End Of The World

[MikeMo]

My purpose of this writing is to contribute to this End of the World topic that governs the fear of so many struggling with entering and exiting the preferential religious possession of Jesus Christ. I am interested in forming an argumentative stalemate at the least, but am more interested in an argumentative checkmate. The reason the argument must be one or the other is because the information regarding this topic is explicit for determining conclusions. However, those who prefer to believe in the Christian competitive game will always be cornered, but hardly persuaded with their belief that their fictitious interpretations have saved them from another close encounter with nullification. My source of information will always be the Scripture, for if the Scripture can be found to divide itself, then Scripturally its division cannot stand. I also encourage you to read every source of context available for your knowledge, so that you will discover that I have taken nothing out of context Biblically.

 

I will begin with the End of the World doctrine from the gospels, where the doctrine is taught by the Superhuman Jesus Christ.

 

John the Baptist says of the End of the World: "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come...Whose (Jesus Christ) fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:7, 12 KJV). The teaching of John the Baptist by Jesus Christ was as follows: "For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee...And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come" (Matthew 11:10, 14 KJV). It is pertinent to understand that Jesus quotes the Scripture in the context of describing that John the Baptist was the Elijah to come. He is quoting from Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me...Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers" (Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6 KJV). John the Baptist is doctrinally called the forerunner to Jesus Christ, and John the Baptist is describing that his ministry of repentant baptism (to "turn the heart") is the forerunner to the "wrath to come" and "the great and dreadful day of the LORD." To be sure that John the Baptist is describing the End of World it is important to understand the allegory of the harvest, in which John the Baptist speaks of "fan in his hand," "purge his floor," "gather his wheat into the garner," and " burn up the chaff with unquenchable (meaning everlasting) fire." Jesus Christ explains the End of the World as follows: "the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire: so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend" (Matthew 13:39-41 KJV). So, John the Baptist is teaching by his baptism that his ministry is the forerunner to the End of the World.

 

The first chronological gospel teaching by Jesus Christ about the End of World is when he says, "he that endureth to the end shall be saved...Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come" (Matthew 10:22-23 KJV). Who is he speaking specifically to? The Scripture says, "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them" (Matthew 10:5 KJV). So, who shall both endure "to the end" and not have "gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come?" The same specific twelve that were sent forth and commanded by Jesus Christ. And the legitimacy of this claim about Israel was described by Apostle Paul of Apostle Peter, the rock of the Church: "as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter...Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision" (Galatians 2:7-8 KJV). I use this reference to illustrate the internal Biblical evidence of the main apostleship in Peter continuing "over the cities of Israel" during the lifetime of the Apostles. Furthermore, the language of "the Son of man be come" can also be evidenced by Biblical cross-referencing. What does Jesus Christ mean when he says this? He says elsewhere of the same coming, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:27-28 KJV). Assuredly, this coming has nothing to do with his resurrection from the dead, but everything to do with his second coming (as described similarly in the parable of the harvest). Who was he speaking to here? The Scripture says, "Then said Jesus unto his own disciples" (Matthew 16:24 KJV). So, those specific twelve who would not finish going "over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come" were some of the same standing there present with Jesus Christ who "would not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Likewise, this immediate coming is described by Apostle Paul, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep...and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (I Thessalonians 4:15-17 KJV). And who is Apostle Paul speaking to? The Scripture says, "unto the church of the Thessalonians...preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 1:1; 5:23 KJV). So, Apostle Paul confirms the words of Jesus Christ in saying that some of those of the specific Thessalonian church would be "alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord."

 

The next series of End of the World statements by Jesus Christ refer to judgments. He says, "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth...Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation...For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:35-36, 39 KJV). Chapters later he addresses the same condemned generation with the following: "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 26:64 KJV). Who is Jesus speaking to in these statements? The Scriptures say, "scribes and Pharisees...Jerusalem...Caiaphas the high priest" (Matthew 23:29, 37; 26:57 KJV). And what did he speak of that specific generation? He said that the scribes and Pharisees would incur the climax of judgment...they would inherit the climax of all righteous blood shed upon the earth. The shedding of righteous blood would end with them. He said of Jerusalem that she would not see him again until they recited the blessing. The blessing of the first coming Christ by Jerusalem was already chronologically given in this gospel: "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord...he was come into Jerusalem" (Matthew 21:9-10 KJV). Therefore, Jesus is speaking of the blessing of his second coming by Jerusalem. For Jerusalem had already seen him according to the first coming blessing, yet thereafter they would not see him again after this first visit until his second coming visit. And to ensure they would not see him again until the second coming, rather than in the resurrection, Apostle Judas, not Iscariot, says, "how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world" (John 14:22 KJV). Yet Jesus speaks about his manifestation to the world. He seals these judgments with his statement to the high priest in specifically declaring that the high priest would see him "sitting on the right hand of God, and coming (second coming) in the clouds of heaven." Jesus says elsewhere of this cloud coming, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels" (Matthew 24:30-31 KJV). So, the scribes and Pharisees would receive the climax of judgment, while that generation of Jerusalem, including that specific high priest, would be witnesses to the End of the World.

 

The cream of End of the World descriptions is given thoroughly by Jesus Christ in every synoptic gospel account. He says, "there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted...And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many...But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come...For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be...Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven...So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled...Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Matthew 24:7-11, 13-14, 21, 29-30, 33-34, 42 KJV). Mark also says in the same context, "Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Mark 13:30 KJV). Luke adds to the same context, "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony...And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh...for these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled...until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars...for looking after those things which are coming on the earth...And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh...So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled...Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:12-13, 20, 22, 24-28, 31-32, 36 KJV).

 

Where do I start? Who was Jesus speaking to? The Scriptures say, "the disciples came unto him privately" (Matthew 24:3 KJV). Therefore, these specific disciples would be witnesses to every single one of these events coming to pass, and no matter how differently Luke expresses situations from the other two gospels, all three end similarly with Jesus Christ promising that the generation he was speaking to would "not pass away, till all be fulfilled." What does he mean by generation? Let us Biblically cross-reference instances where the same Greek word is used. In recording the geneology of Jesus Christ, the Scripture reads, "So all the generations are fourteen generations" (Matthew 1:17 KJV). Is generation being referred to as race, as some would suggest to mean that the race of the Jews would not pass away until all was fulfilled, so that our conclusion is that this gospel means to portray sequences of fourteen races? Or were generations synonymous with individuals, so that when Jesus Christ is using the same Greek word he must be referring to the individual chronological generation he is speaking to? Because the latter logic is reasonable, the conclusion is that the individual generation that Jesus Christ was speaking to would lead to the End of the World. One more pertinent example reads, "But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation" (Luke 17:25 KJV). So, the question becomes whether or not Jesus Christ was rejected by that individual generation he was speaking of. And because he was rejected by that individual generation, we know that his second coming was addressed as being relevant to the same specific individual generation which rejected him.

 

So, what internal Biblical evidence do we have that these things came to pass? First, I quoted famines in relation to some other events. Where was this to be found? Prophet Agabus prophesied, according to the same author who wrote Luke, "that there should be great dearth throughout all the world" (Acts 11:28 KJV). And this was to be "the beginning of sorrows." Then I quoted affliction, in which Luke furthers the description with persecutions and imprisonments and trials (and in every case it was documented as unto them for a testimony). Where are these to be found? The Scriptures read, "And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day...they had further threatened them...And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison...And they stoned Stephen...there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad...he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they were scattered abroad...the Jews took council to kill him...Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword...And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison...Peter therefore was kept in prison...raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas...there was an assault made to use them despitefully, and to stone them...having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead...And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison...thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks...assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people" (Acts 4:3,21; 5:18; 7:59; 8:1, 3-4; 9:23; 12:1-2, 4-5; 13:50; 14:5, 19; 16:23-24; 17:5 KJV). And on and on I could go...Paul then stands before numerous rulers, and amidst all these fiascoes is often brought before the synagogues. In every epistle Apostle Paul speaks of all of his afflictions and in Revelation the angel tells Apostle John that he will stand before the rulers of the world to prophesy. The conclusion is to declare that these promises preceding the End of the World were being fulfilled throughout that individual generation. I then quoted betrayals. Where are these to be found? The Scripture says, "John, whose surname was Mark departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work...and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus" (Acts 15:37-39 KJV). Apostle Paul says, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus (to whom an epistle is written) unto Dalmatia" (II Timothy 4:10 KJV). Apostle John says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us" (I John 2:19 KJV). The conclusion is again to declare that these promises preceding the End of the World were being fulfilled throughout that individual generation. And then I quoted false prophets. Where are these to be found? Apostle Paul says, "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30 KJV). Apostle Jude says, "For there are certain men crept in unawares" (Jude 1:4 KJV). Jesus Christ says in Revelation, "thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars" (Revelation 2:2 KJV). And following all these fulfilled examples Jesus Christ says that those who were present with him who endured these things unto the end would be saved.

 

And then I quoted that the gospel would be preached to all nations before the end would come. Where are these to be found? The multiple commissions are stated as follows: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV), "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:47-48 KJV), and "ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8 KJV). The contemporary and historical Church love these passages to relate to themselves. However, who was Jesus Christ speaking to? The Scripture says, "the eleven disciples" (Matthew 28:16 KJV) and "commandments unto the Apostles he had chosen" (Acts 1:2 KJV). Therefore, the specific eleven that Jesus Christ had chosen would "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...unto the uttermost part of the [anciently known] earth" and would be "witnesses of these things" (inasmuch as they were witnesses of everything they testified to have written down). To understand the context of this commission, one needs to look at the Old Testament from whence it came: "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world...Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber...His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it" (Psalm 19:3-6 KJV). The Apostles were to fulfill the finality of this prophecy to the End of the World. Furthermore, Apostle Paul says, along with Apostle Barnabas, "For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47 KJV). Who did the Lord say this to? He said this specifically to Apostles Paul and Barnabas. Apostle Paul also says, "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world" (Romans 10:18 KJV). So, have all the nations heard? Apostle Paul says that this Psalm has been fulfilled. Finally, Jesus Christ mentions "seven churches which are in Asia" (Revelation 1:11 KJV), while Apostle John speaks of them allegorically as the "seven golden candlesticks" (Revelation 1:12 KJV). The doctrine, being consistent with the Bible from beginning to end, is that seven is the process of completion, meaning that both Jesus Christ and Apostle John are describing the complete End of the World sevenfold Church. There is no other Church. For example, when I read the introduction to this sevenfold doctrine in Genesis, the doctrine establishes the rule that "the heavens and the earth were finished" (Genesis 2:1 KJV). Likewise, Jesus Christ is portrayed in the four gospels as having spoken sevenfold upon the cross...the final saying most certainly being "It is finished" (John 19:30 KJV). In both cases, I can reasonably conclude that by the word "finished" there was nothing left for God to create or Jesus Christ to say. Rather, God rested on the seventh day and Jesus Christ rested in the tomb on the seventh day. Therefore, by using the doctrine of sevenfold to describe the Church, both Jesus Christ and Apostle John are speaking about the finished Church. Furthermore, Apostle John references the candlestick as fulfillment of the piece of furniture in the tabernacle. In the Old Testament this candlestick reads, "and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps" (Zechariah 4:2 KJV). So, Apostle John was writing that the sevenfold Church was the fulfillment of the sevenfold candlestick within the tabernacle, where the fullness of the presence of God was said to have resided, and which was his residence into the inheritance of the promised land (which when referring to the New Testament is not the land of Canaan, but everlasting life). So, the fullness of this revelatory description was to say that this was the finished Church, which would inherit the promised land of everlasting life. Because these things are described as being fulfilled amidst that individual generation, Jesus Christ had promised that "then shall the end come."

 

Luke includes two unique testimonies. The first testimony is of the destruction of Jerusalem, which historically took place in 70AD, and so we need no internal evidence to know that this was fulfilled, so that "ALL things which are written might be fulfilled." Yet, for internal evidence, the Scripture says, "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months" (Revelation 11:2 KJV). So, although the day and the hour are not known of the End of the World, the internal evidence suggests that the final period before the End of the World would be 42 months, which is exactly 3.5 years. Therefore, the Biblically outlined year of the second coming of Christ was exactly between 73AD and 74AD. Just for your enjoyment, if you enjoy timeline fulfillment: Jesus was baptized at "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23 KJV) to fulfill the initiation of the reign of King David (II Samuel 5:4) and he was King of Israel (as declared at both his birth and death) for 33 years also to fulfill the reign of King David in Israel (II Samuel 5:5). So, Jesus lived for 33 years. Now, if the End of the World were truly given for 73 AD, then the timeframe between Jesus death and his second coming would be exactly 40 years, which is the amount of time that Israel spent in the wilderness before entering into the promised land. Apostle Paul uses allegory in his epistles to establish the Church as the fulfillment of wilderness Israel and Apostle John uses the allegory of the candlesticks to establish the Church as the fulfillment of the wilderness tabernacle...both of which would be figuratively used to precede the entering into the promised land of everlasting life. The second testimony is of the fulfillment of the time of the Gentiles. Apostle Paul speaks relevantly about this fulfillment, "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace...I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy...blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:5, 11, 25-26 KJV). Who is Apostle Paul speaking to? The Scripture says, "To all that be in Rome" (Romans 1:7 KJV). Apostle Paul is saying that in his specific "present time" there was a remnant of Israel waiting for "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." In understanding the fullness of the Prophets, which are being rewritten to address this End of the World, the idea of successive transitions of salvation are as follows: when the Messiah came the first time there was to be what Isaiah called the first remnant of Israel, which was theologically to be of the tribe of Judah, which was the tribe which the Messiah was to spring out of. Because the majority of Israel was to reject the Messiah, the message of salvation was then to be taken, according also to Isaiah, to the Gentiles. The wrath fixed upon the rejecting portion of Israel was the destruction of Jerusalem (as it was exactly the same in the Old Testament with Babylon), which would come about at the fullness of the salvation of the Gentiles. And since the Gentiles would have then destroyed the "holy city," salvation would then return to what Isaiah called the second remnant of Israel, which was theologically to be of the tribe of Joseph, the favorite and elect son of Israel. The wrath fixed upon the destructive Gentiles, or the destructive Babylon, was then to climax with the End of the World. In comparing this description to the timelines given above, the idea was that the first remnant of Judah was to come in during the 33 years of the first coming Messiah, that the Gentiles would then come in during the years approaching the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, and finally that the second remnant of Joseph would come in during the last three years of the 40 year wilderness period, the conclusion of which would be the End of the World in 73AD. So, these are the things that are being addressed in the gospels and epistles, which Apostle Paul says, in relation to Luke's gospel, would be entirely fulfilled in "this present time."

 

Jesus Christ finally addresses the tribulation, the signs in heaven, and his second coming on the clouds. Where are these to be found? Apostle John, in speaking solely of the second coming of Christ says this, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him...I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:7, 9 KJV). So, Apostle John testifies to two things simultaneously, both being found in the gospel descriptions of second coming. Apostle John testifies first that the cloud coming Messiah would be relevant to those who pierced him (meaning that same generation Jesus was speaking to and who put him to death). Apostle John testifies finally that he was an elect companion in the tribulation that Jesus Christ was speaking specifically of. Just to be sure, let us look at the things said in Revelation by Jesus Christ to the others in that same tribulation: "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh , and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations...Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Revelation 2:25-26; 3:10-11 KJV). And again, who was Jesus Christ speaking to? The Scripture says, "the church in Thyatira" (Revelation 2:18 KJV) and "the church in Philadelphia" (Revelation 3:7 KJV). Finally, Apostle Peter addresses the signs in heaven when he says, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh...And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come" (Acts 2:16-17, 19-20 KJV). What is "this is that" which Apostle Peter is speaking of? Apostle Peter is saying that the fulfillment of Joel is addressing the event that occured at the day of Pentecost. The Spirit had just then been poured out upon all flesh and the "last days" had begun, the days in which would lead directly and immediately into the signs in heaven. And so by these things which were being fulfilled in that specific individual generation, Jesus Christ promised that when the Apostles saw these events that their "redemption draweth nigh...even at the doors." The same Greek words " draweth nigh" are used by Apostle James when he says, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord...the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:7-8 KJV). And who was Apostle James speaking to? The Scripture says, "the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (James 1:1 KJV). So, James uses the same language with the scattered twelve tribes in his individual generation that Jesus Christ uses to say that he was immediately expected to come, even to the lifting up of their heads.

 

Finally, in addressing the cream of second coming Christ, I relate the command to "watch ye therefore, and pray always." What relevance would this command have if those who were watching watched in vain? In relation to this "watch," Jesus Christ says elsewhere, "And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding: that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching" (Luke 12:36-37 KJV). Who is Jesus Christ speaking to? The Scripture says, "And he said unto his disciples" (Luke 12:22 KJV). So, Jesus Christ is specifically commanding his individual generation of disciples that they will wait and watch for the return of their lord, and that he will come to them. In response, Apostle Peter asks, "Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all" (Luke 12:41 KJV). Jesus Christ responds, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" (Luke 12:42-43 KJV). Therefore, the parable of Jesus Christ was not for all, but was for those whom the lord made rulers over his household. Biblically, the Apostles were the rulers over his household. And so the command to watch was specifically relevant to that individual generation of Apostles placed over the household of their lord. To understand the context of this word "watch" and what it means let us look at the context of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane. Christ says in Gethsemane to "Peter and the two sons of Zebedee" (Matthew 26:37 KJV), "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:41 KJV). What were they watching and praying for? Jesus Christ says, "behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" (Matthew 26:45 KJV). So, the command to watch and pray was immediately fulfilled as the preparation to his betrayal. Now, if they were commanded to watch and pray for the betrayal to fail to materialize, then the command would have been vain. In the same way, Jesus Christ commands his individual generation of Apostles to watch without vanity for his second coming to materialize in their lifetime.

 

Now, I would like to reference the language from the epistles to find out what the Apostles believed, since the epistles are only attributed to Apostles (I attribute Hebrews to Apostle Paul since the epistle was said to come from Italy, where Apostle Paul was kept at the end of his life, which is when the epistle was said to have been written, from the hands of Timothy, who was Apostle Paul's helper). Apostle Paul says, "For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth" (Romans 9:28 KJV). This short and finished work is being described in context of the final remnant of Israel coming into the Church. He says also, "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20 KJV). And again, Apostle Paul is here addressing "To all that be in Rome." He says to "the church of God which is at Corinth" (I Corinthians 1:2 KJV), "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 1:7-8 KJV). He also says of that specific individual generation of Apostles, "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (I Corinthians 4:9 KJV). The NIV translates this passage this way: "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men" (I Corinthians 4:9 NIV). So, the language of both says that the Apostles were the "last" of the martyrs at the "end of the procession," which is in other words understood as the end of time. To confirm this End of the World explanation, he then says, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (I Corinthians 10:11 KJV). Remember, that Apostle Paul is speaking to "the church of God which is at Corinth," so that the "ends of the world are come" upon them specifically. He also says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (I Corinthians 15:51 KJV). So, Apostle Paul is saying the same thing that Jesus Christ said, which is that they ("to the church of God which is at Corinth") would not all "sleep" (die) before second coming Christ. He says "unto the church of the Thessalonians" the same thing, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds" (I Thessalonians 4:17 KJV). Apostle Paul says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (II Thessalonians 2:3 KJV) and "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (I Timothy 4:1 KJV) and "This know also, that in the last days perilous time shall come" (II Timothy 3:1 KJV). Apostle John, having written later than Apostle Paul, speaks of this latter time of falling away and antichrist, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there may antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us" (I John 2:18-19 KJV). And so, the conditions of fulfillment which Apostle Paul stated are explicitly given by Apostle John. Apostle Paul also says, "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds...For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" and "For yet a little while, and he that shall come, and will not tarry" (Hebrews 1:2; 9:26; 10:37 KJV). Apostle Peter says "to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (I Peter 1:1 KJV), "Who are kept ready by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time...Who was verily foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you...But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (I Peter 1:5, 20; 4:7 KJV). He also says, "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (II Peter 3:12 KJV). So, Peter says that those specifically of his individual generation would be kept until the final revelation of the second coming Christ and he uses the same language of Jesus Christ in saying this revelation is "at hand" and to "watch unto prayer."

 

Lastly, the book of Revelation is not as spooky as it seems. This book is entirely devoted to the immediate return of second coming Christ. All figurative language is based upon rewritings of Old Testament themes, especially from the prophetic books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah (many of these rewritings being word for word...for example, compare Revelation 1:13-16 with Daniel 7:9-10, compare Revelation 22:18-19 with Deuteronomy 4:2, compare Revelation 6:1-8 with Zechariah 6:2-3, and compare Revelation 6:6 with II Kings 7:1). As Genesis was the book of origins, so was Revelation the book of endings. The book of Revelation was attributed to Apostle John, of whom Jesus Christ says, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee” (John 21:22 KJV). To provide the timeline summary of Revelation, I will compare the language to that of Daniel, on which the timeline is thematically based. When Daniel is being ministered to by Michael, the archangel, about the End of the World, Michael commands Daniel to “Go thy way: for the words are closed up and sealed till the end of time” (Daniel 12:9 KJV). Apostle John, in confirming the fulfillment of this “end of time,” is commanded by an angel to “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand” (Revelation 22:10 KJV). Therefore, the angel is saying that this “end of time” is “at hand,” referring to the immediate fulfillment of every prophecy contained in the entire book of Revelation. In other areas Apostle John documents: “things which must shortly come to pass…for the time is at hand…the things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1, 3; 22:6 KJV). And Jesus Christ also says (I encourage anyone interested to investigate how important and authoritative a threefold repetition is within the Hebrew doctrine), “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book…And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be…Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:7, 12, 16 KJV). The timeframe in Revelation is explicitly immediate. Apostle John also speaks about the angel giving him a scroll to eat before he prophesies essentially before the whole world. These passages (Revelation 10:8-11) are being rewritten from Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:1-3). Immediately after receiving this Revelation he is to measure the temple of Jerusalem, and then is given the decree of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3-4), which is rewritten from Zechariah (Zechariah 4:3, 11-14). In my opinion, and this is not stated explicitly, the commandment received by Apostle John about the scroll leads chronologically into his being understood as one of the two witnesses. In every generation of Israel there were documented two witnesses per two dispensations. The first set of two witnesses was called the “first rain,” while the latter set of witnesses was called the “latter rain.” For example, Aaron and Moses were the “first rain” witnesses, while Joshua and Caleb were the “latter rain” witnesses. Samuel and David were the “first rain” witnesses, while Nathan and Solomon were the “latter rain” witnesses. Finally, and theologically, the final dispensations in this world was to be fulfilled by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, who were the “first rain” (baptism of Jesus Christ) witnesses, and by Apostle Peter and Apostle John, who were the “latter rain” (baptism of Pentecost) witnesses. And so, chronologically and theologically, the two witnesses of Revelation 11 were Apostle Peter and Apostle John. Finally, the figurative language that Apostle John uses in relation to the world at that time is unmistakable. He says, “And their (the two witnesses) dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city (Jerusalem), which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8 KJV). Sodom was an ancient city that was totally annihilated without mercy for its sin in the book of Genesis: “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities” (Genesis 19:24-25 KJV). Egypt was the country in which God sent the plagues that overthrew the entire population. In both scenarios, the countries were devastated, while the remnant of God escaped annihilation. This is most certainly language that Apostle John is spiritually using to describe the fulfillment of these conditions as the End of the World. He also refers to Babylon (Isaiah 21:9): “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication…Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Revelation 13:8; 18:21 KJV). Likewise, Apostle John is looking backward into the Kings and Chronicles of Israel, where Babylon conquered Judah and sacked the holy city of Jerusalem…he is using the parallel to describe the final fulfillment of that destruction of Jerusalem. And to be sure that Babylon refers to that specific individual generation, Apostle Peter says, “the church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you” (I Peter 5:13 KJV). And so, the conclusion of this Revelation is that it was intended most explicitly for the immediate return of second coming Christ to that individual generation which Jesus Christ had promised to return to.

 

These are all of the main Scriptures of the End of the World. Of course, my explanations are not the fullness of describing the nullification of both the entire prophecy and the gospel which contains it, but they are sufficient for both argumentative stalemates and checkmates. And the greater purpose is to prove that there is no need to fear this second coming Christ…to be any sort of slave to fear even the possibility of such an event to take place. Jesus Christ was the Harold Camping of his time…and the Apostles were his most contributory witnesses. Furthermore, although Christians will argue indefinitely about this topic, like a Jehovah’s Witness who can argue for days about the omission of the letter “a” in John 1:1 to prove that Jesus Christ is not the same as God, but is the same as Michael the archangel, the truth of the matter is that every time the contemporary Christians attempt to apply the gospel of Jesus Christ to themselves, they take the gospel of Jesus Christ out of its context. Every time they evangelize using the commissions, every time they watch in prayer, every time they wait for the signs of the End of the World, misinterpreting every event in every age, every time they say that Jesus Christ was speaking to them, they have already taken the gospel of Jesus Christ out of its context. The easiest rebuttal, which is the most favorite phrase of the Apologetic, is to say about any single apology, “You have taken the entirety of your argument out of context.” Jesus Christ was never intending to speak to them, but as the Scripture explicitly states every single time, there was an individual generation of present people that Jesus Christ made failed promises to…and consequently that the Apostles made failed promises to…and consequently that the historical Church, without any authority from heaven, but only from earth, made failed promises to. And the argument is finished through the Bible tearing itself apart…the divided kingdom that cannot stand.

[LivingLife]

This is a fair dissertation of the traditional woo but if you dig deeper, you will find that the xian faith was really an invention and merging of pagan concepts and very little Jewish folklore. The Jewish stuff is not as old as purported and is also heavily borrowed from other cultures and pagan concepts.

 

Revelation which serves as an index to apocalypse, it talks of dragons and sea monsters which if you have read the OT, really does not come up at all. The only "possible" monsters are from Job the behemoth and leviathan.

[Foxy Methoxy]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

[mcdaddy]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

 

Doesn't 100% invalidate, but just think of 'copy and paste'. I saw the movie "Immortals" about a week ago and it talked in the beginning about Tartarus and how the Titans were imprisoned in chains there.....remind you of anything?? like, maybe, angels, in hell? revelation is a little jewishness mixed with a lot of greek mythology. and people don't wonder why the NT was written in greek? DUH!

[mcdaddy]

and on top of that, Hercules was son of Zeus and a human female, he did major feats/miracles, one of them even being going to the underworld to steal the keys or something not too dissimiliar, thus overcoming the grave, and floating back to heaven to be with dear ol' dad. but i dont see anything like that in the NT.

[stryper]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

 

Simply, It invalidates the claims of many that the writings are the infallible word of god. Since they are just re-tellings of older stories it is not the word of god. And because it is not the word of god it is a creation of man, and therefore not divine.

[Foxy Methoxy]

So is it the emotional let down of a person claiming to be an authority on a subject only to be revealed a plagarist that invalidates the idea? While I agree the credibility of the measenger is harmed, how does this affect the core message? What if the pagans were right and the repackaging of their ideas is merely superficial?

[MikeMo]

This is a fair dissertation of the traditional woo but if you dig deeper, you will find that the xian faith was really an invention and merging of pagan concepts and very little Jewish folklore. The Jewish stuff is not as old as purported and is also heavily borrowed from other cultures and pagan concepts.

 

Revelation which serves as an index to apocalypse, it talks of dragons and sea monsters which if you have read the OT, really does not come up at all. The only "possible" monsters are from Job the behemoth and leviathan.

 

Sir, thank you for your feedback. I had mentioned in my work that my analysis was in no way the total description of this topic. In the tradition of brilliant men like Paine, Ingersoll, and Bradlaugh, who have analyzed the Biblical "infallibility" internally, I desired to write this analysis to show the fallibility of the Scripture by means of itself alone...and in relation to a topic that scares so many people, Christian or ex-Christian or non-Christian or anti-Christian. My desire was not to go beyond the means of the Christian textbook, although there is so much external supporting evidence to hold up my argument. I see your feedback as a contribution that furthers the description of this topic, which was beyond the scope of my individual argument...and in no way as a differentiation to my description. I agree that the Hebrew and Christian doctrines are derived from shared ideas of their region...and not necessarily stolen, but reinterpreted to fit the individuality of their national/congregational existence. In fact, I so much agree with you that I do not differenentiate Christian from pagan anymore. Even Saint Augustine wrote about the condition that you present, and had to argue this as a preceding deception to the first coming Christ, meaning that God designed these precursors as intentional deceptions, so that men would not be able to accept the truth of Jesus Christ when he finally did arrive. I address the Christian "infallibility" specifically because statistically and approximately one-third of our global population is portrayed as professing this particular belief, and the majority of them do not care about our external evidence when they believe in the "infallibility" of the Scriptures. We can point to our external sources, and they will point to their Scriptures. However, I will also point to their Scriptures, and when any one topic fails the "infallibility" test, the whole is compromised as "infallible." So, my goal was to portray that the internal Biblical evidence cannot uphold its own claim...regardless of any external evidence.

 

Although I agree with you that the sacred Scriptures are not nearly as old as the Christians would like to make them out to be, the one point of difference I have with your statement is that the New Testament did most certainly revolve around Jewish folklore, which was a relatively pagan chronology. The entire theme of the New Testament, and the foundation of prophecy which is said to uphold it...in every single gospel and epistle...is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Everything Jesus did was to fulfill Scripture. And these Jewish folklore themes build the foundation of the Christian message, considering that "salvation is of the Jews." So, in Revelation, where I agree that the book is an index to Apocalypse, and I did imply this exact meaning, although I did not use the word, all those descriptions of monsters are being used to describe the themes of Jewish folklore. In fact, any Apocalyptic description, whether pagan based or not, has been reinterpreted upon the foundation of Jewish folklore. For example, who is this dragon? Apostle John says, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." So, the dragon was a symbol for the "old serpent" from Genesis, which "deceiveth" and was "called the devil, and Satan." Apostle Paul also says of this serpent, "as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty." The other monsters are symbols to rewrite the beasts of Daniel, while the great whore which sits upon the beast is the rewriting of the conquering nation of Babylon in the Old Testament, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem. All imagery being used was a means of rewriting or reinterpreting Jewish folklore, specific adaptations to the national/congregational existence.

[blackpudd1n]

So is it the emotional let down of a person claiming to be an authority on a subject only to be revealed a plagarist that invalidates the idea? While I agree the credibility of the measenger is harmed, how does this affect the core message? What if the pagans were right and the repackaging of their ideas is merely superficial?

 

It's a major blow for those of us who were raised to believe that the holy spirit guided men to write the bible. I was raised being told that there was no other religion out there like christianity. None.

 

I was 20 when I read in a book that there were numerous myths prior to Jesus' death and resurrection that told the exact same story. I felt like the rug had been ripped out from underneath me. I put the book away, determined to never think of it again, but the idea wouldn't leave me. Pagan, satanic elements in xtianity? Xtianity stealing from the pagan, satanic elements? Everytime I did a little research on the subject, I kept finding the same thing. It was true. Once that book put that idea in my head, xtianity was fucked for me. At some point, looking back, I was going to end up here. Xtianity wasn't original, like I'd always been told. I could never quite trust the bible again after I read that small piece in that book. Even when I read my bible, the question bugged me- how much of it is original/true?

[Foxy Methoxy]

So is it the emotional let down of a person claiming to be an authority on a subject only to be revealed a plagarist that invalidates the idea? While I agree the credibility of the measenger is harmed, how does this affect the core message? What if the pagans were right and the repackaging of their ideas is merely superficial?

 

It's a major blow for those of us who were raised to believe that the holy spirit guided men to write the bible. I was raised being told that there was no other religion out there like christianity. None.

 

I was 20 when I read in a book that there were numerous myths prior to Jesus' death and resurrection that told the exact same story. I felt like the rug had been ripped out from underneath me. I put the book away, determined to never think of it again, but the idea wouldn't leave me. Pagan, satanic elements in xtianity? Xtianity stealing from the pagan, satanic elements? Everytime I did a little research on the subject, I kept finding the same thing. It was true. Once that book put that idea in my head, xtianity was fucked for me. At some point, looking back, I was going to end up here. Xtianity wasn't original, like I'd always been told. I could never quite trust the bible again after I read that small piece in that book. Even when I read my bible, the question bugged me- how much of it is original/true?

 

I experienced a similar disappointment when I learned the books of Genesis and Job were found in the library of Ninevah in Assyria (one of the big bad's if the OT). How can the enemies of God be telling the same stories as God's chosen people? The credibility of the Christian interpretations of scripture became highly questionable at that point. However, if other cultures are telling the same story, what if we can weed out the lies? Is there a core truth to be found hidden in the rubble of lies and flawed interpretations?

[blackpudd1n]

So is it the emotional let down of a person claiming to be an authority on a subject only to be revealed a plagarist that invalidates the idea? While I agree the credibility of the measenger is harmed, how does this affect the core message? What if the pagans were right and the repackaging of their ideas is merely superficial?

 

It's a major blow for those of us who were raised to believe that the holy spirit guided men to write the bible. I was raised being told that there was no other religion out there like christianity. None.

 

I was 20 when I read in a book that there were numerous myths prior to Jesus' death and resurrection that told the exact same story. I felt like the rug had been ripped out from underneath me. I put the book away, determined to never think of it again, but the idea wouldn't leave me. Pagan, satanic elements in xtianity? Xtianity stealing from the pagan, satanic elements? Everytime I did a little research on the subject, I kept finding the same thing. It was true. Once that book put that idea in my head, xtianity was fucked for me. At some point, looking back, I was going to end up here. Xtianity wasn't original, like I'd always been told. I could never quite trust the bible again after I read that small piece in that book. Even when I read my bible, the question bugged me- how much of it is original/true?

 

I experienced a similar disappointment when I learned the books of Genesis and Job were found in the library of Ninevah in Assyria (one of the big bad's if the OT). How can the enemies of God be telling the same stories as God's chosen people? The credibility of the Christian interpretations of scripture became highly questionable at that point. However, if other cultures are telling the same story, what if we can weed out the lies? Is there a core truth to be found hidden in the rubble of lies and flawed interpretations?

 

I'm not entirely sure. These days, I kind of look at the old myths and stories the same way a scientist might look at an outdated paradigm or theory that has been disproven. I think a lot of it was an attempt to explain the unexplainable around them, an attempt to make sense of the natural world.

 

I know so little about science. But I liken the sense of wonder I feel when something is explained by science as possibly the same sense of wonder the ancient people had for their explanations of the world around them. I watched a debate between William Lane Craig and Sam Harris, and I was just astounded when Harris talked about how he knew the creation story was not true because of some chemical that is needed to make something before something else can be made (I can't explain it here- I'll need to watch that section a few times to get my head around it), and science has far more fascinating explanations for things than these myths and stories ever did for me!

[Foxy Methoxy]

With how fast science is advancing, 1,000 years from now, our understanding of science will be primitive in their eyes in the same way these ancient stories are primitive to us. However, it gives a rare and valuable glimpse into the past.

[mymistake]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

 

Because the religion claims to be da Truth and that these alternative religions are lies of the devil and false gods. It turns out that "da Truth" is just a repackaging of "lies of the devil". Thus Christianity's claims of truth are hypocrisy.

[Foxy Methoxy]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

 

Because the religion claims to be da Truth and that these alternative religions are lies of the devil and false gods. It turns out that "da Truth" is just a repackaging of "lies of the devil". Thus Christianity's claims of truth are hypocrisy.

 

I get that, but if so many told a similar story before, is it possible there is a core truth that was lost in the clutter of egomaniacs ruining a belief system?

[midniterider]

Gonna play devil's apologist and ask why does having pagan roots invalidate a religion or a religious idea?

 

Because the religion claims to be da Truth and that these alternative religions are lies of the devil and false gods. It turns out that "da Truth" is just a repackaging of "lies of the devil". Thus Christianity's claims of truth are hypocrisy.

 

I get that, but if so many told a similar story before, is it possible there is a core truth that was lost in the clutter of egomaniacs ruining a belief system?

 

Maybe. What do you think the core truth might be?

[Foxy Methoxy]

I don't believe there is one. I'm just playing apologist.

 

[mymistake]

So the real God is actually Akhenaten. And all this nonsense about God in the Bible is the Hebrew and Aramaic distortion of the real God Akhenaten.

 

Okay

[LivingLife]

Sir,

Not a Sir, just a pleb

thank you for your feedback. I had mentioned in my work that my analysis was in no way the total description of this topic. In the tradition of brilliant men like Paine, Ingersoll, and Bradlaugh, who have analyzed the Biblical "infallibility" internally, I desired to write this analysis to show the fallibility of the Scripture by means of itself alone...and in relation to a topic that scares so many people, Christian or ex-Christian or non-Christian or anti-Christian. My desire was not to go beyond the means of the Christian textbook, although there is so much external supporting evidence to hold up my argument.

Their oft excuse is that this was writte/translated but the "original texts" (which no one has ever seen) are true. Any anomaly is seen as a "lost in translation" excuse.

I see your feedback as a contribution that furthers the description of this topic, which was beyond the scope of my individual argument...and in no way as a differentiation to my description. I agree that the Hebrew and Christian doctrines are derived from shared ideas of their region...and not necessarily stolen, but reinterpreted to fit the individuality of their national/congregational existence. In fact, I so much agree with you that I do not differenentiate Christian from pagan anymore.

IMO, the texts in the NT have no historical validity and are mere fabrications to the point that this jesus never existed in the first place. Perhaps a rebel with a disdain for traditions that pissed off a few folk and then got himself killed for it. Everything else is an embellishment. It would be akin to our comments of claiming "Iam god, I am real so worship me" (sarcastically)

Even Saint Augustine wrote about the condition that you present, and had to argue this as a preceding deception to the first coming Christ, meaning that God designed these precursors as intentional deceptions, so that men would not be able to accept the truth of Jesus Christ when he finally did arrive. I address the Christian "infallibility" specifically because statistically and approximately one-third of our global population is portrayed as professing this particular belief, and the majority of them do not care about our external evidence when they believe in the "infallibility" of the Scriptures. We can point to our external sources, and they will point to their Scriptures. However, I will also point to their Scriptures, and when any one topic fails the "infallibility" test, the whole is compromised as "infallible." So, my goal was to portray that the internal Biblical evidence cannot uphold its own claim...regardless of any external evidence.

Like I said, they have an excuse for this. Showing the pagan roots is better as that makes them think. They anyway cherry pick at their election so doing an exegesis on their texts to them is simply you not having the holy spirit to interpret stuff as they do.

Although I agree with you that the sacred Scriptures are not nearly as old as the Christians would like to make them out to be, the one point of difference I have with your statement is that the New Testament did most certainly revolve around Jewish folklore, which was a relatively pagan chronology. The entire theme of the New Testament, and the foundation of prophecy which is said to uphold it...in every single gospel and epistle...is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Everything Jesus did was to fulfill Scripture. And these Jewish folklore themes build the foundation of the Christian message, considering that "salvation is of the Jews." So, in Revelation, where I agree that the book is an index to Apocalypse, and I did imply this exact meaning, although I did not use the word, all those descriptions of monsters are being used to describe the themes of Jewish folklore. In fact, any Apocalyptic description, whether pagan based or not, has been reinterpreted upon the foundation of Jewish folklore.

Jews tend to disagree for various reasons. Most of xianity is Pauline in nature and holds more authority to them than the gospel accounts.

For example, who is this dragon? Apostle John says, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." So, the dragon was a symbol for the "old serpent" from Genesis, which "deceiveth" and was "called the devil, and Satan."

This is the only place where the serpent and the devil are equated. Satan is not a Jewish concept and the word sawtan or sawtawn is where this beastly red fella comes from, just lose the "w's" The root word simply means adversary, nothing more.

Apostle Paul also says of this serpent, "as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty." The other monsters are symbols to rewrite the beasts of Daniel, while the great whore which sits upon the beast is the rewriting of the conquering nation of Babylon in the Old Testament, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem. All imagery being used was a means of rewriting or reinterpreting Jewish folklore, specific adaptations to the national/congregational existence.

The links to Daniel takes the apocalyptic predictions and distorts them. You seldom hear Jews even discussing Daniel. The whole back linking to OT texts is to attempt to give credence to NT texts.

[LivingLife]

Mike Mo, just wanted to add. I am merely offering other info and a bit of my experiences, not trying to shoot you down.

[MikeMo]

Thanks for your consideration. Participation and the diversity of contribution are what these forums are all about. So, your information and your experiences are most certainly welcome and expected.