Matthew 24:6-8 - Signs of the times

It's been a remarkable year for Natural Disasters apparently. Remarkable enough for them to make a special Documentary about it (UK - Channel 4 - 8-9pm repeated on Channel 4+1 an hour later).

The question in my mind, and doubtless a good few million others throughout the earth is "Is this the fulfilment of Matthew 24 6-8. Are we in that generation that will not pass away before the end comes"?

Matthew 24:6-8. "6 YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress."

We have certainly had flood, famine, earthquake (with the resultant tsunami once or twice), wars, insurgencies, rebellions, riots, and the rest all in this year.

Makes you think, or does it? it does me.

i'm sure that all those things have happened with regularity since before the bible was written its a bit like me saying there will be a plane crash next year or that some one famous will die

None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.---—Isaiah 59:1-4

Vanity, 1. something that is vain, empty, or valueless.

One of the signs of the last generation was the tearing down of the Temple (a backed in prophesy I'm certain).

I know where you are getting that from, but it is not entirely correct.

As is so often the case the prophecy at MAtthew 24 is a prophecy with two fuliflments, mainly because, though the disciples didn;t realise it they was actually asking two diferent questions.

They didn't realise because they allied the end of the Jewish system with the time of Christ't "parousia" his presence in kingdom power, and Jesus didn't disabuse them because it was not yet time for the time of his presence to be known.

So he gave them the answers to both questions at the same time, something which is evidenced by the fact that only parts of the prophecy were fulfilled at that time.

The major part of the prophecy, lie the signs of the times, were in answer to the "when will your presence be" part of the question. Since, as we now understand from other prophecies, Christ's parousia, occurred in or around 1914, the remaining unfulfilled part of the prophecy was obviously for this time, the time when Christ is present in Kingdom Power in the heavens.

Thus the prophecy at Matthew 24:6-8 is neither vain nor empty, but very relevant indeed, especially to the time period we are in, as all will know when Armageddon does strike, and according to bible prophecy, cannot be all that far in the future, since there is so much to do after Armageddon and before Christ hands back the kingdom to His father which again according to prophecy will be in or around 2914, give or take.

I know, as do God and Christ , that there will be many who foolishly scoff at it until it is too late. Jesus predicated such when he stated that these days would be like those when the flood was approaching and people were so busy7 with their every day lives and pleasure seeking that they "took no note until the flood came and washed them away."

Matthew 24:36-39 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be."

As Jesus said, though the time of the destruction of the temple had already been chronicled in prophecy (Daniel) no-one at that point, not even he, knew when the day and the hour of His presence would be. That was for future generations to be shown, and was duly shown to a small group of bible students in the early to mid 1800s.

God never releases the understanding of prophecy before it's due time even though the prophecies are already written down. The book of Revelation was similar, only becoming understood in the last century. Similar were the early prophecies about the coming of the messiah, the exact timing was not understood clearly until Daniel's prophecy detailed it more fully, and gave the length of the Messiah's ministry as well as the approximate manner of his death, followed later by the destruction of the Temple, something else which happened absolutely on time.

When time is due, Holy Spirit is use to subtly open the eyes of the chosen readers to what prophecy means. It is amazing how much clearer you can think under the influence of Holy Spirit, though I have never tried illegal substances I cannot imagine their effects being so eye opening. The meaning simply comes to you out of nowhere.

So God released the understanding of the prophecy in the mid 1800's, which must have then been the due date. It's approaching 200 years, which makes it look like they missed the mark as all such prophecies have and will continue to do.

If the Earth is to be destroyed by natural causes, I imagine God could well have known when a long time ago, but if by our hand, even He wouldn't know. In either case He couldn't tell man without destroying our free will--except...well....maybe a micro-millisecond beforehand. What, after all, could we do with free will in that amount of time?

We have to have maintain a rational way of thinking, and don't dwell with this stuff.

And dont tell me that I have missed the mark, I have not, but I'm a rational person and always will be, I don't see this earth to be destroyed for a long time yet.

You can tell me otherwise, I simply wont listen to you.

We can dwell on the signs and do nothing else, what purpose do we all have then? Nothing.

Guys, dont start having a fixation about the signs, all I believe is to be ready, but I don't think I need to be for a while yet.

There is no expiry date for the grace of God and this chirstmas as we reflect on the birth of Jesus we should appericate the grace that he has given us thoughout the year and the protection he offers.

You MCB and Painfull Truth are nothing but unapperciative scrooges.

The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is full of utter bulls***.

They think the UN is the beast, thats rubbish if that was the case it would happend by now.

When really the UN is one keeping the peace within the world today, that is most utter hogwash in the world today, the JWs' belief system has more holes in it than swiss cheese.

Australian people are trying hard to maintain peace within our country, and since 1945 it has done a great job, and I'm proud to be a Australian because of that.

And what we talking here is general discussion what it says in the gospel but its not a good time of the year to start talking about it, MCB keep your thoughts about this until after christmas.

I think our children and grandchildren depend on us to give them a proper example way of life and again with their children too and look towards a bright future instead of talkin about doomsday all the time it does get really old hat and we should appericate our lives as long as time shall last.

There is no better time than this pagan season to discuss these things, when best to combat lies than when they are most in the public eye.

I agree about having to set an example to our children and grandchildren, but that also involves making it a true one. What is the point in giving them an example which can only lead to their eternal death?

I do try not to concentrate on the negative side of the truth, but that is not always possible when answering the question and points on here, however I have many times witnessed about what Jesus called "This good news of the Kingdom" which tells us of a very positive future for both humanity as well as the planet.

However the bible doesn't hold back about the negative side when it needs highlighting, nether did Jesus and the Apostles, and neither will I. Do you simply talk to children about the light and warmth from a fire, or do you also tell them they will get burned if they touch it? If you only ever talk about the positive side you could end up with pyromaniacs on your hands.

Whatever mate, what ever you say will never distract me to to fullfill my goals, in my life.

I have grew up with this sutff, and I know about this as much as you do, but do I neglect my goals, no I don't.

God wants me to live a full happy and content life, I don't think the achievements that I have done are not in vain, I believe everyone has a purpose in life.

You have a fixation on the Bible, is very damaging to your wellbeing, you meed a balance in life, even thought I have my personal copy of it as well, and I know the scriptures as well but I dont go around Bible Bashing people, it wont look good to my professional life.

It will come mate, just be patient, your 62 years old, can't you spend your retirement golden years being happy and content with your life, pontentally you have another 25 or more years of life.

Instead you come here and Bible bash people like its coming tomorrow and its not right, that won't win anyone, the JWs have a very bad apporach, as I said many times before the chances of it happening tomorrow is very slim, more of a chance of a pig flying.

You have more of a chance of your hot water heater exploding than the end of the world, so guys please settle down with this subject.

Just enjoy your life mate, and appericate each day that God gives you, otherwise you have a very negative existence, as soon a natural diaster occurs this forum becomes hot with MCB telling us his utter bulls***,

Its not like its happening tomorrow, its just gentle reminders, like come on how many times have we had a earthquake since the earth was first created millions of them, its a natural occurance in the earth, standard geology, its just the plates moving around the place.

If you done science at school, you would learn how a earthquake occurs, Japan and the USA are built on fault lines, Australia rarely has earthquakes because its not on a falt line, it has its own plate, its last major earthquake was in 1989 at Newcastle.



The Chiristian faith has caused more damage to humanity that I care to admit, it has caused many people to die in years that gone past, it has caused wars between people and its very destructive to wellbeing of people, because each brand of christianity want to fight with each other.

On the otherhand christianity faith can be very positve because it give you the strengh to go from day to day and gives you a sence of hope, this hope is not false hope.

But the problem with JWs are that they have a fixation, and they seem to want to think that its coming tomrrow when its not.

1914 to 2914 is that what MCB thinks, your timesetting is utter s***.

If you go to another verse in Matt 24 you will find that no man knows the hour but the father only that is a one of my favorite verses.

MCB you might claim to know the hour but you do not, read that verse.

That verse arrests any timesetters to the core.

I wouldnt raise a child with this bulldust, of time setting I will tell them as it is with about no man knows the hour and lets leave it at that. but no MCB wants to rub it in like pencil eraser.

Sounds like every single day for the last 2000+ years.

Yes it does doesnt it, its not new.

Hardly, because war was not that frequent, nor of the same intensity, nor that widely known at the time it was happening. There simply weren't the communications to make it so well known so quickly, and there would have to be for that prophecy to be true in it's fullest sense.

For instance there has never been a world war before 1914, and we've had two now. Never has the ability to destroy been so available as it has since 1914. Never has the death toll in war been so high as it has since 1914. Never have epidemics been so rampant as they have since 1914, not even the Black Death killed that many people, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1914 took more lives than WWI did.

And it's getting worse. There have been more natural disasters, and deaths as a result in 2011 than for many years before, to the extent that 2011 has become known as "The the Earth Went Wild".

Just makes us all Yawn.
1914 with the JWs
These two groups of people will never shut the F up.
Here we approach 2014, the flaming JWs will go flaming wild.

JWs Jacking Wild s***.

I say to you enjoy your life and while you still got it but no you want to lower us down with pure JW hogwash.

The natural diasters will contince, because of this and that, so what, as long my house is standing and in operational I don't give jack s***.

As long my telephone, internet, and power is to my house and all online and will be for many years to come.

And nothing has taken my life yet, I have lived nearly 30 years of life and I'm proud of it. All since 1914.

So looking forward to my 30th Year, My 40th, My 50th, my 60th, my 70th and my 80th and maybe my 100th.

Why would they go wild about 2014? There is no biblical significance to it.

And no, of course they won't shut up, they are under command from Jesus not to. The Good News of the Kingdom has to be preached so that people can know how to escape Armageddon, and enter into the Kingdom. Anyone who doesn't speak out is ignoring what Jesus taught all his followers to do.

True Christians don't use such language either, lol.