The Skeptics Annotated Bible (764 page)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

(24.14) “This gospel … shall be preached in all the world … and then shall the end come.” Jesus says the gospel will be preached to all nations “and then shall the end come.” But in Matthew 10.23, he said the end would come before the gospel was preached to all the cities of Israel.

In any case, this is a false prophecy since the gospel has been preached throughout the world (as Paul says in Romans 10.18) yet the world hasn't ended.
354 When will the world end?

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

(24.15) “When ye … see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” If you see the abomination of desolation in the holy place, try to understand. God is trying to say something.

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

(24.16) “Let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” Why? Can't God find and kill them there, too?

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

(24.19) “Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days.” Why? Does God especially hate pregnant and nursing women?

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

(24.24) “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders.” Jesus himself, according to Acts 2.22, fits this description.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

(24.29) “The sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.”

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

(24.30) “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all … the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
377 Will Jesus' second coming be visible to all?

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

(24.31) “He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect.”

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

(24.32-33) “Learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Based on these verses, Hal Linsey's The Late, Great Planet Earth predicted that the end of the world would occur before 1988. The fig tree represents Israel, Israel came back to life in 1948, and Jesus said the end would come within one generation (40 years).

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

(24.34) “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus was a false prophet, since he predicted that the end of the world will come within the lifetimes of his disciples. The world didn't end then, and according to Ec 1.4 it never will.

Speaking of false prophets, the Jehovah's Witnesses used to interpret this verse to mean that some of those who witnessed Jesus' return in 1914 would still be alive when Armageddon happened. Now that those alive in 1914 are now pretty much dead, the JWs have given up on this prediction.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

(24.35) “Heaven and earth shall pass away.”
147 Will the earth last forever?

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

(24.36) “But of that day and that 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.

(24.37) “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Jesus believed that Noah's flood actually happened and he had no problem with drowning everyone on earth. It'll be just like that when he returns.

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.

(24.44) “In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

(24.45) “Who then is a faithful and wise servant?” For Jehovah’s Witnessess, this is the most important verse in the Bible. It is the basis of their central dogma, that the governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses is the “faithful and wise servant,” or as the NWT puts it “the faithful and discrete slave.” As such, the governing body must be obeyed in all matters and all of their teachings must be accepted. Those who do so will survive Armageddon; those who do not, will not.