What was the longest period between one major biblical event and the next in salvation history?

[livingwordunity]

Because, so far, it’s been about 2,000 years since the last big one. So if the longest period has never exceeded 2,000 years wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that Christ’s Second Coming could possibly be near especially looking at how there is a great apostasy from Christianity happening at a scale never before seen with the new atheism, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews who identify by the religion in name and culture alone, and many of the most powerful countries in the world aggressively promoting intrinsic evils such as abortion, moral relativism, and homosexual behavior? Before anyone accuses me of being a chicken little, remember that we profess that we believe Christ will come again in our creed, the Advent we celebrate each year is to remember the birth of Christ but to also anticipate his Second Coming, and the traditional Christian prayer posture is to pray facing East so that we can be facing the direction he will come from if he returns within this generation. But let me make it clear that I’m not saying that I know when Christ’s Second Coming will happen.

 

[Della]

The last one before Christ was the giving of the Law which was about twice as along as the age of the Church, so far. God does not see time as we do. He sees generations and what he wishes to accomplish in each of them. Each age has its own trials and tribulations, but none will have lasted as long as eternity when the last day of our present earth ends.

 

[livingwordunity]

Also, when it says in the Bible that when Jesus comes it will be like a thief in the night it’s about how Jesus’ Second Coming will be a great shock to those who did not believe and who were not watching for the signs. The believers who are keeping watch won’t know the day or hour, but we won’t be totally surprised when it happens either. “When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4

 

[Della]

Also, when it says in the Bible that when Jesus comes it will be like a thief in the night it’s about how Jesus’ Second Coming will be a great shock to those who did not believe and who were not watching for the signs. The believers who are keeping watch won’t know the day or hour, but we won’t be totally surprised when it happens either. “When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4

Yes, it puts me in mind of those who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah at the time Jesus was born. Those who were waiting in prayer for him welcomed him with joy but those who felt threatened by his coming rejected him. The difference will be, of course, that this time the rejection will be final as will the judgment.

 

[livingwordunity]

The last one before Christ was the giving of the Law which was about twice as along as the age of the Church, so far.

According to the online Catholic encyclopedia, Moses “lived in thethirteenth and early part of the twelfth century, B. C.” which, if correct, would mean there was less than 2,000 years between the giving of the law and Christ’s birth.

Sources:
New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (on Catholic Answers website)

 

[livingwordunity]

The last one before Christ was the giving of the Law which was about twice as along as the age of the Church, so far.

I wonder if you meant to say that the period between the giving of the Law and Christ’s birth was about half as long as the age of the Church.

 

[Della]

I wonder if you meant to say that the period between the giving of the Law and Christ’s birth was about half as long as the age of the Church.

Just got the math wrong. I’m terrible at math.

 

[Least]

Why are we due?

Careful, the next one’s not supposed to be very pleasant.

GOD is timeless, but he has judiciously spread-out his contact with us over the ages and we are blessed.

I think that is further proof of-GOD. Everyone, at some level, believes it’s “all-about-them.” Only GOD could make EVERYONE believe it’s all-about-them.

 

[livingwordunity]

Just got the math wrong. I’m terrible at math.

I figured that from the context of what you said. I’m terrible at math, too.

 

[TimothyH]

The length of time between past Biblical events is not relevant to when Christ will return.

The Bible itself - revealed truth from God - says that Jesus is coming soon.

***He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! *(Revelation 22:20)

That is how we all should live, as if Christ just sent us a text to let us know that he just turned into our subdivision and will be at our driveway in about sixty seconds. Then we can all “Go out to meet him”.

Soon is relative. To the one who created time itself, soon may be ten million years. For us, soon means this afternoon.

One thing is sure… Christ will return at the end of time and then time will cease to exist.

-Tim-

 

[McCall1981]

Interesting thread topic.

While it’s true that God is Himself is timeless (so time is in some sense irrelevant), it’s also true that we have a real world, historical record of God’s major interventions into history. So we could look for at least a general time frame in which God has so far worked in the world.

As for your question, I think it depends on what you mean by a “major” biblical event, as in, what counts as “major”? If you’re only counting, say, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, then it’s been 2,000 years, but I think one could argue that there have been plenty of major events since Christ. Obviously none of these events since Christ would be “Biblical” strictly speaking, since they wouldn’t be in the Bible.

 

[fnr]

I think there’s still work ahead of us, and that speculation about when is fruitless.

There are two verses pertaining to eschatology and our mission as the church which suggest that our role is not yet fulfilled.

Romans 8:
*"18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. 19 ** ** 22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; 23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will."*

1 Corinthians 15:
*“58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” *

Don’t let despair take hold. Trust in our Lord. There is no King but Christ. This is his kingdom, and let’s just offer ourselves up to him and the Holy Spirit will guide our path.

 

[Joe_5859]

As TimothyH said, the timing of biblical events is not really relevant. It’s not as though we can look to those events as a way to calculate when the Second Coming is likely to occur. You seem to know this already.

There are a few problems with this approach. As you already noted, no one knows the day or the hour. So most all of what we say with regards to a timeframe is going to be firmly in the realm of complete speculation.

Second, how would you define “major biblical event”? Are we talking only about a major covenant God makes with the key biblical figures like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David? Are we talking about anything covered in Scripture at all?

Third, as public revelation has ended, we are only ever going to be increasing the gap between the present time and biblical events. And we are only going to be getting closer and closer to the Second Coming.

But why should that be significant? God is still at work in the world through the Church. There is no “gap” between moments of His Presence. He is always present. He sent us His Holy Spirit to fill us and guide the Church into all truth. He gave us the Eucharist to have with us always.

 

[livingwordunity]

But why should that be significant? God is still at work in the world through the Church. There is no “gap” between moments of His Presence. He is always present. He sent us His Holy Spirit to fill us and guide the Church into all truth. He gave us the Eucharist to have with us always.

That’s true. But it’s also true that Jesus will come again in a big and dramatic way that the whole world will see. We profess our belief in this every time we say the creed at Mass. My point included the unprecedented global trends as well as the observation of the passage of time as reasons to believe that Jesus’ Second Coming could be on the horizon. Although God is timeless, but he also entered into our history. And he also knows that we mortals use time as our point of reference. Judging from the past, God didn’t make his people wait for billions of years between one event and the next. I think it’s because he is aware that our attention span is shorter than his. We now have something called “the new atheism” which is spreading throughout the West and could spread to most of the rest of the world. Even within Christianity most now are Christian in name alone, and most of these are fully in support of evils such as abortion and homosexual relations despite knowing that it contradicts God’s will. Jesus asked, “…when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)

 

[Joe_5859]

That’s true. But it’s also true that Jesus will come again in a big and dramatic way that the whole world will see. We profess our belief in this every time we say the creed at Mass. My point included the unprecedented global trends as well as the observation of the passage of time as reasons to believe that Jesus’ Second Coming could be on the horizon. Although God is timeless, but he also entered into our history. And he also knows that we mortals use time as our point of reference. Judging from the past, God didn’t make his people wait for billions of years between one event and the next. I think it’s because he is aware that our attention span is shorter than his.

Sure. It seems unlikely to me that human history would go another billion years. But the Church is our companion through history to make sure we don’t lose sight of Christ.

What concerns me with the question is that an outsider might construe it as an implicit admission that God doesn’t really do anything noticeable in our lives anymore. As though the miraculous is the type of thing that only happened a long time ago in a land far away filled with lots of sand. I don’t think that perspective adequately factors in Church history and the lives of the saints.

I guess I’m just skeptical about my capacity to interpret the signs of the times. The more I look at history, the more it seems like we are not in a unique position of seeing current global trends as indicative of imminent catastrophe. I think that’s the story of the last 2000 years and will be the story for the rest of time.

 

[Della]

That’s true. But it’s also true that Jesus will come again in a big and dramatic way that the whole world will see. We profess our belief in this every time we say the creed at Mass. My point included the unprecedented global trends as well as the observation of the passage of time as reasons to believe that Jesus’ Second Coming could be on the horizon. Although God is timeless, but he also entered into our history. And he also knows that we mortals use time as our point of reference. Judging from the past, God didn’t make his people wait for billions of years between one event and the next. I think it’s because he is aware that our attention span is shorter than his.

I believe this as well. When I see the world becoming more and more secularized and every type of faith tradition being sneered at, I recall Jesus’s words as he was carrying his cross: “If they do these things in the case of the greed wood, what will they do in the case of the dry?”

The enemy of mankind wants us to lose faith in God and he seems to be largely succeeding. There are large areas that are holding out, but these are rapidly disappearing. Who would have believed just one generation ago that Ireland would make abortion procedures mandatory, for instance? One of Europe’s most stanchly Catholic countries has become largely faithless.

I believe this is the trial of our times, and it may well be the final trial for all we know. It could turn around, but this is different from fighting communism or Nazis as our parents and grandparents did. This is full blown modernism come home to roost. And we are seeing its fruits in the loss of faith and purpose we see in so many.

 

[livingwordunity]

Who would have believed just one generation ago that Ireland would make abortion procedures mandatory, for instance? One of Europe’s most stanchly Catholic countries has become largely faithless.

And only 50-100 years ago who would have believed that the U.S.A. and other Western countries would accept most of the principles of Marxist Communism and be arguing for so-called “same-sex marriage” while Russia is passing laws in defense of the traditional family?

“Refusing to human life any sacred or spiritual character, such a doctrine logically makes of marriage and the family a purely artificial and civil institution, the outcome of a specific economic system. There exists no matrimonial bond of a juridico-moral nature that is not subject to the whim of the individual or of the collectivity. Naturally, therefore, the notion of an indissoluble marriage-tie is scouted. Communism is particularly characterized by the rejection of any link that binds woman to the family and the home, and her emancipation is proclaimed as a basic principle. She is withdrawn from the family and the care of her children, to be thrust instead into public life and collective production under the same conditions as man. The care of home and children then devolves upon the collectivity. Finally, the right of education is denied to parents, for it is conceived as the exclusive prerogative of the community, in whose name and by whose mandate alone parents may exercise this right.” - Divini Redemptoris, Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on Atheistic Communism
**
20th Century Global Unprecedented**
World War I, World War II, the nuclear bomb and Cold War fears, the scourge of international terrorism, rise of atheistic Communism, the so-called “sexual revolution” (normalization of fornication, adultery, divorce, kids born out of wedlock, porn industry, and abortion)

21st Century Global Unprecedented
So-called “same-sex marriage”