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Matthew 3:2 ...and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Matthew 6:10 ...your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (some liturgical versions say "They Holy Spirit come...")

Matthew 6:33 ...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 10:7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'

Matthew 16:28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

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The proclivity among Christians to think of, if not compute, the end of time(s) is rooted in a misconception of what scripture is all about. More specifically, the misunderstanding is linked to our assumption that, since an event takes place in time, we should be able to approach it chronologically, that is to say, assume that it has a yesterday, a today, and a tomorrow. We are so stuck in this mentality that we unwittingly use this terminology even when dealing with what we call eternity: we refer to it as being "before" creation and "after" the end of time. We do not seem to realize that according to the Bible time was created (Gen 1:3-5) and, consequently, we may only use the concept of "before" or "after" within the reality of time.

There is no need here to enter into the reasons behind our enslavement to a particular concept of time. Enslavement, nonetheless, it is. Indeed, we relate many of our daily experiences to a completely different kind of concept of time, and as my reader will momentarily realize, it is this way of dealing with time that rules our life more than the one I spoke of earlier. Take, for instance, a baseball game or a tennis match. Each happens within time, yet it is not bound by it. Time does not function as the decisive factor in the reality of these events, although they are indeed events within time. Recall the saying about a baseball game, that, "It ain’t over ‘til it’s over": a game or a match is defined by its content, not its duration.

The same applies to an event so central in and to American life: the court case or law suit. No one, I am sure, is going to deny its reality, and yet time in the court is eminently irrelevant, immaterial. Whether one is dealing with the individual session or the entire case, the case is determined by the content of the proceedings, not by when they take place or how long they last. An individual session starts when the judge enters and declares that it is open or resumed, and the same session is adjourned when the judge says so. The time elapsed between sessions can be a couple of hours, days, or even weeks or months. A given court case can go on for years, and yet it does not mean that the discussion lasted years; in fact, the actual time spent in court may amount to a limited number of hours. What this means is that time is not a factor in the definition of a court case. Even more: it is the case itself that becomes a factor in understanding the length or shortness of the "elapsed" time. It is the difficulty of the case that sometimes makes it require more "elapsed" time, i.e., time outside the sessions. A more complex case can take a much longer "elapsed" time than an easier one, but not necessarily more time in court sessions. And, ultimately, "down the road" of history, it is the content itself of the case sessions that gives value to the time linked with them.

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Tom: Peter attributes the believers the dignity of influencing when Jesus returns. It may be sooner or later, depending on how we live. You see the point, do you not? Might we understand Jesus as attributing to the Father knowledge not of a day/hour which is determined from all eternity, but of something else?

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Tom: For the first time in history, let it be recorded that Tom is ASKING Al to post Endokimov (or give me the website address where I can find what you're reading)!

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"Use the right bait..."

Seriously, I'll try to scan it this afternoon after school. Evdokimov's first chapter is on Eschatology. And in typical Orthodox fashion several "different" issues are all handled together in related fashion. (As they should be.)

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I'll try to scan it this afternoon after school. Evdokimov's first chapter is on Eschatology. And in typical Orthodox fashion several "different" issues are all handled together in related fashion. (As they should be.)

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Suppose I promise my 15 yr old daughter (at the time) that I'll buy her a car and let her drive on her own when I see that's she's ready to handle the responsibility....

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Tom: Check out my preferences and send it to my compuserve if you want.

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Tom: Peter attributes the believers the dignity of influencing when Jesus returns. It may be sooner or later, depending on how we live. You see the point, do you not? Might we understand Jesus as attributing to the Father knowledge not of a day/hour which is determined from all eternity, but of something else?

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