Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus will come back to the earth towards the end of time. I’m curious to learn some of the fundamental Christian beliefs about the details of this second coming. Are there any specific signs that you expect pass before this happens? if yes then what are they? And are there different interpretations of these events among the different denominations within Christianity?
- The first comment is that nobody knows the day or the hour, except the Father. Even Christ himself didn’t know.
Matthew 24:36 - “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Matthew 24:40 “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with the hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
- The interlude includes a temporary hardening of the hearts of Israel, who did not recognise Him. There will come a time when they will realise just who Christ is. Since it is obvious that Jews today do not recognise Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the time has not yet come.
- Before Christ returns, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. (CCC 675). This will include the deception of the anti-Christ, whom I believe will come from ***within ***the Christian tradition.
Amongst the signs I would expect to see would be a world administered by 10 administrators (10 “kings”) and where no one can buy or sell without a certain mark. Since the possibility of a single world empire is now possible for the first time in history, and since we could do away with cash via compulsory electronic banking, then I suspect we’re moving towards just such a scenario.
A single world empire would best be enforced by a nuclear power that was itself impervious to nuclear attack, and could therefore dictate to the rest of the world what it wants.
- Finally, when Christ does return, God is going to wrap the whole show up. The universe is sum-zero energy anyway (see attached link), and will therefore simply vanish.
astrosociety.org/pubs/mercury/31_02/nothing.html
2 Peter 3:8-13 "But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home."
In other words, no man knows the day or the hour. There will be a period of intense persecution of the church, with an imperial anti-Christ in charge.
When Christ does come, that’s the end of the universe, as God will wrap up this creation completely, and consign the sum-zero energy universe back to it’s ex-Nihilo beginning.
Personally I think it’s still a bit off yet, although I think the anti-Christ may be around today. I suspect God is going to drive us off the planet first. We’re already mucking around with space travel, robotics, quantum teleportation, artificial intelligence, space medicine, and these things are all necessary precursors for space travel. Therefore I think that’s a part of His plan.
If He’s allowing us to develop these things, then obviously He has a reason.
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