THE DAY OF THE LORD

[jamesdalbright]

I really don't mean to be harsh, but you have not discerned your conclusions FROM Scripture, but have instead read your preconceived opinion INTO Scripture.

I am not the one who contradicted the scriptures, you did. Matt 24:15 states the period of great tribulation begins when the False Prophet sets up the abomination of desolation and Rev 11:3-4 tells us this is when the two olive branches or two witnesses prophesy. This should have caused you to discard your thoughts about the two olive branches, in which you include John the Baptist who obviously was on the scene before the Antichrist and False Prophet.
Matt. 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; 18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. 19 “But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! 20 “But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; 21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
Rev 11:3-4 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

 

[rwb]

You claim the day of the Lord began when Jesus became flesh, which contradicts 2Th 2:1-2, in which Paul said had not yet come while he was alive and that it won't come until after the Antichrist seats himself in Jerusalem.

Paul does not say the Day of the Lord had not already come. He writes of the Day (one day) of the Lord that shall come the last/final day, when we are gathered together with Christ that had not yet come and would not come until the things he writes shall come to pass. They were not looking for the Day of the Lord (age/time/era) that had already come, they were looking for the Day Christ would come again.

 

[jamesdalbright]

This passage does NOT say Zerubbabel is one of the two witnesses of Rev 11. It says the two olive trees upon the right of the candlestick are the two anointed ones.

Zechariah 4:11-14 (KJV) Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Who and what was anointed in the Holy Temple? What/who is the Temple of Old symbolic of? Was it not the Law and Prophets that foretell the Messiah who would come?

It's much easier to understand the two candlesticks, because Christ tells us through John what they symbolize.

Revelation 1:20 (KJV) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The two witnesses of Rev are the Church of the Old Covenant and the New, being sent out with the message of the Messiah/Christ who would come. The message of Old came through the Law & Prophets of Old (two olive trees), and the message of New comes through the Gospel & Holy Spirit (two candlesticks).

Acts 7:38 (KJV) This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

As I already posted Zech 4:6 tells us everything that was said about Zerubbabel was the word of the Lord to him. This includes being one of the two olive trees found in Rev ll:3-4.
Zech 4:6 Then he answered and said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Rev 11:3-4 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
Rev. 1:20 has nothing to do with the two olive branches or two witnesses it is about the 7 churches. You didn't find the idea that the two witnesses are churches in any scripture, you arrived at that through your own reasoning.

 

[jamesdalbright]

Paul does not say the Day of the Lord had not already come. He writes of the Day (one day) of the Lord that shall come the last/final day, when we are gathered together with Christ that had not yet come and would not come until the things he writes shall come to pass. They were not looking for the Day of the Lord (age/time/era) that had already come, they were looking for the Day Christ would come again.

Paul said the day of the Lord not the last/final day of the Lord. You changed what is stated in 2Th 2 to make your opinion appear to fit the scriptures.
2Th. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

 

[jamesdalbright]

The prophesy of Elijah that was to come, has already come through Spirit in John-the-Baptist. I cannot find a single verse in Scripture that indicates Elijah will physically come back again.

John was on the scene when Jesus said Elijah will be sent back, which common sense should have told you to rule out John as the fulfillment of Elijah being sent back.

 

[rwb]

Paul said the day of the Lord not the last/final day of the Lord. You changed what is stated in 2Th 2 to make your opinion appear to fit the scriptures.
2Th. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

The last day of the Lord is still part of the Day of the Lord that came when Christ was born of man. Paul writes of the coming of our Lord, and our gathering together unto Him. Do you believe Paul is writing the Day of the Lord had not yet come, since preaching Christ had already come? Or does it make more sense that Paul was writing of ONE specific Day when the Lord would return?

 

[jamesdalbright]

The prophesy of Elijah that was to come, has already come through Spirit in John-the-Baptist. I cannot find a single verse in Scripture that indicates Elijah will physically come back again.

After John was beheaded when Jesus said, "Elijah does first come and restore all things" he was saying Elijah would come in the future.
Mark 9:11-12 And they asked Him, saying, "Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12 And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

 

[rwb]

John was on the scene when Jesus said Elijah will be sent back, which common sense should have told you to rule out John as the fulfillment of Elijah being sent back.

As I've already said, I don't find a single verse that says Elijah will physically come a second time???

 

[jamesdalbright]

The last day of the Lord is still part of the Day of the Lord that came when Christ was born of man. Paul writes of the coming of our Lord, and our gathering together unto Him. Do you believe Paul is writing the Day of the Lord had not yet come, since preaching Christ had already come? Or does it make more sense that Paul was writing of ONE specific Day when the Lord would return?

2th 2 states the day of the Lord had not yet come, not the final or last day of the Lord had not yet come.
2Th. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

 

[FaithWillDo]

The Day of the Lord.

According to Mal 4:5-6 Elijah is one of the two witnesses who will be sent back before the great and terrible day of the Lord. From Rev 11 we know that the two witnesses will appear during the great tribulation period. From this we can conclude that the day of the Lord occurs after the great tribulation period.
Mal 4:5-6 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 "And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.”

Dear Jamesdalbright,
I have read through some of the discussion of this thread and I see that there is a great deal of disagreement on the subject of the Day of the Lord.

I have studied the Day of the Lord extensively before and after I was converted. Prior to my conversion, I understood the Day of the Lord to be as most on this thread are teaching. But after I was converted, my understanding of the Day of the Lord completely changed.

Here is some of what I now believe:

Peter made this statement on the Day of Pentecost when he and the others received the Latter Rain and were converted:

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and notable Day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter is speaking about "conversion" and when Christ "appears" to a person. After Christ appears, those who "call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". Paul supported this understanding when he said this:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Peter and Paul are both teaching about a person's moment of salvation and conversion. They are not teaching about a one-time future event which most believe occurs visibly to this world.

The Second Coming of Christ (which is immediately followed by the Day of the Lord) is a reoccurring spiritual event which occurs "within" each of Christ's Elect. Christ's Second Coming first occurred on the Day of Pentecost when Christ "came again" to the Jewish Elect. Since that time, Christ has been returning to all of the Elect in this same manner.

John even said that the time for the second coming was "at hand", that He will be coming "quickly" and that Christ's coming would be "is, was and will be" (a reoccurring event):

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for THE TIME IS AT HAND.

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne...

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, SEAL NOT the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for THE TIME IS AT HAND.

John even said that the book is not sealed and that the people who "keep the sayings" are the ones who will be blessed. They are the Elect - those chosen from the foundation of the world for this honor.

To believe that the Second Coming of Christ and the Day of the Lord is a one-time future event is to deny these scriptures which I presented above.

The truth is that the Second Coming of Christ and the Day of the Lord is the spiritual event of CONVERSION.

If a person does not "keep these sayings", they will not be converted and saved during their lifetime.

The Second Coming is when Christ pours out the Latter Rain (Baptism of the Spirit) upon an Elect believer. This is the moment a person is "born again" and when they become a child of God.

The Day of the Lord (His judgment) is when Christ destroys the believer's carnal nature so that he will only be governed by the new nature that the Holy Spirit gives them.

Elijah (as John the Baptist) came to the Jewish Elect with the call of repentance from "works". Those who responded to the call made the pathway for the Lord to come "straight". The straight pathway is by faith alone. After the Jewish Elect repented, they "waited" for the Lord to "come again" with their salvation. Christ then came to them on the Day of Pentecost and converted them.

The Second Coming of Christ/Day of the Lord is now coming to the Gentile Elect and it has been since the time of Paul. And just as the Jewish Elect needed to repent of their "works", so do the Gentile Elect. This is true because the church became apostate shortly after the deaths of the Apostles (Acts 20:29-31). And just as the Jewish Nation fell away, so did the churches that the Apostles started - the pathway is the same for both Jews and Gentiles.

And because the church became apostate (mixes faith with works), Christ will also send a person to the Gentile Elect with the call of repentance. And like the Jewish Elect, the Gentile Elect will respond to the call and make the pathway for the Lord to travel to them "straight". Then after a short time of waiting, Christ will come again and convert them into a child of God.

Conversion requires both the baptism of the Spirit and judgment (the Day of the Lord). John the Baptist made this statement about Christ below:

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with Fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The Second Coming of Christ is when Christ will bring both the baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of Fire (judgment). One gives us the new birth and one destroys our old spiritual nature. This is necessary for conversion and salvation.

Supporting this truth is what Peter said below about the heavens and the earth:

2Pet 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2Pet 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Heaven and Earth are spiritual symbols which carry meanings which are different than what man's wisdom teaches (1Cor 2:13).

The Old Earth represents mankind's carnal spiritual nature. The Old Heaven represents mankind's carnal mind. They both must be destroyed so that the believer can walk by the Spirit. The Spirit is what will give the believer a New Heaven and a New Earth:

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband.

The Bride of Christ represents all the Elect who are being saved in this age. They will have the New Heaven and the New Earth after they are converted.

Until a person can apply the end-time prophecies in the manner I have briefly presented above, those teachings are going to remain "veiled" from their understanding. The Word of God is written in the spiritual language of Christ. It cannot be properly understood literally and carnally as the church tries to understand them.

Joe

 

[jamesdalbright]

As I've already said, I don't find a single verse that says Elijah will physically come a second time???

This opinion is part of your false teaching, which contradicts Jesus saying Elijah will come after John the Baptist was beheaded.
Mark 9:11-12 And they asked Him, saying, "Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12 And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

 

[rwb]

After John was beheaded when Jesus said, "Elijah does first come and restore all things" he was saying Elijah would come in the future.
Mark 9:11-12 And they asked Him, saying, "Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12 And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

Had you included vs 13 of Mark 9 you could read Christ speaking of Elias coming in the past, not that he will physically return.

Mark 9:11-13 (KJV) And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

 

[jamesdalbright]

The last day of the Lord is still part of the Day of the Lord that came when Christ was born of man. Paul writes of the coming of our Lord, and our gathering together unto Him. Do you believe Paul is writing the Day of the Lord had not yet come, since preaching Christ had already come? Or does it make more sense that Paul was writing of ONE specific Day when the Lord would return?

The last day of the Lord is not found in 2th 2:1-2
2Th. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

 

[covenantee]

I am not the one who contradicted the scriptures, you did. Matt 24:15 states the period of great tribulation begins when the False Prophet sets up the abomination of desolation and Rev 11:3-4 tells us this is when the two olive branches or two witnesses prophesy. This should have caused you to discard your thoughts about the two olive branches, in which you include John the Baptist who obviously was on the scene before the Antichrist and False Prophet.
Matt. 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; 18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. 19 “But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! 20 “But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; 21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
Rev 11:3-4 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

The synoptic parallel to Matthew 24:15 is Luke 21:20, which identifies the abomination of desolation.

It was the Roman armies.

 

[jamesdalbright]

: 19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and notable Day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This verse is saying the day of the Lord comes after the period of tribulation and that during the period of great tribulation there will be signs and wonders and people who will believe and be saved. The period of tribulation begins when the Antichrist captures Jerusalem and the False Prophet sets up the abomination of desolation.
Matt. 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; 18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. 19 “But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! 20 “But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; 21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
Matt 24:15-21 corresponds to Rev. 6:12-17. The events symbolized the chapters that follow accurr during the period of tribulation and are the fulfillment of Acts 2:19-20.
Rev. 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
Act 2:19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE, AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BENEATH, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. 20 ‘THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.

 

[jamesdalbright]

The synoptic parallel to Matthew 24:15 is Luke 21:20, which identifies the abomination of desolation.

It was the Roman armies.

The abomination of desolation is the image of the beast Daniel saw and recorded in Dan 11:31, which according to Rev 13 is definitely not the Roman armies.
Dan 11:31 “And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
Rev. 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

 

[jamesdalbright]

Had you included vs 13 of Mark 9 you could read Christ speaking of Elias coming in the past, not that he will physically return.

Mark 9:11-13 (KJV) And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

Had you included that Jesus said Elijah will come after John was beheaded you would have discarded the idea that John the Baptist fulfilled Mal 4:5.
Mark 9:11-12 And they asked Him, saying, "Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12 And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Mal. 4:5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

 

[covenantee]

The abomination of desolation is the image of the beast Daniel saw and recorded in Dan 11:31, which according to Rev 13 is definitely not the Roman armies.
Dan 11:31 “And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
Rev. 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

Daniel and Revelation are not interpretive synoptic parallels to Matthew.

Luke is.

 

[FaithWillDo]

This verse is saying the day of the Lord comes after the period of tribulation and that during the period of great tribulation there will be signs and wonders and people who will believe and be saved. The period of tribulation begins when the Antichrist captures Jerusalem and the False Prophet sets up the abomination of desolation.
Matt. 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; 18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. 19 “But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! 20 “But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; 21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
Matt 24:15-21 corresponds to Rev. 6:12-17. The events symbolized the chapters that follow accurr during the period of tribulation and are the fulfillment of Acts 2:19-20.
Rev. 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”
Act 2:19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE, AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BENEATH, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. 20 ‘THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.

Dear jamesdalbright,

You said:
This verse is saying the day of the Lord comes after the period of tribulation and that during the period of great tribulation there will be signs and wonders and people who will believe and be saved. The period of tribulation begins when the Antichrist captures Jerusalem and the False Prophet sets up the abomination of desolation.

The period of great tribulation occurs when a believer is in a fallen away spiritual state after Satan has planted his "seed" (the spirit of anti-Christ) within them (Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Mat 12-43-45). The "signs and wonders" come from the spirit of anti-Christ:

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

The second beast is a symbol for the spirit of anti-Christ. The first beast is a symbol for a believer who has the spirit of anti-Christ and has become a "Man of Sin".

Remember, John says that to be "blessed", we must keep the prophecies of the book. If the prophecies are a one-time future event, how can the Elect keep them??? Also, when the Elect keep the prophecies, it does not mean that they will only keep the good prophecies (the bread). It means that they will also keep the bad prophecies, too (the leavened bread):

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The Abomination of Desolation occurs when the spirit of anti-Christ indwells a believer.

Remember, Paul said that the temple is now a believer who has the Holy Spirit.

1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The temple is no longer the one made with hands under the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant has been fulfilled and replaced with the New Covenant. The New Covenant is spiritual. The teachings of the New Covenant must be applied "within" a person. We must transition from the Old Covenant way of understanding to the New Covenant way of understanding (carnal vs. spiritual).

Paul said this to his carnal church:

1Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Also, all of Matthew 24 is teaching on the spiritual pathway to salvation which the Elect will travel. It teaches some of the same events which are taught in Revelation.

The pathway to salvation is completed when the believer is converted and has had the ends of the ages come upon them:

1Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

The "ends of the ages" occur when a person is converted. In Matthew chapter 24, Christ is not teaching on the literal end of the final age.

Remember, Christ's words are "spirit" (John 6:63) and those words must be applied spiritually within a person for His message to be understood.

Also, notice the similarities between what Christ said in Matthew 24:29 and what Peter said when He was converted:

Mat 24:29 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:

Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Both Christ and Peter are speaking about a believer's moment of conversion. They are not teaching about an "outward" future world event.

Joe

 

[Keraz]

The fact that your thoughts about Rev. 20:4-5 contradict Dan. 12:1 should tell you Rev. 20:4-5 has a different meaning than you attached to it.

Revelation 20:1-6 is about what will happen when Jesus Returns.
Daniel 12:1-3 refers to the Great White Throne Judgment, in Revelation 20:11-15 Only then do the dead rise and the Book of Life is opened.