| Author | Message | ||
| Timmy Registered user Username: Timmy Post Number: 19 Registered: 8-2006  |
If this has already been addressed on this forum please give me a link. It seems so many things we have been taught as SDA's were not as scriptural as we thought. Now I am concerned that my teaching on the 2nd coming of Christ has been distorted in some way. Is it possible that we have been set up to miss the second coming of Christ because of our ridged dogmatic opinions of the event, just like the Jews missed the first coming because of their fixed views? It appears that several mainstream Christians believe that Christ will come to Jerusalem and reign here for a thousand years which will finally bring peace to this earth. It sounds nice but I don't know what to believe... Any ideas here? Thanks! Tim | ||
| Aliza Registered user Username: Aliza Post Number: 7 Registered: 8-2006 |
For me, Adventism had kind of been like living in a cocoon as to the various views in the Christian world. What helped me was to stand back and do some really basic educating of myself to the different views. I would suggest you might to want to use some search terms such as pre-millennial, post-millennial, a-millennial. Then within the pre-millennial camp, itís broken down to views being pre-tribulation, mid-trib and post trib. These arenít terms you hear within Adventism. I did just enough studying to decide Iíve arrived firmly at the place where I can say, ěI donít know.î And unlike when I was SDA, I can accept that position until the Holy Spirit directs me to more in depth studying. To sum it up, I guess I would have to say I have problems with so many who make such adamant theological assertions and doctrinal points from Revelation and more specifically from Revelation 20. Also, I see danger for those who get so focused on eschatology that it takes away from their focus upon Jesus and the gospel. Iíve been to too many Revelation Seminars and watched sincere Christians sucked into Adventism because of their passion for knowing eschatology. A good book you might find helpful is Revelation: Four Views, a Parallel Commentary; edited by Steve Gregg. Aliza | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 709 Registered: 7-2004 |
Tim, I understand your misgivings on any ONE teaching of Christ's return. I have been in a non-denominational Bible study for 9 years now and I still have an uncomfortable feeling that comes over me whenever the topic of the 2nd coming is discussed. This discomfort/annoyed feeling must come from hearing all my life, "Are you ready for Jesus to return?" Knowing now my salvation is secure without doubt, I hate that question. I've been ready since I accepted the gift of grace through the life of Jesus Christ! Aliza is right, many Christians are sucked into Adventism because they desire to know real eschatology "truth". Adventism, of course, has all the right answers in a neatly wrapped box. The truth of the matter is, as Aliza mentioned, some things are just meant to be revealed in God's time. I do know Jesus is returning to this earth and when He does I won't be fooled! Adventism puts more emphasis on Jesus' return than on a relationship with Him. They scare people into the religion by pushing His return and needing to BE something or DO something to be ready. This leaves a huge void that we all have experienced. Jesus is for TODAY. What if we knew He was not going to return for another 300 year? What then? What would His return mean? Nothing much for my lifetime. So for me personally, I grab onto Jesus to live a life of peace, contentment, freedom TODAY. I know there has been many threads and posts in the past concerning eschatology. Do a word search. I would help you find it if I was computer savvy...sorry!  Best wishes on your search...remember the promise of John 14:26, 27. Denise | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 133 Registered: 11-2004 |
I'm kinda at the same place Tim. There are so many different opinions and interpretations of the end times. I have a leaning toward one position, but in no way do I know for sure. After attending dozens of Revelation seminars in the earlier part of my life I kinda put that on the back burner for now. I may not know how the end times will play out, but I know it won't play out the way Adventists teach. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 173 Registered: 6-2006  |
I don't mean to sound naive, but does a person really need to know? For some reason, I've always thought that no one knows the time or day, so trying to calculate would be a waste. Isn't Jesus going to just show up like a thief in the night? Denise, I really like what you said - "Jesus is for TODAY. What if we knew He was not going to return for another 300 years? What then?" It's true - it's bad enough when I hear from my friends "I'll get religious when I'm old". I can imagine what they'd do if there was a timeline in writing somewhere. Here's my favorite "end times" theology. It's from Maxwell Smart, (Agent 86, you remember him?) he always said... Expect it when you least expect it. Leigh Anne | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4550 Registered: 12-2003  |
Denise, I also loved your sentence, "Jesus is for TODAY." I'm so happy not to know for sure how or what will happen when. I know Jesus is coming back, and when He comes, I will know Him! I believe that if we were supposed to understand the details clearly, the Bible would have very clearly explained it. As it is, there is just enough that we will be able to understand what's happening as it happens. It's WONDERFUL to be able to accept the future on faith instead of on KNOWING the detailsóor thinking we know them! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 2779 Registered: 3-2004  |
The AWESOME thing about Jesus coming is that He is coming to take us home with Him. Before He gets here He will never leave us, so what ever the future holds, we are safe in His hands, through whatever happens. I do not have to know the details. I will leave that up to my awesome God. Diana | ||
| Timmy Registered user Username: Timmy Post Number: 20 Registered: 8-2006 |
O.K. So I guess it would be safe to assume that nobody knows. That in a way answers my question. Leigh, you have to understand that ever since we were babies it was driven into our heads that Christ holy feet would never touch this sinful earth. He would stay in the clouds and take us up in the air to meet him, where he would take us to heaven for a thousand years. Any other representation of Christ would be a false/antichrist or Satan himself. I now have a bone chilling thought that the Jews had a specific idea of Christ first return, and rejected anything that didn't fit that idea, therefor their "knowledge" is what made them miss the best thing that ever happened in earths history. How are SDA's any different. If Christ second coming does include him coming here and making peace on earth, how many SDAs would miss it? I agree with you all, that our faith and trust in him is more important than our knowledge, I just have to learn to let that knowledge go. "Adventism puts more emphasis on Jesus' return than on a relationship with Him." Good point Denise. (Awsome striaght forward and to the point testimony by the way) Colleen, I will have to think about that for a minute. "Happy not to know." Tim | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 122 Registered: 7-2005  |
Martin Luther said, "Even if I knew the world was coming to an end tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree today. Paul said, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Tim 1:12 Paul also said, "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 1:8 No matter when He comes, HE is able to keep us blameless until His coming. Honestwitness | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 640 Registered: 8-2004  |
Oh wow! I love that last verse especially "Who shall also confirm you unto the end . . . " Who confirms us? Who will have us blameless? God Himself! And if God is for us, who can be against us? Thanks for sharing that Martin Luther quote too. God is here for us TODAY. We get to meet Him today. We get to live with Him today. We get to trust in Him today. We get to walk with Him today. And if we're doing all that, why on earth or heaven would we need to be scared about when we meet him tomorrow? Or what we will do at 'the end'? I don't know how everything will end. I do know that sooner or later my own end and the end of this world will come. Maybe they will happen at the same time. Maybe they will not. Maybe God will show me more about one or the other or both. Maybe He will not. I can trust though, that He will show me more about Himself. I can trust that He will stay right beside me now. I can trust that when He does come it will be as one who is already Friend, and Lord, and Savior. I can trust that 'those who are in Christ Jesus will not come into condemnation, but have already passed frome death unto life! It is my prayer that as God continues to work in me, He will use me to reach those who have not yet come to Him. That He will continue the work He's started on this planet. And That He will bring it to completion in His time, and to His glory. Blessings, Mary | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 179 Registered: 6-2006 |
Honestwitness, I loved the verse from 1 Cor you posted! "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 1:8 Now there's a verse I've probably taken for granted all my life. I've known it, and yet after spending time with this group it brings on a whole new, deeper meaning. Thank you Jesus! How on earth do SDA's miss (or ignore) passages like that?? Sorry to get off track a little bit... Leigh Anne | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 123 Registered: 7-2005 |
Leigh Anne, you asked, "How on earth do SDAs miss (or ignore) verses like that?" That's a very good question. I think it's like the concept of camouflage in nature. Some animals have a pattern of coloring that is so similar to their environment that they seem to disappear. In the same way, SDA doctrine is constructed to be so similar to true Biblical doctrine that, even if the truth is right in front of our eyes, we don't realize it. Honestwitness | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 322 Registered: 10-2002  |
Wow. Very interesting analogy, HW. |
