by jimwalton » Thu Jun 04, 2020 2:02 pm
Many people are seeing many signs that make them think we may be approaching the End. Granted, through almost all of history people have thought the same thing, but one of these times it's actually going to be true—the End will actually be here. Whether we are there now is difficult to discern. You should know that there is a lot of Internet buzz about this topic, with people working together online to figure out if maybe it is or maybe it isn't.
In this particular text in Matthew, Jesus is saying that when these particular signs appear (wars, famines, earthquakes), we've only just begun. "You think this is bad; you ain't seen nothin' yet" kind of a thought. But these events are so common, they can hardly be much of an indicator. That's why it's difficult to know.
Two commentators (Robertson and Keener) say that what Jesus is really talking about is that these signs (wars, famines, and earthquakes) would characterize every era—"life as usual" in this age. It is other events that will be more important clues (like the ones that follow Mt. 24.8, along with the clues in other texts).
Many people are seeing many signs that make them think we may be approaching the End. Granted, through almost all of history people have thought the same thing, but one of these times it's actually going to be true—the End will actually be here. Whether we are there now is difficult to discern. You should know that there is a lot of Internet buzz about this topic, with people working together online to figure out if maybe it is or maybe it isn't.
In this particular text in Matthew, Jesus is saying that when these particular signs appear (wars, famines, earthquakes), we've only just begun. "You think this is bad; you ain't seen nothin' yet" kind of a thought. But these events are so common, they can hardly be much of an indicator. That's why it's difficult to know.
Two commentators (Robertson and Keener) say that what Jesus is really talking about is that these signs (wars, famines, and earthquakes) would characterize every era—"life as usual" in this age. It is other events that will be more important clues (like the ones that follow Mt. 24.8, along with the clues in other texts).