Prophecy - The End Times

[Ohio]

Nell, I’ve had some thoughts recently on these verses in Revelation 13 which have long been troublesome to Bible scholars.

13 And the second beast [the False Prophet] performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast [the Antichrist Beast], it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the [the Antichrist] beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

How could an image speak? The prophets of old often would mock those images of wood, stone, or metal because “they had eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, etc.” Recent technology has, in a sense, changed all that. Have we not seen robots with “faces,” which could also walk and talk?

Now let’s put together several additional recent technologies. A robot with a face that could talk. Add WiFi, AI, facial recognition, wireless charging, and these NSA super computers which are recording our every online action.

Let me now present a frightening and completely realistic scenario. A famous world leader who brought peace and security to us, will be recently assassinated. A perfect body double with matching face and voice is built. This image, which never needs sleep, could walk into a room with other leaders and could recognize each of them. AI would enable convincing undetectable conversation. The image could piece together one’s entire life and personality based on their online history with total recall. Every time the image “sat down” its battery was charged.

Think about it. Someone who “knows” you and knows everything about you, apparently better than you do. Is this not “God.” Would not the many be deceived into worshiping the image as “God.”

[Nell]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Nell, I’ve had some thoughts recently on these verses in Revelation 13 which have long been troublesome to Bible scholars.



How could an image speak? The prophets of old often would mock those images of wood, stone, or metal because “they had eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, etc.” Recent technology has, in a sense, changed all that. Have we not seen robots with “faces,” which could also walk and talk?

Now let’s put together several additional recent technologies. A robot with a face that could talk. Add WiFi, AI, facial recognition, wireless charging, and these NSA super computers which are recording our every online action.

Let me now present a frightening and completely realistic scenario. A famous world leader who brought peace and security to us, will be recently assassinated. A perfect body double with matching face and voice is built. This image, which never needs sleep, could walk into a room with other leaders and could recognize each of them. AI would enable convincing undetectable conversation. The image could piece together one’s entire life and personality based on their online history with total recall. Every time the image “sat down” its battery was charged.

Think about it. Someone who “knows” you and knows everything about you, apparently better than you do. Is this not “God.” Would not the many be deceived into worshiping the image as “God.”

Yes. This deception is not only possible but probable. This is a totally realistic scenario. One more thing, Add crypto currency to that and you have the world economy in collapse as crypto currency is digital only. This shows how critical it is that we have a walk with God himself…that we “be not deceived”. His sheep hear his voice and follow him.

We desperately need to pay attention to what’s going on today.

Nell

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Nell

Yes. This deception is not only possible but probable. This is a totally realistic scenario. One more thing, Add crypto currency to that and you have the world economy in collapse as crypto currency is digital only. This shows how critical it is that we have a walk with God himself…that we “be not deceived”. His sheep hear his voice and follow him.

We desperately need to pay attention to what’s going on today.

Nell

Agreed. And a warning to us all not to allow our entire life to be “digitized.”

Talking to my wife recently, I wondered if in the tribulation there would no longer be any means to know the truth. Like totalitarian states of old, the news would only be “Pravda” propaganda. No bibles allowed, no churches or liberty to assemble. No freedom to speak or listen to anything which is actually “true.” God will have given all those who do not love the truth over to some horrible delusion, a system of error. (2 Ths 2)

How could we even discern what we see or hear? The whole world groping in the darkness of a huge cavern, unable to identify anything for what it really is. How frightening! Our only basis for truth in that day is what we know and remember from scripture today.

[Nell]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Agreed. And a warning to us all not to allow our entire life to be “digitized.”

Talking to my wife recently, I wondered if in the tribulation there would no longer be any means to know the truth. Like totalitarian states of old, the news would only be “Pravda” propaganda. No bibles allowed, no churches or liberty to assemble. No freedom to speak or listen to anything which is actually “true.” God will have given all those who do not love the truth over to some horrible delusion, a system of error. (2 Ths 2)

How could we even discern what we see or hear? The whole world groping in the darkness of a huge cavern, unable to identify anything for what it really is. How frightening! Our only basis for truth in that day is what we know and remember from scripture today.

If we haven’t already begun, we should begin to communicate with him now about the things coming through the written word and the spoken word. A particularly sobering word is: judgment begins at the house of God. I believe that judgment has already begun.

Nell

[Nell]

https://youtu.be/3_mcNX99VaU?si=X789e696CpEc9AOH

Very interesting stuff. Probably need to pay attention. We may need more than those little solar glasses.

Nell

[bearbear]

I leaned towards a pre-wrath view of end-times like the early church fathers did but I'm open to pre-trib as well. As described in The Didache, an apostolic instruction manual for the early church, many actually believed that Jesus could come at any moment as described in the parable of the wise virgins and encouraged each other to stay pure for his coming. At the same time they also believed they would have to have face the Anti-Christ and endure the tribulation.

Today we think of these two views as mutually exclusive but the early church somehow believed both of them could be true.

Attached is Chapter 16 of The Didache's perspective on "The Last Days".

[bearbear]

Nelson Walters had a interesting video where he contends that the most important question is not the timing of the Lord's return but whether or not we will actually make it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkWcbzfedIM

Jesus implies in verses like Luke 18:8 that not many on the earth will have faith when he returns: "... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Matthew 7:14
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.

From NDE's I've research I've found two that claim only 2.5% of people on the earth are actually saved which would fit the narrative of only a few being saved and/or making it in a rapture.

Howard Pittman's testimony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKnwGMG7PHg&t=1398s

Karl Falken's testimony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qMpex6WPC0&t=3580s

To back up this claim using scripture, during Ejiah's time, God told him that he had saved a remnant of 7000 Israelites who did not bow down to Baal.

1 Kings 19:18
"Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

The population of the kingdom of Israel around this time was around 300000, meaning 7000/300000 or ~2.3% of Israelites were saved during that time.

Now here's a sobering thing to think about: Jesus says few are saved yet many in comparison will think they are saved and refer to him as Lord and find themselves disowned. Jesus says he never knew them so they were likely never born again. They likely misinterpreted grace to mean they could live their lives however they wanted and they did not follow the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) and hence were lawless/evil doers.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"

1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Okay you may be thinking to yourself 2.5% sounds abnormally low, but based on cell phone data only 2.8% of Americans actually attend church on a weekly basis including people of all faiths:
https://twitter.com/Devin_G_Pope/sta...70211841826817

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by bearbear

I leaned towards a pre-wrath view of end-times like the early church fathers did but I'm open to pre-trib as well. As described in The Didache, an apostolic instruction manual for the early church, many actually believed that Jesus could come at any moment as described in the parable of the wise virgins and encouraged each other to stay pure for his coming. At the same time they also believed they would have to have face the Anti-Christ and endure the tribulation.

Today we think of these two views as mutually exclusive but the early church somehow believed both of them could be true.

Attached is Chapter 16 of The Didache's perspective on "The Last Days".

I agree here. I do believe that it is a faulty assumption to believe that all raptures occur simultaneously. The general Harvest of believers in the parable of the Tares (Matt 13.30), connects with the Harvest of the Earth in Revelation 14.14-16 which is near the end of the Great Tribulation. The reaping of the Firstfruits, (Rev 14.1-5) however, appears to be earlier in time before the Warnings of the 3 Angels and the destruction of Babylon.

[Nell]

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xG0MOFRTTTQ

Nell

Originally Posted by Nell

https://youtu.be/3_mcNX99VaU?si=X789e696CpEc9AOH

Very interesting stuff. Probably need to pay attention. We may need more than those little solar glasses.

Nell

[Nell]

“Iran launches drone attack on Israel”