I have some specific questions. If all "end times" stuff has already been fulfilled then...can you please explain the resurrection of the people?
1 Cor. 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
Incoruptibility and immortality are not 'things' which can be viewed with the earthly eyes. The 'change' was/is within. It did/does not affect the physical appearance of anyone. Jesus was the perfect example of that, for surely He was immortal and incoruptible. Yet in His appearance He was like any other human being, but no one saw Him as He actually was while He was here on earth.
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is."
In 1 Thess. 4:16-17 we read that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
"The Lord himself" is an antithesis to Moses, who was a type or shadow of Christ who would come down from heaven replacing the old laws which were engraved in tables of stone, with His spiritual laws which were to be engraved in the hearts and minds of His people.
The catching up of those who were alive and remained, with those who had been resurrected, would be a spiritual 'catching up' only. Because it has been appointed unto men to die once, each and every one of us will die. And until then, we shall continue to inhabit our earthly bodies. Jesus kept His same earthly body until He ascended unto the Father, even though He was immortal and incoruptible all the while.
What about Jesus coming in full Glory on the clouds?
Clouds
Clouds were an emblem of prosperity and glory. To rule on the clouds is to rule and conquer. When no storm accompanies, or no attribute is attached to it, a cloud is an emblem of majesty and glory, By Daniel it is said, "One llike the son of man came with clouds of heaven;" To which the Lord added as an explanatory of the symbol, "With power and great Glory". (Matthew 24:30)
Clouds are symbolic of armies and multitudes, probably by their grand majestic movements. They betokened the presence of God, as on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:9); in the temple (1Kings 8:10), in the cloudy pillar, and on the Mt of transfiguration. They are found in many representations of the majesty of God. (Psa. 18:11-12, 67:2 Revelation 13: 14-16.)
1. Yahweh's Presence and Glory:
The metaphoric and symbolic uses of clouds are many, and furnish some of the most powerful figures of Scripture. In the Old Testament, Yahweh's presence is made manifest and His glory shown forth in a cloud. The cloud is usually spoken of as bright and shining, and it could not be fathomed by man: "Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through" (Lam 3:44). Yahweh Himself was present in the cloud (Ex 19:9; 24:16; 34:5) and His glory filled the places where the cloud was (Ex 16:10; 40:38; Nu 10:34); "The cloud filled the house of Yahweh" (1 Ki 8:10). In the New Testament we often have "the Son of man coming on" or "with clouds" (Mt 24:30; 26:64; Mk 13:26; 14:62; Lk 21:27) and received up by clouds (Acts 1:9). The glory of the second coming is indicated in Rev 1:7 for "he cometh with the clouds" and "we that are alive .... shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord" and dwell with Him (1 Thess 4:17).
2. Pillar of Cloud:
The pillar of cloud was a symbol of God's guidance and presence to the children of Israel in their journeys to the promised land. The Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and forsook them not (Neh 9:19). They followed the guidance of this cloud (Ex 40:36; Ps 78:14).
3. Bow in Cloud:
The clouds are spoken of in the Old Testament as the symbol of God's presence and care over His people; and so the "bow in the cloud" (Gen 9:13) is a sign of God's protection.
4. Clouds Blot Out:
As the black cloud covers the sky and blots out the sun from sight, so Yahweh promises "to blot out the sins" of Israel (Isa 44:22); Egypt also shall be conquered, "As for her, a cloud shall cover her" (Ezek 30:18; compare Lam 2:1).
5. Transitory:
There is usually a wide difference in temperature between day and night in Israel. The days axe warm and clouds coming from the sea are often completely dissolved in the warm atmosphere over the land. As the temperature falls, the moisture again condenses into dew and mist over the hills and valleys. As the sun rises the "morning cloud" (Hos 6:4) is quickly dispelled and disappears entirely. Job compares the passing of his prosperity to the passing clouds (Job 30:15).
6. God's Omnipotence and Man's Ignorance:
God "bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds" (Job 26:8) and the "clouds are the dust of his feet" (Nah 1:3). Yahweh "commands the clouds that they rain no rain" (Isa 5:6), but as for man, "who can number the clouds?" (Job 38:37); "Can any understand the spreadings of the clouds?" (Job 36:29); "Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?" (Job 37:16). See BALANCINGS. "He that regardeth the clouds shall not reap" (Eccl 11:4), for it is God who controls the clouds and man cannot fathom His wisdom. "Thick clouds are a covering to him" (Job 22:14).
7. Visions:
Clouds are the central figure in many visions. Ezekiel beheld "a stormy wind .... out of the north, a great cloud" (Ezek 1:4), and John saw "a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting" (Rev 14:14). See also Dan 7:13; Rev 10:1; 11:12.
8. The Terrible and Unpleasant:
The cloud is also the symbol of the terrible and of destruction. The day of Yahweh's reckoning is called the "day of clouds" (Ezek 30:3) and a day of "clouds and thick darkness" (Zeph 1:15). The invader is expected to "come up as clouds" (Jer 4:13). Joel (2:2) foretells the coming of locusts as "a day of clouds and thick darkness" which is both literal and figurative. Misfortune and old age are compared to "the cloudy and dark day" (Ezek 34:12) and "the clouds returning after rain" (Eccl 12:2).
9. Various Other Figures:
Clouds are used in connection with various other figures. Rapidity of motion, "these that fly as a cloud" (Isa 60:8). As swaddling clothes of the newborn earth (Job 38:9); indicating great height (Job 20:6) and figurative in Isa 14:14, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds," portraying the self-esteem of Babylon. "A morning without clouds" is the symbol of righteousness and justice (2 Sam 23:4); partial knowledge and hidden glory (Lev 16:2; Acts 1:9; Rev 1:7).
( I found this in my files, but have lost the source. Its from some bible encyclopedia, but I can't say which one. Sorry )
if this already all happened wouldn't this be the more..err..dominate end times view?
There are plenty of us around who believe this has aready happened. We have always been around but we are just not as famous as those who believe otherwise. The most popular beliefs are not always the right beliefs.