thomasglee wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:20 am
Navigator wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 2:14 am
thomasglee wrote: ↑Mon Dec 27, 2021 12:19 pm
Awesome. I've watched some solid videos addressing this view and I have to say, I'm convinced. God has a plan, and He is the God of order, not confusion. Sure, we cannot know the day, nor the hour, but we can surely know the season and if we are watching, and ready, have an idea of how close we are to His return. I agree with your stated view of the "end-times". As the song goes, "it's the end of the world - AS WE KNOW IT".
I think that each of the "seven seals" in the Biblical Book of Revelations refers to each of the Thousand Years. I think we are in the initial phases of the Seventh Thousand years.
I think I major misconception people have is that those who believe in Christ will somehow avoid or be immune to what will happen in the world prior to Christ's return. This is unfortunate for them, as it puts them in the mindset that they don't have to prepare for what is coming.
The reason that I point to Isaiah, and the links I have provided, is that Isaiah, IMHO, is talking about the post WW3 situation, when people will have to make some very drastic choices and decisions.
I agree that we are not immune. It’s all part of a testing of our faith and refining process.
I appreciated that you stated earlier that God is organized, has a plan, and is a God of order. I also firmly believe that he has not just "left us to our own devices to see what happens".
I believe that God has set up the structures, organization, and mechanisms that need to be in place as part of his plan for the End Times.
Let me go first to the subject of wars. I think that wars are indeed part of a cycle, as GD points out. But I would add to the cycle the idea of people becoming prideful/sinful as one of the root causes of war. War is often part of God's plan to humble people and to help them return to him and repent (Granted, it doesn't always work, but as we know, there are no atheists in foxholes).
In terms of the progression of wars, the US Civil War, the first modern major war, was needed in order to end slavery in the US.
World War One, to me, is about the destruction of the absolute monarchies (and, frankly, the loss of power they provided their associated state churches).
World War Two did result in the Jews returning to Israel. It may not have happened otherwise. World War Two also resulted in the destruction of the Japanese empire (monarchy) and of the Warlord system in China.
I see the upcoming WW3 as the last one needed to destroy the remaining governmental systems that are preventing people from being able to exercise freedom of religion (at least in Asia), while in Europe it may again be about punishing the sinful who have rejected God in an attempt to get them to repent and return to him.
What the Isaiah analysis I have pointed to elsewhere is getting what I see as the post WW3 situation, where God brings the righteous together under a righteous leader, while the rest of the world is punished by a militaristic Anti-Christ.