A New Slant On The Appointed Times Of The Nations!
If you look at Genesis 3:15 where Jehovah told satan: "I shall put enmity between you and the Woman and between your seed and her seed, he will bruise you in the head, and you will bruise him in the heel." We know the Christ was the principle or main seed, don't we? {Galatians 3:16} But there was a secondary seed wasn't there? Whereby a hatred or hostility would go on for many centuries. Men like Noah, Moses, Abraham Isaac Jacob , Job, Samson, King David and many others; but all the seed of the Woman.
The Woman represented, on the one hand, all of the faithful worshippers of Jehovah from Abel right on down to the Christ, would you agree with that? Then when Christ came on the scene, this hatred reverted over to those of the Heavenly Calling who were also the seed of the Woman, is that not correct, but would also include, those who belonged to the Christ, which fact would constitute them as the seed of Abraham, which in turn made them the seed of the Woman, but not necessarily of the heavenly calling? {Galatians 3:29} The earthly class. We see during the time of the sign of the coming of Christ this hatred is going on in a big way, where they are being arrested persecuted and murdered. Just prior to his arrival. {Matthew 24:9} Are they all now, not {the seed of satan} at this point, manifesting this great hatred, and by so doing trampling on the Woman {JERUSALEM}?
So right from the murder of Abel, who himself would have been the seed of the Woman, the entire line of the seed of the Woman has been put through a living Hell at the hands of the seed of satan the devil. {Hebrews 11:32-40} You could call it a trampling beyond belief. My point is this: Would not this Woman have represented Jerusalem, both Earthly and Heavenly? Wasn't the seed of this Woman, being trampled on by the Nations, even right up until today, and will end when the Christ lowers the boom? When he arrives in kingdom power? Looking at it in that light light, couldn't the appointed times of the Nations have began running at the murder of Abel, by Cain, who would have been the seed of satan? Abel, as he was the seed of the Woman, his murder would have constituted a trampling on this Woman who pictured Jerusalem. Have not the Appointed times of the Nations been going on ever since Abels murder? That being the case if its true, there is no way to calculate the beginning of those times, there is no way to calculate how long they will run, there is no way to calculate when they will end. What's this line of reasoning do to the Governing Bodies calculations on this subject?
We know that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses arrives at their conclusion of the seven time Prophecy in Daniel 4:32 where this following event took place in the case of King Nebuchdnezzer:
32 "You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle.Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes." {Daniel 4:32 NIV} So, on the one hand, this is talking about the loss and eventual restoration of Nebuchnezzers Kingdom which was restored to him at the end of the seven time period. Evidenced by the following verse of scripture:
36 "At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before." {Daniel 4:36 NIV}
The Governing Body will use this Seven time prophecy, and apply it to the Appointed times of the Nations spoken about by Luke at Chapter 21:24- They calculate this seven time period as to begininng in 607 BCE- running for a period of 2,520 years and ending in the year 1914; at which time they tell us the Appointed Times of the Nations ended. As far as their calculations go they are quite correct. They did begin running in 607 BCE- They did run for a period of 2,520 years- they did end in 1914. Where they go wrong though is, it was not the end of the Appointed Times Of the Nations. It was not the end of anything! It was the beginning of something of great significance, as I'll go on to show now:
1 "Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born." {Revelation 12:1-4 NLT} Notice! It says shes about to give birth, and notice the age old hatred is still very much in evidence, for satan is waiting to devour her Child as soon as it is Born. But this is the beginning of the restoration of God's Kingship that was lost when King Zedekiah was deposed from the Throne of Jehovah in 607BCE. Mentioned next:
25 "O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here! 26 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Take off your jeweled crown,for the old order changes.Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down.27 Destruction! Destruction!I will surely destroy the kingdom.And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it.Then I will hand it over to him." {Ezekiel 21:25-27 NLT}
Notice the point, 'the old order changes.' It began an earthly line of Kings, but would change and be restored when the one who had the legal right came, as a Heavenly Kingdom. The King of which was the Christ. When he was to appear it would be handed over to him. Notice in the words of John there is a seeming time delay intermediate, until the Kingdom is actually born; where the Woman flees into the wilderness to a place prepared by God to protect her for a brief time period. With her Child being caught up by God and to his Throne to care for her for 1,260 days.
At the end of these 1,260 days the Woman would give Birth to the Son, and the composite sign of the coming of the Christ would begin.
5 "She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days." {Revelation 12:5,6 NLT} Now look what occurs when the Woman does give Birth to this Son who was to rule all the Nations. John goes on to explain something that would mark the beginning of this composite sign, when satan and his demons are thrown down to this earth, and Woe for this earth would begin because of the presence now of satan the devil and his demons. War in heaven would break out.
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." {Revelation 12:7-9}
12"Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." {Revelation 12:12 NIV}
17"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." {Revelation 12:17 NIV}
This will be the time period the Age old enmity or hatred for the seed of the Woman will flare up; only this last final time, the hatred will be manifest for the seed of the Woman on World-Wide Scale, threatening their very extinction.
9 "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers." {Matthew 24:9 NLT}
This enmity will be going on while the composite sign of the coming of Christ is in evidence, and my belief is the 1,260 days was a time alottment to bring this sign to a maximun filfillment; that when it reached its clamax their would be a World-Wide Lightening flash, that would notify this World that the Christ was now in Kingdom power, and everyone on the face of this earth would be made to know it, as Michael the Archangel stands up and takes Kingdom power; and the worst time of World Peril this World has ever experienced will begin. Johns words in the Revelation can now be applied at this time period. Those words are follows:
13 "Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, "Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets." {Revelation 8:13 NLT}
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At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued." {Daniel 12:1 NLT}The Prophet Jeremiah will aid us in understanding, why so much Terror and Anguish is going on at this time:
I should mention. Here is where you properly apply Matthew 24:7!
31 "The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,' " declares the LORD. 32 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth." 33 At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground. 34 Weep and wail, you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For your time to be slaughtered has come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape. 36 Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture. 37 The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the LORD." Jeremiah 25:31-37 NIV} Jeremiah paints a pretty frightening picture here, but Ezekiel even adds to it more terror:
21 "I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. {JEHOVAH}" {Ezekiel 38:21-27 NIV} Isaiah too has his say:
1 "See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants- 2 it will be the same for priest as forpeople, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. 3 The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. 4 The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. 5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left." {Isaiah 24:1-6 NIV}
Zephaniah the Prophet adds the crowning touch with his words on this:
18 "Their silver and their gold will not be able to rescue them on the day of the LORD's wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.For He will make a complete, yes, a horrifying end of all the inhabitants of the earth." {Zephaniah 1:14-18 HCSB}
The preceding four Prophets have given us a description of the War of Armageddon; somewhere throughout that conflagragration, satan and his demons will be abyssed for the Thousand year period, by that time, or during that time more probably, his vast empire of religion will be destroyed. It will be then, that the Appointed Times of the Nations will end with finality. But no one knows the date for Abels Murder that began the run of these Times. No one knows how long they will have run; and no one can affix a date as to when they will end, because no one knows the day or hour set for divine intervention. Only Jehovah knows that date. So, in spite of the Governing Bodies claim that those Appointed Times ended in 1914 and can be calculated from 607 BCE ran for 2,520 years ending in 1914 is another example of one of their failed predictions and false prophecies. Those Times coud never end while satan holds the position of god of this World, and his empire of Religion is still operational. Which position he still holds at this time, and his empire of religion is still very operational. So, those Times are still running right now; they did not end in the year 1914 at all.
All of this without any warning? Will we know he's in Kingdom power? I would say, we will. The Whole World will know. There will be no doubt in anyones mind, according to these next few words:
24 "For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes." {Luke 17:24 NLT}
10 "Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night." {Revelation 12:10 NLT} With this event began the time of this Worlds greatest peril, that, as I have shown, led right into Armageddon.
As far as the Governing Bodies claim that the Christ was invisibly present in 1914 could never be true, because Jehovah's Heavenly Woman only began her labor pains in that year; the composite sign had to reach its maximum level of intensity, before the Christ would come into Kingdom Power. Jesus himself alluded to this very thing when he said the following:
29 "Then he gave them this illustration: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near." {Luke 21:29-31 NLT}
As I said. The composite sign had to be at maximum intensity, before it could be said he was in Kingdom Power; but even when it was, he said, it would only be near, he didn't say, here, even then. So! Invisibly present in 1914? Absolutely not! That composite sign is still going on right now, although somewhat quiet right now, but watch out, things could begin to happen very quickly now, at any time. Jehovah himself was to speed it up in its own time, and bring it on like a Thief in the Night. {Isaiah 60:22} {1 Thessalonians 5:1-3}
As far as the Christ having any invisible presence, he contradicted that idea and showed it was impossible to be true. Notice just how he did that:
23 "Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26 "So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!" {Matthew 24:23-26 NLT} Does not, and do they not right now, tell us, "Look he is invisibly present?" Jesus said: "Don't you believe it! Notice in this passage just how he tells us he would come; and he made it very clear, it would not be any invisible presence! Notice just how that would be, as we see from the following
27 "For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes." {Matthew 24:27 NLT} It is as John said in his Revelation; "Every eye will see him!" {Revelation 1:7}
Personally, I don't really believe this is a new slant. It was in there all along someone just had to bring it out in the open, as I have done. Accept it! Reject it! Your choice! I won't disfellowship anyone for not agreeing with me. As does the Governing Body!Wannabe