Have we really......

[Invisible]

Have we really entered end times?

Many christians say that yes we have, they point out the number of wars, and diseases that seem to be growing around the world.

Yet I have to question this view. You see I doubt that the number of wars or naturel events has changed very much over the past 100 - 200 years, instead what has changed is our knowlage and understanding of what is going on around us.

For example, 150 years ago it would take 6 weeks for a letter to reach America from England, and any news that was in it would be out of date by a corresponding amount, and so people tended to be disintrested in what was happening 1/2 way around the world, prefering to instead concentrate on events much closer to home.

Now days if an earthquake happens at 5:30pm in a place like India or even Tibet and it kills someone, it will make the 6pm news slot.

100 years ago, if someone wanted to contact someone in another country, they would have to send a letter and wait for months for a reply.

Today I can sit down on my PC and send an emial and recieve a reply before I go to bed.

The technology that we embrace has change the way we view the world, today the media can reach millions of people in a matter of secounds, and billions in an hour. Today what happens on the wother side of the world can effect what happens in your neighbourhood.

100 years ago non of this was possible.

So due to the fact that technology has linked together all four corners of the world with almost instantaneuos communication I repeat my question.

Have we really entered end time?

[godrulz]

Technically the end times seem to have started in the first century...the church age is in the hidden valley of the mountain peaks of prophecy (deal with the visible first and second comings in the O.T., not the rapture or church age = 'mystery' Paul referred to). Acts 2 talks about the 'last days' prophesied by Joel being fulfilled at Pentecost.

Paul believed in the imminent return of Christ (could happen at any time, even in his life...literal reading of several N.T. verses).

Jesus taught his disciples to look for His return.

Your point is well taken. Certainly, everyday, we are closer to His return than before. Every generation of believers has expected his return in their lifetime due to contemporary events seeming to fulfill prophecy. We should learn from the many speculative mistakes made by reading current events back into the Bible.

This is what we do know:

1) Jesus will return for and with His church.

2) We are to occupy until He comes.

I would not be surprised if we are in the last hours of the last days. Let us not be ashamed at His coming. I hope to live like this is my last day on earth, yet plan as if I will retire and die before He comes back. Perhaps today, but 2 Peter 3:9 reaffirms He is not wanting any to perish; hence is lack of slowness in keeping His promise.