Modern day events that looked like the Apocalypse. Are they signs?

Here are some prophetic disasters and shakers of the modern day living in this generation in which we have witnessed key events. What do people of ATS think and can contribute in making Apocalyptic comparisons of the modern day end times views of the world? Are the seals openning slowly some have speculated already but then again for prophecy to work out you need one thing in mind-Israel needs to be a nation again in the end times and it is right now a nation. Are we the last generation?


The Tsunami of 2004 looked like a mountain fell into the sea? Well it kind of did but underwater.

The first Gulf War, the burning oil fields with the sun blacked out during day time, a third of the sun turned dark.

9/11 Babylon has fallen, tower of Babel?

2nd Gulf war, fallen Babylon the great maybe?

www.cbc.ca...

Oct. 8, 2005. At least 80,000 people were killed and three million left homeless after a quake struck the mountaineous Kashmir district in Pakistan.

Dec. 26, 2004. A magnitude 9.0 quake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering tsunamis that swept through the coastal regions of a dozen countries bordering the Indian Ocean. The death toll has been estimated at between 225,000 and 275,000.

Dec. 26, 2003. An earthquake devastated the ancient city of Bam, in central Iran, leaving between 31,000 and 43,000 people dead.

Text

[edit on 7-6-2009 by The time lord]

reply to post by The time lord


Interesting thread. I personally don't see those as fulfillments and here's why:

The Tsunami of 2004 looked like a mountain fell into the sea? Well it kind of did but underwater.

That prophecy is due to take place during the tribulation. Although some believe it has already started, the starting point prophesied in the Bible has not yet occurred. And that is, a seven year peace treaty.

So that leads me to believe this fulfillment is still yet future. I saw a documentary recently that shows a mountain off the west coast of Africa. It is precariously positioned and not very stable. In the case of an earthquake or volcanic eruption, it would literally fall into the sea and flood most shorelines and islands. That would sound more possible but I am not sure, of course, until it happens.

One thing I do believe this possibly fulfilled is the 'birth pang' prophecies that would precede the tribulation that mentions the 'seas roaring' more than they're usual level.

The first Gulf War, the burning oil fields with the sun blacked out during day time, a third of the sun turned dark.

I don't believe a third of the sun turned dark and also...

9/11 Babylon has fallen, tower of Babel?

2nd Gulf war, fallen Babylon the great maybe?

...all prophecies that are supposed to happen during the tribulation- not before. Being that there is no peace treaty with Israel yet, I do not believe the mountain falling into the sea, the final destruction of Babylon (currently being rebuilt in Iraq, by the way), or the sun turning to sackcloth has been fulfilled yet.

Those are my thoughts on it. I do have some Christian friends on here, though, who believe the seals are already being broken and they have some rather interesting evidence to back it up. My opinion is the time is very close but not quite here yet. We're only experiencing the prophecies classified as birth pangs and not the prophecies classified as hard labor.

Thanks for your reply. But what events for you in modern times painted a picture of what describes something Biblical?

For example the Tsunami was paraphrased on the news with being on the scale of Biblical flooding for example.

Which other events seem to echo the future that is yet to come, what has given you the chills for such events?

[mod edit: Sorry! I accidentally edited your post instead of quoting your post and my reply ended up in your post. I just repaired it the best I could. lol]

[edit on 6/8/2009 by AshleyD]

But what events for you in modern times painted a picture of what describes something Biblical?

Lots of things. The rebirth of Israel to the day it was prophesied, the literal rebuilding of Babylon by Saddam Hussein, the denial of theistic creation, etc. Here is a really awesome site that shows the end time prophecies that have been fulfilled, are being fulfilled, and are showing signs they will soon be fulfilled:

www.understandthetimes.org...

For example the Tsunami was paraphrased on the news with being on the scale of Biblical flooding for example.

I believe that fits into Luke's birth pang prophecies of the seas roaring and the climate becoming harsher. You can check out other signs of harsh weather phenomenon and flooding in item 11 in the above link.

Which other events seem to echo the future that is yet to come, what has given you the chills for such events?

The Middle East situation is a huge one. Also the division of Israel's land that is being discussed by several political leaders. And the intensity of Jerusalem, the temple being a project some are working on, etc. Those are all things that could pave the way for a need of the AC. So far no one else has been able to accomplish those things but he'll eventually step in and appear to resolve everything.

Originally posted by The time lord



9/11 Babylon has fallen, tower of Babel?
.

Text

[edit on 7-6-2009 by The time lord]

You don't think anyone of higher power (Gov't not God) could be making things like this happen so our world falls into this so called "prophecy" ? I think they we wrote the New Testimate to make it fall into place of the old and now all the events are happening now that 2012 is approaching..

What I found ironic in the 90s were the Iraq oil fields turned the sky black and the news used apocalyptic phases.





[edit on 8-6-2009 by The time lord]

reply to post by The time lord


haha that is funny.....It is defiantly Ironic.. why do you think they did that though? Is it to scare the viewers

reply to post by Veritas26


I am not just picking on this event alone but like I said we had the Tsunami that is also paraphrased as a Biblical event, its not to scare but feel scared and like someone mentioned before, the birthpangs before the Tribulation will increase in frequency with roaring of the seas and rumours of war.

Matthew 24

6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Text

29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Text

reply to post by The time lord


have you found any information like this on other examples? I am just curious because this is a big debate I am personally interested in

I want examples of what people think really about which news events symbolised something from the end of the world, what news stories shook you up. No doubt 9/11 and the war in Iraq made people think that was the start of WW3, now we have another nuclear arms race going on for example.

reply to post by The time lord


Do you wonder if they caused 9/11 on purpose so they could start the war we have been in?

For thousands of years people thought the end was coming, the sign being a natural disaster, plaque, war or what have you. Those things have always been happening and most likely will continue to happen. There is no way to predict IF the world will end, how it will end or when it will end.

reply to post by Phlegmi


It is also expected to end and certain things are said to happen in some order by the bible.. Is it possible that the Bible says these things so our world is making these things happen because the says so? such as 9/11? they planned it maybe so it fit the prophecy..

There have unfortunately been horrible events that have affected man all through history including post NT.

Here one good example thats fits perfectly for one of the seals.
The Black Death back in the 1300's killed as many as 100-200 million or more people. Probably the most well known plague in history.

7. When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

In 1337, on the eve of the first wave of the Black Death, England and France went to war in what would become known as the Hundred Years' War. Malnutrition, poverty, disease and hunger, coupled with war, growing inflation and other economic concerns made Europe in the mid-fourteenth century ripe for tragedy

By sword famine and plague........... Black Death + 100 Years war, and not 20 years before that the "Great Famine" occurred in Europe taking out 10-20% of the population of most cities in Europe.


So you have a famine(famine), then you have a plague(plague) and finally a war(sword). all occurring within a few decades. Sounds spot on for the 4th seal to me.

Coincidence? possibly

Is the 7 year tribulation the 7 thousands years of mankind on Biblical earth? 1 year = 1000 years to God or was that one day? But that can not be the case because prophecy speaks about actual days and has no hidden numerical symbolism even though it can symbolicaly mirror it.

It all has to increase all these disasters as the earth it self will experience some type of broken egg shell effect, the earth will react to our treatment of it, maybe in the form of mother nature or maybe in the form God no longer helping the nations, some call it a karma effect but is similar and favours a certain faith.

reply to post by The time lord


Matthew 24 is an interesting read. It's very unfortunate that so many Christians, when reading it, take it to be some sort of end of the world spiel.

It's not.

It's a warning about the corruption of Jesus' teachings. Read it in full, rather than snipping it, passage by passage. His disciples do ask him about hte end of the world, but he basically brushes them off by saying (to paraphrase) whatever happens, God is eternal.

Remember, Peter (from the Greek petros, stone) was the "rock" that Jesus would be building on? Carry the symbolism there to the first few passages of Matthew 24.

1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The temple is the place to worship God, of course. The stones represent the worshipers, in Jesus' words here. They will be divided, unconnected - and they will no longer form a temple to praise God, just a pile of stones.

We move on to this:

7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

To paraphrase, in plain English; "Bad things happen, but you should maintain faith, even against those who exploit those bad things to try to lead you astray." In more detail he explains that many do not keep their faith in these times, and will betray one another either for their own gain, or at the behest of "false prophets" - those who claim to speak for God, but only speak for themselves.

He then speaks of a potential scenario of the end of the world - an unpopulated earth, moon and stars giving no light, pretty stock stuff for a 1st century view of the end of the world. As I said though, he brushes it off.

35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

He covers two things here - One, even if the world does end, God is eternal, and two... Jesus doesn't have a clue when the world will end - "but my father only."

I figure that if Jesus himself couldn't give a date and time for this, it's more than a little presumptuous of Christians to keep trying to one-up the guy on that score. Especially while they keep pretending that the first part of Matthew 24, regarding "anti-christs and false prophets", a divided house of worship, and all those other things, can only possibly apply to someone else.

I must admit once I thought some nuclear bomb went off like something out of the Terminator movies, it was for a split second an experience of doomsday but that was in my teens.

I was by the window, the sky was gloomy the room was quite over shadowed, when I heard a massive explosion, the window turned bright and the light came in as I looked out of the window. I thought, damn this must be it, in fact it was the sky that opened the clouds had cleared and the explosion was in fact a firework, I was on holiday at the time and the hills made it sound louder as it was a patron saints festival on at the time.

I guess I have a wild imagination but it has it's uses.
________________________________________________________

As for the quote below Christians believe that it refers to the destruction of the Jewish temple which the Romans destroyed in 70AD as a statement about prophecy.

1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Text

[edit on 9-6-2009 by The time lord]

reply to post by The time lord


No. Read the whole chapter, Time Lord. Take the two passages in context with the rest of what is being said.

Can you really imagine this?

Jesus: "My followers will be tried by hardship, betrayal, and persecution. Many shall be tempted by the words of false profits, while others will act against all I have taught. The true worshipers of god will be divided from their fallen fellows, and the entire elect shall be divided by their fidelity to my teachings. Oh and by the way, the Romans are going to knock this temple down in a few years."

Now hey. Maybe, maybe Jesus had ADD, and you're right, that's how this went down. But to my literary eye, his statement about the temple is the frame in which the rest of his warnings fit. "My followers will be broken and divided, and this is how"

The signs of the end of age repeats it self in many times its not only in Mathew it is used many times thoughout the Bible. No doubt each Gospel tells the meaning of what Jesus is saying in different ways, does ot mean both are wrong, he is God you know, very deep and very multiangled in what he says. The Gospels are written in 4 different angles of his personality and character so either way both of us are right I feel.

Luke 21

Signs of the End of the Age
5Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
Text

Also very important:

7"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

8He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

Text

Signs here could mean man landing on the Moon, the Sun behaving differently like it is now without sun spots for example, solar flares?

25"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
Text

[edit on 9-6-2009 by The time lord]

[edit on 9-6-2009 by The time lord]

Im gonna have to prophecy a little here guys. The beast Appolyon was born in 1999 in June. There is the coming of the beginning of Sorrows very soon. These things must come in a period that gets so bad that that these days must be shortened in order to save life from extinction, but the end is not by and by.

The Earth shall calm down for a period immediately preceeding the emergence of the Beast. So the immediate Apocalypse that is soon approaching is not the end. Survival of the Apocalypse is very important, the Bible says blessed is he who endures. This is because of the coming persecution of Christians preceeding the second Coming. The Bible makes it very clear how God views dying for Him. There is no greater Love than a man lay down his life for his friends. So surviving to reach this persecution is Paramount to believers such as I.

I feel that it is also blessed to survive until the second Coming, if you can because there will be so much sufffering that if you survive for His sake, there is to be said of that also. Remember what is soon approaching is so great that these days must be shortened or else all life will parish. Prepare your hearts for that, for that is exactly what is coming. It is almost here, in fact it is at the door. Can you hear it knocking.

I am the Bringer of the Message of Sorrows.