Why do protestants always quote the OT and apply it to current situati

[Church Punk]

I just received an email from Pat Robertsons organization called Isreal alert, and he wanted to sound the alarm that the coming of Christ is soon and quoted Ezekiel 38 as evidance....

[quote name='Pat Robertson']The 38th chapter of the book of Ezekiel talks about an invasion of Israel in the latter days by forces from Iran, Russia, Libya, and the Sudan. Could we be on the verge of this united invasion of Israel -- a land whose people have been gathered back from the nations in the latter days?[/quote]

But when I read my bible it only talks about a battle that is now part of history. The battle spoken about in Ez. 38 is clearly a battle that the ancient Jewish nation faced that was prophesied about by Ezekiel.

I guess this is what happens when interpetation of scripture is left up to the reader not a higher authority.

[chris]

Let see, after reading his message...Does this have anything to do with his belife on the rapture? Because, I have read his stuff before and thats all he has been talking about.

Edited August 4, 2006 by Convert4888

[Church Punk]

Here is everything in that email.


[url="http://www.cbn.com/special/jerusalemcalltoprayer/prayerpledge.asp"]Full Story Here[/url]


And for those who dont know... Ez:38

[quote name='Ez:38 (DRV)']1 ¶ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Mosoch and Thubal: and prophesy of him,
3 And say to him: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I come against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Mosoch and Thubal.
4 And I will turn thee about, and I will put a bit in thy jaws: and I will bring thee forth, and all thy army, horses and horsemen all clothed with coats of mail, a great multitude, armed with spears and shields and swords.
5 The Persians, Ethiopians, and Libyans with them, all with shields and helmets.
6 Gomer, and all his bands, the house of Thogorma, the northern parts and all his strength, and many peoples with thee.
7 Prepare and make thyself ready, and all thy multitude that is assembled about thee, and be thou commander over them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: at the end of years thou shalt come to the land that is returned from the sword, and is gathered out of many nations, to the mountains of Israel which have been continually waste: but it hath been brought forth out of the nations, and they shall all of them dwell securely in it.
9 And thou shalt go up and come like a storm, and like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy bands and many people with thee.
10 Thus saith the Lord God: In that day projects shall enter into thy heart, and thou shalt conceive a mischievous design.
11 And thou shalt say: I will go up to the land which is without a wall, I will come to them that are at rest, and dwell securely: all these dwell without a wall, they have no bars nor gates:
12 To take spoils, and lay hold on the prey, to lay thy hand upon them that had been wasted, and afterwards restored, and upon the people that is gathered together out of the nations, which hath begun to possess and to dwell in the midst of the earth.
13 Saba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tharsis, and all the lions thereof shall say to thee: Art thou come to take spoils? behold, thou hast gathered thy multitude to take a prey, to take silver, and gold, and to carry away goods and substance, and to take rich spoils.
14 ¶ Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: Thus saith the Lord God: Shalt thou not know, in that day, when my people of Israel shall dwell securely?
15 And thou shalt come out of thy place from the northern parts, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army.
16 And thou shalt come upon my people of Israel like a cloud, to cover the earth. Thou shalt be in the latter days, and I will bring thee upon my land: that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord God: Thou then art he, of whom I have spoken in the days of old, by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in the days of those times that I would bring thee upon them.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, in the day of the coming of Gog upon the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my indignation shall come up in my wrath.
19 And I have spoken in my zeal, and in the fire of my anger, that in that day there shall be a great commotion upon the land of Israel:
20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground, and all men that are upon the face of the earth, shall be moved at my presence: and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the hedges shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21 And I will call in the sword against him in all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be pointed against his brother.
22 And I will judge him with pestilence, and with blood, and with violent rain, and vast hailstones: I will rain fire and brimstone upon him, and upon his army, and upon the many nations that are with him.
23 And I will be magnified, and I will be sanctified: and I will be known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord.
(DRV)[/quote]

[thessalonian]

The scriptures, though they have literal fullfillments are a shadow of things to come. Ever heard the phrase "history repeats itself", so I don't think it's completely unjustifed. But they definitely go way overboard with it. The Church does teach that Christ will come again and before that there will be great events and tribulations, some of it involving the middleast very likely, as the Jews still are God's choosen people. The Bible even tells us there will be signs of what is to come. But the Protestants go way over board in trying to figure it all out. Don't let it bother you too much. It's just them.

I think it was St. Alphonsus who was playing chess and someone asked him, what would you do if you knew the world was coming to an end and Jesus was returning. He said "continue playing chess". In other words be ready for the day of the Lord. If you are you have nothing to worry about and no reason to try and figure out what only God knows the day or the hour of.

Having said all of this there are ominous signs these days that show we are closer to this event than we were yesterday.

Blessings

[quote name='Convert4888' post='1037368' date='Aug 4 2006, 08:12 AM']
Let see, after reading his message...Does this have anything to do with his belife on the rapture? Because, I have read his stuff before and thats all he has been talking about.
[/quote]


Yes. They think they are not going to have to ride out the tribulation. Fact is Christians will have to go through it. But we will go through it without fear. Trusting in God.

Edited August 4, 2006 by thessalonian

[chris]

Yeah, I saw it and alot of that stuff has to do with the end times and the pre, post, and mid tribulation rapture.

Ez:38...My grandparents use this alot to tell me about the coming rapture and end of the world. Its not bad to believe in the rapture but, If you think that Christ's secound coming has 2 parts and you can have a "why polish brass on a sinking ship mentality" then Ez. 38 starts to sound good.

I believe its all a bad misinterpretation

Edited August 4, 2006 by Convert4888