Setting Time for the End of the World in the Christian Era: Historical Overview and Implications for Mission
Keywords:
setting dates, end of the world, disappointment, mission.Abstract
The present investigation has the purpose of briefly considering the issue of setting time for the end of the world in the Christian Era, specially motivated by the immediate expectation of the Second Coming of Christ, and by the occurrence of catastrophes of global dimensions. Special emphasis was given to both the process of euphoria/disappointment/lethargy generated by setting a time for the end and the implications of that process on the fulfillment of the Gospel mission. The study undertaken throughout the Christian history was based on primary and secondary sources that deal with the subject, and was organized in a chronological sequence. Setting a time for the end of the world has been a common phenomena throughout the Christian history. Many religious movements, here involved, flourished on the basis of a wrong hermeneutic of the Scriptures (cf. Matt 24:36; Acts 1:7). Dates for the end have been proposed within different historical contexts. Some of these dates expected the end of the world to take place within the lifetime of the person who made the prediction. Some of them had to face the disappointment and the shame of not seeing the fulfillment of the predicted events. Others have placed a date far beyond their own lifetime, leaving any possible disappointment to those who might accept such prediction shortly before the supposed fulfillment. The preaching of the gospel has being negatively affected by these predictions. Usually, a religious revival takes place prior to the date suggested for the end of the world. Yet, in many cases, the non-fulfillment of the prediction generates lukewarmness, when the early enthusiasm is replaced by spiritual indifference and coldness. Although the problem might have occurred within a specific branch of a Christian denomination, the denomination as a whole suffers from criticisms that are spread out in a generalizing way. Thus, the preaching of the gospel has to face a new wave of suspicion and unbelief due to the non fulfillment of predictions supposedly grounded on the Scriptures.
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