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The Seven Churches Ages: Difference between revisions
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#If Revelation requires the completion of seven church ages before Jesus’ return, then in most centuries of church history Christians had no right to expect the imminent return of the Lord! This would be a curious conclusion for advocates of the seven church ages view, most of whom vehemently emphasize the imminence of Christ’s return.<ref>Craig S. Keener, Revelation, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 75.</ref> | #If Revelation requires the completion of seven church ages before Jesus’ return, then in most centuries of church history Christians had no right to expect the imminent return of the Lord! This would be a curious conclusion for advocates of the seven church ages view, most of whom vehemently emphasize the imminence of Christ’s return.<ref>Craig S. Keener, Revelation, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 75.</ref> | ||
#The whole point of William Branham's interpretation was to [[William Branham's View of Himself|point to himself]]. | #The whole point of William Branham's interpretation was to [[William Branham's View of Himself|point to himself]]. | ||
==Is this also a Jehovah's Witness doctrine?== | |||
The preface to the book, "The Finished Mystery", published by the International Bible Students Association and said to be the posthumous work of Charles Taze Russell<ref>It was later established that this book was largely written and compiled by two of Russell's associates, Clayton J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher, and edited by Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford</ref>, states the following: | |||
:Through St. John the Lord Jesus revealed the fact that the Church would be developed during '''seven distinct periods''', or epochs; and that for each of these epochs Ho would have '''a special angel, or messenger''', to serve the other members of the Body. It follows, then, that '''the messenger to the last, or Laodicean, epoch would declare the Presence of the Lord and the time of the Harvest of the Gospel Age'''. The great Master laid special emphasis on the importance of the messenger to the seventh, or Laodicean, period of the Church, saying that such an one would be "a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord would make ruler over all His Household, to give them meat in due season." | |||
:Those consecrated Christians who have read and fully appreciated the Truth as contained in the preceding six volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES readily sea and agree that '''Charles Taze Russell was the messenger of the Church of Laodicea'''. In the mind of every one who believes the Bible the evidence set forth in this volume will establish that fact beyond the question of a doubt. | |||
==Seven Church '''Ages'''?== | ==Seven Church '''Ages'''?== | ||