I thought I'd make a thread to clarify this because this subject has been brought up a lot to me in eschatological debates.
Preterists need not reply since we already know "coming" in the OD to them represents the 70 A.D. war. This is not what futurists believe. Futurists essentially believe "coming" is Jesus' return.
Since this didn't happen in the first century, the OD should be viewed as a split prophecy (or double fulfillment), one that includes the fall of the temple (first century), and the other that includes his return (yet to be future). Although, there might be futurists that believe a third temple will be built and destroyed. But this isn't the subject of the thread.
When Jesus said "you will hear" about these things and goes on to describe a turbulent time and specific detailed events that take place during that time, futurists have a tendency to claim that those events are increasing (percentage-wise) in our generation as proof that we're heading to the end times.
This is a mistake and here's why.
The reason I no longer hold this interpretation is that a generation comparing current events to prior generations in order to accurately assess a clear distinction would be extremely difficult -- if not impossible. How can we even in our generation of exceptional access to data and information gauge whether earthquakes, for example, have increased against data that didn't exist even a hundred years ago? It simply can't be accurately gauged even by us.
However, the perception of increase is the only thing that would make it distinguishable, thus a "sign." The perception of events he described (other than the destruction of the temple) is unique ONLY to our generation with our communication technology, and I think that's what Jesus was referring to. His hear of these troubling things I believe was significant. Something has to make "You will hear" distinguishable because every generation, including the generations prior to Christ experienced the things he described and heard about those things happening. Most of what he described are just natural events that have occurred over the course of human civilization.
So it's only really meaningful to believe that Jesus' "You will hear" meant the perception of these events will increase. In fact, perception would increase to such a magnitude that it will not only be unique with that particular generation, but it will cause unique forms of collective anxiety from hearing about these events so rapidly and widespread unlike any other generation prior.
In short, "this generation" he described would suffer a unique symptom of what I call NIO (negative information overload), and that generation is at least a generation subsequent to not just the internet, but the total fruition of social media which is what we've had since about 2000.
So, with the exception of the temple destruction, these events happening can't be the "sign" (the specific word they used when they asked Jesus of his coming) because they were happening before and during Christ's first appearance. Our perception of these events increasing was the sign because it is the only thing that separates our generation apart from all previous generations.
Preterists need not reply since we already know "coming" in the OD to them represents the 70 A.D. war. This is not what futurists believe. Futurists essentially believe "coming" is Jesus' return.
Since this didn't happen in the first century, the OD should be viewed as a split prophecy (or double fulfillment), one that includes the fall of the temple (first century), and the other that includes his return (yet to be future). Although, there might be futurists that believe a third temple will be built and destroyed. But this isn't the subject of the thread.
When Jesus said "you will hear" about these things and goes on to describe a turbulent time and specific detailed events that take place during that time, futurists have a tendency to claim that those events are increasing (percentage-wise) in our generation as proof that we're heading to the end times.
This is a mistake and here's why.
The reason I no longer hold this interpretation is that a generation comparing current events to prior generations in order to accurately assess a clear distinction would be extremely difficult -- if not impossible. How can we even in our generation of exceptional access to data and information gauge whether earthquakes, for example, have increased against data that didn't exist even a hundred years ago? It simply can't be accurately gauged even by us.
However, the perception of increase is the only thing that would make it distinguishable, thus a "sign." The perception of events he described (other than the destruction of the temple) is unique ONLY to our generation with our communication technology, and I think that's what Jesus was referring to. His hear of these troubling things I believe was significant. Something has to make "You will hear" distinguishable because every generation, including the generations prior to Christ experienced the things he described and heard about those things happening. Most of what he described are just natural events that have occurred over the course of human civilization.
So it's only really meaningful to believe that Jesus' "You will hear" meant the perception of these events will increase. In fact, perception would increase to such a magnitude that it will not only be unique with that particular generation, but it will cause unique forms of collective anxiety from hearing about these events so rapidly and widespread unlike any other generation prior.
In short, "this generation" he described would suffer a unique symptom of what I call NIO (negative information overload), and that generation is at least a generation subsequent to not just the internet, but the total fruition of social media which is what we've had since about 2000.
So, with the exception of the temple destruction, these events happening can't be the "sign" (the specific word they used when they asked Jesus of his coming) because they were happening before and during Christ's first appearance. Our perception of these events increasing was the sign because it is the only thing that separates our generation apart from all previous generations.
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