The Anti-christ IS the "restrainer"?

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

So your alternative is that Jesus was already revealed from Heaven giving rest to his saints. Jesus already came to be glorified in his saints and punished the wicked with eternal destruction.

Please answer my question. How can Jesus avenge the church Paul wrote to and deal with their persecutors if the vengeance is long after they're dead and gone with no one who persecuted the church there to be able to be dealt with?

Why avoid my question?

Jesus was glorified in the saints by having proved himself right and avenging the church under fire. Don't make all prophecies irrelevant to the people to whom they were written.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Please answer my question. How can Jesus avenge the church Paul wrote to and deal with their persecutors if the vengeance is long after they're dead and gone with no one who persecuted the church there to be able to be dealt with?

Why avoid my question?

Jesus was glorified in the saints by having proved himself right and avenging the church under fire. Don't make all prophecies irrelevant to the people to whom they were written.

The same way he could give instructions to people who would not read his words until 2000 years later. Everything Paul wrote was to THEM, but do we not claim it as instructions for us as well? Paul assumed Christ was soon to come it seems.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Originalist

The same way he could give instructions to people who would not read his words until 2000 years later. everything Paul wrote was to THEM, but do we not claim it as instructions for us as well? Paul assumed Christ was soon to come it seems.

When a certain people are going through a particular tribulation in their day, then it directly applies to them when wrath for tribulation is mentioned. Noah's words about the flood waters judging sinners does not apply to anyone since that time, although we read it today.

When things are written to people for all centuries of the church, then there is no particular and specific thing limited to the audience that is mentioned. What is mentioned is what is common to all believers in every era. Tribulation to this degree is not common to every era. Many centuries went by where Christians somewhere were free of any persecution.

So, the question remains, how would wrath centuries later affect those dead and gone? It is wrath on those in the world, not in hell.

My opinions, anyway.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Originalist

The same way he could give instructions to people who would not read his words until 2000 years later. Everything Paul wrote was to THEM, but do we not claim it as instructions for us as well? Paul assumed Christ was soon to come it seems.

Exactly