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I don't know if I would say that I have to be at the apex of history. I do believe that Christ teaches all of us (not just his own contemporaries) that his eschatological coming is to be considered imminent. That is, it could be at any time. But not that it must be immediate. Just that it could be. The point is that we are to be prepared, ready, and waiting. (I trust you won't be disappointed if he comes before you die. I know I won't.)

Good night. Pleasant dreams to one and all.

I do believe that Christ teaches all of us (not just his own contemporaries) that his eschatological coming is to be considered imminent. That is, it could be at any time. But not that it must be immediate.

Ah, but Jesus forcefully asserted that the generation he was speaking TO was the generation He was speaking OF. And, true to His prophetic word, almost exactly 40 years later, Jerusalem was sacked. Since the flames that consumed the profaned / pointless temple had melted the gold, the Romans took apart the foundation stones to recover the precious metal. Not one stone was left upon another.

Bad theology is a harsh taskmaster. A perverted doctrine of faith healing has led Christian parents to withhold insulin from diabetic children -- then watch them die in comas. A perverted doctrine of eschatology, one that proclaims as "gospel" the certainty of the global triumph of evil, cripples lives and witness in a more subtle way. For example, when I was an apocalypse-crazed Jesus Freak, when everyone KNEW that the end was upon us, when I was 20 years old, it was impossible to think more than a week or two ahead. Like many of my peers, I lost five irreplaceable years to that temporal fog / fugue. Those are critical years for launching careers and vocations -- and I'm still dealing with the consequences 38 years later.

OTOH, since embracing a more God-honoring eschatology at age 30, I have seen God's favor, power, and grace rest upon other long-term projects. For example, my first and only wife is still crazy about me. Now, THAT'S a miracle! At a point when many my age are getting ready to retire, I'm preparing for another career, and prayerfully seeking to maximize the "second half of my adult life" for God's glory. Launching projects that are calibrated in terms of the next three decades.

While your team keeps watching with bated breath for signs of Satan's triumph, serving as adoring groupies for the most recent AC candidates, I know folks on my team who are studying Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, and anticipating the global collapse of Islam. Hmmm ... studying a foreign language is hard work. Who's going to tackle that kind of project when we KNOW that we don't have the years it would take?