As for actual response to GrandeFormaggio: The first bible study that I joined at the new church was on end times, (eschatology) and I was blown away from what I learned.
What most people know about the end times is what they see in the Left Behind movie: world goes to shit, Christians maybe get raptured, bad guys win, and Christ comes in an cleans up. However, this viewpoint only took hold within the last 100-200 years.
Prior to that, the dominant viewpoint is that the Tribulation that is referred to in Revelation talks about the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. Christ has not returned yet, but he will return when the Gospel has been spread throughout all the earth.
So if the Tribulation has already happened, what's the point or takeaway? Well, for one thing, you don't need to worry some supposed undefeatable anti-Christ in the present or the future. Second, Christianity has been spreading throughout most of the 2000 years. What we're seeing now is a horrendous season, but the gospel is still spreading even now, and I'm confident that it will triumph in the long term. America and many great countries may fall, but the world is getting better. Therefore, keep up hope, but expect to live like the times of persecution.

If you're curious about justification for this interpretation of Revelation, here's a 3-hour long video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy7cEW4MJac
But I'll put out a few bullet points from my memory of the study.

• Jesus said that the tribulation would happen within his generation. Jerusalem fell less than 40 years later.
• Revelation constantly says that these things were to happen soon. John was literally instructed to share the text quickly before binding it into a book.
• Nero Caesar adds up to 666 in the Hebrew language
• Christians were recorded to have escaped the Roman seige of Jerusalem because they heeded Jesus's words to immediately run to Judea if they see Romans at the gate
• Revelation said that half of the tribulation would last 1260 days. The seige of Jerusalem lasted 3.5 years

Condensed story of the brutality of the fall of Jerusalem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC3nUrJutsM

It's fascinating that I've never heard about this interpretation of Revelation before this study. I do wonder if it's partly due to Jewish influences in America, as it would make them look really bad.

As for actual response to GrandeFormaggio: The first bible study that I joined at the new church was on end times, (eschatology) and I was blown away from what I learned.
What most people know about the end times is what they see in the Left Behind movie: world goes to shit, Christians maybe get raptured, bad guys win, and Christ comes in an cleans up. However, this viewpoint only took hold within the last 100-200 years.
Prior to that, the dominant viewpoint is that the Tribulation that is referred to in Revelation talks about the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. Christ has not returned yet, but he will return when the Gospel has been spread throughout all the earth.
So if the Tribulation has already happened, what's the point or takeaway? Well, for one thing, you don't need to worry some supposed undefeatable anti-Christ in the present or the future. Second, Christianity has been spreading throughout most of the 2000 years. What we're seeing now is a horrendous season, but the gospel is still spreading even now, and I'm confident that it will triumph in the long term. America and many great countries may fall, but the world is getting better. Therefore, keep up hope, but expect to live like the times of persecution.

If you're curious about justification for this interpretation of Revelation, here's a 3-hour long video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy7cEW4MJac
But I'll put out a few bullet points from my memory of the study.

• Jesus said that the tribulation would happen within his generation. Jerusalem fell less than 40 years later.
• Revelation constantly says that these things were to happen soon. John was literally instructed to share the text quickly before binding it into a book.
• Nero Caesar adds up to 666 in the Hebrew language
• Christians were recorded to have escaped the Roman seige of Jerusalem because they heeded Jesus's words to immediately run to Judea if they see Romans at the gate
  Condensed story of the brutality of the fall of Jerusalem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC3nUrJutsM

It's fascinating that I've never heard about this interpretation of Revelation before this study. I do wonder if it's partly due to Jewish influences in America, as it would make them look really bad.