I am not one to jump in the middle of someone else's fight. However, several things prompt my posting at this time. First, as I reviewed this thread, I began developing an idea of how I might respond. Second, I saw Buzz's post which covered what I would say and went beyond in regards to thoroughness with detail. Third, sidelined clearly missed the point of what Buzz was saying. This may be because of a failure to properly communicate the idea, or it could be for some other reason. Regardless I will attempt to synopsize Buzz post with the position I hold to.
In answer to the question: "when Armeggedon will finally arrive" the answer, from a normal, rational, contextual, gramatical, historical interpretation of the Bible (this means no Bible codes or other such wacky stuff that is clearly outside the realm in which the Lord intended scripture to be understood) is clear. There is no answer. I am not just saying "I personally don't know". I am saying that you don't know along with me, and no human being can ever know. The main reason for this is that God created and now sustains all of existence for His purposes. Those purposes involve us but we do not control them. When He has finished what He is doing with the earth the Bible says He will melt the elements with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:8-10). It is true that this will be preceeded by the sudden disappearance of multitudes of people who are the genuine children of God according to John 1:12,13 and 3:16. Some time after this He will return to earth to rule as king for a literal 1000 years, and His coronation day will come on the heels of the event reffered to as "Armeggedon". Since it is on God's timetable alone, and He is not sharing that information, it is not possible for any human being anywhere to ever unearth a date for such activity. Furthermore, the record of Revelation seems to indicate that even when God comes in the flesh (the resurrected Christ in a glorified body) to reign on earth, those who fight against Him will not even believe that it is God even though they are face to face with Him.
So, to answer the question clearly and without confusion at the expense of redunancy: It is not now, nor was ever, nor will ever be possible to predict (i.e. to declare before the actual event) the physical return of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to the earth by any means that can be, has been, or ever will be imagined by man, machine, or any other created thing.
Russ
P.S. - to be thoroughly clear the answer to the question is infinitely more impossible to determine then the solution to the mathmatical problem stated as the title of this post.
[edited to clarify seeming contradiction]
[This message has been edited by apostolos, 01-24-2004]
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