# Second Coming? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 5, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199 "2000-01-05T19:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/1 "2000-01-05T19:08:00Z")
With the cream of the Pounders having joined us here, I’d be most interested in seeing what, exactly, people think about the eschatological doctrines…the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and all that jazz. Suggestion: if you are a non-Christian, while your opinion is welcome, it’s pretty obvious that you don’t expect anything of the sort. I would as much hate for this thread to get bogged down in a series of atheist and Jew posts that “ain’t nothin’ gonna happen” as I would to see one of the reasoned metaphysical threads (e.g., the two Atheist (Non)Religion threads) get submerged in a series of Bible quotes. Fair? ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/2 "2000-01-05T19:10:00Z")
Works for me. I, too, am interested in what the Christians have to say. ~enters lurk mode~ ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/3 "2000-01-05T19:16:00Z")
Well, gee, I’m sorry—but as an atheist from a Jewish family, “ain’t nothin’ gonna happen” is about as theological as I can get! ---
**Author:** ![Navigator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navigator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/4 "2000-01-05T19:19:00Z")
I’ll see what I can bring to this table… but I’ve kind of left the eschaological (sp?) studies for a while… Peace. * * * † Jon † Phillipians 4:13 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/5 "2000-01-05T19:45:00Z")
Aw, Eve, don’t feel hurt! You and SM can be Devil’s Advocates to keep us Christian weirdos from going off the deep end. ::: blows kisses at Eve ::: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/6 "2000-01-05T19:48:00Z")
[catching kisses, tucking them down her bodice] Thanks, darling—but I hesitate to become Devil’s Advocate without getting Satan’s OK! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/7 "2000-01-05T20:04:00Z")
This is little more than my personal opinion, but if any of that apocalyptic, endtime stuff is going to happen, my bet is that it isn’t going to happen very soon. Of course, nearly three decades of off-and-on listening to people who thought the Tribulation was imminent have somewhat prejudiced me on this score. They’ve cried ‘trib’ a few zillion times, but there’s no trib. Admittedly, the next bunch could have it right, but I doubt it. I expect to have the opportunity to say the same thing in 2025, only with ‘three decades’ upgraded to ‘five and a half decades’. See you then! ---
**Author:** ![Lauralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lauralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lauralee)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/8 "2000-01-05T20:08:00Z")
So are you looking for pre, post, or during trib opinions? Or all of them? Personally, I have no real opinion formed. Haven’t done enough research for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/9 "2000-01-05T20:28:00Z")
Not specifically, Lauralee…just what people think abot the entire idea that at some future point in history God intervenes in a practical, objective manner. I may as well put in my ten cents. Back in the first century BC, if you had asked the Jew in the street, you would have gotten one of three answers: [ul][li]There will arise a wise warrior prince of David’s line who will overcome those pesky Herodians and Romans in battle and establish God’s kingdom here on earth.[_]The “messiah” idea is a metaphor for the Jewish people, who are to be the vehicle for bringing God’s salvation to themselves and the rest of the world by right behavior.[_]It’s all legend; if anything happens, it won’t be an event in time, but in the afterlife.[/ul][/li]Nobody, AFAIK, had any concept that involved God becoming incarnate and dying to save his people. Me, I’m becoming more and more convinced that the Second Coming is going to be like the First: an actual event that gives people a choice to believe or not, and which meets every Scriptural prophecy, but which is nothing like anything that people have conceived. ---
**Author:** ![Navigator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navigator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/10 "2000-01-05T20:36:00Z")
Here is a link: [Messianic Expectations in 1st Century Judaism](http://www.webcom.com/~ctt/messiah.html) Interesting, if long read. Peace. /aside interesting idea, that the second coming will be much like the first /end aside {Spock voice} Fascinating * * * † Jon † Phillipians 4:13 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/11 "2000-01-05T20:40:00Z")
Poly, that’s the most interesting thought I’ve heard about the Second Coming (other than Gaudere’s delightfully off-color comment on another thread, of course). After having been bored with the very thought of end-time stuff for 25 years, it’s good to have a sliver of a reason not to be. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/12 "2000-01-05T20:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > the Second Coming is going to be like the First Actually, in my experience, the second coming tends to take longer–at least for the guy. ::ducking and running from paranomasia-hating Christians:: ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/13 "2000-01-05T20:41:00Z")
Great simulpost, Gaudere! How _did_ you do that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/14 "2000-01-05T20:43:00Z")
Maybe you’re psychic… (I meant par **o** nomasia, BTW, for all of you with a dictionary handy) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/15 "2000-01-05T20:44:00Z")
Me?! I thought it was _you_! ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/16 "2000-01-05T20:45:00Z")
David debunked me. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/17 "2000-01-05T21:02:00Z")
Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays? ---
**Author:** ![Navigator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Navigator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/18 "2000-01-05T21:03:00Z")
another interesting link: [On…was Jesus mistaken about this 2nd Coming?](http://www.webcom.com/~ctt/qaim.html) looking forward to this… if we can keep the chatter down! 😉 {dons flame retardant parka} ## Peace. † Jon † Phillipians 4:13 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/19 "2000-01-05T21:09:00Z")
Committing paronomasia on a public bulletin board! What are things coming to? 😃 Nav, thanks for the link. I’d completely forgotten about the Essene approach and the coming-on-the-clouds-of-glory-the-_First_-time concepts. It’s been quite a while since I did any serious historical/theological studies, sorry! Gaudere, climb back up in your bunk, and don’t let David bother you; he’s only the Moderator (though sometimes he seems like an Extremerator! ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199/20 "2000-01-05T22:03:00Z")
I have always thought of it much like Polycarp eloquently posted. I honestly don’t spend alot of time trying to figure it out, though. I figure if we’re not supposed to know when, how, what, or even exactly why all this is gonna happen (except for some cryptic hints), it’s a pointless exercize. Besides, thinking makes my head hurt. * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-coming/17199.md?page=2)