101 Eschatological Time Statements Found in the New Testament

 This post is just simply a list of the 101 verses found in the New Testament that prove that Jesus Christ and all of the New Testament authors believed that the rapture event and the end of the world would occur during their lifetimes.

101 Eschatological Time Statements found in the New Testament

1. “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2)

2. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?” (Matt. 3:7)

3. “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees.” (Matt. 3:10)

4. “His winnowing fork is in His hand.” (Matt. 3:12)

5. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17)

6. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:7)

7. “You shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.” (Matt. 10:23)

8. “…the age about to come.” (Matt. 12:32)

9. “The Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds.” (Matt. 16:27)

10. “There are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matt. 16:28; cf. Mk. 9:1; Lk. 9:27)

11. “‘When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?’ ‘…He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.’ ‘…Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.’ …When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.” (Matt. 21:40-41,43,45)

12. “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matt. 24:34)

13. “From now on, you [Caiaphas, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the whole Sanhedrin] shall be seeing the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:64; Mk. 14:62; Lk. 22:69)

14. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15)

15. “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. …They [the chief priests, scribes and elders] understood that He spoke the parable against them.” (Mk. 12:9,12)

16. “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Mk. 13:30)

17. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?” (Lk. 3:7)

18. “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees.” (Lk. 3:9)

19. “His winnowing fork is in His hand…” (Lk. 3:17)

20. “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Lk. 10:9)

21. “The kingdom of God has come near.” (Lk. 10:11)

22. “What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” …The scribes and the chief priests…understood that He spoke this parable against them.” (Lk. 20:15-16,19)

23. “These are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” (Lk. 21:22)

24. “This generation will not pass away until all things take place.” (Lk. 21:32)

25. “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.'” (Lk. 23:28-30; Compare Rev. 6:14-17)

26. “We were hoping that He was the One who is about to redeem Israel.” (Lk. 24:21)

27. “I will come to you. …In that Day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.’ …’Lord, what then has happened that You are about to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?'” (Jn. 14:18,20,22)

28. “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” (Jn. 21:22)

29. “This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days…'” (Acts 2:16-17)

30. “He has fixed a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness…” (Acts 17:31)

31. “There is about to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” (Acts 24:15)

32. “As he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment about to come…” (Acts 24:25)

33. “Not for [Abraham’s] sake only was it written, that [faith] was reckoned to him [as righteousness], but for our sake also, to whom it is about to be reckoned.” (Rom. 4:23-24)

34. “If you are living according to the flesh, you are about to die.” (Rom. 8:13)

35. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.” (Rom. 8:18)

36. “It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand.” (Rom. 13:11-12)

37. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom. 16:20)

38. “The time has been shortened.” (I Cor. 7:29)

39. “The form of this world is passing away.” (I Cor. 7:31)

40. “Now these things …were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (I Cor. 10:11)

41. “We shall not all fall sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (I Cor. 15:51-52)

42. “Maranatha!” [The Lord comes!] (I Cor. 16:22)

43. “…not only in this age, but also in the one about to come.” (Eph. 1:21)

44. “The Lord is near.” (Phil. 4:5)

45. “The gospel …was proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” (Col. 1:23; Compare Matt. 24:14; Rom. 10:18; 16:26; Col. 1:5-6; II Tim. 4:17; Rev. 14:6-7; cf. I Clement 5,7)

46. “…things which are a shadow of what is about to come.” (Col. 2:16-17)

47. “…we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord… We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds… …You, brethren, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief.” (I Thess. 4:15,17; 5:4)

48. “May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23)

49. “It is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” (II Thess. 1:6-7)

50. “Godliness …holds promise for the present life and that which is about to come.” (I Tim. 4:8)

51. “I charge you …that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Tim. 6:14)

52. “…storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for that which is about to come, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (I Tim. 6:19)

53. “In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self… …Avoid these men. For of these are those who enter into households and captivate weak women… …These also oppose the truth… …But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all…” (II Tim. 3:1-2,5-6,8-9)

54. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead…” (II Tim. 4:1)

55. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” (Heb. 1:1-2)

56. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who are about to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14)

57. “He did not subject to angels the world about to come.” (Heb. 2:5)

58. “…and have tasted …the powers of the age about to come.” (Heb. 6:5)

59. “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near a curse, and it’s end is for burning.” (Heb. 6:7-8)

60. “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” (Heb. 8:13)

61. “The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way of the [heavenly] Holy Places has not yet been revealed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” (Heb. 9:8-10; Compare Gal. 4:19; Eph. 2:21-22; 3:17; 4:13)

62. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things about to come…” (Heb. 9:11)

63. “Now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin.” (Heb. 9:26)

64. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things about to come…” (Heb. 10:1)

65. “…as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:25)

66. “…the fury of a fire which is about to consume the adversaries.” (Heb. 10:27)

67. “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” (Heb. 10:37)

68. “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one that is about to come.” (Heb. 13:14)

69. “Speak and so act, as those who are about to be judged by the law of liberty.” (Jms. 2:12)

70. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. …It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (Jms. 5:1,3)

71. “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” (Jms. 5:7)

72. “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (Jms. 5:8)

73. “…salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (I Peter 1:6)

74. “He …has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (I Peter 1:20)

75. “They shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (I Peter 4:5)

76. “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” (I Peter 4:7)

77. “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” (I Peter 4:17)

78. “…as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is about to be revealed.” (I Peter 5:1)

79. “We have the prophetic word …which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the Day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (II Peter 1:19)

80. “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (II Peter 2:3)

81. “In the last days mockers will come. …For this they willingly are ignorant of…” (I Peter 3:3,5)

82. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” (II Peter 3:10-12)

83. “The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” (I Jn. 2:8)

84. “The world is passing away, and its desires.” (I Jn. 2:17)

85. “It is the last hour.” (I Jn. 2:18)

86. “Even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.” (I Jn. 2:18; Compare Matt. 24:23-34)

87. “This is that of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (I Jn. 4:3; Compare II Thess. 2:7)

88. “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. …About these also Enoch …prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly…'” (Jude 1:4,14-15)

89. “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions…” (Jude 1:17-19)

90. “…to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place.” (Rev. 1:1)

91. “The time is near.” (Rev. 1:3)

92. “Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.” (Rev. 2:25)

93. “I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world.” (Rev. 3:10)

94. “I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 3:11)

95. “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is about to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” (Rev. 12:5)

96. “And in her [the Great City Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” (Rev. 18:24; Compare Matt. 23:35-36; Lk. 11:50-51)

97. “…to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.” (Rev. 22:6)

98. “Behold, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:7)

99. “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” (Rev. 22:10; Compare Dan. 8:26)

100. “Behold, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:12)

101. “Yes, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:20)

Christianity: A Failed First Century Apocalyptic Cult

 The Christian faith began its existence as a first century apocalyptic cult. There were many apocalyptic preachers wandering the cities and countryside of ancient Palestine. Jesus Christ just happens to be the most famous of them. Despite the fact that he is regarded as the founder and central figure of a major world religion now, back then there was hardly any mention of him at all. There are a few mentions of Jesus Christ by contemporary historians, most notably Josephus, but other than that the silence is resounding. This contemporary silence gives people who think Jesus is a myth some ammunition, but no serious biblical scholar doubts that a historical Jesus did exist, and it is a fact of history that he was crucified. 

What most people don't realize is how the Christian faith got its start. It began as a sect of Judaism who believed that they had found the Messiah in the apocalyptic preacher Jesus Christ. And it's easy to see in the Gospel of Mark how strongly apocalyptic the early Christian faith was. It's crystal clear from Scripture that the anonymous authors of the Gospels as well as all of the other New Testament authors clearly expected the rapture event and the end of the world to occur during their lifetimes. The apostle Paul speaks of "we who are alive and remain" in 1 Thessalonians 4. And the author of Hebrews asserts that in a "little while" Jesus will return in chapter 10. Jesus tells those who were standing before him that they would not taste death before he returned and the kingdom of God manifested with power (Mark 9:1). And in Matthew 10:23, Jesus tells his disciples that they will not go through all of the cities of Israel before the Son of Man returns. And there are over 100 verses in the New Testament that make it very clear that THE END was supposed to come back then, not thousands of years in the future. I have posted those verses elsewhere on this site.

But as time went on and Jesus didn't return, books such as 2 Peter were written and the apocalyptic message got muted until it was gone by the time that the Gospel of John was written. And over time the message of the Christian faith changed from an imminent apocalypse to a message of eternal salvation by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus had failed to return within the lifetimes of his disciples and the people of that era, so the message had to change. 

There is an excellent YouTube channel that I highly recommend called Escaping Christianity. The author of that channel, Robert Chalmers, does an excellent job of explaining these issues, and I would like to highlight several of his videos that I hope you will find very interesting and informative.

I encourage you to look around Robert's channel. He has lots of very interesting videos and information to share.

The Christian faith managed to survive the non-return of Jesus Christ and become a major world religion because the apocalyptic message got muted and the message changed to one of eternal salvation in Christ instead of an imminent first century apocalypse. Nevertheless, there are many Christians today who believe that the rapture is going to happen in our lifetimes, but they are doomed to disappointment just as the first century Christians were. Christians of every generation want to believe that theirs is the last and Jesus will return, and the apocalyptic message and prophecies get recycled over and over again.

For those interested, I highly recommend this book by Bible scholar Bart Ehrman.

Bart Ehrman also has a more recent book on the Book of Revelation that I also highly recommend. You can find it here on Amazon.

Why the New Testament is Wrong

 I was asked by a friend to explain why I believe that the New Testament is wrong, so that will be the topic of what may be a lengthy post. 

The New Testament contains the writings of a failed first century apocalyptic cult. It is crystal clear from their writings that the biblical authors clearly expected the return of Jesus Christ within their lifetimes, not 2000 years in the future. There are over 100 scriptures in the New Testament that make it very clear that the rapture event and the end of the world were supposed to have happened back then, and here they are:

101 Eschatological Time Statements found in the New Testament

1. “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2)

2. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?” (Matt. 3:7)

3. “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees.” (Matt. 3:10)

4. “His winnowing fork is in His hand.” (Matt. 3:12)

5. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17)

6. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:7)

7. “You shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.” (Matt. 10:23)

8. “…the age about to come.” (Matt. 12:32)

9. “The Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds.” (Matt. 16:27)

10. “There are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matt. 16:28; cf. Mk. 9:1; Lk. 9:27)

11. “‘When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?’ ‘…He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.’ ‘…Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.’ …When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.” (Matt. 21:40-41,43,45)

12. “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matt. 24:34)

13. “From now on, you [Caiaphas, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the whole Sanhedrin] shall be seeing the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:64; Mk. 14:62; Lk. 22:69)

14. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15)

15. “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. …They [the chief priests, scribes and elders] understood that He spoke the parable against them.” (Mk. 12:9,12)

16. “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Mk. 13:30)

17. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?” (Lk. 3:7)

18. “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees.” (Lk. 3:9)

19. “His winnowing fork is in His hand…” (Lk. 3:17)

20. “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Lk. 10:9)

21. “The kingdom of God has come near.” (Lk. 10:11)

22. “What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” …The scribes and the chief priests…understood that He spoke this parable against them.” (Lk. 20:15-16,19)

23. “These are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” (Lk. 21:22)

24. “This generation will not pass away until all things take place.” (Lk. 21:32)

25. “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.'” (Lk. 23:28-30; Compare Rev. 6:14-17)

26. “We were hoping that He was the One who is about to redeem Israel.” (Lk. 24:21)

27. “I will come to you. …In that Day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.’ …’Lord, what then has happened that You are about to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?'” (Jn. 14:18,20,22)

28. “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” (Jn. 21:22)

29. “This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days…'” (Acts 2:16-17)

30. “He has fixed a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness…” (Acts 17:31)

31. “There is about to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” (Acts 24:15)

32. “As he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment about to come…” (Acts 24:25)

33. “Not for [Abraham’s] sake only was it written, that [faith] was reckoned to him [as righteousness], but for our sake also, to whom it is about to be reckoned.” (Rom. 4:23-24)

34. “If you are living according to the flesh, you are about to die.” (Rom. 8:13)

35. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.” (Rom. 8:18)

36. “It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand.” (Rom. 13:11-12)

37. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom. 16:20)

38. “The time has been shortened.” (I Cor. 7:29)

39. “The form of this world is passing away.” (I Cor. 7:31)

40. “Now these things …were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (I Cor. 10:11)

41. “We shall not all fall sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (I Cor. 15:51-52)

42. “Maranatha!” [The Lord comes!] (I Cor. 16:22)

43. “…not only in this age, but also in the one about to come.” (Eph. 1:21)

44. “The Lord is near.” (Phil. 4:5)

45. “The gospel …was proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” (Col. 1:23; Compare Matt. 24:14; Rom. 10:18; 16:26; Col. 1:5-6; II Tim. 4:17; Rev. 14:6-7; cf. I Clement 5,7)

46. “…things which are a shadow of what is about to come.” (Col. 2:16-17)

47. “…we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord… We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds… …You, brethren, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief.” (I Thess. 4:15,17; 5:4)

48. “May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23)

49. “It is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” (II Thess. 1:6-7)

50. “Godliness …holds promise for the present life and that which is about to come.” (I Tim. 4:8)

51. “I charge you …that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Tim. 6:14)

52. “…storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for that which is about to come, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (I Tim. 6:19)

53. “In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self… …Avoid these men. For of these are those who enter into households and captivate weak women… …These also oppose the truth… …But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all…” (II Tim. 3:1-2,5-6,8-9)

54. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead…” (II Tim. 4:1)

55. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” (Heb. 1:1-2)

56. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who are about to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14)

57. “He did not subject to angels the world about to come.” (Heb. 2:5)

58. “…and have tasted …the powers of the age about to come.” (Heb. 6:5)

59. “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near a curse, and it’s end is for burning.” (Heb. 6:7-8)

60. “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” (Heb. 8:13)

61. “The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way of the [heavenly] Holy Places has not yet been revealed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” (Heb. 9:8-10; Compare Gal. 4:19; Eph. 2:21-22; 3:17; 4:13)

62. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things about to come…” (Heb. 9:11)

63. “Now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin.” (Heb. 9:26)

64. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things about to come…” (Heb. 10:1)

65. “…as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:25)

66. “…the fury of a fire which is about to consume the adversaries.” (Heb. 10:27)

67. “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” (Heb. 10:37)

68. “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one that is about to come.” (Heb. 13:14)

69. “Speak and so act, as those who are about to be judged by the law of liberty.” (Jms. 2:12)

70. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. …It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (Jms. 5:1,3)

71. “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” (Jms. 5:7)

72. “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (Jms. 5:8)

73. “…salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (I Peter 1:6)

74. “He …has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (I Peter 1:20)

75. “They shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (I Peter 4:5)

76. “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” (I Peter 4:7)

77. “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” (I Peter 4:17)

78. “…as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is about to be revealed.” (I Peter 5:1)

79. “We have the prophetic word …which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the Day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (II Peter 1:19)

80. “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (II Peter 2:3)

81. “In the last days mockers will come. …For this they willingly are ignorant of…” (I Peter 3:3,5)

82. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” (II Peter 3:10-12)

83. “The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” (I Jn. 2:8)

84. “The world is passing away, and its desires.” (I Jn. 2:17)

85. “It is the last hour.” (I Jn. 2:18)

86. “Even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.” (I Jn. 2:18; Compare Matt. 24:23-34)

87. “This is that of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (I Jn. 4:3; Compare II Thess. 2:7)

88. “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. …About these also Enoch …prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly…'” (Jude 1:4,14-15)

89. “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions…” (Jude 1:17-19)

90. “…to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place.” (Rev. 1:1)

91. “The time is near.” (Rev. 1:3)

92. “Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.” (Rev. 2:25)

93. “I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world.” (Rev. 3:10)

94. “I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 3:11)

95. “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is about to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” (Rev. 12:5)

96. “And in her [the Great City Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” (Rev. 18:24; Compare Matt. 23:35-36; Lk. 11:50-51)

97. “…to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.” (Rev. 22:6)

98. “Behold, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:7)

99. “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” (Rev. 22:10; Compare Dan. 8:26)

100. “Behold, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:12)

101. “Yes, I am coming quickly.” (Rev. 22:20)

I would like to highlight a couple of those verses:

“You shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.” (Matt. 10:23)

“There are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matt. 16:28; cf. Mk. 9:1; Lk. 9:27)

Did either of those things happen? No. And the people who were standing before Jesus who were not supposed to taste death died waiting for Jesus Christ to return. And the non-return of Jesus soon became a major problem for the Church, which is why the Book of 2 Peter was written.

This is an interesting and important brief discussion on how the apocalyptic message of Jesus Christ was muted over time due to his non-return. The biblical authors were clearly expecting Jesus to return during their lifetimes, and when that didn't happen, the message had to be changed. 

The Christian message went from being about the imminent apocalypse to being about eternal salvation.

The discussion I am about to share comes from this book.

It's very important to realize that when the New Testament authors were writing their books, they mined the Jewish scriptures for what they could use and apply to Jesus Christ. In doing so, they often changed and abused the text. In these videos, Rabbi Tovia Singer discusses these changes and abuses of the Jewish scriptures. Please take the time to watch all of the following videos. They are well worth the time to watch, and you will gain quite an education!

One of the major reasons that the Jews reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah is because he didn't accomplish anything that the Messiah was supposed to do. Just a simple Google search brings this up:

Jesus didn't accomplish any of those things, and the Second Coming when he will supposedly do them is a Christian invention not supported by Scripture. 

But what about Isaiah 53? Here is Rabbi Singer again:

What about Psalm 22? Doesn't that predict Christ's crucifixion centuries before it happened?

What about Isaiah 7?

What about Isaiah 9?

What about Genesis 3:15?

What about the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Didn't it really happen?

So... this pretty much sums up why the New Testament is wrong. The Christian faith began as a failed apocalyptic cult, and it survived to become a major world religion because even after Jesus failed to return within the lifetimes of the New Testament authors and the people back then as promised, the faith became about eternal salvation rather than the imminent apocalypse. 

There are many Christians today who are expecting the rapture event to occur during our lifetimes, and they are expecting the end of the world as well. What they fail to realize is that the rapture event was one of the failed predictions and expectations of this apocalyptic cult. It didn't happen back then and it is not going to happen in our present day. The Bible reflects the times in which it was written, and I don't believe that it speaks about the distant future or our current day at all. I strongly recommend this book by Bible scholar Bart Ehrman. He has a newer book on Revelation that I highly recommend as well, and you can find both books easily on Amazon.

Jesus Christ: Not the Jewish Messiah!

 I used to be a very strong and committed Christian, but since I have been listening to Jewish rabbis Michael Skobac and Tovia Singer explain why they don't accept Jesus Christ or the New Testament, that has changed. I am ex-Christian and currently agnostic. I strongly doubt that God exists because He never thinks, says, or does anything at all except in the minds of religious believers. But I have a healthy respect for Judaism and I am interested in learning a lot more about it. 

I no longer believe that Jesus Christ was the Jewish Messiah because he didn't accomplish anything that the Messiah is supposed to do, and the Second Coming of Jesus when he will supposedly accomplish these things is a Christian invention that is not supported by Scripture. Just a simple Google search brought these Messianic requirements up, and of course Jesus didn't accomplish any of it.

I plan to study and learn much more about Judaism in the near future, and I may even decide to attend a synagogue. 

I have always questioned the resurrection of Jesus Christ and wondered if it really did happen, but I'm convinced now that the answer is no. Jews for Judaism has an excellent video that explains how the myth of the resurrection of Jesus began and evolved over time.

The Character of God

 Christians would like for us to believe that God is infinitely holy, absolutely righteous, and perfectly good, but how can we given the many verses and passages in Scripture that make God look evil? He commands mass murder and genocide, and the killing of women, children, and infants. And if we don't believe in him and serve him, he threatens to throw us in an eternal lake of fire. How can we call God good given that this is the case? I offer this video from Kristi Burke for your consideration. 

Richard Dawkins and Dan Barker wrote a book concerning the character of the biblical God which you can find here.

Why We Believe in Gods

 I used to believe very strongly in God, but not anymore. I'm generally only religious when I am in the manic phase of my bipolar illness anyway. The biggest clue for me that God doesn't actually exist is this: God never thinks, says, or does anything at all except in the minds of religious believers. We understand quite well now how the natural world works, and we have no need to appeal to a god or the supernatural to explain anything. And even if we did say, "God did it!", that really explains nothing. I offer this video for your consideration. It's fifteen years old as of this writing, but it is still excellent.

If you happen to be interested in bipolar disorder and the associated manic religiosity, I wrote a book on the subject several years ago. You can find it here.

How Ancient Jewish Apocalyptic Esotericism Laid the Foundations of Christianity

 Christians believe and will insist that Jesus Christ was and is God, but it was actually ancient Jewish apocalyptic esotericism that laid the foundations of the Christian faith, and the Christian faith actually began as a failed apocalyptic cult. The apostle Paul's vision as recorded in 2 Corinthians 12 set the stage for the Christian faith, and it is very likely that Paul was a practitioner of Jewish ascent mysticism. I offer this video for your consideration.

I would also like to recommend Bart Ehrman's excellent book, "How Jesus Became God", which you can find here.

How Yahweh Became God

 Christians regard Yahweh as Almighty God, the only real and true God. But they are generally blissfully unaware of the origins of their own God. Yahweh actually began as a tribal war and storm god, and his development from an ancient tribal deity to the God of billions of modern people can be traced. And I offer these videos for your consideration.

300 Prophecies of Jesus? Part 2

GENESIS 5:24

(Allegedly fulfilled in Mark 16:19 and Revelation 12:5)

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Is this verse considered a prophecy? No. 

Does this verse say anything at all about Jesus Christ or the rapture event mentioned and predicted by Paul and others in the New Testament? No.

__________________________________________________________________________________

GENESIS 9:26-27

(The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem)

(Allegedly Fulfilled in Luke 3:23-36)

GENESIS 12:3

(The Seed of Abraham Will Bless All Nations)

(Supposedly Fulfilled in Galatians 3:8 and Acts 3:25,26)

If true, this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, though Christians often use it when Israel goes to war or antisemitism arises somewhere in the world. But just quoting a scripture as these New Testament authors did is not a fulfillment of it!

GENESIS 12:7

(The Promise Made to Abraham's Seed)

(Allegedly Fulfilled in Galatians 3:16)

Galatians 3:16 is simply an explanation of what Genesis 12:7 means, not a fulfillment of it!

GENESIS 14:18

(A Priest After the Order of Melchizedek, King and Priest of Righteousness, Last Supper Foreshadowed)

This verse allegedly has multiple fulfillments in Hebrews 6:20, Hebrews 7:2, and Matthew 26:26-29. The alleged fulfillment in Hebrews 6:20 and Hebrews 7:2 are simply assertions and definitions, and the Book of Hebrews itself is anonymously written. Some Christians say that Paul wrote it and others guess that Barnabas may have written it, but no one knows for sure. Claiming that this verse foreshadows the Last Supper in Matthew is also simply an assertion with little or nothing to back it up. There is no fulfillment here in these verses of Genesis 14:18.

GENESIS 17:19

(Seed of Isaac, allegedly fulfilled in Romans 9:7)

Romans 9:7 is part of an explanation of Genesis 17:19, not a fulfillment.

GENESIS 22:8

(The Lamb of God Promised, allegedly fulfilled in John 1:29)

Genesis 22 contains the story of God testing Abraham by offering up Isaac, while John contains the story of the baptism of Jesus. The two stories are not connected in any way, and John 1:29 certainly is not a fulfillment of Genesis 22:8!

GOD: Does He Exist?

 

Does God actually exist? People on both sides of the fence have been arguing about this for thousands of years, and I don't claim to have the definitive answer. But I do have what to me is a huge clue, and that is this: God never thinks, says, or does anything at all except in the minds of religious believers. I personally hope that there is a God and some sort of an afterlife that isn't defined by any of our current religions. But that is just a hope based on emotions. I don't have any evidence other than that I believe that my father contacted me the night he died to let me know that he was okay. But that too is emotional and subjective. 

But if God does exist, why has He never done anything that we can point to and say, "God did that!" except in ancient holy books? This is why I don't believe that God, at least as He is defined by our religions, actually exists. But I welcome your thoughts on this subject if you care to share them. 😀

This is a great talk on this subject that I watched years ago.

Over 300 Prophecies Prove Jesus?

 Many Christians make the bold claim that there are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that prove that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. This claim is simply false. There are actually no mentions of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament scriptures. What the authors of the New Testament have done is to mine the Jewish scriptures for verses or passages that sound like they could refer to Jesus. But upon investigation and critical scrutiny, the claim falls apart. This post is going to be a work in progress that I plan to update frequently until I have addressed the 300+ prophecies and given their refutations. So please keep checking back! But to begin, I offer this video from Jews for Judaism for your consideration.

I challenge you to go to this site and look up all of the supposed prophecies that allegedly refer to Jesus. Read the scriptures in context and ask yourself if they could really apply to Jesus Christ or not. Go to YouTube and look up relevant videos from channels such as Jews for Judaism and The Exodus Project. I believe that you will find that there are actually no references to Jesus Christ in the Jewish scriptures, and they know how to read and interpret their own scriptures better than Christians do. 

GENESIS 3:15 IS NOT ABOUT JESUS

Isaiah 53 is Not About Jesus!

 I find the Jewish perspective on Jesus Christ and the Christian faith very interesting and compelling. They have a very strong case for Jesus not being their Messiah. But I offer these videos for your consideration. Please remember that we should not base our beliefs on our emotions or what we might wish was true. Facts matter!

THE END OF THE WORLD IS NEAR!!

 

For thousands of years now, religious people have been predicting the End of the World, and so far they are enjoying a well deserved 100% failure rate. To update the above image by a few years, Jesus didn't return and the world didn't end in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, or so far 2024. 

For a comprehensive list of failed rapture and End of the World predictions, see this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events

You would think that after hundreds and even thousands of years, religious people would figure out that no one can predict when or even if the world is ever going to end. But knowing them, if humanity is still here in 2000 years, there will be religious people still predicting THE END! 🙄

The Flat Earth and Biblical Events

 

The Bible is a flat Earth book from cover to cover, and indeed, several critically important biblical events depend on the flatness of the Earth. The biblical universe is small, three-tiered, the earth is flat, and it is covered by a solid dome firmament in which the stars are fixed. Our universe as the Bible describes it looks similar to this:

As you can see, Heaven is located just above the firmament, the Earth is flat and supported by pillars. 

The biblical doctrines affected by the flat earth cosmology of the Bible are numerous. But they include the baptism of Jesus Christ, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the ascension of Jesus Christ, the temptation of Jesus by Satan, the rapture event, and probably more than I can think of at the moment. 

Let's start with the baptism of Jesus. When Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, God is assumed to be within speaking distance so that He can declare that Jesus should be believed and trusted. That might be possible in the biblical universe, but not the real universe that we know we reside in now. The ancient Hebrews believed that Heaven was close by, just above the firmament. So it makes sense that God could speak and be heard if Heaven is not far away. But now we know that there is only the vastness of our solar system and interstellar space once we leave Earth's atmosphere.

We have the same issue with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Heaven is assumed to be close by, and from just above the firmament, God the Father turned away from Jesus while he was atoning for our sins on the cross. 

And then there is the Flood event related to us in the Book of Genesis. The Bible speaks of the windows of Heaven being opened so that the waters above the firmament could be released onto the Earth. So it wasn't a global flood because the Earth was not believed to be spherical. The Flood only had to cover the flat Earth. But even so, there is no geological evidence that a worldwide Flood has ever occurred, and the human population has never been whittled down to just eight people on a boat. The Flood story is a myth with numerous serious problems that render it impossible to believe as told in Scripture.

In the temptation of Jesus by Satan as related in Matthew 4, Satan shows Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world and offers them to him if he will worship him. This would only be possible on a flat Earth!

And what about Isaiah 40:22?

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

This verse is often used by Christian apologists to try to deny that the Bible teaches a flat Earth, but it actually proves just that! The earth is a flat circle, and on what do you spread out a curtain? A flat surface! And God can see everyone on the Earth at the same time, and from His viewpoint above the firmament they are small enough to appear as grasshoppers. But this would only be possible on a flat Earth!

What about the ascension of Jesus after his resurrection? Where did he go? Heaven was assumed to be just above the firmament, not far away at all. But now we know that there is only the vastness of our solar system and interstellar space beyond our atmosphere. So where did Jesus go? There is no Heaven above a solid dome firmament in which the stars are fixed in the real universe, so did he fill up billions of galaxies with his divine presence? Reminding me of Star Trek V, what does Jesus need with a star ship? 

And last but not least, what about the rapture event? This is a false doctrine taken from an ancient failed apocalyptic cult, but if it was for real, how would it work unless the Earth is flat? How would Jesus gather people from around a globe? What about the lack of oxygen and the high winds in the upper atmosphere? What about the cold temperatures? If the Earth really was flat, then maybe these issues wouldn't exist, but on a globe you can't float upward to a specific location in the clouds, unless you just say, "God did it!", which explains nothing. 

I offer these images for your consideration:

Those images are taken from a PDF provided by the Informed Christians YouTube channel. 

So... there is a lot that doesn't work or make sense in the Christian faith unless the Earth really is flat, and of course we know now that it is a sphere. To me, these realities bring the truth of the Christian faith into serious doubt. But I find it impossible to believe for many reasons other than the structure of the universe or the shape of the Earth...