asaris

Ahem...the book of Revelation was written (probably) around 90 CE. So even if one reads it as predicting the Apocalypse, it wouldn't be one around 200 BCE. [edit:] reading SecretMethod's post again, I wanted to add something to clarify. It is certainly true that, since Christ's resurrection, we are living in the end times. The kingdom of God is 'already/not-yet'. It's here on earth, but still to come; to simplify, it's here, but it's not here in its fullness. Nevertheless, I use the phrase "end times" to refer to a relatively short period of time just before the second coming of Christ.

And SecretMethod -- while I agree that probably only a very small number of Christians think that the end times are "almost certainly" coming within our life time, there's probably a sinificantly greater number who thinks that there will be 'end times', just that we don't know when they're coming.

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche