by jimwalton » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:35 pm
The prophecies about Jesus' return and the end times can be very cryptic and quite a jigsaw puzzle to assemble. As you might guess, there are differences of opinion about the exact order. According to the Bible, the end times will be characterized by a great falling away from religion. Natural disasters will increase, and human unrest will result in a lot of wars. At the same time, a political and spiritual ruler will arise and bring unity to much of the world. The oppression of Christians will break into outright hostility and martyrdom for many. There will be military action by many nations against Israel. Sometime during all of this, Jesus will return, bring all of his people to himself, and eventually (depending on one's interpretation of the timing), set up a reign on earth. After his reign, all hell will break loose, there will be universal and even cosmic conflict. The Devil and all who side with him will be defeated; God and all who side with him will see victory, and eternity will be ushered in. All people will be judged and held accountable for how they lived their lives, with heaven and hell as the consequence.
The timing of all this is unknown. People who say "Jesus is coming soon" are expressing an opinion that things are getting pretty bad, and also expressing a wish that he does come soon.
It's hotly debated whether Jesus is coming to gather his people to himself before the mess, during it, or after it.
I hope that helps. I know it was general, but it's hard to be specific without blatting out an opinion rather than what we absolutely KNOW from the Bible.
The prophecies about Jesus' return and the end times can be very cryptic and quite a jigsaw puzzle to assemble. As you might guess, there are differences of opinion about the exact order. According to the Bible, the end times will be characterized by a great falling away from religion. Natural disasters will increase, and human unrest will result in a lot of wars. At the same time, a political and spiritual ruler will arise and bring unity to much of the world. The oppression of Christians will break into outright hostility and martyrdom for many. There will be military action by many nations against Israel. Sometime during all of this, Jesus will return, bring all of his people to himself, and eventually (depending on one's interpretation of the timing), set up a reign on earth. After his reign, all hell will break loose, there will be universal and even cosmic conflict. The Devil and all who side with him will be defeated; God and all who side with him will see victory, and eternity will be ushered in. All people will be judged and held accountable for how they lived their lives, with heaven and hell as the consequence.
The timing of all this is unknown. People who say "Jesus is coming soon" are expressing an opinion that things are getting pretty bad, and also expressing a wish that he does come soon.
It's hotly debated whether Jesus is coming to gather his people to himself before the mess, during it, or after it.
I hope that helps. I know it was general, but it's hard to be specific without blatting out an opinion rather than what we absolutely KNOW from the Bible.