The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.

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The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.
http://www.teachingfaith.com/content.cfm?id=304
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Christian perspectives on the end of the world differ as widely as those who wear the name
Christian. This is tragic. The end of the world is really not that complex, though it has some
complexities associated with some facets of it.
However, the basic principle of the end of the world is very simple. It is our tabloids, televangelists
and TV movies which have helped to muddy the waters on the end time.
The premise of the endtime begins with the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. In other words, bible
prophecy, i.e. endtime prophecy is Old Testament prophecy. We do injustice to the subject by
assuming that the New Testament is teaching a new or different endtime than that found in the Old
Testament.
The "last days" do not begin with Revelation. They end there. The last days begins with a
prophecy in Genesis 49:1, 2, concerning Jacob's twelve sons. He tells them what would happen to
"their" descendants in the last days.
Most important is the fact that the last days specifically describe events which would occur when
only one tribe of Israel remains in covenant relationship with God, -the tribe of Judah.
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes.
To him shall the gathering/obedience of the peoples be.(Genesis 49:10)
The coming of Shiloh is the coming of Christ. It is the second coming. Thus, Jacob's farewell
message to Israel is that Christ would come before the scepter (kingdom rule) departed from the
tribe of Judah.
Israel's relationship with God began a downward spiral with their breaking the law given to them at
Sinai by their worship of the idols of the people of the land. This "screw up" led to the "break up" of
the twelve tribes after the days of Solomon.
God promised that he would take the kingdom from Solomon for his idolatry and intermarriages
with the foreign women. See 1 Kings 11.
However, God promised not to rend the kingdom from Solomon in his days, but in the days of his
son after him. This he did for the sake of David and for Jerusalem's sake.
In the break up of Solomon's kingdom, God promised to give 10 tribes to Jeroboam, the son of
Nebat, an Ephraimite from the town of Zereda, and one tribe (Judah) to Rehoboam, the son of
Solomon. (1 Kings 11:26-40)

2. However, Jeroboam sinned grievously against God by setting up calf worship in Dan and Bethel to
prevent the 10 northern tribes from going to Jerusalem to worship and possibly fall under the
influence of Judah and give their allegiance to Rehoboam.
This was a political move and military strategy that miserably failed. God destroyed Jeroboam and
sent the 10 northern tribes into Assyrian captivity,(circa 721 B.C.), cutting them off from the house
of David.
The king of Assyria repopulated the land of Israel with foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, Aba,
Hamath, and from Sepharvaim. Thus the land was occupied by Gentiles and Israel (taken now to
mean the 10 northern tribes) were scattered throughout the land of Assyria. (2 Kings 17:23-24)
Thus, only one tribe remained in the kingdom of God, that of Judah. Through the prophet Hosea,
God said he would no longer have mercy on Israel, the 10 northern tribes, and that they would no
longer be called his people. (Hosea 1:4-9)
Yet, God promised a restoration of Israel, saying they would be as numerous as the sand of the
sea. However, this restoration would take place in the latter (last days), (Hosea 3:5), after Israel
had for a long time been without a king, prince, priesthood and priest.
Copyright (c) 2007 by William Bell. All Rights Reserved.
William Bell speaks regularly on Fulfilled Prophecy and is the author of The Re-Examination, a
study of Christ's first century return in glory. Find more articles on the end time at
http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com and http://lastdays-eschatology.net
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Bell,_Jr.
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The Truth About The Last Days, Antichrist, The Rapture, More.
http://www.teachingfaith.com/content.cfm?id=304
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