Are we living in the last days?

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otseng
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Are we living in the last days?

Post #1

Post by otseng »

JehovahsWitness wrote: 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?

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Post #2

Post by Willum »

It depends what you mean by last days.

The information age is going to change what humanity is.
Human endeavor is going to change with the ability to access the world or any fact with key-strokes.
Why memorize Abe Lincolns birthday, uncertainly, when you can "Ask Jeeves."
How can you explore the Jungles of the Amazon, when they have been cut down or burned?

The Earth will continue on, of course it is a big planet, that would be true if a religious apocalypse were true.

But will everyone be dead in some Holy Apocalypse? No. The signs are no different now than they are at any other time in history.

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

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Re: Are we living in the last days?

Post #3

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 1 by otseng]

Well you know my answer (and the answer if all Jehovah's Witnesses) from my comment.

All the signs Jesus provided to identify "the last days" in Matthew 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21 as well as the supplelentary indications provided in 2 TImothy 3:1-5 and Revelelation Chapter 6, provide absolutely convincing evidence that our "generation" is the one Jesus referred to, that would witness tne climax of the composite sign and the end if this system of things.

It is our privilage and responsibility as Christians to warn people of this fact so they can take the needed measurs to save their lives and those of their children.
MATTHEW 24:397-39

For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away,+ so the presence of the Son of man will be.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS


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Post #4

Post by otseng »

Willum wrote: 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."

I believe we are in the last days in several aspects, and not all of them are religious.

We are in the last days of the United States as a great nation. We are rapidly descending into socialism and into a police state. The massive debt incurred by the government, corporations, and individuals will bankrupt us. Society will soon start to collapse as bread lines get longer, grocery shelves get emptier, and more file for unemployment. Massive monetary policy will only lead to hyperinflation and kill the dollar as the reserve currency.

Things around the world are not much better. All countries seem to be racing towards the bottom of devaluing their currency and printing money with total abandon. Governments are seizing power and bringing everyone into submission. Meanwhile, millions, if not billions, are on the path of starving to death while being locked down in their homes.

Governments keep lying to the people and really have no idea how to handle all the crises that are happening. They promise solutions and when they do try to help, it only makes things worse. Pretty soon, the public will realize they are being duped by their leaders.

For years I've believed the end is near, but not publicly willing to make the claim. Now I'm convinced it's here.

All the talk about a V-shaped recovery or we'll go back to normal after COVID-19 is over or the Fed has this in control are all wishful thinking. We are entering a global super depression that history books will be talking about for thousands of years from now (if humanity still exists).

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Post #5

Post by Thomas123 »

I have believed for years that the current trajectory of humans points towards imminent social collapse. I fear for the future of our descendants in 200 years time..
Put my name to the prophets of doom list and I sincerely hope that I am incorrect by a wide margin.

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Post #6

Post by bjs »

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.�

The end could be near (as we measure time; all times are soon to God), but there is nothing that makes me think that the end is more likely to come now than 20 years ago, or 100 years ago, or 1,000 years ago.

Every generation for nearly 2,000 years has said that theirs would be the last generation. So far they have consistently been mistaken.

Always be alert. We do not know when the end will come, either on a personal level (death), or on a world-wide scale. I grant that this is one of those things that nearly everyone says they believe and almost no one actually believes.

Concerning non-religious forms of “that last days,� then certainly there are disconcerting events taking place. Short-term thinking and corruption are rampant, but they always have been. I am concerned about the way nations are shifting towards authoritarianism. I doubt that America will remain a world leader for long, which feeds my concern about the rise of authoritarianism worldwide. But I still hold out hope. There will be changes, but, despite all our advances, people on the whole don’t seem to change much. We just swing from one end the pendulum to the other and then back again. So in the end I suppose that everything changes and everything stays the same.

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Post #7

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 4 by otseng]

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


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Re: Are we living in the last days?

Post #8

Post by amortalman »

[Replying to post 1 by otseng]

The term "last days" is a Biblical term as far as I know and by Biblical reckoning, it has no practical meaning. It could be today or it could be 1000 years in the future.

With that said, I believe that the world (the earth and all its inhabitants) is becoming stressed to the point of near-collapse: Overpopulation, pollution of our planet, the devastation of rain forests and animal habitats, as well as economic stressors. To correct this, in my opinion, will require the united effort and sacrifice of everyone on the planet. But it can be done. This particular pandemic might be the wake-up call.

A scientist on the national news here in the US just this morning said that the coronavirus was inevitable and the result of huge populations encroaching on animal habitats causing the interruption of the balance of nature. This creates a breeding ground of sorts for bacteria and viruses (not his exact words but my understanding of it). If this is true we could see more pandemic infections arise than we can deal with.

But I believe we will survive this pandemic and be wiser because of it and better prepared for whatever nasty new pathogen sets its sights on destroying us. Will it be enough? That's up to us, individually and collectively.

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Post #9

Post by Zzyzx »

.
otseng wrote: We are in the last days of the United States as a great nation. We are rapidly descending into socialism and into a police state. The massive debt incurred by the government, corporations, and individuals will bankrupt us. Society will soon start to collapse as bread lines get longer, grocery shelves get emptier, and more file for unemployment. Massive monetary policy will only lead to hyperinflation and kill the dollar as the reserve currency.
I do not disagree that the US is declining in stature, economy, democracy, education, technology, etc and has forfeited the role of world leadership. Concern about inflation and national bankruptcy are not unfounded.

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

Empires rise and empires fall – always have throughout history.

In the bigger picture, species rise and species fall (go extinct) – often due to habitat changes to which they do not adapt (and which they may cause – like wine yeast using up available nutrients and polluting their environment with their waste product, alcohol, until it becomes toxic to them). Humans are likely doing the same.

Survival 'instincts' appear to have morphed into all-consuming greed, competition often replaces cooperation, individual pursuits prevail over common good. Gods and god beliefs are unlikely to 'save' humans. Platitudes about loving one another may sound good, but are idealistic, lofty goals that do not achieve their objective. Wishful thinking may be comforting but is ineffective.

Extinction is expected, not surprising (to the informed). If H. sapiens go extinct, the world will not end. The Earth will not miss a beat. Humans may be nostalgic about their own demise, but that is of little significance.
.
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ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence

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Post #10

Post by Thomas123 »

[Replying to post 9 by 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!.

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