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the apostle's letters and end time prophecy

Bible Prophecy

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book,  (AKJV)

The letters of the apostles to the churches contain something unique in the Word of God regarding Bible prophecy. Generally speaking, in the Bible, prophecy is given by God via vision or words and that vision, word or dream is written down.  Anyone familiar with the Bible knows there are  hundreds of chapters of prophecy like this. Even the four Gospels and the book of Revelation record prophecy this way. There are also many other prophecies like this where an interpretation is given as a vision, word or dream before it comes to pass and that is written down.  Who the prophecy is referring to, what will happen and even dates are given. Sometimes dates that are thousands of years off.  Yet when we get to the letters of the Apostles we see something totally different.  We see teachings by the writers of the letters regarding prophecies about the future they or the churches received from heaven. In other words what is conveyed in those letters is not a record of the prophecies themselves. Nor a record of a prophecy that interpreted a previous prophecy. Instead what we see is record of the understanding of the Apostles about prophecies they or a church heard from God. Not surprising, nor is there anything wrong with this since it is one of the jobs of elders or servants of the churches like the Apostles.  Not only to prophesy through manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but also as best they can with a very limited understanding of the future help guide the younger's understanding of those prophecies.  Is there a problem with this? Well yes and no. It is not a problem as far as the Bible itself is concerned. The problem as always is how people read the Bible, their approach to it. That is what this article will be addressing.

Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. .

There are a number of things that point to the divine authorship or inspiration behind the scriptures. Its prophecy for one that verifiably foretold events sometimes thousands of years in advance. The fact that God bears witness to the scripture supernaturally to hundreds of millions who yield to the message.  Its historical accuracy along with its providential preservation throughout history. The way the words on the pages ring of truth to the spirit of man. The way it seamlessly speaks to the age it was written in and at the same time speaks to future ages in principle, and meant to do so! The fact that it perfectly articulates the laws of nature and nature's God.  Among others the one I'd like to focus on though is that even though it was written by the hands of a minimum of 33 authors over approx.  1500 years. It has a consistent context all its own. Contextually it reads as if one author wrote it. Almost like a mystery novel. The mystery is slowly disclosed through history as you read on through its 1000+ pages.  Yet even though God is properly exalted by those 33+ authors. The people they are writing about, even if they are writing about themselves are presented in the harsh light of the reality of a sinful and ignorant world. Even though the saints written of in scripture are praised and used as an example for their faith and the things they did right. Their warts and blemishes, the wrongs and ignorance, the harsh effects of a cruel and unjust world on them are laid bare for all the world to see.  Which leads to the subject of the next few paragraphs. The writers of the text.

None of those who wrote a portion of the Bible had a perfect knowledge of everything, nor everything they were writing about. This is by God's design and there are a number of reasons for it. One of them is based in the laws of our nature. That truth or light either must be embraced or rejected once it is understood. This works culturally also since a culture is made up of human beings. When God brings light to an individual or to a culture through individuals. He cannot give more light or understanding until that truth is accepted. God's will is good. He is seeking salvation for a sinful world. If more truth is given even though the light already given is rejected. Then it will naturally work towards the destruction of the individual or culture. That is just basic Biblical principle founded in our very nature. As Jesus points out here.  Luke 8:18 Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not, from him shall be taken even that which he seems to have. One can see God operating according to this principle down through the centuries by the type of revelation he is bringing to the writers of the Bible as time goes on.  One of the easiest to see is that in the limited light of Old Testament sickness and disease is broadly attributed to God. In the New Testament however it is attributed to the effects of sin in the world and ultimately to Satan's work. Deuteronomy 7:15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, on you; but will lay them on all them that hate you.  Acts 10: 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Another evidence of this is the difference between ancient Israel of the OT verses ancient Israel of the NT.  The greatest sin of ancient OT Israel was also the greatest sin of the ancient world. Actual idolatry, (as opposed to the way so many today use it in a figurative sense.) The degradation and wickedness that actual idolatry spawns seemed to be God's biggest struggle with the nation.  The OT is filled with rebuke, judgment, death and destruction due to idolatry. Yet when we get to ancient Israel of the NT,  Jesus did not utter a word against the nation regarding idolatry. Seems God emerged victorious in his struggle with the nation about this sin. Only took a thousand years. So, Satan no longer had a place in the hearts of the ancient Israelites of the NT through actual idolatry.  He "was bound" as it were, in that area. This even though they were being ruled by the idolatrous Romans. Now they were ready for the light of the messiah and those that believed in him to carry him to the nations.

Books could be written on the subject of the scripture being God breathed. These few paragraphs just scratched the surface. It was a necessary rabbit trail though to lead us to what the divine inspiration behind the scripture is not. It does not mean every thought of every writer and every single thing they penned is meant to be the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It would be obviously be contrived if it was made to look so. By design it is the context of the book as a whole where every word and every sentence is measured by whole of the book that gives the book its truthfulness and authority. 

2nd Peter 1:20 Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, 21 for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (NET)

 In the 9th chapter of Job; Job attributes all the calamity befalling him and his family to the direct intervention of God. As if God for some reason unknown to Job sent out his angels and told them to destroy everything Job has. Yet in the first chapter of the book which is probably a short and simple synopsis of what was occurring in the unseen world. One can see it was Satan driven by his horrendous animosity to the saints who brought all the death and destruction. The point is Job had no knowledge of such things. His words which are scripture reflect that. If one were to remove chapter 1 from the rest of the book; it would be looked on as utter falsehood. Job is speaking through the light he has. The light of the time he is living in. He does not have nor can he speak in the light of the NT in the face of Jesus Christ. Yet God is writing his book with Jobs story. The question is then. Since there are many chapters in the book of Job that are factually incorrect as far as who was behind his tribulation.  Does that mean it's not the Word of God? Not if you understand the design of the Bible which is evident to anyone who reads and heeds it.

Another example is one that those who seek political gain by slandering the scripture love. The story in Judges 19-21 where a traveler in ancient Israel who was given lodging and protection in a certain mans house. Some of that mans neighbors of the tribe of Benjamin sought to rape the traveler Sodom and Gomorrah style. The traveler gave them his wife whom they raped all night. The next day the traveler took her, she may have been dead or not.  Cut her into twelve pieces and sent her to the rest of the tribes of Israel to show them the evil the tribe of Benjamin was involved in.  The rest of Israel responds to this by purposing to punish the tribe of Benjamin. Israel gathers and asks the Lord how should they go about this and the Lord supposedly answers. Now, why do I say supposedly? Because there is no record as to how. Did they throw dice, was there an oracle among them? Did the high priest say God spoke to him and said do this? Tens of thousands of the Israelis who were supposed to be punishing the tribe of Benjamin are killed following "God's" instructions. It makes it look like God was involved in the whole sordid tale. If not directly but at least providentially. What happened after all that was even more perverted. Can you see why those who have a political agenda to turn the population away from the Bible love this story. It's tailor made deconstruct the virtues Christian civilization with. They would be correct too if the claim of divine authorship of the scripture meant that what happened in that story was orchestrated God and every word written about it is there to convey God's divine hand in those events.  But that is not what the claim of divine authorship of the Bible means. The story happened but it is in the context of the sordid history of a backslidden nation whom God would use to bring his word into the earth with. This was a time of great darkness. They had become idolaters. It would be amazing if even a dozen people in the whole nation had access to and read the Torah. The Word of the Lord was rare in those days. Real prophets were rare. How much more so if the few that existed had never even read the 5 books of Moses or Joshua's book? They had a little more light than the idolatrous nations around them and were subjugated on and off to those nations. Therefore there is not surprise they did the same type of things you would see among the idolatrous nations?

 So the question is. Since the the writer of the book of judges, even though he is divinely inspired to write cannot write in the light of the NT that he does not possess. How can this be the Word of God? How can things be attributed to God that are in fact the effects of darkness and this be considered worthy of inspiration from heaven? The answer is quite simple. The writer was walking in the light that God had given him nothing more nothing less. He was a person of faith, justified through grace who God was with and God ordained he write the book. It simply was not the light of the NT, nor was it meant to be as described in the previous section. Its usefulness like every other book in the Bible is measured by the context of the whole Bible and not by the light of the knowledge of that day and of the one writer. Did that really happen? Yes! That is the truth. Did God approve? No! Nor does the book of Judges say everything in it happens with heavens approval. In fact the opposite is quite often stated and implied. The perverse evil going on is the result of ignorance and rebellion against God's will.

 Psalm 72 is a positive example of this ever so human dilemma.  King David pens a poem under the inspiration of heaven for his son Solomon the new king. David had been receiving prophecies all his life about his kingdom and a righteous ruler ordained by God. Some of those prophecies almost seemed to point to David himself. It wouldn't be to far fetched to consider that David now near the end of his days may have always wondered if the Spirit of God's supernatural inspiration was referring to him, as many of the prophetic  Psalms were written were using him as their basis.  If this was the case it would seem logical that since he was near the end of his life he was now fully assured that he was not the person the Holy Spirit was prophetically referring to when his prayers and Psalms about his testimony would stray into references that were not rationally applicable to him. Especially since some of them referred to his  family line and the throne.  Now he pens what is an exceptionally inspired poem about his descendent Solomon who is now king. I don't mean natural inspiration when I use the word but tangibly supernatural inspiration. It is a prophetic poem about Solomon and his reign yet to us who have hindsight; hindsight David did not have, it's the most obvious thing in the world that the Psalm is a prophecy about the reign of the messiah. The question, for the purposes of this article is this. Did David now think Solomon was the one he had been uttering prophecies about all these decades? David wrote the poem about Solomon. The Spirit of the Lord probably came upon him in a manifestation of prophecy when he was thinking about his son; or perhaps during some official ceremony. He went with it and uttered or wrote what came to him under the presence and power of the Lord. This may be very difficult it not downright impossible for so many Christians to imagine because they have very little practical experience with supernatural occurrences like this. With those that do have experience in these types of things. They know how so often the case is, that intellectually, they do not really comprehend what is being spoken. They may think they do but are proven wrong time and time again.  They learn through hindsight their knowledge of what was said was severely hindered by the human condition. It is the main reason the prophetic movement in the world seems so off base. It is the human condition and these prophecies real or not have to go through, be filtered through the human spirit which at best only knows in part and at worst is filled with false teachings. Then on top of all that they then have to be grasped and understood by the human intellect.  There your talking near impossibilities, especially in todays Christian  world.

 The point of all of this is. Did David know he was prophesying not about his son Solomon but about the Jehovah the Word of God becoming his descendant almost a thousand years afterwards and then thousands of years after that fulfilling these words in the earth? No, I'm sorry if you think so highly of the saints to think he possessed that kind of intellectual knowledge. But just no. He did not. If this seems to hard to accept then ask yourself this question. What is it that makes it so easy for you, a Christian in the 21st century to understand this is a prophecy about Jesus? Simple answer. The New Testament and hindsight. David had neither of these things. Really if you think about it. How much more so does David's lack of knowledge show the divine authorship of the book as a whole? Who else could orchestrate such phenomena but God?

Acts 1: 6 When they (the Apostles) therefore were come together, they asked of him, (Jesus) saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power.

One can truly see the authority of the apostles teachings in the area's they had witnessed, or as far as Bible prophecy is concerned, in the areas they had hindsight. In fact as far as Bible prophecy is concerned. The only way for a human being to have a reasonably complete knowledge of exactly how that prophecy was  fulfilled is with the expansive vision that hindsight gives.  Acts 1:6-7 is a good example of not having that hindsight. How it  makes for some pretty outrageously wrong assumptions.  They just spent three and a half years with Jesus who directly taught them, prophesied to them, revealed parables and OT prophecy about how the nation was about to loose the influence of the kingdom of God and be destroyed.  Further, that the propagation of the the influence of God's government would be given to people of faith of all nations. Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I to you, (Ancient Israel)The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its  fruits. So based in their lack of knowledge of the future and rather forgetful hearts concerning what Jesus taught them. I guess it's quite understandable with the excitement of the resurrection of the Lord and all.  They basically assumed, or at least hoped that the age of the fulfillment of all the promises and prophecies in the OT was about to come upon them. They also coupled that with an erroneous teaching about Ancient Israel's role in that. Yet they, the very Apostles of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ were directly told: It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power. Meaning. They were told that this knowledge about the way, the what, and when these hundreds chapters of promise and prophecy that lay in the future would come to pass would not be revealed to them. How could it when some of it was decades away and some was well over a thousand years away? What would be revealed as time went by with their ministries, experience, study of the OT and remembrance of the teachings of the Lord grew; was the understanding that the end of that age they were living in was upon them. This is the end time prophecy they were referencing in their letters to the churches. What this article is seeking to point out is the problems they faced having to write about something that a complete understating of was impossible for them to possess since it was in the rather distant future. The end of that age was over thirty years away and the end of the age of the despotic gentile nations complete dominion over the people of faith yet a millennia and a half away.

It has to kept in mind that they had to address this issue because the Holy Spirit was addressing the end of that age. God seeks to give his people a heads up on future events to prepare them for it.  That the churches or the apostles and prophets serving them might and did misunderstand the Holy Spirits inspiration, words and visions doesn't stop God from bringing them.  The prophecies of the OT, Jesus's prophecies about it and what was coming to the churches via the Holy Spirit was enough for them to prepare for their future even with those misunderstandings. What I hope to convey in going through all their letters addressing end time prophecy is that it looked like they thought the age of promise that the OT is so full of prophecy about would come following the end of their age. Not just that but that belief, that hope, colored their understating about the end time prophecies that were being revealed to them. Meaning: They were interpreting the highly illustrative language of visions and words coming to them in various forms and fashion according to this understanding. In a way favorable to that understanding, which was erroneous. The words, the visions, the OT or Jesus's prophecies were not erroneous. It's their understanding of these times and seasons that lay out in the future and that Jesus directly said would not be revealed to them that some error can be found.  This shows up in their teachings about the subject. Well, some might say, "doesn't that make it not the word of God then?" No, because this lack of omniscient knowledge from the writers of the word shows up in the entire book. This is nothing exceptional. Its why we have the council of entire book.  The times and seasons of Bible prophecy are in fact interpreted in the whole book. Waiting to be revealed in their fullness to the generations who have the hindsight about them. It should not be an issue to those who regard the Bible as Gods Word to understand that the Apostles simply did not know everything there is to know about the future especially in light of Acts 1:6-7; where Jesus specifically said they would not, implying error on their part. Again an objection by many might be. "If the Apostles did not understand it then who is anyone else to say they do?" That is actually a good question to ask the thousands of prognosticators of the future out there who style themselves as Bible prophecy teachers. It has been answered though already. Those who lived to see its fulfillment. They are the ones who are candidates for God to reveal a complete understanding of the times and seasons of Bible prophecy to.

That brings us to a partial exception to Acts 1:6. The Apostle John. The only one of the twelve, at least according to traditional history to live through the end of that age and see the fulfillment of the end time prophecies about it.

John 21: 20. Then Peter, turning around, seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) following...... 21. Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22. Jesus answers him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? Follow me. 23. Then this saying abroad went out among the brothers, that this disciple (John) should not die: yet Jesus did not say to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?

The Apostle John writes his Gospel and letters with what appear to be some unique insights. One of those insights look like hindsight. As the article gets to the letters of the other apostles I'll point out a little of Johns hindsight to compare to their foresight. In the scripture above Jesus just told Peter how he would die. Not exactly a good news prophecy. Then Peter wondered about John and Jesus answered: If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? The coming Jesus was referring to was the end of the Old Covenant Age and the destruction of Jerusalem. This is not referring to anything that has to do with a "second coming," which is an extra Biblical phrase not found in the NT.  However just like that extra Biblical phrase, born of confusion about the future. The "brethren" seemed to be beset with a similar confusion about Bible prophecy and the future. (And why not, Jesus said that knowledge was not given to them.) They thought Jesus said John would not die meaning: John would be caught away or raptured.  Just who are the brethren? Are they the twelve, the seventy, the 120 at Pentecost, the growing church or all the above?  It is relevant because what John does in penning this in his Gospel is correct many misconceptions about what the coming of the Lord is. That this particular day of the Lord, was not for instance, what so many today preach it is. An end of the world as we know it scenario followed by a visible\physical kingdom of God on earth. Jesus was prophesying to John and Peter but also verifying something had said quite often. That many of those he personally ministered to while he walked the earth would live to see his coming at the end of that age.  Remember Paul said: Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

2nd Peter 3:12 Looking for and hastening to 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 dwells righteousness.

2nd Peter 3: 1 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? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to 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. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 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 you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hastening to 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 dwells righteousness. AKJV

Peters teaching, or at least the way most people read it provides an almost fundamental view of the of future of the planet for them.  It's not that it couldn't be so.  Scientifically speaking the universe has not been around that long. The sun could supernova the earth could melt from the inside out due to the intense gravity and friction.  It fits perfectly with most modern pop culture views of Bible prophecy. It should because most modern Christians use the letters of the Apostles teachings about end time prophecy as their foundation for understanding the subject. Therein lies the problem. In a very shallow fashion, Peter's and the rest of the letters of the apostles are improperly being used by students of the scripture as the foundation of their understanding of Bible prophecy. They are doing this at the exclusion of hundreds of other chapters of prophecy that clearly contradict the readers understanding gleaned from the apostle's letters.  Before we get into examples to prove this.  Does that mean Peter is presenting a false teaching or prophecy which calls into question the cannon of scripture? No, for reasons already shown but also because as we will see. Peter may not understand the exact meaning of the illustrative language God uses in scripture, vision, dream and word regarding things yet to come. The prophecy itself however that can be pretty easily gleaned from his description of it is accurate and in accordance with the rest of the book as a whole. We'll see that in this first examples of  OT prophecy about an OT nation that was fulfilled in the OT 600 years before Jesus came down to earth.

This is a prophecy of the destruction of Edom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Isaiah 34:1 Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, you people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is on all nations, and his fury on all their armies: he has utterly destroyed them, he has delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. 5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down on Idumea, and on the people of my curse, to judgment. 6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. 7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. 8 For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. 9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. AKJV

Micah's prophecy about Assyria conquering the northern kingdom of Israel. Micah 1:2 Hear, all you people; listen, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the LORD from his holy temple. 3 For, behold, the LORD comes forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread on the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place. 5 For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. 7 And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. 8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. 9 For her wound is incurable; for it is come to Judah; he is come to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. AKJV.

Notice the similarities between these two prophecies that have already come to pass and Peters.  Both of them make copious use of the words like fire, dissolved, melted. The heavens being rolled up like a scroll and the stars of heaven falling to the ground. Although burning down cities was part of warfare. These prophecies are using the terms illustratively, even poetically. In fact in OT prophecy of OT events you will find the word fire used hundreds of times to describe the great judgments against nations and peoples. So much so that one might think the word fire is a primary word in God's prophetic language of judgment in the OT. There will be more of these OT prophecies about OT nations fulfilled in the OT as this article unfolds.   So if Peters teaching is based on OT prophecy, NT prophecy, visions, dreams or prophetic utterances. He is using the exact same type of language the Bible has always used with temporal judgment and then simply stating what the Bible states over and over again. There will be a great time of judgment and there is a promised age on the horizon. So whatever the means Peter has come by this word. It fits just fine into the rest of the Bibles prophecy no matter what way Peter may or may not understand it.

Almost all of todays misguided teachings do not distinguish between the end time prophecies about the age of the four gentile empires and the end time prophecies of the of the Old Covenant age. This is true even though we have hindsight no one in the first century had. It wouldn't be the least bit surprising if Peter was doing the same thing. After all the fourth of the four empires was now ruling and reigning. Because of very clear prophecy on the matter the entire Jewish nation expected the Messiah would arrive to deliver them from the Romans. Could be Peter was conflating the the soon coming  of the Lord and the destruction of Jerusalem with the destruction of the Roman Empire and the arrival of the age of promise? Maybe; maybe not. His reference to a thousand years might be an indication that the Holy Spirit was communicating to him things that indicate that this age of promise was quite a ways off as yet. Regardless of any of this. Peter's imperfect understanding of events that lay ahead of him must be viewed through the lens of the whole book, all of its prophecy. If that is done. Then his words must mean exactly what the book as a whole prophesied and what those who have hindsight can see through it. Namely. That the first covenant age ended  in their lifetimes just like Old Testament prophecy and Jesus said. Then, when the age of the four gentile empires ended the age of promise started. Just like old Testament prophecy and the Book of Revelations stated.

 1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you.

The question that needs to be asked before even reading these paragraphs is: Does the church in Thessalonica really not need any instructions about what lays out in front of them decades and thousands of years away? Does the writer of this letter, the Apostle Paul and the recipients comprehend all this information? Apparently the end times was a big subject for the churches in this region. Paul wrote quite a few paragraphs to them on the subject. Did Jesus give Paul revelation on the times and the seasons that he said he was withholding from the other apostles and disciples? I assume some today might think so. After all Paul was the go to expert on the fulfillment of huge parts of prophecy regarding Gods plan to bring the Gospel to the whole world. That however was in the process of coming to pass and could be seen with some degree of hindsight once Paul got the direct commend from Jesus to go to the gentiles with the Gospel. No doubt as he obeyed by faith the Old Testament prophecy on the subject gradually opened up to him as we see in his many wonderful letters.  But Paul would not live to see the fulfillment of what he was writing about now. Anyone, even those with the tiniest bit of light from heaven can look back on the events after they were fulfilled and know more about it than the Apostle Paul. That is just the nature of being a less than omniscient  human being.  Something we see with all the writers of God breathed scripture.

 1st Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not proceed them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail on a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.

So this will be approached the same way Peters letter was approached.  An attempt to analyze what Paul is teaching based on what Paul might have seen, heard or read based our hindsight of what actually occurred. I'll start with the coming of the Lord.  Notice that verses 15-17  are declared to be  direct word of the Lord. Since that is the claim lets look at them starting with the word "we." It is spoken in the first person. it is referring to the Apostle himself and those whom he is speaking to; that generation. To ignore that is to ignore the way Greek is used in the NT and a primary communication of that word from the Lord; the timing. This is quite consistent with what Jesus taught and prophesied about the end of the Old Covenant age. Just like the Apostle John was told he would live to see the coming of the Lord, Jesus told others the same thing in these verses.

Matthew16: 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Truly I say to you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.  
    Mark 8:38 Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9:1 And he said to them, Truly I say to you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
    Luke 9:26 For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
Mark 14:61 ...Again the high priest asked him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62. And Jesus said, I am: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Then of course there is Jesus's prophecy about the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. It is very important to note that the only place in his whole prophecy that he used the emphasis "truly truly I say to you;" to command their attention and ours; was concerning when this prophecy would come to pass.

Matthew 24:32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is close: 33. So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34,Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.   (This generation not "that" generation.) 35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36. But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
    Mark 13:28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: 29. So in like manner, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that it is close, even at the doors. 30. Truly I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 32. But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
    Luke 21:29. And he spoke to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30. When they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now close at hand. 31. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is close at hand. 32.Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

With these scriptures, including the hyperlinked articles; we can see that Paul was entirely accurate as far as the timing of the fulfillment of the prophecy about the coming of the lord at the end of that age.  He was also fulfilling his role as a shepherd in warning them to be prepared for it. God did not wish to see believers perish in what amounted to the carrying out of a sentence by a judge of destruction for the ongoing commission of crimes by the population.  In Jesus's prophecy about his coming he told the believers to flee the region. The Holy Spirit and the providence of God also provided much incentive and the means to flee before it was to late. The Jews, many of whom were believers became targets of mass murder as the war in Judea implied open season on Jews everywhere. So believers all over the empire needed to be prepared if they were to escape these things that God intended to save them from. The next question would be: How can resurrection be fitted into this scenario though as Paul seems to start his teaching based on questions of resurrection and then segue it into the coming of the Lord?

 There seems to be a consensus that this is the first letter Paul wrote to the churches. Here is a good website page that goes through Acts and the letters to determine when the letters were written.  Just looking at the letters themselves though without knowing the information on that webpage  might make sense.  Because it seems his understanding of resurrection becomes a little more refined in his later letters.  The reason I point this out is because it because it seems that in the four Gospels Jewish culture had accepted an erroneous idea that the resurrection was a future prophetic event.  This seems reasonable because like many other subjects, there was only a partial light about it in the OT. Not enough light that one could easily come to a correct, reality based conclusion on all subjects.  When Jesus came to earth one of the things he did was to bring a fuller revelation on many of these subjects that only revealed something partially. Even though he did this it did not mean his disciples  immediately changed their minds based on the extensive light Jesus was revealing. In fact they grappled with it, sometimes for decades. Even with things the OT revealed a lot of light about. Like the ministry of the Gospel to the gentiles, or the true meanings of the rites and rituals of the Mosaic law. How much more so the doctrine of the resurrection that not to much was said about?  So here is the comprehensive light that Jesus brought on the subject of the resurrection. He  used the word "the resurrection" to tell them that the patriarchs and others were alive right now and with God. This astonished them, to hear that their doctrine about resurrection being some future prophetic event was wrong. In these verses Jesus was essentially telling them that the doctrine of resurrection was a teaching about simple and immediate life after the death of the flesh and blood body.  Matthew 22: 23-32. The same day the Sadducees came to him (Jesus), which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him………… 29. Jesus answered and said to them, You err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living 33. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. Now this does not take away from the fact that God resurrects dead flesh and blood bodies like Jesus'. It simply means that the general doctrine of the the resurrection is one of immediate life after death with a spiritual body that has the form of a human being. When we die we step out of these bodies on feet with legs and we have arms and heads and eyes etc etc. We immediately go on to our eternal destiny of heaven or hell. This is an article that goes through the many different scenarios where the word resurrection is used in the Bible

With what Jesus corrected the people about concerning the resurrection and the rest of the scriptures on the subject the linked article points to. How does that fit into what Paul is teaching? Very simply that those who have died are already resurrected and with the Lord. Picture the possibility of Paul's teaching being based on a vision he had with the language he is using describing pretty much exactly what he saw. That those who died in Christ rise first, but this being illustrated in a vision by them rising in mass.  Doctrinally that is correct yet that is the trickiness of visions from the Lord. A vision that is illustrating the present realty of immediate life after death in a spiritual body that has human form but because it is being presented in picture form, it looks like some grand future event. If this were the case then it would get even more elaborate by a picture of the living being taken up in a clouds.  What clouds would those be referring to though because in this hyperlink we can see many types of clouds? What these clouds are can totally change the meanings of a vision just like John's vision of Jesus on a cloud winning (harvesting) souls. Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud one sat like to the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle, and reap: for the time is come for you to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. If this is a vision Paul had then it was 100% what happened. Those who already died go to meet the Lord. Those who remained are preaching the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit illustrated by the manifestation of the cloud of his power. They are raising those who are dead to new life, like this:   Colossians 2:12. Buried with him in baptism, where in also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the un-circumcision of your flesh, has he made alive together with him... But also, they to will join the Lord and the saints in the next life in a spiritual body that has form. They will leaving behind their flesh and blood body behind. There is a little more to this though. What would it mean by Jesus bringing his saints back with him? What would that illustrate?

   John's vision in Revelation 19  about the end of the age of the four gentile empires illustrates the same thing. In that vision we see Jesus smiting the earth and ruling over it with a sword that proceeds out of his mouth. That sword represents the word of God.  Ephesians 5:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The armies in heaven that come with him are clothed in fine linen white and clean which illustrates the righteousness of the saints. What this vision is prophesying is that it's the through the word of God and the righteousness of the saints that  God is conquering the darkness and wickedness of the ancient world. You can see this is exactly what Jesus taught in his parables regarding how the  prophecies about the Kingdom of God would come to pass in the world.  This is how Jesus in righteousness does judge and make war.  It is the labor and suffering of the saints and the preaching of the Gospel through which he can judge the nations and transform the world. So that is why the illustration of them coming with him at his coming.  The saints that suffered and laid the groundwork in preparation of his coming. They have the promise to now get to see the results of their work. Whether it be his coming at the end of The Old Covenant Age or his coming at the end of The Age of the Four Gentile empires.

Before going on to Paul's next teaching on the end times. I would just like to emphasize to the reader that the way in which the article has speculated about what is behind Paul's teaching is not based on what will happen. It is based on what actually did happen and the multiple chapters of Bible prophecy that spelled it out the way it transpired. The way people are reading the apostles severely limited understanding of these events that were decades and millennia in the  future is what is not in accord with the lion's share of Bible prophecy. Nor is it in harmony with its obvious fulfillment. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, 2 That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2nd Thessalonians 1: 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.....

These verses  are not saying anything different as far as judgment is concerned than any of the Old Testament prophecies about Old Testament nations. Whether it be Judea, Northern Israel, Egypt, Moab, Edom, Babylon. The scripture prophesied the coming of the Lord and him being revealed from heaven with his mighty messengers in a flaming fire taking vengeance on all those nations.  That vengeance was preformed on them by other nations whom the Lord said, (in the limited light of the OT,) he was sending. The faithful were glorified because even if they may of been dead by the time it happened they were proven right. They were justified and admiring the Lord from heaven and earth as he was faithful to keep his promises. The Lord was glorified and known through their testimony to the nations. To change the common usage of this wording in scripture to something different than the way the scripture has always used it in the past is to pervert the scripture. If this language consistently prophesied temporal judgment upon specific nations in the OT. Then its usage in the NT has not changed. It is not referring to supernatural end of the world scenarios. We not only have the hindsight recorded about the fulfillment of those OT prophesies about OT nations in the OT itself. We have historical hindsight about the NT prophecies that not only said what nations were being prophesied against, but what things would lead up to the fulfillment and when it would all happen. 

2:1 Now we beseech you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, 2 That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all delusion of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The teaching above exactly fit what led up to and happened in  the war in Judea.  This is all meticulously cataloged in this article The End Of An Age about Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.  The article might be the most thorough  plus easy to read of any like it on the web. I'll go over this paragraph as a list.

2:1 Now we beseech you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, Whether one takes this verse to mean Christ's coming as a man or coming in future judgment. The word gathering is not the Greek word for catching away as in rapture. The word gathering is a direct reference to the great and ongoing harvest of souls that the Bible is filled with prophecy about. 

2 That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. The day of Christ, the day of the Lord and the coming of the Lord are all synonymous phrases used in the OT to prophecy or describe OT judgments on OT nations that were recorded  as fulfilled in the OT. Many  are cataloged in the article. The Coming of the Lord.  The meaning of these prophecies and what they describe do not change in the NT. They are not Prophecies about end of the world scenarios. They are prophecies about the end of particular nation scenario's. Of temporal judgments for wickedness and the fulfillment of promise and purpose.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,....Was there a great falling away future of Paul's letter but within the scope of the first century? The answer is yes on a number of  levels. First, the political leadership of the Jewish nation fell away from the light of Jesus.  There came a point when their rejection of him was no longer hidden in the subterfuge behind his crucifixion.  It all came out in the open with the stoning of Stephan and the mass persecution of believers that followed.  Then there was the  church in Jerusalem. They began to fall away from the light of Jesus, even going to the extreme of  rejecting the finality of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Believers left in Jerusalem were officially sanctioned by church "leadership"  to continue in the ritualistic sacrifices of animals. This happened even while the apostles were still alive. Then there was a falling away of the churches in other cities. They fell away from the apostles teachings and their sacrificial service. Even to the point of creating institutions which  amounted to political leadership who not only dictated and ruled over the saints but rejected the Apostles themselves. This was all happening before the end of the first covenant age as shown in these Bible verses.  It's what the prophecies that are inspiring Paul's teachings about those prophecies are mostly about.  The great falling away did not end there though.  As centuries past, when the church as a whole became bereft of the Apostles and their direct disciples.  Further, the public who believed themselves to be Christians not having access to Bibles.  The church as a whole was put under the authority of the imperial churches of the kings and emperors of Europe and Asia. Christianity, God breathed, birthed in fires of revival and tribulation became a cultural phenomena. A religion, although based on the truth. Was something imposed on the peoples culturally by those who ruled over them. The reality of real God inspired Christianity remained though, and there was always a persecuted remnant that found it.

3..... and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; The word perdition simply means destruction. As far as a direct word about a specific person. This would be speaking of Titus the son of the emperor who destroyed Judea. Revelation 17: 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. Not counting claimants to the throne who happened to be in Rome when they claimed the throne. Only counting those who actually won it. The kings here are the first 8 emperors of the Roman Empire. John received his vision of Revelation during the reign of the sixth emperor. Titus is the eighth emperor. Of the seven because he is the seventh emperors son. He represents all four empires illustrated as the beast  because he destroys Jerusalem the same way the first emperor of the first empire illustrated as the beast, Nebuchadnezzar did. The next ten emperors start with Domitian. However, many equate this with the superficial pop culture teachings about "the" anti-Christ.  In one of the apostles John's teachings based on his hindsight. He corrected the idea that the prophecies and visions about an anti Christ were speaking about a particular individual.  1st John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. The question that should be asked then. Why would God give people a prophecy or vision that seemed to indicate to them there would be a political figure called the anti-Christ? To answer that one has to determine what the spirit of anti-Christ is first. It is a person who has had God's spiritual\personal witness to their conscience, that has heard the Gospel enough to grasp a basic understanding of it. But because of some personal selfish consideration has rejected it. But why a political figure? Because the manifestation of the human spirit's rejection of Christ is most demonstrably seen in the political realm. Look at it this way. Your neighbor may have rejected Christ and become an anti Christ for some selfish consideration like their sexual immorality. But the Christian's around them may not represent a direct threat to their interests; maybe just little more than an annoyance. However in the political realm; Christ, Christians, the Bible and their influence represent a direct threat to a myriad of selfish interests. It does not take very much observational skill to see this today, politically.  The world is dividing up between those who view Biblical principle, the Gospel, Christians and God's influence in the world as a direct thereat to their political interests and ambitions and are clearly manifesting a spirit of anti-Christ.  Verses those, Christian and non Christian who understand that God, the Gospel and Christian principle have made the world a better place and think we should be running our affairs accordingly. The prophecies the Apostles and the churches were receiving were telling them that this spirit of anti-Christ would be what would drive all the horrors and destruction of the end times of that particular age that was coming upon them. Not to speak of many centuries ahead as they were still in the middle of the age of the four gentile empires.

Here is a good example in the NT of how the spirit of antichrist takes root politically. In this case how the political leadership of the Jewish nation caused its falling away that they could never recover themselves out of. This was after the entire nation became aware of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. John 11: 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. AKJV Consider what ancient Israel was. The heralder  of the truth to the world. The writers of Gods Word. The nation that brought the world the law and prophets. The nation of promised the messiah who was rule the world and bring justice and peace to the earth.  Notice how their overriding concern was none of that though. Their overriding concern was that the world would come to God through this Jesus rather than through them.  More importantly and always remember this when it comes to those with an insatiable lust to rule.  This would cause them to be removed from their positions of leadership which gave them access to the publics treasury. That was their heart of hearts motivation. The love of money, other folks money, easy money; is the root of all evil. See it's not that they did not have true spiritual knowledge that Jesus was the messiah either. The head priest supernaturally prophesied as much.  How is this possible? Well look at ancient Israel like a big Christian denomination that started in the fires of revival and true spirituality. Over the generations though it began a process of total apostasy. As a giant institution most of the leadership positions have now been filled with Satan's children but there are vestiges of true spirituality still around, yet ready to die out. That is how there is still some access to God's invisible kingdom among ungodly leadership and others. Which access by the way is about to be totally removed. Matthew 21: 42 Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. In verse 53 of John 1l above. You can see the madness of the decision they came to regarding Jesus and how they would secure their own selfish interests. By killing him. More importantly as far as this article is concerned. This is exactly how the spirit of antichrist comes about in human beings and is manifested primarily in the political realm. In the next verse we'll see the same type of transition with the Roman government. 

 4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. I want to start the explanation of how this verse was fulfilled by pointing out Herod the Great's relationship to the Roman government. Herod the Great is the king of Daniel 11:36-39  He was also manifesting the spirit of anti-Christ by trying to kill the baby Jesus to secure his selfish interests as king of the Jews. He prospered in all that he did by honoring the god of fortresses which he named after the Caesars. The city of Caesarea Acts 23:33 was a fortress named after Julius Caesar.  Antonia, Acts 21, named after Mark Antony, was the castle on the temple mount.  The entrance to the temple itself had a giant symbol of Rome atop its gate. Rome's great golden eagle. That is the story proceeding how the spirit of anti-Christ arose in the Roman empire. Jews in the first century were the only conquered people who were officially exempt from participation in the Roman religion. Making them odious to the other nations who had to participate. A part of the structure of the Roman government was the Babylonian priesthood. When Julius Caesar was denied emperorship he was allowed to become the Head Pontiff  of the college of the Pontiffs, the head of the Roman religion. Mark Antony was the last Head Pontiff.  When Octavian (Caesar Augustus) was granted Rome's first emperorship, ending the Roman republic.  All titles of the Roman government were now placed upon him under his authority. That would include being the Head Pontiff of the Roman Babylonian religion. To not participate in the festivals, rites and worship of that religion was treason against the government who's power was now under one man.  It took some time for the Christianity the apostles and early Christians preached to be recognized as a direct threat to the interests of those who ran the Roman empire. It wasn't until 193 AD that empire wide war was declared against it.  At first though it was more of an annoyance.  For instance, the prohibitions against homosexuality that existed somewhat exclusively in the realm of the Jews was a direct offense to the emperor and his circle of supporter's sexual practices. This cultural prohibition against these  practices among the Jews was now being spread into the empire through this Jewish sect to non Jews. (Christians were considered a Jewish sect.) This might have infuriated Caligula and many Roman elites who engaged in it. Now since the spirit of anti-Christ grows as the light the Gospel  grows among those who are rejecting it.  It could be part of the reason Caligula now demanded his statue be placed in the Jewish temple as god to be worshipped.  He sent an army to do it.  On their way to Judea the general tasked with the operation was talked out of it by some Jewish representatives and took his life into his own hands to disobey the emperor. Luckily for him Caligula died before he got back to Rome.  However this proved to be only the beginning of their sorrows as Nero appointed governors who looted Judea , and the last one Gessius Florus purposely brought the nation to war.  Incidentally, historically. That is what these two emperors are most known for. Not their crappy leadership but the fact that they engaged in all kinds of aberrant sexual practices that were a powerful motive for personal rage against Christians who were considered a Jewish sect. So not only are the Jews exempt from participation in the Roman religion. Here this Jewish sect is spreading rebellion against the government imposed idolatry, that has as a main focus, turning the people away from sexual practices accepted and celebrated by all the nations of the world. Thereby making the emperor, a god, odious in the eyes of the converts.  There could be a little credence to that the claim of some Jewish leaders after the destruction of Jerusalem. That it was the fault of Jesus and his followers. They were out there turning the world upside down and brought the wrath of the emperor down on Judea. Of course Jewish leadership could have thrown in with the Messiah and maybe it would never have happened that way, who knows. Instead they drove most believers out of Judea and when they fled  and as the Book of Acts testifies; they preached the Gospel everywhere they went.  So maybe if this Jewish sect had not been driven out of Judea. They may not have so quickly gone out into the empire preaching to everyone and enraging the emperor. Especially these two particular ones. Caligula and Nero.  The persecution of Christians was not empire wide at the time but more along the lines of the personal animosity of these two very degenerate emperors and their circle of friends . Once Judea was destroyed. It would seem that the empire thought its problems with Christians were solved. Because during the reign of the next ten emperors starting with Domitian, these are the ten horns of Daniel chapter 7 and the ten horns on the dragon in Revelation. Imperial persecutions were not initiated.  That is, until the little horn of Daniel chapter 7 arose in 193 AD; Septimius Severus. He started the Roman Empires war  against the saints that lasted for the next 1260 years. Must have been at that point the true nature of the threat of Christianity to despotic human government became really known, or at least accepted.

So now you can see how a couple of political figures, driven by the spirit of anti-Christ, before the end of the 1st Covenant Age. Exalted themselves above God and all that is worshipped. Possibly in response to what Jews were doing in spreading the Gospel; a very depraved Caligula set about to have his statue placed in the temple and worshiped. Not unprecedented since Herod the Great had already paved the way for that. The will of the throne had been thwarted  by a general who had compassion on the Jewish nation. So Nero, every bit a depraved and driven by the same spirit installs a series of governors who punish the nation. Not just for what the Jewish sect is doing, powerfully bringing Jewish cultural prohibitions in the name of the Jewish messiah into the Roman Empire. But also because they got away with not placing the statue of the god Caligula and future Roman emperor\gods in the temple to be worshiped. In the end. Titus the prince, the eighth emperor\god to sit on the Roman throne sat in his seat in the temple, showing himself that he was god. Right before his soldiers set it on fire.

5 Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. The mystery of iniquity is the process described above about the how the spirit of anti-Christ arises in individuals, especially politically.  What is hindering the iniquity or lawlessness from having its full effects which in this case is the fulfillment of the prophecy about the end of their age? Well that would be the influence of the Holy Spirit through the saints. Once they are removed out of the way the full effects of the sin and the rejection of the Gospel will be felt.  This is actually what the last half of verse seven implies  as it is a this point it appears the translators start adding words because they are having trouble make sense of the Greek.  There is no word for "he," or in some translations "the one," ie; personal pronouns, in the Greek like there is in verse 6.  Verse 6 has the  personal pronoun  "he" because it is still referring to the son of destruction in verse 3. The one who destroys. Verse 7 is no longer referring to him but relating to the ones the letter was written to that even though the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. There is something restraining it until it be taken out of the midst that the full transition into lawlessness can take place. This is especially important to point out because  in the next verses the translators adding of personal pronouns that are not in the Greek completely alter the meaning of the verses much more than verse 7.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all delusion of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  These meaning of these sentences are completely altered by the translators adding personal pronouns that are not in the Greek text. In this case in verse 8 "that Wicked" indicating a person. The Greek simply reads the lawless. Then in verse 9  "even him" when the Greek simply reads whose coming.  There must be some significant confusion going on too because contextually it does not even make sense to do so.  The subject matter is the coming of the Lord in a day of judgment. Not the man of sin the son of perdition.  The man of sin is the one doing the destroying not the one being destroyed.  It's the lawless that are being judged. So what it literally reads is:  8 And then shall the lawless be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, When this is translated without adding words that change its meaning it can be seen how it fits exactly with Jesus's prophecy about his coming in 70 AD and with what actually happened. As noted three paragraphs ago. Nero appointed governors who began to loot Judea.  The last one specifically emptied the prisons and turned the criminal element loose on the people.  He required of them a percentage of whatever they could get via, robbery, extortion, protection rackets, assassinations for pay.  In one instance when about 5000 men, woman and children bowed before him with their faces to the ground to beg him for relief. He sent his Calvary charging through them killing many. Petitions to the emperor went unanswered.  This gave rise to the false prophets predicting deliverance from heaven and tyrants who forced the people to war. The official start of the war was when the daily sacrifice for the emperor was stopped.  Note* This is not what Daniel 8:11-13 or 11:31 is prophesying. Those were prophecies about Antiochus Epiphanes. Nor Daniel 9:27 which is a prophecy of the messiah's sacrifice ending\fulfilling the OT animal sacrifices. It may be what Daniel 12:11 is a prophecy of but its hard to know since the exact day this occurred is lost to history. It is only known to have happened within a 6 month period.

The nation was unready for war. Nero sent Cestius to end the revolt. The campaign went well. His armies surrounded Jerusalem. He could have taken it almost immediately. A large part of the population was about to rebel against the tyrants and false prophets leading the revolt and open the gates to Cestius and hail him as a deliverer.  This war was forced upon the people of Judea by the  Roman governor and now the tyrants and false prophets were leading it. This was an opportunity to end not just the war but to present the Roman governor's crimes to the Roman official now in charge of Judea. As it happened though, among the many false signs and lying wonders brought about by Satan and the spirit of anti-Christ to destroy the land. Cestius heard a rumor just like in OT times where Jerusalem was delivered. He hastily marched his army off.  The Jewish fighters pursued  the tail end of it. Killed 6000 Roman soldiers and captured the arms and supplies. This afforded the last escape to those who heeded Jesus's prophecy.  After this point on anyone trying to leave would be murdered by the tyrants. In the time period between this and Nero sending Vespasian to conquer Judea; the land was fortified and prepared for war. During the campaign Nero died and after long string of imperial hopefuls, Vespasian won the throne. His son Titus, the son of destruction,  continued the war and destroyed Jerusalem.

If one reads Josephus who was an eye witness. The false signs and wonders, the delusions and lies that led to almost the entire population perishing. They had all gathered in Jerusalem for one of the Mosaic law's feasts and were trapped is an uncanny fulfillment of Paul's words. It was a horrific catastrophe.  One that perhaps could have been avoided if the political leadership of Ancient Israel did not reject the light the messiah brought to them.

1st Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1st and 2nd Corinthians are most likely the next letters Paul wrote comparing the chronology of Acts to his letters. Galatians may have come before but does not mention the coming of the Lord. These letters are perhaps written 5 years after 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.

     1st Co 1:7 so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;  Often translated waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The meaning of this translated properly is evident. Waiting for something of God to be revealed.  This becomes abundantly clear when looking at the other verses the use the word.

1st Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. The meaning and practical application of this verse is one of the great casualties of the traditions of men and their doctrines about the coming of he Lord being an end of the world as we know it scenario.  A proper understanding of the coming of the Lord in this sense would prevent much sin amongst God's people in the earth. Compare it to this verse here: Luke 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. Paul's verse however admonishes us to wait for the Lord's coming, his time and season of revealing where peoples hearts are truly at before we judge them of being involved in some great sin.  Imagine if this were being practiced by all those who are so quick to judge pastors of big churches of being in it for the money or other such crimes against heaven? If it were talking about not judging at all until the next life it would be a contradiction of the hundreds of admonishments in the scripture to judge between right and wrong. But if it is simply saying don't be quick to judge what appears to be sin outwardly but may not be, at least in the magnitude of what some are accusing someone of.  But rather wait for the time when the Lord comes to judge and expose sin or righteousness, which could be a decade a way. Give him a chance to administer correction before you go condemning a fellow believer of being a false prophet or teacher.. Trust him, in his timing to expose the sin of some pastor or administer some correction in the life of one of his children. Then you avoid bringing condemnation upon yourself for misjudging someone.  That is the meaning of the coming of the Lord in this verse.

1st Co. 10:11 Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. This a a good example of an imperfect understating of the future as per Acts 1:6.  Just like all the other letters. A correct understanding is being expressed that they are the generation that will see the end of their age. But what lies beyond that is a mystery. In this verse Paul is looking at the end times of their age they are living as a culmination of all the ages past. But to us looking back, and according to Johns revelation looking forward. It was the end of the Old covenant age which unfortunately still left them right in the middle of the age for the four gentile empires. It is easy to assume Paul would have been hoping that the wonderful age of promise that so many chapters of the OT prophesied would follow. But it was simply not to be.

1st Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Like 1st Co 4:5. If we are going to focus on verse 26. This is another casualty of the traditions of men that take away the practical application of truth in the lives of God's saints. The communion is not some rite or ritual to be preformed by Christians until the end of the world. Like much better understood baptism.  It is supposed to be a public declaration that someone has left off their self centered life of  sin. A public declaration that one now belongs to Christ and is named by his name. That one has placed God's interests where they reasonably belong, above their own. And, that they have put their neighbors interests, especially the household of faith, where they belong. Equal to their own. That one has become a person of good will towards God and their fellow human beings.  Then,  just like the seven churches in Revelation. The Lord will come to your fellowship one day and reward those who are faithful and expose and judge those who are not. Could be in a few years, could be decades. Your church at that time will continue to grow in the grace of the Lord or the Lord will leave it to its sin. In his time though. When he comes. Not when people see fit and not in some end of the world apocalyptic  scenario. One will be able to see that he came by the results.

1st Corinthians 15 seems to be the same story as many of the passages already gone through. It is read and in many cases translated with a bias.  As if it is speaking of future events rather than the subject of resurrection. Unfortunately resurrection is often also looked at in the same way. As a one or two time future event at the end of the world as we know it. The English language will use the same word to describe different things. So does the Greek. One has to look at the context of the sentence or paragraph to determine exactly what the word is describing. The resurrection as a doctrine is used by Jesus to describe immediate life after the death of our flesh and blood bodies.  Instant life after death in a physical body that has the form of a human being. Just not physical as we know physical now. This spiritual body that Paul describes below; has the form of a human being. Just like the angels have the form of human beings even though they are spirits. Resurrection is also used to describe raising a flesh and blood body from the dead. Like Jesus' or many others in the Bible. Its also quite often used illustratively. However it is not used to describe a future event where all the dead bodies of human beings most of which are turned to dirt are rebuilt and human beings are joined together with them once more. It is sad that so many torture the prophetic illustrations of scripture to come up with idea's that are quite heretical in nature. That is the spirit behind the confusion that this passage below is read with. Here is an article in Wordservice.org that points out the different ways resurrection is used in scripture.  

 1st Co 15:12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised out from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then also our preaching is void, and your faith is void. 15 Then also we are found false witnesses of God, because we have witnessed concerning God that He raised up Christ, whom He has not raised if then the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Also then those having fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If only in this life we are having hope in Christ, we are more to be pitied than all men.  (BLB) Don't think anyone needs any help with what is being said there.

20 But now Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep. 21 For since death came by a man, so also by a man has come the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as indeed in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in the own order: Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming,  (BLB) Here is where the bias and confusion comes in. People are reading into verse 23 a phrase that does not exist in the New Testament. They are putting the word "second" in front of the word "coming."  This is not referring to a "second advent" of Christ. It is referring to his advent on earth as a man, born of a virgin. As the messiah.  This will become perfectly clear as we go on to the rest of the verses. But first,  lets look at at the meaning of that word "coming" a little closer. This is from the Bible Hub website. The word in question and the passage in question. HELPS Word-studies 3952 parousía (from parōn, "be present, arrive to enter into a situation") – properly, coming, especially the arrival of the owner who alone can deal with a situation (cf. LS). 3952 (parousía) is a "technical term with reference to the visit of a king or some other official, 'a royal visit' " (Souter) – "hence, in the NT, specifically of the Advent or Parousia of Christ" (A-S)  So the question is: When did the messiah arrive or enter into the situation? When he came to the earth as a man? Or will his entering into the situation be at some end of the world event? You will be able to see past the assumptions and the bias to the truth in the next few paragraphs.

 23 But each in the own order: Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming, 24 then the end, when He shall hand over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He shall have annulled all dominion, and all authority and power. 25 For it behooves Him to reign until He shall have put all the enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For “He has put in subjection all things under His feet.”  But when it may be said that all things have been put in subjection, it is evident that the One having put in subjection all things to Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things shall have been put in subjection to Him, then also the Son Himself will be put in subjection to the One having put in subjection all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. These verses are not to be disconnected from one another. Paul is using a literary device common in scripture. Saying the same thing different ways in hope of getting the reader to think and understand what is being said. The end in verse 24 is the cross. The cross and his resurrection is the end of verse 23's advent of the messiah. That is where he handed the kingdom over to God and the father. After  he annulled and rendered powerless all earthly dominion and authority!  Now verses 23-24 are repeated and enlarged on in verses 25-28.  Jesus came as king. The enemies he reigned over, that were put in subjection to him under his feet were thus: Mobs of angry people. The elements, he had power to change them or create them. He reigned over the animal kingdom. He had complete power over sickness , disease, disabilities. He ruled over demons and their effects on the humans. He reigned over death. He had authority over the earth, the wind, the sea. He had power over human government and their soldiers. John 16: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. The Greek definition for the word overcome here is to conquer and prevail over. It implies a battle and subduing ones opponents.  Here is a small list of examples of his rule over everything in the Gospels.  Looking at that list and realizing that is but a small example of the things that occurred in the Gospels.  It becomes quite clear that Jesus ruled over every aspect of the natural world. There was nothing left outside of his authority. Everything was put in subjection under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished, verse 26, was death. That is a direct reference to his resurrection. Verse 27 explains that everything that exists was put in  subjection to him by God the Father, with the exception of God the Father. So verse 28 is a repeat of verse 24. Jesus handed the kingdom over to God the Father and put himself in subjection to him in the Garden of  Gethsemane. Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;  Why did he do all this? The end of verse 28 says. That God may be all in all. Or like Hebrews 5: says. That he would be the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. 

29 Otherwise what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why also are they baptized for them? This is simply speaking about baptism. Not in a way that it is normally stated though, like in   Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Back to 1st Co 15: 30 And why are we in danger every hour? 31 I die every day, as surely as the boasting in you, brothers, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If according to man I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what is the profit to me? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and let us drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be misled: “Bad companionships corrupt good morals.” 34 Sober up righteously and do not sin, for some have ignorance of God. I speak to your shame. 35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come?” 36 You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 and what you sow is not the body that will be, but you sow a bare grain, if it may be of wheat, or of some of the rest. Here Paul is stating the obvious. The body that will be is not the one sown into the ground. 38 But God gives it a body as He has willed, and to each of the seeds, its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same, but indeed one flesh is of men, and another flesh is of beasts, and another flesh is of birds, and another is of fish. 40 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But truly the glory of the heavenly is one kind, and that of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in decay; it is raised in immortality. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual. This was the verse mentioned already. A spiritual body has form, like the angels that are spirits. There is no such thing as "disembodied spirits. When you step out of that flesh and blood body upon its death. You will step out on legs and feet. You will have arms and hands, a head, eyes, ears and a mouth. There are examples of this in the New Testament  pointed out in this article.  45 So also it has been written: “The first man Adam became into a living soul;” the last Adam into a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual was not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man was made of dust from the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As the one was made of dust, so also are those of the earth; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those of heaven. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor does decay inherit immortality. (BLB) That was another statement affirming that God is not going to be re creating flesh and blood bodies that have decomposed into dirt some day. That idea has nothing to do with the doctrine of resurrection which is a simple teaching about life after death.  The next verses say that.

51 Behold, I tell to you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. The important thing about this verse as far as what I am trying to point out is that this has, is or will occur with every human being that has ever walked the earth.  Yes some Christians have or will be caught away and will not face the death of their flesh and blood bodies. But with all it is instant resurrection, instant life after the death of the physical body. The inner man, the true man will step out of the shell of a flesh and blood body and we will all go to our eternal destination.    Ephesians 3:16 ....to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; Hebrews 12:23.... and to the spirits of just men made perfect,  The trumpet in verse 52 is not indicating a certain last day way out in the future. It is just another way to illustrate this victory over death in the verses that follow.  4536 sálpigks – "properly, a war-trumpet" (WS, 797) that boldly announces God's victory (the vanquishing of His enemies). 53 For it behooves this, the perishable to put on the imperishable; and this, the mortal to put on immortality. 54 Now when this the perishable shall have put on the imperishable, and this, the mortal, shall have put on immortality, then the word having been written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55“Where O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. 57 But thanks be to God, the One giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in the Lord is not in vain. (BLB)

1st and 2nd Timothy

1st Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, There is nothing special about this verse in the sense that this began to be immediately fulfilled upon the death of the Apostles and their direct and personal  influence in the churches. It has been that way ever since. There is no point in turning the words "latter times" that are used in in other passages of prophecy about the end of specific  ages  laid out in scripture into some end of the world scenario. On top of that. Paul did not stop in the middle of his exhortation to Timothy about Timothy's personal ministry and take a sentence or two to prophecy events thousands of years away. This sentence was part of his exhortation to Timothy and what he would be personally facing in the decade's to come.  Especially in light of the attempt by Paul to set up a continuation of his own ministry through Timothy once Paul was gone.

 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. There were Christian sects starting mostly in the 2nd century that completely fulfilled this. It is hard to imagine this type of thinking didn't start to evolve amongst some once the direct influence of the Apostles vanished though. It needs to be remembered and constantly emphasized that the general population did not have Bibles as we know it today. If such doctrines of demons are present in todays world where most Christians have access to Bibles. How much more so when they do not? It is also easily pointed out that the imperial church of the Roman Empire once it began to claim Christianity eventually adopted lesser degree's of these doctrines.

6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses. 13 I give you charge in the sight of God, who vivifies all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14 That you keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach to; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (AKJV) The word appear in this sentence needs a context to determine what is appearing or manifesting.  In this paragraph the context is how Timothy needs to conduct himself in the circumstances of the early church. They were living under intense persecution and oppression. There were multiple prophetic utterances that it was going to get even worse. Yet they had an Old Testament  full of promises of an age when this situation would be reversed.  As stated quite often already. The apostles did not know when this age would begin or exactly how it would all transpire; 15 Which in his times he shall show.  But they knew OT prophecy stated on multiple occasions that the world would know that the Messiah was: ...the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only has immortality......

Lets look at the same word in the context of  2nd Thess. 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the appearance of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. If you remember going through this, just like Matt 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21; 2nd Thess. was a direct prophecy of the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. So what is appearing in these verses is the coming of the Lord in judgment. What is appearing in 1st Timothy 6 however is the manifestation of who Christ is to the world. It does not say how this will occur. But why do people assume it means something other than the way he has been revealing himself to the world for the last 2000 years? If we look at the next two verses that use this word appearing  we see a different context.  The the appearance of Christ as a man, as the king of his kingdom. 2nd Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: Jesus appeared as the messiah and as the King of Israel. Along with many other scriptures. This is what 1st Corinthians 15 emphatically teaches as pointed out in the previous paragraphs. Jesus DID NOT appear as a suffering messiah only later to appear at the end of the world as a king as taught by some churches traditions. He came as both suffering messiah and king. He reigned on earth in his earthly ministry and reigns on earth now. The error of what may claim ancient Israel expected of the messiah. A conqueror riding a white horse leading an army of the faithful to deliver them from the Romans is actually the same fundamental error many Christians today have accepted. They still think Christ will someday come on that white horse to physically conquer the planet. They don't understand what Jesus meant when he said his kingdom is not of this world. That it would not be established the same way this worlds kingdoms are established by force.  That his kingdom would be established by being the main influence in this worlds affairs. As the main influence among other influences not of God.

2nd Timothy 2:16 But avoid worldly, empty babblings, for they will lead on to more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will have pasture to grow like gangrene, among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have gone astray concerning the truth, asserting the resurrection already to have taken place; and they are overthrowing the faith of some. BLB Although resurrection is not part of the subject of this piece. I am throwing this verse in because it is looked at as an event accompanying pop culture end time teachings.  Which is the erroneous premise of both Hymenaeus\Philetus and todays pop culture end time teachings. Resurrection is not a one or two time event within the context of Bible prophecy.  General resurrection is a doctrine of immediate life after death of the flesh and blood body in the spiritual body that lives inside this shell of flesh. So it can't be the past, present or future for those who have passed on.  However just like the English language, it depends on the context the words resurrection, risen or rise are used to determine the meaning of the word. Or to what the word is referring to. I'll link the article in Wordservice.org once more that goes over all these verses in their context. Resurrection.

3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will be present. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, proud, verbally abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, savage, haters of good, 4 betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And turn away from these. 6 For out of this sort are those entering into households and taking captive weak women, burdened with sins, being led away by various passions, 7 always learning and never being able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these oppose the truth, men being depraved in mind, disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not advance much further, for their folly will be plain to all, as also that of those two became. 10 But you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings such as happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra; what manner of persecutions I endured! And yet the Lord delivered me out of all. 12 And all also desiring to live piously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and imposters will advance to worse, deceiving and being deceived. BLB Many correctly point out that the description of the "last days" here is nothing unique.  Whenever light was coming into the world there are those who for selfish personal interests oppose that light. Their rejection of that light naturally causes them to become\embrace more and more evil. Especially when the light is becoming more and more evident. This can bring such chaos that it can be used by Satan to destroy whole nations. Which was exactly the case with ancient Israel at that time. 

4:1 I earnestly declare before God and Christ Jesus, the One being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and instruction. 3 For there will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to the own desires, having an itching ear, they will gather around them teachers to suit themselves, 4 and indeed they will turn away from hearing the truth, and will be turned aside unto myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fully carry out your ministry. 6 For already I am being poured out, and the time of my departure is come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me in that day; but not only to me, but also to all those loving His appearing. The first sentence in this paragraph is once again within the context of Timothy's ministry. Paul's instructions which are certainly prophetic are speaking to what Timothy will face in the days ahead and how he is to handle it. The Apostle is not being so impractical as to be speaking about things that will happen thousands of years from now. It's even less practical for a modern reader to read this into some end of the world scenario when in fact this has been the story over and over again in many cultures and nations in the last 2000 years. So lets look at it once more in that ever so practical light. Those who are about to be judged are alive and walking the earth. They are believers, (the living,) and the unbelievers, (the dead.) This is very consistent with the other times this language is used illustratively in the NT.   The time period for this particular judgment is the end of the Old Covenant age. The messiah appeared on the earth as king of his kingdom.  There is a huge body of end time prophecy that says when this happens. The appearance of the messiah. That will herald the end of that age, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of Ancient Israel being the sole instrument of God's plans for the earth. The rest of the prophetic utterance to Timothy certainly came to pass in his life and Paul's ministry ended as he said it would. 

 To be continued.

There are over a hundred chapters of Bible prophecy about a growing free world before the book of Daniel ever uttered a word of end time prophecy. A world in which kings and emperors, dictators and warlords, are being brought to nothing. A world in which there is no more legal slavery and the earthly promises of God made to a hundred generations of saints, unfulfilled in their time, could finally begin to come to pass. This simply could not occur in the ancient despotic world where the poor masses had little to no control of their temporal or even their eternal destinies. The prophecies you will read about in this book promised an era of conditional freedom and prosperity for many nations. They promise God’s people who live in these nations will be free from the fear of oppression, and that they will be able to raise their children as they see fit. They promise the nations and peoples most influenced by the Bible and its principles will be the dominant nations in the world, just as they have been for the last 500 years. None of this occurred when the Messiah came, or with the end of the first covenant age and the horrible destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. In fact, it got even worse for true believers after that. It certainly did not occur when European empires and kingdoms began to claim Christianity. This all began to occur in a specific year prophesied in Daniel and Revelation, and for a specific reason. The journey you take through “The Bible’s Prophecies about the Free World” is going to change your life and rock the world around you. Nothing will ever be the same. Order you copy of The Bible's Prophecy About The Free World today! Paperback, hardcover or e-book.

1st Corinthians 2:9.....no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.

© Daniel Martinovich 2018-2019