Matthew9969

Predictions by members of mainstream churches

Adventism, Millerism

Adventism has its roots in the teachings of a Baptist preacher by the name of William Miller. He first predicted the Second Advent of Jesus Christ would occur before March 21, 1844.[1] When this date passed a new date was predicted, April 18, 1844. Again the date passed and another Millerite, Samuel S. Snow, derived the date of October 22, 1844. The un-fulfillment of these predictions has been named the Millerite Great Disappointment.

Anabaptist Church

Certain Anabaptists of the early 16th century believed that the Millennium would occur in 1533. Another source reports: "When the prophecy failed, the Anabaptists became more zealous and claimed that two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) had come in the form of Jan Matthys and Jan Bockelson; they would set up the New Jerusalem in Münster. Münster became a frightening dictatorship under Bockelson's control. Although all Lutherans and Catholics were expelled from that city, the millennium never came."

Anglican Church

In volume II of The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, author Leroy Edwin Froom tells us about a prominent Anglican prelate, who made a relevant prediction: "Edwin Sandys (1519–1588), Archbishop of York and Primate of England was born in Lancashire... Sandys says, 'Now, as we know not the day and time, so let us be assured that this coming of the Lord is near. He is not slack, as we do count slackness. That it is at hand, it may be probably gathered out of the Scriptures in diverse places. The signs mentioned by Christ in the Gospel which should be the foreshewers of this terrible day, are almost all fulfilled.'"

Assemblies of God Church

During World War I, The Weekly Evangel, an official publication of the Assemblies of God, carried this prediction: "We are not yet in the Armageddon struggle proper, but at its commencement, and it may be, if students of prophecy read the signs aright, that Christ will come before the present war closes, and before Armageddon...The war preliminary to Armageddon, it seems, has commenced." Other editions speculated that the end would come no later than 1934 or 1935.

Calvary Chapel

The founder of the Calvary Chapel system, Chuck Smith, published the book End Times in 1979. On the jacket of his book, Smith is called a "well known Bible scholar and prophecy teacher." In this book he wrote:

As we look at the world scene today, it would appear that the coming of the Lord is very, very, close. Yet, we do not know when it will be. It could be that the Lord will wait for a time longer. If I understand Scripture correctly, Jesus taught us that the generation which sees the 'budding of the fig tree', the birth of the nation Israel, will be the generation that sees the Lord's return; I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the tribulation lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for his church anytime before the tribulation starts, which would mean anytime before 1981. (1948 + 40 − 7 = 1981) However, it is possible that Jesus is dating the beginning of the generation from 1967, when Jerusalem was again under Israeli control for the first time since 587 BC. We don't know for sure which year actually marks the beginning of the last generation.

This same viewpoint was published by the popular pastor Hal Lindsey in his widely published book The Late Great Planet Earth.

Lutheran Church

The founder of the Lutheran Church was the reformer, Martin Luther (1483–1546 A.D.). According to one authority, Luther ventured to predict: "For my part, I am sure that the Day of Judgement is just around the corner. It doesn't matter that we don't know the precise day... perhaps someone else can figure it out. But it is certain that time is now at an end." Another author says: "In all of [Luther's] work there was a sense of urgency for the time was short... the world was heading for Armageddon in the war with the Turk."

Even after Luther's death in 1546, Lutheran leaders kept up the claim of the nearness of the end. About the year 1584, a zealous Lutheran named Adam Nachenmoser wrote the large volume '[Prognosticum Theologicum]' in which he predicted: "In 1590 the Gospel would be preached to all nations and a wonderful unity would be achieved. The last days would then be close at hand." Nachenmoser offered numerous conjectures about the date; 1635 seemed most likely.

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod issued a study in 1989 refuting any end times claim, declaring that "repeatedly taught by Jesus and the apostles is the truth that the exact hour of Christ's coming remains hidden in the secret counsels of God (Matt. 24:36)."

Mennonites

Russian Mennonite minister Claas Epp, Jr. predicted that Christ would return on March 8, 1889, and, when that date passed uneventfully, 1891.

Presbyterian Church

Thomas Brightman, who lived from 1562 to 1607, has been called "one of the fathers of Presbyterianism in England." He predicted that "between 1650 and 1695 [we] would see the conversion of the many Jews and a revival of their nation in Palestine...the destruction of the Papacy...the marriage of the Lamb and his wife."

Christopher Love who lived from 1618–1651 was a bright graduate of Oxford and a strong Presbyterian. Love predicted that: (1) Babylon would fall in 1758 (2) God's anger against the wicked would be demonstrated in 1759 and (3) in 1763 there would occur a great earthquake all over the world.

Roman Catholic Church

When in 1525 Martin Luther, an ex-monk, married Katharina von Bora, an ex-nun, his enemies[who?] said that their offspring would fulfill an old tradition that the Antichrist would be the son of such a union. The Catholic scholar and theologian Erasmus remarked that the tradition could apply to thousands of such children.

In 1771 Bishop Charles Walmesley published, under the nom de plume of "Signor Pastorini", his "General History of the Christian Church from Her Birth to Her Final Triumphant State in Heaven Chiefly Deduced from the Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist". In it he attributed to what he called the fifth age of the Church a duration of 300 years, beginning with the Protestant Reformation in 1520 or 1525. This was widely interpreted as predicting the downfall of Protestantism by 1825. In fact, just four years later, the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 brought to a culmination the process of Catholic Emancipation throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Predictions by other groups

Irvingism

The well known Scottish cleric, Edward Irving, was the forerunner of the Catholic Apostolic Church.[23] In 1828 he wrote a work headed The Last Days: A Discourse on the Evil Character of These Our Times, Proving Them to be the 'Perilous Times' and the 'Last Days'. On pages 10–22 we find some telling information which includes the following:

I conclude, therefore, that the last days... will begin to run from the time of God's appearing for his ancient people, and gathering them together to the work of destroying all Antichristian nations, of evangelising the world, and of governing it during the Millennium... The times and fullness of the times, so often mentioned in the New Testament, I consider as referring to the great period numbered by times...Now if this reasoning be correct, as there can be little doubt that the one thousand two hundred and sixty days concluded in the year 1792, and the thirty additional days in the year 1823, we are already entered upon the last days, and the ordinary life of a man will carry many of us to the end of them. If this be so, it gives to the subject with which we have introduced this year's ministry a very great importance indeed.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, calculated 1874 as the year of Christ's Second Coming, and taught that Christ was invisibly present and ruling from the heavens since that year. Russell proclaimed Christ's invisible return in 1874,[29] the resurrection of the saints in 1875, and predicted the end of the "harvest" and the Rapture of the saints to heaven for 1878,  and the final end of "the day of wrath" in 1914. 1874 was considered the end of 6,000 years of human history and the beginning of judgment by Christ. A 1917 Watch Tower Society publication predicted that in 1918, God would begin to destroy churches and millions of their members.

J.F. Rutherford, who succeeded Russell as president of the Watch Tower Society, predicted that the Millennium would begin in 1925, and that biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would be resurrected as "princes". The Watch Tower Society bought property and built a house, Beth Sarim, in California for their return.

From 1966, statements in Jehovah's Witness publications raised strong expectations that Armageddon could arrive in 1975. In 1974 Witnesses were commended for selling their homes and property to "finish out the rest of their days in this old system" in full-time preaching.[36] In 1976 The Watchtower advised those who had been "disappointed" by unfulfilled expectations for 1975 to adjust their viewpoint because that understanding was "based on wrong premises". Four years later, the Watch Tower Society admitted its responsibility in building up hope regarding 1975.

Montanists

Montanus, who founded the Montanist movement in 156 AD, predicted that Jesus would return during the lifetime of the group's founding members.

Mormonism

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon faith, made several dozen prophecies during his lifetime, many of which are recorded in the sacred texts of the Mormon faith. The prophecies included predictions of the Civil War, the coming of Jesus, and several less significant predictions. Church apologists cite prophecies that they claim came true, and church critics cite prophecies that they claim did not come true.

The end already came.....and went, then came again...then went, then came again.....doh! no it didn't, maybe 2034? Have a wonderful day!

And every baseball game could go on for an eternity since they would be in a perpetual tie at every inning.

Kind of curious though, weddings are mentioned,  but continuously celebrating a wedding year after year is not, seems like that is a worldly custom witnesses enjoy?

Some do and some don't, however I do not condone the behavior I saw one day of a jw mother letting their underage daughter pick out alcoholic beverages, sends the wrong signal.

Give it a dust rag and ask it to clean the top of the shelf while it's up there.

English Standard Version When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come

3 hours ago, Space Merchant said:

Perhaps because excommunication (expelling) is indeed a real and biblical thing and since it is in scripture, it is to be followed because if we accept what is written in the bible, we accept the practice of excommunication.

• http://shamelesspopery.com/biblical-excommunication/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excommunication
• http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2015/12/shunning-unrepentant-or-contentious-sinners-biblical.html
• https://www.gotquestions.org/excommunication.html

Jesus also stated the scriptures cannot be broken nor does any get off Scott free for breaking God's law, let alone change it to fit doctrine, something of which Paul adheres to a great deal, hence the links posted above. In addition to that, Jesus didn't come to abolish the law either.

It usually depends on the person. You'd be surprised about those who are excommunicated who work on acceptance, thus allowing some form of communication to take place and visits from a pastor and or church leader. I posted here before excommunication of JWs, to which a girl had been excommunicated 2-3 times, but out of repentance and strive to do what is right, she rejoined her faith and even go her husband and children to be part of the faith, it varies because culture-wise, JWs differ from each other despite being united in a single faith. However it is not as troubling as the Herem, not only you are cut off from family and the community, despite attempting to repent, you are literally exiled from the community also, totally off the premises, and if you are a child, that is another story. But as for JWs, the information and or video you posted, there has been those who have been excommunicated who came out to defend JWs either way and those who do not speak negatively of God and or Jesus are not totally shun, but have access to those who can help them to repentant, including their families, and sources do back this up.

This video was posted by a Muslim, yes, a Muslim, who apparently defended JWs in the Dawah community for he had linked this to Trinitarians who were lying about Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Muslims and the deal with Muslims in the UK, clearly the Muslim commentor won that discussion:

 

Other links/sources:

• https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/shunning/
• https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008083
• https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20130815/disfellowshipped-child-seating-location/

Not really, but clearly someone has not been around the block a few times. You should try meeting with JWs and or talk to those who are bounded by their culture and cultural practices sometime.

If you did the research, the answer is there. But if you truly feel this way, then you the group of Christians who want to change and alter everything Paul has taught in scripture, but Christians who are true do not buy into that nonsense to belittle those who lived in those bible days, especially override of what was taught in this regard.

Quote: Scripturally, excluding a person from the church is preceded by admonition and counsel; it is only employed in cases of bona fide heresy, obdurate divisiveness, or blatant, unrepentant sin; and it is a last resort. After excommunication, the relationship between the former member and the church naturally changes, and the “shunning command”—not to eat with such a person—may come into play. However, the church still has the responsibility to pray for the one being disciplined and to extend forgiveness when repentance is evident. Shunning, as defined as a refusal to speak to someone or a total severing of all ties, goes beyond what the Bible advocates.

So the question is, what is it they are lying about? For if everyone is aware of the teachings of Apostle Paul and how he went about dealing with and excommunicating people within the church, let alone what even John had said in 2 John 1: 9 and 10 or even God himself who is the one wanting to keep purity and holiness among the people of the church, then what is the problem?

It is no wonder mainstream Christianity is pushing the notion that Christians should not literally follow what Paul had taught, cherry picking his verses, that Christians should not adhere to what John had said, and totally brush over what God had said himself and what his people did to keep the temple clean and pure, as if we had not learn from the days of Aaron and Samuel, etc.

Other then that, excommunication is indeed a big thing, but looking at it from a biblical perspective, one would realize why it was done and that is was necessary, in the end the one who is striving to repent can be counseled to for the one who seeks repented is not one to bring apostasy in God's name compared to those who actually do.

 

Misc.

For us Unitarians, excommunication is a practice also, other Unitarian denominations tend to having to deal with sinners who are in the wrong and have used expelling/excommunication to deal with such persons.

And yes, the shun command is indeed a real thing and it is biblical, but counseling to the sinner is allowed, for anyone who practices excommunication is allowed to counsel said person, especially if the person is a pastor and or church leader of the church of which so and so has been removed from. Not removing said person, regardless of who they are, only further justifies what God's holiness and purity is not being respected by Christians - something mainstream Christians are too stubborn to understand.

In the end, no one in their right mind would override God's law, change and or replace it with something they think is right vs. the scripture.

Dude you are so obsessed with picking apart my arguments, you are mixing up what I am saying and quotes from the watchtower. It's clear to me you are pretending to be a Unitarian, most of which are atheist or deist. You are a jw who is pretending. I've seen your type quite a few times in the past 27 years. Please don't bother replying to my post any more. Not much quite as irritating as fake people.

The governing body states that they are not to shun family members. We don't know the detail in this relationship, but keep in mind Jesus even forgave those who put Him to death.

My daughter decided she doesn't want anything to do with Christ, does that mean I am going to shun her, never help her, no because my love for her isn't conditional, Jesus love is not conditional. Of course I won't bend to her worldly views and will continue to talk to her about truth. But won't be unloving jerk like this father is.

On ‎3‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 1:47 AM, Gone Away said:

For anyone stumbling across this sad little cameo, the embroidery of text, both in the youtube and forum posting creates puzzlement. The video is about the family relationship problems that some elderly folk brought on themselves by dissassociating themselves from the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Their issue seems to be around their regret over the estrangement this created in their relationship with their granddaughter.

It is difficult to see a relevant connection with the post title "Why does the governing body lie?" or the reference to issues involving a disfellowshipped husband and his Witness family.

Only a jehovahs witness would presume it's the grandmother who is refusing to have anything to do with her grandchild.

Or since they claim to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah, they are making Jehovah out to be a liar?

This is from the Questions from readers on jw.org:

"What of a man who is disfellowshipped but whose wife and children are still Jehovah’s Witnesses? The religious ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. The marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings continue."

Which is a obvious contradiction to this video:

 

If they lie about this, they can lie about other things.

13 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

When you go to the hospital, they bring in a cart (a small table on wheels) with a LOT of electronics on it, to do Electrocardiograms (record all manner of heart activity, with squiggly lines ... on a computer monitor) and other tests.

Probably the cart also has a printer so the squiggly lines of heart activity can be printed out.

So technically .... and it was a joke ... well..... it was an ATTEMPTED joke .....

This satisfies the question that I can answer, with as short an answer as the question was .... um... if you consider getting a cart to be short term.

( ...with a flourish cues the drummer over in the corner with the cymbals .... and the ceiling mounted flashing APPLAUSE sign ...)

And it cost you extra money to have a nurse turn that annoying beeping sound off.

https://thewaterproject.org/

My church works with this organization.

1 hour ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Yeah ... let's drive business OUT of business!

Ever worked for a poor person?

I never have.

When an executive buys a yacht, or a Lear Jet, hundreds of thousands of people get employed.

A mansion does not build itself.

It takes an ARMY of contractors and their employees to make all these things.

That way, income inequality is solved by WORKING PEOPLE!

Replacing a cracked windshield in a Lear Jet costs about $70,000.00 and employs HUNDREDS of people.

Too many snowflakes flying around to see that logic.

November 15, 2009 Watchtower "What do Your Prayers Say About You?" page 6 para 19 reads: 19 When we are being represented in public prayer, we need to display reverential "fear of God." (1 Pet 2:17) There may be a proper time and place for some actions that would be inappropriate at a Christian meeting.(Eccl 3:1) For instance, suppose someone sought to have all in a group link arms or hold hands during prayer. This might offend or distract some, including visitors who do not share our beliefs. Some marriage mates might discreetly hold hands, but if they embraced each other during public prayer, those who got a glimpse of such conduct might be stumbled. They might think or get the impression that the couple was focusing on their romantic relationship instead of reverence for Jehovah. Out of deep respect for him, let us therefore "do all things for God's glory" and avoid conduct that could distract, shock or stumble anyone.- 1 Cor 10:31,32; 2 Cor 6:3.

I have faith that a cup of coffe will wake me up....... wait I have to be awake already in order to drink it.

You must make a living on doing this.

13 hours ago, Space Merchant said:

Was it that necessary to grave dig a 2016 thread when it is March 17, 2018, to be specific a thread posted March 25, 2016 (about 722 days), with a small comment? It would not have been much of an effort to simply contact the user via pm messaging: https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/profile/5857-γιαννης-διαμαντιδης/

or wait until said user of this thread gives an update.

Don't let that happen again, for in doing so makes any comment without an update from the creator of the thread, obsolete and or irrelevant, especially if a person who didn't make this thread says something vague.

What is gravedigging?

Gravedigging is the term we use for reviving inactive threads the name is fitting, because you're basically just digging up things that are long gone.

Why is gravedigging so bad?

Why exactly shouldn't you gravedig? It's pretty simple: Reviving old threads clutters the forum. If everyone went ahead and posted on threads from a while ago, newer threads would struggle to appear from beneath the threads of old nonsense. If one person revives an old thread, other people end up posting on it too. Those members will continue to bump an old thread, advertising it to even more potential posters. Often, an inactive thread will contain outdated information on a particular topic. We want to make sure that you're getting all the updates you need, and so avoiding bringing up older threads is best.

How can I tell if I'm about to gravedig a thread?

Knowing when you might be about to gravedig a thread is important. There might even be times where you avoid posting on a thread because you're worried about gravedigging it when it's actually okay. The age cutoff, when a thread goes from being active to inactive, is currently two weeks If a thread is on the first page of a section, you may post on that thread without being at risk of gravedigging, regardless of the age cutoff. If a thread is not on the first page of a section but has not yet reached the age cutoff, you may post on that thread without being at risk of gravedigging. You may also post on guides/tutorials, regardless of activity, without being at risk of gravedigging as long as you're posting something constructive, and not something like "great guide" etc. Pinned threads and staff members are also immune from gravedigging. In a nutshell, you can post on any thread that was last active under two weeks ago, and you can also post on threads that were not active under two weeks ago as long as they're on the first page of a section.

This also goes for ignoring Search Bars, in some cases.

Source

https://www.rtsoft.com/forums/showthread.php?26209-Spamming-And-Gravedigging-Explained

Information on this can also be Goggle'd on the Internet regarding ALL forums known on the internet.

Remember this, please, for if this was elsewhere, the CSE Christian Community forums, you would have been in a world heavy criticism for pulling that off there.

I don't believe you are in a position to tell me what I may post on or may not post on. Darn internet free speech police.

Sounds like this man is not sinning, just wants to worship God.

Slow down I'm still trying to wrap my head around Jesus being present but not arriving.

I like the poetry of Psalm 19:1

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 8:11 PM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Why does the Watchtower not build a hospital or provide aid for bloodless procedures?

TWO REASONS come to mind.

Because it  requires requires educated, certified and tested medical people ... and they ALREADY have enough lawsuits.

Bethelite Bobby Brother with a box of band-aids just isn't the surgeon you want working on your heart.

How about a fund that will help people get to bloodless medical specialty centers?

And yeah I don't want a window washer operating on me.

15 hours ago, AllenSmith said:

How different is it from, you people love to bash the Watchtower, that doesn't change apply to your thought? Can the Pea call the kettle black?

OH yeah! wasn't it the Catholic Church that got Bro. Rutherford, arrested for subversion? How nasty can one church get over another for the teachings and understanding of God's word? Besides:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/stumpers-for-the-jehovahs-witnesses

 

Pea's are green...just saying. And if a critique of your gods is considered persecution and bashing, you need to put on some big boy pants.

17 hours ago, Melinda Mills said:

You probably mean "rove about" or roving about. Dan 12

So why would anyone trust the words of a group of men who put themselves on the same level as God....when they are roving about like blind people?