Newsweek: Forty Percent of Americans Believe the World Will End as the Bible Predicts

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-24-1999/0001052001&EDATE=

Quote:

"....... But, only a modest group --15 percent -- of believers in the Armageddon prophecy -- or about 6 percent of all Americans -- think Jesus will return as early as the year 2000."

So that's about 16 million people think it will end on or around Y2k. Hmmmm..... NOW I am worried.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 25, 1999

Answers

a high percentage

-- fire in the sky (Y2K@instigator.beginning of the end), October 25, 1999.

What bothers me about these numbers is that I think we can all agree that at least ONE PERCENT of society is mentally unstable but able to function in society with the help of drugs and counseling. I am sure its MUCH HIGHER than that but to be on the conservative side I will say ONE PERCENT. Now at least 10 percent of those are potentially dangerous on any given day. Taking the 16 million (probably more) who think Jesus will come back on or around 1/1/2000 and doing the mental-case math, it seems we have at least 16,000 people who are likely to do something very bad on or around 1/1/2000. It only takes 1 person with a gun or bomb to kill a whole lot of people.

I am not a doomer (evident in my recent posts) but this scenario has been bugging me for more than a year and now I have numbers to back it up.

If 16,000 people "go off" during the roll over we are going to see some exciting news stories. I think I will stay home for the holidays.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 25, 1999.

***

Today as throughout history, Christians are patiently

"watching and waiting", not "plotting and planning."

***

If you are worried about acts of subversion, look for the known

culprits. A good place to start is groups that have expressed

a hatred for America and have already attempted acts of terrorism.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 25, 1999.

NoTalking, I am not worried about the 16 million, I am worried about the 16,000.

We're not talking about sane Christians.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 25, 1999.

And 80% believe that professional sports matter.

-- Spidey (in@jam.wer), October 25, 1999.

Maybe the lights going out is a good thing. How fiesty can a millennial nut get when he's cold, freezing, and stumbling around in the dark? The cold dark may shock his reality into more sanity.

-- who knows (bug@worse.than.lunatics), October 25, 1999.

I have to chime in here, as a believer in Biblical prophecy.

A commonly held belief among "interpreters" of the book of Revelations is that the anti-christ must come to power for a contract of 7 year's(peace plan) and then break the peace(half way through) and start a massive war.

If that interpretation is true(me thinks so), then if the anti-christ were to take power today, Jesus couldn't return untill at LEAST sometime in 2003.

No y2k isn't the end. Y2k is just the beginning.

-- CygnusXI (noburnt@toast.net), October 25, 1999.

A few years ago I was in our drugstore and ran into the pharmacist in an aisle. I asked him about the huge crowds lining up for prescriptions, it was flu season and I reasoned that by the long lines it must be pretty bad. He said "Oh no, it's everyone lined up for their anti-deppressants. The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas always TERRIBLE".

I'd be suprised if your figures shouldn't be much higher. I'm also concerned for several people in my neighborhood { & their families } who have serious chemical imbalances...I'm gonna stop here before I start ranting.

Add to that the 30 percent increase in gun sales in CA this year { 50 percent for long guns}, normal holiday stress, fear, uncertainty... not a good witch's brew.

-- flora (***@__._), October 25, 1999.

The gunstore here in vegas where I bought my shotgun said that they can hardly keep them (shotguns) in the store because of Y2K. It's not just CA, its everywhere.

-- Cory Hill (coryh@strategic-services.net), October 25, 1999.

Thank you Cygnus.

At last, someone who has read the book, and understood the plain language written therein.

This beast/governmental/religious/monetary system (antichrist) has yet to emerge in it's fullness. We have time yet to learn the most painful lessons before God has to come down here to straighten out the mess we have made and save our sorry behinds.

No man knows the day nor the hour so you can drop any bets at Vegas.

All we are commanded to do is watch the signs of the times.

Those idiots that think they can "force" God to return by causing violence are just as deluded as those that expect a Messiah Touchdown at the Mount of Olives on 01/01/00.

The first group is just plain dangerous. Then again, the world's religions haven't a history of kindness and passivism.

True Christians understand patiently waiting and working on their own character.

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), October 25, 1999.

Point 1: Today there is a gross misunderstanding of what Christianity really is. Adolf Hitler and many Nazis claimed to be Christians, as do some radical factions in this country, but are they? A Christian is not someone who just holds a certain set of doctrines or spouts the name of Jesus. When someone becomes a true Christian, he has a changed heart and he literally becomes a different kind of person. He believes the Bible and obeys it - a book which contains such dictums as:

"Love your enemies." "Bless them that curse you." "Love thy neighbor as thyself." "Do good to them which hate." "Pray for them that persecute you." "Forgive those who trespass against you." "Be at peace with all men." "Be kind one to another:"

Now those arent the mores of some wild-eyed terrorist bomber, so despite Renos protests to the contrary, a true Christian would commit NONE of the violent or terrorist acts that the uninformed suggest they might.

Point 2: Just a tiny minority of Christians believe that Jesus will return by 1/1/2000. Taking current understandings of Bible prophecy into consideration, that event might take place before AD2007, though nobody really knows. Exact date setters are considered to be heretical.

-- Elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), October 25, 1999.

Invar and Elskon, thank you for your clear and careful explanations on behalf of true Christians. It always amazes me the amount of misinformation there is in our society about the use of the word Christian to define someone, either oneself or others. Many confuse the word Christian with the word "gentile," and nowadays many confuse the word Christian with far right-wing radical television preachers, who may or may not actually be Christians. It also greatly pains me that so much negative perception exists about the historical role of people calling themselves Christians doing horrific things to others, i.e., the Crusades, the burning at the stake of "heretics," etc. And that it should be perceived that true Christians would lead others into future acts of violence amazes and distresses me. Jesus and His true followers were and taught just the opposite, and true Christians today attempt to emulate Him and follow His teachings of love and compassion, morality and relationship to the Father.

Thank you for setting the record straight.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 25, 1999.

Whenever I happen across one of these newsmedia polls, I just have to go back and re-read one of Dave Barry's columns from earlier this year:

Prune-Eating Hamsters And Other Presidential Hopefuls

Excerpt:

As we, the American people, approach the new millennium, we face many troubling questions. One is: How can we, as a nation, be sure that we have spelled ``millennium'' correctly? The easiest way is to remember the old poem that we were all taught back in elementary school:

Two ``n''s and two ``l''s

You've spelled it quite well

One ``l'' or one ``n''

You're a big fat stupid hen

But an even bigger question facing us, as we approach the year 2000, is: Can we, as a nation, get past the divisiveness, the bitterness, the sliminess -- in short, the Jerry-Springer-ness that plagued us throughout 1998? It will not be easy. The American public is still deeply divided, according to a recent Gallup Poll showing that:

-- 72 percent of the public agrees with the statement ``President Clinton has been punished enough.''

-- 71 percent of the public agrees with the statement ``President Clinton has not been punished enough.''

-- 73 percent of the public agrees with the statement ``The Grand Canyon was created by a race of fierce, prune-eating hamsters from space.''

These poll results remind us, as if we needed reminding, that the public cannot be trusted to decide any issue more complex than ``eat in'' vs. ``take out.''...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 25, 1999.

The Scripture in no way says the world will end, but that it will live forever and ever. So what does this story really reveal? 104 million Americans live in deception. That's only a part of it though, as the WHOLE world will be deceived, save the Elect.

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), October 25, 1999.

Amen Patrick.

Common misconception as the improper translation of scripture has taken ahold of our culture.

It is the "End of the Age" in Mathew 24, not end of the world.

The new heaven and new earth happens not for at least a millenia. Then the City of God comes down, to dwell with men.

What God has planned for man goes beyond ANYTHING any organized religion understands.

It is far more wonderful than anyone has ever given Him credit.

How I look to that day.

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), October 26, 1999.

INVAR...

Someone tried to hammer you on Decker's bugout thread. He must think that all that Christians are allowed to do is love everything and everyone, stay nice and mousey until "we all fly out of here." That's hardly what I would call standing in the gaps.

Also, Christians... understand this - if you live in fear, that is not of God, and you are breaking a commandment. Kinda' has a way of showing a profound LACK of Christianity.

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), October 26, 1999.

Two Amens in one evening for Patrick.

Keep telling it like it is without apology.

The world HATES that.

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), October 26, 1999.

INVAR...

As you must know by now, judging from the venom of the post on Decker's bugout thread, They hated Him and they will hate those that stand for Him. A "Prophet" translate quite simply to *a spokesman for God*, nothing more. Although I would never presume to use the title, everyone thinks that it has to be some type of "seer" or some such nonsense. The only true seeing ability that anyone can get is from reading the back of the book. Many believe themselves Christian, but they don't even know, as they are described, that they are naked, (no garments - or righteous acts), and wretched, miserable, poor and BLIND.

As for standing forth and speaking what I know... Are we not admonished to "Cry aloud and spare not?" I'm your huckleberry.

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), October 26, 1999.

INVAR:

You keep declaring the premillennial dispensational view as fact, while the church worldwide and even major denominations here in America are predominately amillennial. Whats more, there is a scriptural problem with premillennialism. Please be patient with me for making this a rather long and nit-picking post. The I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, because if the Scripture verses quoted below mean what they say, then our end-time views need rethinking.

1Th 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

All agree that those verses refer to the so-called "rapture" of the Church. In fact, 1 Th 4:16-17 is one of the central passages in Scripture that supports the physical return of the Lord Jesus to this Earth. Note the WE. Paul was speaking to the Church of which he was part and we have every scriptural reason to believe that WE also includes us: you and I and the rest of the church. That's relatively simple, isn't it? Also note that Jesus is returning with the "trumpet of God."

But the Bible is full of trumpets, including seven in Revelation, so the next logical question is this: Of all the trumpets in the Bible, at which one is the Church taken to be with the Lord?

1Co 15:51-52 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; WE shall not all sleep, but WE shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and WE shall be changed."

So WE are taken to be with the Lord at the LAST trumpet. That trumpet is singular, so no other trumpets are blown with it. Also, there are no modifiers such as, "except the trumpets of judgment," or "except the trumpets in Revelation." That needs to be emphasized:

There are NO exceptions! Not one Bible trumpet is left out, so we will be on Earth through SIX of the seven trumpets in Revelation! Now, the last Bible trumpet, number SEVEN, blows in Rev 11:15, but the conditions surrounding that trumpet blast are described in chapter ten:

Rev 10:6-7 (KJV) ". . . that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."

What a tremendous verse. If there is a central Scripture about the chronology of the Lord's return, Rev 10:6-7 has to be it. As is true of every other creation of this present age, when the seventh trumpet sounds, it also appears that time itself will come to an end. That's important, because understanding time coming to an end affects our end-time doctrine.

1. The "mystery of God" is the Church in Christ Jesus. So the Church as a betrothed body of believers on Earth will be concluded at this trumpet.

2. "As He hath declared to His servants the prophets." Which prophets is the Lord speaking of? We don't see any excluded, so these prophets are all the prophets in the Bible, both Old Testament and New. All prophecy relating to this age will be fulfilled at this trumpet.

Now let's look at the verse where that seventh trumpet sounds - right in the middle of Revelation, after the Seven Churches, after the Seven Seals, after six other trumpets, and after the Two Witnesses:

Rev 11:15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for EVER and EVER."

The 7th angel sounds, and the Lord reigns forever. Right then, forever! After that trumpet blows, there won't be time for a tribulation, or for a 1000-year millennium.

One More time: AFTER THAT TRUMPET BLOWS, THERE WON'T BE TIME FOR A TRIBULATION, OR FOR A 1000-YEAR MILLENNIUM.

We go straight into the eternal Kingdom of God when the last trumpet sounds, at the SAME TIME we are taken to be with the Lord. Despite differing doctrines, that is the chronological picture as declared by Scripture. So when is the great tribulation? Matthew 24:21 tells us there will be one. Well, the Greek word for tribulation is thlipsis, also translated affliction and trouble. Thlipsis, used 37 times in the New Testament, almost always refers to the suffering of the saints. Here are a couple of familiar verses:

Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have [thlipsis] tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Rom 12:12 "Rejoicing in hope; patient in [thlipsis] tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." 2Th 1:4 "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and [thlipsis] tribulations that ye endure."

Generally speaking, the unsaved don't go through thlipsis; they are destined for orgy or thumos. Orgy and thumos are the Greek words for wrath. So we saints will suffer tribulation during the Christian Era, but we are not destined unto a final wrath, but unto eternal salvation. The wicked are destined unto wrath, the judgment of the Great White Throne, and the second death. So when is "the great tribulation"? Revelation tells us:

Rev 1:9 "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in THE Tribulation (NASB), and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

May God forgive us for forgetting the terrible suffering the saints have already endured. Between two and twenty million Christians killed by the Roman Empire in tortures unimaginable. Up to twelve million more during the middle age by the Catholic church. In our own generation alone, the Nazis murdered six million Jews, and up to five million Christians. So how bad do you have to die to be in "The Tribulation?" We don't read The Pilgrim Church, Fox's Book of Martyrs, or Martyrs Mirror anymore, so we have lost our sense of history.

The Lord has permitted the enemy to blind our eyes and we have lost sight of the Lord's big spiritual picture. The Great Tribulation of the Church began with the stoning of Stephen, and continued until the "time of the Gentiles" control of Jerusalem ended (1967). In fact, since the true saints have suffered terribly ever since the cross, the "Great Tribulation" that Jesus spoke of may be His name for this whole age.

Oh yes, and one more point: Revelation is bifidic and chiasmic, so chapters 12-20 of Revelation are a repeat prophecy covering the SAME TIME as the chapters 2-11, i.e., the whole Christian Era.

-- Elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), October 26, 1999.