@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - @ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - Thanks for your comments. I think I agree more than disagree. I didn't mean to imply that we would ever arrive at 100%perfect understanding.

In fact, my purpose for writing this little piece was concerning arriving at broad eschatologies (Preterism, Partial-preterism, A-mil, Pre-mil, etc.). I have seen all too often many Christians who just could not be bothered to "kick the tires" of their inherited beliefs, excusing themselves instead with the tiredit-will-all-pan-out-in-the-end cliche.

Having said this, I still would insist that it is possible, Scripturally speaking, for someone to arrive at the perfect position. I do believe it is a far better venture to aim for the bullseye of perfection and fall short by a few points than to aim at "nothing" and get exactly what you aimed for.

For the record, I suppose I would be classified as full-preterist, though I see Hebrews 9:27 as still being in the future for all of us still living.

So, are you saying it annoys you when Christians dont argue a theory of the end times? I have been to seminary, I did form an opinion, but I can say in all honesty that I do not care. I do believe God will take care of the end in his own way, and trying to discern that from Revelation is actually pretty insane, considering there is a no other book in scripture quite like it. The closest kind of book and genre are a few scriptures in the book of Daniel.

I think if we lay out and set in stone how and when God will come back, we set our self up for failure and we set ourselves up to be just like the Jews when Jesus came the first time. they had their own thinking and plans of how it would happens and they missed him. Might we do the same. What I do know is Christ will come back, sin and suffering will cease, and creation will be restored. Out of all the verses in the book of Revelation, the ones that I hold the closest and share the most are the following:

Revelation 21:1-6
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling
place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

The problem with a lot of eschatological views are that they go beyond the recognizably flawless teachings. We can all be theologically flawless and unified when we claim that Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected among the dead and that he will return and that we will join him in resurrection. We can also claim there will be a judgment for the living and the dead. We can flawlessly claim that God will be the all in all for creation and that all rebellion against him and it's consequences will be shut up forever. Those are the flawless teachings we see in the scriptures.

The dates of these happenings and what the mark of the beast looks like and etc. is all speculation. Most of the views I encounter are defined according to where they stand on these smaller issues. 

It seems to me that most eschatological agnostics aren't agnostic about eschatology but about certain eschatological speculations which don't seem to matter to them since they embrace scriptures like Matthew 24:44 which says, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Being ready doesn't mean knowing the time or the exact specifics. Knowing the defining truths, that's a way to be ready for something you can't expect. 

@myareoplane@xanga - I do think that eschatological agnosticism is fine as a temporary stage. The stage may last for years. However I believe that it is not a good place IMO for a Christian of many years to have arrived at - and to be satisfied with.

One reason is that major parts of Scripture - that the all-will-pan-out-in-the-enders avoid - are actually not really eschatological at all, but are in fact descriptive of our very present Kingdom of Christ. As a Preterist, much of my previous eschatology has resolved into Christology and Kingdom teaching.

And, yes, I wholeheartedly believe that we should certainly be involved in making a present change in the world God has placed us in. Preterism has strengthened that awareness in me, whereas my futurist perspective - and here I am only speaking of my experience - tended to disengage me from really thinking about changing the world through my witness. My thinking before was, "Well, it's all going to burn up anyway."

I no longer think that. It changes my outlook considerably.

@TheGreatBout@xanga - Some of your "flawless"points in your first paragraph I would take issue with, mainly that there is still a future coming of Christ. Agreed on much of what you wrote elsewhere.