What do you think about 2012?

[SERay]

This subject is one of more archeological concern in study to me than eschatological. The website has tallied triple the hits on this subject alone over all the other subjects. Since there is valid content regarding the Maya's research and their careful and accurate documentation of time, one cannot help but consider the possibilities. The calendar does provide a message that is in conjunction with Christian teachings regarding end time events. Tribulation, earth shaken from orbit, a fire that consumes the earth are all mentioned in scripture. I would enjoy more comments on this subject.

Please read complete published article here: link removed due to deleted website.

[Tracea]

mystery!

2012 is rather new to me, within the last year. I just learned of the Mayan calendar and bought some books on them. I haven't yet found why they began their calendar in 3113 or 3114 BC... maybe that can shed some light. Why does it end on the winter solstice of 2012? I hope that I don't raise more questions here but I might, because I tend to believe the preterist view of eschatology. There is too much Bible evidence that shows Jesus returned in the lifetime of His disciples... it's quite a knee jerk reaction to think someone could believe this, but if you have an open mind, or try to prove it false, you will be amazed! I am still open to the belief that "partial preterists" share, that Jesus could still return one more time. But the Bible says "the earth endures forever" and "world without end, amen." The old heavens and earth was figurative language for the old covenant, as the new heavens and earth represent the new covenant. His kingdom is not of this world, and does not come with observation. It is spiritual. What He came to accomplish has been done; He has reclaimed us to the Father, and we are no longer separated by sin. satan was to be crushed under His feet "shortly." And shortly back then meant shortly, not hundreds or thousands of years. Audience relevance is very important in understanding the Scriptures. We are reading letters that were written TO them, and we have to look at how they would have understood it, back then. If someone said "He is standing at the door, or I must show you things that will shortly take place" then you would understand that to mean "soon! - like a few months or years, right? Of course those letters are written FOR our benefit and all generations to come, but the time statements applied to those who first heard them. So getting back to 2012, if I believe that Jesus returned already, 2012 must be something of a different nature, like an awakening to what God has done for mankind, a unifying of people to live in harmony (yes I'm an idealist). If He is yet to return again, then yes, it seems that 2012 is the probable time!! I am open to learning more about it either way. I hope I haven't confused anybody! (for more info on preterism, www.preteristarchive.com, www.planetpreterist.com, www.bereanbiblechurch.org)

[SERay]

Prophecy: A Two-Fold Application

Perhaps it would be good to pause here and mention something that many do not recognize about prophecy. On many occasions, a prophecy has both an immediate and primary application to those contemporary with the prophet as well as a future and subsequent fulfillment to another generation. This is something that Preterist fail to grasp. To fail to understand this is to miss the fullness of many prophecies.

A good example of this is Psalms 22. Here, David, surrounded by his enemies, cries out in anguish to God. There can be no doubt that his words have a primary meaning to himself and his situation. Yet, at the same time, his words become prophetic as he speaks of the suffering and death of Christ. The words have both an immediate and a future application. Neither should be ignored. Even so with some of the passages that deal with the return of Israel. And another case in point would be Ezekiel 34 and 37. In Ezekiel 34:11-12, we read: “For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Further down in the same chapter, verse 23, we have the spiritual fulfillment in Christ, “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” We have the immediate promise that the people will be brought from far lands and dwell in their own land (Canaan), and then the future promise in Christ.

In Ezekiel 37:15-28, the same structure is seen with different symbols. This time, Ezekiel is told to take two sticks and write upon them “Judah” (representing the southern half of the divided kingdom) and “Joseph” (representing the northern half) and join them together so that they become one stick. The meaning is clear as the following verses read: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel” (vs. 21-22a), the immediate application. “Then “...one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places where they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And my servant David shall be king over them...” (Vs. 22-24a), the spiritual application in Christ. Ezekiel 39:21-29 carries the same thought with added emphasis when the Lord said, “And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there” (v. 28). This is clear and plain and leaves nothing to doubt. Two things are to make them know that it is God who does this: the captivity and the return. If the return failed, where does this leave the proposition stated by Jehovah: “They shall know that I am Jehovah their God.”?

[Stephen]

Christians Need Not Fear Doomsday in 2012
By Stephen Yulish PhD

“God has set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life
(Deuteronomy 30:19)

There has been much talk of late about the doomsday predictions of December 21, 2012 as reflected in the Mayan long calendar. While most of the Mayan codices were burned by Spanish monks in 1521 AD as works of the devil (which as you shall see they probably were) a few survived including the Dresden Codex pictured here. This 74 page codex was written on tree bark and was from the famous Mayan Temple and Observatory at Chichen Itza. It was purportedly sent by the explorer Cortes to Emperor Charles V in 1519. Somehow it found its way into the Royal Library at the Court of Saxony in Dresden (Germany) where it was purchased from a private collector by the name of Johann Christian Goetze. While it was damaged by the firebombing (again these codices were overwhelmed by fire? Coincidence?) of Dresden during WW II, much of it unfortunately survived.

From this work, which apparently was written sometime between 1200 and 1250 AD, numerous astronomical and calendar data points were found including information on eclipses, the transit of Venus, the moon , the stars and the Sun. It was also conjectured by some scholars that this Mayan calendar ended on 13.0.0.0.0 which equates to our date of December 21, 2012 at 10 AM GMT. On that day they claim the world will end. The Bible says “Heaven and earth will pass away but God’s words shall never pass away and also “of that day and hour no one knows not even angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father’ (Matthew 24:34-36). So alleging that that the world will end on any specific date as in 2012 is definitely not biblical. Therefore, Christians should not fear it!

Why so many otherwise reasonable, well educated, and intelligent persons, some of whom even call themselves Christians, would pay any attention to these predictions of blood thirsty Mayans who ripped out the still beating hearts of their human sacrificial victims to please their gods, is astonishing to me. Why would people allow these irrational fears of doomsday frighten them while many of these same people choose to ignore the good news of Jesus Christ? It is probably because only Christianity confronts sin and people often would rather die than change their sinful behaviors even though “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Satan knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12) and he wants to try and rob people of this fact and rather deceive them that all is lost and that they therefore do not need Jesus. Either these Mayans are correct and doomsday approaches or the word of God is correct and we should not fear (Isaiah 35:4), but both cannot be correct.

As I shall demonstrate, whether or not this fiery prediction indeed happens in 2012 or at sometime in the future, it will most certainly not be doomsday. The entire 2012 doomsday scenario is just another end time deception to frighten people and to try and keep them from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Beware of deception.

“With all the deception of wickedness for those who perish because they do not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2 :10).

According to this Mayan calendar, on this day, 12/21/2012, our solar system will intersect the Galactic Equator which only happens every 26,000 years and they call it The Sacred Tree. This alignment with the center of the galaxy does allow for maximum mass and gravity according to scientists and could possibly therefore lead to increased earthquake activity. Also, NASA predicts a terrific solar storm and mass ejection will hit the earth in 2012 which will be 30-50 % greater than anything ever before. Such a solar blast could therefore possibly also scorch the earth. There is as well talk of a shifting of the magnetic poles.

While I cannot tell you for certain whether or not the earth will be consumed by fire or earthquakes or a polar shift on this date, I can tell you what the word of God says and it did so thousands if years before the Mayans. And don’t let these seemingly rather accurate scientific predictions of the Mayans fool you. Never underestimate the power of Satan to deceive.

“Once before because of its sin, the earth was destroyed by water in the Great Flood in Noah’s day, but the world will be destroyed again this time by fire kept for the day of judgment and the destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:6-7).

This destruction by fire has not as of yet happened so it could theoretically happen on 12/21/2012 but even if it does happen on that date, it will not be doomsday. How then does one survive it?

All of this talk of a fiery apocalypse in 2012, seems to me to actually be the devastation described in the Biblical Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, Revelation 7:14) which will last seven years (Daniel 9:27) and will be experienced by those left behind in the catching away (the rapture) of Believers (1Thessalonians 4:16-17) to escape the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10) and be with Jesus forever.

“In the day of trouble (Tribulation), He (Jesus) will conceal you in His tabernacle in the secret place of His tent, He will hide me” (Psalm 27:5).

Before the crucifixion, Jesus said “I am going to prepare a place for you in my Father’s house. I will return and take you there to be with me always “(John 14:2-4).

“God has not destined us for wrath (2012) but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Thus the Bible does talk of a fiery apocalypse in the future, but it will only be for those unbelievers left behind (Christians do not have to worry) and in any case, it will not be doomsday..

“The earth and its inhabitants will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
“The sun will scorch the earth” (Revelation 16:8).
“One third of he earth, the green grass, and the trees will be burned up” (Revelation 8:7).
“The inhabitants of the earth are burned up and few men are left” (Isaiah 24:6).
“The hills melt and the earth is burned up” (Nahum 1:5).

As to a possible polar shift and earthquakes:

“The stars will fall from the sky (as we flip over?) (Matthew 24:29).
“The earth is torn asunder, the earth is split though. The earth is shaken violently and reels to and fro like a drunkard” (Isaiah 24:19-20).
Violent earthquakes are described in Revelation 11:13 and 16:18.

This 2012 demonic deception is just like two other grand schemes by Satan to try and thwart God’s plans. The first deception was in Noah’s time when angels left their proper heavenly abode to come to earth in search of strange human flesh. They mated with human females and produced the Nephilim offspring in order to try and pollute the pure human gene pool of the upcoming Messiah Jesus and thus prevent His birth. God stopped this attempt with the Flood and locked up these rebellious angels (Genesis 6:2-4. Genesis 7:23, Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4)..

As I have written about extensively in the past in numerous articles and in two novels, this second deception will be at the catching away of Believers (the Rapture) before the Tribulation and this sudden disappearance will be explained to those left behind as an abduction by UFOs, not a catching away by Jesus into the clouds.

In this last 2012 deception, Satan tries to convince people that the world will be destroyed and therefore not only tries to negate the reality of this upcoming Rapture which in part will rescue Believers from the Tribulation, but it also would deny the fact Jesus Christ is to return in His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation and will defeat Satan at the Battle of Armageddon and then bind him in the abyss. Then Jesus will rule and reign from a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem for 1000 years (Revelation 19:11-20, Revelation 20:6, 14).

Satan knows that his time is short and therefore wants to try and show people that God is a liar and none of this will ever happen. Don’t bet your eternal soul on this lie.

People will often choose death and nothingness to confessing their sins and accepting Christ. They would rather continue to have a sinful raucous life here on earth than even think of eternal life in such an imaginary place to them as heaven. Sin feels good for a season. But God did promise all who believe eternal life.

“The hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie because it is impossible for Him to lie (Hebrews 6:18) promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2).

All anyone has to do is “call upon the name of the Lord and they will be saved’ (Romans 10:13).

Choose life (With Christ) and blessings (of eternal life) rather than death (in 2012) and curses (a fiery death and then a fiery eternity separated from God).

Choose life!

[Watchman]

Doomsday

2Pe 3:3 First, knowing this, that there will come in the last days scoffers walking according to their own lusts
2Pe 3:4 and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.

I wonder if the above verse's apply to people who believed in end time date's that eventually passed without incident and have become hardened and sceptical to the preaching of Jesus return.
And now are ill-prepared to meet their Maker.

A bit like the boy who cried wolf.
But maybe that is the plan of Satan all along.