Extend Your Engagement or Greet Your Groom

This book is a response to a book recently published by Ian Rossol & Tony Wastall "Win the World or Escape the Earth" Their book is subtitled "The end times controversy" By using the word 'controversy' the guys, my brothers in Jesus, clearly accept that there are alternative views. This response is one of them. Ian & Tony refer to themselves as 'partial preterists' and 'victorious amillennialists.' A full preterist is someone who believes that the whole of Matthew 24 and Luke 21 (for example) and most other prophetic scriptures were all fulfilled by AD70. Ian and Tony feel that is too extreme so they adopt what they refer to as a 'more balanced' view. An amillennialist believes that even though the Bible refers to a coming specific period of 1000 years it doesn't mean it literally. My stance is that, for the most part, the Bible is to be taken literally and that although some of the Bible prophecies may have taken place in the 1st century the majority of them still have a future fulfilment. I describe myself as a dualist (or multiplist) I believe that some scriptures will have more than one fulfilment - sometimes a different one for each generation. For example the devil has been seeking to raise up his champion down through the ages - Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, Hitler - and ultimately this will peak with the antichrist. I believe that by putting everything into the 1st century, Ian and Tony are missing out on the tremendous things which God is doing right now in our generation particularly the return of His ancient people the Jews to their Promised Land. I make reference to the collapse of the USSR and the 10 plagues (including Chernobyl) which destroyed the Soviet Union. Prophetic words and Holy Spirit led prayers which led to believers declaring to the Russian Pharaohs, 'Thus says the Lord, let My people go ' But, just as the Egyptian Pharaoh chased after the Israelites to destroy them, so Russia and Iran and others are working together with the same purpose in mind. I refer to miracles which took place in the 6 day war. My own view of the place of Israel and the Jews in the world today seems to run counter to the prevailing view - which is, of course, only to be expected because God's ways never run along the tracks which we lay down for Him. His ways and thoughts are far higher than ours. As in my other book 'Are We Witnessing the Downfall of Islam?' I mention how Esau (forerunner of the Arabs) despised his birth-right, including the right to the land of Israel; but now has the ear of the Western powers who will in due time come against the Jews to take their capital city from them. The 12th chapter of the book of Zechariah (written 2,500 years ago) tells how all nations will come against Jerusalem and how those nations be crushed as they do. Zechariah warned that Jerusalem will become the stumbling block for all nations. That same chapter tells how God's ancient people will look upon the One they pierced (God's own son) and will mourn for Him as if He was their own son. The end was prefigured in the life story of Joseph - despised, sold for the price of a slave and yet at the end of the story revealing himself to his brothers as their saviour. May God bless you as you read this book with an open questioning heart.