Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: johnw@stew.ssl.berkeley.edu (John Warren) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Iraq - Prophecy fulfilled? Message-ID: Date: 1 Oct 90 01:23:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 48 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes: >In article gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) writes: >> >>We are told to watch the signs of the times, and this is certainly >>prudent. >We are also specifically warned against trying to predict times >and places. > >This sort of thing runs into the danger of worshipping the book >and forgetting its message. Seeing parallels with current >events and scriptural events is one thing, but claiming that >current events are specific fulfillments of prophecy is >generally dangerous nonsense. The notion of "multiple >fulfillment" was presumably invented to cover up the >embarrassment of those who have been too quick to claim >fulfillment of prophecy. Either people are reluctant to unsay what they've said (even when proven wrong) or some people are artistically astute enough to see the richness in the tapestry of prophetic history. You may think that the "multiple fulfillment" theory is a copout, and some people may use it as a copout, but I see it as Divine Genius. The problem with people who have said that it's the end when it's not, is that they were simply wrong. That's all there is to it. There is a way to be right, just like there is a way to do a physics problem correctly, and thousands of ways to screw up. The point is, no matter how many people get it wrong, that doesn't mean that there is no right answer. Of course, any answer will be a partial answer, because Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour. But by saying that He did not mean that we should not waste our time comparing our present age with the age of the Second Coming. He specifically said the opposite: "When you see these things begin to come to pass, lift up your heads, for your redemption is near." >Every age seems to have those who >think the run of the mill disasters and wars of the time are >fulfillment of prophecy. > Well, they were wrong. And those who sat on rooftops waiting for Jesus to take them home were sadly wrong. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, just because you're tired of people who work things out wrong. > >Matthew Huntbach