Originally posted by Pericles
Scott, I would be happy to answer some of your questions, from my own perspective, with my current understanding of the Scripture.
1. All Christ's enemies conquered?
Yes, who are Christ's enemies? Satan, death...demons maybe? You don't believe they have been conquered through His sacrifice? Christ's blood is continually cleaning us of our sins, making spiritual death and separation from God irrelevant, thus death is defeated.
2. There isn't one place anywhere in the Bible that says that "evil" will ever completely dissapear. Evil is a result of sin. At the end of Revelation, AFTER the return of Christ, and in the New Heaven and Earth, you can actually read that sin and wickedness still exists, despite your expectations: Rev 21:27
Furthermore, in Revelation 22:2, you can read that there is a tree that is there for "the healing of the nations". If you expect this upcoming new heaven and earth to be so perfect, why is there a need for healing?
3. When I die, I will go directly into Christ's presence. Unfortunately, as a futurist, you are unable to say that, because Christ did not return, this heaven is not ready, and you have not yet been judged, so you can't go to heaven when you die...you will go to Hades, the waiting place. that stinks...hehe
4. Yes, revelation is a prophecy about the time of the end, not the end of time. The Bible never talks about the "end of time", so again, you are simply speaking out of lack of knowledge of eschatology.
After your questions, you are saying, "I simply can't see how anyone can say it already happened and that the world we live in now is bliss."
When did anyone claim that this world is bliss? The physical world is not bliss....because Christ did not come to fix the physical. He said "My Kingdom is not of this world", yet despite that clear statement, you expect Christ to come and physically sit on an actual chair as King in Jerusalem. How ironic.
Christ came to fix the larger problem of humanity, SIN. Sin causes spiritual death, abd separation from God. That problem was resolved, thus Christ's mission is accomplished. You don't resolve spiritual problems with physical solutions. Christ returning on a physical cloud and sitting on David's chair in Jerusalem will not bring one single extra soul to Him...
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
What exactly is your interpretation of these verses? Particularly the verse in bold. There is still death, sorrow, tears and pain.