David DW Von Anderseck : Your concept of the last days in Acts 2:17 is flawed. It is speaking of the last 3,000 years of Gods 7,000 year week. Psalm 90:4: For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 2 Peter 3:3-5, 7-8, 10-14: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? ... 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, ... 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD AS A THOUSAND YEARS, and A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY. ... 10 But THE DAY OF THE LORD will come as a thief in the night; IN THE WHICH the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of THE DAY OF GOD, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Here the Apostle Peter tells us that scoffers will come in the last days questioning the 2nd coming of Christ. Scoffers have been doing this for 2,000 years now. But Peter reiterates the message by the word of God of the Old Testament prophets concerning the day of judgment (cf. Zeph 2:3; Isa 66:14-15, 24, et. al.), namely that the last day, the Millennium, will both begin and end with Gods judgement. It will begin with the 7 year Tribulation (Dan 9:27) and will culminate at the end of the Millennium with fire coming down from God out of heaven which will devoured the lost of that 1000 years of peace, and immediately after that the Great White Throne Judgement in which all Christ rejectors from Cain to the last lost person of the Millennium will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:7-15). The 1st of the last 3 thousand year days began with the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus (Hebrews 3:1) and His hand picked apostles. Gods perfect and complete word says: 1 Corinthians 12:28: And GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH, FIRST APOSTLES, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Mark 3:13-15: And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14 And he ORDAINED twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to PREACH, 15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. Luke 10:1-3: After these things the Lord APPOINTED other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Notice the words set, ordained, and appointed in the above passages. The Lord first established His church with 12 apostles, they were the charter members, and by the day of Pentecost when they were all with one accord in one place (Acts 2:1) there Church roll was a little over a hundred, as the Bible says, the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty (Acts 1:15). On the Day of Pentecost when the Lord Jesus Christ began His baptizing work with the Holy Ghost to impart spiritual gifts to empower His already established Church Peter stood up and preached from Joel saying: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. This Dispensation, the Church Age, began with the Lord and His apostles doing signs and wonders, the purpose of which was to authenticate the gifts of prophecy and word of knowledge, sometimes given by tongues that they had never learned (1 Cor 12:8, 10). However, by the end of the 1st Century both the Sign Gifts and the Revelation Gifts that they confirmed had served their purpose with the completion of the word of God. But now this Dispensation of Grace is ending with wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke in accordance with Biblical prophecy, but without apostolic signs and wonders. Signs and wonders, however, will again be present during the last 7 years of the Dispensation of Law, the Tribulation, with Gods two witnesses who shall prophesy and do signs and wonders during the first half of the Tribulation (Rev 11:3-6). 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7-11: Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. ... [T]he manifestation of the Spirit is given to EVERY MAN to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom [teaching; sill in operation]; to another THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE [revelation gift] by the same Spirit; To another faith [for prayer; sill in operation] by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing [sign gift] by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles [sign gift]; to another PROPHECY [revelation gift]; to another discerning of spirits [to discern heresies; sill in operation]; to another divers kinds of TONGUES [revelation gift]; to another the interpretation of tongues [for translation]: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to EVERY MAN severally as he will. (Note: There are several other Service Gifts that are still in operation today listed in Romans 12) 1 Corinthians 13:1-2; 8-12: Though I speak with the TONGUES of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have THE GIFT OF PROPHECY, and understand all mysteries, and all KNOWLEDGE; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. ... 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be PROPHECIES, they shall FAIL; whether there be TONGUES, they shall CEASE; whether there be KNOWLEDGE, it shall VANISH AWAY. 9 For WE KNOW IN PART, and WE PROPHESY IN PART. 10 But when THAT WHICH IS PERFECT is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we SEE through A GLASS, darkly; but then FACE TO FACE: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (cf. 2 Cor 3:18; Ex 3:6, 33:11, 20, 23, 34:29-30, 33, 35, Deut 5:4, 34:10; 2 Cor 3:7, 13) From 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 above it is apparent that the apostles and prophets only knew in part and prophesied in part until that which is perfect, the completed word of God, came. When the Apostle John completed the Book of John, his three epistles and the Revelation of Jesus Christ then the Revelation Gifts ceased, and along with them the Sign Gifts. Now only the Service Gifts remain. James 1:18, 21-25: Of his own will begat he us with THE WORD OF TRUTH, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ... 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness THE ENGRAFTED WORD, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of THE WORD, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of THE WORD, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in A GLASS: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso LOOKETH into the PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 2 Corinthians 3:6, 13-18: [God] also hath made us able ministers of THE NEW TESTAMENT; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. ...13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of THE OLD TESTAMENT; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon THEIR HEART. 16 Nevertheless when IT shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY. 18 But we all, WITH OPEN FACE BEHOLDING AS IN A GLASS THE GLORY OF THE LORD, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So I hope you can see that the offices of apostle and prophet are no more, and that the Sign & Revelation gifts have failed, ceased and vanished away, because we now have that which is perfect, the perfect law of liberty. Mark 16:17-18, 20: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. ... 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, AND CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS following. Amen. (Mark 16:20) 2 Corinthians 12:12: Truly THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. Hebrews 2:3-4: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was CONFIRMED UNTO US BY THEM THAT HEARD HIM; 4 GOD ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS, BOTH WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS, AND WITH DIVERS MIRACLES, AND GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST, according to his own will?
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:44:34 +0000
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