The End Times Event - Pulling together the pieces

I would like to see if we can pull together some of the 'end times' prophecies and whether it is likely that these will all happen in the same time frame. Maybe if there is any common themes or images which tie them all together for different beliefs

I am using Christin-like terminology as I dont know what the relevant words or phrases might be for other religions, so an explanation may be in order.
Heaven - a Place of wonderous beauty where you are in the presence of The Man in your belief system
The Event - some kind of second coming or returning of your saviour/God to call all the faithful to Him. Maybe accompanied with lots of noise and flashing lights, angels, choirs, etc etc.

I am trying to do this multi-religiously and I am trying to NOT focus on any one religion. I would like to hear from anyone who is looking forward to The Event and who would consider joining the rush to be one of the first through the door to a new future.

The Event.
1) What would it take for you to run outside and shout "I'm here xxxx (insert the name of your saviour here) I'm yours take me away to Heaven to be with you forever."
2) How would you know?
3) Do you need proof that this is IT, the prophesied coming of your saviour or would you make an immediate bee-line for that stairway or portal?
4) What would it really look like?
5) Do you think there would be a mass exodous of faithful off this Earth?
6) Where would it be likely to happen?

7) Practically, how would it happen?
8) Would every place of worship be used to gather the faithful together or would large stadiums be used instead?

By the way, this is a serious set of questions and I am not mocking the idea of a second coming at all. I am merely trying to get a better understanding of the practicality of it all and how it might unfold.

originally posted by: qmantoo
I would like to see if we can pull together some of the 'end times' prophecies and whether it is likely that these will all happen in the same time frame. Maybe if there is any common themes or images which tie them all together for different beliefs

I am using Christin-like terminology as I dont know what the relevant words or phrases might be for other religions, so an explanation may be in order.
Heaven - a Place of wonderous beauty where you are in the presence of The Man in your belief system
The Event - some kind of second coming or returning of your saviour/God to call all the faithful to Him. Maybe accompanied with lots of noise and flashing lights, angels, choirs, etc etc.

I am trying to do this multi-religiously and I am trying to NOT focus on any one religion. I would like to hear from anyone who is looking forward to The Event and who would consider joining the rush to be one of the first through the door to a new future.

The Event.
1) What would it take for you to run outside and shout "I'm here xxxx (insert the name of your saviour here) I'm yours take me away to Heaven to be with you forever."
2) How would you know?
3) Do you need proof that this is IT, the prophesied coming of your saviour or would you make an immediate bee-line for that stairway or portal?
4) What would it really look like?
5) Do you think there would be a mass exodous of faithful off this Earth?
6) Where would it be likely to happen?

7) Practically, how would it happen?
8) Would every place of worship be used to gather the faithful together or would large stadiums be used instead?

By the way, this is a serious set of questions and I am not mocking the idea of a second coming at all. I am merely trying to get a better understanding of the practicality of it all and how it might unfold.

The end times prophecies have already been fulfilled.

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled."

en.wikipedia.org...



What makes you think the events in Biblical prophecies are not yet fulfilled when it is clearly said they would be fulfilled within a generation?

Ah... i didnt know about that one. Forgive my ignorance. I was really trying to address the many beliefs which say that there will be some kind of second coming in the future, so maybe this thread is not relevant to those who believe that everything foretold has already come to pass.
I was hoping to get some insight into how a mass event would pan out in practical terms.

originally posted by: qmantoo
I was really trying to address the many beliefs which say that there will be some kind of second coming in the future

What you want to address is messianism.

en.wikipedia.org...


But it's far from being the mainstream belief among religious people. I know American Christians are fan of Bible Prophecies (why? I don't know, maybe they think their life suck and want a better one?) but honestly with education comes critical analysis and a better understanding of what these "prophecies" are.


Messianism is a belief for the depressed and the lazy:

"This world is going down the sh*tter! But please don't do anything to try and fix it yourself, just be a good religious boy and wait for the messiah to magically fix everything for you!"


Messianism is the ShamWow of spirituality, a magical product that will clean everything without any effort!

Talk about de-responsibilization!

a reply to: qmantoo

No matter who it is, the person will probably be called anti-Christ or a fake by someone. People in the Bible even thought Jesus was a false messiah . Some even claimed him of being possessed by Beelzebub.

I don't think any "messiah" will please everyone not with the same mentality humanity had for thousands of years.

I am trying to get a picture of what "end times" will actually physically in This 3d world will look like and if anyone would actually run away with their saviour and leave this world behind. This thread is not about judging whether one saviour is better or worse than another. Otherwise we get into a "my dad is stronger than your dad" kind of argument.

originally posted by: qmantoo
I am trying to get a picture of what "end times" will actually physically in This 3d world will look like and if anyone would actually run away with their saviour and leave this world behind. This thread is not about judging whether one saviour is better or worse than another. Otherwise we get into a "my dad is stronger than your dad" kind of argument.

It can literally be whatever you want since prophecies are all about personal interpretation.

It could be the end of "your time" (a personal apocalypse)
It could be the end of capitalism
It could be the end of technology
It could be the end of the western suprmacy
It could be the end of the Christian faith
It could be the end of the human race
It could be the end of the planet


Or it could a political allegory about the turmoils the Jews and Christians had to face around the first century.


It can be literally anything you want, so what do you want it to be. Think about it and it will reveal much about yourself. About your fears and desires.

If the prophesies are unfolding and there seems little doubt about what's coming next, it seems obvious that most believers will be getting way more devoted and preparing to meet their maker. Some non-believers may get on board as well. If there are any questions considering the unfolding events, many will be skeptics. It's a mixed bag I'm sure, but if the SHTF, most will head for the hills and hide for a while, that is a recommendation found in the Bible, not to mention the popularity of the prepper/survivalist mindset lately.

Maybe i have asked a series of questions which are religious hot potatoes and are not easy to pin down any particular answer, but i was expecting the religiously knowledgable to swarm in here and give some of their cherished beliefs as to what the end would appear like. For some reason there seems to be a lot of skirting around the subject and i dont understand why but maybe it is because scholars are divided as to what it will look like when it comes. I suppose noone really knows whether the descriptions are to be taken literally or figuratively and noone wants to be awesomely wrong about such a big issue.

Develo - i dont need to consider what it all means to me because i have to confess, i am a heathen and a non believer in God-produced end times scenarios. To me this is an academic exercise and is prompted by an interest in the different viewpoints expressed by all the different religions to their meeting their maker experiences.

originally posted by: qmantoo
Develo - i dont need to consider what it all means to me because i have to confess, i am a heathen and a non believer in God-produced end times scenarios. To me this is an academic exercise and is prompted by an interest in the different viewpoints expressed by all the different religions to their meeting their maker experiences.

I, like the vast majority of believers, am not a believer in God-produced end times scenarios.


This thread looks more like a honeypot for Christian fundamentalists because honestly, on this board, they are the only ones who would answer to your questions about the "end times".

The obsession with prophecies and especially the end time eschatology is typical to fundamentalism.

So basically you will get the same answers as a quick search on the net. All the wannabe prophets like Harold Camping all feel "the end is nigh" and then they will tell you how X or Y is the antichrist etc...


I'm not sure why you call this an "academic exercise" since such beliefs are more superstitions and delusions than reasonning, but the thread sure has some potential for entertainment because it's always fun to read crazy ramblings.

originally posted by: qmantoo
Develo - i dont need to consider what it all means to me because i have to confess, i am a heathen and a non believer in God-produced end times scenarios. To me this is an academic exercise and is prompted by an interest in the different viewpoints expressed by all the different religions to their meeting their maker experiences.

Maybe many sensed exactly this attitude in your OP and did not want to play your little game.

The religious games on ats are getting trivial, enjoy them while they last.

Sides have been chosen, things will get real. Are you ready?

Always prepared!

originally posted by: arpgme
a reply to: qmantoo

No matter who it is, the person will probably be called anti-Christ or a fake by someone. People in the Bible even thought Jesus was a false messiah .

Yeah. We call those people the Jews.

a reply to: qmantoo

All the different religions have different end times scenarios. So if the prophecies from one religion were to start being fulfilled then that would immediately rule out the prophecies from any other religion. In fundamentalism, only one religion is the true correct one. Therefore with end times belief there is only one set of right prophecies.

OP ...you might like to have a listen to this Christian Scholar .There is lots of ambiguity within scripture and it may be there for a good reason .Seems that you can believe this or that and still be ok with the God of the Bible .It's the main message that should be sought but to put exact's on the how's and when's might inhibit the flexibility you need when it goes down . Remember that Daniel was told to seal up the prophecy until the end time . We get hints and could bee's and some distinct indicators but not a complete picture .

a reply to: qmantoo

Folks seem to keep getting side tracked. Here's an answer: There would have to be a "personal appearance" for me to believe. I know there's a lot of Blue Beam talk, but a simultaneous appearance, all over the world, would go a long way toward convincing me. There would also have to be miracles. I'm talking huge events that could be explained no other way. With the technology we have, I'm sure someone could pull some pretty impressive tricks, but darkening the Sun.... Well...........That would be a sh** your pants moment.

a reply to: the2ofusr1

That's a great video, thanks!

a reply to: DAVID64

Personal appearances can be misleading, dont you think? I believe most wartime leaders have several look a like doubles in case anyone want to try a quick end to the war. Anyway, yes this is the kind of answer i was hoping for really. Thanks.

1) Read Matthew 24 for a gloomy prediction of end times.
2) Many Christians believe that the next future even will be the Rapture, in which we'll be evacuated form Earth.
Opinions differ as to whether we'll just disappear, or maybe leave our bodies behind. Either way, millions on earth will be gone. One can imagine the hysteria afterwards.
3) With the church removed immorality will grow and grow.
4) an international government will appear; possible global, possibly regional (middle east). scholars generally think it could be a revived Roman Empire (West Europe) or a Caliphate (Middle East). This gummint will be brutal, especially in its treatment of Jews and new Christians.

What's interesting is how many Muslims view the end times. They believe in the return/appearance of al-Mahdi, who will unite Islam into a single Caliphate. Some of them (Isis) feel they can help bring this about by increasing the violence and unrest in the world.
really good article on Isis here
www.theatlantic.com...

***During the last years of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the Islamic State’s immediate founding fathers, by contrast, saw signs of the end times everywhere. They were anticipating, within a year, the arrival of the Mahdi—a messianic figure destined to lead the Muslims to victory before the end of the world. McCants says a prominent Islamist in Iraq approached bin Laden in 2008 to warn him that the group was being led by millenarians who were “talking all the time about the Mahdi and making strategic decisions” based on when they thought the Mahdi was going to arrive.***

Christian and Muslim eschatology overlap if you consider the Caliph as the antiChrist and 'issa bin-maryam', the Islamic Jesus, as the False Prophet.
we may not believe the koran, but millions of Muslims DO, and they will act on it.

I'm curious how Buddhist, Hindu and other religions view the end times (if at all).