Bible

I am a Christian and in order to follow Christ's teachings, I must know and understand them. Christianity is the practice of following the teachings of Christ. Knowing His written word is a means of knowing what He teaches and how to put those teachings into practice.

The Bible that we have today is not the infallible word of God. This Bible has come through a process of human copying. While copying, errors were made; in addition, errors of those copy errors were also copied and dispersed. Through the ages, many varying copies of the original texts of Scripture have come into being. Educated men had to exam these texts and pray over them in order to choose which ones were closest to the originals and which ones should be included in our Bibles today.

When one reads the Bible they need to consider both the content and the context. One needs to ask various questions of the text including: Who was the author? Who was the author writing to? Why was he writing this particular message? What were the political and cultural issues surrounding this letter/book? How do the surrounding passages apply and/or affect this passage? One needs to understand what the author was trying to convey to his intended audience. The purpose of reading Scripture is to find the original intent and then to look and see if and how it applies to us.

Last days

"And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matthew 24:3

Revelations, Daniel and Isaiah all predict great and terrible events for these the last days. A terrible apostasy. A great restoration of the fullness of the gospel. Terrible commotion of all the elements. The great opportunity to preach the gospel throughout the whole earth. Wars and rumors of wars spreading fear. And Christ promising peace in the hearts of his followers.
The Bible gives us specific prayers to pray and actions to take to help us through these times. These are at the end of this article.
The policy of the Bible Timeline site and the Question-of-the-week email is to present information using the actual words of the Bible but not the interpretation of it as that varies sect by sect. This is especially true when it comes to the interpretation of the revelations concerning the last days.
For example, the word "Rapture" is not used in the English Bible although it is in Greek. Each sect has different expectations of the "Rapture". Some expect it to be one event, others suggest two raptures and another defines it as ongoing. Many say this is an actual event of lifting of people to meet Christ, others say this is an ongoing spiritual event of those turning to Christ. Others do not use the word at all.
For that reason this issue gives a short one line description of each event in the order it is expected to occur. Many events are simultaneous and ongoing. Each line is followed by the scriptures where the revelations are found. All sects seem to be in agreement on this much.
This is enough to know how to prepare for these calamitous events. For the interpretation of each event please see your local minister or Christian author. The prayer for understanding is always answered.
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WHERE ARE THE REVELATIONS FOUND?
The revelations concerning the last days are found throughout the Bible
but primarily in the following books of the Bible:
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Micah
Nahum
Zechariah
Malachi
Revelations chapters 4-20.
Christ gives the best summary of these events and how to prepare for them.
These are found in Matthew chapters 24-25, Mark chapter 13, Luke 12: 37-48,
Luke 17: 20-37 and Luke 21: 5-38
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LIST OF THE PRIMARY EVENTS PRECEDING CHRIST'S SECOND COMING
* Spirit to be poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28)
* Universal apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
* The watering down of the gospel, teaching the doctrines of man rather than those of God. Even
priests will be led astray. (2 Tim 3:5, Matt 15:9)
* False prophets and false Christs (Matthew 24:24)
* Good will be called evil and evil good. (Isaiah 5:20)
* Restoration of all things (Acts 3:19-21)
* Gospel to be preached to all the world (Matthew 24:14, Revelations 14:6-7)
* Worldly knowledge to increase (Daniel 12:4)
* Israel to be restored as a political state (Deuteronomy 28:64, 30:3 Jeremiah 29:14, 30:3 Isaiah
43:5-6, Ezekiel 36:24, Amos 9:14-15
* Earthquakes, floods, famines, plagues and diseases such as the world has never seen.
(Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
* Peace taken from the earth. Wars increase throughout the earth until war is on every land
(Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
* Increase in the wickedness, murder and crime among men. Increase in belief in the occult.
(Matthew 24, Luke 21, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3-4)
* People will not believe the signs (2 Peter 3:3-4, Matthew 16:1-4)
* Increase in persecution of the Christians (Matthew 24:9, Mark 13:9)
* Christ will come suddenly to His temple. (Malachi 3:1)
* Signs and Wonders in heaven (Mark 13:25)
* Mountains made low, valleys made high (Isaiah 40, Ezekiel 38)
* Christ to receive his dominion from the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-14)
* Two prophets preach in Jerusalem for 1260 days. They have the power to bring famines and plagues. They are killed and lie dead in the streets for three and a half days while the wicked of the earth rejoice in the streets and exchange gifts in celebration of their deaths. On the third
day they arise striking fear in the hearts of the wicked. (Revelations 11)
* Armageddon. The nations of the earth gather to fight Israel at Jerusalem, at Armageddon in
the valley of Jehoshaphat. (Revelations 16:16)
* Sun darkened, moon becomes as blood (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20, Revelations 6:12)
* Jerusalem is taken captive, the houses riled, the women ravished. (Zechariah 14:2)
* The Lord appears at Mount Olivet leading his people to victory (Ezekiel 38, 39, Daniel 11, 12, Joel 2,3)
* Christ appears to all the earth. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is
the Christ. (Phillipians 2:11)
* The righteous caught up to Christ, the wicked burned as stubble. (Malachi chapters 3-4)
* The judgment and first resurrection (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelations 20:5-6)
* The thousand years of peace ushered in, Christ to reign personally on the earth (Revelations chapters 20-21)
If you know of more, such as Israel sacrificing a red bullock without spot
please let me know. Be sure to include the scripture reference. I will
add them to this post.
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HOW TO PREPARE
When Christ told of the signs of the times he also gave three parables. Two of them are referred to in this section.
Parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 24:1-13. The believers of Christ are likened to ten virgins. Five were wise and kept their lamps filled. Five were foolish. Like the wise and the foolish builders, this refers to faith. Five were strong in the faith, having a personal relationship with God and letting their lights shine forth. Five were foolish or hypocritical. They slumbered and let their lamps of faith go out. To endure to the end we must practice our faith daily. This includes daily prayer and scripture study.
Specific things to pray for:
During these troublous times many of us will need to flee either due to war or natural disaster. Christ tells us specifically to pray that our flight will not be in winter. Mark 13:18
We are told even the very elect might be deceived. Luke tells us to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation (Luke 22:40,46)
Pray to endure to the end (Luke 21:34-36)
We know that before the end times and tribulations are finished that the Gospel must be preached to all the earth. Therefore we should pray that those countries that refuse to have Christian ministers preach in their borders will do so. Russia has opened her borders to Christian ministries and so will all of nations eventually.
Prepare for the day of judgment. Christ says he will judge all of his followers during the first resurrection. These are they who called him Lord. He tells us in Matthew 25:31-36 how he will judge us. Verse 40 summarizes the criteria: "For as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Always remember Christ's promises to us during these times: “Peace I give unto you. My peace I leave with you.”
Just as the early Christians were miraculously saved from the destruction of Jerusalem by paying attention to the signs, so can we be protected as we learn the signs and keep our spiritual houses in order. The Jewish people knew that the "abomination of desolation" prophesied by Daniel had already occurred in 170 BC. Christ told them to watch for the same signs we are to watch for and to flee to the mountains when they saw those signs. The early Christians fled to Pella, a nearby city, upon seeing the city was encompassed by soldiers under Gallus. Four years later came the fall of Jerusalem. Over a million citizens of Jersusalem were killed and 100,000 led away captive. The temple, as prophesied by Christ, was laid waste with not one stone left upon another. The Christian who fled were safe.

What I say about Non Vegetarian

Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein
Non-vegetarian food is a good source of excellent protein. It contains
biologically complete protein i.e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not
synthesized by the body and should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains
iron, vitamin B1 and niacin


Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth

If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep,
you will find something strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have
a set of flat teeth i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth
of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of
pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of teeth of
humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth. Thus they
have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food i.e. they are
omnivorous. One may ask, if Almighty God wanted humans to have only
vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed teeth? It is logical that He
expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian
food.


Human beings can digest both vege-tarian and non-vegetarian
food

The digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The
digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive
system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If
Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a
digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian
food?




Hindu scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food

a. There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is against
their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is that the
Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention
Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.
b. It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30
?The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad,
even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten
and some to be eater.?
c. Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says
?Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of
the gods.?
d. Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says
?God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ... , therefore killing in
a sacrifice is not killing.?

e. Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion
between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food
one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of
dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:
?Yudhishthira said, ?O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is
which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible!
What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which
(if presented) becomes eternal??
?Bhishma said, ?Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which
persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead)
regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to
each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and
roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for
the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain
gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified
for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the
goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with
the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that
are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that
obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for
ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven
months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said ,
lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the
pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification
of pitris lasts for twelve years. the flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris
on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes
inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower,
and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.
So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you
should serve them the meat of red goat.

7. Hinduism was influenced by other religions

Though Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many
Hindus adopted the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other
religions like Jainism.

8. Even plants have life

Certain religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because
they are totally against the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive
without killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way
of life. In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact
that even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not
fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian.

9. Even plants can feel pain

They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a
lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even
plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human
being. This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sounds that are not
in the audible range i.e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and above
this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000
Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than
20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by
dogs and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the masters whistle and
comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U.S.A. who
invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be
heard by human beings. He was able to realize immediately when the plant
itself cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy
and sad. It can also cry.

10. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime

Once a vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three
senses while the animals have five senses. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser
crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and
has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature
and someone murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a
lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would
say that he has killed a masoom, an innocent person, and the judge should give
the murderer a greater punishment.

Over population of cattle

If every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle
in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift. God
in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation
appropriately. No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.

India major hands in eliminating LTTE

Sadly it is an Indian and a humanitarian misery!It is not about LTTE but about innocent citizens brutally butchered by the Srilankan armed forces. I dont know how many of you have seen the pictures but they are horrendous and puts humanity to shame; pregnant mothers wombs slit open and more worse!For China and Pakistan it is just getting a toehold to hold India to ransom; they are not worried about humanity as the Chinese state unlike its civilisation is a barbaric one. But for India it is a different story.Surely LTTE be marginalised and Srilankans should have an arrangement with the Tamils. India instead of forcing negotitations on LTTE and Srilanka had kept quiet and Srilanka butcher innocent Tamils. It is very very horrifying if you could see how fellow brothers and sisters are slaughterd and tore in to pieces.... deaths are in thousands per day. India should have revived the alternative Tamil political force in Srilanka and start marginalising LTTE. But it didnt. Now India lost its face, its dignity and worse event its strategic interests by allowing China getting a foothold in Srilanka.

You may hate Vaiko for everything but Vaiko had very genuine beliefs which unfortunately other narrowminded Indians cant agree and only call him an anti Indian.S rilankan Army's fight against should have been a controlled and a long drawn affair. India should have ensured that but didnt. India should have saved lakhs of innocent cvilian lives but didnt. Only India has the power but it didnt care. What happened in Srilanka is a crime on humanity; even the United Nations and others were horrified at what happened!

Shame on us, we cant protect our fellow tamils

Every heart of Tamil Community will never forgive Sonia and Manmohan singh.

I know Dr Manmohan singh can’t do anything without Political order, but he too has a heart and
Family. SLA kills hundreds of our fellow brothers and sisters everyday in the name of LTTE.Indian Government extends their grateful support to them which is shame.

The Indian government strongly condemned Israel for their attack on Palestine. But till now there is no strong word from Indian government against Srilankan government. Are they heartless by seeing innocent poor tamil sisters and brothers brutally killed by SLA in mass numbers. How can they say. Because India is behind the killing of Tamils.
1. Everyone ask how congress can forgive LTTE since they had killed Rajiv.Indira Gandhi was killed by Sikh then how Mr Manmohan singh became PM? How they forgive them? Then why not Tamils?LTTE killed our beloved prime minister Rajiv(Still lot of controversy exists in Rajiv assassination.) because of Indian Army killed more than 5000 tamils in srilanka and raped so many tamil womens in 1987. But I am not in the mood of justifying LTTE’s act.
2. Some people will ask how India can interfere in other country’s internal matter. Then how India interferes in Pakistan’s internal problem and helped to form Bangladesh?Indira Gandhi suported for the freedom of Srilankan tamils. But after Indira, India have wrong foreign policy for the past 20 years.
India continuously supplies weapons to srilanka. The weapons which was bought by our Tax money is used for killing our people in srilanka. It is next to impossible for SLA to go against LTTE as I heard/read that they are well organized and well established and highly skilled in warfares and handling sophisticated weapons.
Everyone say Pakistan is enemy of India and Srilanka is friend of India. But 500 TN’s fisherman had been killed by srilankan navy. But Pakistan never killed any fisherman. Then how can Srilanka can be a friend nation of India? No strong words from Indian Government to stop this nonsense. Some formal words will come. That’s all. Still they are killing TN fishermen. Tamilians are not a Indians? Might be Indian government have a thought like north India is India. South India is useful only during election time.
In 2004 election DMK-Congress alliance wins 40/40 seats in TN. That’s why they came to power. But now they are acting against TN people. 3 times TN assembly passed a resolution to request India to act for ceasefire in srilanka. But central govt ignored 7 crore people feelings. I don’t know how she will come for election campaign and what basis she will ask vote. I think she will ask like “We are killing all of your brothers and sisters in srilanka. So vote for us. We will kill the remaining people also once we will come to power”.
God only save those people. Lets pray for them.
Today they have seen certain setback. But one day Tamil Eelam will come. That day will be the golden for the whole Tamils.

'Long live human dignity; shame on international community'

While the so-called international community is "exposed of its shameful conning," thousands of Tamil civilians and combatants are laying down their lives to "uphold Tamil dignity, and human dignity, Those who blame the LTTE for bringing in the disaster know well that Colombo always had the option to negotiate or to come out with a political solution convincing Tamils not to continue the conflict. But Colombo’s aim is not power sharing but genocide and subjugation of Tamils by forcing war on them.

"The only way now for the IC to come out of the colossus shame is direct intervention and recognition of the justification for Tamil Eelam, "Mahinda Rajapaksa’s untruthfulness to the world on the use of heavy weapons, the number of Tamil civilians involved in the tragedy and the number of them get killed are too well known. Yet the IC shamefully allows them, allows the imprisonment and inhuman humiliation of civilians and in future plans to leave everything in the hands of Colombo."Tamils don’t expect any sense of shame or any justice coming either from Colombo or New Delhi, the partners of the war. The world knows Sonia’s statement a week ago that the war was over by the efforts of her government and Pranab Mukherjee’s statement a couple of months back, putting the number of civilians at 70,000. They will never be bothered about shame.

China, Russia and Vietnam, by sitting on UN, act on behalf of Colombo and New Delhi, to prevent international action and to keep the Tamil question to rot at the backyard of the war partners. The Indian Establishment is particularly adamant in preventing all international efforts. It could have acted long back had it really cared for its natural allies in the island and even now it doesn’t need any ‘invitation’ from any one, if it wants to do any justice to Tamils. It has to only come out of its ‘bias’. "But the Co- Chairs and especially the US among them, which is directly involved in the crisis by setting its course diplomatically, has undeniable responsibility. What is the effect or credibility of the recent White House statements is a question widely asked in the Tamil circles now. "Colombo has neither stopped war nor stopped using heavy weapons and there was no UN to receive the injured and the captured civilians. Only the LTTE responded to the statement.

Caring for Colombo’s meaningless sovereignty and waiting for unwilling India’s consent will bring in only disastrous effects on the credibility of the West and on the reliability of the global order it envisages. "It is clear that the LTTE is prepared to meet the White House demands within the means of Tamil dignity and if the US statements are going to mean only a conning, they are prepared to die fighting but not without upholding Tamil dignity. "The ball is in the court of the White House. "With the dignity and self-respect upheld, the Tamils can always rebuild their struggle.

But the shameful ones will never find credibility again."

So finally Mr Srilanka had massacred huge amount of Innocent tamils in the name of Prabakaran who laid down his life for eelam......

I am not a very strong supporter of the LTTE and neither am I a strong supporter of the Tamil cause. But Sinhala chauvinism does anger me.It saddens me when I see long lines of refugees pouring out of the war zone on television. It saddens me when they say we were starving. It saddens me when they say that both the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE were firing at them.It frightens me when they talk about white vans with no numbers that kidnapped their youth.
And the man who was the cause of all this suffering is Prabhakaran. But the news of Prabhakaran's death saddens me the most.

Yes he was brutal, but the Sri Lankan army has proved to be hundred times more brutal.
Yes he was a maniac, but he was a maniac who stood up against Sinhala chauvinism. He never compromised on the Tamil cause. He stood for the right principle, maybe his method and attitude were wrong, but his stand was right and he stood up against a powerful enemy.

Jesus the only savior... the almighty god

There is a price on our sin―eternal death in Hell.
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
2nd Thessalonians 1:8, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Jesus paid that price by dying on the cross and shedding His blood.
Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1st Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
1st Peter 1:18-19, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ..."
By faith in Jesus Christ ALONE we can be saved.
Salvation is NOT found in a religion or good works, but in a person... The LORD JESUS CHRIST!
John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 6:40, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Mark 1:15, "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
1st Corinthians 3:11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Galatians 3:26, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."