May I Have Your Attention, Please?

[SalixIncendium]

It happens everyday.
You tube is full of people claiming to be the second coming.

So who gets to decide which ones are false and which one is the real deal? On what foundation does this person decide?

 

[buddhist]

Will the REAL Slim Shady please stand up?


Over the past few hundred years (perhaps longer), many have claimed to be, or have been touted to be by others to be, the Second Coming™ of Jesus Christ.

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

Granted, most, or more likely all, of the people mentioned in the article were false messiahs. But how do your feel the world would react if a nondescript person (perhaps a carpenter?) proclaimed themselves to be the Second Coming™?

More specifically for Christians: I'm especially curious of how you would react personally. Many Christians tell me that one has to have faith. They have to believe. Their faith requires them to do so with no empirical evidence. Would you be skeptical of such a person and require some evidence, or would your faith take the front seat and lead you to follow this person without any proof whatsoever that s/he is actually who s/he claims to be?

I personally feel that such person would be shunned by by society (yes, even by Christians) and labeled insane.

Who gets to make the final decision on the person who claims to be the Second Coming™ is legit?

What are your thoughts?

I'd believe he is insane, or a deceiver.

Any god which requires time to accomplish its goals must logically be subject to time, and is neither Infinite nor Almighty.

 

[soulsurvivor]

....But how do your feel the world would react if a nondescript person (perhaps a carpenter?) proclaimed themselves to be the Second Coming™?....
Who gets to make the final decision on the person who claims to be the Second Coming™ is legit?

What are your thoughts?

Jesus has said that the Second Coming will be 'with power and great glory' - so he will not come this time as a carpenter or any ordinary person. So if such a person proclaimed himself as the Christ, you can just ignore him.

No specific person or group gets to decide who is the real Christ. But if a vast majority of the world believes in him, then he is very likely the real thing. Anyway, it is his ability to perform miracles and bring peace to the world which will be the ultimate test.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Jesus has said that the Second Coming will be 'with power and great glory' - so he will not come this time as a carpenter or any ordinary person. So if such a person proclaimed himself as the Christ, you can just ignore him.

Quite a variation on the coming than @Brickjectivity wrote about. Which begs the question, if Christians cannot agree on how he's coming back, how will they ever agree on who he is?

No specific person or group gets to decide who is the real Christ. But if a vast majority of the world believes in him, then he is very likely the real thing. Anyway, it is his ability to perform miracles and bring peace to the world which will be the ultimate test.

So as opposed to the US Presidential election, it is decided by popular vote?

 

[allfoak]

So who gets to decide which ones are false and which one is the real deal? On what foundation does this person decide?

None of them are the "real deal".
Jesus is not coming back.


So what is it that is causing these people to think that they are the second coming of Jesus?
The first thing is that they have been told and believe that such a thing is going to happen.
The next thing is that these people have experienced something that is making them think they are Jesus.
What has happened to these people?
We had someone like that here a while back.

This experience is called the virgin birth in religious terms.
People experience a clean conscience and a sense of clarity and understanding that they have never experienced before.
It can occur in many different ways.
Usually through religious devotion of some sort.
The author William James talks about this in his book a Variety of Religious Experiences.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Have you ever heard of the 'Messiah complex' ? Not only do people claim to be Jesus, but they also claim to be various other grandiose figures.

Messiah complex - Wikipedia
Grandiose delusions - Wikipedia

 

[Cephus]

There's no reason to take any claims about any Christs seriously. It's just wishful thinking.

 

[Kemosloby]

Some people don't get the jokes I tell. I explain it to them if I'm in the mood to be amiable. I don't if I'm feeling a bit vexatious.

Are Christians sworn to not reveal their secrets to non-Christians? Is this why no Christian has helped me to "get it"? If this is the case, it kinda negates the purpose of proselytizing, no?

Or are Christians supposed to be vexatious by nature?

If you've read the bible and did not "get it" you probably won't "get it", and seeing that you have a star of David you already belong to a club of people who don't seem to want to get it. So I decided it's best not to try sometimes.

 

[SalixIncendium]

and seeing that you have a star of David you already belong to a club of people who don't seem to want to get it.

Star of David you say? Perhaps one of us (hint: not me) needs to do a little research on the Theosophy seal.

If you've read the bible and did not "get it" you probably won't "get it"...So I decided it's best not to try sometimes.

I thought I had it but I...

...so I've come to terms with the fact that I'm...

 

[Kemosloby]

Star of David you say? Perhaps one of us (hint: not me) needs to do a little research on the Theosophy seal.



I thought I had it but I...

...so I've come to terms with the fact that I'm...

Never say never

 

[Jonathan Ainsley Bain]

Will the REAL Slim Shady please stand up?


Over the past few hundred years (perhaps longer), many have claimed to be, or have been touted by others to be, the Second Coming™ of Jesus Christ.

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

Granted, most, or more likely all, of the people mentioned in the article were false messiahs. But how do your feel the world would react if a nondescript person (perhaps a carpenter?) proclaimed themselves to be the Second Coming™?

More specifically for Christians: I'm especially curious of how you would react personally. Many Christians tell me that one has to have faith. They have to believe. Their faith requires them to do so with no empirical evidence. Would you be skeptical of such a person and require some evidence, or would your faith take the front seat and lead you to follow this person without any proof whatsoever that s/he is actually who s/he claims to be?

I personally feel that such person would be shunned by by society (yes, even by Christians) and labeled insane.

Who gets to make the final decision on the person who claims to be the Second Coming™ is legit?

What are your thoughts?

He came to me as a spirit, and his message was True.
I looked for God, a Deist or even Pantheist impersonal God,
and was astonished to find John the Baptist and Jesus answer me.

I think it was because I looked for truth with all my heart and soul, that they answered me.
Like any being one could potentially communicate with, if the message
did not ring true, I would reject the messenger.

A second coming to Earth in material form, I am unsure of.

 

[idav]

Who gets to make the final decision on the person who claims to be the Second Coming™ is legit?

What are your thoughts?

Whoever can decypher the Book of Revelations, assuming it wasn't just some guys dream.

Besides that the Messiah is supposed create world peace, and that isn't currently a thing.

Isn't the Messiah Supposed to Bring World Peace? - ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry

 

[David T]

As a carpenter I have been claiming I am the second coming of Jesus for years. My experience no one would believe him. Except a variety of women over the years who I have over heard at various times say" oh my god oh my god oh my god". I actually don't think it was directly related to my second coming claims.

 

[psychoslice]

I see all those who realize they are One with God, as the second coming, the second coming isn't a future event, its here and Now.

 

[bobhikes]

So you're saying the messiah chooses the chosen? I'm reminded of the story of the boy that cried wolf. Christians will become so jaded from seeing so many false messiahs that when the real one comes along, s/he will likely be dismissed as all of the others (except the first one).

Not exactly your actions of your life makes you one of the chosen. Its not a good term but it is how it was written

 

[soulsurvivor]

Quite a variation on the coming than @Brickjectivity wrote about. Which begs the question, if Christians cannot agree on how he's coming back, how will they ever agree on who he is?

Of course, not everyone will agree. But there are people with spiritual authority like the Pope and the Dalai Lama who may guide us. Even Jesus said there will be two distinct groups when he returns - the goats and the sheep.

So as opposed to the US Presidential election, it is decided by popular vote?

Not just a simple majority - it will be determined by an overwhelming majority.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

When the real Christ returns, I think we'll all know for sure that it's Him. Otherwise, I'm very skeptical. Maybe Christ's return will be when we all live in a Christ-like manner.

 

[buddhist]

Not just a simple majority - it will be determined by an overwhelming majority.

If a majority agreed, it might work against him, ironically:

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Mat 7:14

"Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." Lk 6:26

 

[soulsurvivor]

If a majority agreed, it might work against him, ironically:

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Mat 7:14

"Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." Lk 6:26

All men will definitely not speak well of him. It will probably be like a 60-40 split.

 

[danieldemol]

Will the REAL Slim Shady please stand up?...
...Who gets to make the final decision on the person who claims to be the Second Coming™ is legit?

What are your thoughts?

Your post seems to be saying as a hypothetical if the real second coming came who gets to be the judge.

In a real case scenario the final judge is God, and the people are judged by God in accordance with their individual judgement against the real second coming.