HomeARC ML 2212
ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATIONS! DO 2212 6/86
1. I'M JUST GOING TO WAIT & SEE WHICH INTERPRETATION IS THE RIGHT ONE! The Lord obviously didn't make it too clear so that we wouldn't know exactly. I'm just suggesting possibilities. I said, "You know, it's possible! What if?"
2. THEY CAN TAKE EITHER ONE OF THREE INTERPRETATIONS: Our old traditional interpretation, the literalistic interpretation that we've gone by for years, or they can take this kind of shoved-up interpretation of "What If?" (ML#2211) that puts us a little closer & suggests the Rapture could be anywhere from '89 to '91.--Or this last one that it could really easily be '89, & instead of my dying, I could be going up in the Rapture on my birthday, February 18, 1989!
3. AT LEAST I GIVE YOU A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN! That's all you can do when the Lord doesn't show you exactly. It may kind of destroy some of these people's prophetic icons, at least it'll shake them! Maybe the Lord doesn't want them to be quite so dogmatic about things. When people get dogmatic they get a little intolerant of others' views. At least it will show them how many different ways there are to interpret things sometimes, how many options & alternatives there are in Biblical interpretation.
4. WELL, IT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW MANY WAYS A THING COULD HAPPEN! It is not changing the Scripture any, it's not changing the order of events, or any of the basic facts, it just shows you how things are somewhat moveable & changeable. You don't always have to have it exactly the way you thought.
5. I HOPE IT WILL ILLUSTRATE TO OUR FAMILY THAT YOU CAN'T BE TOO DOGMATIC ABOUT SOME INTERPRETATIONS. You can't be too exact about exact years etc. There are certain things that are absolutely exact that are exact in the Bible, such as the number of years & even the number of days, but you can't always tell ahead of time exactly where they start & where they stop! Obviously the Lord did that deliberately so that people couldn't be too dogmatic about it & wouldn't really know until it actually starts to happen! Maybe it would be bad security or something for some reason.
6. THE BASIC FACTS ARE ALL STILL THERE & UNCHANGEABLE. We haven't changed too much of what we have taught for years, except my wishful thinking of wanting to interpret that 70 years as having me die before the Tribulation, which was my own idea, more or less, because I was hoping that's what it meant!
7. SO I JUST WANT TO SHOW THEM NOW THE POSSIBILITY THAT I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR LITTLE INTERPRETATION & they shouldn't be too dogmatic about their literalistic view of some of these Endtime events! So I sort of shot a few of our little theories full of holes!
8. THE BASIC THINGS ARE ALL STILL THERE! There is going to be an Antichrist, there is going to be a Tribulation, there is going to be a Covenant, there is going to be some kind of an Image of the Beast, there is going to be some kind of Temple worship! Good night!--People have got all kinds of temple worship nowadays, already worshipping their own gods & their own temples!
9. BUT I'M TRYING TO SHOW THEM HOW A LOT OF THAT CAN BE SPIRITUALLY INTERPRETED. (Maria: And some of the things can even have both a spiritual & a literal interpretation!)--Yes! I'm just trying to show them it could be later than they think! The main new idea that I've been offering has been that the Covenant could be a secret Covenant, the Antichrist could already be reigning from behind the scenes, which obviously he is, whether the Seven Years has started or not! But if he is, I'm proposing the idea that the Seven Years could have already started & that the breaking of the Covenant could even be secretive & that even his enthronement, declaring that he is God, could even be spiritually interpreted, including the Image of the Beast being television!
10. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SHOW THEM A POSSIBILITY OR SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT MIGHT BE THE FULFILMENT! I think I got the thing about television long ago. My Father even had that kind of idea & it just sort of revived it in my mind when I was reading that article & how true that could be! That's already the Image of the Beast & he's already being worshipped & the Antichrist spirit already controls the World!
11. I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SOME OF THEIR PET SHIBBOLETHS & ICONS A LITTLE SHAKEN UP & TESTED, OTHERWISE THEY GET IN SUCH A RUT! I think we did shake people up & show them that there is a possibility that we are closer to the End than we may realise, so they'll really get on the ball & get busy & get the job done!
12. DOESN'T THAT SORT OF SHAKE YOU UP TO THINK THAT MAYBE WE'RE ALREADY IN THE TRIBULATION?--And that the Lord may come even as close as my birthday in '89!--Instead of dying before the Tribulation, I may go up in the Rapture! That ought to shake them up! (Maria: That makes everybody really happy! That's encouraging!)
13. IF THIS IS THE TRIBULATION, IT'S NOT MUCH WORSE THAN WE'VE ALREADY BEEN EXPERIENCING! Of course, I really believe it is going to get much worse, obviously. The Mark hasn't completely taken over yet & neither has the Antichrist. I believe all of that is going to come just like we've always predicted, because it's right there in the Bible!
14. AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE HE IS ACTUALLY A MAN & HE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE REVEALED & HE MAY YET SET UP AN IMAGE!--The Jews might yet rebuild the Temple & resume sacrifices, all literally, but I'm sure it could all be spiritually fulfilled right now! Don't put it off too long, don't get too set an idea about it all being so literal that it can't happen now!
15. IT'S KIND OF A RELIEF TO THINK MAYBE THE TRIBULATION IS HALF OVER & THE LORD IS COMING SOON & WE'LL BE OUT OF THIS MESS MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS! (Maria: We've gotten out all those millions of Endtime Posters though with that other interpretation. Maybe we'll have to update it!) What do you mean? That could still be the way it is fulfilled, it doesn't change anything! It could still be fulfilled exactly as we have described & pictured & postered & taught for years!
16. BUT I'M JUST SHAKING THE PEOPLE UP A LITTLE BIT, showing them that, who knows, a lot of it could be in secret & fulfilled spiritually & we may be further along than we think! I'm just suggesting that possibility, that our interpretation of the timetable may not be all that exact or accurate & not exactly the way we have taught! All those things are going to happen, they're all on the timetable, but just when the timetable begins & ends is not clear, never has been. I've never before taught definitely that it would be at a certain time or begin at a certain time or end at a certain time, I'm just proposing those possibilities now on what it could possibly be!
17. THESE ARE A FEW ALTERNATIVE INTER PRETATIONS, A FEW OPTIONS AS TO EXACTLY WHERE & WHEN THINGS BEGIN & END! The order is the same. The length of times are the same. You can't change the 70 years, that's one thing you can't change unless I should pop off too soon. (Maria: If our interpretation about that is correct. It sounds like it is. It sounds like that is the only thing it can be but...) Well, I certainly took it to mean that when I got it, & your first impression is usually the right one!
18. THE LENGTH OF TIME THE FINAL "WEEK" OF DAN.9:27 COVERS IS THE SAME, SEVEN YEARS, & it is broken in the middle so that the first half is the same & the last half is the same, & the last half is obviously the Tribulation from all the descriptions. I mean, nothing has changed as far as the basic truths are concerned! It's only interpretation or theories as to when it starts, how it starts & when & where & how it ends! It doesn't even change really how it ends either, just a variation in interpretation as to just when it begins & when it ends, that's all!
19. IT IS GOING TO END WITH THE COMING OF THE LORD, JUST LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS TAUGHT! There's no difference in that basic truth at all!--And that's going to introduce the Wrath of God, which will end with the Battle of Armageddon & the Millennium will follow. So what's different? What's changed?--Nothing basic, just minute details. Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much detail on it. But to our folks who want to know everything & need to know everything, I'm just suggesting to them the possibility that it could be now, not later. (Maria: Well, whether it's 1989 or 1991 or 1993, it's still really close! So, like you say, it doesn't change much.)
20. IF YOU MAKE SOME OF THESE DETAILS SECRETIVE OR SPIRITUALISED & STILL STICK TO THE 70 YEARS, IT COULD BE AFTER MY BIRTHDAY IN '89 THAT THE LORD COMES! I'm just trying to show them that it could be later than they think! It's no major change, really. Our folks are so stuck on something that they think it's an earthshaking change, but it's not!
21. THERE'S STILL AN ANTICHRIST, STILL A COVENANT, still a breaking of the Covenant, still a Tribulation, still an Image, still a Mark of the Beast, all of that, nothing has changed except possibly a slight interpretation, a potential possible interpretation of some of those things. It could be a little bit more spiritualised. I think the Mark of the Beast is going to be literal. Even telling them that television is the Image of the Beast, I think that's pretty literal! It's not exactly the way we've envisioned it, but that could still be it. That doesn't change the basic facts!
22. THE ANTICHRIST IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE REVEALED, the man, & we've always thought, of course, that he was going to be revealed either at the beginning of the Seven Years, or certainly by the middle of the Seven Years. We couldn't see how all that could happen about the Image of the Beast & the Mark of the Beast & the Tribulation, we didn't see how it could possibly happen without the revelation of the Antichrist! But how do we know for sure that he is revealed even at the time of the breaking of the Covenant? We don't really know that, we just assumed that he was going to be revealed then & he was going to put up his Image then & he was going to institute the Mark of the Beast then & all of that.
23. IT COULD BE ANY TIME FROM THEN ON AFTER HE BREAKS THE COVENANT. We know he rules at least seven years because he makes a Covenant for seven years, breaks it in the middle, & then after that there is the Image of the Beast, the Mark of the Beast & the Tribulation & the Great Coming of the Lord! But how do we know how soon he institutes the worship of himself & reveals himself? How do we know exactly how soon? We've always assumed it was at that breaking of the Covenant, that surely that would be the time that he would be seen & revealed. But we don't really know that for sure, we just assumed that, it seemed the logical time.
24. HE HAS GOT TO HAVE 3-1/2 YEARS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEVEN YEARS HE BREAKS THE COVENANT, THAT IS EXACT! But how do we know when it was made? How do we know if we are going to know that he broke it? He could bring on those other things later, including the proclamation of himself as God & putting up his Image & starting the Mark of the Beast, all that could come even towards the end of the Tribulation!
25. (MARIA: BUT WHY DO YOU THINK THE LORD WOULD HAVE GIVEN US SUCH SPECIFICS about the 3-1/2 years, also the 2300 days? We've always taught before that it's so Christians will know when the End is, so we'll know specifically the time.) Well, why has the Lord given some things to us & then sometimes He even changes things later, even in the Bible? Why did the Lord give the Laws of Moses if He was going to chuck them all out? (Maria: Well, they were good for their present time.)
26. ALL RIGHT, SO MAYBE SOME OF OUR THEORIES ARE FOR THIS PRESENT TIME to show folks how things could be fulfilled & how specific they could be, but maybe He doesn't want us to get too dogmatic about it! Maybe He wants to give the possibilities, although there could be some slight variations in the interpretation so our people won't be so hardnosed & dogmatic about some things.
27. (MARIA: WELL, IN VIEW OF THESE CHANGES, ARE YOU SURE WE SHOULD PUBLISH THIS WHOLE PROPHETIC SERIES OF LETTERS FROM THE LAST YEAR?) Honey, I'm going to stick to my original position & our original interpretation until it's proved otherwise, now that's how I feel about it! I am merely suggesting that "what if" some of these things could be slightly differently interpreted? What if? Our people should be open to change & not get soclosed-minded & dogmatic that they can't stand a little variation. I'm sticking to our original interpretation & visualisation of the whole thing, as far as I'm concerned, until the Lord shows us otherwise. But I'm just showing the possibility, suggesting that it could be slightly differently interpreted, it's not any big difference, just a little slight difference in how you interpret when it begins & when it ends, that's all!
28. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE SO HARD & STUBBORN THAT THEY CAN'T BE SHOWN A LITTLE SOMETHING NEW, a new idea that they hadn't thought of before, & it just might change their way of thinking a little bit. Our dogmatic interpretation, literalistic interpretation of some of these events could have slightly different fulfilments & not exactly the way we have always thought. They can take it or leave it! I'm not making anybody believe it one way or the other.
29. BUT I DO BELIEVE IN SHAKING THEM UP A LITTLE BIT TO SHOW THEM HOW IT COULD BE & that we could be a lot closer to the End than we thought, even as close as to be already in the Tribulation, & the Coming of the Lord could be in '89 instead of the end of '92 or the first of '93, that's still only about three years difference!
30. WE'RE GETTING TO BE LIKE THE THEOLOGIANS, SPLITTING HAIRS OR EXACT DEFINITIONS, & I have warned us time & again not to get too dogmatic & too exact & too hairsplitting over certain theological interpretations. I'm trying to show our people there could be a slight variance in when these things begin & end! The things are the same, the events are the same, the characters are the same, what is going to happen is the same, but there might be a slight variation in the timetable as far as when it begins & when it ends! Certain things don't vary. The length of the years, the making & breaking of the Covenant, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, the Coming of the Lord, I mean all those things are the same!
31. BUT EXACTLY WHEN, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET ON SORT OF OPEN TERRITORY WHERE THINGS COULD OPEN AND CLOSE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY! In other words, the starting point could be a little bit different. The length of time is exact, it's in the Bible, but who knows when the starting point is? The starting point will determine the ending point!
32. I'M JUST TRYING TO SHOW THEM IT'S A POSSIBLE INTERPRETATION, that maybe you can interpret some of these things that way or spiritualise them, such as things about the Antichrist, or we show that a lot of it could be in secret before he is revealed. But he will be revealed, that we know, it says so! But I'm just suggesting the possibility! Television could be the Image of the Beast!--It sure is, & in a sense it could already be revealing him & his methods & teachings etc.!
33. BUT I STILL BELIEVE THE ANTICHRIST IS A MAN! It's clear it's a man, it says, "Man of Sin, Wicked One, the Antichrist, the Beast"! That's got to be literal as far as I can see! I still expect the Antichrist to show up somewhere, some time, but I'm just trying to show that it's a possibility that some of these things could already be in the process that we thought were going to be known or appear, but they may not appear as soon as we thought. Some of these revelations etc., his actual appearance may be much later than we thought.
34. I STILL BELIEVE HE IS GOING TO APPEAR, THAT HE IS GOING TO DEMAND WORSHIP & HE IS GOING TO HAVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST & ALL THE REST! I haven't changed my opinion about that at all! I'm just saying that some of this could already be happening & that his appearance & the actual Mark of the Beast & demanding worship & all that sort of thing could be later in the Tribulation. It doesn't have to happen right at the breaking of the Covenant. The Jews could still build the Temple as far as I'm concerned, but I'm just trying to show what if that has a spiritual interpretation.
35. THE MOST IMPORTANT TEMPLE IS MEN'S HEARTS, & who you worship in the holy place of your heart is what counts, not just what building you go to, the Lord Himself brought that out! And good night, the World is already worshipping the Antichrist & his images, his Image, in their hearts!
36. SO NOTHING BASIC HAS CHANGED!--The characters & the events, nothing has changed except that if we interpret some of these things spiritually or as being in secret, that he is not revealed as soon as we thought & doesn't start the Mark of the Beast & demanding worship & ordering people killed as soon as we thought. That's been our interpretation, that it would begin right then, but you can't prove it by the Bible! It's just been our interpretation, how could he do all of that without being known & seen? Well, he may yet!
37. BUT THE POINT IS THAT IT MAY NOT BE RIGHT AT THE BREAKING OF THE COVENANT. He could break the Covenant in secret & put all these other things in motion & be preparing for it. Look how long it's taken to get the computers & the cards & all that stuff, all that technology prepared. It takes time! So it could be some time considerably later than the breaking of the Covenant.
38. HE COULD HAVE BROKEN THE COVENANT IN HIS HEART! It says "his heart was against the Covenant" for a long time beforehand, (Dan.11:28), & all these other events take place later. His revelation & sitting in the Temple, demanding worship & having an Image & all that sort of thing could still come literally later, & I expect it to! But I'm trying to show that some of these things could already be fulfilled spiritually, & about the only thing we wait for now is his actual appearance!
39. SO WHAT BIG CHANGE DOES THAT MAKE? Well, it already makes a big change for people who are so dogmatic they're not willing to change & accept new truth! If they don't want to accept it, they don't have to accept it. I don't know if it's true myself, I'm just proposing the possibility that that could be a possible interpretation, that we may be much further along than we think. Do you get it?
40. I WOULD RATHER WARN PEOPLE THAT WE ARE CLOSER TO THE END THAN WE THOUGHT & have them act on that accordingly & hurry up & get ready & be prepared for it! I would rather warn them of that possibility than just keep my mouth shut & think, "Well, it sort of sounds like it's not what we already taught & it contradicts some of our former ideas & therefore we'd better keep quiet!" What if we did & then all of a sudden they are suddenly surprised by his appearance maybe right now, tomorrow, issuance of the Mark, demanding of worship & real heavy Tribulation! They'd be coming back crying to me then, "Dad, how come you didn't tell us? How come you didn't tell us it's possibly going to be sooner than we thought? How come you didn't warn us? We thought we had all this time & look what's happened!"
41. I JUST HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE WARNINGS OF THINGS AS I SEE THE POSSIBILITIES! I'd rather tell them & then not need it, than need it & not have told them! I'd rather tell them the potential possibilities of what could happen or is even perhaps now happening & that it's later than we think & the End is nearer than we thought than to keep my mouth shut & not warn them that there is a possible slight different interpretation of how those events are fulfilled. They are going to be fulfilled & they are in the Bible & that's that! Nothing has changed as far as that is concerned! As far as the Covenant, the Seven Years, the breaking of the Covenant, the Antichrist, the Tribulation & all of this, it's all the same, except who knows exactly when & where that's starting or will start & maybe has already started? Do you get the point?--Amen? GBAKY & help you do your best! IJNA!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
