From the early Church fathers until the Reformation, the generally accepted view of Bible prophecy was “linear historic,” that Revelation was in the process of being fulfilled throughout the Christian Era. But in the 16th and 17th centuries, two new views of Bible prophecy were devised by Jesuit priests to stop the Reformers from teaching that the Catholic Church hierarchy was probably the “whore of Babylon” of Revelation 17:3-6.
(Jesuit No. 1) In 1591AD, the Jesuit Ribera invented the Futurist View. He claimed that Revelation would not be fulfilled until the very end of the Christian Era. Ribera taught a rebuilt Babylon, a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and an end-time Antichrist, etc., etc. Sound familiar? It should, Ribera is the father of the prophetic views taught by such notables as Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe and Benny Hinn.
(Jesuit No. 2) The Reformers didn’t buy Ribera’s attempt at creative theology so in 1614AD, the Jesuit Alcazar came up with an even more dubious view. He claimed that the book of Revelation was fulfilled by 70AD with the fall of Jerusalem. Preterism, as the view is now called, endorses Replacement Theology: a belief that God is totally finished with the physical descendants of Abraham and that the Church is the true Israel of the Christian Era. A cerebral doctrine, perhaps, but the new nation of Israel in the Holy Land makes the view untenable.
Bible Prophecy And The Church
Obviously, those early Jesuits had a doctrinal axe to grind and the Reformers knew it, so one wonders why so many Protestant churches now endorse 400 year old Jesuit doctrines that don’t fit today’s realities. For example, during the 80's, the Cold War was just inches from running hot and the Church’s prophetic leaders were trumpeting -- in unison -- that the USSR was the final enemy of the Church. Supposedly, the Seven Year Great Tribulation was just about to begin, and Antichrist? Oh, he was lurking out there too, just itching to take over the world. As their story went, Antichrist had to be the Pope or maybe one of those godless leaders from the USSR.
Well guess what, those prophetic hobnobs soon discovered they were wrong, but they clung to their faulty doctrines anyway, and still do. Skolfield is the only Bible teacher we know of, who, because of Bible prophecy, had the Islamic World on his radar screen in the late 70's.
Bible Prophecy And The Tribulation
You see, something funny happened to Skolfield on his way to the Seven Year Tribulation. Believe it or not, the Scriptures used to support Ribera’s views had just been fulfilled in the new nation of Israel! Bible prophecy predicted the founding of new Israel in 1948! It predicted Jerusalem again under Jewish control in 1967! It also predicted the coming of Islam right to the year! Skolfield explained all this to over 150 pastors, only to be told, “Oh no, you’ve got it all wrong, The Tribulation will be here soon and so will the Antichrist. You’ll see.”
Bible Prophecy And The Terrorists
Well, Skolfield never did see, and nothing they said was going to happen ever happened. Instead, we see Israel and the rest of the Middle East now centered on the world’s stage just as the Bible predicted. 9/11 was our wake-up call from hell and we can now see the final enemy of the Church and Israel: It’s Islam and the murderous terrorists that religion supports! Many are beginning to see our coming conflict with the Islamic world, but Skolfield has been warning us about it for over 25 years. Even today, some claim his prophetic conclusions were ridiculous even though everything he wrote about came true.
Bible Prophecy And Preterism
About Preterism, little more need be said. The existence of the new nation of Israel is that false doctrine’s death-knell. Some still defend the view despite the irrefutable evidence of their own eyes: A new nation of Israel chock full of Jews is in the Holy Land right now, no waiting. The star of David flies over the battlements of Jerusalem once again, just like the Bible said it would.
70th Week
Islam in the End of Times
Bifids & Chiasms
The Antichrist Myth
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Eschatology
ReplyDeleteThe Mark of the Beast
My Interview with SIOTW
My Testimony
Ellis Skolfield's Daniel & Revelation DVD series
ReplyDeleteEllis Skolfield's "The False Prophet" Book & YouTube Video Discussions
ReplyDeleteFrom Guest_RichS_*
ReplyDeleteThe question was asked if any knew or met Ellis Skolfield. Some 20 years ago, I was give a copy of Hidden Beast II to read.
After so many years of fumbling along with the standard Evangelical teachings, none of which I could confirm in scripture, I found this book a Godsend! It not only confirmed some of the thinking I had, but opened my eyes to the scriptures. Every teaching I found to be based entirely upon scripture, and nothing contained in it was either the author's opinion or someone elses.
I have e-mail and phone calls, and in 2006 a contintental trip ended up in Ft Meyers where I met a very humble man who loves the saviour! He is well up in years, and functioning on a partial heart. His wife, Margrit, was at deaths doorstep with a brain tumor, yet he took time to have lunch with us and discuss some of the aspects of the teaching he does.
I have his book on Daniel, which was an earlier effort and is incorporated into the False Prophet and Islam in the Last Days. I also have a copy of Demons in the Church, which has been out of print for some time, and several copies of The Shining Man With Hurt Hands which is about another ministry that he had. I have four disc presentation that he did in a lecture format, as well as the accompanying teaching discs.
What do I think. My spirit witnesses within me that his teachings are correct. I search no more and am content that the truth of what I have read is accurate. His understanding of figurative language as oppossed to literal translation is probably one of the most important cornerstones. His discovery of the bifidic nature of the Hebrew writings further explains many mysterys.
Isaiah and Revelation are two major books that this type of Hebrew thinking is used. Despite the Greek language used in Revelation, the words were still written by a Hebrew, John.
If you don't have a copy of the False Prophet or Islam in the Last Days, you are missing the best books available on the subject of prophecy.
From Guest_Endtime_*
ReplyDeleteAfter being "sold" the standard dispensational view in my church as the only plausible view, I came across Ellis H. Skolfield's book The False Prophet. I think Skolfield is a "spiritual genius" (if there is such a thing). The standard Left Behind view of the church today is embarrassingly wrong, it's no wonder today's church is called the Laodicean church of Revelation 3. Skolfield's interpretation makes far more sense than pushing off every end time prophesy to a theoretical (heretical?) future 70th week.
Millennial Musings
ReplyDeleteAn End-Time Myth
ReplyDeleteBe A Watchman: Ellis Skolfield - End of Days, Islam, and what about the Tribulation
ReplyDeleteHow old was Jesus when He went to the Cross?
ReplyDeleteEllis Skolfield teaches He was 40 years old and that is why the number 40 is so important in the Bible. - Don
DeleteHi Pulp Ark, could you watch the "Age of Terror" video at 17:30 minutes, http://www.levitt.tv/media/watch/775 and tell me if you have the same understanding as is explained for the 666 (Number of the Beast) translation of the symbols in arabic, - Thanks, Don
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clip and following my blog, Don. Here's my take.
DeleteAbout the pre-trib rapture, I am not subscribing it, please check Ellis's work here on An End-Time Myth, and this YouTube playlist.
Also, as Ellis would say, anti-Christ can be anyone. It simply means anyone that defies the teachings of Christ.
Other than that, I agree with the man in your clip, and especially Walid's 666. I actually reblog it here, The Mark of the Beast. As well as the other part of that book, Identifying Islam as the Beast.
So who is Antichrist?
ReplyDelete