O Snowdrop!

Captain Butterfly had an outing - legal - to a bit of local woodland on Friday and brought back a photo of snowdrops!  And that too makes me want to write a Haiku, which will begin "O Snowdrop!"  but unfortunately I can't seem to get any further.  At least its shorter than my usual attempts.

And I think I have to add this wonderful sunset pic too - shot from our balcony on Thursday.

I had a rare outing on Thursday - to drive with Captain B to deliver a copy of my book "Waiting for Gordo".  It was only just down the road, but I could not remember the numbet of her house and Google maps did not make it clear.  Strange to be outside again even for 5 minutes.

And I said I would get back to the great scientist Sir Isaac Newton.   Because when discussing Bible prophecy with my friend across The Pond, I found that the Watchtower has published quite a lot about Sir Isaac, and I came across this:

"The famous mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) also had a keen interest in the Bible. He understood that the holy ones will be raised to heavenly life and will rule invisibly with Christ. (Rev. 5:9, 10) As for the subjects of the Kingdom, he wrote: “The earth shall continue to be inhabited by mortals after the day of judgment and that not only for a 1000 years but even for ever.”

Newton considered Christ’s presence to be centuries away. “One reason why Newton saw the Kingdom of God so far in the future was because he was profoundly pessimistic about the deep Trinitarian apostasy he saw around him,” said historian Stephen Snobelen. The good news was still veiled. And Newton saw no Christian movement that could preach it. He wrote: “These prophecies of Daniel and John [the latter recorded in the book of Revelation] should not be understood till the time of the end.” Newton explained: “‘Then,’ saith Daniel, ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.’ For the Gospel must be preached in all nations before the great tribulation, and end of the world. The palm-bearing multitude, which come out of this great tribulation, cannot be innumerable out of all nations, unless they be made so by the preaching of the Gospel before it comes.”​—Dan. 12:4; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 7:9, 10."

He really knew his Bible.    The Apostle Paul himself had to correct some Christians in the earliest days of Christianity

"However, brothers, concerning the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you  not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be alarmed either by an inspired statement or by a spoken message or by a letter appearing to be from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here.  Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction." - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

It is not until the time of Christ's presence that the truth can be preached, worldwide.  Often in the face of great persecution, yes, but continuing.   I was taught about the Kingdom of God, 30 plus years ago, when two Jehovah's Witnesses called at my door.  And I now try to tell others - though not door to door at the moment!