I have a unique theory of when Jesus will return. See if you agree or how you would describe his readiness to return.
In Matthew 24:14 Jesus said that this gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and then the end would come. Later on in the same chapter he said that his coming would be as in the days of Noah when people were eating and drinking and were oblivious to the floods coming until it actually arrived.
Here is the BIG question. How can Jesus return if there are children constantly being born and growing into the age of accountability? Will Jesus save these children based on where their parents stand? Will Jesus save these children based on what decisions they would make if time was to last longer? Will Jesus treat them as if they have never lived? So since they have no chance of salvation they will not face punishment either.
2 Pter 3:9 says that God does not want anyone to perish but all come to salvation. I believe that Jesus gives us the clue in Matt. 24:36-39, being as in the days of Noah. The world had reached such a state of rebellion that no one was making a decision for God. Noah preached for 120 years and only his family entered the ark.
So today. The world will become worse and worse until evangelism dries up. No one is making a decision for Christ and it doesn't matter how many babies are born none of them will decide for Christ just as no one was making that decision in Noah's day. When this happens Jesus will return because there is no one left to save. What do you think?
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Or...the other alternative is universalism, which--given a choice between your scenario and universalism--I find to be more attractive. Yours, though, does less damage to Scripture's claims, and I suppose it's a better alternative. But I'm not OK with it.... Seems to make God be so dependent on evangelism and the Spirit so powerless. There's no explanation that squares nicely with Scripture, our sensibilities and beliefs about the character of God, and reality as we experience it, huh?
Glory to God even in the lowest!
I think this is an interesting question. The one area I will address is whether or not Jesus will treat children in the last days as though they had not existed. I can find no justification for that conclusion. If the answer were that simple why wouldn’t God just stop the rebellion sooner and simply treat the human race as though it had never existed. As to the fate of the children, I think it more likely that God looks into the future for His decision on their suitability for life in the New Earth. Remember the story of Joseph and the dream he had regarding his future. God did not specifically choose Joseph for a preordained role, but because He foresaw the character development of Joseph He knew what the course of Joseph’s history would be. Joseph’s future was based on his own life decisions which God could see before they had happened.
It would be even a little more reasonable to believe that at some point God would not permit any more births rather than to blot out of existence one of His creatures whom He created to love.
If you'll excuse my irreverence, this is where religion gets a bit nutty. Maybe a better term would be illogical.
Catholics had a term they called "limbo" which was supposed to be, like purgatory, an "in-between" place, not heaven, not hell, where the souls of babies and others unable to determine right from wrong, resided.
When we talk about the after-life, or eternal life, we are on very shaky ground. We simply don't know, and scripture can be interpreted in a variety of ways on this subject as in many others.
This is one reason I find traditional Christianity problematic.
What does it mean to be "saved"?
Glenn
Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and then the end will come." Jesus is quite definite on how to judge end times, the problem is that we differ on exactly what preaching the gospel to all the world means.
Bulworth said "What does it mean to be saved?" I understand this to mean that a person is ready for eternal life.
"When this happens Jesus will return because there is no one left to save. What do you think?"
It has happened.
Fascinating! For years I too was bothered by the fact that more and more babies were being born, so how could the gospel be preached when the babies just kept on coming? Unless something cataclysmic wiped out most of the people so there would be no births, or unless most of the human species became infertile, how could the gospel be preached to all the world?
Regarding no one else being saved and so the prophecy about all the world hearing about the gospel, might not post-modernism with its different needs and biases eventually (a generation or two) bring about a world in which no one else could be saved, because "being saved" had lost its meaning?
Interesting theory... but I disagree. I don't think the human race will ever get to that point. Too much evil and turmoil in the world. When this happens, more people are open to the Lord. The Bible is very clear that even during the unimaginable persecution during the tribulation people will still be saved. It will cost them their lives then but still be saved.
Hi nice blog,If you read revealation 7:1-4,the angel coming from the east is christ.In john 6:25 God has placed his seal of approval on chrit.So What is the purpose of christ to come a second
time?He has to bring the seal.Otherwise No mankind can be saved.
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