Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 07, 1999 at 12:11:08 {zExURjw8QAMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: Question for Bibleman posted by Taita on November 07, 1999 at 09:31:13:
Sorry, it is very difficult to answer that question since FPP rules forbid anyone answering that question.
Let's just say this. Suppose someone other than me were actually the Messiah, returned in the flesh and they were posting here at H20. And suppose he wanted to expose himself as the Messiah. Would anybody believe him? Of course not. So even he would not be permitted to admit it even if it were true.
Therefore, what I would do if I were you is find out as much about who the Messiah is SUPPOSED to be and them make comparisons with different ones who post at H20. All this happens in a witness setting.
Here are some details about the Messiah:
1) He has to be a witness and then leave the truth, returning by Passover of 1992.
2) There is a hint based upon Phillip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch who says, "what is preventing me from getting baptized" and reading Isa. 53 which pertains to the second but not the first coming, that the Ethiopian eunuch in some way typifies Jesus Christ. That is, that may be the form he is in; and that relates to
3) The Prodigal Son Messiah loses his integrity and thus is "killed" but in a certain way. What kills him. Revelation 11:8 says, "The corpses will be on the broad way of the great city which is in a spiritual sense called Sodom and Egypt where their Lord was also impaled." How is the Lord impaled in "Sodom" and "Egypt." That has to be fulfilled. That narrows down who the Messiah can be.
4) And also, as we've recently focussed on, he defends the Bible with the long sword of his mouth and thus he is someone who has to publish God's word in some way or debate God's word in some way. So whoever it is would have to be active in that endeaver, if even not well-known.
But there is a suble connection between Jesus being impaled in "Sodom and Egypt" and being an "Ethiopian eunuch". Do you get the connection? This was a clue to the JIOR as to whom and what type of individual to look for and under what cultural circumstances and environment he would be associated with.
So read the account of Phillip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch and read Isa 53. Isaiah 53 is about a suffering and sinful and sickly Messiah which is consistent with the Messiah's Second Coming as "Lazarus" and the "Prodigal Son."
And think about that parable as prophetic. If the "Rich Man and Lazarus" is prophetic, then who could Lazarus be? He's in the bossom position of Abraham. Jesus is called the "only-begotten god in the bossom position of the Father." (John 1:18).
These are little hints connecting the picture.
So one thing you can do if somebody is claiming to be the Messiah, (which I'm not claiming to be any false Messiah), is make sure that person is ruled out if they don't fit what we can tell about that person per the Bible.
And then you still don't have to believe, you can still wait to see what happens. But at least you are at a level of heightened awareness and at least you'll understand that the Messiah does come in the flesh.
And finally, just step back and be realistic! Jesus has to rule for 1000 years on the EARTH with his 144,000 (might be a symbolic number for a larger group). He's not going to do this from Heaven. Why would he? He needs hands on and so the king-priests.
That's why the first resurrection of even ones such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Daniel are first in the flesh and on the earth, as it noted, they will "become princes IN THE EARTH." The first resurrection occurs BEFORE the millennium and the second not until after.
So it makes sense that Jesus would appar in the flesh. Only he appears only to his faithful followers who are expecting him at the right time and in the right way. He comes as a thief to everybody else.
And finally, on a higher spiritual level, think about what it means for the Messiah to come in the imperfect flesh the second time. It means that his whole experience will be complete. He will understand faithfulness as a perfect man as Adam was, and he will understand how the sinful flesh works, will understand about repentance and forgiveness besides understanding the special challenges of being in the imperfect flesh. He will thus be more empatheic as will many of the anointed ones who go through special testing.
You see, if you're a former drug addict, you're going to be a lot more patient with a struggling drug addict trying to make it back into god's favor. You KNOW how hard it is. You know the ropes and what it takes to conquer that. So with some other very special problems.
That's why the 144,000 will be so wonderful since they will have gone through these things and conquered them! Very difficult things of every imaginable scenario and human problem, from chemical depression, to homosexual tendencies, to various substance addictions, etc.
But the only way Christ, a perfect angel, can acquire this experience is by adoption of the identity of an imperfect person.
And that is basically all this is about. He appears in the flesh again by adopting the identity of one of his faithful servants. Only the person he adopts is chosen to be a person who is the "prodigal son" for many reasons.
And that person does not know or understand this during the entire time up to that anointing because the test has to be real. So everybody gets surprised at this turn of events, including the Messiah himself.
And finally, please note that during this 45-year period from 1945 to 1947, that the Bible specifically says that the "sun" (representing Jesus) and the moon (representing the anointed of JWs) would be "darkened" during this period. That is, they would not be aware (except the eagle class) of the Messiah coming in the flesh or who he would be or this special test which is totally in secret. They would find out later. Some of them would accept it (wise virgins) and some would not accept it in time to get into the kingdom (foolish virgins).
So at least understand the EXEGETICAL DOCTRINE involved with the Messianic Prodigal Son. If after that you find it too difficult and reject it. Fine.
And that's okay too. Because the "new wine" is too strong for the "old wineskins", yet Jehovah does not throw out the old wineskins. But he puts new wine into the new wineskins so that both wine and old wineskins are preserved.
Remember, the "older brother" can't deal with this strange turn of events either and he REFUSES TO GO IN. But the Father comes out and says, "What is mine is yours." Still, all the buzz is over the returned Prodigal Son who obviously bring more "joy in heaven" than the faithful 99 sheep/older brother class. Who again, we see is SURPRISED by this turn of events.
So to comprehend this, we must be like the wise virgins and pay "more than the usual attention."
The safest thing we can do is scoff all we want but make sure you understand it and investigate it now. Don't wait until later.
Cheers,
Bibleman