Where is the world headed?

[Scott Downey]

Many people do not believe what Christ said and what Peter and Paul taught, they distort the timeline of the end of the world.

Did you forget there is only the second coming? No 3rd coming.
Did you forget 2 Peter 3 already?
Nothing there about looking forward to an of this earthly reign on Christ, but a new earth we do look forward to that, or at least you ought to cause this what the apostles teach
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless

And of course Peters very same warning about the distorted teaching that the unlearned and unstable wrest the scriptures leading to their destruction. Peter says they are wicked who do that.

Bible Gateway passage: 2 Peter 3 - 21st Century King James Version

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both of which I stir up your purity of mind by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first...

classic.biblegateway.com

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both of which I stir up your purity of mind by way of remembrance,

2 that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

3 knowing this first: that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts

4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

5 For of this they are willfully ignorant: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water,

6 whereby the world as it then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

7 But the heavens and the earth which now are, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy manner of living and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening 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.

14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you,

16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things. Therein are some things hard to understand, which those who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing that ye know these things beforehand, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

[A Watchman]

After the second coming of Christ this, THE END!

Meaning the END, the end of this world, and the new earth and new heavens in which dwells righteousness. there will be no evil there, no unbelief, and no more rebellions to come.

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 15 - New King James Version

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality - Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first...

classic.biblegateway.com

The Last Enemy Destroyed​

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have [d]fallen asleep.

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
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And what is "the end"? You seem to look over the words that immediately follow the declaration of that end coming.

1 Corinthians 15:24 – "Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

What does it look like for the kingdom to be delivered to the Father?

Matthew 13:40-43 – "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 11:2 – "And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."

Daniel 7:13-14 – "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed."

The kingdom is the Father's, given to the Son to reign, whose reign is shared with His faithful subjects.

Luke 22:29-30 – "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

The kingdom delivered to the Father is in line with putting down all rule, authority, and power.

What does it look like for all rule, authority, and power on the earth to be put down?

Revelation 13:2, 11-12 – "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. ... 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. 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."

Revelation 19:20-21 – "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."

 

[A Watchman]

No 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth that fails with another satanic rebellion.
People that claim a 1000 yr reign on this evil earth distort the scriptures.

That 1000 years is real today in heaven...not in some distant future.

You claim that I create an entire timeline that Jesus never did, that I go beyond His words adding in other stuff. Yet you seem to allegorize away any meaning of what is actually written yourself. The following takes place after the Beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire and their armies slain by Yeshua returning from heaven at Armageddon.

What does it look like for him to reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet?

Revelation 20:1-13 – "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

To say that there is "no 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth that fails with another satanic rebellion" and that "people that claim a 1000 yr reign on this evil earth distort the scriptures" is to take all meaning out of what John saw and make it say something else completely based on your contortion of the plain text to fit a pre-conceived paradigm. There is a flow through time that fits with the order given in 1 Corinthians 15 and everywhere else that is focused on the ultimate end. I simply take God at His Word.

After Yeshua defeats the Beast and false prophet and their armies and binds Satan in the heart of the earth, His kingdom will be established for 1,000 years and the dead in Christ who were shut out of the marriage in Matthew 25:1-13 and came to the Lord during the time after His parousia at the sixth seal will be resurrected and reign with Him for 1,000 years. When that 1,000 years are completed, the Dragon will be allowed to deceive the nations again and finally be destroyed, but he's not the last enemy to be destroyed.

What does it look like for the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death?

Revelation 20:14-15 – "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

If you want to discard the clear and plain meaning of the vision given to John for our understanding and replace it with one more compatible to your paradigm that is certainly your prerogative, but I can't leave the plain reading that fits with all the other prophecies I've studied for private interpretation of scripture. The Bible interprets itself and when something is stated plainly, it's best to take it plainly imo.

2 Peter 1:19-21 – "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost."

 

[A Watchman]

1000 years is symbolic of our reign with Christ in Heaven, and where do you suppose your spirit goes when you physically perish, it goes back to God who made it, and you are with Him forever, both now in this life, and the life to come.

Where did Yeshua spend His time in the grave?

Matthew 12:40 – "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

A bottomless pit in a spheroid is the center of it, no matter which way you go, it's up. This word, abyssos, is used in several interesting places. It's where the Dragon spends a millennium and where the locusts of the fifth trumpet come up from. It's even used in reference to resurrection.

Revelation 17:8 – "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,[G12 abyssos] and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

Romans 10:5-7 KJV – "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down [from above]:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep[G12 abyssos]? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)"

So when Christ was dead, He was in the heart of the earth, the bottomless pit, hades, the place of the dead. And to be resurrected from that place means one's spirit has to ascend from it to the surface of the earth. This is why they are "raised from the dead" and not "descended from the dead".

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Note that the dead in Christ rise first, before the living are changed. Shall rise is anistemi, stand up, arise, lift up, raise up, etc. The direction is from below to above. That's why we don't precede the dead in Christ, they come up to us and we then together go up after both changing to meet the Lord in the air.

The parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 speaks to the dead being in the same place, separated by an impassable gulf. On one side is torment and the other not. The dead are all together, but the faithful dead are in "Abraham's bosom."

Now many read that those who sleep in Yeshua will God bring with Him as Yeshua bringing the dead in Christ from heaven with Him at His coming. But that doesn't fit any of the other scriptures. How can the dead in Christ rise first if they're descending from heaven with Yeshua? They would have to descend from heaven to sheol, rise from the dead, be caught up with the changed living back to where they came from?

Rather, it can be read in the context of 1 Thessalonians 4 and the concern of the living that the dead in Christ would not depart with them to heaven when Christ came. Yeshua is going to take both the living and the dead together with Him to the Father's house before the throne in heaven. Revelation 7:9 God will bring those that sleep with Yeshua up from sheol to heaven.

Certainly the dead in Christ are with Him in at least Spirit in sheol in the earth as we are with Him in Spirit alive on the earth. But just as we do not precede the dead in Christ, they do not precede the living in standing before the throne. I think we can see this in Revelation, where Revelation 4:6 sees a sea of glass like crystal before it, empty except for the 24 elders and four beasts. But in Revelation 7:9, after the sixth seal and Christ's coming, we see no sea of glass but instead a sea of people innumerable before the throne.

Ephesians 2
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

I would note that the sitting together in heavenly places in Christ is tied to being raised up together, in other words after the resurrection at His coming to take the dead and living together to the Father's house.

John 14:1-3 – "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also."

Yeshua is preparing New Jerusalem for us to be there with Him, we're not there yet. He said it Himself right here. We get to go there when He comes back to get us before He treads the winepress of the wrath of God.

Isaiah 26:19-21 – "Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."

The coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him at the sixth seal is tied to the judgement of the wrath of God after the sixth seal which He alone is worthy to command as given by the Father. The coming of the Lord to save His people and vengeance of God are the same time at the sixth seal.

Isaiah 63:3-4 – "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."

 

[A Watchman]

Many people do not believe what Christ said and what Peter and Paul taught, they distort the timeline of the end of the world.

Did you forget there is only the second coming? No 3rd coming.
Did you forget 2 Peter 3 already?
Nothing there about looking forward to an of this earthly reign on Christ, but a new earth we do look forward to that, or at least you ought to cause this what the apostles teach
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless

I didn't say there was a third coming, I said the second coming (parousia) is an extended period of time that has a beginning at the sixth seal and has no end because Yeshua will establish His kingdom on earth until it's replaced by the new earth and then it will continue there for time without end. That's only one second parousia, not three.

A day to the Lord is as a thousand years. The day of the Lord is that extended period of time the Lord is present on earth, from His judgement in wrath, destruction of his enemies, establishment of His kingdom in the land promised to Abraham's Seed, Him, the final deception, the great white throne judgement, death of death, destruction of this heaven and earth, and creation of the new heaven and earth. That all happens in the day of the Lord, which is like a thousand years in God's perspective. I haven't forgotten 2 Peter 3, it's a central part of the logical reasoning of scripture that forms my interpretation from scripture.

I'm just looking forward to being with Yeshua wherever He is, whether it's in His kingdom on this earth for 1,000 years or in New Jerusalem or the next heaven and earth. I trust God's Word to give me a clue as to when each place will be a part of my future and take Him at His Word on that.

And of course Peters very same warning about the distorted teaching that the unlearned and unstable wrest the scriptures leading to their destruction. Peter says they are wicked who do that.

Bible Gateway passage: 2 Peter 3 - 21st Century King James Version

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both of which I stir up your purity of mind by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first...

classic.biblegateway.com

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both of which I stir up your purity of mind by way of remembrance,

2 that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

3 knowing this first: that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts

4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

5 For of this they are willfully ignorant: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water,

6 whereby the world as it then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

7 But the heavens and the earth which now are, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy manner of living and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening 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.

14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you,

16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things. Therein are some things hard to understand, which those who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing that ye know these things beforehand, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Let's look at the context of these unlearned led away by error of the wicked.

2 Peter 3:3-7 – "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 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."

I don't deny the coming of the Lord and judgement that comes with Him, I'm stating it outright agreeing with all the scriptures you're posting, just not all your interpretation of them.

I prefer the scripture's interpretations as they always seem to fit with themselves better, as though they were written across 66 books and 40 authors yet by one Spirit expressing a purpose in their meaning. This is what I've found to be the case in my personal study of scripture and so far it makes complete sense with itself as written.

There are things that are hard to understand and I don't have all the answers, I continue to search the scriptures daily to see what fits with that plumb line and what does not. Sticking with the scriptures in obedience prevents being led away by error of the wicked. When you know the original, a deceitful copy is obvious.

I'm sorry you view your brothers and sisters in Christ that don't agree with you as such wicked people. I understand your zeal for God's Word, but not everyone who doesn't see eye to eye with you on the meaning of it is wicked. There are a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing out there though so I get being suspicious. Just keep watching for the fruits of the Spirit as those spots of light in a dark world.

Galatians 5:22-26 – "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."