Are we living in the last days?

[otseng]

From speaking with my brothers and sister, far from undermining our faith and causing confusion, the impact of coronavirus only serves to strengthen our conviction we are living in the last days and our resolve to preach the good news of the kingdom before the Lord tells us the work is complete.

For debate:
Are we living in the last days?

[marco]

From speaking with my brothers and sister, far from undermining our faith and causing confusion, the impact of coronavirus only serves to strengthen our conviction we are living in the last days and our resolve to preach the good news of the kingdom before the Lord tells us the work is complete.

For debate:
Are we living in the last days?

When it is seen that the crisis has passed our prophets simply suggest a later date. I imagine that people around the years after Christ was executed thought they were living in the last days. In the year 1000 people went into a panic, for the last days had been predicted. In 2012 we were going to perish according to Mayan predictions, at least as they were translated.

Of course some day the Earth will face a catastrophic astronomical event but I would imagine that long before the Earth bursts into fames humans will have left the planet for somewhere else. Perhaps then a new Eden tale will be told with perhaps a better version of God.

We have been lucky insects so far though some of us who chose to live on the side of one of God's volcanoes didn't fare so well. Our fellow life forms that inhabit holes in our garden or visit daily flowers perhaps predict a similar catastrophe. Who knows?

One of our comedians has "I told them I was ill" on his tombstone. Same idea. I think when Christ didn't show up in the trenches of WW1 people should have put the predictions aside.

[Zzyzx]

.

I am in broad agreement with your opinion. Are we obligated ,because of these sentiments , to try and find solutions and help avert what we assume is the end game coming. Are we obliged to cry wolf, repeatedly! We could accept it as a fait accompli!.

I sincerely doubt that humans are capable of setting aside personal interests in favor of the common good (other than short term / temporary / limited scope).

Greed prevails.

People won't even stay home to avoid societal catastrophe (and personal danger) unless ordered -- perhaps because they need toilet paper in huge amounts and/or can make a profit by reselling at price gouging level.

Example: I live in the boonies of Arkansas on a few acres. Yesterday I went to town on 'an errand of mercy' to pick up wholesale food for distribution to those in need (properly masked and gloved of course). Although town is 30,000 population, the streets were almost as busy as usual -- much busier than photos of New York City. This state, county, and city have not been under lockdown or stay-at-home order. Some businesses are closed but those that are open had full parking lots.

[SallyF]

It's ALWAYS been the "End is Nigh" for some people …

Same "signs" …

Different generations …

But the latest round of sign interpretation by the latest generation is always the RIGHT one.


And if you fear the Latter Days …





Wearing protective undergarments may help.

[Tcg]

There are always floods, earthquakes, plagues and religio-lunies claiming this is the end.

Likewise, scoffers will mock it is not the end.

2Pe 3:3-4 ESV - knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."

At this point the scoffers have a perfect record.

This pandemic may lead to global economic and societal collapse. That however wouldn't prove the scoffers wrong at least not in the context of the verses quoted above. Only the return of Christ could do that.

I suspect the scoffer's perfect record will stay intact as long as there are any humans left concerned with these claims. If humans manage not to destroy themselves for long enough, the claims of Christianity may become simply a topic of ancient history. Just like empires, religions come and go.

Of course when it comes to future events, all we can do is wait and see.


Tcg

[JehovahsWitness]

I imagine that people around the years after Christ was executed thought they were living in the last days.

It seems Christians at least did believe they were living in the last days of the Jewish temple system, due to Jesus prophecy. They were right.



JW

[otseng]

[Replying to post 4 by otseng]

Do you think the things you mention relate to anything Jesus spoke about in the chapters I mentioned?

Yes, I think we are starting to see the fulfillment of the end times according to the Bible.

Mar 13:8 KJV - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Am I certain Jesus will return soon? I'm starting to be convinced of it.

Jesus’ only indisputable teaching about the end of the age is that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.�

True, we don't know the exact day or hour, but we can discern the times.

Luk 12:40 KJV - Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luk 12:56 KJV - Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

However, does this constitute 'end of the world'? Perhaps the 'last days' for one nation (or several nations). So what?

On a practical level, we will see a massive increase in deaths by starvation, suicide, crime, disease, etc.

Even if H. sapiens go extinct, the world could continue without humans. But, that is of little significance?

I am in broad agreement with your opinion. Are we obligated ,because of these sentiments , to try and find solutions and help avert what we assume is the end game coming. Are we obliged to cry wolf, repeatedly! We could accept it as a fait accompli!.

At this point, everything the leaders try to do only causes more problems.

[Thomas123]

I personally would see it as a cruel irony if our societal disintegration and population decline were to result in an actual return to an Eden type outcome. When I see the robustness and the recuperation capacity of our many life forms,(as illustrated by the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone link), then perhaps the remaining remnants of the human species might enjoy a glimpse of peace. Hopefully we might have learned the folly of repeating history. It's a long shot! Human beings will not go quietly into the night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone

[Zzyzx]

.

Yes, I think we are starting to see the fulfillment of the end times according to the Bible.

Mar 13:8 KJV - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Has there EVER been a period in history, before or after the time of Jesus, when those things were not true?

Since wars, earthquakes, famines, troubles, and sorrows evidently existed BEFORE Jesus spoke, how can they be indication of the 'end times'?

Am I certain Jesus will return soon? I'm starting to be convinced of it.

Perhaps we should not hurry the process.

Even if H. sapiens go extinct, the world could continue without humans. But, that is of little significance?

I suspect that only humans would morn the extinction of H. sapiens – which will have little significance in the Earth's big picture.

[SallyF]

[Replying to post 4 by otseng]

Do you think the things you mention relate to anything Jesus spoke about in the chapters I mentioned?

Yes, I think we are starting to see the fulfillment of the end times according to the Bible.

Mar 13:8 KJV - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Am I certain Jesus will return soon? I'm starting to be convinced of it.

Jesus’ only indisputable teaching about the end of the age is that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.�

True, we don't know the exact day or hour, but we can discern the times.

Luk 12:40 KJV - Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luk 12:56 KJV - Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

However, does this constitute 'end of the world'? Perhaps the 'last days' for one nation (or several nations). So what?

On a practical level, we will see a massive increase in deaths by starvation, suicide, crime, disease, etc.

Even if H. sapiens go extinct, the world could continue without humans. But, that is of little significance?

I am in broad agreement with your opinion. Are we obligated ,because of these sentiments , to try and find solutions and help avert what we assume is the end game coming. Are we obliged to cry wolf, repeatedly! We could accept it as a fait accompli!.

At this point, everything the leaders try to do only causes more problems.

Human society has ALWAYS been in the "End Times" that bear the biblical fortune-telling signs you quote.

It would be "prophecy " if "God" had whispered names and dates to the Jesus propagandists.

But as our Jehovah's Witnesses friends so ably and helpfully demonstrate generation after generation, the same "signs" keep reappearing announcing the same cataclysmic end ... and they have to keep reprinting the pamphlets and changing the names of beasts and nations and such.

[Thomas123]

Isn't it ironic that we grabble with formulations of the last human on earth ,in the same pseudo-logical way we grabbled with the first.

If the first is Adam then the last should be a guy called Mada.
Unless it is a fact that the woman outlives us men. In such a scenario, she will logically be called, .....Eve!