Are We The Terminal Generation?

Televangelist, John Hagee, Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist church in San Antonio, Texas and best selling author writes and speaks on Bible prophecy. In his Book, Beginning of the End, The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Coming Antichrist, he lists 10 reasons why our generation will see Christ’s return. In the following we survey John Hagee – 10 Signs of the Final End, Are We The Terminal Generation?

There appears to be no end to the numerous countdowns and endtime signs offered by modern day prophecy preachers. Every generation since the first have had their share of these grossly mistaken prophets. Hagee must join their ranks. Please understand, this is not a personal attack on the man. I do not know him and can only address what he writes and says about Bible prophecy. He is certainly very prominent and influential, and runs one of the most well organized Christian lobbies in the country.

Survey of John C. Hagee’s 10 Reasons Part I

The Knowledge Explosion:

Citing Daniel 12:4, the charismatic preacher sees the increase of knowledge in our generation as the precursor to the end. Hagee does two things to extract this idea from the text. First, he ignores the context of Daniel 12, which limits the events to the time of first century Israel. Daniel cites a very specific time in the prophecy, namely that which belongs to the time of Israel’s great tribulation and the shattering of the power of the holy people.

The Great Tribulation

The great tribulation mentioned in Daniel 12:1, and cited by Christ in Matthew 24:21 occurs in 70 AD, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome. All would come to pass before that generation passed. Therefore, Hagee ignores the time parameters of the chapter, forcing an unnatural interpretation which makes the generation pass completely over the first century to arrive in the 21st century. Christ makes clear that the generation he spoke about presently existed in his time. A survey of Matthew’s gospel confirms this.

The Shattering of Israel’s Power

In addition, an angel asked Daniel, when would the fulfillment of the wonders be? The response was “when the power of the holy people [Israel] has been completely shattered, all would be finished. Daniel here cites Deuteronomy 32:36, where Moses prophesied that in Israel’s latter days, God would judge them. It is the time when God provokes Israel to jealousy by the coming in of the Gentiles, (Deuteronomy 32:21). Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, quotes the prophecy applying it to Israel in the first century, (Romans 10:19).

The Perverse Generation of the First Century

Also consider that Moses depicts Israel as a “perverse generation.” These are the same terms Jesus used to describe Israel of his day, Deuteronomy 32:20; Matthew 12:39, 16:4. Both Peter, (Acts 2:40), and Paul, (Philippians 2:15), wrote the same.  Jewish Historian Josephus writes, “Nor did it, [first century Jerusalem] on any other account so much deserve these sore misfortunes, as by producing such a generation of men as were the occasions of its overthrow.” Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chap. IX, Sec. 5.

Secular Knowledge?

Finally, Hagee’s spin on knowledge in the text is amusing. He offers advancements in secular knowledge as the fulfillment of prophecy. First, what generation has not improved in knowledge?  As to the improvements in the world since the times before the coming of Christ, none can doubt. Great spiritual advancements have been made on all fronts. Their world was a one “which groped helplessly in pagan darkness, with slavery, polygamy, the oppressed conditions of women and children, the almost complete lack of political freedom, and the the ignorance, poverty, and extremely primitive medical care that were the lot of nearly all except the ruling classes.”Lorraine Boettner,  The Millennium, p. 38, (c) 1957.

Thus to claim that we have more knowledge and advancements as the fulfillment of prophecy is a truism. No divine insight is needed for such an obvious truth. The knowledge we have today will be as primitive as that of the 2000 years ago in the next two millennia. So what then is the “increase in knowledge of which Daniel speaks?

The Knowledge of God’s Glorious Gospel

Daniel cites another prophecy from the Law of Moses. The prophets were merely interpreters and teachers of the Law. Daniel quotes from Numbers 14:21, “But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.”  See also Psalms 72:19. The reference to the fulness of the earth with the glory of the Lord is the evangelistic mission of the gospel preached in all the world, meaning the entire Roman empire.

When the phrase, all the world (oikumene) is used in Luke 2:1 stating that Augustus Caesar commission a census to be taking for all the world, he meant the empire. Luke says it came to past in the days of “Augustus Caesar”.  In like manner, Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach to all the nations of the world “oikumene” (Matt. 24:14). This too had to occur before that first century generation passed, Matt. 24:34.

The apostles confirmed the fulfillment in the first century in passages such as Rom. 1:8, 10:18; 15:26; Col. 1:5-6, 23, Jude 3, to name a few. This is how the earth was filled with the glory of the Lord.

The Coming in of the Gentiles and the Knowledge of God

Isaiah prophesied of the spread of the gospel in the times of the Messiah’s mission. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9). Note again, this prophecy is fulfilled during the times of the Gentiles seek the Lord, Isaiah 11:10. What we must note here is Paul’s citation of the text as being fulfilled in his first century mission to the Gentiles, (Romans 15:10). This is proof positive that the knowledge which belong to the time of the end was the gospel preached by the Apostles of Christ.

The Gospel and the End Time Mission

Jesus commanded his apostles to preach the gospel or the knowledge of God in all the world as a witness to all the nations before the time of the end, Matthew 24:14. Since Daniel prophesied of the increase in knowledge in the time of the end, there can be no doubt that his words are identical to that of Christ. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit in the last days, (Acts 2:16-20), to guide the apostles into all truth and to show them things to come, (John 16:13). That is more knowledge than had ever been revealed, (1 Corinthians 2:9-13; Ephesians 3:2-6).

Paul taught that under the Old Covenant, they knew in part, and prophesied in part, but when the perfect arrived that which was in part was done away. Truly the glory and knowledge of God filled the earth with the gospel, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. Commenting on the gospel knowledge as God’s glory, Paul writes:

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should shine on them…For it is the God who commanded light to shine out o f darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:4-6).

John Hagee 10 Signs of the Final End, Are We The Terminal Generation? – Part 2

See the next post for the Second Sign Given by Hagee as the Nuclear Holocaust of  those Who Fight Against Israel.  In that post we expose the faulty interpretation of Zechariah 14:12-15, showing there could not possible be the threat of nuclear warheads in the prophecy interpreted in its Biblical context.

Deprogram yourself from the fears and bondage of Dispensationalism. Exchange your worldview of doom, gloom and fears of impending self-fulfilling nuclear destruction prophecies to one of victory, peace and prosperity.  Are we the terminal generation? See our book, Will Planet Earth Be Destroyed?, with a complete analysis and verse by verse interpretation of 2 Peter 3.

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Are We The Terminal Generation?

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