Op-ed: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy

 

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The Seventy Weeks Telescopic Prophecy

by Multi-Part Man

 

The graphic above pictures my interpretation of the “seventy weeks” prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27, informed by relevant Scriptures; it is reasonably straightforward, so just a few observations:

 

The Seventieth Week is a Prophetic Week for both The Christ and the Antichrist.

 

The end of the 69 weeks and the beginning of the 70th week is the start of The Christ’s ‘week’. The Antichrist’s ‘week’ begins seven years before the return of The Christ. The Christ’s week is a ‘telescopic’ week while the Antichrist’s weak is a ‘continuous’ week.

 

Both The Christ and the Antichrist are assassinated and resurrected in the middle of their ‘weeks’. Before the assassination the Antichrist he is the seventh king and after his resurrection he is the eighth (Rev 17:11). Antiochus Epiphanes, the OT Antichrist and the eighth king of the Seleucid dynasty provides a type for the Antichrist/Beast.

 

The first half of each week is a time of relative peace, while the second halves are characterised by war. Joshua, son of Nun and the conquest of Canaan provides the ‘type’ for Joshua, Son of God in His conquest of the world. The battles of Jericho and Jerusalem are the initial battles respectively and the northern coalitions of Jabin and Gog are the final major campaigns respectively - but there is still a lot of conquest to follow. The setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh then provides the type for Ezekiel’s temple.

 

From Daniel 7 a ten-king kingdom will appear out of the old Roman Empire. The little horn/Antichrist will come up amongst the ten kings and became the leader toppling three of these kings (Da 7:24), presumably replacing them with his own appointments.

 

The beginning of the Antichrist’s week begin with a covenant with the Jews (Dan 9:27a), which appears to involve the building of a Temple. An earthquake in Jerusalem similar to the “earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah” (Zec 14:5) may level the Muslim buildings on the Temple Mount to facilitate the building project.

 

The covenant will be broken with the assassination of the Antichrist, by a Jew? to fulfil typology, and then the sacrifice and the oblation will cease (Dan 9:27) and the persecution of the Jews will begin and this will continue for “a time and times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25).

 

“Telescoping: The leaping of a prophecy from a near to far horizon without the notice of intervening mater” (J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, p.xviii).

 

Both the image of Daniel 2 and the Beast of Daniel 7 are telescopic in that there is a time gap between the kingdom of iron and the kingdom of iron and clay/ the kingdom of the fourth beast and the kingdom of the ten kings.

 

With Titus and Hadrian the Jewish state came to an end and the qualifications to be a part of the image, from the Jewish perspective, was over. It was not until the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 that the requirements to be part of the image could begin to be fulfilled.

 

During the first half of Christ’s prophetic week He raised up, or laid the foundation, of Israel the Church and commissioned it go and teach all nations (Mt 28:19-20). In the second half of His week He raises up Israel the Kingdom and commissions it to be “a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6). While this Scripture is written from the ‘principal’ perspective the fulfillment is by the “agent” — compare Paul’s application of this Scripture in Acts 13:47.

 

At the end of the first half of Christ’s prophetic week He returned to the higher realm of heaven; after His second half He returns to the lower realm of heaven, with the Saints, and rules the earth from the heavenlies recently vacated by Satan and the demons.

 

The Seventy Weeks ends when Christ takes up residence in the Messianic Temple just as he had taken up residence in the Mosaic Tabernacle and Solomonic Temple. The graphic below pictures the fulfilment: “And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever (Eze 43:7a).

Dave Pack: R*pe Never Happens If You Are Serving God In This Church

 

When Prophecy Fails

The Bible contains many failed propehcies. In the Old Testament and used as proof of basically nothing correct, the WCG appealed to the Prophecy about Tyre to prove its validity. The prophecy about Tyre failed spectacularly to this day.

The Book of Revelation is a failed prophecy. Apologetics will insist it was for both then and now again but this is simply not true. Letting go of failed prophecy is not something the true believer does easily or at all.

The Apostle Paul, and others in the NT failed miserably in their understanding of the Second Coming in their time.

Paul ended up having to admit that prophecy, which he made many of in his "soon" and "shortly" preaching could and ultimately, did fail. I often wondered how many lives he somewhat ruined as they prepared by not marrying or "giving all", with his own prophetic wishful thinking.

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will fail" ,Paul was, at least, able to admit

(From the United Church of God)

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Dave Pack can't "unveil" it, so he simply has to "explain" it

In our time, we have Fake Apostle and Notta-real-Minister, David C Pack, who is obcessed with predicting Christ's Second Coming, failing now again over his inarguable truth of it being, for sure, March 29th now past. This marks the 93rd false teaching on this topic for Dave in just the last two years.

Caught in his own prophectic loop, one wonders why does anyone listen to this charlatan anymore?

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"These failed prophecies are not just mistakes. The reveal something deeper about the nature of belief, human psychology and the power of expectation"

"When scientific claims fail, they are discarded. When religious prophecies fail they are often reinterpreted, delayed or ignored."

"Science is willing to be wrong and adjust. While religious belief often bends reality to fit its narrative"

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These 6 minutes explain the phenomenon of reworking failed prophecies so that one can pretend they did not fail....

...and why they stay.

Jana Brock: Raised In A Cult

 

This video is the introduction to a my Raised In A Cult series I intend to publish about a very specific high demand religion called Armstrongism - a church labeled as a cult by many people since its founder died. Eventually, it splintered off into other churches but many still adhere to the original doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong. 

I was a third generation member of this cult. My paternal grandparents were one of several founding familes here in the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, the church was renamed Worldwide Church of God. Armstrong amassed great wealth off the backs of his church members, many of whom were living at or near the poverty line. 

Worldwide Church of God splintered off after Armstrong died. Many members left but many fiercely defend those cult teachings, even today. One documentary ("Called To Be Free") features leaders of Worldwide Church of God talking about how their doctrine was wrong and how hard their mistakes were to correct with church (cult) membership. That’s all well and good for the paid ministers and their families, but it does nothing to correct the immense harm inflicted on countless families around the world, including mine. Not one of them admitted to the immense harm that was done to the membership all those years. 

There is no way to know how many people have suffered needlessly because of high-demand religions (aka cults) and their harmful teachings. 

Many bible-based churches are nothing like what I learned growing up. They are filled with good people who have good intentions and live good lives. If you choose to go to church, hopefully you can find one of them. 

Be well, Jana

UCG Also Looking Back To Exodus For Passover Prep

 

You can tell it is getting close to Passover time in COGland. The overemphasis on law-keeping is flying fast and furious. UCG is asking their members to look back to Exodus and the law as they prepare to crucify Christ once more in a high school gym or Masonic Lodge. Instead of focusing on the deep, rich things that Christians have understood for centuries about Christ, they prefer to prostrate themselves at the foot of the law, expecting it to save and forgive them.

Timeless and foundational principles are found throughout the book of Exodus as God begins to bring His people out of Egypt and teach them His way. In Exodus 1, for example, Pharaoh determines the children of Israel have grown too many. As a result, he decides to kill a number of God’s people and commands the midwives to carry this out as each male child is born. The midwives do not all follow Pharaoh’s order. They are right in their actions. Killing in any of its forms, as Christ magnifies in Matthew 5:21-22, is wrong 

 

The Bible is clear we are to obey our master’s instructions and requests unless they are ungodly. To defy is against God’s way (Ephesians 6:5-8). But, if we are asked by any leader at work, in government or anywhere else, to do something that is contrary to God’s way, we don’t do it. Acts 5:29 is clear in this respect: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” 

 

Always do things God’s way. His way leads to peace, unity, joy, fulfillment and true love for Him and each other (agape). 

 

Remember why we are here 

 

Brethren, remember we are here to become like Christ. Remember your calling, remember the eternal purpose for which God has called you and to which you committed. Nothing in this physical life compares with what God has prepared for those who truly love (agape) Him. 

 

As we prepare for Passover, now just a little over four weeks away, let us truly examine ourselves and purpose to endeavor together to follow Him with all our hearts, minds and souls.
Continuing in Christ’s service,
Rick Shabi

LCG: It's Close To Passover And You Need To Read The 10 Commandments Booklet

 

It's another day in LCG and their focus is on the law instead of finding freedom in the one they claim to follow.

Eliminating Spiritual Leaven: The Scriptures indicate that leaven is to be removed from our homes and not eaten during the Days of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15). We need to remember that this is a physical exercise to help us realize the importance of identifying and removing spiritual leaven that tends to creep into our lives from the world. Spiritual leaven involves breaking the commandments of God, compromising or rebelling against His instructions, and exhibiting the attitudes and works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21). Yet we are also instructed to eat unleavened bread for seven days (Leviticus 23:6). As we prepare to take the Passover and go through the Days of Unleavened Bread, it may be helpful to reread the booklet on the Ten Commandments. We need to ask God to help us see any spiritual leaven that we need to eliminate from our lives so we can really become more like our Father and more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

How about instead of reading some worthless COG booklet you read Romans, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians without any COG literature next to you?

Galatians 2:16: "I know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, so we also believe that we will be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." 

Is the all powerful Satan the real god of Armstrongism?

 

The Philadelphia Church of God has an article up about escaping the sins of the fathers. Satan figures predominantly in the article, especially considering it is the most powerful entity in Armstrongism.

Apparently, Satan sits at its computer daily to look back at least 5 generations to find out what stupidity your ancestor got into and then gleefully punishes you for their foibles. Jesus, as impotent as ever, is apparently unable to stop Satan from being such a big old meanie.

Satan is capable and determined in tempting us to sin. He knows and misapplies Scripture. He knows God’s law and how to seduce us away from it. And he definitely knows our personal history and will always try to tempt us in ways that have been historically successful for him. 

 

My father taught me early in life to be wary of Satan’s tactics. He taught me how Satan has a perfect memory and remembers all our sins. He can even look through history, at our great-great-grandparents’ fifth cousin’s weaknesses, to find ways to cause us to sin. Many times, he doesn’t have to go back that far.

All-powerful Satan remembers sins, but contrasts that with how Jesus/God remembers sins:

Hebrews 8:12
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 

 

Hebrews 10:17
17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

All-powerful Satan keeps himself busy digging up all the dirt it can on you.

Satan makes a point of getting to know us. He is diligent about examining us. He is thorough about discovering our sins, our weaknesses and our struggles in order to exploit them.

Yet, Jesus says:

John 15:3. NIV
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

John 15:3. The Message
The Vine and the Branches
15 1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

In Armstrongism, we are at that time of year when the faithful start examining themselves to see if they are worthy to take the Passover. It is a time to beat themselves up as the unworthy worms they are and unclean dogs unfit to clean the crumbs from under the table. (Both of these things I have heard ministers say to the congregation at Passover time.)

Isaac should have learned from his father. We too should learn from our fathers, both their mistakes and their successes. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). 

 

To achieve true depth in self-examination, we must honestly and earnestly go to God and ask Him to reveal all of our sins to us. We must reckon with the reality of our own human nature, aware that we are as vulnerable to the sins that overtook our fathers as they were.

But we can also rejoice in the Passover. Jesus Christ died for our sins, and when we examine ourselves, we know more fully our need for that sacrifice. We can fully focus on that awesome sacrifice, and then live knowing that Christ lives in us and we never need fall prey to Satan’s devices.

The Passover in Armstrongism is the yearly opportunity to break the bones of Jesus, with microphones next to the breaking bread, amplifying the cracking of the matzo as loud as they could, to make the unclean worms in attendance know that they are such filthy sinners that they have crucified Christ all over. Once again, He has to pay the price for all of their sins from the previous year. 

In Armstrongism, Jesus paid the price, but Satan remembers everything.