GenesisNemesis

Hi, I've had a question that's been on my mind for some time. I'm a naturalist evil nazi communistic marxist Atheist, and I was wondering something. Why didn't Jesus tell us exactly when He was going to come? What did He have to lose? To the moderators: would this be better in General Religious Discussions?

aa5874

A character called Jesus did say when He was going to come. I cannot determine if that character is actually a deceiver or not.

This is what this dubious character says in Matthew 16;28, 'Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.'

Toto

Yes, this would be better in GRD.

Tigers!

That's an interesting parentage. Do you ever get confused and forget who you are?
Matt 24:36,37
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Draconis

All this coming and going from Jesus, you'd think if he had such an important job he'd simply stay here and sort it out.

angela2

Are you suggesting that we are entitled to know?

post tenebras lux

Hi Tigers!, I noticed that you didn't answer GenesisNemesis's questions and I wondered if you'd noticed that too?

We both know that Jesus is held to have said your quoted verse, but why? Why didn't Jesus say exactly when he would return and what did he have to lose (if he had said exactly when he would return)? Was his vagueness because he was pulling a 'fast one' on his then listeners when he said "24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled"? :huh:

post tenebras lux

But why shouldn't we know?

What did Jesus gain by being vague, was he being deceptive to his audience? :huh:

seebs

I think the full preterists have the best answer, which is to argue that the comments about the Kingdom being within us are serious, and that waiting for the "second coming" is like waiting for the Messiah. It's here, get on with it.

I am not sure they are correct. I do think that the belief that a particular answer is definite has been demonstrably harmful, and that any kind of definite answer seems to screw people up. We think too much in terms of deadlines.

angela2

I think of the Second Coming as consistent with Christian understanding of time as linear. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of time.

Jesus did say the Kingdom is among us, but he also said he would return. In order to accomodate both, I think of the kingdom as already and not yet. Jesus is present among us, but he has not yet come to roll up the heavens, as the psalmist writes.

I don't see anything particularly harmful in that. I think there are benefits in remembering that we ought not to sleep while waiting for Jesus's return. First of all because we must work while there is still light. Secondly, because having in the back of our minds the thought that Jesus's coming could be imminent helps us keep the things of the world in perspective.