I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your website. I pray for you, that you always teach God’s Truth with love in your heart. Thank you for so kindly answering my questions. I have another:
Today (a writer on another website) said that in Ezekiel God promised the Jews that in 3 days they would get their kingdom back and a thousand years is as a day and this was in about 600 BC so we’re halfway thru the 2nd millenium and the 3rd will be the promised millenium after the Tribulation – I think I’m explaining that right – so he says there should be about 300 more years til the rapture.
I like his articles, he seems like a knowledgeable and sincere Christian – I’m just a common saint. I look to people like you who are more learned than I to explain scripture – and I’ve read a lot of your articles including the ones about why the rapture is imminent. What do you make of what he said. His thinking is flawed, right? Could you explain why he’s wrong?
There are several errors here. First of all the passage is from Hosea and here’s what it says.
Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me.”
“Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. (Hosea 5:15-6:2)
When you look at the whole passage it says that the Lord was going to go back where He came from until they admit their guilt. This can’t refer to the Babylonian captivity which began in 586BC because its duration was fixed before hand at 70 years and wasn’t dependent on them admitting their guilt.
No, it was fulfilled when the Lord left the Earth after His Resurrection. He confirmed this in Matt. 23:39 when He said, For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ He’s not coming back until they admit that He is who He claims to be. So the count began with the Resurrection, not the Babylonian captivity which began about 600 years earlier.
Then Hosea’s prophecy continued, saying that after 2 days God would revive them. If a day is as 1000 years that means 2000 years after He left, He would revive them, bring them back to life.
Then on the third day they’d be restored. Not after the third day but on the third day, at it’s beginning, after they’ve admitted their guilt (Zechariah 12:10). This refers to the Davidic Kingdom which will be restored at the beginning of the Millennium, the third thousand years after the resurrection.
Finally, we should note that in this passage the concluding event is the restoration of the Kingdom for Israel. It has nothing to do with the Rapture of the Church which can happen at any moment.