Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 07, 1999 at 21:57:48 {zExURjw8QAMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: **Question for Bibleman posted by B on November 07, 1999 at 13:35:48:
I'm the beast, eh? Am I wierd?
Maybe be, but my only claim is that I'M BIBLICAL!
I tell you what the Bible says.
Now granted, there is more than one interpretation of scripture. But the parables in the NT are prophetic of the Messiah.
Jesus is actually "Lazarus" in the Rich Man and Lazarus. The Rich Man is the GB of Jehovah's Witnesses.
God's house is the witness organization.
Jesus is the Prodigal Son who is given the best robe and the ring when he arrives along with a banquet. This private banquet and celebration is the same "wedding feast" that occurs when the Messiah arrives.
What your problem is is that you must take a scripture like found at Zechariah 3 where high-priest Joshua who definitely and specifically typifies Jesus is said to have come first with befouled garments which are then replaced.
You've got to figure out just how that is fulfilled by Jesus Christ. You can't do it with the perfect, sinless Jesus at the first coming. Everybody knows the befouled garments represents sinfulness.
Note Zechariah 3:3 "Now as for Joshua, he happened to be clothed in befouled garments and standing before the angel. Then he answered and said to those standing before him: "Remove the befouled agrments from upon him." And he went on to say to him: "See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing you with robes of state...Let them put a clean turban upon his head."
Now compare this to what happens with the Prodigal Son. Luke 15;21 says: "Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men'. But the father said to his slaves, "Quick! bring out a ROBE, the BEST one, and clothe him with it, and put a RING on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fattened young bull, slaughter it and let us eat and enjoy ourselves.
Now this is in a sequence of three parables. The first one is well-known about the lost sheep and the second about the lost coin. So you have a triple illustration here for emphasis. But perhaps the lost coin is most illustrative of the Second Coming.
Here a woman loses one of ten coins and she searches and sweeps her home until she finds it and then after finding it, she rejoices and calls her friends over to celebrate, saying (Luke 15:9) 'Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma coin that I lost.' Thus, I tell you, joy arises among the angels of God over one sinner that repents."
So the repentent sinner is being made a big fuss over! Interestingly enough, when those who are disfellowshipped are reinstated no such welcome is had. Instead, witnesses are told to play down the joy in their return. That's interesting!
At any rate, this is the THEME of the Second Coming. The lost sheep, the lost coin! That's because that lost sheep and that lost coin ends up being Jesus himself! Jesus is first lost, a corpse, a dead person before coming back to life.
He has befouled garments at first which must be cleaned before he begins to build god's temple again.
Now it's subtle! But after the fact, you can see how consistent it is with scripture.
So you need to re-think your position on this and realize this is the way the Messiah returns.
Besides, this is a great way to sneak up on the world as a thief! What better way to have a disguise than as an everyday person born naturally into the world. Nobody would suspect that. But while he was growing up, he was observing the world. And people treated him the way they wanted. Some good, some bad. Only they didn't know he was the Messiah.
See how that works. It's great!
And most important. It's not my words. It's BIBLICAL!
It's BIBLICAL and you can't do anything about that...
Cheers,
Bibleman