We Are Living In The End Times

[nailit]

Why are we?
A street preach in my home town today proclaiming the 'End Times'.
JW's on AB preaching the 'End Times'
Evangelicals preaching the 'End Times'

Eh?
Why?
Where does this information come from?
Jesus and St Paul might have thought that they were living in the 'End Times' but the world carried on (for 2000 years)

People during the Great Plague could be forgiven that they were living in the 'End Times'
It must of seemed like it at the time.
People that celebrated the year 2000 could also perhaps be forgiven (Millenium bug etc)
Same with 2012 and the Mayen prophicies etc
World war 1
World war2
were both seen as 'End of the World' prophecies.
Add infunitem....

The world will carry on.
Wars will still abound.
People will still go hungry.
Earthquakes will still happen.
Viruses will still affect us.
And religion will still be irrelevant.

[Spungle]

Personally, Atheist, I'm not worried- but thankyou for your concern.

[Spungle]

As for "more immediate worries", yes, how true.

[nailit]

If I say that tomorrow that the sun will rise.
And someone else says that the sun will NOT rise,
Whose more likely to be correct?

[Spungle]

The balance of probabilities is not science, Nailit. Interestingly, though, if were to say "the sun will rise tomorrow", that would be inarguable- because it already has!

[Atheist]

Spungle: "Atheists trying to "preach" their viewpoint regarding their opinions proves nothing. The arrogance to make statements which are entirely free of evidence such as "the world will carry on" is completely irrelevant, wholly unscientific and a fascinating insight into the "faith" that atheists have that somehow the earth came into being from nothing and will "carry on"."

Thanks for your civil replies following the above; much appreciated. Do you have views on the universe and existence with evidence to back them up?

[Spungle]

You're welcome, Atheist- sometimes it is tempting to head down the mud-slinging route, but civil discourse is a better option- so likewise, thankyou for taking the time to reply. You ask me "Do you have views on the universe and existence"- yes, I have opinions, absolutely. Do I have "evidence to back them up?" My views and opinions are based, like everyone else in the world, on what I have learnt, and am learning. No-one can prove things like "the earth was created" or "the world will not end" without some degree of faith. And of course, I don't have the monopoly when it comes to ideas and opinions, or claim to. Hence the reason I am on Answerbank- not to push my own views and opinions onto others, but to learn and grow my knowledge and understanding- presumably the same as you! And of course, to offer my own opinion, and to challenge others.

[fiveleaves]

It is a fact that Jews have been returning to the land of Israel since the mid 19th century.
It is a fact that they come from nations all over the earth, and are still coming to Israel.
It is a fact that Israel was created in 1948
It is a fact that they captured the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967.

Of course, the Bible could say nothing about any future restoration of Israel, but awkwardly it does by several different authors in several different books.
Whether you think this has any bearing on the "end times" is up to you, I would suggest that it does.

[Theland]

So far we have only mentioned just a few of the puzzle pieces that are forming the bigger picture.
No amount of coincidence could ever account for this.

[naomi24]

There is no coincidence. Had the Jews kept schtum about their long-held ambition to return to the scrap of land we now call Israel instead of constantly reminding the world over the years, what do you think would have happened? I’ll tell you. Precisely nothing. The toast at any important Jewish gathering - and some less important ones too - is, and has been for centuries, ‘Next year in Jerusalem’, and the only reason they are now there is because human politicians decided to put them there. The proponents of prophecy need to get a grip on reality.

[Theland]

Yeah right. That's that then.

[naomi24]

Too difficult, Theland?

[Theland]

This particular history is not too difficult, but I fail to see how you think they managed to regain their land, simply by toasting.
You and I born know there was far more to it than that.
But thank you for posting.

[naomi24]

Try again, Theland.

[Theland]

No Naomi, if I post, it will not be because you have instructed me to, like a schoolteacher telling me to redo my homework.
Please be a bit more respectful.

[Theland]

For those interested, from about 1517 to 1917, Palestine was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, in which Jews bought land from anybody willing to sell, including Arabs.
Jews particularly bought low quality, and therefore low populated land, and transformed it into good productive agricultural land.
This obviously led to the growth of the Jewish immigrant figures, until eventually a critical mass was reached.
Far more than toasting, ''Tomorrow In Jerusalem.''
(A miracle indeed).

[naomi24]

Theland, I simply do not believe you don’t understand what I’m saying. As for being respectful, the moment you’re presented with a rational explanation for anything you launch into a personal attack. Take your own advice.

[Theland]

Of course I understand what you're saying. Not much actually.

[naomi24]

Theland, You clearly don’t understand what I’m saying so I’ll spell it out. As unsavoury as the ‘facts’ may be to you, had the Jews not kept their long-held desire alive and in the public eye, Israel, founded on a decision made by human beings, wouldn’t exist now.

[Theland]

Naomi, yes, their objective to return to the land as an idea, was kept alive through Judaism, which of course was the basis of their culture, and gave them a cohesion that embraced them all regardless of the Diaspora.
And yes, never losing sight of their hearts desire, they used every opportunity to realise their dreams.
And yes, their persistence won over men, men in high places who were able to advance their plans for a homeland.
In all these things you are right.
But you ignore the fact that God uses people as His agency to work put His will, and in the case of the Jews, the improbability of them remaining as a nation without a land, let alone regaining that land, well, the odds against are breathtaking.

[benhilton]

Naomi you seem to be bypassing the decade or so before the State of Israel was declared - a decade in which the jews were subjected to the biggest massacre in their history ( ww 2 was the biggest massacre of all human beings in entire human history ) .
When peace came and the dust settled , the world's political leaders , both east and west , agreed to declare the State of Israel and legally restore to the Jewish people their ancestral homeland .
You try to make it seem as this was an ordinary run of the mill political occurrence .