How much longer?

[Jipsah]

As in living the most christianly life possible? Live for Christ at every moment in hopes that He'll come and find you being a good servant?
Or "expectant" meaning ready for our rapture to heaven?

I think the answer to that is "yes".

Some little vignettes for you.

Ed, 59, married, three kids. Looking forward to an early retirement. On the job one day, exerted himself a bit too much, fell dead.

Mike, 41, married, two kids. Started his own successful software company. Began to behave in strange and irrational ways. Diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Died.

Shaw, 21, single, grad student at a prestigious university, 150 IQ, talented at everything. Driving I-65 toward Chicago, car ahead of his lost control, he couldn't avoid it. Dead at the scene.

Ashley, 18, single. Beautiful, talented, well-liked. Broke her leg, doctors discovered bone cancer. Still with us at this point, and for as long as the Lord wills, but barring His intervention she probably won't be around long.

For the first three folks in the list, it matters not at all when our Lord returns, or if He "raptures" the Church before His official arrival. Their race is run.

Would it have behooved them all to be ready for their own deaths, and to have lived for the Lord every day up until then? (It's a rhetorical question; we all know the answer.)

We ought not worry too much about the End Times, when the soon arrival of our End Time is guaranteed. The Lord may not return soon as we count soon, but we will certainly die in a time that will seem soon to us.

The moral of the story is to be ready for our departure from this earth, whether we are caught up to meet our Lord in the air, or whether we die as all the generations of Christians before us have died. We need to live each day as though it was our last, because it may very well be. This night, this day, this minute, our souls may be required of us. When that happens, it no longer matters at all when the Lord returns here to take the place in hand.

 

[Loukuss]

I think the answer to that is "yes".



We ought not worry too much about the End Times, when the soon arrival of our End Time is guaranteed. The Lord may not return soon as we count soon, but we will certainly die in a time that will seem soon to us.

The moral of the story is to be ready for our departure from this earth, whether we are caught up to meet our Lord in the air, or whether we die as all the generations of Christians before us have died. We need to live each day as though it was our last, because it may very well be. This night, this day, this minute, our souls may be required of us. When that happens, it no longer matters at all when the Lord returns here to take the place in hand.

Jipsah, we dont agree that often on anything, but I completlely agree with what you have said here.
Its far more important getting ready for your unknown departure through death, than it is to be ready for some rapture or End Times prophecies.

God bless,

Lucas

 

[MisterMister]

First let me say that i hold the historicist view, that the Revelation has been unfolding for many centuries. Today we are obviously in chapter 16, the 7 last plagues: For example, #1 is skin cancer, #2 is red tides, # 3 is water polution, # 4 is global warming ....

Ooooh, skin cancer and red tides. What devastating plagues. What's #5, car accidents? Is #6 mosquito bites and rugburn? #7 must be death by natural causes, right? SCAAAARRRRYY!!

 

[interpreter]

Ooooh, skin cancer and red tides. What devastating plagues. What's #5, car accidents? Is #6 mosquito bites and rugburn? #7 must be death by natural causes, right? SCAAAARRRRYY!!

Actually, last plague #5 is new diseases, # 6 is the drying up of the euphrates (which has already occured and leads to the Battle of Ar Mageddon), and # 7 is the battle of Ar Mageddon (fast approaching). (See Revelation ch. 16).
The 7 last plagues when taken together are very devastating. Think what will happen to China and other developing nations when all the fish in the seas die (Plague #2). If nothing is done about red tides, it will happen by 2050 scientists say.

 

[depthdeception]

hopefully soon.

Why "hopefully soon?" The longer time we have, the more God's kingdom can be spread throughout the earth. We should not wish for the end just so we as individuals can "get out of it."

 

[depthdeception]

I do agree we should be expectant everyday.

But I don't think there was any other time in history, technology wise, where it was possible to subjugate the entire human race like it exists today. In other words "take the mark or else" couldn't have happened a hundred years ago, let alone a thousand years ago, but it could very much be reality today.

How about Alexander the Great? He basically conquered the entire world. And the Romans held most of world in dominance for nearly 500 years. Who, today, has that ability? Probly not any one nation. The problem with eschatology is that most people who are doing it are not historians, nor do they have an accurate view of the state of Christianity in the world as a whole, not simply the West. We think things are getting "worse" simply because we have the comfort of viewing them at a safe distance. For the majority of Christian history, most Christians have lived through severe persecution, nations embroiled in war, etc. And yes, they too felt they were at the "end." But they, at least, had legitimate reason to think so. Christians in the West do not. They simply want something to occupy their time since their faith does not really cost them anything.

 

[depthdeception]

Today we are obviously in chapter 16, the 7 last plagues: For example, #1 is skin cancer, #2 is red tides, # 3 is water polution, # 4 is global warming ....

Oh, yes, "Obviously"...

 

[MisterMister]

Actually, last plague #5 is new diseases, # 6 is the drying up of the euphrates (which has already occured and leads to the Battle of Ar Mageddon), and # 7 is the battle of Ar Mageddon (fast approaching). (See Revelation ch. 16).
The 7 last plagues when taken together are very devastating. Think what will happen to China and other developing nations when all the fish in the seas die (Plague #2). If nothing is done about red tides, it will happen by 2050 scientists say.

Interesting. I never knew red tides could be that bad. I've just known them as "don't go in the water or else you might get a little sick". But still none of those listed plagues seem very severe. They are gradual occurrences which take time. When I think of God's plagues I think of things that have immediate impact and shock value. Like the ones in Egypt. I have to disagree with you, but maybe you're right. We'll all know in time.

 

[Barraco]

It feels like the world is being sucked down a big, black hole, at least it would if we didn't know the end of the story! Is sure feels like it can't be long before things come to a difinitive head.

It'll come when, in my opinion, when people apply the Holy Spirit in their everyday lives again. The doctrine was preserved to one bishop of each Church, thus limiting the knowledge of the Gospel. Martin Luther came and made it open to all. Now we need a movement to live by those words. Perhaps when things get so rough that it finally brings Christians closer to each other.

If you go to a Church you don't know, you may be stared at and judged alot. Even when you become part of this congregation, people tend to have a, "Don't Rock the Boat" attitude. It is human drama that brings us all together, thus when things get rough, we need to help each other more. Hypocrisy is the worst heresy in all doctrine. If you can't live by the Word, don't judge those that don't either. Right?

So, in my opinion, Jesus will come when we finally we as a majority learn to live for Jesus and His kingdom and stop worrying about earthly things.

God bless

 

[interpreter]

Interesting. I never knew red tides could be that bad. I've just known them as "don't go in the water or else you might get a little sick". But still none of those listed plagues seem very severe. They are gradual occurrences which take time. When I think of God's plagues I think of things that have immediate impact and shock value. Like the ones in Egypt. I have to disagree with you, but maybe you're right. We'll all know in time.

I'm just saying red tides are already here and they grow worse every year. That plus overfishing is depleting fish stocks in all the earth's seas.
China's seas are being hit escpecially hard.

Global warming is also here already, and its getting worse. Last year was the hottest year on record.
The number of cases os skin cancer grows every year also.

If you're saying you expect the last plagues to be far worse, then you may be right. Just hang on a few more years.
(Unlike others, I don't hold the view that the Revelation unfolds over just 7 years).