Why is the end times so important?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#21
GraceAndTruth,
Rather than respond as do most here with conjecture, a response with the Word in support for your claim would go a lot further.
I'm off to lunch now, back in an hour or two.
That is what I asked YOU for. Some reference to scripture, history or a writing from an early apostolic father.

For my support I would offer Terfullian's letter to the Jews, explaning to them why they had to go through that great trib.
Then the historical facts as laid out by Josephus. Then the date of Revelation which had to be by 68AD if not before.

That's 3. Now its your turn
 

RickyZ

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
9,635
787
113
#22
cv5 sorry but you totally missed the point. It was aimed at those who believe these prophecies are past and not to come.
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,033
8,375
113
#23
cv5 sorry but you totally missed the point. It was aimed at those who believe these prophecies are past and not to come.
Understood. Sorry.
 

Lillywolf

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2018
1,562
543
113
#24
Typically a generation is calculated at 40 years. But remember, God does not calculate time as we do.
God's thoughts are not as our thoughts and ours are not as God's.

I believe every generation since Revelation was made public has experienced parts of the foretelling there. And in this century we have certainly arrived at having the technological capacity to create the eschatological end of the world scenario at will, and as pertains to any religious tradition wherein their holy book describes such a fate. Islam, Christianity, etc...

Imagine the history of world conquest and those who thought to conquer and rule all. Those evils they resorted to in that quest.
How easy would it be to bring the world into submission were each region wherein the majority of faithful believe in end times teachings did witness them occur in the skies overhead.
Governments around the world have that capacity. Holograms beamed into the skies that can penetrate from the upper atmosphere so as to appear to be descending to earth.

But outside of that, we here are living in Hell regardless of the faith tradition that teaches of such places as that. In my faith, Christianity, I am told the adverse, ha Satan, roams this planet like a hungry lion seeking souls to devour.
With over 2000 years of one God's teaching as relates to peace, and love for one another, look where we are as a planet inhabited in majority by those who hold faith in gentle Christ.

Why is the end times so important? It's personal to each one of us as to the level of import we put on those scriptures. For me, I keep a column of the prophecies in one side of my recollection while navigating the contemporary world and watching as certain of them unfold.
But I am not hundreds of years old, so perhaps these things have transpired before the eyes of others long before now.

I think we are to be aware but not afraid. Those who are indwelt know their destiny. And that is why there is nothing to fear.
One thing for certain, if it all pops off in our lifetime it is going to be one heck of a show.

Long past the, "we told ya so", as pertains to those who did not believe as we do. Or mocked us for daring to live committed to the scriptures truth.

God's will be done.
As it always is.
 

CharliRenee

Member
Staff member
Nov 4, 2014
6,693
7,176
113
#25
End times…


We all believe there was a beginning of earth as it is today, so we can conclude so shall be the same with regards to the end.


We know in the physical realm, all life has a lifespan.


We know our endtime is coming either by physical death or His return.


Scientists and the bible agree that earth as we know, is coming to an end.


We know that as we age, each breath we take brings new challenges, that growing old brings all kinds of tribulations, thus end time struggles.


We know that He is clear that He had gone to prepare us a place, that upon the designated time of the Father, He will return.


We know that the closer we get to that inevitable day, the harder it will be on earth. And that with His return, wrath like nothing anyone has ever known or witnessed will also come forth.


So what do we do with all this? How do we accept these realities without becoming consumed with gloom or fear? The answer is always the same.


We rest in Him! We Love and forgive for Him. We live for Him! We wait on Him! We hope in Him and we share Him with others, so that they can do the same. He is what He is, which is good, and He knows what He is doing. We rest under His pavilion of strength.. With Him, our ultimate future is both bright and secure.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
#26
Just a fact....for every 1 verse that deals with the first coming of Christ there are 8 that deal with the second coming.........and yet many have no understanding or insight into the end.....I had a preacher who had been preaching 50 years tell me that we are not meant to study or understand Revelation and ALL we are supposed to teach out of was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...........wow...this is the mentality of many......needless to say....I vehemently disagreed with him..!!!
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,033
8,375
113
#27
Just a fact....for every 1 verse that deals with the first coming of Christ there are 8 that deal with the second coming.........and yet many have no understanding or insight into the end.....I had a preacher who had been preaching 50 years tell me that we are not meant to study or understand Revelation and ALL we are supposed to teach out of was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...........wow...this is the mentality of many......needless to say....I vehemently disagreed with him..!!!
I would have been walking out the door hastily after hearing something like that.
 
S

SpoonJuly

Guest
#28
Just a fact....for every 1 verse that deals with the first coming of Christ there are 8 that deal with the second coming.........and yet many have no understanding or insight into the end.....I had a preacher who had been preaching 50 years tell me that we are not meant to study or understand Revelation and ALL we are supposed to teach out of was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...........wow...this is the mentality of many......needless to say....I vehemently disagreed with him..!!!
I would have been walking out the door hastily after hearing something like that.
Me-- would have made a motion to vacate the pulpit.
We Baptist can do that--Fire a pastor.
 
S

SpoonJuly

Guest
#29
Nearly every book (and maybe every book) in the bible seems to touch upon the end times.
These data, however, were mostly not meant for people in prior generations to comprehend.
Even Daniel was told that the events shown him regarding the end times were sealed until the end times, at which time they would then be unsealed, with their understanding increasing among the faithful.
So why does the Lord feel it so important that we, who are supposedly the final generation, should increase in our understanding about the end times?

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
One of the greatest sins of a believer is willful ignorance of the Word.
We are commanded to study, not just read, but to study and understand.
If one will study the Word, study history, and keep abreast of current events, much of the Scripture that was sealed in the past is very easy to understand today.
Even more in future days.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
#30
I would have been walking out the door hastily after hearing something like that.
Not me.....words like like bring out the Marine in me......and I stood and said thay whoever believes that or teaches that is an idiot and does not know or understand the word of God and on top of that it totally disregards the very essence of the word Revelation and what it means......
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
#31
Me-- would have made a motion to vacate the pulpit.
We Baptist can do that--Fire a pastor.
Oh he was fired......I could not believe some of the crap that came out of his mouth......he taught them they could live anyway they wanted and it did not matter.....I dealt with that as well......
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,033
8,375
113
#32
Not me.....words like like bring out the Marine in me......and I stood and said thay whoever believes that or teaches that is an idiot and does not know or understand the word of God and on top of that it totally disregards the very essence of the word Revelation and what it means......
I have to tell you....I likewise confront heresy when it crosses my path and I am not too shy in doing so.
 

louis

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,102
86
48
#33
That is what I asked YOU for. Some reference to scripture, history or a writing from an early apostolic father.

For my support I would offer Terfullian's letter to the Jews, explaning to them why they had to go through that great trib.
Then the historical facts as laid out by Josephus. Then the date of Revelation which had to be by 68AD if not before.

That's 3. Now its your turn
Revelation was written circa 95 AD.
1 Thessalonians was written earlier and describes the 68-70 AD event as the wrath coming upon the faithless to the uttermost.

1 Thessalonians 2:16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
 

louis

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,102
86
48
#34
One of the greatest sins of a believer is willful ignorance of the Word.
We are commanded to study, not just read, but to study and understand.
If one will study the Word, study history, and keep abreast of current events, much of the Scripture that was sealed in the past is very easy to understand today.
Even more in future days.
Correct, we are to study the Word, and keep abreast of current events.
The Lord put all this data about the end times throughout the bible for some reason.

If you are interested, the site below is a scary current event that I just read yesterday about how there are only a fraction of the insects that there were from just a few decades ago, and as they continue to dwindle, will soon produce many serious repercussions.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html
 

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#35
Revelation was written circa 95 AD.
1 Thessalonians was written earlier and describes the 68-70 AD event as the wrath coming upon the faithless to the uttermost.

1 Thessalonians 2:16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
1. Thessalonians was written around 5l AD to the church
2. The wrath to come upon them was the judgment on the faithless
3. The great tribulation was a prophecy to the Jews and could not be fulfilled after the destruction of the temple.
4. History does not support a late writing of Revelation (nor does the bible itself) Temple was still standing in chapter 11.
 

louis

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,102
86
48
#36
1. Thessalonians was written around 5l AD to the church
2. The wrath to come upon them was the judgment on the faithless
3. The great tribulation was a prophecy to the Jews and could not be fulfilled after the destruction of the temple.
4. History does not support a late writing of Revelation (nor does the bible itself) Temple was still standing in chapter 11.
Why would you change God's Word from: "for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost" to your version "the wrath to come upon them"? God's word is in the present tense, and not in the future tense as you claim.
 

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#37
Why would you change God's Word from: "for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost" to your version "the wrath to come upon them"? God's word is in the present tense, and not in the future tense as you claim.
You are the one claiming future-ism, not me..........and nitpicking does not change my 4 points
 

preston39

Senior Member
Dec 18, 2017
1,675
240
63
#38
Nearly every book (and maybe every book) in the bible seems to touch upon the end times.
These data, however, were mostly not meant for people in prior generations to comprehend.
Even Daniel was told that the events shown him regarding the end times were sealed until the end times, at which time they would then be unsealed, with their understanding increasing among the faithful.
So why does the Lord feel it so important that we, who are supposedly the final generation, should increase in our understanding about the end times?

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Very simple...it is His desire that none be lost. So, He feels obligated to issue all warnings possible of the end times before bringing this era....The Bible Age...Man's day...Day of Grace...to a conclusion and render final dispensation of His plan..
Even then, He is, I am sure, disappointed in the reception by so few.
 

louis

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,102
86
48
#39
Very simple...it is His desire that none be lost. So, He feels obligated to issue all warnings possible of the end times before bringing this era....The Bible Age...Man's day...Day of Grace...to a conclusion and render final dispensation of His plan..
Even then, He is, I am sure, disappointed in the reception by so few.
Yes, the Lord would like that none be lost, but end time warnings in scriptures do not appear meant for prior generations to understand (as in the case with Daniel), and therefore prior generations could not have taken heed for what they did not understand.
Here's an example: In the link below is the description of an insect apocalypse which is currently underway throughout the world, and that at some point in the near future it is going to have some very serious negative impacts on all of humanity---primarily famines.
The reasons provided for the insect apocalypse are climate change, and various chemicals, all of which caused by man.
In Revelation 9:20 we see that due to the love mankind has for the works his hands produce (through industry), all the plagues (environmental catastrophes and genocide) in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 are attributed to.
We can now put these data together, and realize a correlation.
This insect apocalypse I believe is one of the reasons for how the worst of times will fall upon the whole world?
Time to take heed to this and other environmental calamities currently underway, and start to prepare.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html

Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
 

marinerscatch

Active member
Nov 23, 2018
114
31
28
#40
You are the one claiming future-ism, not me..........and nitpicking does not change my 4 points


Don't pay attention to this poster ^

She believes Paul's words over the very words of God (Christ). We have clear examples of the Disciples, the Council led by the brother of Yeshua (James), Jude, the 4 Gospels ALL teaching Christ's message of the "Mercy of God." Only Paul teaches a different message which makes it clear the Disciples, the Council, and others never read Paul's letters. Had they did, they would have corrected Paul.

So far, everything she has posted seems heretical at best. Her hyper Grace is about as false of an antichrist message as it gets, and she refutes actual historian timelines, including the personal writings of Domitian who admits to tossing John into Patmos around 95 A.D. I don't know how she is able to keep spewing such garbage other than the couple others who believe as she does..