Four Failures in Understanding Bible Prophecy: by O. P.

Armstrong, November 2013

Should students of bible prophecy question failures to understand the timing for our Lords return? This topic is not a put-down of others work but rather a honest inquiry about reasons for interpretation failures. Some failed dates are 2010, 2012, 1988, 1950, 1933, 1844, and a very long list going back to the early Christianity. At first glance, the prediction issue would seem very simple. For scripture states believers are not to be ignorant of the Lords return, that we may understand these thing as simple as weather patterns and what is point of scripture inclusion of such topics, should the meanings be completely hidden? The four failures seem to be Incorrect: 1) starting point; 2) End Point; 3) Calibration; and, 4) Duration. An acronym would be iSECD or I-secd. 1. Starting Point The starting point to understanding scripture is to recognize it as a love letter to a lost lover, Adam where art thou? Thus the focus of scripture is: the fall of man; the restoration of man; and last, the eternal disposition of man. For just as with the first Adam sin and death entered humanity, so by the Last Adam, man can be restored to eternal right standing with God. All other facts are parenthetical insertions to better understand the main story. The correct starting point is the fall of man from Holy Communion. Prior to this event, there was no need for mankinds redemption, nor a new creation. After the fall, a grand plan of restoration was initiated, Adam where art thou? A minor start point is when the imposter attempts to usurp to position of God, then final judgment begins. This is known as the start of the tribulation. 2. Duration The duration for the master plan of the ages is seven days of one thousand years each. There were provided some parenthetical insertions to facilitate understanding of the main story. The main story is that after the fall, all creation is corrupt and this corruption is to be eternally dispensed. This will be accomplished by putting away all stumbling blocks to perfection and making a new creation. The duration consists of three equal parts of 2,000 years each and one thousand year day of rest.

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Four Failures in Understanding Bible Prophecy: by O. P. Armstrong, November 2013

3. Calibration Calibration of the grand 7 days into Gregorian Time only requires knowledge of one break point between these epochs. That point is the establishment of the Kingdom of God with Jesus Baptism at River Jordan by the holy Saint John, about 27AD. This break point is between days 4 & 5. That corresponds to 4,000 years elapsed time since Adams fall and 3000 years yet into the future unto the manifestation of the new earth. 4. End point The correct end point of the 7 millennial days of the old creation is the instant of new creation, in the beginning God created . Some take the new beginning to be the end of the rest day. It is this writers position that the end is when the new creation begins. This will be after the final Gog Magog war of evil upon the city of Jerusalem. After that follows eternal banishment of evil to never affect the new spotless creation. Then and only then shall the new creation start. Logically speaking, why make a new heaven and earth when the spoiler of this era still lurks about? Also looking at things from a biblical day pattern, a day starts in evening. The darkness of the fall was the start of the seven creation days and end is with the start of the new creation. Gen1:5 And the evening and the morning were the first day Below are some charts for improved visualization of these concepts.

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Four Failures in Understanding Bible Prophecy: by O. P. Armstrong, November 2013

Below are some listed comments of Christian writers from about 1917 regarding Christ return: 1. A.B. Simpson, The Coming One, 1912, P196 the year 1934 .. expect some glorious consummation
2. H. G. Guinness, Light For the Last Days, 1881, P678 the years 1923 1917 & 1933 were proposed as termination as Daniels timelines. 3. C. Larkin, Second Coming of Jesus Christ 1918 If our inference is correct, then it follows that the Return of the Lord will take place before the close of this present century. How much before is uncertain. If the Millennium is to start in A.D. 2000, then the "Rapture" must take place at least 7 years before that. See Chart No. 5, on "The Seven Thousand Years of Human History." But right here we must sound a note of caution. There is too much confusion in Biblical Chronology to fix any dates with certainty. Doubtless God has ordered it so, so as to keep us in doubt as to the exact date of the Lord's Return. It may have been 4075 years, instead of 4004 (as generally given), from Adam to Christ. In that case we are living in the year 5993 from the creation of Adam, or on the eve of the Rapture. Again we must not forget that God uses in "Prophetical Chronology" the Calendar Year of 360 days to a year, while we use the Julian or Astronomical Year of 365% days, and it would be necessary for us to find out what kind of year is used and reduce it to the Calendar year. Thus we might find that we are nearer the end of the six thousandth year than we are aware, and that the Return of the Lord is IMMINENT. However, while we may look upon the above theory as suggestive and in a way confirmatory of the near coming of the Lord, it is not conclusive, and we are not warranted in fixing any date based upon it. And further, we must not forget that the "Rapture" may take place sometime before the "Tribulation Period" begins and Antichrist is revealed. So if we could fix the exact date when this century will close, and count back 7 years, the Rapture might occur 5, 10 or even 25 years before that, so as to give time for the rebuilding of Babylon and other events that are to occur before the Tribulation Period can begin, otherwise the Rapture would not be a surprise. It is not for the Christian to look for "Times" and "Seasons" and "Signs." To do so will put him in the class of those who say: "My Lord delayeth His Coming" (Luke 12:42-48). and he will become preoccupied with other things and neglect to be watchful. Let us live as if we expected the Return of our Lord at any moment.

Because TBC method of bible chronology starts from the fall of man, it is easy to reconcile with most chronological works. For example using Guinness or Ussher Chronology 4004BC AM, means Adam was 30 years old at age of sin. Using the so called Clinton Chronology AM 4138BC, pg 679 ATE, places Adams age at time of sin to be 164 years. Of course, not every chronology can be reconciled to TBC ages. For example Seder Olam revised chronology has creation at 3924BC or about 50 years before Adam by TBC method.
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This chart is included because some like to say we are in the tribulation time now. Have of the worlds population died, or all the earth moved , or 1/3 of all sea life gone? These events will be cataclysmic and better viewed as an observer from heaven than as a participant.

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Appendix Balfour Century Determined Times

Jesus baptism by John began the Kingdom Epoch. If time is linear, then knowing one point in the divine calendar allows mapping all other seven days into Gregorian time. Whilst there may be minor disputing about the precise counting of the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, etc, all concur to within a few years (range 26AD to 29AD). The birth of Jesus in Year 4BC fits within both historical and prophetic documentation. The Biblical Seven Days of Creation teach us to consider that God shall complete all his work with fallen mankind and make a new creation in seven days of one thousand years each. And I saw a New heaven and a New Earth spake John in his Revelation. Go page 1

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Appendix Figure 2B

The birth of Jesus in Year 4BC fits within both historical and prophetic documentation.

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