Futurism

[Marathoner]

We're on the same page, @Justin Adams (figuratively and literally, heh). This questioning is something the Lord encourages me to engage in frequently; examine myself, not others. An entirely scriptural exhortation. I learned not to look toward others and judge them as being right or wrong because this displeases His Spirit. 

Whenever I found myself slipping into this familiar mode (we all do it), the Lord was swift with rebuke. Take care of the log in my own eye! I'm persuaded that this is the time and place to be judged by the Almighty for as the scripture testifies, judgment begins in His house. There is no better time to be judged by the Son of the living God than right here and now.

This is in keeping with His will and as such, is a petition the Lord is well pleased to grant.

It is our place to be judged by the Son of God before He grants us to sit with Him upon His throne, whereupon we shall judge the angels. Yes, we will judge them.

He who judges himself will not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31). When the Lord judges us, His Spirit teaches us His judgments. The wise have no clue...

We will not surprised He calls us forth to Him... a good servant seeks the judgment of His Lord.  

[Guest kingdombrat]

2 hours ago, leah777 said:

I can understand that the seven churches have a figurative purpose and place in Revelations, but not that there was one type after another, each one in a particular place in history, each one being replaced by another, with us being in the Laodicean period of time now.  

Pentecostals call this Dispensation.   And absolutely agreed, we are smack dab in the middle of Laodecia of Today!

[Guest kingdombrat]

Edited April 13, 2021 by kingdombrat

[Riverwalker]

15 minutes ago, kingdombrat said:

Pentecostals call this Dispensation.   And absolutely agreed, we are smack dab in the middle of Laodecia of Today!

We are in the midst of all the seven Churches.  There are bad churches, good churches, lukewarm churches, cold churches and on fire churches.

You simply cannot paint them all with one color

[David1701]

23 hours ago, Charlie744 said:

David, I am sorry for wanting to respond.....

Wanting to respond is not something for which you need to be sorry!

Quote

 

but perhaps this is just a need for clarification for me .... I certainly understand and agree that the 7 churches in Revelation represented literal churches but are you saying the characteristics  / attributes / warnings / etc., from God to those 7 do not also have a spiritual / symbolic message to us as well?  In other words, do you think we are now in the church of Laodicea or 7th church period?

Thanks so much, Charlie

 

If you just take what the Bible says, you will never come to the conclusion that the seven churches represent church periods.  It simply is not there.

The principles involved are relevant for every assembly, in all periods, but that is application, not meaning.

Edited April 13, 2021 by David1701
missing word

[David1701]

23 hours ago, SONshine said:

Oh boy! 

Do you understand that these are the seven types of churches that Jesus is calling your attention to that exist in the latter days? 

 

 

And your SCRIPTURAL evidence for this is?  (Hint: there is none)

[Guest kingdombrat]

13 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

We are in the midst of all the seven Churches.  There are bad churches, good churches, lukewarm churches, cold churches and on fire churches.

You simply cannot paint them all with one color

We are going through what each Church Spiritually represents in its [worst case Scenario].   And there is a proper order and we can verify such by the signs of the times per each Dispensation.   Laodecia, the last Dispensation is where we currently exist.

[David1701]

22 hours ago, Marathoner said:

I don't disagree that the pope is antichrist, but I hearken to John's words when I consider antichrist.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:1-3 ESV)

So the spirit of antichrist was already present in the world before the popes of Rome came to be; history reveals that Gnostics infiltrating the flock are these antichrists whom John refers to. They were at work in his day.

In the greater view, those Gnostics were agents of a system which the pope of Rome is also representative: Babylon, the mother of abomination on earth. Ah, but not just Gnosticism or Catholicism... Islam, Buddhism, and all systems of idolatry including the worship of mammon (wealth). I don't limit my view to the pope because the Eastern patriarchs are popes in their own right, changing times and supplanting the authority of God by fiat. For example, any who repudiate the reverence of icons are anathema according to their traditions. 

Icons.. idols... idolatry... all the same. 

I try to keep it simple; but you're right, there is a lot more to it than I've posted.

The latter Roman Caesars claimed to be gods.  The spiritual authority of the god-Caesars was transferred to the Pope, in 538 A.D., by the Emperor Justinian (an Emperor of the Eastern Empire, but who re-conquered Italy).

Roman Catholicism is the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.  This means that there are, by definition, "harlots and abominations" involved in their skulduggery, not merely Roman Catholicism.

Eastern Orthodoxy, so-called, is one of those harlots/abominations, but there are many others.  Incidentally, the Eastern Orthodox organisation confesses that the Pope has a spiritual primacy, even though they don't accept him as head of their organisation.

[Riverwalker]

1 minute ago, kingdombrat said:

We are going through what each Church Spiritually represents in its [worst case Scenario].   And there is a proper order and we can verify such by the signs of the times per each Dispensation.   Laodecia, the last Dispensation is where we currently exist.

I find no biblical evidence that the 7 churches are anything more than the seven types of churches there can be. I see no time corollary at all in the scripture

[Your closest friendnt]

32 minutes ago, kingdombrat said:

You have a good post, the question marks are for the readers to keep asking questions to our selves.