Intelligence Brief #222 Generic and Specific Prophecies; A Clue?

Hi Everyone,

Several times in the past I have written that I believe the Rapture will come before Isaiah 17:1 where Damascus (the capital of Syria) is destroyed. The first reason being that I think a case can be made that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah could be a model for Damascus as well as a model for the Tribulation in general. Second, when you read the account of Psalm 83 it is clear that God the Father is dealing directly with the Jews, which is a sign that the Holy Spirit has gone back up and taken the true believers with Him. I may have stumbled upon a third and compelling reason.

We are given prophecies in the Bible that are generic such as in Matthew 24 where Jesus talks about "earthquakes in diverse places". It does not tell us when, where or if these earthquakes have to be a 6.0 or greater to count. In Romans 1 Paul talks about a rise in homosexuality and in 2 Timothy 3 he talks about the condition of the youth in the last days being callous, disobedient, rude, etc. In 2 Peter 3 we are told that there will be scoffers in the last days, just as Noah and Lot were scoffed at when they each tried to warn their respective audiences. We certainly have scoffers today and many of them are our friends and family members, who scoff at us as we try to warn them of what is coming. I will classify these prophecies as "generic" for the purposes of this brief.

At some point the prophecies get extremely precise. For example, in Daniel 9:27 we are told that a covenant will be confirmed for 7 years by the antichrist. In Revelation 11:2 we are told the Gentiles will be given Jerusalem for 42 months (the first half of the Tribulation to the day). In Revelation 13 we are given the mark of the beast as 666, which is also the value of his name that will be applied to the forehead or hand. In Revelation 7:4 we are told that 144,000 Jews will be sealed. I will use the term "specific" to classify this group of prophesies. The Rapture itself would qualify as a "specific" prophecy.

It appears that the "generic" prophecies are all that are needed by those of us watching and who understand the times we live in. It follows that the "specific" prophecies will come later for a different group of people. What then, is the demarcation between the "generic" and "specific" prophecy groups? I suggest that the Rapture will mark the beginning of the "specific" prophecies. Technically, the Rapture would be the first "specific" prophecy to be fulfilled. My thinking is that after the Rapture the rules will change. The Comforter (Holy Spirit) will be gone, the world goes under a strong delusion, demonic activity is at a historic high, and anyone following Christ will be under threat of death if caught. The specificity of Bible prophecy that follows the Rapture will help those who God has chosen to save after the Rapture. (I could flesh this idea out further, but it isn't pertinent to us who will be gone and for brevity's sake I will let you draw your own conclusions.)

If this is true then the Rapture would come before Isaiah 17:1 where Damascus is destroyed, also for the two other non-related reasons I stated in paragraph one. I believe that Isaiah 17:1 will be the second "specific" prophecy to be fulfilled. Below will be a list of recent headlines showing the deteriorating situation in Syria. Syria could be in an international war very soon and the destruction of Damascus within days after that. I believe the Rapture is very close and anyone who hasn't accepted Christ at this point is dangerously close to finding themselves in a living Hell on earth.

Being in contact with Christians all over the US and even in other parts of the world, I see the weight of the spiritual warfare wearing people thin. I talk to people who have lost their jobs, have cancer, trouble with their spouse, problems with their kids, trying to cope with leaving loved ones behind and all the other cares of this world. We are under a terrible demonic assault. We do not even fathom what that means, but when you know how to look for it even a sunny day can ooze blackness. We have to get the world out of us as much as possible. Turn off the TV, shut off the worldly music and movies, and open your Bible and read. The more you fill your time and mind with the things of Jesus Christ the less opportunity you give the enemy a chance to bring you down. I will leave you with Philippians 1:6, "Be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ". Be encouraged, we are very close to going home.

Tim

CLAIM: US FORCES ON SYRIAN BORDER

July 31, 2012

http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/claim-u-s-forces-on-syrian-border/

VIDEO: America's "War under the Table" in Syria: Former Blackwater

Mercenaries Training FSA Terrorists

July 31, 2012

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=32136

Russia Upgrades Status of Syrian Conflict

July 31, 2012

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120731/174879588.html

Turkish military convoy heads for Syrian border