my question is.........

[Zeek]

I think you are onto something Molly.  From a preterist viewpoint, the false prophets of Judaism were teh antichrists whose goal was to overthrow faith in Christ through their false doctrine and persecution of the church. 

The man of sin was the Roman emporer, Nero. 

Each of these forces (fleshly Israel and Rome) had a common goal, that could not be achieved without the help of each other.  The goal was world dominion, then being threatened by the "little stone" cut out of the mountain. 

Fleshly Israel sought an eternal, universal, earthly kingdom, which was threatened  by the advancing expansion of christianity.  To stop this growth, jewish leaders saw the need to extend persecution beyond the borders of Palestine into Roman territory where the church was rapidly expanding. 

This would require assistance of Rome.  Realizing the innate desire of Nero to be a god, Israel made a deal with Nero, to offer worship to him through the "daily sacrifice" in the temple and the result was a death sentence to all that refused to worship him.  (revl 13). 

Christians everwhere would then come under persecution from Nero, a fact suppored by secular history.  Rome now would serve Israel's purpose to destroy the church, and at the same time Nero would be flattered in thinking he had teh woship of a rebel kingdom.  neither worked for long. 

According to history, the daily sacrifice for Nero in the temple was discontinued in the fall of AD 66 which finally resulted in Nero's decree for the destruction of Jerusalem.  Thus persecution against the church is now shifted to fleshly Israel, and at last the cries of those under the alter are heard (rev 6)

the "mystery of lawlessness at work" was the alliance between jewish leaders and Nero.  A working alliance between Israel and Rome.

(from The Spirit of Prophecy, by Max King) 

[Molly]

wow.  That's amazing. :mshock: I didn't realize they were forced to worship Nero in the temple.

But, my question is--has anything changed?

Different temple, different Nero, same unholy alliance--musterion anomie-- between religion and money, under satan,  in pursuit of rulership of the entire world.

Luke 19:46
Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

[claypot]

wow.  That's amazing. :mshock: I didn't realize they were forced to worship Nero in the temple.

But, my question is--has anything changed?

Different temple, different Nero, same unholy alliance--musterion anomie-- between religion and money, under satan,  in pursuit of rulership of the entire world.

Luke 19:46
Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Nothing has changed. People are houses of prayer yet we turn our households into dens of thieves. Same old story with the same glorious outcome.

cp

[sheila]

   un..huh

   these evil tribunals bring tribulation...