadow that prefigured the fulfilment of the temple in Christ. Remembering also that the veil was torn from top to bottom at the time of Christs death , signifying access to the most holy place through Christ, I would concur that the temple from that point on ceased to exist. The construct may well have been intact , but it stood for nothing.
On the other hand , if we are to consider the ever popular Josephus hermenuetic, we would have to conclude that access to the Father , through Christ , despite his death and ressurection , did not occur until some forty years after his death , when the temple was allegedly ransacked by the Romans.
So Adam , do you see the dilemmna here, the bible is quite able to interpret itself , and the resultant outcome of its interpretations are quite different to those of Josephus’s writings interpretations.
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This was to include the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,
end quote
IMO , views such as these , would place you some where near the extremities of orthodoxy , if not beyond it . Has Christ already come? , for that to have occured , those who trouble us will have already been judged and removed from the presence of Christ [2 Thess 1 :6-10].Last time I had a peek , there were still unregenerates on every corner.
Ray, here’s the text from John 2:
“So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”
My observation is that the misunderstanding was on the part of the Jews. They assumed that Jesus was speaking of the temple in Jerusalem, but John explains for his readers that Jesus was actually talking about His own physical body.
Hebrews 9:8 seems to prove a bit difficult to interpret for a lot of people. You can see a variety of interpretations here, for example:
http://bible.cc/hebrews/9-8.htm
I think you and I are nearly on the same page, though, concerning this verse. While I won’t say that the Second Temple ceased to exist at the time of Christ’s resurrection, I definitely agree that it had no standing or value. Access to the Father through Christ was made manifest at the time of Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection. I don’t believe that the Roman attack on the temple in Jerusalem opened up this access. Jesus did.
Yes, I’m aware that some people would place my views on the Olivet Discourse outside of orthodoxy. I really do believe, though, that Jesus meant what He said when He declared that “all these things” (not “some of these things”) would take place before His own generation would pass away (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, Luke 21:32). To the same effect, He had previously told His disciples that He would come in His kingdom before they could pass through all the towns and cities of Israel (Matthew 10:23), and that He would come in judgment / in His kingdom / with His holy angels / in the glory of His Father before all of His disciples had died (Matthew 16:27-28). As far as orthodoxy is concerned, I stand with Eusebius and Jonathan Edwards, among others:
Eusebius (263-339 AD): “When, then, we see what was of old foretold for the nations fulfilled in our day, and when the lamentation and wailing that was predicted for the Jews, and the burning of the Temple and its utter desolation, can also be seen even now to have occurred according to the prediction, surely we must also agree that the King who was prophesied, the Christ of God, has come, since the signs of His coming have been shewn in each instance I have treated to have been clearly fulfilled.”
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758): “Tis evident that when Christ speaks of his coming; his being revealed; his coming in his Kingdom; or his Kingdom’s coming; He has respect to his appearing in those great works of his Power Justice and Grace, which should be in the Destruction of Jerusalem and other extraordinary Providences which should attend it.”
I could also add to this John Wesley’s commentary on Matthew 16:27-28: “For there is no way to escape the righteous judgment of God. And, as an emblem of this, there are some here who shall live to see the Messiah coming to set up His mediatorial kingdom with great power and glory, by the destruction of the temple, city, and polity of the Jews” (John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, 1754).