predicting Christ's coming

[dogs4thewin]

Since the Bible says no man shell know the date or the hour how much is acceptable when it comes to predicting His return? Is it OK to predict He come within your lifetime within the next 100 years or should we not try at all?

 

[genetheking]

I think we should just hope for his coming and do our part in furthering the gospel and just watch for the end time events and signs and to have the scriptures written in our hearts and commit them to memory

 

[dogs4thewin]

I think we should just hope for his coming and do our part in furthering the gospel and just watch for the end time events and signs and to have the scriptures written in our hearts and commit them to memory

so then you say that we should not even put it in ranges of many years?

 

[Frenchfrye]

so then you say that we should not even put it in ranges of many years?

You can. Its not a sin or anything it just doesn't help

 

[dogs4thewin]

You can. Its not a sin or anything it just doesn't help

that is what I was wondering; because the Bible says we know not the day or the hour, so I was wondering how people felt about giving a broad prediction.

 

[Frenchfrye]

that is what I was wondering; because the Bible says we know not the day or the hour, so I was wondering how people felt about giving a broad prediction.

The people who tried to give a date are just ignorant of scripture but just kinda guessing out of wonder isn't bad

 

[James-49]

Since the Bible says no man shell know the date or the hour how much is acceptable when it comes to predicting His return? Is it OK to predict He come within your lifetime within the next 100 years or should we not try at all?

I think "predicting" is wrong while encouraging "as we see the day approaching" is proper. Predicting is too often a selfish and self-glorifying action.

I can look at the wind blowing through an apple tree and tell others:

"It's really looking like apples are going to fall soon."
or:
"Apples are going to fall in the next two hours."

The first encourages and readies others.
The second gathers a "flock" for about 2 hours, then disappoints or discourages.

----------------------------

If I keep predicting a dog will bark, I will eventually be right ... but most folks will no longer listen at the time I am right because of all the previous times I was in error.

We resent the heavy raincoat when told to take it because it will rain, and yet the sun shines. But we are fine with it when told it might rain so it's a good idea to prepare.

Is it OK to predict He come within your lifetime within the next 100 years or should we not try at all?

I think it's okay to encourage that it sure looks like He will return within our lifetime, but not to predict.

Those are my thoughts.

 

[Bethwhite]

If I said that Jesus is coming on Monday and 2pm, then that's wrong because I've predicted a day and hour, which no man knows.

If I say I believe Christ will come in the next 0-2 years because of particular signs and what He told us to watch for, I'm being a watchman.

 

[dogs4thewin]

If I said that Jesus is coming on Monday and 2pm, then that's wrong because I've predicted a day and hour, which no man knows.

If I say I believe Christ will come in the next 0-2 years because of particular signs and what He told us to watch for, I'm being a watchman.

so can you be a watchman and not predict at all?

 

[SharonL]

The Bible tells us we have Blessings for being a watchman. We are to know the signs, but not the time.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Since the Bible says no man shell know the date or the hour how much is acceptable when it comes to predicting His return? Is it OK to predict He come within your lifetime within the next 100 years or should we not try at all?

I will contribute my two pennies worth. The Bible says that we will not know the day nor the hour that Jesus will return. This is true. But Jesus gave the sign of the fig tree.

Matt. 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Now it is just my way of thinking, others have different thoughts on this. Israel is God's time piece to let us know when the age of the gentiles is over. Israel has been rising for almost 70 years. We know how God deals with Israel after 70 years just by reading the Old Testament. The Bible says when Israel is gathered back the last time to the land, she will never be cast out again. So since Israel is about to turn 70, it makes sense to me that the season is right for the Lord to return. We may not know the day/hour, but we should be able to mark the season.

ISRAEL PROVES BIBLE PROPHECY!! An Amazing Story Israel - YouTube

 

[Interplanner]

re over:
there are only 2 places that mention a time of the nations; I do not get the sense from them that they last so far and then are over and then it is 'back to Israel.' Part of this is because belief by the nations was one of the great indicators of Messiah's age. Part of this is because the passages that use it don't have a strong indication of events in Israel after it. Rom 11, for ex., has 'all Israel saved' but says God's dealings about this are set and done (now is repeated 3 times in the explanation--Paul's now).

There are two options to 'hardened until.' One is what you are saying; the other is that until means 'for as long as...' which, by the way, is how Acts 28 sounds and ends about Israel. 'Always seeing but not believing, lest I should turn and heal them.' It reminds me of Mt 21:32 'even after you saw (the unlikely belief by 'sinners') you did not repent and believe.'

--Inter

 

[Bethwhite]

so can you be a watchman and not predict at all?

Even Jesus said, "I am coming soon". That's a prediction.

He gave us signs and told us to watch.

Luk 21:31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

The signs point to a moment in time between the 2nd and 3rd Day since Christ.

We're at the very precipice.

 

[Frenchfrye]

Even Jesus said, "I am coming soon". That's a prediction.

He gave us signs and told us to watch.

Luk 21:31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

The signs point to a moment in time between the 2nd and 3rd Day since Christ.

We're at the very precipice.

"not even jesus is time peekin"
Lecrae
nobody knows the time or the hour

 

[dogs4thewin]

Even Jesus said, "I am coming soon". That's a prediction.

He gave us signs and told us to watch.

Luk 21:31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

The signs point to a moment in time between the 2nd and 3rd Day since Christ.

We're at the very precipice.

but His soon and our soon may well be different.

 

[Interplanner]

re soon
Right, there are many, many NT statements that the coming was soon. There are two things to do with this:

1, it was soon, so long as the Father decided the global end of the world was near. Many of the things spoken of were other than that: they were about things to happen in Judea in the 1st century.

2, the "soonness" or "at-handness" is not about the 2nd coming. How could it be, after 2000+ years? It must have been about other things (the Judean ones) or back to #1.

There have been many points in history that were much more awful than this. No one knew what would happen at the battle of Tours in the 12th century. If the French had not won, Westminster Chapel would have domes and crescents on top of it. The battle for Vienna in 1683 against Islam was even worse, because it followed a century of sickness and plague in which many died, though not as many as the Great Mortality of the 1400s when 1/3 of Europe perished. Mao eliminated 80M from 1959-62. Is that nothing?

--Inter

 

[Frenchfrye]

re soon
Right, there are many, many NT statements that the coming was soon. There are two things to do with this:

1, it was soon, so long as the Father decided the global end of the world was near. Many of the things spoken of were other than that: they were about things to happen in Judea in the 1st century.

2, the "soonness" or "at-handness" is not about the 2nd coming. How could it be, after 2000+ years? It must have been about other things (the Judean ones) or back to #1.

There have been many points in history that were much more awful than this. No one knew what would happen at the battle of Tours in the 12th century. If the French had not won, Westminster Chapel would have domes and crescents on top of it. The battle for Vienna in 1683 against Islam was even worse, because it followed a century of sickness and plague in which many died, though not as many as the Great Mortality of the 1400s when 1/3 of Europe perished. Mao eliminated 80M from 1959-62. Is that nothing?

--Inter

It just means that when the end days do come they will really be bad

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I think it would be very wise to examine the parable of the ten virgins that Jesus told.I don't know if any of you care for televangelists that sell, but I want to share this teaching on the ten virgins by Perry Stone. Now on part 3 the teaching stops after 2:00 and there is selling for the rest of the video, but what he has to say in the first two and for 2 mins in the third is very interesting and applies to our topic.

A New Look at an Old Parable - The Ten Virgins - PART 1 - YouTube

A New Look at an Old Parable - The Ten Virgins - PART 2 - YouTube

A New Look at an Old Parable - The Ten Virgins - PART 3 - YouTube

 

[Hockey_Fan]

I've changed my thinking on this over the past decade or so. I used to believe it would likely be hundreds of years more. Then I noticed some things that led me to believe it might happen within my expected lifetime (say by 2040).

Recently, I've become more open to the possibility it might be even sooner.... say by 2020-2025.

I am a believer that history goes in cycles, while still spinning ever forward, like a man inside a bubble rolling down a sidewalk. The timing seems ripe for this "cycle". Not guaranteed, but possible.

Now, if Israel gets annihilated and its people scattered again and Jesus still hasn't come by around 2030 or 2040, then this cycle will expire and it means we were all incorrect and we probably are looking at some future generation. Thus, the curiousity seeker inside of me is on high alert for the next 10-15 years.

I don't think it's going to happen tomorrow. But I'm watching things closely.

The signs I am looking for include (in no particular order):

1) Some sort of peace treaty between Israel and the Arabs

2) Jews allowed to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem

3) Major natural disaster or world war, that leads to....

4) Major steps toward an international government and international monetary system

5) Continuing moral decline and wide-spread apostasy

 

[SharonL]

Most of the predictions before never took into account where the Bible says 'after Israel becomes a state again' - we are now in that time and seeing all that is coming together as the Bible said 'once these things come together - look up your redemption is near.'