The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.

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The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.
http://www.teachingfaith.com/content.cfm?id=304
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One of the hallmark traits of most Fundamentalist Christians is their obsession with Bible
Prophecy. Prophecy has a rather mystical draw to it and implies that the future is not so
unknowable after all. Most humans spend their waking time either in the past feeling angry or in
speculation of the future feeling anxious. It goes with not having the ability to live the real day one
is currently experience. Many Christians have raised knowing the future to an art form and have
learned that it is also quit profitable for the church in keeping members in line with fear, anxiety
and a perverse kind of hope.
Bible prophecy and making it the center of one's life, reading the newspaper as one would the
Bible, is a slippery slope and a very negative way to live one's life.
With enough study, one can learn that there are other explanations for that which many hold so
near and dear as predictions of things that will happen "shortly" in the future. No one seems to
think that "shortly" for whoever really wrote Revelation has now been over Two Thousand Years! I
hate to think what "I'll be back later" would mean!
We have learned to develop the bad habit of reading Paul's predications of "time is short" with the
same generous deference to the fact that short for Paul never really quite worked out for him
either. We all know the cycle Paul went through of telling the Church to be ready, act as if you had
no family and support the Church, to his final realization that "oh well, I fought a good fight, it was
fun while it lasted, I was wrong... I still win... see ya."
On the other hand, we have areas of scripture that have always been used as prophecy which, to
me, are simply not and never were intended to be by the original authors.
Isaiah 7 is an example of such a use of OT scripture by NT authors. This virgin birth prophecy
ranks as one of the most questionable uses of scripture Matthew used to tell his story of Jesus
birth. Matthew had a habit of mining the OT for anything that seemed like it fit the story he wanted
to tell about Jesus. When one examines the OT context, we have to conclude that, that at least in
it's original meaning, it was never meant to have the meaning Matthew assigned it. In fact, in its
original context, it has absolutely nothing to do with prophecy but is merely a historical account of
events going on at the time. It was never viewed as a prophecy of the birth circumstances of either
the Jewish Messiah or Jesus until Matthew mined it for it's story telling value to his perspective.
Matthew took the parts that fit his story but left out parts of that same story in Isaiah that obviously
made no sense to his perspective on Jesus. If you simply look at Matthew's accounts of Jesus
birth story, it is easy to see he cobbled it together in the style of the day from OT scriptures and
not real events that he knew of. It is not my point to explain all this here, and I have touched on it
in past columns.

2. Another aspect of "prophecy" we miss is that much of what the COGs use to promote their
urgency upon the membership is probably prophecy written after the fact, which makes it really
non-prophecy.
Either the book of Daniel was written during the time of the events recorded, 585 BC, or as many
scholars now feel, it was written much later in the 160's BC to encourage the Maccabeans in their
revolt against Rome. It was written AFTER all the events prophesied took place, which is why
Daniel 11 is so specific. Daniel 12 then becomes rather generic because after the rise of Rome,
the authors didn't really know the rest of the story much after the specifics of the 160's ended.
The point is that we all know that OUR lives were lived, and many still live their lives out, linking
Daniel to Matthew 24, which also was written to address issues now long past from our times.
Again it is not my purpose to prove that to you, but I have accepted that much of what we call
history prophesied is really "prophecy" historicized, or the conforming of later writings to fit events
as they had already occurred. If the detail of Daniel 11 is the kind of thing that is able to be locked
in stone for future fulfillment, then we as humans have no choice in the part we have to play in the
game as it is already decided for us evidently down to the details. It's a philosophical problem to
me about choices and free will.
Other problem with prophecy is that they simply didn't come true. We all were groomed with the
fantastic story of the fall of Tyre and how it would be scraped bare never to be inhabited etc. The
problem is it wasn't and the city of Tyre existed in NT times and does to this day. The Tyranians
rebuffed Nebuchadnezzar and only succumbed to Alexander the Great, yet still exists. It's a cop
out to point out ancient ruins in the water as proof of prophecy fulfilled when the city called Tyre is
just over your shoulder. These facts are easily found in a simple search on the topic.
Ezekiel's Failed Prophecies on Tyre and Egypt
Ezekiel made a prophecy that, at the time he wrote, seems most likely to be fulfilled. The prophet
was writing, in 587BC, at the time when Nebuchadnezzar was laying siege on Tyre. With such a
powerful army like Nebuchadnezzar's, it was not surprising that Ezekiel prophesied the fall of Tyre
to the Babylonian king.
Ezekiel 26:7-14: For thus says the Lord: "Behold I will bring upon Tyre from the north
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a
hosts of many soldiers. He will slay with the sword your daughters on the mainland; he will set up
a siege wall against you. He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with
his axes he will break down your towers...With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your
streets; he will slay your people with the sword and your mighty pillar will fall to the ground...they
will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses... I will make you a bare rock...you
shall never be rebuilt, for I have spoken," says the Lord God.
The whole passage clearly prophesied the sack and complete destruction of Tyre by
Nebuchadnezzar. However, the vivid description of the sack and fall of Tyre never happened. After
a siege of thirteen years, until 573BC, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his siege on Tyre and had to arrive
at a compromised agreement. Thus Nebuchadnezzar did not destroy Tyre. Tyre was destroyed by
Alexander the Great, 240 years later. And furthermore, despite the prophet, the city of Tyre was

3. eventually rebuilt.
When Nebuchadnezzar broke the gates down he found the city almost empty. The majority of the
people had moved by ship to an island about one half mile off the coast and fortified the city there.
The mainland city was destroyed in 573, but the city of Tyre on the island remained a powerful city
for several hundred years.
The implication of this paragraph is clear: that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed a major portion of Tyre.
Tyre's main city was always on the island. The part of the city on the mainland is nothing more
than a suburb. In other words, Nebuchadnezzar could achieve no more than take over a relatively
minor part of the city. Furthermore it is obvious from the passage in Ezekiel that the complete
destruction of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar was prophesized. Ezekiel himself admitted that this
prophecy was a mistake!
Ezekiel 29:17-20: ...the Lord God came to me: "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was
rubbed bare; yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had
performed against it... (Website: Rejection of Pascal's Wager)
The prophecies of both Isaiah and Ezekiel against Egypt also fell far short of reality in their
"fulfillment."
"The prophet Isaiah, for instance, foretold the drying up of all the waters of the Egypt, and the
destruction of all land used for plantation due to this drying up of the River Nile.
Isaiah 19:5-7: And the waters of the Nile will be dried up, and the river will be parched and dry;
and its canal will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and
rushes will rot away. There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is
sown by the Nile will dry up, be driven away, and be no more.
This part of Isaiah, widely accepted by scholars to be written around the eighth century BC, is
about 2750 years old. And in all this period of two and three quarters millennia, this prophecy has
yet to be fulfilled! Moreover it is clear from the context that Isaiah prophecy was meant for the
Egypt of his time. For it was with that Egypt that Isaiah and his people had a grievance against,
and the prophecy was a warning to them. Obviously this is a clear example of an unfulfilled
prophecy." (Website: Rejection of Pascal's Wager)
I only point these out because so many would NEVER entertain the idea that any prophecy of the
Bible didn't come true and will launch any number and kind of apologetic to defend what was said
would be from what really occurred in history. Some of you are doing that right now.. :)
The last Pope would be the last Pope and now this Pope will be the last Pope and I expect the
next Pope will also be the last Pope.
And now we again live in a time where "prophecy" can manipulate real lives. There are any
number of those who just know how it will all be. The kings of all directions are doing this and
that..."just read my article and see for yourself." Every world news event , like in the 60's or 70's or
80's, is worthy of note. The last Pope would be the last Pope and now this Pope will be the last

4. Pope and I expect the next Pope will also be the last Pope. Meanwhile we get older but not the
wiser for the experience. What we'll end up with is drawing every imagined prophetic event to
ourselves in reality as some government leaders even seem to base policy on "what the Bible
says." It is very possible to cause things to happen because one expects them to happen. The
problem is you end up with all the damage and none of the salvation. In short, an end of the world
scenario can be acted out based on false subconscious beliefs and yet still you end up with no
Second Coming, World Tomorrow or Kingdom of God. You end up screwed up.
So why might it be better not to LIVE your actual life around the alleged reality and truth of
prophecy and the "imminent" return of Jesus which has been imminent now for a couple thousand
years?
I've been there, I've done this. I've lived my real life ahead of my actual life while it quietly slipped
by. I've made life decisions in the past based on a preoccupation with the future. I've also let a lot
of precious life time go by thinking about things that proved to be untrue and teaching things that
weren't. I thought they were, but when one realizes they aren't, it would be hoped one would stop
that. I did.
I've been there, I've done this. I've lived my real life ahead of my actual life while it quietly slipped
by. I've made life decisions in the past based on a preoccupation with the future. I've also let a lot
of precious life time go by thinking about things that proved to be untrue and teaching things that
weren't.
Basing a life on what may or may not happen in the future, and Bible types did it all the time and
were wrong too, is to miss the present. And whether one admits it or not , the present is all we
ever actually really have to work with. Your kids really are their ages they are NOW and one does
not postpone making memories with them now because the future is a more serious consideration.
They will NEVER again be kids, and you and I will never again be any younger. For Paul, to live
might be loss and to die gain, but that theological rhetoric and let's face it, Paul never, from what
we can note, ever had to enjoy his children, mate or life in the now. He was in the imminent future
right up until it bit him in the bum. He may have had the power to have a wife, great word there,
"power", but I bet he was basically not one the women would flock to to begin with.
If you are still in a COG, does your Sabbath experience, weekends that your kids also have to call
their free time, only consist for them of coming, sitting and going? How often we forget that the
parents generally got to make their life decisions but then deny them to their children. I know,
"raise up your child in the way he should go.." Problem I have is with the "should go."
I'm amazed after all these decades the COG still can't figure out whether to eat out on the
Sabbath! Do you really believe some Deity cares! Do you really think there are angels taking
names!
I used to take my kids to the local zoo on Sabbaths after church. This was in the 1970's. I have
never regretted spending MANY a Friday night with them when little swimming at the YMCA and
stopping at Dunkin Donuts on the way home. That ritual of the "now" is far more remembered than
any sermon I may have given that day. But for some, depending on their prophecy laden pastor,
life is just one big "around the corner", "just a little longer" and never ending "gun lap." I had
kidded for years that we have been in the gun lap so often, we run the risk of running out of

5. bullets. Little did I know that was a prophecy that would come true!
Prophecy means little to me at this point in my life. It may mean a lot to some of you depending on
who is feeding the need to know what I don't think we can know in this world. We can hid behind
the idea that we know God is doing this or that, but that's pretty iffy knowing.
Whatever your position, at least know that even the Bible got it wrong at times, not matter what
your pastor says or how your church motivates you with prophecy to live on the edge of your chair,
just a bit ahead of the now, in somewhat a fearful or at least anxious, "what's going to happen"
state. Isaiah was wrong, Ezekiel was wrong, Paul was wrong and yes, even Jesus was mistaken
in his own perceptions of his own experience. That's another story.
If we can be wise enough to see that even Bible prophecies indeed have failed, that some
prophecies are not really prophecies , and that reading the newspaper as if it were the Bible come
to life is not wise, we might actually have a life in the now we can say was a real life. A life lived in
anticipation of some alleged future is not a real life. It's disillusionment in the making.
I'm going to go out on my own limb of prophecy here. I predict that all the leaders of any COG who
promote prophecy first and have not really ever given a sermon using the ideas in this article, will
live out their lives and come to the same conclusions Paul did. They kept a Faith and now it's time
to pass on.
I predict that Churches like PCG and RCG will pass from the scene when their me only leadership
does. One can only get so much mileage out of playing the sermons on world events by those who
died years ago. Yet I guess we do that when repeating Paul's admonitions of the shortness of time
forgetting it is long since past when he felt it would end. We do it when we say "Behold I come
quickly" when that quickly was over 2000 years ago.
I predict that WCG (soon to be GIF it seems we can predict) will become a meaningless footnote
to the Christian experience. I mean why belong to something in California that is everywhere you
live? What holds scattered groups together is being special and having special insights into "The
Middle East, What Next." And "Will You Be in the Place of Safety." Don't get me started!
I predict more people will avail themselves of the Internet to do their own studies and come to their
own conclusions. I always had to ask a pastor because somehow I thought he must know. After
all, he was an "expert" on the Bible. Now you can ask lots of pastors and scholars and even those
who used to be and no longer can abide it. I predict the era of Guru's will end for those who learn
to think and search a matter out from many and not just one source. I would hope that people in
congregations dominated by one grand idea spoken by one grand human being will finally wake
up and not care if asking a question or questioning a sermon or concept gets them kicked out.
Being kicked out, terminated, fired, marginalized or blocked at the door can be the greatest
freedom you'll ever experience if you ever choose to reclaim your own brain and perspectives.
Remember...ANY TIME you are listening to another human being tell you how it is, and your get
that little "uh oh" in the tummy....listen to it! It's the truth trying to have a chat with you.
I predict many will keep on believing the unbelievable because that's what humans do to keep fear
and uncertainty at bay. I do it, you do it.

6. I predict that very few people give a rats... bum... about what I think!
Don't live in anticipation of possible future. We can't know and no one has ever gotten it right. All
prophecies about the Second Coming of Jesus have failed to date 100% ! Don't miss your NOW
for that idea that just around the corner, me and mine will be justified in forgetting to enjoy the one
life we know we NOW have on this planet. It's a dangerous world to be sure, this does not mean it
is the result of prophets who themselves missed their own marks way back.
A life based on Prophecy as interpreted by someone who thinks they know and enforced upon one
as fact , just wait and see, is going to be a stressed one at best. You are also going to have to give
up a few bucks hard earned to keep the mythology and the grand poopa in prediction mode.
Remember there is Addiction to Predictions. Don't allow yourself to wake up decades older with
grown kids having regrets you didn't go to the zoo or stop at Dunkin Donuts in their jammies on
the way home....even on the Sabbath.
Dennis Diehl
SCMassageTherapy@aol.com
Dennis Diehl is a former Pastor and currently has a successful Therapeutic Massage practice in
Greenville, SC.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Diehl
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The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.
http://www.teachingfaith.com/content.cfm?id=304
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