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Fri Nite Frite lite: Different human species to evolve by 2050?

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By 2050, a completely new type of human will evolve as a result of radical new technology, behaviour, and natural selection.

This is according to Cadell Last, a researcher at the Global Brain Institute, who claims mankind is undergoing a major ‘evolutionary transition’.

In less than four decades, Mr Last claims we will live longer, have children in old age and rely on artificial intelligence to do mundane tasks.

Global Brain Institute?

This shift is so significant, he claims, it is comparable to the change from monkeys to apes, and apes to humans.

‘Your 80 or 100 is going to be so radically different than your grandparents,’ Mr Last says, who believe we will spend much of our time living in virtual reality.

Maybe. Who knows. Come the apocalypse:

‘Global society at the moment is a complete mess,’ he told MailOnline. ‘But in crisis there is opportunity, and in apocalypse there can be metamorphosis.

‘So I think the next system humanity creates will be far more sophisticated, fair, and abundant than our current civilisation.

‘I think our next system will be as different from the modern world, as our contemporary world is from the medieval world.’

Actually, stop wait.

For the most part, mediaeval society in the Western world was way kinder than today’s horrors in the middle east. There really is not much ultimate progress in human affairs. There is only staving off the worse by the better, wherever we happen to live.

Notice, by the way that even though “evolution” is not supposed to have any direction if Darwin is right, we somehow know that this will happen.

And Darwin is right whether it happens or doesn’t, and whether it could happen or couldn’t. It is always that way with a cult.

Prediction: when the house lights come back on, the apocalypse didn’t happen. Same bleary people, like always. But the worldly evil remains.

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Comments
Querius, To be frank, I don't see anything in Is. 19 or 60 that can be taken as demonstrating that the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of those prophecies. We must see things very differently, lol. Isaiah 19 is a prophecy concerning Egypt:
The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
When did God ride upon a cloud and come into Egypt? Was that one of the wars in the middle east since 1948? Isaiah 60 contains multiple passages that mitigate against the interpretation that it's been fulfilled:
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
That's all been fulfilled? Did you ever post a reply to this question? Mung: I can’t find a single New Testament prophecy that says Israel will be reconstituted as a nation in the land of Palestine. Can you?Mung
September 17, 2014
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Dr JDD, Thank you. Wow, that's pretty stunning about Islamic escatology---and tragic! And where would the Ark of the Covenant be put if someone finds or has found it? In a museum? I don't think I'd want to be the one to open it! :o -QQuerius
September 16, 2014
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Indeed, brother. In fact one could argue that "Tarshish" of Ez 38 is Britain and all her "villages" (often translated young lions) are former British empires, e.g. USA etc. Querius, have you ever looked into the eschatology of Islam? It is fascinating, especially when you consider what is going on in the world and the countries surrounding Israel. Here is a summary of the eschatolgical viewpoint that Islam teaches: - The first main person to come at the end of history is the Mahdi/12th Imam - The Mahdi comes to remove/kill all those who do not worship Allah/convert to Islam - The Mahdi comes to establish the everlasting world dominating kingdom of Islam - The Mahdi will be a leader of military sorts as he will have a large army with black flags that go from nation to nation converting people to Islam - The Mahdi will first send the army to destroy the Jews and establish rule on Temple Mount (where the 3rd Jewish temple must be built and where the Dome of the Rock lies) - Mahdi will first come and make though, a peace agreement with the west and Jews for 7 years - The Mahdi will come riding on a white horse - The Mahdi will find hidden scriptures somewhere in the middle east which will be deemed the true scriptures and demonstrates that the Jews and Christians have it wrong and their versions of the scriptures are wrong - There will be a prophet that will also come and support the Mahdi - This prophet will be Jesus - This Jesus will exalt the Mahdi, and put to rest the Christian account and reveal that he was never killed, never rose from the grave, etc (but he is a pure Muslim) - He will direct people to worship the Mahdi and Allah - A Muslim “Antichrist” will come – Dajjal - Dajjal will come on a mule and is blind in one eye, a false miracle worker who claims to be Jesus the Son of God - The “true” Jesus will kill him and stop him from affecting the Mahdi This amazes me - you can perfectly see how so many will be fooled into thinking that the Antichrist is what they have been waiting for - the establisher of Islam worldwide. It will even be confirmed to them when the 7-year deal is made! Undoubtedly the false prophet fits in perfectly here too, and you can even see then why the Bible says many will be deceived in that time ("even the elect, if that were possible"). The ultimate false Christ. Look at ISIS now - clearly the world will not tolerate this approach, and it will also begin to turn on Israel.I have no doubt reading much of the current Israeli/Jewish literature that Israel will sometime jump at the chance to destroy Gaza given the right circumstances. The way this is portrayed in the media, the other countries of the world will condemn and come against Israel. ISIS cannot bring about what they want as that is condemned as well - there needs to be a great leader who will come with great promise of prosperity but of also peace. The Jews are ready to build the temple in an instant. They have everything in place, many even claim they know exactly the location of the hidden ark of the convenant in a complex maze that King Solomon built to protect it in his wisdom. They say this has been passed from generation to generation and it is below the Dome of the Rock. Such a find would undoubtedly revive Israelis to look back to Judaism, and be enthralled to embrace and reinstate the temple and the sacrificial system. With the anti-Christ being the Mahdi, bringing the promise that all Muslims are looking for but doing so in peace (so getting the world's support instead of ISIS' current approach, with no leader as well), he will be received worldwide and then you know the rest of the story once that 7-year pact is made. Fault lines found on the Mount of Olives, Eastern gate sealed shut, Hebrew back in use, The Shekel restored, Israel regathered in their original location and as a nation, prosperity restored to the land, nations around them rising up against them, vast increase in world knowledge and transport/travel, instant world-wide communication, nanotechnology feasible that enables personalised use of currency and payment, the fact that the 3rd temple was commanded to be built without the court of the gentiles and this means it does not have to infringe on the Dome of the Rock...these could all be "coincidences" as you have already said. Or, they could be the fascinating and exhilerating summation of history and the pinnacle of the end times to mark the warnings of the birth pains. It is truly both bitter and sweet. JDDDr JDD
September 16, 2014
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The leopard has four heads, which could be: * Turkey (the largest army in the Middle East, mentioned in Ezekiel) * Iran (mentioned in Ezekiel) * Egypt? * Saudi Arabia? (the wealthiest after Turkey and Iran) The four wings could be from among * Libya (mentioned in Ezekiel) * Northern Sudan (mentioned in Ezekiel as "Ethiopia") * Syria? * Iraq (or maybe not)? * Islamic countries to the south of Russia in the area of the Scythians? As I said, wild speculation! -QQuerius
September 15, 2014
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P.S. The dragon on the seashore is the devil. The dragon part of the beast--the 10 horns, now with diadems, coming out of the sea is China. -QQuerius
September 15, 2014
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Speaking of Daniel, you might be interested in a wild speculation concerning one of the propecies. believe I first read a version of it in Dr. Ray Stedman's book. It has to do with the four beasts that Daniel saw coming out of the sea, each being different from each other. The traditional interpretation is that these correspond with the great statue, but I'd object that beasts for the ancient empires had already been described. For example, Media-Persia is described as a Ram with two horns. In prophesy, heads are governments, horns are leaders, and wings are allies. Also note that the four beasts precede one another out of the sea (of peoples), but are coexistent. I'm not going to argue the case since I admit it's speculation, but it's also interesting . . . Lion with wings of an eagle. The Anglo-American empire. The British rampant lion and the American eagle. The wings are plucked. It's made to stand on two feet and a human mind is given to it. Uncle Sam? Bear raised up on its side, three ribs in its mouth, told to rise and devour much meat. The Soviet Union with the remains of the Third Reich (III) in its mouth. Leopard with four wings and four heads, given authority to rule. The Islamic caliphate being established. Dragon with large iron teeth, devoured, crushed, and trampled the others, 10 horns plus the little horn (antichrist), but no mention of multiple heads. China. Notice that the beast mentioned in Revelation is melded together. It has the teeth of a lion, the feet of a bear, the body of a leopard, and power was given to it by the dragon on the seashore. Count how many heads that the beast had: 1+1+4+1 = 7 and one of the heads had a death wound that was healed. The 10 horns came from the fourth beast! Read it for yourself: The Beast Out of the Sea - Revelation 13.
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast...
A blasphemous name is one reserved for God that's given to a human entity. Intriguing, but admittedly speculative. -QQuerius
September 15, 2014
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BA77 - you might be interested in watching the film "The Daniel Project". Interesting to consider some of the arguments there and some of it fits well with Biblical prophecy (unless you are into heavy Covenant Theology and / or amillenialistic eschatology) if that is your persuasion.Dr JDD
September 15, 2014
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Thanks Q and Dr JDD,,, I've never heard of the eastern gate prophecy before,,, The Eastern Gate in Prophecy - video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsW6w8u7Vvo http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2013/06/jerusalems-eastern-gate-has-been-closed-messiah-to-come-and-open-it-2450730.htmlbornagain77
September 14, 2014
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The very fact that Israel has been gathered from the countries around the world back to the "Promised Land" is incredible evidence for the veracity and literal nature of prophecies written 1000s of years ago. Just because people mis-interpret those to imply that because that has happened, Armageddon/the Return of Christ must happen in a set period of time does not take away from the astonishing accuracy of the prophecies (note - prophecies in the Bible often have stages to them, early fulfilment which is a "like" fulfilment but not ultimate, truest fulfilment and we see this a lot in the OT). Is 66:8 - "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons." Deut 30:3 - then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. The believing/turning of Israel has not happened yet with the re-forming. This is the start, the early signs of the end times. Revelation is quite clear on this as are other passages - 1/3 of Israel will be saved, 2/3 will be destroyed, and they will "look upon the One they pierced and mourn as for an only Son." The turning to the true Messiah only comes with hardship, real suffering and pain that will come during Jacob's great sorrow and the 7-year tribulation period. Everything happening now is leading up to that, it is all "birth pains". It is so interesting when you look how prepared Israel is for the third temple to be built (again, prophecied). The really interesting thing as well as in prophecy there is not a place for the court of the Gentiles- and this fits perfectly with the Dome of the Rock staying on the Mount as it is, and the temple being built where it was prophecied to be built. When you look into how people in Israel are preparing for this, they have virtually everything in place, made, young men trained to perform priestly duties, they are even actively seeking out the perfect heffer. Revelation 11:1-2 - I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. Who knows how long it will take, who knows if it will happen in 2 years or 20 or 200years. But we must see from the events and what the Bible says that we are living in the times where it will happen soon, as not much is left to occur. Daniel 12:4 - "...many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." Travel is at a height, international capabilities are there, knowledge has vastly increased with the advance of the internet. We now have a way in which "every eye" could see dead witnesses we never had before - not just satellite live news, but people on mobile phones uploading videos in real time, facebook, social media - it is all there and the capabilities now. How in the world could John conceive to write an army numbering 200million when in his day there were probably less than that on the earth existing then? More interesting: Ez 44:1-2 - Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. The LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way. Note - the East gate remains sealed to this day. Zeph 3:9 (Hebrew language restored) - For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord Everything I see going on in the world today to me appears to be leading up to these great events. It is quite clear that the extremist Islamic approach the way it is with ISIS will not be tolerated - cue the need for a great leader (anti-christ) to come in peace and take power in peace. It is also clear that relgions of the world are becoming more tolerant of each other and so many people crying out for unity and tolerance of each religion - the desire for one-world religion and the rise of a false prophet where tolerance is rife (the harlot). It most likely will be a union between Islam and so-called Christianity of sorts that will draw these nations, with the supposed tolerance of the Jewish tradition being reborn (temple and sacrifice worship). So many things today seem poised to lead in that direction to me it seems so evident. I have been reading a lot of the prophetic passages in the Bible lately and it constantly amazes me how everything around me seems poised to enter the fulfilment to the full of all of these things yet to come. I fully believe that the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was fulfilment of prophecy and the start of everything else yet to be fulfilled. The fact that they still exist now, surrounded completely by nations intolerant of their existence and survived miraculously wars they should not have survived just adds weight to this argument, to me, personally. I'm with Q on this one.Dr JDD
September 14, 2014
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Mung,
Which biblical prophecy depends on the existence of the modern state of Israel
A (not necessarily the current/modern) state of Israel is a precondition of many prophecies. This state whenever it comes into existence, would have the following characteristics: * Born in a day * Gathered from all over the world * Return either voluntarily of by compulsion * Do not as a nation believe that Yeshua was the Messiah * Turn the wilderness into a blooming garden * Surrounded by hostile nations * Occupy the historical geographic area of Israel * Control Jerusalem The current/modern state of Israel seems to have all of these characteristics. Does that mean that the current/modern state of Israel can be proved from the Bible to be the one mentioned in many prophecies? No, it can't. If the prophesied countries invade Israel and are destroyed, could this just be a coincidence? Yes. If the modern state of Israel signs a peace treaty with someone who seems to be the antichrist, who later breaks the treaty and installs himself as God in the temple, could this be just a foreshadowing and not the real thing? Yeah, I guess so. If the plagues described in Revelation start happening to the Earth---global warming, the sea dies, locusts that deliver painful stings, people having to use a number to buy and sell things . . . could this all just be a coincidence? Yes, of course it could. -QQuerius
September 13, 2014
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Querius:
A (any) state of Israel is a precondition for a lot of prophecies. For example
But we are not talking about preconditions, we are talking about whether the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of bible prophecy. But how can you say that A is a precondition of B? Which biblical prophecy depends on the existence of the modern state of Israel?Mung
September 13, 2014
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Querius:
Could the current state of Israel be destroyed, another 6 million Jews be slaughtered, and the land be restored to its traditional state of barren waste? Yes, I suppose so.
But given your view of biblical prophecy concerning the modern state of Israel, this is not possible. Given the establishment of the modern state of Israel, all else must necessarily follow.Mung
September 13, 2014
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Hi Mung, You wrote
If the current state of Israel is not the fulfillment of Bible prophecy then there’s no good reason to believe that it exists in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
Sorry, I'm confused by your statement, which seems like a logical identity: if -A, then -A. A (any) state of Israel is a precondition for a lot of prophecies. For example Without a state of Israel the nations that mass together to attack her at Armageddon would feel pretty silly if, once they got there, there was no actual nation to attack. Zechariah 12 indicates that under the duress of an invasion and surrounding of Jerusalem, a widespread national recognition of the Messiah who was pierced, and national repentance occurs. To me this indicates that Israel was unbelieving and unrepentant beforehand. Furthermore, Daniel 9 indicates that the antichrist puts an end to the sacrifice and grain offering, which is no longer necessary under the new covenant. This is why many Christians believe that Orthodox Jews in Israel at some point are allowed to rebuild the temple and restart the Mosaic sacrifices. Under the current political environment in the Middle East, this seems like an impossibility. But then lots of impossibilities were overcome in the birth of Israel in 1948. Could the current state of Israel be destroyed, another 6 million Jews be slaughtered, and the land be restored to its traditional state of barren waste? Yes, I suppose so. Consider the introduction to the Hamas Covenant 1988, The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement 18 August 1988.
In The Name Of The Most Merciful Allah "Ye are the best nation that hath been raised up unto mankind: ye command that which is just, and ye forbid that which is unjust, and ye believe in Allah. And if they who have received the scriptures had believed, it had surely been the better for them: there are believers among them, but the greater part of them are transgressors. They shall not hurt you, unless with a slight hurt; and if they fight against you, they shall turn their backs to you, and they shall not be helped. They are smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found; unless they obtain security by entering into a treaty with Allah, and a treaty with men; and they draw on themselves indignation from Allah, and they are afflicted with poverty. This they suffer, because they disbelieved the signs of Allah, and slew the prophets unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and transgressed." (Al-Imran - verses 109-111). Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp Will God allow the Jews to be destroyed, breaking his unconditional, everlasting promise to them? I wouldn't bet on it. -QQuerius
September 13, 2014
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Q:
... there’s no general consensus among all Christians on this topic.
The rabbis say that the clouds are driven by the wind, but doves are drawn to their home. And so it is with the Jewish people.
The rabbis themselves do not even agree about whether Israel will return (in disbelief) prior to the advent of the Messiah! I'll have to work to pull up the source material on that.Mung
September 13, 2014
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Hi Querius, Thanks for your comments. I agree with you about agreement. If I don't say "almost all agree about x" it's safe for you to assume that I recognize there is disagreement. :) But unless I have mis-understood you, you've already given away the store! If the current state of Israel is not the fulfillment of Bible prophecy then there's no good reason to believe that it exists in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Many preachers and teachers have held that the "prophetic clock" with respect to Israel stopped, and won't start again until the rapture. In which case, it follows that the modern state of Israel does not exist in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Perhaps you reject these doctrines of the rapture and of imminency and of the parenthesis that is the church, but these are all stock dispensational teachings. But back to prophecies about the state of Israel. I can't find a single New Testament prophecy that says Israel will be reconstituted as a nation in the land of Palestine. Can you? I'll take a look next at Isaiah 60 and 19. Thank you! [I have this topical Vine's on Bible prophecy and it had nothing about the return of Israel, so I was struggling to find relevant passages.] If you're open to doing a little reading: The Israel of GodMung
September 13, 2014
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Mung, I'm going to preface all my comments with "I believe" because there's no general consensus among all Christians on this topic. There's been a lot of debate among Biblical scholars and others, so I'll simply explain what I believe. I believe that what you quoted applies to the earlier returns from the Babylonian captivity, which had resulted from the Jews apostasy. The current return to Israel is described in Isaiah 60 (KJV):
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
The rabbis say that the clouds are driven by the wind, but doves are drawn to their home. And so it is with the Jewish people. One of the difficulties in understanding prophecies in the Bible is when you try to find where they interleave. So, if Zechariah is to be believed, then his statement:
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."
would most likely a different event than the prophecies you quoted. Here's another one out of Isaiah 19 (KJV):
In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
What a beautiful statement of reconciliation! When would you think that happens? Incidentally, I need to correct an earlier statement of mine about Jesus coming again. There's a difference between the public "second coming of Jesus," which occurs seven years after Israel signs a treaty with the antichrist and three-and-a-half years after the antichrist betrays Israel and sets up the abomination that makes desolation, and the stealthy "coming of Jesus" in what's popularly known as "the rapture," which I'll call the theft. Jesus describes the theft like this:
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding oat the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
* If this theft occurs at the end of the final seven-year period, everyone would know when it would occur. No surprise. * If the theft occurs during the final half of the seven- year period, called "the tribulation," then it would not be in the ordinary times that Jesus is describing. * If the theft occurs during the first half of the seven-year period, then we would know that it must occur on one of 1,260 days. Actually, one of 1,259 days, Or fewer. ;-) * It's likely that the theft will occur before the seven year period starts, probably a few years before to allow the antichrist to convince people that he is really the promised Messiah of Judaism, Islam (The Mahdi), and Christianity. Perhaps he will even convince people that he is the Buddhist bodhisattva Maitreya, and the Hindu Kalki (the final incarnation of Vishnu). Maybe he'll take credit for removing the "disruptive" elements to his program. -QQuerius
September 13, 2014
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Hi Q,
The prophecies indicate that the Jews return to Israel in unbelief, so these prophecies would be falsified in that case.
Deuteronomy 30 King James Version (KJV) 30 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, 2 And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3 That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.Mung
September 13, 2014
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Oops, it's Dioniso. :-)Querius
September 13, 2014
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Dioisio,
All of the elements of this prophecy, except for the Second Coming itself, had occurred in some form before the disciples died.
Thank you for sharing this interesting observation. Daniel's 70 sevens prophecy does indicate a break between the 69th and 70th seven. There's evidence that 483 years to the day after "the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem," Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and it says he looked around in the temple (what was he expecting?). Then, a literal week later, the messiah was "cut off," using Daniel's words. Crucified by the people of "prince who is to come," the antichrist (anti as in instead of). What was not clear in Daniel is the length of time between the 69th and 70th seven. 70 AD sure looked like a promising introduction to the 70th seven! Once again, we seem to be at the brink. -QQuerius
September 13, 2014
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#5 Querius Thank you for the commentary. RE: Matthew 24 Note these interesting comments:
Wars, earthquakes, persecutions, and false prophets are all signs of Jesus’ coming, but they indicate only the certainty of judgment, not its time (vv. 6, 8). Such signs characterize the entire period between His resurrection and His coming in judgment. Knowing when Jesus would return would lead His disciples to laziness and laxity in their watchfulness. The “when” (v. 3) that Jesus gives is task oriented: it is after the gospel has been preached to the nations 24:34 this generation. The phrase naturally means the people living as Jesus spoke. Some suggest it means “this race,” or somewhat better, “this sort of people,” that is, evil and adulterous people, 12:39. all these things. That is, “all these things” referred to in v. 33, which are distinguished from the consummation itself. They are the “beginning of the birth pains” (v. 8) and signs that point to the final coming of Christ, including the siege and fall of Jerusalem. All of the elements of this prophecy, except for the Second Coming itself, had occurred in some form before the disciples died. [Reformation Study Bible provided by Ligonier Ministries]
Dionisio
September 13, 2014
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Hi Mung, Here are my answers to your questions:
Querius, what do you believe the formation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 signifies?
That the Bible prophecies relating to the existence of a state of Israel can now be fulfilled, and that God keeps his promises.
Will Jesus return before all those who were alive in 1948 die?
No one can know or will know until it happens—it will be a total surprise. The word “generation” (genea is the Greek word) to which you're referring in Matthew 24 is probably best understood as referring to the Jewish people, who have been persecuted through history, and nearly destroyed. Yes, it could certainly mean a period of time, the lifespan of a human or less. However, I believe that Jesus used this word ambiguously on purpose. My speculation is that if the majority of the Jewish people had accepted Yeshua as their Messiah at the time, the antichrist would have been a Roman emperor, perhaps Nero, and the plan of God for the human race including all the prophecies, most notably those of Daniel, would have been fulfilled then.
Take whichever or however many prophecies about “Israel” you can from the Bible. Why must it be the case that it is the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948 that fulfills those prophecies?
Why wouldn't they? Let me give you an example. If I should prophecy that the US dollar will crash, along with some unlikely details, and then it does, would you object by saying that my prophecy might refer to another currency called "the dollar" sometime in the future?
Assume for the sake of argument that the modern state of Israel ceases to exist. 2000 years from now another state is formed in the same location also calling itself “Israel.”
This is too much of a hypothetical. To answer your questions in general, yes, it's possible that “the cards might be be shuffled again,” but the most likely outcome is that the current state of Israel is The Real Thing.
What if this future state of Israel is actually formed as a result of Jews repenting of their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, unlike the current state of Israel?
The prophecies indicate that the Jews return to Israel in unbelief, so these prophecies would be falsified in that case. Hope this makes things clearer. -QQuerius
September 12, 2014
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Querius, what do you believe the formation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 signifies? Will Jesus return before all those who were alive in 1948 die? Take whichever or however many prophecies about "Israel" you can from the Bible. Why must it be the case that it is the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948 that fulfills those prophecies? Assume for the sake of argument that the modern state of Israel ceases to exist. 2000 years from now another state is formed in the same location also calling itself "Israel." Will Christians then living also declare that Jesus will return before everyone alive at that time dies? Why will your Biblical prophecies that you think apply to the current state of Israel be any less applicable to that future state of Israel? What if this future state of Israel is actually formed as a result of Jews repenting of their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, unlike the current state of Israel? Which state would have the greater claim to legitimacy as having being foretold by the prophets? The modern state or the future state?Mung
September 12, 2014
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Mung, Ok, I'm a "silly Christian," and I believe that the modern state of Israel was indeed a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. We don't have to wait. Israel's been here since 1948. But you don't believe that's true. Why not? Is the modern state of Israel a "conspiracy of cartographers"? Are the Biblical prophecies about what's supposed to happen to Israel not true? For example, the prophet Ezekiel prophesized that the following countries (using their ancient names and territories) will attack Israel, and they will nearly destroy it were it not for God's intervention: * Turkey * Possibly countries around the Caspian Sea and/or Russia * Iran * Somalia and Northern Sudan * Libya Do you think that this is farfetched? The prophet Zechariah wrote:
In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
Could it be that this refers to someone whose hands and feet were pierced? Just asking. -QQuerius
September 12, 2014
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Or 120 years from 1968. 2088.Mung
September 12, 2014
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120 years after the creation of the State of Israel (2068) will silly Christians come to acknowledge that the modern State of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, or will we have to wait for 120 years from 1975? When does the claim that "Jesus is coming soon" (any day now!) cease to be meaningful?Mung
September 12, 2014
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