The End?
Offline I don't really call myself an Atheist, but I don't believe in God, the Bible, Quran etc and hate Judeo-Christianity religions.
I honestly don't know what to think of this though. I have come up with some arguments for the first few, but when I got to the one about the Anti-Christ making people believe they can achieve peace in a bad way, by killing people, honestly, I was speechless.
Here are the first ten:
========================================================================
The Bible foretells many signs that would culminate in the last days.
Jesus indicated these signs would arise together as His return drew near (Matthew 24:33-34). Though many of these prophecies wont climax until the tribulation period, our generation is the first to see every trend in place. As the final seconds of this age tick away, these events will come into even clearer focus. Keep in mind as you read through this list that these prophecies were penned 1900 to 3500 years ago!
1. False Bible teachers would bring in heresies, have many followers, and cause others to reject Gods Word. It is very common today to find people who reject the Bible out of hand because they have heard it misrepresented by a false teacher. These false prophets would be money hungry, smooth talkers. A growing number of TV evangelists epitomize this. They twist the Scriptures, using misleading words, to make merchandise of you.
2 Peter 2:1-3
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there were false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who brought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
2. The Christian gospel would be preached as a witness to all nations. Today, portions or all of the Bible have been translated into over 2,300 languages and dialects covering over 90f the worlds population.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
Revelation 14:6
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people
3. Global communications foreseen. The Bible prophesies that the entire world will see certain events unfold. The invention of the television and the deployment of global satellite networks during the 20th century allow news to travel the world at the speed of light for the first time ever. Remember that in the apostle Johns day, news traveled at the speed of horseback.
Revelation 11:9-10
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
4. Mankind would be capable of destroying all life. Consider that when Jesus made this prophecy the armaments of His day were swords and spears. But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth.
Matthew 24:21-22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
5. The use of nuclear weapons anticipated. The neutron bomb melts (dissolves) its victims just as God warned 2500 years ago Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. This was unimaginable in Zechariahs day.
Zechariah 14:12
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
6. There would be a global cry for peace. Never has there been such a concerted, global effort to bring about peace at any cost as there is today.
1 Thessalonians 5:3
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
7.The Antichrist would use (false) peace to destroy many. With all the problems facing mankind, multitudes are looking for a savior to usher in peace and prosperity without moral accountability. The Antichrist will promise the world and Israel such a peace if they follow him but his intentions will be sinister.
Daniel 8:23-35
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand
8. In the last days Israel would have a peace treaty in place that the Antichrist will confirm and eventually break. Currently the worlds governments are striving for an Israeli peace treaty.
Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
- Login to post comments
Every claim made is vague enough that most of them could be interpreted to exist at MANY points throughout history. This is common to EVERY prophecy that people hold up, from the bible to Nostradamus to miss Cleo.
It is OUR need to recognize patterns that make us equate an angel in heaven with a communications satellite. Apply that skepticism to every passage in revelations.
Knew it
Along with vague prophecies there comes the fact that certain people want them to be true.
A lot of people that believe that the rapture and tribulation are approaching are absolutely cool with it. That's scary.
In the supposed christ's time, Judea was on the fringe of the Roman Empire. The people were oppressed, poor, and some were born slaves. J.K. Rowling was poor when she told stories about Harry Potter to make her child feel special and loved and wanted. Does that mean that I should be looking for my son or daughter to play in the quidditch tournament or defeat Balfour? People are always thinking of new ways of travel. Perhaps one day a floating broom won't be outlandish.
George Lucas developed a whole series about good triumphing over evil and evil not being evil just misguided. Does that mean that I should study to be a jedi or a sith to preserve the balance of the 'force? (Ignore the screen name. lol.) Perhaps one day a lightsaber will be made.
Star Trek used plasma and anti-matter drives to make warp speeds to spread the peace of the federation and combat the forces of evil on its five year mission. Do you have a cellphone? Odd how it resembles those old beep-di-beep communicators. Perhaps we should worry about the klingons and the romulans or OMGoodness the friggin' BORG!!!!
You might say "well those are just stories." and I'll ask you "what is the bible?" If you unequivocally believe in the bible's prophecy of 'end times' then you would start designing your world to that end. You would see a dinosaur skeleton/complete fossil and come to the conclusion that it is a dragon and if there is one then OMGoodness there must be more dragons. A shadowy, misshapen figure might be the devil come to collect your soul. The dead people might rise with their faces rotted away and disappear in wisps of mist at dawn to ascend to heaven.
Stories only have as much credence as we give them with our minds.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists.
It's not the first time someone's predicted something.
Lots of people predict things, write about them and when the thing they predicted happens everyone's like "ZOMG LIES" yet when the bible has predictions in it, they believe it..?