Posted on 03/11/2006 12:30:17 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
Following is the result of the survey of what Freepers believe is the end of all that there is:
Teleology is the study of final causes, the end results.
1 Philosophy - the doctrine that the existence of phenomena may be explained with reference to the purpose they serve. 2 Theology - the doctrine that there is evidence of design and purpose in the natural world.
Christianity (paraphrased from this webpage)
Supernatural L,TOWM Cap Huff Old_Mil Blue-duncan Pigrigger - Christ will return when his Church is about to be extinguished from this plane of existence... [“Church” consists of ] those who believe in his teachings as they were intended... there will be those who call themselves Christians during the end of times...but they will practice something much different than what is found in scripture. You can see that starting to happen today; the many Christian denominations are morphing into secular humanism...... I don't see anyone escaping the tribulation. The horrors that will coincide with the rise of false prophets, and eventually the anti-Christ, will be experienced by all. Christians (not those evolving into the new church) will be persecuted and ostracized...it will be bleak. The anti-Christ will be loved and adored by the majority of those in this world, he will claim to be the head of the newly evolved Christian church, he will claim to be the Christ the Messiah.... Most will not recognize what is happening until it is too late. But the signs will be there; especially the natural horrors and numerous wars that will occur....ultimately leading to the anti-Christ's reign of false peace. Christ will return, but only when the last of His faithful are about to be sacrificed; only when Satan believes he is about to win the final battle - the capturing of all humanity.
Dispensational Premillennialism: (a.k.a. Dispensationalism) The Tribulation precedes the second coming of Christ, and the subsequent establishment of the millennial kingdom -- a thousand-year golden age on Earth under the authority of Christ. Afterwards, in a brief, final battle, Satan is permanently conquered. The Final Judgment follows the millennium.
Anonymous Contributor Pietro - When the bill comes due there will be heavy retribution all around. But for God's mercy not one would survive… our understanding of history will be wiped clean and a new age, in the beginning a Golden Age will follow. And then entropy again sets in. colorcountry - Most people will not realize what is taking place, that the world is in it's death throes. Just like when Christ came, few realized the promised Messiah had arrived. There really isn't a lot of difference, but I don't think I believe in a "rapture." I think even we Christians will suffer until Satan is defeated in the final battle - then Christ and his followers will return to a glorified earth.
Brad's Gramma (ex pre-trib) birbear (ex pre-trib) Anonymous contributor pcottraux xzins carlr Esther Ruth Lonestar XeniaSt Seven_0 Cate Swmobuffalo Old_Mil DrewsDad nuclady Walkenfree - Comforting to know anyone that calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved. KYGrandma - I will be skipping all the trials and tribulations. HKMk23 (leans toward but could also be mid or post) RaceBannon - literal 7 year reign of the anti-Christ, literal 1000 year reign of Christ WalterSkinner - most defensible if one accepts Plenary Inspiration of the Bible and a Historical/Grammatical (literal) mode of interpretation) Ready2go - Jesus comes first for His church & then comes back with His Church … while our bodies will die...we..."who we are" won't die. We just go from here to there. (Wherever we choose to spend eternity). Cvengr - Pre-trib, pre-mil ... Just waiting that Great DISPE TD (DYNAMIN Power; ISCHYN Strength; SOPHIAN Wisdom; PLOYTON Riches/Abundance; EULOGIAN Blessing; TIMEN Honor, Value, Praise; DOXAN Honor, Glory, Spendor, Praise)
Quix (60%) - 60% believe in Pre-trib. 100% believe in Pre-wrath in the sense that The Scripture is clear about God's kids "not appointed unto wrath." … the church will see more of at least the birth pangs and possibly parts of Tribulation than many suspect. But I don't know that I believe that most or all of the church will see most of Tribulation. I suspect I believe 70-80% that those who Believe before Tribulation will go up then and others along the way but before the WRATH-FULL last 3.5 years. But I don't really think any of us have it all figured out yet.
Mid-Tribulation Rapture: (or "mid-trib") The Rapture happens 42 months into the Tribulation. Up to that time, the Antichrist brings peace to the world. After 42 months, events take a sudden turn for the worse.
DrewsDad Brad's Gramma - I don't see HOW or WHY we're so special during this generation to be spared suffering for Christ.
Pre-wrath Rapture: That the church must experience most of the Tribulation, and then be raptured towards the end of the Tribulation period.
restornu Quix Shery Cap Huff - Historic premil with leanings to prewrath American in Israel - I figure we are in the last stages of the second seal and are about to pop on the third. (Rev 6)) Bear_Slayer - The tribulation belongs to the world and is not suffering to produce faith in Christ's, but wrath, against the world who are completely antagonistic to Christ and His own. The church is not destined for wrath highlander_UW - The prewrath view believes the church will go through the Great Tribulation and will be raptured between the end of that event but before the beginning of God's wrath. Jesus taught that the Great Tribulation begins after the middle of the 70th week, so the rapture would occur at some point in the second half of the 70th week. OB1kNOb - Label me as a "7th trumpeter" as in 1 Corinthians 15: 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. TribulationPeriod.com One thing I was told 25 years ago by a great preacher, is do not treat prophecy the same as you do dogma or doctrine. No one can be absolutely accurate in interpreting prophecy of future events, unless, like GOD, they can see the future. Wise words.
Partial Rapture: The faithful born-again believers are raptured just before the Tribulation. Newly born again believers are raptured during or at the end of the Tribulation.
Blue-duncan - I lean more to Ladd's Kingdom Theology ( Historic Premillennialism) than strict Dispensationalism.
PAR35 Gamecock Vimto Xzins Fromscratchmom - re "majority", don't know how many people will be saved and how many will be lost. I guess some biblical passages do point to "few" being saved.
Amillennialism, Roman Catholic: These anticipate Jesus coming to Earth and gathering the Church together. But they generally do not use the term "rapture."
MrBlueSky2005 onyx cyborg Bayourant (with some preterism) Rodney King Rutles4ever SoothingDave - From one of my daughter's favorite movies, "The Last Unicorn." Take it away, Schmendrick, the magician: There are no happy endings, because nothing ends. agere_contra (there will be no more time and space - but we will be in the presence of He who created time and space. The walls separating us from true, uncreated Reality will tumble down.) StAnDeliver -
TomSmedley (with partial preterism)
Fred Nerks - Revelation is history not prophesy Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek (partial with post-mil - Details about "The End" are not the most important issue) TomSmedley (partial with post-mil - the resurrection of the body is still part of the creed, the faith which we must keep "wholly and entire.") Tokra - The biblical prophecies already took place when Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans in 63 AD. I think the universe and human life will go on and on until we have filled the universe. (assuming we don't destroy ourselves first). Other than that - Jesus said, 'No man knows the day or the hour."
No Millennialism: These interpret the contents of the books of Daniel and Revelation as having no prophetic information for our future.
Other
Knitting a Conundrum - I believe that no matter what we say, argue, believe or do, God will do what he wants to do, in his way, and in his time. Our job is to be watchful servants, always ready for his coming. Ptaz - I always subscribed to the type and shadow shown when God took his people out of Egypt. He didn't take them out--he took them through the red sea, so I don't really believe in a rapture, pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib. I believe whatever it is, God will see you through. Dunstan McShane - I like to quote the opinion of a pastor of my acquaintance who, when he was asked about his eschatology, replied, "Pan-millenial--I think it'll all pan out. Otherwise, I don't spend too much time worrying about it." Actually, I like to be surprised, and can virtually guarantee that, whatever eschatological system one subscribes to, one will be surprised. These attempts to out-clever Omniscience and break into His secret game plan . . . well, let's be diplomatic and say that they are amusing. Tuscaloosa Goldfinch - I saw that we must "endure to the end" to be saved, so ... I don't know what I believe about the end. I believe all the scriptures, but as the Hebrews in the days of Jesus were expecting an earthly king, and therefore did not recognize the King of Kings, I think it may all look very different from the ideas we have. And I don't think the term "rapture" is in the NT, although it does say we will be "caught up". I think a great deal of what we are expecting may take place on two levels, spiritual and in the flesh. connectthedots - Until I attend seminary, I will continue to hold the panmillennialism position. It will all pan out in the end. Truthfully, I have never had much of an interest in Eschatology. As a practical matter, what difference does it make in the way we should live our lives in the present? If one has a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, he will spend eternity in heaven. The rest is details hope - Christ will withdraw His Church (Those who have accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus) prior to the judgment that will come upon the earth which will end the age of grace. After a period of judgment Christ will return with His bride, the church and set up His Kingdom as promised to David that his seed will rule forever and ever, sun up to sun down. After a thousand year reign Satan is released for a final judgment on the earth and then Satan and his minions are cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. Those who have accepted the promise of Gods covenant with His Son, will remain with Him forever and ever with the establishment of a new heaven and earth... Dark Skies - That old world ended the day this one began. Once a person embraces Yeshua, all things pass away. We may see the old world around us...but it is gone. We open our eyes, and all things are new...and we have died and been reborn...into Him. Upon coming to Jesus, we are coming to Heaven. Just knowing Him is Heaven. Rebirth by the HS negates purgatory. His indwelling brings any existence into the Heavenly realm. Of this I have proof...I am proof! and so are you! hosepipe - So the end of all there is is subjective.. All of what, where, to whom, when, and how.. I believe the answer lies in your vantage point, your view, your composition of all there is like a painting.. A view from an angle with a light source casting shadows.. An intellectual painting.. With me I like to see the "view" from different angles with different light sources.. Heck its only a painting.. And the composition can be beautiful from several angles.. And since it’s an intellectual pursuit why not?.. I prefer to see the end as a promised new beginning and try to conduct my life here in the moment as if in the Nexus.. Because each day, hour, minute, second is an ending and a beginning.. I believe that if I can handle the moments well, the end and the pregnant beginning will take care of themselves.. Jesus said that I believe.. Too simple?.. Yeah maybe, but I do love simple.. After all I'm a Nexusologist.. Its simpler in the Nexus.. null and void - Did you notice that every one of the first seven days in Genesis ends with: "And the evening and the morning were the [nth] day." Every one that is, except the Seventh? This is still the Seventh day.
JackOManning - My pastor back in the 80s used the phrase, "Pan-Millenialism: It will all pan out in the end", with regards to whether the Rapture occurs before, halfway through, or after the 7-year Tribulation. Something about my personality or psyche is such that I have never felt a compunction to definitively come up with just exactly how I stand on my expectations for the return of Jesus Christ and the Rapture of the Church. I do know, having lost to death one particular family member who was very dear to me and who I still miss everyday, that I cherish - I Thessalonians Chapter 4 - I think whether Jesus returns this week, this month, this year, this decade, this century, or not for another 500 years, my job is to "know His voice" and to obey the Bible. And whether I have already come to the end of my lifetime when He finally returns or whether it happens during my life, the important thing is that I have trusted Him to forgive my sins, obeyed Him, and followed after Him. Loving Him and loving my fellow man each day is the focus of my life. With His help I will continue in this way till I draw my final breath. His coming is as certain as the dawn. He is the KING of kings and LORD of lords and His kingdom will not end. Without faith it is impossible to please God. gregwest - The Mormon expectation: The "world" that ends is the current age dominated by vice, greed, lust, and power. Jesus Christ will personally return and the brightness of his coming burns the earth and destroys the wicked. The physical earth will be burned, but it will not be destroyed in the process. The burning will rid the earth of the works of corruption and evil. Christ will reign over the earth for a period of a thousand years. Those who have been faithful and obedient to God's commandments (regardless of their religious affiliation) will remain. His coming ushers in a series of resurrections of the dead. Mortals will be born, raised, and live on earth, but they will not taste of death. They will be transformed at the time of death from mortality to immortality. During this period the earth will be renewed to an Eden-like state. During this millennial period, Satan will be bound and will exercise no influence over humanity. However, at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, leading to his final battle against God and the righteous. At the end of this conflict, the physical earth will "pass away" and be "reborn" as an eternal kingdom of glory, which "the meek" will inherit. All of humanity will be resurrected and judged according to their works and they will live eternally in "many mansions" of varying degrees of glory. raygun - classical fundamental pre-mill trib pre-trib rapture dispenstational eschatology. After Christ's second second-coming there's a precise 75 day period of judgment against all people and nations present on the earth at the time (roughly about 1/5 of what are present now). Only those judged righteous by Christ are allowed to enter the Millennial Kingdom (the rest go straight to Hell). The righteous who enter the Millennial Kingdom are normal humans in every sense (even procreating), however there will be no open rebellion against Christ (even so based on the sin nature of their unglorified bodies there will be sin in people's hearts). However, the Old Testament saints, and those Raptured at the first second-coming, will have glorified bodies and will not procreate (nor will there be any sin in their hearts). Just to be clear: the first second-coming of Christ is at the Rapture of the Church; the living and dead saints, i.e., those living at the time who are in the Church meeting Him in the clouds with glorified bodies (and the dead saints - who were in the Church while they lived - and are already present with Christ in the clouds will be united with their glorified bodies). It is at the second second-coming of Christ that the Old Testament saints, and the martyrs during the Tribulation are united with their glorified bodies. This is known as the first resurrection. Some of the saints present will be wearing crowns already bestowed during the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ prior to the Marriage of the Lamb (there are 5 crowns that will be awarded). None of those present at the Bema seat will lose salvation, but they may lose some (or all) reward. All the Tribulation martyrs will be awarded Martyr's Crowns (and perhaps others too). While the Tribulation is occurring on Earth, the Bema Seat, and the Marriage of the Lamb occurs simultaneously in the heavens. This occurs not in Heaven but some other spiritual plane (the clouds). The witnesses to the Marriage will be the Old Testament saints in their spiritual bodies. Then the Bride (The Church) is brought back to the Earth by Christ, and the Bride is presented to Christ's friends. Who are Christ's friends? Those judged righteous at the end of the Tribulation and the Tribulation martyrs. The entire period from Rapture to Millennial Kingdom is known as The Second Coming. The entire Tribulation period beginning with the signing of the covenant by the Beast and ending with Armageddon is known as The Tribulation. The last 3 1/2 years is known as The Great Tribulation (as stated by Christ), or as the Time of Jacob's Troubles (as foretold by Daniel). It is at the loosing of that great lizard (Beelzebub) from the pit, that outright rebellion against Christ occurs at the end of His millennial reign. All those who yield to the lizard are zotted. The number of people alive at the end of the Millennial Kingdom are as the grains of sands on a beach. It is at this point that the second resurrection occurs. This is where all those that are in Hell are united with some sort of body (what kind of body? I don't know, but its not glorified). Suffice it to say that this body will be sufficiently equipped to endure eternal torment in The Lake of Fire. This is known as the second resurrection. These people will be joining the Beast (the Anti-Christ) and the False Prophet who are already in the Lake of Fire. At some point the most heinous of the angels who rebelled against The Lord prior to The Fall of Man (if they're not there already) will greet them. The Lake of Fire was not created for Man (it was created for the fallen angels). I pity the person who is headed for the Lake of Fire. Hell is nothing compared to that place. The other thing one has to keep in mind: even so it is a Lake of Fire, the environment is one of total, absolute and utter pitch black and infinite separation from God (and anything about Him). I shudder to think about it. Nevertheless, the Book of Life will be opened, and each individual will be judged by their works, will be found lacking and wanting, and cast into the Lake of Fire. It is after this that This is known as The Day of the Lord. The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with a great heat and the works therein will be burned up (the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the very elements themselves with fervent heat). At this point a new heaven, Earth and Jerusalem will be created. This will be the beginning of paradise in Eternity. Eternity is kind of hard to understand. Here's a good way to grasp eternity: imagine a string tied from the Earth to the Moon. Imagine an ant crawling along that string (back and forth as long as necessary), carrying one granula of the Earth on its back each trip and depositing said granula onto the moon. Finally it goes back and raveals up the string. When its done with that chore: precisely one second of eternity has elapsed. One should be absolutely certain where they're going. And if they don't know, they better start looking into it. Anybody who has other ideas, or doesn't have any idea, has either not seriously looked into it, or they don't want to. In any event, they're going to end up paying (and for a long time too). And the biggest kicker of the whole deal? For all eternity they're going to hate themselves for being so stupid.
Islam - On a day of reckoning, God will resurrect and judge the dead, send the righteous to heaven and the evil to hell. This will be preceded by a Muhammed-like holy warrior, the Mahdi (twelfth imam) - who defends Islam from the antiChrist, beasts, etc. Buddhism - Buddha's teachings will disappear and all will fall into ruin to be replaced by Maitreya and his teachings. Baha’i Redpoll - I find myself in agreement with the Baha'is. The Baha'i faith, in my limited understanding, would say that the Messiah of all the religions has already come and gone in the person of Baha'ullah. Most of us have been too self-absorbed or blind to notice. The tribulations mentioned in the Bible, surrounding the Twelfth Imam, and other apoloyptic beliefs describe the last century and how it will be considered by future generations. God continues to send us messages and prophets appropriate for our era and spiritual maturity (which appears to mean that someday the Baha'is will also be supplanted by another revelation). What I find most interesting is that adoption of the Baha'i faith by the world's Moslems - both religions have superficial similarities, especially in the form of worship (not in the application, though) - would seem to allow Moslems a way to find a Reformation-like entry into the modern world. Certainly a Middle East filled with Baha'is would be far different world. I guess that means the world never ends; we keep learning.
Hinduism All will fall into ruin followed by the appearance of an avatar (Kalki Avatar)
little jeremiah - Well, according to the Puranas, we have exactly 427,000 more years to go before Kalki arrives, kills all the miscreants, and sets things to rights. Then a couple of hundred years of setting things to rights, and another Satya Yuga, which lasts, IIRC, 1,800,000 years. In which the earth is like a Garden of Eden and all is well. And so it goes, for a long time, until Brahma's night, when everything is destroyed. Then in his morning, all is created again, and goes through the yuga cyles. Cycles within cycles, destruction followed by creation followed by destruction etc. But beyond all this cyclic creation and destruction is the eternal Paravyoma, the eternal Kingdom of God. This material creation is just a shadow or cloud in the eternal sky. And yes, I take it as absolutely true.
Cacique - It never ends, it simply starts all over again and we make the same mistakes again. Durus - Suffice it to say that I don't believe in an "end" of the universe, or of time. Netheron - I'm more of a wait and see what happens guy. tet68 - Ask not for whom everything ends, it ends for everything, or something like that. Personally I'm going to meditate on compassion and hope for the best. djf - I have personally pretty much abandoned any ideas of a theological basis for continuance. A God who demands we worship him, then simply gives no emperical evidence of his existence or an afterlife, is not particularly charitable, IMHO. brazzaville - I would sort of subscribe to one of the atheistic scenarios, but my belief is that infinity is, well infinite, and the only collapse is, or may be, local. The universe is infinitely large and there are infinite numbers of possibility for how things will unfold. Hopefully in our reality we will have left the planet before the sun does it's thing. dljordan - Mankind will be virtually destroyed in a holocaust. Survivors will crawl from the ashes. A group of guys will get together, invent a religion and form a hereditary preisthood and put everyone else to work for them. It starts all over from there. Billthedrill - My own personal belief is that before death or after it I shall be regarding the whole thing with an open mouth and the wonder of a child. My elders and betters will make of it what they will and if I have a tiny humble part in it all it is more than I could ever hope to deserve... I'll see you there, I think, and together we will gape at it as children do at wonders beyond their imagination. That may be what we're made for. It isn't anything to be ashamed of. 'Night! Focault’s Pendulum - I honestly don't know about the spirit or the soul. I would like to believe in it. There are times when I truly think that the end of our lives is simply the end of our existence. There are other times, when I backpack, and live in the forest, that there is a resuscitation of our beings. I hit the half century mark last year. What should it be that I desperately hold onto. Thirty years ago....I had all the answers..now I have more questions. OntheDress - Tralfamadore is the home planet of aliens in novels by the Kurt Vonnegut. The planet's name is an anagram of "or fatal dream," a recurring concept in Vonnegut's novels. In Slaughterhouse-Five, they are beings who exist in all times simultaneously, and had knowledge of future events, including the destruction of the universe at the hands of a Tralfamadorian test pilot (oops). They kidnap Billy Pilgrim, the hero of the novel, and placed him in a zoo on Tralfamadore with Montana Wildhack, a porn actress. fr_freak - I vote fire.
Out of the night that covers me, In the fell clutch of circumstance Beyond this place of wrath and tears It matters not how strait the gate, -- William Ernest Henley
I Am Not Dead
Farlander - I'd like to propose that any of the "Atheism" options is not necessarily an "Atheist" point of view. It is quite common/rational to believe that God created the universe in which we live through the physical process some refer to as Big Bang (let there be light), and that either of the options under that category necessitates the end of the universe/life, one way or the other, returning to God in the spiritual realm. It is a quite valid spiritual option to believe in God, as the prime cause of creation of universe, but also believe in the scientific understanding of the universe. Whichever physical theory one supports in that category doesn't necessarily comprise a "faith/belief", because each of those theories has a physics model based on our limited understanding. So it is not necessarily even valid to offer them as faith-based choices - from the scientfic perspective they're only theories. Scientific theories and conjectures and faith is an apples and oranges kind of thing. One cannot just "believe" in a scientific theory. It's not science if you have to believe in it. Personally of those scientific options I like the cycle the best, it does seem to correspond to everything else in this universe - everything is a cycle. But to me it seems belief in god is separate from that.
Will Zurmacht AntiGuv - It never ends. There will always be something. The universe that we know is not a closed system. That there is a grander 'multiverse' beyond it, within which our universe is situated. Since I regard this grander reality as ultimately "all that there is" I see no reason to presume that a time will come when none of it is any longer. Bang or Whimper Lurker
Toby06 - The party is over when we run out of beer. HairoftheDog - It'll end when Jack dies. bmwcycle - Someday God will change the channel. NicknamedBob - Obviously, it's all going to end as soon as I stop waking up. Y'all better be nice to me. Domestic Church - "reaches maximum entropy" Some call that the state of Pennsylvania. Will Zurmacht - Endless Expansion - this not only works on the cosmic level, but also explains my waistline WestVirginiaRebel - Personally I like to think those who have earned it will spend eternity in Aslan's Country. steve-b - DUmmieism: The Antichrist Bush as his evil minions Cheney and Rove will destroy the world for their own gain. beyond the sea - It will end when Seattle Seahawk fans stop crying. It will end when Barbra Streisand learns how to spell. One or the other. Tokra - 1) When the great turtle, on whose back the universe is riding, shrugs us off. 2) When the serpent biting its tail at the center of the earth bursts out. Willie Green - As you may well know, MY personal belief it that societal entropy will cause the New World Order to collapse into a black hole... #1CTYankee - The end will occur when the Redsox win back-to-back world series. So as any Boston fan knows it will never end! The Toll - It will all end just fine if you just walk away. Just walk away, all I want is the gazoline and you can walk away. Cate - I really am not in the mood to battle plagues and pestilience tonight. So if GOD is reading this thread, zap me up first... And I don't want the zap to hurt at all :) (how much more selfish can I be?) Willie Green - This poll is biased...It doesn't include a choice for riding on a spaceship that's hiding behind the comet Hale-Bopp. AD from SpringBay - This will be the beginning of the end: All the fat American children will deplete this nation of food and will wonder off into the oceans that have risen because of global warming. The remaining elderly will catch the bird flu. Petronski - Big Trinidadian Crunch: The universe expands by strictly naturalistic means and then collapses when the mother of the bride destroys the universe because the caterer has badly buggered the wedding by serving nothing but garlic bread and home fries. GLSlob - crucially depends on personal financial habits. Those who live thriftily, avoid debt, max out on their 401k's [and start doing it early], pick matching contributions and do not forget funding Roths - for them it is going to end pretty well. OTOH, for those on the opposite side of the spectrum it is going to end deservedly badly. Jedem das Seine - to each one's own.
will beat like the wheels of a fast train
going 'round the world
Some say we'll be together
Some say for a very long time
Some of them will say a very long time"
-- "Book of Brilliant Things", Simple Minds
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
-Robert Frost
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am diamond glints of snow;
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush;
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds encircled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
And ralph the lion was engaged in biting the neck of Madame Sossman while the drum pointed, and teeny
was about to cough in waltz-time swinging Jocko by the thumb
Quite unexpectedly the top blew off:
Ans there, there overhead, there, there hung over those thousands of white faces,those dazed eyes,
There in the starless dark,the poise,the hover,
There with vast wings across the cancelled skies.
There in the sudden blackness the black pall of nothing,
nothing,nothing -- nothing at all.
Archibald MacLeish
If you'd like to be listed in the survey please post which of the above most closely describes your view - or barring that, the Freeper whose views above most closely describe yours. Or if that doesn't work, then post your view - but please, oh please, keep it brief.
And please remember this is not a thread to discuss theology or scientific theories.
You got me right.
Thanks for checking, pcottraux!
I see you're up late as well.
LOLOL! Yes, indeed. But I've worn myself out compiling this post so I'm about to call it quits. Thank you so much for bumping by.
Well thanks for doing this. g'nite.
You've got me listed well enough as can be! To expand on my previous comments slightly, my view is that "ultimate reality" or "all that there is" (or however one wants to put it) must be logically coherent. Therefore, you cannot have a "beginning" and you cannot have an "end" and you cannot have anything "beyond" and so on and so forth. In other words, in the grandest plane of existence, you could never ask a question like "What came before the Big Bang?" or "Where would you be if you stood at the edge of the universe and took one more step?"
Do you see where I'm going with that? Within the four dimensions that we are able to conceptualize a closed system is not possible. No matter how far back you unwind time there will always be a second beforehand; no matter how for down you wind up time there will always be a second afterward; and no matter how far out you go in space there will always be an inch further.
So, as I envision things, there must be a grander reality in which such paradoxes don't exist. Where everything clearly comes from something and from somewhere and there is nothing unbounded. That is inconceivable and incoherent in this universe and in the reality that we can perceive, so for that reason I conclude that there is a grander multiverse, of whatever nature that we cannot even begin to conceptualize. And so, having concluded that I see no reason why this would ever end. In fact, by definition it cannot end.
You never cease to amaze me!
Thank You
OK
Hope that was brief enough.
The Tribulation is God's judgement on the unrighteous- not on His children.
In every instance in Scripture in which God sent judgement, He first removed His people from the scene, i.e. Noah, Lot, etc.
Besides, Jesus said that the Rapture is the blessed hope and what hope is there if believers are to suffer the judgement intended for those who have chosen to reject God's Son!
Postmillennialism (with partial preterism)
Once again....unbelievably well done!
You got a bigger response to the personal quiz than the the theoligical question. I guess that is a result in itself, with the obvious interpretation that people would rather discuss themselves than religion.
I would be listed among the Preterists. I was recently asked by an eschatologist to confirm that the Book of Ezekial explains the recent close relationship between Iran and Russia (chapters 25-27 as I recall). I had no answer, read Ezekial, and still don't.
(Evangelical, married to a former Lutheran, both adult converts to Catholicism, still learning the ropes.)
But I'm still pretty sure it's all gonna end on one of those Crevo threads.
Full Disclosure: Now all we need to do is correlate this with Alamo-Girl's excellent personality type profile :-)
Cheers!
You got me right.
Looks like a heck of a lot of work. Great job again!
I don't look for things to get better, only worse. End times? Looks like it to me.
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