Dispensationalist rapturites believe the "secret" rapture is coming this year, maybe summer or fall. I would be fine with that, but I think it is a little early.
My husband thinks Christ will come within 5 years. We are in process of moving. I think he wants to enjoy his new house for a bit.
I think Christ's second coming may be within 6 months to just a few years. My reasoning is because the prophetic countdown is near the end of Revelation, and it matches with current events.
Those of you waiting for Christ, what do you think about the timing?
I’m busy building the Kingdom of Christ and not worrying about what the dispensationalists think anymore. I gave up the rapture about 10 years ago. I’ve come to understand that the bad guys disappear and the meek inherit the earth.
Look up preterism for an idea of what I might be talking about although I’m not sure I believe in pure preterism either.
I've also been wondering, based upon certain scriptures, for example the bundling of the tares and others, whether at Christ's coming, the enemies will be zapped away and the "left behind" will actually be the Lord's people. But that is not a popular teaching. The pre-trib dispensationalist futurism is the most popular in the US based upon the Scofield Bible, but I think it is heretical, and came from the Jesuits.
The reason I am hoping Christ will return soonish is because things are really getting bad out there. I am much too old to think that things are anywhere approaching "normal."
Full Preterism teaches that everything was fulfilled by 70 AD. Partial Preterism allows for some unfolding of prophesy later. I have been studying Historicism lately, which is what the Reformers believed--that prophesy unfolds over time and history.
I like that you even know the differences between these beliefs. Glad you took time to explain a bit very kind of you.
I take the Bible pretty seriously and I am just not feeling like I am leaving. God made promises which are as good as any prophecy, we may agree they are better than prophets! Those need to happen. I don’t see God’s people leaving. Wheat and tares is a big clue as is Josephus and his history of what happened in 70AD.
The leaving belief made the church weak. We should’ve influenced and occupied our world but we “waited” like since 1844 we waited. Scofield is a poison to the doctrine of the church. Also, we are all Mormon since 1844 bc our denominations are all heavily influenced by the 1844 Great Disappointment.
I hope my paragraphs stay when I hit send.
A lot of cult groups formed in the 19th century. The "Great Disappointment" reminds me of now with the pre-trib rapture frenzy. They already missed the 7/26 "rapture date" and they have a lot more coming. I myself could not sleep that night "just in case." They can make people depressed with a lot of failed dates. So Paul said this:
2 Thessalonians 2
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness [1] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Thank you for the deeper discussion of this topic. I wish the church could come to unity and look forward to a future where this topic is common knowledge.