As a Christian, I say- we're not even close. I wish it were today, but we're not even near. It's supposed to get ALOT worse than this before He comes. Even these trying times are nothing compared to what He described the "Days Before The Coming" would be like.
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.
When Jesus comes for His church .. the Holy Spirit will leave the earth. Just light a small candle in a dark room, and then blow the candle out. What you have is "gross darkness". The church will not experience that. The church will be gone. Those who are left on the earth will have tons of bad stuff to deal with.
When Jesus returns to begin His 1000 year reign, He will be bringing the church with him. After the 1000 years, the devil will be loosed one more time .. (short - according to the Bible) .. and then the final judgement (the white throne judgment). After that is eternity - enjoying being one of God's kids - no sickness, no death, no hunger, no wars.
Jesus himself says to be ready.
And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times? Matt 16:3
I agree.
Man is capable of unspeakable evil, and even though we live in trying times, we haven't even scratched the surface. There are still so many things that still have to come to pass.
"It's supposed to get ALOT worse than this before He comes"
People alive 100 years ago couldn't imagine the hellish world we live in. We've been boiled like frogs for so long that we don't recognize that we might be living through the tribulation RIGHT NOW.
We've been brainwashed (as a nation) into believing that good is evil and evil is good. Much of this brainwashing has come from Hollywood and Madison avenue. We are controlled by government as never before and are persecuted for the smallest transgression.
I'm of the opinion that the time may be near, but things will get a LOT worse than what we have now. I have studied the first few centuries of Christianity, and there were cycles of persecution and relative calm. During the short periods of calm, the numbers of people converting to Christianity swelled. Then persecution set in, and there was significant apostacy, as people deserted the faith in order to save their business / family / necks (take your pick).
I believe that prior to Christ's second coming, believers will be put into a cruciable, and there will be a period of apostacy again - but the remnant will remain. Will this be ralized via a period of Muslim takeover, with worldwide Sharia law imposed? Seems like a possibility to me.
Given the claims of people who have had life-after-life experiences and say that Jesus appears to them, I have often wondered if the "Second-Coming" is, in fact, a parable for the way that Christ comes to the believer at death.
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!
I wish I could help your eyesight and perspective but I gather there's not much chance of that.