Describing the End as Soon? Should we?

[John 1720]

Should Christians preach to others that the end of this world is near? Some religious denominations are constantly using the words "near" and " soon" and creating an expectation that has in many cases never arrived. Is this recommendable?

Well we are told by Jesus, several times, that we do not know the day nor the hour for sure. In fact only the Father knows. So if Jesus didn't know then woe to those who think they have the inside revelation from the Father to predict when, for they make Jesus a liar.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Mt 24:36

That said, Jesus told us to watch therefore and be alert for that coming day. So we my not be able to tell you the date but we should be looking for the signs of His coming along the way.

• “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42
• “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. - Mat 25:13

Mark explains Jesus' teaching on this much better:

• "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
• - Mark 13:32-37

So we're told to watch and be faithfully awake!
That's not surprising since the Pharisee's couldn't tell the time of His first coming:

• "Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Luke 12:56

If Jesus said soon in Revelation 22:7, 12, & 20 I think He meant in God's time not man's - you know 'a day with the Lord is like a thousand years or a watch in the night.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Or perhaps the Lord was delayed His coming like He inferred in the Parable in Matthew 25:5-6:

• "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'

Why would He be delayed? Perhaps because this hasn't happened yet? There are many people groups who still have not heard the Gospel - maybe they will be coming to where Christians can present the Gospel or maybe we will be moved to go to them.

• “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matt 24:14

The end of what age? The Age of mercy - the age of the Gospel?

• And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen Matthew 28:18-20

So, in conclusion, I think we are taught to watch for the things the Lord warned us about and to be alert and faithfully awake doing the things He commanded. Saying He is coming soon is more of a positional argument, rather than a chronological one. Some of the things He warned us about have indeed occurred but others remain incomplete. Still best to be expectant and not sleepily at our post - so I'm not exactly against saying His coming could be near, even at the door, as long as I preface it with an 'I don't know for sure'.
May God bless, Pat

 

[Episaw]

For approx. eight million Christians of a certain denomination it is a dead serious matter and not just talk. they predicted the end in 1914. Then it was predicted in 1975. Now they are still talking about the end as being near and soon. Is it indeed near and soon?

It has been said that every generation has the ability to bring back the King.

If any single generation fulfilled scripture word for word, Christ would return. The fact that he has not is a commentary on the way we live and view scripture.

 

[Episaw]

Can you say Hal Lindsey.

Hal Lindsey is not a denomination

 

[Episaw]

Yes, the 144000 are believed to be chosen from among first century-Christians and others through history as well as from among them exclusively in modern times because they consider themselves the restoration of true worship after the apostasy suffered by Christianity after the death of the Apostles set in. Because of this they believe that God is presently in an exclusive relationship with them organizationally alone and that the kingdom message of God's Kingdom rule soon to arrive on Earth after these end times runs its course is delivered exclusively through them.

More as an aside than anything, from my study of the end times which I have been doing a lot of lately, the 144,000 are Jews that are saved during the tribulation. The number is significant as it is 12 x 12 meaning 12,000 out of each tribe of Israel.

And who said God is not into detail??

 

[Goatee]

I can, but usually when I explain more I'm greeted with silence. But here goes.

When I was young I used to read Revelation and Revelation 11 intrigued me. It told of two witnesses who would be stoned to death then rise in three days (3 1/2 but who's counting). I thought about it and what it must be like to be stoned. A few days later I tripped and hit my head and it hurt, then I imagined that same as many rocks hit me. It would be terrible, I certainly wouldn't want to be stoned to death. I mentioned it to my mother and she told me that the French invented the guillotine because it was more painless. I thought that would be a better way to die.

The next time I read the bible I read Revelation 11 and it said the two witnesses would be beheaded, come back in 3 1/2 days pick up their heads and walk down the street. I thought this was a new passage, that thete must be another two witnesses in the bible, ones who get stoned to death.

Years pass. I was talking with God, as I am apt to do, and told Him that I would like to experience my own death, but only if it changed. I wouldn't want the knowledge of how I was going to die. Soon when I slept I had a vision, I was in my own body in the future, me and one other person, and our hands were tied up. We were led to guillotines and beheaded, yes, a rather painless way to die. My vision jumps to the future (future) and I'm... somewhere else... and excaping. I come back into my beheaded body, pick up my head and walk down the street hoping the other one figures how to get out too. I walk for a ways not too comfortable, a head is not an easy thing to carry and I couldn't keep it on my shoulders without my arms getting tired, then I lie on the side of the road, realize there is no where else to go, nothing else to do, as the entire world hates me. I closed my eyes and died.

Many, many years later God tells me He wants me to change my future. At first I didn't understand what He wanted then I understood. I had a conversation with God that went something like, God, these two witnesses, if you love them so much why would you allow man to kill them? God agreed, the next time I read Revelation 11 it said the two witnesses werr killed as demons from hell over powered them. I quickly went to God, oh, you don't let men kill them but you let demons? How is that any better. And now it says what it says today.

Revelation 11:7And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Okay, so now the two witnesses die by the devil himself coming after us. I can't complain about that one.

There are a few other visions I've had of the future, some have taken place already, some have not.

I would like to read more of your experiences

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Not sure which denomination you are referring to. I know there are some cults out there that have done this in the past but there are no mainline Christian denominations in America right now that encourage that type of extreme behavior.

It may interest you to know that Jesus Himself preached: Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.
One's death is always very near so then we know it is true that the Kingdom of heaven is nearer to some than for others. What we can say for certain is that to name a date is not Biblical. A call to repent for the sake of the coming of the Kingdom of heaven is certainly Biblical b/c Jesus said it and on more than one occasion.

 

[JackRT]

It may interest you to know that Jesus Himself preached: Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.

Thomas 113: 1-4 --- His disciples said to him, "When will the Father's imperial rule come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Rather the Father's imperial rule is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."

Thomas 3: 1-5 --- Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the Father's imperial rule is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather the Father's imperial rule is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

 

[Jim Langston]

I would like to read more of your experiences

For anyone interested I have created a new thread not to get this one any more off track. My experiences

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Thomas 113: 1-4 --- His disciples said to him, "When will the Father's imperial rule come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Rather the Father's imperial rule is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."

Thomas 3: 1-5 --- Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the Father's imperial rule is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather the Father's imperial rule is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

The fact that you are quoting Thomas tells me a lot about your theology over which I would have grave concerns for you...you even choose it over Matthew which has direct quotes of Jesus. No, I don't care to get any further into this discussion.

 

[JackRT]

The fact that you are quoting Thomas tells me a lot about your theology over which I would have grave concerns for you...you even choose it over Matthew which has direct quotes of Jesus. No, I don't care to get any further into this discussion.

While I appreciate that your "grave concern" is simply an offhand dismissal, you really know next to nothing about my theology. Go with God my friend.

 

[Doveaman]

Should Christians preach to others that the end of this world is near?

Nope, Christians should preach to others that the end of our lives is near.

Some religious denominations are constantly using the words "near" and " soon"

Yep, we are all dying soon.

and creating an expectation that has in many cases never arrived. Is this recommendable?

Nope, I estimate the world will continue for another 500 years, give or take a few.

 

[Radrook]

Yep, Hal has been telling us this for decades. However, the question must be asked... do you warn people before or after the event?

Hal knows it's coming and knows that he doesn't know when, the day, hour, month or year. There have been signs and signals since the 70's that fit the biblical account. Telling people to be ready is a good thing, no?

It isn't the readiness part that I find wrong but the constant use of the word SOON and then an entire lifetime goes by and the word SOON is still confidently deployed.

Also the setting of specific dates for an end to this world such as 1914 and 1975 is very inappropriate. True, Jesus told us that certain things would indicate that the end is near. But if indeed certain social conditions and historical events have been misunderstood or misinterpreted before, then it should by now be obvious that caution is the better part of valor in this matter.

 

[JacksBratt]

It isn't the readiness part that I find wrong but the constant use of the word SOON and then an entire lifetime goes by and the word SOON is still confidently deployed.

Also the setting of specific dates for an end to this world such as 1914 and 1975 is very inappropriate. True, Jesus told us that certain things would indicate that the end is near. But if indeed certain social conditions and historical events have been misunderstood or misinterpreted before, then it should by now be obvious that caution is the better part of valor in this matter.

There have been times in history where people have thought it was coming soon. However, never has everything been in place.
1/Israel a new nation
2/ The ability and technology to see something in real time no matter where it is on the earth, by everyone on the earth.
3/ Nuclear weapons.
4/ The ability and technology to mark everyone and have them not be able to buy or sell without a mark. Cashless society.
5/ The term "new world order" is commonly heard more and more.

I agree, we should not set dates, However, He did say we would know the season, right?

 

[Jim Langston]

The state of the environment, and the fact we, as a species, are doing nothing about it states, yes, the end is near. It is man made disaster. The rapture will be a man made event.

 

[Radrook]

The state of the environment, and the fact we, as a species, are doing nothing about it states, yes, the end is near. It is man made disaster. The rapture will be a man made event.

The state of the environment, and the fact we, as a species, are doing nothing about it states, yes, the end is near. It is man made disaster. The rapture will be a man made event.

I often wonder whether God will permit man to actually use the atomic arsenal in order for the issues that arose at Eden to be completely resolved once and for all. After all, what excuse for governing themselves without God can be offered after such a devastation? If not then the argument that they were not permitted to fully develop technologically all by themselves so they could ultimately succeed without him could always be deployed.

 

[JacksBratt]

The state of the environment, and the fact we, as a species, are doing nothing about it states, yes, the end is near. It is man made disaster. The rapture will be a man made event.

The environment is fine..... take mankind away, give it a decade or two and all will be fine again.

Let the trees grow back, the parking lots to grow in, the highways and roads to green over and it will all be golden.


What is a mess and will never recover, is the interwoven mess of financial institutions, the government and the military.

Through greed, selfishness and the inbred desire to be....what was that Satan told Eve....oh ya... and ye shall be as gods

This has been the end of every righteous thing since then as it will also be the final undoing of this earth full of sinners.

 

[Radrook]

The environment is fine..... take mankind away, give it a decade or two and all will be fine again.

Let the trees grow back, the parking lots to grow in, the highways and roads to green over and it will all be golden.


What is a mess and will never recover, is the interwoven mess of financial institutions, the government and the military.

Through greed, selfishness and the inbred desire to be....what was that Satan told Eve....oh ya... and ye shall be as gods

This has been the end of every righteous thing since then as it will also be the final undoing of this earth full of sinners.

Become like gods indeed! But with a very negative twist.

Bhagavad-Gita... "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

 

[Jim Langston]

The environment is fine..... take mankind away, give it a decade or two and all will be fine again.

Let the trees grow back, the parking lots to grow in, the highways and roads to green over and it will all be golden.


What is a mess and will never recover, is the interwoven mess of financial institutions, the government and the military.

Through greed, selfishness and the inbred desire to be....what was that Satan told Eve....oh ya... and ye shall be as gods

This has been the end of every righteous thing since then as it will also be the final undoing of this earth full of sinners.

The problem is mankind won't go away so the environment is going to get worst.

The four horsemen of the apocolypse are, in order, conquest, war, famine then death. We are already at war and have been at. When famine hits it is from man made environmental destruction. Over 220 significant oil leaks each year, and rising, in the cintinental U.S. The powers that be hide this information unless you look for it. Bees dying, animals going extinct, GMO not able to keep up with making plants grow in the increased temperatures in Africa, environmental deniers, new gold mines being found as ice melts off ancient glaciars, all the facts state that unless man changes, now, we will mo longer have any food in the near future. The third horseman is approaching. The third horseman is also the third seal. After famine comes death, to those who don't slaughter their fellow humans to eat them to stay alive.

This is what is spoken of when Jesus says about the last days about he who will save his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life shall save it.

When the realzation that mankind is doomed hits people will claim it is God's fault and kill/eat the Christians first, this is the rapture. I do know that if you confess to be a Christian you will either killed outright or branded for slaughter (mark of God). Everyone who denies Jesus to save their life Jesus will deny to our father in heaven.

This is coming sooner than we like.

I used to want to understand Revelation, as we enter the end times I am seeing it revealed and wish I didn't understand as much as I do.

 

[Radrook]

The problem is mankind won't go away so the environment is going to get worst.

The four horsemen of the apocolypse are, in order, conquest, war, famine then death. We are already at war and have been at. When famine hits it is from man made environmental destruction. Over 220 significant oil leaks each year, and rising, in the cintinental U.S. The powers that be hide this information unless you look for it. Bees dying, animals going extinct, GMO not able to keep up with making plants grow in the increased temperatures in Africa, environmental deniers, new gold mines being found as ice melts off ancient glaciars, all the facts state that unless man changes, now, we will mo longer have any food in the near future. The third horseman is approaching. The third horseman is also the third seal. After famine comes death, to those who don't slaughter their fellow humans to eat them to stay alive.

This is what is spoken of when Jesus says about the last days about he who will save his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life shall save it.

When the realzation that mankind is doomed hits people will claim it is God's fault and kill/eat the Christians first, this is the rapture. I do know that if you confess to be a Christian you will either killed outright or branded for slaughter (mark of God). Everyone who denies Jesus to save their life Jesus will deny to our father in heaven.

This is coming sooner than we like.

I used to want to understand Revelation, as we enter the end times I am seeing it revealed and wish I didn't understand as much as I do.

Where did you get the cannibalism idea from?

 

[Jim Langston]

Where did you get the cannibalism idea from?

I get this from studying the bible and reasoning and a small prophetic vision.

At the entire end of the world, 7th trumpet, that's when the rapture you think of comes. Matthew 24:21describes tribulation coming before it: 21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:29-30 shows what you call the rapture happening after the tribulation period: 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: 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. 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.

That is the end of the world, gave over. During the tribulation period is when christians are beheaded Revelation 20:4 (and others) 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

These christians are beheaded during the time of famine for food. No, I have no proof of this other than historical records on what man does during famine and the logical conclusion that comes from people are going to starve. People don't want to starve. People are inheriently sinful/evil. Inevidible.

There is a vision I saw of someone else that led me to this path, but I'm sure everyone who has tried to watch video on prophetic dreams no two seem to agree, so I can't give that up for evidence.

I, personally, find it extremly difficult to live with future knowledge, it is a thought that just doesn't go away no matter how much I try not to think about it. I have only had two prophetic visions of the future during the end times. One had nothing to do with famine but of sack clothes, although the other did take place in the famine I didn't get much detail other than someone saying there was a world wide famine.

If you study the facts and figures, not anyone's opinion on what they mean but the numbers themselves, the conclusion is inevidible.

For historical bible references on canabalism look at

Leviticus 26:29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

Deuteronomy 28:53 "You will eat your children, the flesh of your sons and daughters the Lord your God has given youduring the siege and hardship your enemy imposes on you.
54 The most sensitive and refined man among you will look grudgingly at his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children,
55 refusing to share with any of them his children's flesh that he will eat because he has nothing left during the siege and hardship your enemy imposes on you in all your towns.
56 The most sensitive and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her refinement and sensitivity, will begrudge the husband she embraces, her son, and her daughter,
57 the afterbirth that comes out from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything [else] during the siege and hardship your enemy imposes on you within your gates.

If you think the people in this day and age wouldn't do the same, and worst, during the tribulation you should have another think.