Eight Compelling Reasons Why Christ is (Not) Coming Very, Very Soon! – #4
EIGHT COMPELLING REASONS WHY: CHRIST IS (NOT) COMING “VERY, VERY SOON” – #4
The article we are reviewing – from the 1980s – claims that one of the proofs that Christ’s coming is (Was when the article originally appeared) at hand is because of the current, “Explosion of travel and education.” Be sure to read our previous posts on this.#1 #2 #3
Keep in mind that the article under review was published in several major city newspapers. That means that over 40 years ago we were assured that the second coming of Christ was coming “very, very soon.”
The article appealed to the Living Bible translation of Daniel 12:4, “travel and education shall be vastly increased.” It is lamentable that the current ability to travel so freely is offered as proof of the end of the world. I am sure all of the travel agents will be glad to know they are a sign of the end! Maybe we have a new candidate for the mark of the beast! (That’s a joke!)
It needs to be understood that the Living Bible is not a true translation, it is more of a commentary than anything else. As far as being reliable and true to the original text it leaves more than a little to be desired. Thus, to try to prove that the end is at hand based on a highly suspect “translation” is dubious at very best. I have examined all of the translations in my library, and have not been able to find one that agrees with the Living Bible rendition. The LXX (The Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrews Old Covenant scriptures. This is the version that Jesus quoted from very often) renders the verse, “until many are taught, and knowledge is increased,” not a word about the so-called explosion of travel.
In Matthew 24 Jesus alludes to Daniel 12 no less than three times. He predicted the time of the end (Daniel 12:4, 9/ Matthew 24:2-3, 14). He alludes to the unparalleled time of tribulation (Daniel 12:1/ Matthew 24:21). He speaks of the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 12:11/ Matthew 24:15. There is no doubt therefore, that in Matthew 24, Jesus was drawing on Daniel’s prediction. And significantly, Jesus said all of these things would be fulfilled in His generation (Matthew 24:34)!
The author of the article also failed to notice that Daniel was told when his prediction would be fulfilled, and it was not to be in the twentieth century! In Daniel 12:6-7 Daniel records the following words, “One (angel, DKP) said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, ‘How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?’ (These wonders include the time of the end in verse 4, DKP): “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”
The holy people was the nation of Israel. Daniel was told that the time of the end, when “many shall run to and fro” would be when Israel was completely shattered! There is only one time in history that qualifies as the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Daniel was written after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Yet he foresaw a time when Israel would be completely decimated. That can only be the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This agrees perfectly with Matthew 24. Jesus said of Jerusalem’s fate, “The time is coming in which not one stone shall be left standing on top of another” (Matthew 24:2). That sounds like a complete destruction, does it not?
Daniel and Jesus agree. The time of the end was to arrive with the fall of Jerusalem, and that happened in AD 70. To apply Daniel 12 to any other event yet future is a denial of what he and Jesus said. All the travel agents can rest easy!
Eight Compelling Reasons Why Christ is (Not) Coming Very, Very Soon! – #4