Carey,
What is with your parenthetical notes? Why should anyone need that? If you are going to support an intepretation do it with other scripture or keep your statements clear.
Peter said the last days were in his time.
The last days started when Christ ascended so that would cover Peters time too.
So you take the position that the darkness is not a metaphore. So basically you are going to have to stick to this. You have already stated the similair language in Isaiah 13 is not the Babylonian captivity to avoid this problem. Also in terms of the fog of war from that perspective this is possible. Even so perspective is important.
Isaiah 13
So does anyone else think Isaiah 13 is in the future and not about the Babylonain captivity? Hyenas and jackals will need to come from the zoo.
They could come from the zoo but they are probably a metaphor.
Also in regard to literal interpretations.
Will their faces be on fire?
Yes their faces will be on firefrom weapons of war.
Why ignore the account in Josephus?
- Book 6 chapter 5 section 3 Wars of the Jews. Josephus
Now if you insist that there is only one second coming I would like to see that proof. There are certainly statements that Jesus will come again in several places in several different contexts particularly to the seven churches and certainly he came to Paul.
1 Corinthians 15 : 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he "has put everything under his feet."[
c] Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
Revelations 20 :
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them,
12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
However again context is important. Did the nations see something?
John 12
Was the "world" used a metaphore here or were they talking about hunter gatherers in the Americas as well? Rome was many nations and is therfore why it is know as an empire.