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MILLENNIALISM AND OTHER LIES
The Bible is an open book for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.
If you want to know anything about God, including what he has in store for us, all you have to do is ask him. He’ll tell you, and then he’ll show you supporting passages in scripture to back up what he said.
Having rejected mainstream Christianity as a belief system built on doctrines of devils, I don’t waste a lot of time poring over its contrived nonsense. But every so often God points something out that he then suggests I should point out to others. One such item is Millennialism.
Millennialism is the notion that Jesus will return to Earth at his second coming and reign here for a thousand years. The thousand year time-frame may be literal or figurative, but the actual reign of Jesus in a physical body, on planet Earth, is an indisputable part of Millennialism. Even those who reject Millennialism (e.g., Catholic Amillennialists) still believe that God’s Kingdom will physically be set up on Earth as a geo-political entity after Jesus’ second coming.
Consider that this ‘notion’ developed and spread even though Jesus himself declared to his disciples nearly 2,000 years ago that his kingdom had already arrived, that it is not of this world, and that he would return in grand style with his holy angels just long enough to gather together the few believers that were remaining on Earth, and then leave everyone else behind to “mourn”.
Not once did Jesus make any mention of putting down roots here after his second coming.
To find out more about Millennialism, I did a quick google search. I wish I hadn’t. Some things you just can’t unsee. Suffice to say, it’s all nonsense piled on nonsense infused with outright lies and topped off with a large dollop of crap. I’m ashamed of those who’ve bought this stupidity, and I’m even more ashamed of those who’ve created and spread it.
I do have a sneaking suspicion, though, as to just who is behind this crazy little thing called Millennialism. It’s that same certain someone who benefits from people being duped. (You know who I mean.) But what could he possibly gain from getting people to hope and pray to live in a Golden Age on Earth?
Imagine if that same certain someone could convince not only Christians but also adherents of other religions to believe in a coming Golden Age where there would be peace on Earth under a benevolent ruler. Imagine if you could find a common thread connecting all religions to this one theme, and imagine if all religions agreed that all religions agree on this one point and this one point only.
Imagine!
This is how the devil works, and this is how the world works. We’ve been warned that the devil will send a strong delusion that will fool not only false believers and unbelievers, but even some of God’s own children (meaning us).
Muslims are waiting for their messiah leader who will come after an age of widespread turmoil, unite the world, and usher in an age of peace.
Jews are waiting for their messiah leader who will come after an age of widespread turmoil, unite the world, and usher in an age of peace.
Millennialism Christians are waiting for Jesus to return after an age of widespread turmoil, unite the world, and usher in an age of peace.
I don’t know about you, but I see a pattern developing here. Buddhists and Hindus are also waiting for a messiah-like leader who will – yes, you guessed it – come after an age of widespread turmoil, unite the world, and usher in an age of peace.
In fact, it seems that every organized religion on this planet promotes the coming of a messiah-life figure to put things right after everything goes terribly wrong. This should not be surprising to us, since Jesus tells us that many will come saying they are the Christ, but they will be false Christs and false prophets. He warned us nearly 2,000 years ago not to be taken in by their deceptions that will come in the form of ‘miracles’ and doctrines of devils (like Millennialism).
The alleged basis for Millennialism is Revelation 20. But when I read Revelation 20, I see a description of a God’s spiritual kingdom on Earth, not a geo-political realm. I see a description of a spiritual realm that is very much in power here today, not in some hazy future. The passage describes God’s church, of which I am a card-carrying member. Jesus said that his kingdom had already arrived, is not of this world, and is eternal. He meant that his kingdom was not a geo-political structure confined by time and space. Jesus never intended to set up an earthly kingdom. Anyone who truly knows God and truly knows Jesus knows that.
Bluntly put – every form of Millennialism, including Amillennialism, is a lie. When Jesus returns, it will only be long enough to rescue whatever followers are remaining here and to show himself as the true Messiah. Scripture says that everyone will see him and everyone will know who he is. There will be no doubt and no need for persuasion or explanation: Everyone will just know. And then his faithful followers will leave with him, and everyone else will be left behind to face the final destruction of planet Earth, as foretold in Daniel’s visions.
On the cross, Jesus said: It is done. He didn’t say: “Well, that’s all for now, folks. But I’ll be back for more fun and games after everything’s been polluted and destroyed, and most of God’s creatures are extinct. Can’t wait!” What possible motivation would Jesus have to set up a physical kingdom on Earth when he already has a spiritual kingdom here and a perfect home in Heaven where he reigns at God’s right hand? It’s illogical for him to set up physical kingdom on Earth. And it’s redundant. And it plain just doesn’t make sense. Add to that it’s ascriptural, and you’ve got the makings of a true heresy.
So, Millennialists are living a lie, and Jews who deny that Jesus is the Messiah are also living a lie, because, well, Jesus IS the Messiah. Jews who pin their messianic hopes on anyone other than Jesus are just setting themselves up for a fall. They are deceived. Muslims who believe that Jesus will co-rule with their long-awaited messiah are likewise deceived. As explained above, Jesus won’t be hanging around long enough to share a throne, let alone attend committee meetings. And regardless of what the Koran says, Jesus is not Islamic.
I don’t know Buddhism or Hinduism well enough to go into any detail as to why their messianic hopes are also false, but it doesn’t make me any less certain that they are, for the same reason that the Millennialism Christians’ Jews’ and Muslims’ hopes are false. You don’t have to throw yourself face-first into a steaming pile of manure to know that it’s manure; it’s sufficient just to stand within smelling range. The Buddhist and Hindu messiahs have more than a whiff of the Millennialist, Jewish and Muslim messiahs about them, and for that reason alone do not pass the smell test.
Ultimately, the devil’s game is to deceive us so that those who are on their way to receiving the truth will turn away and get lost, and those who already have the truth will lose it (as the devil did). The messianic deception is the devil’s final and most heinous trick – and how important it must be if he’s been working on it since before Jesus was even born! In fact, you can say the whole of human history has been a behind-the-scenes arranging and rearranging of events and circumstances, all leading up to the enthroning of what Paul called the “man of perdition” or what we know will be the false Christ or ‘Antichrist’. Supporters of Millennialism have had a hand in his crowning, as have Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., as well as those working towards the establishment of the global police state known as the New World Order.
We cannot stop the false messiah from coming, but we can be aware that he is a false messiah and do what we can to make others aware of it. Like Jesus, all we can do is tell the truth. It’s up to others whether or not they want to receive it.
The Mahdi = Antichrist
Everyone loves a hero. Everyone loves the rush of being caught up in the worship of someone who just seems to have it all – looks, money, talent, charm, intelligence, power, charisma – especially when that very special person swears that his entire purpose is to bring world peace and fulfill everyone’s deepest desires.
Who wouldn’t, I mean, WHO COULDN’T love such a person?
I remember feeling that heady rush of worship for David Cassidy when I was 8 years old and he was starring as “Keith” in the 1970’s sitcom “The Partridge Family”. I’m not sure if “Keith” ever specifically addressed the issue of world peace during any of the half-hour episodes, but I would nevertheless have followed him anywhere and done anything he asked of me. And I wasn’t alone in my worship of Keith. His female fans were (and still are) legion.
The Muslims have their own version of Keith Partridge in the figure of the Mahdi. The Mahdi is a political, military and spiritual leader who is prophesied to emerge in the end-times, rule over the entire world, and usher in an age of peace and plenty. He’s supposed to be charming, handsome, brave, generous, and kind.
And then there’s the Antichrist. In the New Testament, as well as in verses in Daniel, the Antichrist is described in terms similar to Keith Partridge (just kidding!) the anticipated Muslim hero. However, for born-agains, the prophesied Antichrist is no hero. In fact, he’s going to be our worst nightmare.
So what does all this have to do with the here and now?
As with all prophecies, whether real of fake, the Mahdi prophecy comes with a long-standing series of signposts and timelines indicating what to expect and when to expect it. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of the prophecy, mainly because it contains elements that are highly contradictory, depending on which sect of adherents you ascribe to. Instead, I will present a brief overview of some features that are common to both the Mahdi and the Antichrist. I think you’ll agree, when you see these signposts and timelines, that something is definitely afoot in world events today, and we should remain alert.
The Mahdi is characterized as a leader who will first and foremost bring “peace” to the world. He’ll espouse a religion that all of the world’s people, regardless of their former beliefs, will accept and adhere to, and he’ll usher in an age of material wealth that extends to all people. His reign is expected to last around seven years.
Sounds kinda nice, doesn’t it?
Maybe too nice.
The Antichrist is also supposed to usher in seven years of world peace and plenty, but at the barrel of a gun. And those who don’t buy into his Keith Partridge act will be kissing their own heads good-bye.
To get a good idea of the Antichrist, think of him as being the polar opposite of Jesus. So, where Jesus was of humble birth, the Antichrist will arise from the ruling elite; where Jesus lived in subsistence-level poverty, the Antichrist will be stinking rich; where Jesus was not classically good-looking, the Antichrist will be handsome and sexy; where Jesus claimed his kingdom is “not of this world” (meaning, he’s Lord of the spiritual realm), the Antichrist will lay claim to the entire world and all the ‘stuff’ in it, including people; where Jesus predicates his teachings on truth (a.k.a. God), the Antichrist will promote lies; where Jesus invites us to worship God, leaving it up to us whether we accept his invitation, the Antichrist will force us to worship him as the supreme being; where Jesus defers to God in all things, the Antichrist will defer only to himself; and where Jesus leaves all decisions about spiritual and material life in our hands, respecting our God-given free will, the Antichrist will force us to do things, denying that we even have free will.
Seen in this context, is the Mahdi really just the Antichrist viewed through rose-colored glasses?
Absolutely. Yes. Without a doubt.
And here’s where the timeline gets particularly timely.
The Mahdi is supposed to appear soon after the Saudi King, Abdullah, dies (check), when Yemen is in political turmoil (check), and when brutally violent armies flying black flags overrun the Middle East (check, check, check).
According to Shiite hadiths (traditional prophecies), following “the death of a king named Abdullah in the Hijaz — a western region of present-day Saudi Arabia — no successor to the throne would be accepted, and disagreements would escalate and persist until the rise of Imam Mahdi…. Some believe that the rise of terrorist groups in the Levant, along with their black flags, is another sign of Mahdi’s resurrection…. Black flags can suggest the Islamic State, which is killing [tens of thousands] of innocent people in the region with brutality.”
The disturbing aspect to these prophecies is that while genuine Christians are dreading the coming of the Antichrist, Muslims are eagerly awaiting the Mahdi. In fact, they want to help him come to power.
One Muslim scholar, giddy as a school girl, recently stated: “Many [Muslim clerics] believe that the rise of Imam Mahdi is imminent. Even important figures in the seminary have expressed their hope for this event to happen and have called for our readiness to help him.”
If the Mahdi is the Antichrist, then we born-agains need to keep vigilant watch – not in eager anticipation to help him, like the Muslims, but in readiness to expose his lies and withstand his evil acts, even if he does come crooning “I Think I Love You.”