Forgive me for disagreeing with ya just a wee bit :funnyface: , but if you think back on all the prophecies that we can both agree HAVE been fulfilled.. such as the fall and capture of ancient Babylon (predicted by Isaiah 200 years earlier), or the fall of Jerusalem (predicted by Jesus), they were only of surprise to those were were not "awake".
To the Jews who were captive in Babylon, her sudden downfall was probably less of a surprise. And Jerusalem's capture by the Romans wouldn't have been a surprise to the 1st century Christians - Jesus warned them to flee from it in advance!
The exact nature of the fulfillment may be a surprise, ie. that the Babylonians just happened to be drunk, and left their gates open, when Cyrus fell upon them... but that it would happen was easily discernable to the Jews who were paying attention.
Again, the Jews were "surprised" that Jerusalem and the Temple would be desolated again by the Romans, but Christians were NOT surprised - they just didn't know the exact details of how and when it would happen.
Hi Interpretum, while I don't disagree with you, I am at odds over the fact that Israel in both instances had specifically inspired prophets (Jeremiah et al in the first instance and Jesus in the second).
We have no such prophets today except inspired prophecies that seem (to some) to be way overdue in their fulfillment. I also find that comparing ancient Babylon to a more modern BTG can get a might confusing. One case in point: Jeremiah 33:10, 11 says, "This is what Jehovah has said, ‘In this place that YOU people will be saying is waste without man and without domestic animal, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolated without man and without inhabitant and without domestic animal, there will yet be heard 11 the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying: “LAUD Jehovah of armies, for Jehovah is good; for to time indefinite is his loving-kindness!â€
This is one of 4 places Jeremiah refers to "the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride." Nowhere else in any of the prophets is there this expression "the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" mentioned. Jeremiah connects all references to Jerusalem even though he also prophecies against Babylon too. In fact, verse 16 prophesies restoration saying, "In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem itself will reside in security."
Revelation 18:23, however, attributes the "voice of a bridegroom and of a bride" to BTG which is to be pitched into everlasting destruction. I find this alteration of Jeremiah by Revelation to be somewhat confusing and would not be too quick in associating Jerusalem-like attributes to BTG, especially in a "virgin bride" versus "amoral harlot" scenario.
:heartbeat:sw
:biker:
Hi SW...You said:
We have no such prophets today except inspired prophecies that seem (to some) to be way overdue in their fulfillment.
Think of this... The scriptures say that the 'day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night', (I Thes. 5:2).
A thief in the night is right before you, yet you don't know it, because he's there because it's night, and most are asleep. So, my point is, that the prophets are here, yet not readily known as prophets.. like the earlier ones.. and more in disguise.. :eek:
Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2 YOU gain the knowledge of the inspired expression from God by this: Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God, 3 but every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s [inspired expression] which YOU have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world.(1 John 4:1-3)
Most of those who confess Jesus today confess a confusing "God/man" which was uninspired in scripture. Instead, it was inspired by the so-called early "church fathers."
Catholic teaching is that these so-called fathers were more inspired than the apostles, that these were the ones who supposedly received the "complete knowledge" when it arrived. I, on the other hand do not accept such inflated teachings.
I accept that Jesus is the Son of God ... not God the Son ... that he came in the literal flesh ... not clothed in the imitation flesh of a materialized God. I accept the scriptures as they read ... not as imposed by those false teachers and prophets. We should know these things and yet we are still clinging to them? unbelievable!
Love,
sw
:shocked:
Hi SW...
I agree.. the ones who are putting themselves out there as prophets of Jesus and God... are false.. But my point is that there may be prophets who are not saying there are men of God.. but yet they actually are. Like an uncover job, so to speak. Like a thief in the night. :drinking:
:shocked:
Hi SW...
I agree.. the ones who are putting themselves out there as prophets of Jesus and God... are false.. But my point is that there may be prophets who are not saying there are men of God.. but yet they actually are. Like an uncover job, so to speak. Like a thief in the night. :drinking:
And there may be some who do not yet know they are being used. I cannot help but think of David as he composed Psalms. No doubt he was unaware he was being used as a precursor of some great fulfillment, for nowhere did he say, "This is an inspired prelude to the Christ."
Love,
sw
Interpretum Wrote: Again, upon what basis do you say the Masons are a "he" and religion is a "she"? You are saying this, but upon what basis can you attribute a gender to a concept such as Masonry, or religion?
Religion = SHE
1 Woman rides the wild beast
2 Woman is a HARLOT = religion
3 Woman is clothed with Purple and Scarlet = religion
4 Woman is Babylon the great and a mother of harlots and is a SHE
5 Babylon the great has the voice of the Bridegroom in her and the light of a Lamp (bible)
6 “In HER the blood of Prophets and of Saints was found
7 Woman commits spiritual fornication with the kings of the earth
8 Woman is in control of the beast or kings of the earth
9 Woman “is that great city which holds sovereignty over the Kings of the earth†Rev17:18
10 Woman = religion is crying “Peace and Security†Thes 5:3
Masons = rulers = kings = beast = Masons = "HE"
1 Rev 17:11 And the beast, which was, and is not, HE is both an eighth
2 The HE = beast = kings = rulers will hate the SHE = Babylon the great. Rev17:16
3 Beast is a “HE†Rev 15:2 14: 11 Diaglott
4 Rev 14:18 = "HE" “it is a MAN’s number; and its number is 666â€
Hi Art... Good to see you again.. Here's some critique if I may..
Religion = SHE
1 Woman rides the wild beast
2 Woman is a HARLOT = religion
(has religion in it)
3 Woman is clothed with Purple and Scarlet = religion
(royalty, usually of kings and queens, political rulers)
4 Woman is Babylon the great and a mother of harlots and is a SHE
5 Babylon the great has the voice of the Bridegroom in her and the light of a Lamp (bible)
Rev. 18:23 And no light of a lamp will ever be heard in you again; and no voice of a bridegroom and of a bride will ever be heard in you again ....) Note, bride as well.
6 “In HER the blood of Prophets and of Saints was found
7 Woman commits spiritual fornication with the kings of the earth
8 Woman is in control of the beast or kings of the earth
(or better said, commits fornication with them)
9 Woman “is that great city which holds sovereignty over the Kings of the earth†Rev17:18
10 Woman = religion is crying “Peace and Security†Thes 5:3
(Don't think this is the woman, Babylon, but rather God's true followers, but then I'm alone on this one.)
Masons = rulers = kings = beast = Masons = "HE"
1 Rev 17:11 And the beast, which was, and is not, HE is both an eighth
2 The HE = beast = kings = rulers will hate the SHE = Babylon the great. Rev17:16
3 Beast is a “HE†Rev 15:2 14: 11 Diaglott
4 Rev 14:18 = "HE" “it is a MAN’s number; and its number is 666â€
True..
Hi Artcritic
Religion = SHE
1 Woman rides the wild beast
2 Woman is a HARLOT = religion
3 Woman is clothed with Purple and Scarlet = religion
4 Woman is Babylon the great and a mother of harlots and is a SHE
5 Babylon the great has the voice of the Bridegroom in her and the light of a Lamp (bible)
6 “In HER the blood of Prophets and of Saints was found
7 Woman commits spiritual fornication with the kings of the earth
8 Woman is in control of the beast or kings of the earth
9 Woman “is that great city which holds sovereignty over the Kings of the earth†Rev17:18
10 Woman = religion is crying “Peace and Security†Thes 5:3
Thanks for your reply. However, the problem with your "proof" above is that you are ASSUMING that Babylon is "religion" in the first place!
Why can a political entity (like Ninevah) not be a harlot? According to God's inspired prophet Nahum it can be.
Masons = rulers = kings = beast = Masons = "HE"
1 Rev 17:11 And the beast, which was, and is not, HE is both an eighth
2 The HE = beast = kings = rulers will hate the SHE = Babylon the great. Rev17:16
3 Beast is a “HE†Rev 15:2 14: 11 Diaglott
4 Rev 14:18 = "HE" “it is a MAN’s number; and its number is 666â€
OK, but this isn't really proof that Masonry is the beast. If anything, Masonry is just an extension of the mystery religions of old (although for some reason they insist they are not a religion).
Also, which version of Masonry are you referring? Don't forget that French Freemasonry and Scottish Rite are often opposed, and have somewhat different philosophies.
If "religion" were ever to be eliminated, you could be sure that Masonry would be targetted too, as happened under Communism, Hitler etc.
I don't think Masonry has any desire to eliminate "religion". I do, however, think there may be a grudge against the Roman Catholic Church, particularly for her treatment of the Knights Templar. Maybe the Masons will bring down the Catholic Church :D