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False
Prophecy Predictions:
I have encountered some teachers who have made
false predictions on the end-times and have not
been held accountable. What should I do about
this?
Yeshua the Messiah prophesies in
His Olivet Discourse, “Many false prophets will
arise and will mislead many” (Matthew 24:11).
This has obviously been going on for a very,
very long time and will certainly not stop
anytime soon. Church history is full of figures
over several millennia who have made predictions
on the end-times and the return of the Lord that
have not come to pass. What we may experience
today about certain people claiming that “Date
X” is the time that Yeshua will return, or that
any number of events will take place—and then
they do not occur—is not something that is new.
We should not be surprised when a prediction is
made that does not come to pass.
The Torah tells us quite clearly,
“When a prophet speaks in the name of the
Lord,
if the thing does not come about or come true,
that is the thing which the
Lord
has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it
presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him”
(Deuteronomy 18:22). This means that if someone
makes a false prophecy prediction—and insists
that this is something that God has
revealed—that we should no longer listen to this
person about anything. This proves that the
so-called “prophet” or “man of insight” was not
speaking in the authority of God, and at best
was speaking in his own authority. We have the
responsibility to avoid people who have made
false prophecy predictions. While they can be
forgiven of their error, they should not be
allowed to be in a position expositing upon the
Scriptures as those who
make false prophecy predictions are likely to do
so again, if not repeatedly.
posted 16 October, 2006
Final
Generation:
Do you believe we are the final generation?
It is commonly asserted among
many Messianic Believers, and for that matter
many evangelical Christians also, that our
generation living today is the “final
generation.” This is often based on the
following statement by Yeshua delivered during
His Olivet Discourse on the end-times:
“Truly I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all these
things take place” (Matthew 24:34; cf. Mark
13:30; Luke 21:32).
A common claim that is
made—especially in some distinct Messianic
circles—is that the “final generation” started
in 1967 with the recapturing of the Old City of
Jerusalem by Israeli forces. Given that the
Exodus generation died out in forty years
(Numbers 32:13; Psalm 95:10), it is assumed that
within a period of about forty years that the
end-times and Second Coming must be upon us.
Today in 2007, this has spurred on a great deal
of end-time speculation and prognostication,
with many claiming that the world as we know it
is coming to an end at breakneck speed. Certain
teachers have taken advantage of the paranoia,
and have capitalized upon it in more ways than
just drawing attention to themselves.
Interestingly enough, there are
three major interpretations of Yeshua’s words
that exist:
1. The Lord says “this generation will not
pass away,” and is referring to the
generation that lived during the time that
He declared these words. Preterists who
believe that the “end-times” actually took
place during the First Century, and consider
the antichrist of Revelation to be Nero
Caesar, are the most common advocates of
this view.
2.
The Lord says “this generation will not pass
away,” and is speaking of a future group of
people that will be those who will witnesses
all of the events prior to His return. While
it is easy to associate “this generation”
with those who have witnessed the rebirth of
Israel in the Middle East, there is no
Scriptural indication to specifically
pinpoint when “this generation” actually
began. Yeshua’s two-verse parable of the fig
tree is hardly enough to equate the
reestablishment of Israel as being the
catalyst that began the final generation
(Matthew 24:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke
21:29-30), especially when Israel in
Scripture is associated with the olive tree.
3. When the Lord refers to what the Greek
records as hē genea autē (h
genea auth),
which in most Bibles is rendered as “this
generation,” He is referring to something
else. As should be noted, genea has a
variety of possible renderings, including “race,
stock, family”
and “a race, generation” (LS,
161). Yeshua’s words need not be interpreted
regarding a specific “generation” that He
either spoke to in the past, or is speaking
to in the future, but rather an ethnic group
of people that will have survived long
enough into the future to be present to
experience the end-times.
Of the three options considered,
the editor is convinced that the third—that
Yeshua is actually referring to “this race
will not pass away”—is most valid. The Ryrie
Study Bible actually confirms these
conclusions, remarking, “No one living when
Jesus spoke these words lived to see ‘all these
things’ come to pass. However, the Greek word
can mean ‘race’ or ‘family,’ which makes good
sense here; i.e., the Jewish race will be
preserved, in spite of terrible persecution,
until the Lord comes” (p 1490).
While many Messianics today
believe that they are the “final generation,” it
seems very unlikely that Yeshua will be able to
return soon given the current theological state
of the Messianic movement in 2007. For a
movement that often believes it has the answers
to “change the world” (especially with a message
of Torah restoration)—yet still largely does not
even have a basic theology about God
(among other things)—much is going to have to
improve. Likewise, if today’s Messianic movement
truly did believe it were living in the “final
generation,” then we would see far more
attention dedicated to not only spreading the
good news and seeing that people repent of their
sins, but we would also be preparing people
physically—and more importantly
psychologically—for the effects of the Great
Tribulation.
It seems that the arguments in
favor of us living in the “final generation” are
delivered more to draw attention to various
“prophetic” ministries and sell products, than
realistically developing a well reasoned
eschatology. We should not try to force God’s
hand regarding the fulfillment of prophecy, but
rather do all that we can do to provide for a
sustainable future for the Messianic community.
We should be about the Lord’s work truly
equipping Messianic Believers for the
challenges of today, so that they can be
prepared for the challenges of tomorrow—which
may include the Great Tribulation. But in order
to be more prepared, there is an entire array of
theological issues that needs to be considered
that most of the Messianic movement since 1967
has avoided (and whether these issues have been
avoided purposefully or not is hard to
determine). If anything,
it is time for us to no longer
avoid these issues.
For a further discussion of this
and related issues, consult the editor’s article
“Are
We Really Ready for the End-Times?”
posted 05 September, 2007
Fire Baptism:
Can you tell me what it means to be “baptized by
fire”?
John the Immerser (or “Baptist”)
is the one who references the baptism or
immersion by fire in his statements about the
coming of the Messiah. His words pertaining to
this immersion appear in the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke:
“As for me, I baptize you with
water for repentance, but He who is coming after
me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to
remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
“John answered and said to them
all, ‘As for me, I baptize you with water; but
One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am
not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’”
(Luke 3:16).
Many, particularly among
Pentecostals and charismatics, will stop reading
the text as quoted above, and automatically
assume that “fire baptism” or “fire immersion”
is something that is a good thing. A
great number of songs, for example, have been
composed from the point of view of “the Spirit
surrounding us in your fire.” This, however, is
not a theologically correct statement to make.
In context with John’s entire statement, he is
actually describing two different baptisms
or immersions: some will receive the Holy
Spirit, and others will receive fire.
Continuing, John says the following:
“His winnowing fork is in His
hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing
floor; and He will gather His wheat into the
barn, but He will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).
“His winnowing fork is in His
hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor,
and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He
will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire”
(Luke 3:17).
Those who are the chaff are taken
out and burned. In this context, “fire baptism”
is by no means something good or something to be
pursued. An immersion by fire speaks of God’s
judgment upon unrepentant sinners.
For a further examination of this
issue, consult G.W. Bromiley’s article in
ISBE, “Baptism of Fire,” 1:426.
posted 26 September, 2006 |
