Astronomy and the Preterists

[Caedmon]

Originally posted by Didaskomenos
No kidding. You said you were against the preterist view that God will intervene in the future because God uses the laws of nature, etc. If so, then in your view of eschatology nothing can occur before and must include the astronomical events that you foresee to be the end of planet earth, or else God would have to intervene and violate the the mechanics of his own universe.

It is highly unlikely that our Sun will exist forever; it will eventually die, as all stars do, and in the process, destroy our Earth. In fact, the Sun is halfway through its lifespan. This is not my take on eschatology. It is a well-established astronomical idea. From this standpoint, the Earth can not exist literally forever.

 

[Ozarkpreterist]

Originally posted by humblejoe


The Sun is different just because Earth supports life? Earth having the ability to support life and having a surrounding planetary system do not affect any characteristic of the Sun. Earth is able to support life because of it's orbit's distance from the Sun. And a planetary system potentially capable of supporting life isn't unique to our Sun.

So if something doesn't confirm your faith, it's rubbish? Tell that to Galileo and Copernicus.

Humblejoe,

Being just the right distance from any star does not mean a planet can support life. The star has to be incredibly stable, and it has to be the right kind of star. Our Sun is the most stable star astronomers have been able to observe to this date. Its light output only varies by .1% over a 11 year sunspot cycle. Even observable stars that are similar to the sun have not proven to be nearly as stable. Scientists are not sure why. I think we know the answer. If God's hand is indeed upon our sun making it unique, all theories based on other stars kind of go out the window. Don't they?

You say that there are other stars that are capable of supporting a life producing planet. However, the evidence is beginning to mount against such a notion. There are just too many things that have to be exactly right. Just being the right distance from a star is not nearly enough. The Creator's fingerprints are becoming increasingly visible on the creation. If He is in control, all things are left to Him--when and how it all began and when and if it will all end. Us arguing about the eons of creation is about like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog or even sillier.

Ozark

 

[Caedmon]

Regardless, the fact remains. The Sun will eventually die. And if it does not expand into a red giant, pray tell, just what will it do?

 

[Didaskomenos]

humblejoe,

OK! The sun will die!! But tell me how this affects your eschatological view in which God does not interfere with the laws of nature. Must God then use the demise of our solar system in his eschatological plan?

 

[Caedmon]

Originally posted by Didaskomenos
humblejoe,

OK! The sun will die!! But tell me how this affects your eschatological view in which God does not interfere with the laws of nature. Must God then use the demise of our solar system in his eschatological plan?

LOL, ok, ok... sorry...

Well, if the futurists are right -- and I'm not definite, but lean toward their views -- I believe that Christ will return before 3 billion years has elapsed.

On the other hand, if the preterists are right, and the world will never be destroyed, and Christ already "came again" at some point in the past, then, logically, I just have to ask myself: "Ok, so what happens when the Sun dies?"

To answer your question, no, God doesn't have to do anything in any set way; He can do whatever He pleases. But it just makes the most sense to me personally, that if God wants to destroy the Earth, He might as well let natural astronomical catastrophe take its course. I mean, stars were designed to die after a certain time and in a certain way(red giant, etc.), and the Andromeda Galaxy is perfectly set on a collision course for the Milky Way. In much the same way that He most likely used evolution as a tool in His Creation, it just makes sense that He would most likely use natural cataclysm in His Destruction.

 

[Auntie]

Originally posted by humblejoe

Well, if the futurists are right -- and I'm not definite, but lean toward their views -- I believe that Christ will return before 3 billion years has elapsed.

I agree!

Also, what's to stop Man from destroying the earth? Aren't there enough nuclear weapons to destroy everything many times over? We are living in a fantasy world if we fool ourselves into believing there will be no nuclear world war. And when that happens, the death of the sun will be irrelevant.

But I believe Jesus will return and put a stop to the natural progression of these things.

 

[parousia70]

Originally posted by Auntie_Belle_Um


But I believe Jesus will return and put a stop to the natural progression of these things.

Is that because you believe the Church alone (Christ's body on earth) is incapable of, or otherwise powerless to, "put a stop to it"?

Just curious.

 

[chagal was here]

The very fact that the planet earth exists (according to modern cosmolgy) is due to some other stars explosion in the universe's distant past.

if the kingdom of God is never ending and ever expanding - who's to say that the kingdom is confined to the planet earth? Why not allow for the possiblity of interplanetary travel, terra-forming, colonization of other worlds.

i realize that those ideas are only speculative fiction right now, but given another 500 or 1000 or 10,000 years who's to say that we couldn't develop those things

imagine not just a lone miniscule planet filed with the kings and priests of God, but an entire universe populated by the Church.

 

[Auntie]

Originally posted by chagal was here

The very fact that the planet earth exists (according to modern cosmolgy) is due to some other stars explosion in the universe's distant past.

if the kingdom of God is never ending and ever expanding - who's to say that the kingdom is confined to the planet earth? Why not allow for the possiblity of interplanetary travel, terra-forming, colonization of other worlds.

i realize that those ideas are only speculative fiction right now, but given another 500 or 1000 or 10,000 years who's to say that we couldn't develop those things

imagine not just a lone miniscule planet filed with the kings and priests of God, but an entire universe populated by the Church.

Sounds like you've been listening to your Mormon missionary brothers! Just teasing, I love the Mormons, great people.

Well, I don't like to put God in a box. Only He knows what great plans He has for us in the future! If we can imagine it, God can do it! But all things are according to His will. I don't think any of us can begin to know the wisdom and magnificence of God. The Universe itself is more amazing than any of us can comprehend! The Universe belongs to God, it is His to do with as He pleases.

 

[Didaskomenos]

Originally posted by Auntie_Belle_um
Sounds like you've been listening to your Mormon missionary brothers! Just teasing, I love the Mormons, great people.

You "love the Mormons," but think preterists are deceivers and twisters of Holy Scripture? (!) Come on, let me hear you say, "I love the preterists."

 

[Mike Beidler]

Originally posted by Didaskomenos

Originally posted by Auntie_Belle_um
Sounds like you've been listening to your Mormon missionary brothers! Just teasing, I love the Mormons, great people.

You "love the Mormons," but think preterists are deceivers and twisters of Holy Scripture? (!) Come on, let me hear you say, "I love the preterists."

I know Auntie loves me, despite my preterist beliefs.

 

[Auntie]

You guys are making me blush.(we need Erwin to give us a blushing smillie)

Okay, it's like this, my sister was baptized into the Mormon Church, ditto my step-daughter and her mother. And the Mormons ARE great people, just misled.

Originally posted by Didaskomenos:
"Come on, let me hear you say, "I love the preterists."

Okay, I love the preterists. And I applaud their tenacity!!

 

[davo]

Originally posted by chagal was here
if the kingdom of God is never ending and ever expanding - who's to say that the kingdom is confined to the planet earth? Why not allow for the possiblity of interplanetary travel, terra-forming, colonization of other worlds.

i realize that those ideas are only speculative fiction right now, but given another 500 or 1000 or 10,000 years who's to say that we couldn't develop those things

imagine not just a lone miniscule planet filed with the kings and priests of God, but an entire universe populated by the Church.

Absolutely! "to infinity and beyond!!

davo

 

[chagal was here]

Originally posted by Auntie_Belle_Um


Sounds like you've been listening to your Mormon missionary brothers!

i've been told that quite frequently. My wife's grandparents and many of her aunts and uncles are mormon. In fact her grandfater is an approved temple worker - a very special privlidge in the Mormon world... but i digress


Doesn't it seem like a whole lot of wasted space to have all the EXPANSE of the universe only to obliterate it before we can even see 1/10000th of it?

The Futurist position has always struck me a Earth-o-centric.

Think Bigger.

 

[parousia70]

Originally posted by chagal was here



The Futurist position has always struck me a Earth-o-centric.

Think Bigger.

ROTFL