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Last Days?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Cutter, May 27, 2010.

  1. Cutter

    Cutter New Member

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    In another thread, Dr. Bob said that 20,000 years from now, we would be considered the early church. I know with God anything is possible, but do you honestly believe that it could be another 20,000 years before the Lord returns, or do you believe that his return is at hand now?
     
    #1 Cutter, May 27, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: May 27, 2010
  2. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Technically, we've been in the last days since Jesus' ascension.

    Those of us non-dispensationalists probably see this a bit differently, but basically, it could be today or in a thousand years.

    Also, I think Dr. Bob spoke with an exaggeration in order to prove his point about the "good old days."
     
  3. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    :thumbs:.........
     
  4. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    Both. It is at hand and it could be another 20,000 years. That's what imminency is all about. If it doesn't happen today it will be imminent tomorrow, and so on.
     
  5. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Could be. No one on earth knows.

    The operational word is "WATCH".
     
  6. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    I agree with Jaigner. The Biblical truth is that Jesus will return not trying to determine when He will return.
     
  7. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    20,000 years from now? I doubt it. The way we gobble down pot lucks now, 20 thousand years is enough time for us to evolve into a fatal case of coronary artery disease upon birth.

    Seriously, the only way for an average person like me to judge something like that is to observe. I can see the way things are now compared to say fifty years ago, in the area of morality, selfishness, pride, arrogance, commitment, honesty, sharing, etc, and cannot see how things can keep going at the pace they are for more than a few decades, and certainly not 20000 years. Not knowing the exact mind of the Lord, I can guess that He is tired of not just sin, which has always been around, but having blessed this nation like He has, and we not only sin, but make sin the official law of the land, and rub God's nose in it. I cannot see Him putting up with that very long. I have no idea when the Lord is coming back, but the verse about the return being soon or we would destroy ourselves comes to mind.
     
  8. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    1500 years ago Patrock of Ireland wrote that he was looking for the 'soon advent of our Lord and Saviour.'

    He wasn't wrong to be looking. But here we are 1500 years later still looking. Isn't that the way it was meant to be?
     
  9. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    This is a case in which circular reasoning actually works...

    It's getting closer because every day that passes, His return gets one day closer.

    HankD
     
  10. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Yes, I believe it could be that long or longer. Why? Simple, because too many people think it will be soon. God does not abide by our time table. Also, God is outside of time. Thus time means nothing to God.

    So, I agree with the OP. We are still living in the days of the early church.
     
  11. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    That's great. Just think of all the time left for the Democrats to get through more of their government subsidized programs.
     
  12. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    :thumbs::thumbs: yep

    While, as C4K said well, we don't deny immanency we also don't need to over-realize Christ's coming. Too many Christians are overly expectant, to a point of missing the point of living in the here and now to impact people with Gospel because they are overly anticipating the hereafter.
     
  13. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I agree with Jaigner and C4K.
     
  14. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Check out the morality in Rome after the time of Christ. You'll see that the current moral climate isn't nearly as bad as it could be. Also, we're making that call through a distinctively American lens, so just because morality seems to be worse now than 50 years ago, in other parts of the world, that's just not the case. In fact, many are experiencing a real, alive movement of the Church.

    These are just other problems I see with the dispensational mindset.
     
  15. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    What if Jesus doesn't come back for a million years? A billion? The biblical truth is Jesus could come back before I finish typing this post, or in a billion years. We have no way of knowing, but I doubt any of us will be alive at Jesus' one and only Second Coming.
     
  16. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    No hyperbole on my part. Paul thought "we who are alive" would be caught up in the air to meet the Lord (preceding His earthly return).

    That was 1,960 years ago. And the world of his day was far worse (imho) than the world today. My pastor, after the Republican debacle in '64, said the world was getting worse and worse and would not survive another 10 years. He's dead now; the world isn't.

    20,000 years? Could be. 20,000 seconds? Could be.

    Jesus IS coming back and this we know quite sure.
     
  17. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    You are probably right. As I said in my post, this is the observation of an average layman who has sort of paid attention to the last fifty years. It seems much worse to me. The morality of Rome was probably worse overall, but we do some very wicked things. Also, Rome was not founded proclaiming the Lord, we were. Also, I am not much of a dispensationalist. To me, God is the same from eternity past to eternity future.
     
  18. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Well said, friend, though I would still emphasize the fact that sin is not a new problem. I don't know that we're more wicked, but it's certainly more out in the open, so you're right that observation would tell you that.

    Blessings.
     
  19. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    While I HOPE that Jesus' return is soon, I cannot say emphatically that it will be--unlike some people who set dates and then change the date when He doesn't come as predicted.

    Sin is "more out in the open" because it is more accepted as normal. Homosexuality is now an accepted alternative lifestyle; adultery is just "having an affair"; lying is called fibbing, and there are many softer and more acceptable terms used for various sins that were once condemned even by people. Those same people see nothing wrong with all those sins, or they just turn a blind eye to it and are afraid to say anything against it for fear of being labeled unloving, judgmental, bigoted, politically incorrect, or being accused of a "hate crime".
     
    #19 Jon-Marc, May 28, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: May 28, 2010
  20. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Don't judge the times by what you see living in the USA. My great-grandfather was sure we were going to see Jesus when WWII started and women started working in factories.
     
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