@galveston75 saidI concede I believe we are in the last days, but like many have already said, many
Any thoughts on these scriptures and what we all see happening on our planet.....Now?
Matthew 24:3
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”
Matthew 24:7
7 “For nation will rise agai ...[text shortened]... ew 24:33
33 "Likewise also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors".
have been saying that for centuries. I worry about that as much as I do the
second coming; I believe it is going to happen, but if it happens next week and I
die tonight, what would it matter to me?
None of us are promised tomorrow, Putting off getting right with God because
we have better things to do, or more important things to do, as far as we are
concerned, only means the devil baited his hook, and we bit. When our last day
happens, as it will to all, all bets are off, all choices are made that can be made,
and now we will reap eternally what we sowed in this temporary life.
@galveston75 saidYou can get a clue from the King James version, which makes this much more plain.
Just a side point to mention on the first scripture at Matthew 24:3.......
3 "While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”
What is meant by the comment when they are asking Jesus this question when they ask "what will be the (sign) of your presence"?
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
@Suzianne saidYoung's Literal Translation
You can get a clue from the King James version, which makes this much more plain.
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
And when he is sitting on the mount of the Olives, the disciples came near to him by himself, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?'
Young's also says "presence".
Also I know a couple here don't like me asking questions, not you, but I guess they don't know that you have to ask questions in order to find out others viewpoints...
So a couple questions about the subject of Jesus's return to earth and how it will all work out.
First, If Jesus does literally return in the "flesh" just as he was when he lived here the first time, when humans die later, like we do now, do good humans still go to heaven and become angels and do evil humans still go to hell?
Second, if the earth is to be "literally" destroyed later on, what happens to Jesus who is now a human again here on the earth as well as all the humans that are good that have not already died and gone to heaven?
Just need that cleared up for me. Thanks...
@galveston75 said"watch for the signs"? There is a difference.
Thanks for your comment. But just a point to see is what does the Bible say here? Does it say we need to try and predict when these things are to happen or does it say to "watch for the signs"? There is a difference.
So yes these things have always happened in the past, and Jesus obviously knew they would still happen on an "everyday" type bases.
But there would com ...[text shortened]... day or so. We all know that....
This generation now has that ability. None before could do this.
That's all well and good, but "these signs" are often pretty vague, and quite possibly have more than one meaning. Someone else can watch for them. It's enough of a challenge for me to solve more than 50% of my tactic's puzzles.
@galveston75 saidHumans will not "turn into angels". That is ridiculous.
Young's Literal Translation
And when he is sitting on the mount of the Olives, the disciples came near to him by himself, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?'
Young's also says "presence".
Also I know a couple here don't like me asking questions, not you, but I guess they don't know that you ...[text shortened]... good that have not already died and gone to heaven?
Just need that cleared up for me. Thanks...
And I do not think the earth will be, "literally" or otherwise, "destroyed".
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@galveston75 saidStop worrying about it. The people who wrote the Old Testament didn’t have a clue how or when the Earth began, and the people who wrote the New Testament didn’t have a clue how or when it will end.
Young's Literal Translation
And when he is sitting on the mount of the Olives, the disciples came near to him by himself, saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?'
Young's also says "presence".
Also I know a couple here don't like me asking questions, not you, but I guess they don't know that you ...[text shortened]... good that have not already died and gone to heaven?
Just need that cleared up for me. Thanks...
The Apocalypse of John is not a prediction that these things are really going to happen. Such nightmarish visions were known and described by Buddhist monks and yogis a thousand years before Christ. When one reaches a certain intensity of meditation (call it 'prayer' if you please), the mind or normal discursive-reasoning switches off, the senses lose contact with physical reality, and one is pitched into a kind of consciousness of which most people have no direct experience, a kind of awareness of archetypal imagery, about which Carl Jung wrote and of which pagan mythology (Oedipus etc.) is full. It is all just fantasms of a mind in a non-ordinary state, a record of one man's journey through the dark night of the soul.
We may presume that those close to Jesus had some inklings of this, for he too had journied to dark places of the human soul.
Your task in this life is to learn to love people, as Jesus did, which is to say unconditionally, regardless of how they behave. Everything else will take care of itself in due time.
@moonbus saidAmen.
Stop worrying about it. The people who wrote the Old Testament didn’t have a clue how or when the Earth began, and the people who wrote the New Testament didn’t have a clue how or when it will end.
The Apocalypse of John is not a prediction that these things are really going to happen. Such nightmarish visions were known and described by Buddhist monks and yogis a thousand ...[text shortened]... nconditionally, regardless of how they behave. Everything else will take care of itself in due time.
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@moonbus saidYes, indeed.
You've studied Jung -- you know these archetypal images are universal, in all times and cultures and languages.
This is why humans, wherever they are, whoever they are, share the same dreams and nightmares.
@Suzianne saidThe earth will continue to spin, and circumnavigate the Sun, whether we are on-board or not.
Humans will not "turn into angels". That is ridiculous.
And I do not think the earth will be, "literally" or otherwise, "destroyed".
@Suzianne saidOf course, because we share the same existential fears, of death and aloneness, and hence also very similar religious imagery: the savior, the hero, the virgin, the betrayer, the tempter(ress), the ordeal, the journey into the underworld, crossing a river or a mountain or a desert, death and rebirth into the spiritual life, an immortal companion who won't desert us, and so on.
Yes, indeed.
This is why humans, wherever they are, whoever they are, share the same dreams and nightmares.
Poor Judas --- he's the one I wish we knew more about, but the Gospel does reveal one crucial piece of information about him: Jesus chose him to betray him. Jesus it was who gave him the pouch of coins. Now I ask you, if your best friend and spiritual mentor (God Himself) told you to betray him, that his purpose might be fulfilled, would you do it? No one can resolve such a hideous dilemma -- would one not, then, have to hang oneself?? The deed must be done, but woe to him who must do it.
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@moonbus saidAre you sure about this?
Of course, because we share the same existential fears, of death and aloneness, and hence also very similar religious imagery: the savior, the hero, the virgin, the betrayer, the tempter(ress), the ordeal, the journey into the underworld, crossing a river or a mountain or a desert, death and rebirth into the spiritual life, an immortal companion who won't desert us, and so o ...[text shortened]... -- would one not, then, have to hang oneself?? The deed must be done, but woe to him who must do it.
Matthew, Luke and Acts all describe Judas being paid by the temple priests after going to them and offering to tell them what he knew of where the temple guards could find him.
Now at the Last Supper, Jesus did let Judas know that he knew Judas would betray him.
And Judas did kill himself out of remorse for the betrayal, he even tried to return the money. When they would not take it back since it was blood money, he threw it on the ground. They recovered it and bought the Potter's Field where they eventually buried Judas.