ARE WE IN THE LAST DAYS???

[preterist]

Well... he evidently believed in Christ's Second coming: http://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/chsmillm.htm

I thought you quoted Matt 24??????

 

[dabowhunter]

Are We In The Last Days???
By The Lion and Lamb Ministry


We receive continual questions about the phrase the last days and people want to know if we are now in the last days or at least getting close to it. We have commented on this matter several times in the past and on other venues, however because of the interest shown here in MySpace on the subject we return to some basics about this matter.

YES!! We are NOW in the last days. The prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 is quoted in Acts 2 and the Bible makes it clear that the term last days began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Church was born, and it will continue until the end of the tribulation period (the Day of the LORD) when the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the Nation of Israel (Ezekiel 39:29; Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:26)

Could you please explain how the church was born on the day of pentacost. In mathew 18:17 Jesus said to "tell it unto the church" Why would Jesus tell people to tell it to the church if the church did not even exist yet?
Also in Acts ch.2 vs. 41 says "and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" In order to add on to something you must have something to begin with. Did not Jesus start his church?

 

[tim-from-pa]

If I may add my thoughts based on my understanding of scripture, Yes, Jesus did start his church. I think the reference to the church being born on the day of Pentecost is because the Spirit was given then. Beforehand, they went by the Law and under the Old Covenant. Christ's death instituted the New Covenant and as such, I do not believe any of his followers were born again until the Spirit came (at least from their vantage point in space and time). Of course, we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), but there is a place and time in the temporal that meets eternity.

Another interesting point to ask and consider is the part where Jesus told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Did He mean the Gentiles as well? Maybe ultimately as Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. But the apostles originally understood that as all Israel in the Diaspora. We know this because Peter does not have that vision until Acts 10 where he came to the realization "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

This is that mystery of the wild olive branch Paul later revealed in Romans 11. Some of the branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off so that Gentiles could be graphed in. The rest of the Jews and Israelites that believed were already there.

It is my belief that many of the tribes of Israel (the house of Israel) were scattered throughout the regions (the Jews were mainly from the tribe of Judah, some from Benjamin and some Levites). The house of Israel themselves became as Gentiles and were actually receptive to the gospel and become the Christian people and nations of today. This is not to say that everyone is saved, of course, but these people who would amass elsewhere would be the seedbed for Christianity to spread. This is why some Old Testament prophecies to Israel sounded very "Christian".

The Jews never historically became many nations, Christians or posses power the way it was promised to the patriarchs that had promises looking forward to their descendants becoming great. And within that group would come the One Seed and both becoming a blessing to the world.

 

[Vic C.]

Could you please explain how the church was born on the day of pentacost. In mathew 18:17 Jesus said to "tell it unto the church" Why would Jesus tell people to tell it to the church if the church did not even exist yet?

Hi there... the proper translation of the word ekklesia IS assembly or congrgation.

Matthew 18:17 (Young's Literal Translation)
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

17`And if he may not hear them, say [it] to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.

17 But if he fails to hear them, tell it to the assembly. And if he also fails to hear the assembly, let him be to you as the nations and the tax collector. (Green's literal LITV)

The simplist answer to your question is the one Pret posted on page one;

Pentecost at this point in time (or Shavuot as they would have know it), was the last days of the Old Covenant. The ushering in of the New Covenant was when The Holy Spirit was poured out to the masses that gathered at the Feast. Joel predicted it in Joel 2:28; all Peter did was remind them of the prophesy.

Remember in OT times, the Spirit indwelled, did His work then moved on. All that changed on this glorious day some 2,000 years ago.

 

[bkhoward2001]

Still to come!

Not only are the End Times still to come but they are basically here now.... I strongly feel that the prophecies of the Bible suggest we are entering the final seven probably within this year or the next at the outside.... Prepare Ye... for it is time and it is now.