Pathless said:
It's easy to dismiss all those end-time predictions as doom and gloom tactics to draw people to Christ, (or not). Indeed, I am saddened by the abuse and profit some have in taking advantage to people's fears and sensibilities. Christian bookstores are replete with books that assert all kinds of end of the world scenerios. It's depressing enough to hear of a seemingly bleak future without the thought that someone is making money off this.
Nonetheless, there is to me seemingly compelling evidence from my own studies to lead me in the
possibility that events foretold in scripture
may play out in some similiar fashion. I can't dismiss the fact that we are living in an age where nuclear obliteration of the world is a reality, that the means exists
right now that us humans can destroy ourselves completely, even without
II Peter 3:10-12 explicitly telling us so.
Eschatology is dependent on historical events coming into play. Traditionally, at least in evangelical circles, a typical series of events would play out as follows (which may or may not occur in this exact order):
- Israel becomes a nation again
- A revived Roman Empire emerges to become an economic powerhouse
- A political figure, gudied by another spiritual prophet, takes control of this Roman Empire and makes a peace compact with Israel.
- Gog and Magog and her allies invade Israel, but are Israel somehow survives.
- The Roman leader breaks the pact and declares war on Israel.
- All the nations of the world converge against Israel, including Middle East and Far East nations.
- An epic final battle is fought in the valley of Meggido.
- But before Israel is destroyed, Christ returns and supernaturally destoys all the opposing armies.
- Christ sets up a 1000 year kingdom from Jerusalem from which He rules the world and peace is made. There are nations outside this kingdom that also have peace.
- During this same 1000 year period, Satan will be bound up and ineffectual his influence on people.
- But after the 1000 year period, Satan is released to deceive the nations again, but then is throw in the bottomless pit.
- There is a Great White Throne judgement to judge the wicked.
- There is a New Heaven and New Earth, the old heaven and earth pass away and the Kingdom of Heaven is established forever.
Why it would be played out this way is hard to determine. Some believe that most of the events in Revelation is centered around the restoration of Israel as a promise by God all the way back to the time of Abraham. That God will restore His People, Israel.
I'm not so much interested in why as in
how. Much of these things listed seem rather far fetched,
yet why does the current political landscape of the world seem to be
drifting toward this very thing?
- Israel became a nation in 1948, after some 1900 years of Jewish exile. And given their history, the Jews and their culture have remarkable survived throughout the centuries.
- Europeon Community has become a loose conglomerate of nations that has seen many political and economic changes that is uniting them more and more. They even have a rotating EU presidency, which very recently changed from Germany to Portugal.
- Russia, which has been identified by some biblical scholars as Gog and Magog, has formed alliances with some Middle East countries such as Iran (Persia) and China (kings of the East) in recent years.
I could go on, but I hope you see my point. I mean why is Israel such a political hotspot in the first place? It's a just small country about the size of California, a strip of land on the coast of the Mediterranean that really doesn't have that much to offer, other than for religious reasons for three of the world's most significant religions. Why hasn't it been obliterated by the surrounding nations that hate it? (Maybe the Palistinians have a purpose in their preservation?)
I just think it's odd that we are living in a tedious world at large and that endtime events in the Bible are not as farfetched as people think.
to ridiculous societal standards.
