Christians who believe that Jesus is returning very soon...how much time would have to pass before you would be surprised that Jesus hasn't returned?

@LillyPad

I don't think i'm overlooking that, it's just not part of this question.
Sure, god could be coming back in a million years and that is somehow what Jesus meant by "soon", but here i'm asking the Christians who are convinced his return is imminent how much time would pass before they're surprised.

@Pikachu Biblically its all relative. I think the vast majority of Christians wouldn't be "surprised" no matter how far out it was, given that thousands of years can be a single day or moment for an eternal being. I would say that the vast majority, in most churches that I've been to, are firmly of the belief that "soon" was by God's judgment, not necessarily ours as humans.

@LillyPad

I find that pretty problematic considering that Jesus said he'd return before the people he was speaking to had died...but again, i'm asking this question of the Christians who are indeed certain that the end times are here.
I don't know what the proportion actually is in the general Christian population, i'm just interested today in the folks who think this second coming is about to pop off lol

@Pikachu There are lots of Bible analysis and studies looking into that very topic surrounding him saying that, but that would turn into a whole new conversation outside of the original question. But I think the key term there is "about" to pop off. The end being "near". If compared to a human's version of that, then yes, I can understand how it seems weird that Christians are willing to wait so long without being surprised or questioning their belief. But looking at it from a Christian perspective, they are not using those words from a human perspective. they're using it from an eternal perspective, in which hundreds, thousands, even potentially billions of years could be "near" or "about" to happen. I think that's a key point to focus on in this conversation. Because looking at it from a human perspective of time, where the average person lives like 80 or 90 years if they're lucky, then yeah, that Isnt exactly "near".

@LillyPad

lol yes there are many apologetics to address this problematic issue but indeed that would be a whole bigger conversation.

@Pikachu Of course you are. It is an easier position to argue from to make the other side look illogical. Unless you are seriously searching out answers along your spiritual journey.

@RuyLopez Of course i am what?

Lmao I'm down for a conversation about perspectives, but I'm going to go ahead and hop out and turn off notifs before an actual argument starts 😂 Good talk, bye y'all

@LillyPad Please continue if you wish. My apologies for interrupting your conservation. I will say no more…. Lol

@PikachuAlways remember that you are discussing an ancient ethnocentric Middle Eastern Jewish religious fairytale. It says that a magic number of believers [b][i]MUST[/i][/b] be killed before Jesus returns. The flip side is the belief that the world will end in the year 6000 by the Jewish calendar, which is in another 213 years or so. When you analyze current events, you can see how that belief and wish is affecting world events.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that, even if you think it is all 100% BS, other people do believe in it and are working to make it a reality.

@Diotrephes

Yeah they do tend to cheat a bit on some prophecies by actively working to get it done lol

@LillyPad Jesus’s second comming was suppose to happen while that generation was still alive. If it had happened during that time the Christians would have said I told you so. But because it hasn’t happened they say that we haven’t interpreted it correctly by saying soon meant something else to god. A prediction without any time limit at all is useless.

@Bandit2398 A magic number of believers [b]MUST BE KILLED[/b] for their faith before the Jesus character gets off of his lazy butt and reappears.