They Think Jesus Will Return within Forty Years
A Pew report shows that 27% think Jesus will definitely return within forty years, while 20% think he probably will. Hardly better is the 28% who say this probably won’t happen.
But how do they know this? What is their basis for thinking it? Christians have been thinking that Jesus is coming soon for centuries. Prediction after prediction has been shown to be false by the passage of time.
Nonetheless, we don’t mend our ways. We just keep right on making predictions.
Bible scholar and theologian Edward W. H. Vick addresses this problem in his book The Adventist’s Dilemma, distributed by Energion Publications via this EnerPower Press web site. You’ll see the various ways we try to get around the “not knowing the day and hour” statement made by Jesus.
This is a serious and lengthy discussion of the issue, but considering the extent to which people try to know what they cannot know.
If you are a church pastor, give strong consideration to holding a study on this topic. In addition to the book cited above, Dr. Vick has written Eschatology: A Participatory Study Guide, published by Energion Publications. It’s designed for a serious study group to get a grasp of the theory behind the study of eschatology.
I hope I get my book before then. 🙂
Well, Dr. Vick would definitely say that if one suggests that something (such as a book release) is “soon” one should have a definite idea just what “soon” means. “Soon” cannot be indefinitely extended without turning into nonsense. Whether that means you will get your book “soon” or not, I know not!
lol
Soon I will understand
@hneufeld I’m thinking 41 years
Doug Iverson liked this on Facebook.
“Soon” is so relative. I remember at age ten I heard a sermon emphasizing the very “soon” return of Christ. I actually began to look outside for a small dark cloud that would grow bigger and brighter. For me, “soon” had an almost immediate meaning.
@Carroll, did the cloud show up? Dont leave us hanging!!
Carroll – you might be interested to know that Edward Vick replaced Uncle Don as Greek teacher at Canadian Union College and then later taught at the SDA Theological Seminary. He left just a couple of years before I was there.
@Mike – if the cloud had shown up, there would be none of us here at the moment.
I was thinking it was a localized black cloud that only took MAs
We could have used one of those back in the day …
MAs still exist….
Henry, I did not know that about Dr. Vick. Just asked Lowell, and Lowell had him as a teacher at the seminary.
@Mike Pickette – No, but not for my not being viligant in watching. Finally decided (probably during a Canadian winter to quit) – but I did make room for my guardian angel beside me on my school desk – you know those old ones with bench seats and lift tops?
I used to wonder if I would get in trouble because I would get bored and read ahead of the Priest when I held the bible for him. (I had to read it upside down too)
Oh, the tales of childhood – my belief and faith have increased and not dissipated as I’ve matured along the way. I don’t understand why we have to “get around” the Bible’s statement that we can’t predict the time. One doctor I worked for (charismatic nondenominational Christian) was so certain of a particular Jubilee prediction that he wrote to all his patients he might not be available after this date. I had some trouble transcribing the letter and joked with him – he believed in the Rapture – that if he really believed that we shouldn’t be making appointments for him after that. He chuckled and said, “Well, if I’m here I will need patients and will have been wrong.” As you know, he was after all wrong and never did that again.
One last thought, not new to anyone reading, I’m sure. We can understand the times we are living in and even so perhaps know that since God is utterly good and dependable He will fulfill His plans in His time.
The reality of it is that time is an invention of man. So it happens when it happens. Here is one for Hammerin’ Hank: We once has a gunner who very seriously tried to have the Wing put in place a plan on what to do if the pilot and co pilot both left at the same time during the rapture. I think that the unspoken assumption was that the back end is rapture-proof.
There might be a point in that unspoken assumption … 🙂
What amazes me is that so many people really don’t quit believing in each new time prediction. Mike is definitely right that time is our invention …