World Without End

The apocolyptic perceptions of the first century church must have been radically different than that which is popularized today. For how else could the Thessalonians have thought they'd missed our Lord's return? As a futurist this verse allways confounded me but the preterist interpretation salvages my respect for the nascent christians of Thessalonica. Whereas before I allways thought them silly for their worry,now though I've come to the conclusion that what they were worried had passed them by and what we fear or anticipate to come, depending on your school of thought, where either two entirely seperate events or we not they are the silly ones who have radically corrupted the true meaning of eschatology

Paul didn't, as I the futurist did when I first read this passage, say, "No, you idiots you can't miss something like that (you know sun darkened, moon bathed in blood, and all other apocalypictal speech that literalist, which I was, take out of context.) No Paul didn't act as I because he was not a futurist or literalist, to say Paul was given to hyperbole would be an understatment and he lived very much in the now, which is praeter to us and present to him,"The kingdom of God is at hand." That is why when the Thessalonians voiced their concern he'd simply assured them they had not missed it, with no rebuke to their logic. In the next few posts we will be examining the true nature of the Second Coming, and discuss the fate of earth itself. Which may be doomed in the minds and motives of men like Al Gore, Tim Lahaye, and Hollywood film makers, but as one of the simplest prayers of Christianity the "Glory Be" assures us this world will by no means pass away.
"Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning
is now
and ever shall be
world without end
amen."