The other day in class I was explaining why some theologians find the personal second coming of Christ to be an awkward fit with the modern world. For example, will Israeli Air Defense scramble two F-15s when they pick up a UFO incoming on radar?— Tentative Apologist (@RandalRauser) April 11, 2019
Like I said, awkward.
It's no more or less "awkward" than the Ascension. It's the Ascension in reverse (Acts 1:9-11). Once again, why is Rauser a contributor to The Christian Post? What does that tell you about the editorial oversight of Richard Land?
What's "awkward" is assuming the IAF would scramble old F-15 Eagles when they could instead use fifth generation fighters like the F-22 Raptors or F-35 Ravens or Reapers to welcome the Lord. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the IAF has next gen Colonial Vipers ushering Jesus to reign and rule from Jerusalem. Verily, verily, they'll pull out all the stops for the rightful King. :)
ReplyDeleteGood heavens. Okay. Then Christ will just disable all detection and air capabilities. I mean what is this?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of signals do IAD capture? It shows people in sky? If there are two skydivers, it will show up in the radar? If a guy jumps from an airplane, it will split the signal in two (the plane, and the guy)? For, if not, then Christ won't have to disable this radar.
DeleteUnless the power and glory with which Christ will come have some way to appear on the radar...hmmmm
> For example, will Israeli Air Defense scramble two F-15s when they pick up a UFO incoming on radar?
ReplyDeleteGood grief. You do have to wonder about the a) powers of imagination (very limited) and b) doctrine of divine power (likewise) that a person making this sort of statement has.
But then, that's perfectly consistent with Rauser's theology generally. God is small, limited, has to rely human permission for lots of what he does.
Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar's furnace problem (failure to fry some flesh-and-blood human beings) simply that he wasn't using the latest Israeli combustion technology? Presumably if Randal had been around to offer some expert consultancy, he could have helped him avoid the embarrassment.
What about a trash compactor (a la Star Wars style)? But, then, maybe Nebuchadnezzar would think it was a malfunction, and not a miracle...
ReplyDelete:D
Awkward???
ReplyDeleteAu contraire!
I was once hired to do a scifi treatment of the End Times, and let me tell you that the more our current and expected level of technology progresses, the more 'realistic' the apocalyptic language of Revelation becomes.
Flaming mountains from the sky? Radioactive poison in the water? (Note that Chernobyl means Wormwood in Ukrainian!) Global destruction and warfare over limited resources?
Take the background plots of Independence Day, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, Battlefield Earth, Half-Life 2... What better way for the Beast to unite the entire world militarily against Jesus than to portray His second coming as a full-scale alien invasion?
Related to Battlefield Earth... What better way to spur the final rebellion 1000 years later than to portray Jesus as Xenu, despotically ruling over the remnants of humanity?
oh boy...
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