The Great Evangelical Movement Changed Prophetic Teaching!
September 5, 2001
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
John Wesley
is normally credited with being the first great preacher and leader of what came to be called the Great Evangelical Movement.
The movement had its beginning in the 1730’s, according to leading reference sources.
The movement took form from its third rise in the early 1740s with Wesley, along with others, itinerant field preaching and the subsequent founding of religious societies for the formation
of believers. This was the first widely successful evangelical movement in the United Kingdom.
The movement was filled with religious zeal and excitement, such that it swept the world. Unfortunately, it eventually dramatically changed the orthodox prophetic teachings of preachers and teachers before 1740, and is largely responsible for the prophetic beliefs of perhaps 95 percent of the believing world today.
The Methodist Church, which came into existence in 1785, is historically linked with its founder, John Wesley. This Blog is not intended to teach the historical birth dates of the many different denominations on the earth today.
However, if you ever have time, go back to when the Great Evangelical Movement began in the 1730’s and see how many of the churches or groups of today came into existance after that time period.
Many of the huge incorporated ministries that dominate the media and pull in millions from their viewers and hearers, are the offspring of the Great Evangelical Movments.
Is there one single Scripture the Great Evangelical Movement changed, upon which prophetic teaching is based? There most assuredly is, and I will issue you a challenge to make my point. Find me one commentary by anyone on Daniel 9:27 prior to 1740
stating the “HE” that confirmed “the covenant” w as the Antichrist,
and I will eat crow. For all I know there may be one out there somewhere, but I have searched dilligently across the earth and have not yet found it.
Daniel 9:27 – And HE shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
I have yet to find one writer before 1740 that identified the “HE” as the Antichrist. So who did the vast majority of writers before 1740 identify as being the “HE?” They said it was Jesus Christ, and by cracky, they WERE RIGHT! Now just suppose you do find such a commentary, if it exists – am I worried you will? Absolutely not! I am not worried for a good reason – by the time you find it, you will have discovered so many claiming it was Christ, that you will begin to realize it probably is Jesus.
The major reason I have issued the challenge to find such a book is simply this – It is amazing how few modern prophetic teachers actually ever looked back at what was taught on Daniel 9:27 prior to 1740. And it might interest you to know that the majority of writers were still teaching it was Jesus until the Civil War. Where they all wrong before 1740? That is a question few in this generation have ever bothered to answer because they simply never knew everyone believed it was Jesus prior to 1740.
I am extremely greatful that a respectable number were still teaching it was Jesus when I was born in 1932, and that many books were still in the archives teaching it as I grew to adulthood. All the great prophetic buffs of today like Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, John Hagee, Tim LaHaye and the writers of the “Left Behind” series, along with most of those who hold the first-of-the-week-position, have made billions of dollars in their publications assuring believers they will be whisked up before the tribulation period begins. And the central, and by far the singlemost important Scripture, on which their seven year tribulation period, and first-of-the-week position hangs, is none other than Daniel 9:27, and the belief the “HE” is Antichrist. But that teaching on Daniel 9:27 did not exist before 1740, and is the Scripture that allowed first-of-the-weekers to divide the supposed last seven years of Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years into two neat little three and one-half year periods, the first being a 1260 day period of peace,
and the second being a 1260 day period of great tribulation. See if you can find a book, published before 1740, that had a diagram that showed the last seven years of Dariel’s 70 Weeks of Years divided into two neat little periods of three and one-half years.
I don’t believe you will find one. And if you might happen to find one, why only one? In fact, see how many you find with the diagram from 1740 to 1827? You may not find one, because it is quite likely they did not come into existance until the period 1825 to 1830. Now, let me ask you to consider the following Scriptures that are always used to justify the diagram’s division into two three and one-half year periods.
Daniel 7:25 – And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Time = 1 year, Times = 2 Years, and The Dividing of Time = ½ Year)
Israel will be given into his hand for the last three and one-half years before Armageddon.
Daniel 12:7 – And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
All of these things will be finished when the last three and one-half years prior to Armageddon are completed.
Revelation 12:14 – And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Israel will be in the Negev Wilderness for the last three and on-half years prior to Armageddon.
Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Israel will be in the Negev Wilderness for the last three and one-half years prior to Armageddon.
Revelation 11:3 – And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Israel will be in the Negev Wilderness for three and on-half years before Armageddon.
Revelation 11:2 – But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty
and two months.
The Gentiles will recapture the holy city of Jerusalem three and one-half years before Armageddon, and hold it until Armageddon.
Revelation 13:4-6 – And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? [5] And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
[6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
The Antichrist will capture the Temple Mount and continue in power for three and one-half years before Armageddon.
Now, after having looked at all the Scriptures in the Bible that apply to the three and one-half years, isn’t it obvious they all apply to what most advocates of the Great Evangelical Movement position call the last three and one-half years of the tribulation period.
So, where is the one that uses time, times, and half a time, or 1260 days, or 42 months, to refer to the so-called first three and one-half years, commonly referred to as the time of the peace treaty between Israel and the Antichrist. There is only one lonely Scripture to which the advocates of the Great Evangelical Movement position can run – Danel 9:27, and there is only way they can say we still have seven years of Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years remaining to be fulfilled – They must make the “HE” OF Daniel 9:27 the Antichrist, a teaching that did not exist before 1740.
Daniel 9:27 – And HE shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
If you do hold the Great Evangelical Movement position, please don’t swell up like a great toad with righteous indignation at what you have been reading. At least take a look at what preachers believed before 1740 and reject it by your own evaluation of it. Please consider Archive Prophecy Update 233A, and then read Archive Prophecy Updates 230B, 231, 231A, 231B, 232C, and 233. You will also find Great Evangelical Movements prophecy teachings contrasted with pre-movement positions in Archive Prophecy Updates 73D, 74A, 78A, 123B, 124A, 144A, 144F, and 147D.
I would advised you to take a look at this material. Failure to do so may cause you to have a genuine surprise when a great war suddenly breaks out in the Middle East without three and on-half years of peace prior to its beginning.