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Explanation of Ezekiel's prophesy? |
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Ezekiel
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Is Ezekiel's prophecy saying that Russia and China will attack Israel? |
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Why did Jesus have to beborn of a virgin |
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Bible general Archive 1
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First, is so that the prophecy would be fulfilled that claimed He would be born of a virgin --- see Matt. 1:22-23. Second, it is generally understood that this was a way that God chose to bypass the assumption of the sinful nature that is passed down from Adam --- "...for through one man sin entered into the world..." Rom. 5:12. Hope this helps. timothy |
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Why did Jesus have to beborn of a virgin |
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Bible general Archive 1
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This is an excellent though-provoking question. I would advocate that God's plan as to how the baby would be born came prior to the prophecy -- not the other way around. Of course, the Son of God would need to have God as a parent in order to be God (maintain his God-hood as a person) genetically. However, I don't see that a faithful and consistent wife or a widow would contribute any more "sinful" of a nature than a virgin. (In fact, this concept in an extreme form could lead to wives witholding relations in a way that could hinder the marriage relationship.) There is a connection of virginity with ceremonial purity, however, that could be significant. In addition, female virginity is typically verifiable by physical means for the majority of women. In this way, Mary's virginity right up to the point of birth would most likely have been verifiable by Joseph, a midwife or anyone else who was allowed to investigate fully; her virginity would act as a testimony, therefore, that the "male seed" was placed there by the Holy Spirit rather than through sexual intercourse. With a non-virgin, there would always be more room for question and accusation. |
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Ezekiel 38:15 |
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Ezekiel
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I agree with the other answer, that we can guess all we want who will come from the north, but the truth will be known after it comes to pass. Prophecy is not given so that we know the details before hand, but so that we know that God knows the end from the beginning. 1PE 1:10 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries" it goes on to say that even they didn't know the details of the things that they were writing about. The passage says from the north. Other passages I have been told tell of Gog and Magog, and Moscow they say comes from the same root as Magog. But I would still caution you not to put any stock in detailed proclamations that go beyond what the scriptures say.
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Seventy Weeks? |
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Dan 9:24
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Can we make any sense out of Daniel's prophecy of Seventy Weeks? |
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Seventy Weeks? |
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Dan 9:24
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The following may not be the answer you're looking for, but I don't know how else to adequately answer your question without quoting 300 pages on the subject.
. . . The short answer to your question is yes, we can make sense out of Daniel's prophecy of Seventy Weeks -- but not in 70 words or less. There are some excellent study Bibles and Christian books out there that give an accurate, reliable interpretation of the Book of Daniel. And then, of course, there are the usual works of sensationalism and teachers of false doctrine (many of them on the bestseller lists) to beware of.
I would like to recommend a few excellent study Bibles, published by reputable publishers and written or edited by qualified teachers of the Bible whose teaching is in the mainstream of the historic Christian faith.
. . . Of course any list will have its critics and detractors. I am not a Bible scholar. What I am is a lifelong student of the Bible. My top recommendations, in alphabetical order, are:
. . . The MacArthur Study Bible ( Word Publishing, edited by John MacArthur)
. . . NASB Study Bible (Zondervan)
. . . NIV Study Bible (Zondervan)
. . . The Ryrie Study Bible (Moody Press, edited by Charles Caldwell Ryrie)
This list is by no means comprehensive. It is based upon my personal study of the Bible for over 30 years. My sincere apologies to whoever may be offended by the omission from this list of their favorite study Bible.
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Do all Christians agree on the rapture? |
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1 Thessalonians
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There is more than one interpretation of the doctrine of the rapture, as is the case with many Bible doctrines, especially when it comes to the doctrine of future things (prophecy).
. . . The main differences of opinion concern the time of the rapture. The primary theories are: 1) Pretribulation rapture; 2) Midtribulation rapture; 3) Posttribulation rapture; 3) Partial rapture, which is sort of a Marine Corps rapture where only the perfect, only the brave, only the few are worthy to be raptured before the wrath of God is poured out; 5) Postmillenial rapture; and 6) Amillenialist rapture. Take your pick.
(. . . There is also the new theory of No Rapture.)
. . . For detailed explanations of the above views of the rapture, see the Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, in Ryrie's article A SYNOPSIS OF BIBLE DOCTRINE, The Doctrine of Future Things. |
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Commentary on Luke 4:1-13 |
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Luke
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Part 2 - Matthew 4:4-6
Matthew 4:4
Jesus responds with Scripture. Why? Being God, the author of all Scripture, Jesus certainly had it within himself to answer the devil without quoting from the Scriptures. He did this as an example to us, who are not God, for how to deal with Satan's temptations.
Jesus reponds from (Deuteronomy 8:3) and following. He likens his plight in the desert to that of Israel in the wilderness - 40 days vs. 40 years - coincidence? Israel was an example of a rebellious son, Jesus is the perfect Son.
Jesus had just gone 40 days without hunger. Clearly the Father had supplied His need for that time. why should he begin to distrust now that He is hungry. Here is a another lesson for us - we must remember what God has done for us in the past, sometimes the very recent past, and not let Satan make us forget or doubt God's continued care for us. It is far better to live on meager amounts provided by god than to live on plenty supplied through our own sinful pursuits.
Matthew 4:5
Satan's 2nd temptation teaches us some more about him and his ways. Note that he moves from the realm of personal need to popular power. Where the 1st temptation was alone in the wilderness, the 2nd is in the greatest city of the land, in the most prominent place. The first temptation appealed to the necessities of life, the 2nd to the desires for fame.
There is no place where we can consider ourselves safe from Satan's reach. Adam was tempted in a Holy Garden, Jesus in a Holy City. What holy place do we consider off limits to Satan?
Places of prominence are places of greater danger as they carry greater responsibility and often greater pride in our own abilities. While it is good for us to desire to do lofty work, we must let God be the one who leads us to do it, provides the way, and gets the credit. Otherwise we prepare ourselves for a fall. Note also that the higher we are, the more costly can be that fall.
Matthew 4:6
Satan is still attempting to question the goodness and the truthfulness of God. He still says "If You are the Son of God", yet Satan does make some changes in his second attack.
Satan begins to use the scriptures. Since Jesus responded with Scripture to his 1st attempt, he now uses scripture to tempt him a second time. However, he purposely did not quote (Psalm 91:11-12) accurately. He left out an important phrase, "in all Your ways." According to the psalmist, a person is protected only when he is following the Lord's will. For Jesus to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in some dramatic display to accommodate Himself to the people's thinking would not have been God's will, and hence the promise would be null and void. Satan will twist the truth, or leave out important points in order to trap us. He is crafty. We must be wary. We must know the Scriptures, be willing to search them for truth, and follow them once we have found it. We cannot be too quick to follow. Belive in no man, but believe in what the Spirit of God reveals to you. Once He has done so, do NOT neglect to follow it.
Satan also utilizes historical prophecy in tempting Jesus that "thou art that Messenger, that Angel of the covenant, that should suddenly come to the temple" (Mal. 3:1). While Jesus following Satan's temptation would have been valid fulfillment of prophecy, it was not the way in which God intended it to happen. (Matthew 21:12).
Satan could not cast Jesus down. Satan's power is limited. He cannot make us sin. All he can do is entice us, tempt us. The sinning is up to us (James 1:14-15). For believers, temptation can be resisted (1 Corinthians 10:13). We must remember, however that just because the Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist temptation and flee sin, that we need to not be presumptuous. As Matthew Henry puts it:
Nor are any extremes more dangerous than those of despair and presumption, especially in the affairs of our souls. Some who have obtained a persuasion that Christ is able and willing to save them from their sins, are then tempted to presume that he will save them in their sins. Thus when people begin to be zealous in religion, Satan hurries them into bigotry and intemperate heats.
Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1991.
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Blue marbles roll faster than red ones |
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Rev 19:4
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Dear bobmoy, Of course you are free to express any opinion you like. I only meant that as this is generally considered to be a Bible-based discussion, it might be difficult to find others willing to discuss Urantia as truth. I have bothered to look into the information available on the internet, and cannot find any hard evidence that this is revelation or prophecy in accord with Scripture, except as noted by soladescriptura. I would also be interested to hear your defense of this spurious doctrine. |
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Who are the seven spirits... |
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Rev 1:4
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Isa. 11:2 (NASB) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and
strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
. . . “the seven Spirits. There are two possible meanings: 1) a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the 7-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit (Is 11:2); or
. . . “2) more likely, it is a reference to the lampstand with 7 lamps (a menorah) in Zechariah (Zech 3:9)--also a description of the Holy Spirit."
In either case, 7 is the number of completeness, so John” in Rev 1:4 “is identifying the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” (p. 1992, John MacArthur, MacArthur Study Bible, Nashville: Word, 1997)
In many Bibles the center column references for Rev 1:4 will include references to Isa 11:2 and Zech 3:9. Looking up parallel or related Scriptures in a center column reference Bible will help answer many Bible questions one may have. The Bible is its own best interpreter. In other words, to look up related Scripture is to compare Scripture with Scripure, a very sound practice in interpreting the Bible. |
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What would be considered the age? |
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Bible general Archive 1
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So far as I know, there is no explicit age given at which all children have developed the ability (and, therefore, must be held fully responsible) to choose between right and wrong. However, Isaiah's prophecy about the virgin birth contains a reference to a time "before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good" -- which indicates there is some point at which the person reaches this "knowledge". The age of 20 years old chosen by God is surely higher than this for most if not all people, and (as pointed out by JVH0212) there is Jewish tradition that treats the age of 13 as a special kind of ascent into responsibility under the law. Neither of these has the authority of a Scriptural command or universal precedent at setting that age.
However, God has placed us under ruling authorities, such as governments (see Romans 13:1f and 1 Peter 2:12ff). Governments typically have standard ages of permission and responsibility, which are applied to their subjects; we are under their jurisdiction here.
Finally, while parents are responsible for training up children, God does not judge them for the iniquity of their children. The clearest explanation of this is in Ezekiel 18, and I suggest reading the entire chapter. If being a good parent guaranteed faithful children, then God's children would never have rebelled, rjected him and fallen in the first place. God is our perfect example as a parent; yet he has many wayward children. Furthermore, the majority part of humanity has has gone so far as to reject his fatherhood altogether. |
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BEST COMMENTARY ON REVELATION? |
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Revelation
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Thanks for your good answer. To understand that there are indeed four main approaches to the interpretation of the book of Revelation is fundamental to any study of this book. I.e., not only are there different explanations of the prophecies, but also note that not everyone considers Revelation a book of prophecy. As you so accurately point out, some take a historical and others an allegorical approach to Revelation. |
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Enoch's prophesy in OT? |
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Jude 1:14
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Can anyone explain where we in the OT learn of Enoch prophesying the things Jude says he did in Jude 1:14? The closest reference I can find is Moses--not Enoch--mentioning ten thousand holy ones in Deut 33:2. I read somewhere about a "Book of Enoch" that is noncanonical, but haven't seen it. Does this prophecy appear in it? If so, why would Jude mention prophecies from a non-canonical source or why would that book not be included in the Bible? |
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Enoch's prophesy in OT? |
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Jude 1:14
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I'm pretty confident that there is no such quotation directed to Enoch in the OT. This is most likely from the Apocryphal book of Enoch. I believe there are several quotations from apocryphal books in the New Testament. If Enoch is among those books added to the extended Roman Catholic canon (and I must plead ignorance as to exactly which books are included in this extended canon), this is probably part of the reason. However, one or two quotations do not necessarily create credibility for the entire book of Enoch. Paul also quoted a Greek philosopher in reaffirming the general stereotype of the people of Crete as "liars, evil brutes and lazy gluttons," but this doesn't validate the philosopher's writings as inspired by God.
Jude seems to identify this as an actual prophecy, but that doesn't mean the entire book is inspired by God or even factual in its accounts of Enoch. The Book of Enoch was probably circulated widely among the Israelites, but they never accepted it (in entirety) as authoritative to the degree of canon. Neither did the councils that set forth our present canon, as they followed the nation of Israel regarding Old Testament canon. |
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Was Jesus actually in the tomb 3 days? |
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John 19:31
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"Three days and three nights. (Matt 12:40) This phrase does not necessarily require that 72 hours elapse between Christ's death and resurrection, for the Jews reckoned part of a day to be as a whole day. Thus this prophecy can be properly fulfilled if the crucifixion occurred on Friday." (Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, 1976, 1978)
. . . " 'Three days and three nights' (Matt 12:40)was an emphatic way of saying 'three days,' and by Jewish reckoning this would be an apt way of expressing a period of time that includes parts of 3 days. ... All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate the extreme literal meaning of these words. But the original meaning would not have required that sort of wooden interpretaion." (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1415, Word Publishing, 1997)
. . . "THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. (Matt 12:40) Including at least part of the first day and part of the third day, a common Jewish reckoning of time." (Matt 12:40, Zondervan NASB Study Bible, Zondervan, 1999)
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SECOND CHANCE |
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Rev 7:1
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Dear Prayon: Thanks for a very informative answer. To supplement (not to dispute nor question) your excellent answer, I respectfully submit the following:
. . . There is more than one interpretation of the doctrine of the rapture, as is the case with many Bible doctrines, especially when it comes to the doctrine of future things (prophecy). . . . The main differences of opinion concern the time of the rapture. The primary theories are: 1) Pretribulation rapture; 2) Midtribulation rapture; 3) Posttribulation rapture; 4) Partial rapture, which is sort of a Marine Corps rapture where only the perfect, only the brave, only the few are worthy to be raptured before the wrath of God is poured out; 5) Postmillenial rapture; and 6) Amillenialist rapture. Take your pick. (. . . There is also the new theory of No Rapture.) . . . For detailed explanations of the above views of the rapture, see the Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, in Ryrie's article A SYNOPSIS OF BIBLE DOCTRINE, The Doctrine of Future Things.
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Time to capitalize??? |
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Col 3:17
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Rev. l9:10 ..."For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God." This is the only Word of God I found referenced.
This is the one place out of 47 that I found the Word of God. He is sacred and holy, He is imperishable and remains, let's worship Him and praise Him with a capital letter for He is worthy. The rest of the references were "word of God".
But when did you decide to capitalize the word of God, or the many places found of the word of the Lord? Is it time for you as well as millions of others to show respect for the Lord by capitalizing His names, the ones we know at least? Of course it is, for the time is always now for the scriptures. Now is the time...
But sometimes people can revere the Bible more than they know their Lord. Its time for all of us, all the people you mentioned and more to determine for ourselves the deity of Christ and decide if He is who He says He is.
We all have to decide if He is a way or the Way. I might say here also that God is spirit, and equally true that He is a Spirit. God is true, but equally true is that His name is True. He speaks truth but equally true is that He is the Truth. Don't be afraid to write in your Bibles people for it is only paper or even papyrus. But I want you to know the Word, and you get to know Him through the word of God.
Ray V.H. |
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0-fold ministry? |
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Hebrews
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Dear rcscroll, Then Paul was saying what? 3-fold ministry? Paul called himself an apostle 16 times, so he was at least number 14 after Matthias. Then there was Barnabas, Andronicus, Junias, and James, the Lord's brother. Jesus was a prophet after John the baptist. In Acts 15, Judas and Silas are called prophets, and Paul speaks of prophets and prophecy as for the church in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians. Shall we also do away with 'pastors,' as the word only occurs once? 'Evangelist' comes up three times, and 'teacher' as a ministry only twice. You see, my friend, you cannot legitimatize ministry based on your own traditions. All five ministries are listed for a reason, and I think all are 'under-utilized.' As a matter of fact, many spiritual gifts (ministries are gifts) are misunderstood and 'under-utilized.' I believe that many today shun or disregard the spiritual gifts because they focus on the abuses. I will be the first to admit that these gifts are misused, abused and sometimes just plain false. However, I have witnessed these spiritual gifts being used in an orderly manner, bestowing blessing and guidance, edifying the church, and lifting high the name of Jesus. Would you also deny miracles, healing, and guidance by the Holy Spirit? Yes, indeed, these will help in our pursuit of unity. Obviously, knowledge and scholarship have not led us to unity, yet. I understand a dearth of balance these days, on both sides, but to do away with some of our most powerful weapons is unwise. Peace to you in Christ Jesus. |
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Accuracy not a requirement...? |
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Revelation
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I'm not the one who SAID accuracy wasn't a requirement. It IS! Yes, I know how to spell Revelation; typing error. Anyway, In my opinion, Dr. Van Impe IS pretty accurate; maybe not the best of the 3, but he's still one of the better prophecy scholars that I know. By the way, he has 14 doctorates in theology. |
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what were the 7 Messianic signs |
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Bible general Archive 1
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Do the Scriptures clearly indicate somewhere that there were precisely 7 Messianic signs or miracles that only the Messiah could fulfill? This is the first I've heard of such a Biblical prophecy of 7 signs, but I'm interested in hearing what Bible passage you may be referring to.
The only reference to 7 signs I'm aware of was a movie called, "The Seventh Sign," which I was unfortunate enough to see a few years ago. That movie had virtually nothing to do with the Scriptures. Please tell me this isn't what you're referring to. |
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Is prophecy dead? |
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Matt 11:13
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It has been put to me that this scripture says that there is no longer prophecy in the church today. However, Jesus prophesied after John, and Paul speaks of prophets in the present-tense from a prison in Rome in AD 62 or 63. John gave us the book of Revelation. If prophecy is dead, when did it die? In Christ Jesus. |
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Please explain this verse? |
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Mark 15:34
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Dear friend, you are right! It is a shame when our zeal to inform others of our thoughts turns us from the 'job at hand.' I will attempt to stay on track, and thank you for reminding me of focus and dignity.
The words Jesus spoke are a quote from Psalm 22:1. Some say that He probably prayed the entire psalm, as a testimony that He Himself answered the prophecy of this psalm. (The Pulpit Commentary)
"Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it." Psalm 22:30,31 NASB
I am of this camp, I find it unthinkable that the Lord was 'temporarily seperated' from the Trinity, or that He 'experienced' hell. I do believe that he experienced death and derision that the prophecies would be fulfilled, and that He would indeed be proven victorious over Satan. Only God's Anointed could do so. Though He was 'as a lamb led to slaughter,' from the moment after "It is finished," He was crowned in glory and resurrection power. For us, Amen!
In Christ Jesus. |
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Is prophecy dead? Since when? |
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Matt 11:13
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Dear Whyndell, (PROPHET.) "One who is divinely inspired to communicate God's will to His people and to disclose the future to them." (New Unger's Bible Dictionary) I am sorry, I did not make part of my question clear. The scripture from Matthew 11 is talking about John the Baptist. Some use this as a proof that prophets and prophecy were invalidated after John (the Baptist) died. My point was that AFTER John (the Baptist) died, Jesus continued to prophesy, John (the apostle) continued to prophecy, Paul spoke of prophecy in the present tense, and "Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message." Acts 15:32 NASB. If prophecy is dead, when did it die?
It seems that you have a problem with those who believe in the present-day validity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Or , more correctly, certain gifts. It also seems that your judgment is based on the abuse you have seen. This is flawed logic. "I have not met a balanced Charismatic, so there are no balanced Charismatics." By the way, I am not Charismatic. Period. I am not Pentecostal, either. Your 'facts' are bigotry. Also, the first widely documented restoration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was in Wales over 100 years ago. Soon after, the Pentecostal movement started in the United States.
Please answer the question using scripture, not sentiment.
Blessings in Christ Jesus.
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3 gifts, or less? |
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Eph 4:11
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This is in reference to one of your side notations, that the apostles healed on the basis of the faith "of the recipients" -- which threw up red flags for me. Jesus often said, "You're faith has made you well." However, this seems to be more a matter of them coming to him because they believed. The inability to heal or cast a demon from someone seeking healing was ALWAYS attributed to the lack of faith of the HEALER, NOT the person seeking healing (see Matthew 17:14-20).
There is no mention of any individual being unable to receive healing from Christ or any apostle based on a lack of faith from that individual, and Jesus healed everyone whom he attempted to heal. This idea of a lack of faith on the part of the intended recipient is simply a hurtful displacement of blame (either intentionally or by ignorance) by any healers claiming (again intentionally or ignorantly) to have gifting or faith beyond what they actually have. If we assume that the supernatural gifts can and do still exist today (and include the gift of apostleship in this, as you apparently do), the guidelines and examples of Scripture need to honored by them.
For example, Jesus deliberately followed the limitation of only proclaiming healing to those whom the Father told him to heal (Jn 5:18-20; 8:27-29). This would also carry into the apostles (and other healers, exorcists, etc.), who were apparently given insight into what God was choosing to do and thus enabled to be his vehicles. For example, Paul waited several days before casting out the demon from a annoying false prophetess that had been following him around for many days shouting (Acts 16:16-18). The woman didn't ask for healing, and Paul waited many days (whether because of lack of permission or whatever) before casting out the spirit. Whether Paul received revelation that it was OK at that point or whether the effectiveness was simply a mark of apostleship is debatable. The point is that Paul declared it and it happened; the woman's faith or lack thereof was irrelevant. This is Biblical aposteship in action and is confirmed in other examples. Paul (as simply one example among the apostles) did NOT receive everything he asked for in prayer (2 Cor 12:8-10), but everything he (and the others) declared happened regardless of the attitude of the recipient.
Asking for something in prayer (and trusting God to do his will) is always acceptable (except in the obviously extreme situation where God has clarified his refusal, as in Paul's condition). However, claiming and commanding a healing that does not take place means that the healer is either a charlatan, is deceived, is lacking in faith or is completely ungifted. Just as a prophet whose single prophecy is clearly untrue is thus proven false altogether, so is anyone (proven false) who claims himself to have supernatural powers that fail in their attempted exercise.
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Valid 'gifts?' |
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Eph 4:11
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I believe that the most commonly used direct Scripture for the past termination of certain gifts (tongues, prophecy etc.) is 1 Cor 13:8-10 by injecting an interpretation of the "perfect" being the completion of the canon. Am I right in this?
I completely disagree with the interpretation, but that's my understanding of where it comes from. (I think I remember this from MacArthur's first book on, "The Charismatics," which is well-written and advisable reading, but with which I disagree.)
I know this doesn' focus on apostleship directly, but, since I'm long-winded (long-penned?) I'll put that in a separate message. |
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Best commentary on Revelation? |
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Revelation
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Well put, inhzsvc. The philosophy at TBN (although some of the programs are worthwhile) seems to be: let's go for the emotional experiences and the sensational prophecy experts; and forget sound Bible doctrine. As long as you shake, rattle and roll as I do, let's not be divided over doctrine. While all people will never agree on secondary points of doctrine, we had better base our fellowship around the essentials of the historic Christian faith (e.g. the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the Atonement, Sin, Christ's Second Coming, etc.) If we don't, we seriously err and are vulnerable to confusion. |
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Is prophecy dead? |
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Matt 11:13
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I would be honored if you would consider the following thoughts of a layman. First, I believe there is room within Christianity to debate the idea of cesation of spiritual gifts. I believe these discussions help iron sharpen iron. I also believe that these should not cause us to divide. Also there seems to often be confusion between spritial gifts and talents. I believe we are all blessed, through the Holy Spirit, with talents that we are to use for the building up of the kingdom. The question is do the "gifts" still exist today. In terms of prophesy I would strongly suggest the following thought. If a person is truly a prophet then their prophecy should be 100 percent correct 100 percent of the time. This is would be a good test. Another would be to test everything they "prophesy" in light of scripture. I love the example of the Bereans when they tested everything Paul told them in light of scripture. They did not just take his word on it even though he was Paul. Here is what I do know. The Bible is the inerrant inspired word of God and I can trust without hesitation what it says. I cannot make the same statement of the "prophesies" that are currently being given by men. I have yet to hear of any modern day prophet that would "pass" the two criteria I mentioned above. This does not mean that God could not or would not send a prophet but that is up to God and we are warned repeatedly to be wary of false prophets. |
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Is prophecy dead? |
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Matt 11:13
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Dear Matt, One layman to another. Thank you for your comments. They are good, and much calmer than some others I am getting :-) You are assuming a few things though, that I would like to address. 1) Prophets only predict the future. "But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation." 1 Corinthians 14:3 NASB. Your test would only work if predicting the future was the sole basis for 'prophet' status. 2) That all the 'wackos' out there are what I mean when I ask about present-day prophets. I have 'ear-witnessed' (sorry, I couldn't help it:-) responsible prophecy that fits the criteria set by the above scripture, and it is a boon to the church.
Please look at my question-answer to RCSCROLL dated 03-24-01. Please let me know what you think.
In Christ Jesus.
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Church Age? |
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Acts 2:17
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Friends and colleagues, is this scripture talking about the 'church age?' After reading Peter's sermon explaining their behavior, it seems that his quotes from Joel and David are talking about the 'church age' until the last days. Peter testifies that Joel's prophecy was about then and now, and until the return of thew Lord. Comments? |
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