Even at the Doors blog » Matthew 24

Apocalyptic Fever

James Jackson — Sun, 15 May 2011 06:58:14 +0000

(May 15, 2011) I believe every generation since Jesus Christ walked the earth has believed they were living in the End-Times. The Thessalonian Church of the First Century was worried that their fellow Christians who had died would miss the second coming of Jesus Christ. Millennial fervor swept through elements of Christendom leading up to the year 1000 A.D. (here is a website with a list of apocalyptic dates in history) The current generation is no different from previous ones when it comes to some sort of Apocalyptic Fever. Last week someone at my job asked me about the news story stating that Jesus Christ would return on May 21, 2011. They had heard the women on the television show The View discussing it. Later in the week I heard the following commercial on one of our local secular radio stations: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRoQ3JZzII[/youtube] It is amazing to me that Christians continue to set dates about the return of Jesus Christ... Related posts:

This Generation: Womb to the Zoom (Rapture) or Tomb? (November 26, 2009) The most controversial End-Times event is the...
World ending in 2012 according to ancient Mayans and others? (October 13, 2009) Between the History Channel, Jack Van Impe,...
Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
The Great Apostasy and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (April 3, 2011) "8 When the Son of Man comes,...
The world misses the point about 9/11, death, and the End-Times (September 11, 2011) It is heart-wrenching watching the documentaries about...

2010 Pew Research Poll: 41% of Americans think Jesus Christ will return before 2050

James Jackson — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:15:50 +0000

(June 27, 2011) The Pew Research Center released a poll last week which asked Americans their beliefs about what the next forty years may be like: "These are among the findings of a new survey of attitudes and expectations about the future, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Smithsonian magazine in conjunction with the magazine’s 40th anniversary (see "40 Things You Need to Know about the Next 40 Years"). The survey, conducted by landline and cell phones April 21-26 among 1,546 adults, was informed by a 1999 survey on the future that explored many of the same topics (see “Optimism Reigns, Technology Plays Key Role,” October 24, 1999)." The questions covered a myriad of subjects such as Science, Technology, Environment, America, Economy, Social Trends, War, Terrorism, and Global Trends. The article (Public Sees a Future Full of Promise and Peril Life in 2050: Amazing Science, Familiar Threats) also asked Americans about Apocalyptic scenarios: "The public sees the next 40 years as a time of violent conflict, both globally and in the United States. Fully 58% see another world war as definite or probable over the next 40 years. Nearly as many (53%) expect the United States to face a terrorist attack with nuclear weapons... Related posts:

The Great Apostasy and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (April 3, 2011) "8 When the Son of Man comes,...
POLL: 14% of Americans believe President Obama is the Antichrist! He’s not but he is treading on dangerous ground (March 26, 2010) According to a recent Harris poll 14%...
As it was in the days of Noah and Lot… (June 20, 2010) 22 And He said to the...
Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
Americans hoard food, food rationing, limit rice buying, hungry Japan, era of cheap food ends (April 23, 2008) Worldwide food prices and shortages continue to...

As it was in the days of Noah and Lot…

James Jackson — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:53:41 +0000

(June 20, 2010) 22 And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 "They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." (Luke 17:22-30) Jesus declared that the days leading up to His coming will be like it was in the days of Noah and Lot. It seems He was telling the disciples they would not see His coming but that when it does happen it will come unexpectedly. The apostle Paul echoes this statement in his letter to the Christians at Thessaloniki, "2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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." (I Thessalonians 5:2-3) However, this does not seem to harmonize with what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24... Related posts:

Noah’s Ark and the Rapture (April 28, 2010) Noah's Ark may have been found according...
2010 Pew Research Poll: 41% of Americans think Jesus Christ will return before 2050 (June 27, 2011) The Pew Research Center released a poll...
Joyful Firstfruits, Resurrection, and Easter Sunday: “Occupy till I come” (Firstfruits, Resurrection, Easter Sunday - April 4, 2010) Nearly two...
Is the prophecy the most important element of God’s Word, The Holy Bible? (December 23, 2010) If you are a Christian how would...
Is it all falling apart? (even if it is God is stll in control) (June 18, 2010) The subtitle of my blog is What...

Is it all falling apart? (even if it is God is stll in control)

James Jackson — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:58:32 +0000

(June 18, 2010) The subtitle of my blog is What in the world is going on? Looking at news events occurring around the world I think an even more appropriate question is, Is it all falling apart? In my lifetime (52 years) I have seen dramatic changes in socioeconomic, cultural, and technological spheres of human existence. Although the modern era may have begun during the European Renaissance, culturally in the areas of intellectual and artistic pursuits and politically through revolutions, I believe current modernity grew out of the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century. Prior to that time human life moved at a much slower pace. Travel was powered by horse or sailing ship. Although the printing press had been around since the 15th Century communication still traveled only as fast as the horse or ship could carry it. With the advent of the 20th Century human innovation had made great strides in improving the human condition. The breadth of human existence had been dramatically changed in the areas of medicine and health, working and manufacturing, travel, education, and communication. Of course technological advancement also led to greater destruction in warfare. In the Nuclear Age humanity is capable of destroying the earth for the first time in human history. The prophet Daniel may have spoken of this development, "1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."(Daniel 12:1-4) It is possible that verse four of this passage could refer to human'sincreased abilities to travel ("to and fro") around the world (both physically and communicatively) and that knowledge would increase to a point where technology would be man's final attempt to replace the God of the universe with the god of human intellect... Related posts:

Two AP writers suggest world is spinning out of control (June 21, 2008) Associated Press reporters Alan Fram and Eileen...
Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
Whale off Israel’s coast, Jonah and End-Times animal behavior (May 13, 2010) A grey whale was spotted off the...
“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke” (April 24, 2010) Today is the twentieth anniversary of the...
“And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun…and men were scorched with great heat” – Revelation 16:8-9 (June 6, 2010) In the last couple of years Hollywood...

Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.)

James Jackson — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:24:23 +0000

(June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar activity and attempts by some to link it to Mayan Prophecy. There seems to be a diverse opinion on the meaning and nature of the Mayan Prophecy. The Mayans observed several calendrical cycles for their various social, agricultural, commercial and administrative endeavors and each of which had a religious element in or religious aspect to them. One of the calendars, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, is the one that pertains to the Mayan Prophecy. This Long Count calendar constitutes a period of time consisting of 5125 years. The current Great Cycle of the Long Count will conclude on December 21, 2012. What happens after that seems to be open to conjecture. Beginning in the 1960s some Mayan researchers suggested that some type of apocalyptic event would occur at that time. Since then others have stated their belief that a new age of enlightenment will come upon mankind and the earth. Some believe that there will be some form of Milky Way galactic alignment on the Winter solstice (December 21) of 2012. As I pointed out in my last post, Hollywood has taken the Armageddon approach to 2012 and this is the idea which seems to have taken root in popular American culture. Therefore, I am interested in seeing how the months and weeks leading up to December 21, 2012 play out. The media hype may surpass that which occurred prior to the Y2k scare of 1999. I have read that modern-day Mayans themselves attach no import to the Mayan Prophecy. I believe they have the correct approach to this "event". From a Christian perspective I think it is possible that on December 22, 2012 people will use the failure of the falsely perceived Mayan prophecy to disparage Biblical End-Times prophecy. The two are completely unrelated... Related posts:

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Is it all falling apart? (even if it is God is stll in control) (June 18, 2010) The subtitle of my blog is What...
Biblical prophecy fulfilled 2000 years ago (December 25, 2009) In the Book of Isaiah God declared,...
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Whale off Israel’s coast, Jonah and End-Times animal behavior

James Jackson — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:36:29 +0000

(May 13, 2010) A grey whale was spotted off the coast of Israel. (Scientists stunned as grey whale sighted off Israel ) According to this article, "The whale, which was first sighted off Herzliya in central Israel on Saturday, is believed to have travelled thousands of miles from the north Pacific after losing its way in search of food. 'It's an unbelievable event which has been described as one of the most important whale sightings ever,' said Dr Aviad Scheinin, chairman of the Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center which identified the creature. A population of grey whales once inhabited the north Atlantic but became extinct in the 17th or 18th centuries and has not been seen there since. The remaining colonies live in the western and eastern sectors of the north Pacific." Of course the most famous "great fish" incident occurred when a whale or some other large sea creature swallowed and then vomited the prophet Jonah onto the shores of Israel... Related posts:

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Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
Is it all falling apart? (even if it is God is stll in control) (June 18, 2010) The subtitle of my blog is What...
Survivalists gearing up for hard times ahead (May 24, 2008) Some people (and at this stage I...
“And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun…and men were scorched with great heat” – Revelation 16:8-9 (June 6, 2010) In the last couple of years Hollywood...

“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke”

James Jackson — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:44:54 +0000

(April 24, 2010) Today is the twentieth anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope launch. In commemoration of that event NASA released this photo. This extraordinary display of God's creation brings to mind a prophecy from the Book of Joel: "1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand...27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and My people shall never be ashamed. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke... Related posts:

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:8 (March 11, 2009) The Christian Science Monitor website had the...
Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
Is it all falling apart? (even if it is God is stll in control) (June 18, 2010) The subtitle of my blog is What...
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Whale off Israel’s coast, Jonah and End-Times animal behavior (May 13, 2010) A grey whale was spotted off the...

Earthquakes; Global Tax & Money; Government Monitoring; Islamic Ire; Doomsday Clock

James Jackson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:38:36 +0000

(March 1, 2010) In the wake of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, MSNBC has an article on the increase of earthquakes around the world. ((Big quake question: Are they getting worse?) The author writes, "One scientist, however, says that relative to the time period from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, Earth has been more active over the past 15 years or so." He quotes a geophysicist as saying, "We still do not know the reason for this yet. Could simply be the natural temporal variation of the stress field in the earth's lithosphere." (The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the Earth.)" Jesus gave signs to His disciples to look for when the end is near, "3 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?' 4 And Jesus answered them, 'Take heed that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the labor pains." (Matthew 24:3-8) Leading into the End-Times Jesus said that false religious leders, wars, famines, and earthquakes would increase in various places. He likened these events to labor pains which means they will become increasingly more painful and occur closer and closer together. The recent earthquake activity may be a precursor to what Jesus says will happen before the end... Related posts:

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This Generation: Womb to the Zoom (Rapture) or Tomb?

James Jackson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:09:50 +0000

(November 26, 2009) The most controversial End-Times event is the Rapture. The controversy involves two main issues. The first is when will the Rapture take place in relation to other prophesied End-Times events...Is the current generation the one that will see the End-Times come to pass? The Bible gives other prophecies concerning the End-Times. One of them declares that God will return the Jews to the land of Israel (Ezekiel ch. 37-39; Amos 9 - For further discussion on this subject please see ch. 18 - God's Timepiece:Israel from my book Even at the Doors: Jesus, Israel, and the End-Times). Another one states that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9; Matthew 24; 2 Thessalonians 2 - For further discussion on this subject please see my article 2 Thessalonians 2:4 - A Literal Third Temple). Both of these prophecies involve End-Times events. The fact that God returned the Jews (see my article Does the land of Israel belong to the Jews) in 1948 and that they have recreated the utensils and priestly garments that are to be used in Temple worship services indicate that God is not far off from implementing His End-Times plans. Globalization of economies and communications further suggest that the eschatological prophecies could be fulfilled in this current generation... Related posts:

Noah’s Ark and the Rapture (April 28, 2010) Noah's Ark may have been found according...
Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled and the Third Jewish Temple will be built in Jerusalem (November 1, 2009) I received the following article in an...
Apocalyptic Fever (May 15, 2011) I believe every generation since Jesus Christ...
World ending in 2012 according to ancient Mayans and others? (October 13, 2009) Between the History Channel, Jack Van Impe,...
Doomsday machine to cause the end of the world? (January 28, 2009) Last year there was a "scare" over...

Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled and the Third Jewish Temple will be built in Jerusalem

James Jackson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:36:01 +0000

(November 1, 2009) I received the following article in an email newsletter that I subscribe to from a Jewish organization based in Jerusalem: 1) Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem by Moshe Kempinski "Ever since the Day of Atonement the Temple Mount has again become a flashpoint of contention between Israel and the world. The Muslims have raised frantic calls throughout the Islamic world for them to come and protect their mosques from the Jewish heinous attempts to make Jerusalem Jewish. The Aqsa Foundation warned of new attempts by 'extremist Jews' to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque this week to commemorate what the Jews call the 'Rambam ascent to the temple mount.' The Foundation said that it views with concern calls by extremist Jewish organizations to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque under various pretexts. These calls come according to the agency after Muslim worshipers foiled attempts in the past by 'extremist Jewish groups' to desecrate the Aqsa mosque during Jewish holidays by praying on the mount (Heaven forefend)... If it wasn't so ominous it would be humorous. The Temple Mount is the holiest location in the universe according to Jewish understanding. It was from there that the world expanded into its present form, and it was there where Hashem gathered the earth used to create man. The Torah tells us that HaShem chose to rest His Divine Presence, in that location and two Jewish Temples, called the House of G-d, were built there . According to the prophecies of the Bible, the Third Temple will also be located here, and will eventually be the eternal House of Prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 1:2-3; Ezekiel . 37:26-28; 40-48;Micah . 4:1-2; Haggai. 2:7-9;and Zechariah 6:12-15; 14:20) The world, though, and especially the Muslim world have yet to learn to digest, cope and accept that reality..." Related posts:

Jerusalem Post article speaks of Third Temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem which was not possible for 1800 years (August 15, 2007) The Jewish groups who support building it...
Biblical prophecy fulfilled 2000 years ago (December 25, 2009) In the Book of Isaiah God declared,...
Mayan prophecy is not Biblical prophecy (nor is Nostradamus etc.) (June 13, 2010) My last post dealt with increased solar...
Israeli Prime Minister: Ezekiel 37 fulfilled;EU: Divide Jerusalem (February 28, 2010) Speaking in Poland on the 65th anniversary...
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