And the fact that I've heard preachers state for over 20 years that "The End is VERY near! It could happen at ANY moment!" doesn't help too much.
Hey richmwill, I'm just curious as to what you mean when you say "...ALOT worse..." Do you mean visibly?
I'm not making a judgment either way, but more or less speaking to the general tone of this thread. Too many people have errantly come to the conclusion that worse is like what the movies on the topic make it out to be. This "Left Behind" movie mentality is all hype and based/rooted so little in the truth of scripture that it should be embarassing.
Nevertheless, dependent upon what your definition of "ALOT worse" is, I'm curious as to how you justify the following to that:
Matt. 24:36-41;
36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
37"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
41"(BA)Two women will be grinding at the (BB)mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Those last two verses are the basis for the rapture leaving a 7-year "tribulation" in part, a large part of it. But in context, that's not what it says at all. Was there any more time for anyone after Noah entered the Ark, or was it too late?
Too many have given credence to notions that after his return anything at all happens on this earth. Nothing does as it is utterly destroyed per 2 Peter 3. Can't very well have a "reign" on earth if the earth does not exist. There will be a new earth, per Rev. 21/22. But only God's bride will be there! The others have already been judged "according to the things which were in the books." Rev. 20 and dealt with, by God, accordingly.
The "New earth" is for God's people.
The tribulation of which the Bible speaks is currently ongoing. It is a moral tribulation. Anyone reading regularly on FR should easily be able to see the depths and breadth to which this tribulation expands daily!
In fact, over on townhall.com Dennis Prager wrote two pieces about exactly the conflict that is going on and it is highly pertinent to this topic. Here are the links:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20050104.shtml
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20050104.shtml
Regardless, when we read about the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, do we read of "all hell breaking loose" there? No. In fact, economically, the city was fine. It was just so morally corrupt and bankrupt and bereft of any Godly values that God opted to destroy it. It wasn't b/c they couldn't live together in a civilized manner otherwise.
God cares about morality, His morality!
Things can get "ALOT worse" in earthly and secular terms, but that's not a Biblical requirement for the return of Christ, which is why it is/will be largely transparent to those not believing, something which is very Biblical. What is a requirement, based on Scripture, for the return of Christ, is such immoral times that God, just as he did in the time of Noah, was "sorry that [He] made man" (Gen. 6) and that it grieves him so that he takes this drastic action of removing those that are His and destroys the rest.
But from a "God's eye" view, anyone not seeing a tremendous tribulation now, is blind, spritually blind. And many won't see it. Libs don't clearly. Otherwise they wouldn't be libs. Liberalism is so rooted in anti-christian ideology that the two are like oil and water.
But we must also remember, the Bible was not meant to be understood w/o God's Holy Spirit giving it to people to understand it. Ergo, only those with "spiritual eyes" will understand it. Just as with the Ark, eh!
Good analysis. I agree that A LOT worse relates to the morality issue. Immorality is a condition of the heart and that is what destroys nations. Wars can be fought over principles but a society is governed by morality. Remove morality and any semblance of Christianity is also gone. Hence, A LOT worse, is related to "38"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark". This is not to say that there won't also be hatred and wars, for the condition of the hearts in that time will be evil. For that reason we need to be vigilant and raise our families to also be vigilant for we know not the time of His coming. It is our mission to raise our families with the goal that they will pass this truth on to their children.