Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Wyvern · 02-27-2002, 09:51 AM

That was the "headline" in a large ad in my local paper. They claim that "one scholar (they don't say who) lists 167 converging clues just in the last few years . . ." What do y'all think about their 8 reasons? Here they are:
1. Israel's Rebirth. "The Nation of Israel was miraculously reborn on 5/14/48. Israel is called 'God's Time Clock'". They claim this was prophesied to occur in Luke 21:24.
2. Plummeting Morality. (my favorite) "Studies show (which studies and where may we view the results?) show a shocking break-down just since mid-century" 2 Timothy 3:1-4
3.Famines, violence and war. They state that Matthew 24:6-8 prophesies an increase in these 3 before JC returns. To quote, "One in six people on earth suffers from hunger, violence is epidemic. A study (here they go with the studies again) of wars since 500 b.c. shows a recent dramatic increase.
4. An increase in earthquakes. Now get a load of this. "[Earthquakes} are prophesied as birth pangs in Matthew 24:6-8, a recent study (sigh)shows an [increase in worldwide earthquakes since the 1940s}. In the 1940s there were 51 above Richter 6.0; in the 1950s there were 475; in the 1980s there were 1085; and in the 1990s there were 1514". I wonder why no data for the 60s and 70s?
I'm getting tired of typing this crap out, but they go on in numbers 5-8 to talk about an "explosion of travel and education" (could be said of the 1800s versus the 1700s I would think). Also an "explosion of cults and the occult", "The New World Order" (please) and an "increase in both apostasy and faith".
Lastly they offer three free "reports" with names like, "Beware the Mark of the Beast!" and "What is a Cult or The Occult?". I of course sent off for them immediately. Anyone else seen this?

Later,

sidewinder · 02-27-2002, 11:27 AM

I haven't seen it but it's all nonsense. Most of the Bible prophecies are either too vague and therefore many events can be interpreted as fulfilling them, or they are just flat out wrong, in which case, the faithful will reinterpret so their precious holy book won't be wrong. The bottom line is that Jesus himself predicted the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus died and the Kingdom of God never showed up, so Jesus was wrong. The evidence for this is all right in the pages of their holy book.

IvanK · 02-27-2002, 12:22 PM

They left out:

9. He's been screwing us all over for nearly 2,000 years; it's about time He got a nut!

Doug · 02-27-2002, 02:06 PM

Hee hee. I've seen all this before. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church that was into the whole predispensationalism/signs of the times crapola.

I heard most of those same reasons back when I was a kid in the 70's. My favorite instance is the whole Israel thing. I was taught around 1978 in a Sunday school class that this was one of the prophecies that fortold the "Second Coming" of Jeebus. We were told that the Bible states something to the effect that "not a generation will pass when Jesus returns after Israel again becomes a nation". (I looked at the verse reference in your post and it absolutely says nothing like this.) Anyway, the teacher then relayed to us that in the Bible, a generation is considered to be 40 years, therefore, Jeebus would return by no later than 1988!

Last time I looked, we're still here and no rapture happened.

The funny thing is, the whole Rapture thing was derived in the 1800's by an English Anglican minister who was laughed out of England because of it. He had great success here in the States and predispensationalism was born with great birth pain and much pushing.

Mecha_Dude · 02-27-2002, 02:27 PM

Hey! I was born in 88! maybe I'm jebus!

WWSD · 02-27-2002, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mecha_Dude:
Hey! I was born in 88! maybe I'm jebus!

You were born in 88?
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!

I guess it still shocks me to think that people were born later than 1975, the year I was born. Plus, I really like saying HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!

[ February 27, 2002: Message edited by: WWSD ]

Mageth · 02-27-2002, 02:40 PM

...predispensationalism was born with great birth pain and much pushing.

More like a grunt and a splash, IMO...

Pantera · 02-27-2002, 02:46 PM

Who was the guy who wrote the book "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Occur in '88". I tried to look it up on Amazon, but for some reason it seems to be out of print.

MortalWombat · 02-27-2002, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WWSD:


I guess it still shocks me to think that people were born later than 1975, the year I was born.

You weren't born til the mid 70s?

Kosh · 02-28-2002, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pantera:
Who was the guy who wrote the book "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Occur in '88". I tried to look it up on Amazon, but for some reason it seems to be out of print.

Demand dropped to zero after Jan 1, 1989?

He he, I still remember when I heard about that
book. I was in the airport, flying back to Ca.
to get married (fall of '88) and bumped into
someone I knew, who started preaching about the
stuff in that book. Not what you wanna hear
when you're about to get married! (Well, at least
it meant the honeymoon would never be over).

Likewise, I remember one talking about why the
Gulf War would start Armaggedon.

Still waiting....

02-27-2002, 09:51 AM	#1
Wyvern Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 20	8 Compelling reasons Christ is coming very soon! That was the "headline" in a large ad in my local paper. They claim that "one scholar (they don't say who) lists 167 converging clues just in the last few years . . ." What do y'all think about their 8 reasons? Here they are: 1. Israel's Rebirth. "The Nation of Israel was miraculously reborn on 5/14/48. Israel is called 'God's Time Clock'". They claim this was prophesied to occur in Luke 21:24. 2. Plummeting Morality. (my favorite) "Studies show (which studies and where may we view the results?) show a shocking break-down just since mid-century" 2 Timothy 3:1-4 3.Famines, violence and war. They state that Matthew 24:6-8 prophesies an increase in these 3 before JC returns. To quote, "One in six people on earth suffers from hunger, violence is epidemic. A study (here they go with the studies again) of wars since 500 b.c. shows a recent dramatic increase. 4. An increase in earthquakes. Now get a load of this. "[Earthquakes} are prophesied as birth pangs in Matthew 24:6-8, a recent study (sigh)shows an [increase in worldwide earthquakes since the 1940s}. In the 1940s there were 51 above Richter 6.0; in the 1950s there were 475; in the 1980s there were 1085; and in the 1990s there were 1514". I wonder why no data for the 60s and 70s? I'm getting tired of typing this crap out, but they go on in numbers 5-8 to talk about an "explosion of travel and education" (could be said of the 1800s versus the 1700s I would think). Also an "explosion of cults and the occult", "The New World Order" (please) and an "increase in both apostasy and faith". Lastly they offer three free "reports" with names like, "Beware the Mark of the Beast!" and "What is a Cult or The Occult?". I of course sent off for them immediately. Anyone else seen this? Later,

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02-27-2002, 11:27 AM	#2
sidewinder Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: omnipresent Posts: 234	I haven't seen it but it's all nonsense. Most of the Bible prophecies are either too vague and therefore many events can be interpreted as fulfilling them, or they are just flat out wrong, in which case, the faithful will reinterpret so their precious holy book won't be wrong. The bottom line is that Jesus himself predicted the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus died and the Kingdom of God never showed up, so Jesus was wrong. The evidence for this is all right in the pages of their holy book.

02-27-2002, 12:22 PM	#3
IvanK Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,016	They left out: 9. He's been screwing us all over for nearly 2,000 years; it's about time He got a nut!

02-27-2002, 02:06 PM	#4
Doug Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: New York, NY Posts: 629	Hee hee. I've seen all this before. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church that was into the whole predispensationalism/signs of the times crapola. I heard most of those same reasons back when I was a kid in the 70's. My favorite instance is the whole Israel thing. I was taught around 1978 in a Sunday school class that this was one of the prophecies that fortold the "Second Coming" of Jeebus. We were told that the Bible states something to the effect that "not a generation will pass when Jesus returns after Israel again becomes a nation". (I looked at the verse reference in your post and it absolutely says nothing like this.) Anyway, the teacher then relayed to us that in the Bible, a generation is considered to be 40 years, therefore, Jeebus would return by no later than 1988! Last time I looked, we're still here and no rapture happened. The funny thing is, the whole Rapture thing was derived in the 1800's by an English Anglican minister who was laughed out of England because of it. He had great success here in the States and predispensationalism was born with great birth pain and much pushing.

02-27-2002, 02:27 PM	#5
Mecha_Dude Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Everywhere... I'm Watching you... Posts: 1,019	Hey! I was born in 88! maybe I'm jebus!

02-27-2002, 02:40 PM	#7
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	...predispensationalism was born with great birth pain and much pushing. More like a grunt and a splash, IMO...

02-27-2002, 02:46 PM	#8
Pantera Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Cambridge, England, but a Scot at heart Posts: 2,431	Who was the guy who wrote the book "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Occur in '88". I tried to look it up on Amazon, but for some reason it seems to be out of print.

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