Signs of the End Times (are we there yet?)

[Skip Intro]

End Times?

I don't post this to offend anyone here (lurking freeps excepted), but was thinking about the brand of so called Christian we find controlling two thirds or our government, and how they take the Bible literally (when its advantageous), and thought an insight into what they think is really happening could provide for an interesting discussion .

Evidently, there are as many as 365 signs of the End Times. Some sites listed twelve.( I was thinking there were only like the seven from that Demi Moore movie).

Anyway, here's the link to the 365 End Time Signs.

http://www.parentalguide.com/Documents/Bible_Prophecy/Signs_of_the_times.htm

And a chart that shows, "Where we are" in relation to The End.

http://www.parentalguide.com/Documents/Bible_Prophecy/Chart.htm

Also, from several sites - there is evidently a prophecy that Russia will move militarily against Israel.

From LBN yesterday:

The SA-18 missiles Russia is selling Syria "will of course make it difficult to fly over the residence of the Syrian president," Russian President Vladimir Putin bluntly stated yesterday. "It will make flying low difficult," implying what has long been believed to be the reason for the sale of the anti-aircraft missiles: Syrian embarrassment over Israeli air force planes "buzzing" presidential palaces in Syria to issue warnings to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1410283

Would a literalist radical Christian see prophesy being, or beginning to be, fulfilled, thereby being emboldened even more, if that's possible?

If they believe the end is near, and that they must "reclaim America for Jesus," then they would believe they don't have much time., hence the urgency to their extremeism.

I'll stop here, because I'm having scary thoughts...

on eidt, corrected a link

[Taxloss]

1. That "we are here" chart is the funniest thing I have seen in a

long time. "Here's what we think happened! And here's what we hope will happen!"

That chart would have looked nearly identical at any stage over the past 2000 years.

We are actually here:

[smirkymonkey]

5. What are you talking about? Don't you know that the earth is only

about 4,000 years old?

God planted those fossils and stuff there to test us! :sarcasm:

[hickman1937]

2. I'm pretty sure we've been there about 1000 times since

the day Jesus died. The lunatics and pretenders just keep resetting the clock, and sucking new money into their scam.

[Tux]

3. LaHaye

Would be pissed. Afterall, who would read his books? What other use could Revlations have but to get money from church members?

[smirkymonkey]

4. There have been a few discussions lately on the subject of

the urgency with which the right seems to be forcing their agenda, almost as if they were afraid of running out of time.

It makes me wonder if this country really is being run by a bunch of fundie rapture freaks, and that its not just a deception to woo the Christian Klan. I am beginning to think that our government wants to force armageddon, however insane that sounds.

It is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. :scared:

[FloridaPat]

6. Look at it from their point of view. Their limited insight shows that

the end of times is here and Jesus will return when certain prophecies occur. They have control of an idiot that apparently believes the same thing. Or maybe he just wants to be the only US president to bring back a God. So if you want to see the sparks fly in your lifetime, do whatever it takes. After all, according to your beliefs, once Jesus returns - in the White House I'm assuming - Bush will announce him? - everything will be made new, so who cares what happens before then.

[rzemanfl]

7. These people are f***ing nuts. They have shit for brains and

make everyone involved with Christianity look like they have shit for brains too. I am sorry, but I have absolutely had it with all flavors of religion, they likely will be the end of us all. The fact that my childrens and grandchildren's lives are threatened by disputes over old middle eastern fairy tales just pisses me off.

There are no invisible beings who can help you out and when you die, you are dead. Get over it.

[Just Me]

8. If only they knew HOW MANY TIMES the "end times" have been,...

,...the obsessive trend of the day,...over the last couple thousand (actually more than that) years.

IT NEVER HAPPENED.

*sigh*

The only thing that concerns me is their NEED and WANTING for an end. As if our lives aren't enough of a persistence test through plenty of pain and struggle,...they want to make it worse.

*sigh*

[blogbear]

9. What else would straight-laced and shame-ridden Victorianism be for?

[enid602]

11. end times

The problem is that if enough world leaders believe that the end times are coming, they will be able to facilitate the end. Personally, I think we should put religious extremists of all stripes in one big room and let them have at each other.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. I don't know how deeply the End of Timers have..

dug themselves into Washington, but there's no doubt that some of what we're seeing comes from them. Ashcroft publically admitted he was a believer, and there might be more.

Read up on the Millerites and other prognosticators of doom. It's pretty scary what can happen when enough people believe this hysterical nonsense.


The links you gave are from some real space cadets.

Sign #44-- "Israel will have mice." Really, now...

Revelation has never been considered a prophetic book by any serious Biblical scholar thoughout the ages. It is a coded book on the proper conduct of the Church and talks of Church expansion. It's coded because the Romans still had it in for Christians at the time. And there is no key to tell when the world will end.

Jesus did talk about his return, but said it would be "like a thief in the night" and there would be no signs that it was coming. He also said that it would be during the lifetimes of the Apostles. Scholars do have a problem with this, and there are very few good answers.

Most of us normal Christians just don't bother with the Rapture, which has been blown all out of proportion by the dispensationalists and end-timers. A lot of what they say isn't even in the Bible, but are part of Christian legend and mythos, like the First Creation (we're supposedly in the second).

Nope, Christianity is about personal salvation, a relationship with God, and living a proper Christian life. Most of us think these people are just plain nuts.