|
|
|
A Matter Of The End Being Nigh?
The RaptureToo often, we forget that the concept of transition, or spiritual revolution, is one that has been a mainstay of .....
A Matter Of The End Being Nigh?
For years, decades even, we have been assailed by "prophets",
conference speakers, writers and similar to the effect that "the
Things Not To BelieveLet babies cry. It is good for their lungs. When crying is the only means of communication by which an infant can express that they have a ..... end is nigh". In other words, that we are living in the end
times, that is, the end end times. The Second Coming will be
here before you can get home today!!
The Track Record Should we believe these people? On a
probability basis the answer must be resoundingly negative.
Christian have been assailed for two thousand centuries by
people who claimed that the end is imminent. They were all
wrong! Even so outstanding a disciple as Paul of Tarsus was
wrong. Look at (probably) the very first letter he wrote (or at
least, the first letter of his of which we have a copy, the
First Letter to the Thessalonians, commonly dated to AD 50).
This reflects his current view that the Second Coming would
probably happen before tea-time!But it did not.
Clearly someone, somewhere, sometime is going to be right.
Eventually. But in the meantime...?
Which begs the question as to how long the meantime will be, and
HOWARD DEAN'S BIG FAT MOUTHThis article is found @ www.the-tribulation-network.com HOWARD DEAN'S BIG FAT MOUTH By Doug Krieger 'The only time I open my ..... that simply puts the original question in a different form.
So what grounds are there for believing that people today know
better that Paul did in his day - Paul who was so very, very
near to God? Does someone, anyone have the answer?
Who Has The Answer? Well, Jesus told us who has the
answer. Not himself, in his humanity, walking the earth: "No-one
knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)
If Jesus himself did not know, and if he has told us quite
clearly that no one else knows either, why do we become so
preoccupied in trying to predict the Second Coming? In trying to
do something which he has implied is both impossible for us and
is not our concern? If it was our concern the Father would not
have hidden it and kept it from us
Our Legitimate Preoccupations Are we so preoccupied with
this question because the version of Christianity which we have
is so insufficiently exciting that we need to contunually
embellish it? hype it up (because we do live in an age and
culture of hype)? give it a bit more spin (because we seem to
have more spin in our culture than we have simple truth)?
Some may quote Jesus that we should know the signs of the time:
"You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you
cannot interpret the signs of the times." (Matthew 16. 3). But
Matthew 24. 36 clearly over-rides this. Indeed, Jesus
immediately went on to warn that "A wicked and adulterous
generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given
it except the sign of Jonah." And, it says, Jesus then left them
and went away. When we become preoccupied with looking for,
trying to discern, expecting the end times in our day, are we
not putting ourselves in the same category? ThePharisees and
Sadducees wanted a sign because what they had before them was
not enough. But in fact, had they been able to discern it, what
they had was considereably more than enough.
Paul's case was different. He simply mistook the situation. We
cannot claim that. We have his mistake and 2000 years of history
as a basis for knowing differently. To know the date the Father
has determined is simply not in our portfolio to be concerned
with. In a sense, it does not, or at least should not, matter to
us whether the Second Coming comes at tea time today or in
another 2000 years.
In either case, there will be primarily one judgement for each
of us. Surely, our concern is to be ready for that - whenever it
comes. How and when and where it comes is of no consequence, if
only we are ready for it.
About the author:
About The Author A K Whitehead Web Site:
www.christianword.co.uk Experience: Over twenty years in
Christian healing and teaching. Qualifications: B.A., M.Phil.,
Cambridge University Certificate in Religious Studies.
Conditions of use: This article may be reproduced on condition
that it is unaltered and that all this information is included.
|
|
