Famine Coming Soon

[John81]

The signs in Matthew 24:7-8 are as sorrows or birth pains. They will become more frequent and more sever as the day of the Lord nears. They are not everywhere at once nor continues.

As brought up before, considering the things mentioned there are fewer at this time, rather than more frequent or severe, then by your reckoning this should be a sign the rapture is not near.

 

Interesting that the Apostles didn't point out anything like what you say in their letters. Instead they continually pointed out that Christ could return at any moment, no signs pointing out the nearness of farness of His return, just that He could come at any time and that should motivate His followers to be about the Father's business in pursuing personal holiness, spreading the Gospel and making disciples.

[Rebecca]

I'm not very familiar with prophecy, so forgive me if I'm taking these verses out of context. But, when people mention famine coming, it's not always about food, or lack thereof. Amos 8:11-12. I've been in Mardel's (big Christian bookstore) in the Bible section and have seen people staring in confusion at the huge selection of "Bibles". I've seen the employees expound the virtues of the newer versions and not even glance at the KJV section, or if asked, just brush it off saying that it's too hard to understand, but there's always the NKJV or NIV and then explain why the others are better. Seems to me with the flood of newer versions choking the Bible stores, and preachers allowing other versions to be used in churches, people looking for the Word of God are having a difficult time finding it. Difficult, but not yet impossible. I believe that one day it will be next to impossible. 

[DaveW]

John, please present proof for your oft repeated claim that these things are getting fewer.
I have been shown statistics which say otherwise.

[Alan]

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go up into the  house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1

[Eric Stahl]

As brought up before, considering the things mentioned there are fewer at this time, rather than more frequent or severe, then by your reckoning this should be a sign the rapture is not near.

 

Interesting that the Apostles didn't point out anything like what you say in their letters. Instead they continually pointed out that Christ could return at any moment, no signs pointing out the nearness of farness of His return, just that He could come at any time and that should motivate His followers to be about the Father's business in pursuing personal holiness, spreading the Gospel and making disciples.

John read my post again. The signs in Matthew 24:7-8 are for the day of the Lord not His appearing when the church is called up. However if the day of the Lord is near the rapture is more near. So if you see the signs for the day of the Lord you know the rapture is near too.

[Eric Stahl]

It may be starting. Crops all over the world are being hurt by unusual weather.

[Invicta]

1 hour ago, Eric Stahl said:

It may be starting. Crops all over the world are being hurt by unusual weather.

And it may not be.  There was a terrible famine in Africa a few decades ago.  Matthew 24:7-8   refers to the famines that appeared a few years after it was written.  There was a severe famine in Jerusalem which was mentioned by Josephus and Paul collected money from the churches to send to Jerusalem

[Eric Stahl]

5 hours ago, Invicta said:

And it may not be.  There was a terrible famine in Africa a few decades ago.  Matthew 24:7-8   refers to the famines that appeared a few years after it was written.  There was a severe famine in Jerusalem which was mentioned by Josephus and Paul collected money from the churches to send to Jerusalem

Since the famines are signs to the church that the day of the Lord is near I think they will be world wide.

[DaveW]

5 hours ago, Invicta said:

And it may not be.  There was a terrible famine in Africa a few decades ago.  Matthew 24:7-8   refers to the famines that appeared a few years after it was written.  There was a severe famine in Jerusalem which was mentioned by Josephus and Paul collected money from the churches to send to Jerusalem

Would you care to show FROM the Bible that Paul was collecting for famine relief.

[Invicta]

4 hours ago, Eric Stahl said:

Since the famines are signs to the church that the day of the Lord is near I think they will be world wide.

Show that from the scripture, please.

 

[Invicta]

4 hours ago, DaveW said:

Would you care to show FROM the Bible that Paul was collecting for famine relief.

Not exactly, but Paul collected for the poor saints in Jerusalem, 

Romans 15:26  For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. 27  It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

See also 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

History tells us there was a severe famine in Jerusalem at that time and Josephus tells of a foreign queen who converted to the Jewish religion, sending hr son who also converted to take relief to the poor Jews, and if a foreign queen, then surely Paul would do the same.

[Eric Stahl]

5 hours ago, Invicta said:

Show that from the scripture, please.

 

Matthew 24:3-8

Luke 21:7-11

mark 13:4-8

 

[Invicta]

1 hour ago, Eric Stahl said:

Matthew 24:3-8

Luke 21:7-11

mark 13:4-8

 

Oh Dear.

If you study the context you will find that the Olivet discourse follows on directly from Matthew 23 where Jesus  pronounced woes on the scribes and pharisees firstly for continuing the sins of their fathers who killed the prophets, but they would fill up their measure by killing him  (as Peter later said "You killed the Author of Life").  Jesus then said "Your house" the temple "is left unto you desolate." he ends by saying "All this will come upon this generation."  

Immediately after leaving the temple the disciples commented on the large and beautiful stones of the temple.   One can almost hear them asking "How could all this desolation come on this generation?"  Jesus went on to tell them that not one stone would be left on another and to answer the second question "When would it be?" He said "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, that is when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke),then know that its desolation is near." The believers at the time saw the Roman armies and fled the city as Jesus commanded. 

Jesus then went on to answer the extra question recorded in Matthew, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" A question that was of topic as we would say, but answered clearly.  36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

The key phrases in that are 42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.and 44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
 

[MountainChristian]

Act 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

[DaveW]

15 hours ago, Invicta said:

Oh Dear.

If you study the context you will find that the Olivet discourse follows on directly from Matthew 23 where Jesus  pronounced woes on the scribes and pharisees firstly for continuing the sins of their fathers who killed the prophets, but they would fill up their measure by killing him  (as Peter later said "You killed the Author of Life").  Jesus then said "Your house" the temple "is left unto you desolate." he ends by saying "All this will come upon this generation."  

Immediately after leaving the temple the disciples commented on the large and beautiful stones of the temple.   One can almost hear them asking "How could all this desolation come on this generation?"  Jesus went on to tell them that not one stone would be left on another and to answer the second question "When would it be?" He said "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, that is when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke),then know that its desolation is near." The believers at the time saw the Roman armies and fled the city as Jesus commanded. 

Jesus then went on to answer the extra question recorded in Matthew, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" A question that was of topic as we would say, but answered clearly.  36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

The key phrases in that are 42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.and 44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
 

Oh Dear.

If you study the context you will find that chapter 24 DOES NOT FOLLOW DIRECTLY ON FROM chapter 23 - there is a break in the commentary, where it states that Jesus and his disciples "went out, and departed from the Temple", and that the people being spoken to has changed from "the multitude, and to his disciples" at the start of chapter 23, to only "his disciples" at the start of chapter 24. The SUBJECT is related, but the CONTEXT of the speech is different.

Also, another "Oh Dear" is that whilst talking about "Context, you delete 33 verses between the question and the answer, which I can only assume you think is simply not important, even though the Lord thought those words were important enough to speak BEFORE getting to the section which YOU like. So you actually remove the verses you like from their context, in the name of context.............

And whilst spouting you unfounded comments about Daniel (which was comprehensively answered previously on this site - see the debate section) the verse which you leave out of your quote talks about a whole raft of things that are not seen in history but are spoken of as happening before the verses you finish up with. No wonder you leave them out - you don't want to have to deal with them, because they ruin your timelines. But the Bible will always do that to your timelines.

 

The thing that really makes with laugh with your attack on Eric is that vs 7 follows on from vs 6 where is says:

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
(Mat 24:6-7)

 

Notice that at the end of vs 6 it quite plainly says "but the end is not yet."

This is the biggest argument against Eric's thought here - these things will happen, and it is implied (not stated) that over time that they will increase, "BUT THE END IS NOT YET."

In one regard it doesn't matter if there is a famine - the end is not yet.

But then we read:

All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Mat 24:8)
 

Note that all these are the BEGINNING of sorrows, not the end of sorrows. These things will happen from the time they were stated until the end.

And by the way, the term "sorrows" here is not talking about the great tribulation period, so don't even try that.