41. I didn’t know who were the ten kings (or horns) described in Daniel 7 until I read this…

The general understanding of most Preterists is that the “ten horns” or “ten kings” are the ten Roman emperors in the following order with the years of their reign:

If I didn’t CARE about the truth, I wouldn’t be sharing THIS with you…

  1. Julius Caesar (Caesar) B.C. 49 to B.C. 44
  2. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Augustus) to B.C. 31 to August 19, A.D. 14
  3. Tiberius Caesar Augustus (Tiberius) A.D. 14 to March 16 A.D. 37
  4. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Caligula) A.D. 37 to January 24, A.D. 41
  5. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Claudius) January 24, A.D. 41 to October 13 A.D. 54
  6. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Nero) October 13, A.D. 54 to June 9, A.D. 68
  7. Servius Sulpicius Galba (Galba) June 8, A.D. 68 to January 15, A.D. 69
  8. Marcus Salvius Otho (Otho) January 15, A.D. 69 to April 16, A.D. 69
  9. Aulus Vitellius Germanicus (Vitellius) April 17, A.D. 69 to December 22, A.D. 69
  10. Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (Vespasian) A.D. 69 to A.D. 79

As it is evident from history, the three kings which were “uprooted” (reigned for very short periods of time) were Galba, Otho and Vitellius before the “little horn” with the remaining seven kings being the seven kings of Revelation 17.

Now really take a second or two and try telling yourself that everything you’ve read so far in this article are all AMAZING “COINCIDENCES”.

REALLY? Do you really believe that?

Here’s something REALLY crazy…

Some folks, when they realize that this is NOT just all “strange doctrine” they will say this… “Okay… well… um… all these things are… foreshadowing the REAL ‘end times’….” You think I just made that up? I’ve have actually heard that argument…

Moving on to even MORE “coincidences”…

42. I didn’t know if ANYONE would EVER make sense of when the 70 weeks of Daniel take place, until I read this… There are several opinions among preterist view scholars regarding the Seventy Weeks mentioned in the book of Daniel. What all agree on is that those “weeks” are in fact weeks of years and would add up to roughly 490 literal years. The disagreements are however caused by two important points:

Changes in calendars system created discrepancies in the historical timeline. This makes it nearly impossible to accurately calculate the differences in years and months demanded by many critics.
There are four different decrees that could be used as the starting point of the seventy weeks of Daniel

It seems that regardless of which decree is being used, the prophecy of the seventy weeks points to a period of time during which several important things will happen:

  • Atone for iniquity
  • Bring sin to completion
  • Seal up prophetic vision
  • Anointing a new most holy place
  • A seven-year covenant will happen
  • Sacrifices and temple offerings will stop permanently

Because of these specifics, it seems without a doubt that the seventy weeks of Daniel were wrapped up sometime in the first century, likely at the fall of the Jewish Temple in A.D. 70 when sacrifices and offerings were permanently stopped.

43. I didn’t know that the FOUNDATION or BEGINNING POINT of understanding the “end of the age” and the “coming of the Son of Man” should be an in-context, audience-relevant look at WHO was talking to WHO in the verses and passages that talks about the timing or nearness of these events, not a verse here and there that seems to be an easy way off this rock into a perfect world of pop-up flowers and free milkshakes!

44. I truly didn’t know, and I didn’t believe it was even POSSIBLE for my church leaders to be so completely wrong about something as fundamental and HUGE as this subject or part of the gospel story. I guess I really thought that they were… infallible? I guess I thought that they… I don’t know… just couldn’t possibly be wrong. But they were.

45. I didn’t know that what was fulfilled in the first century does not need to get “fulfilled again” in some “history-repeats-itself” 21st-century apocalyptic scenario. What led up to and consummated the “age to come” does not need to lead up to and REconsumate another “age to come”. The first century is not a “TYPE” of the “last days” that will lead up to the REAL “last days”, etc, etc, etc… The reason I say that is because (and you are NOT going to believe me, but) there are people actually SAYING things like that after reading articles like this one – and then realizing that the truths within this article absolutely present some MORE-than-awkward problems with their futurist “theology”… One of the FIRST places they go is… “Well… maybe the first century was a “type” of what is yet to come…”

I WISH I was making this stuff up!

46. I didn’t know why God would allow the entire New Testament (including Revelation) to be written like some big puzzle, or riddle, or never-ending labyrinth of double meanings and hidden clues … like something out of a movie like the Scorpion King or Raiders of the Lost Ark… Even the way the gospels are written, and the style of wording used have often seemed like maybe God wanted much of His message to actually remain a mystery.

Then I finally realized the TRUTH…

It is not the Bible that has confused MAN, but man who has confused the BIBLE.

The reason the Bible seems to be so oddly-written, and the reason there are so many verses in the gospels (especially in Matthew chapter 23 and 24 and Revelation) seem to… “not fit” with what we’ve been taught on the end times, is BECAUSE the Bible is correct and our teachers are WRONG.

We were taught that things which seem to clearly say one thing “actually” mean something completely different. In many places where it seems like Jesus is talking about the people He is talking to – our church leadership has “encouraged” us to “see” the “deeper” meanings, and that He was “painting a picture”… but that seemed… CRUEL – to be painting a picture for some people 2,000 years later while using the people of His generation as PAINT, and then carelessly allowing THEM to think the story is about THEM… It doesn’t add up, because it doesn’t add up. But the end times preachers and teachers have MADE it “add up”… and then TAUGHT that to US. So when we get to those verses that don’t seem to add up, we just skip over them and keep reading and keep believing what we were TOLD to believe the Bible says on these things…

47. I never realized (until now) that when we (rightfully) place Matthew chapters 23 and 24 and the entire book of Revelation back where it belongs (as a completed historical first century event) it is as easy to understand as reading a teenage novel. It all falls into place and fits (perfectly) together with literally ALL the verses throughout the entire New Testament. That’s what we’ve always THOUGHT it should do, and what we’ve always WANTED it to do. Its as simple as giving THEM their story back. We are not allowed to be THEM, and they are not allowed to be US.

48. I didn’t REALLY have a clue what the book of Revelation was about until I dug and searched and researched and read it over and over – comparing to all the things PEOPLE were saying it was about, then – through all of that hard PASSIONATE digging I found this …

John is presenting a forensic drama wherein God judicially divorces His old covenant wife (Israel) in order to take a new wife. Throughout Revelation John presents God as “He Who sits on the throne”. From His throne He issues a writ of divorcement (5:1) which Christ takes (5:7) and opens (6:1). As the divorce scroll is opened, we witness Israel capitally punished for her marital unfaithfulness (6:1 – 19:2 with interludes), for she appears as a harlot (17:1, 5, 15; 19:2). Then we see a NEW bride (the Church) descending from heaven to take her place (21:2). She is the “new Jerusalem” who takes over for the old Jerusalem (21:2); she no longer needs a temple because CHRIST brings the presence of God to His people (21:22).

In the course of this unfolding drama, John points out a sea beast, who represents the Roman empire and particularly Nero Ceasar, the first Roman persecuter of the Church (Rev. 13:1ff). God’s unfaithful wife, Jerusalem/Israel, aligns herself with Rome against Christ and His followers; she is like a harlot seated on the beast (17:3, 7). This picks up on Israel’s deference to Cesar in rejecting Christ and His followers (cp., John 19:12, 15; Acts 17:7; cp. Acts 4:27; 16:20; 18:12; 21:11; 24: 1-9; 25:1-2).

The final consummation of all these things was to include the destruction of the temple in 70 AD… The results of the (first century) divorce of Israel as God’s people is that the final order is ESTABLISHED, which is the kingdom of Christ. This appears under the image of His 1,000 year reign over the world (Rev. 20:1-6; cp. 1:6; 5:10) and as an inbreaking of the new creation principles of kingdom salvation (21:1; cf. Isa. 65:17-20; 2 Cor. 5:17; 6:15). With the old covenant concluded, the new covenant brings the direct presence of God (as opposed to a temple-based presence) and the final redemptive order. Christianity is here for the long run…

The old covenant order ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. This in fact WAS the “sign” of the “end of the age” and of “His coming”, the end of the old covenant, and the consummation of the New Covenant… new wine skins…

Jesus replaces the sacrificial system as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), God’s dwelling place as the “temple of God” (2:13-22), God’s sanctuary as the “true tabernacle” (Heb. 8:2; John 1:14), and God’s earthly sinful high priest as the “perfect High Priest” (Heb. 2:17, 3:1, 5:1-10, 7:26-28).

BEAUtiful! Like finding a precious stone in a dark, gray gravel pit.

49. I didn’t REALLY know what the entire New Testament was REALLY all about, but now I do …

The coming of the new covenant as the final redemptive order, which appears in Christ, and the passing away of the old covenant order (the temple system) and people (Israel), who reject Christ and His new order. These themes are abundantly displayed in the New Testament.

The Synoptic Gospels record that when Christ’s appearance is first announced, the Gentiles are the ones who “come to worship Him” though “all Jerusalem” was “troubled” (Matt. 2:1-3). When Christ opens His ministry He declares His new covenant kingdom “is at hand” (Mark 1:15). But because of His coming and the new order it represents, the old garment of Israel cannot simply be mended in order to adapt to it; the old wineskin constraints of Israel and its temple-based worship will not be able to contain its glories: new wineskins will be needed (Matt. 9:16-17). Though Jesus focuses His earthly ministry on Israel (Matt. 10:6; 15:24), He warns His disciples that Israel will ultimately reject it (Matt: 16:21; 20:18) by persecuting them (Matt. 10:16-17; 23:34-37) until He comes in judgment (Matt:10:23; 17:22; 20:18; 24:2, 16, 30-34). Because they did not recognize their Messiah and His message (Matt. 23:38; Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24)

Many of Jesus’s last actions and parables are given in Jerusalem and concern Israel’s rejecting Him and her consequent judgment. The Lord’s cleansing of the temple was an acted-out prophecy of the overview of the temple which has become a den of robbers (Matt:21:12-13). Likewise was His cursing of the barren fig tree, which represented Israel (Matt. 21:18-20). Mark even interweaves the temple cleansing and the fig tree cursing to show they are tied together (Mark 11:11-24). The parable of the landowner shows God repeatedly reaching out to Israel through the prophets, only finally to be rejected when they kill his son (Mat 21:33-45). Because of this “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it” (Matt. 21:43).

God’s calling Israel to Himself is likened to a marriage feast invitation which was rejected, resulting in the king’s wrath destroying their city (Matt:21:1-14). Christ strongly denounces the Pharisees as those who continue the rebellion of their fathers of old(Matt. 23:1-32). This will result in their persecuting his followers and their soon coming judgment in A.D. 70 (Matt. 23:33-36). As a result of this final word to Israel Jesus laments their rejection (Matt. 23:37), forsakes the temple, leaving it “desolate” (Matt. 23:38; 24:1), then prophesies the temple’s complete destruction (Matt. 24:2) and Jerusalem’s desolation (Matt. 24:16ff; Luke 21:20-24) in the first century generation (Matt. 24:34). As a result of Israel’s unfaithfulness and rejection, Christ gives a great commission that will lead to the baptizing and discipling of “the nations” (Matt. 28:18-20).

John’s gospel informs us that Christ came to His own people, who did not receive Him (John 1:1). In fact they are of “their father the devil” (John 8:44; Rev. 2:9; 3:9) and will reject Him in favor of Caesar (John 19:12, 15). As a consequence, the time is coming in which the temple will no longer be needed (John 4:23; Matt. 12:6). This will result in abundant blessings for the whole world of men (John 3:17; 12:31-32).
In the book of Acts we trace the movement of the gospel from Jerusalem to the utmost parts of the world of that day (Acts 1:8). Though the apostolic church initially wins converts from Israel (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7), it must eventually turn from there and go to the gentiles (Acts 13:46; 18:6). We discover the reason for this in that Acts is virtually a record of the relentless Jewish persecution of Christianity (references too many to list…). The apostolic church repeatedly declares Israel responsible for the death of Christ (Acts 2:22-23, 36; 3:13-15a; 4:10; 5:28, 30; 7:52; 10:39; 13:27-29; Acts 26:10).

What was really happening in that first century?

The old covenant is passing away and the New Covenant is replacing it (2nd Cor.3; Heb. 8:13; 12:22-29). In the book of Revelation John picks up on these themes and presents them in a dramatic judicial format. New covenant Christianity is the new approach to God; Israel has been rejected as the favored people of God.

50. I didn’t know that we really and truly only have TWO CHOICES to believe when it comes to the “end times”… One of these statements is true, because they can’t BOTH be true…

Choice #1. The entire New Testament (including the book of Revelation) is an historic (true) story that not only all took place in the first century but was all fulfilled in the first century, instituting the “age to come” which we are now in. Much of the symbolic/metaphorical and old-testament-judgment-imagery language in the book of Revelation is grossly misunderstood by most evangelical churches of today. End times teachers have misinterpreted literal things into metaphorical/symbolic things and have misinterpreted metaphorical/symbolic things into literal things, and have wrongfully pushed ancient history (and completely fulfilled events) up into our 21st century and beyond.

Or…

Choice # 2. Jesus and all the apostles were USING all those unsuspecting people (their entire audience throughout the entire New Testament) as mere story-telling illustration tools (or human theatrical props, if you will) to get a message to the people living in the 21st century. Which HAS to mean that they were told to expect things within the span of their lifetimes to happen – that were absolutely NOT going to happen in their lifetimes. If that’s true, then Jesus and all the apostles were also (knowingly) lying to the people they were talking to, knowing full well that those people would now EXPECT (as the early church record vividly shows) things to happen in their lifetimes that simply would NOT happen to them.

Choice #1

Choice #2

because they can’t BOTH be true…

I’ve learned a great deal more than this from just being hungry for truth, but I hope I’ve made some people want to start thinking for themselves and using their God-given LOGIC when they are reading their Bibles or listening to a preacher.

If you really enjoyed this, don’t be shy… click the “share” button…

Let’s really make a difference with this…

Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/ken-dahl/50-things-i-did-not-learn-in-church-about-the-end-times/175420935838919/