What If We Really Are Nearing The End?

     So many people today, both religious and secular, are obsessed with contemplating whether we are living in the era of the world’s end. Just look at how popular all the disaster movies and end times books are. Between Christian novels like the Left Behind series based on the Rapture and the Great Tribulation, to movies like 2012 presumably based on the Mayan prophecies of the world’s end, society seems to be caught in the grips of disaster speculation. Even the scientific and political communities are totally consumed with the notion that if global warming is not stopped and reversed, we will cause the world’s demise.

     I have to admit, it consumes me all too often as well. Not the global warming part though. The world will not come to an end because of man. God Himself will destroy the world at His appointed time, when His plan for this world is finished. The Apostle Peter wrote of that day saying, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV).

     The Mayans don’t necessarily have it right either. The end could come in 2012, but not because the Mayans had some revelation about it. Jesus said very clearly, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36 (NKJV). As a side note, I actually believe that this verse is speaking of the return of Christ for His Church in the event we refer to as the Rapture. However, whether or not that’s the correct inference, Jesus was definitely talking about the end, or at least the beginning of the series of events that lead in short order to the actual end.

     So as much as you want to be carried away with the Mayans, or some other unbiblical “prophet” (like the ever popular false prophet Nostradamus), keep your eyes on what Scripture has to say about it. Understand that the end of the world is coming in a dramatic and horrific manner, but not in the hap hazard way described by the numerous unbiblical predictions out there. Rather, it will come exactly as God has warned it would through Scripture, culminating in the return of Christ.

     Regarding the timing of His return, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:42—44 (NKJV). In one of the last verses in all of Scripture, Jesus said, “And behold, I am coming quickly … .” Revelation 22:12a (NKJV). It certainly sounds to me like Jesus wants us to be ready!

     Now although we cannot know the hour, God has given us various warning signs that will precede the return of our Lord. Thus, we will know when we are at the threshold of the final days of world history. Some of those events have already occurred in recent history. Other events are right now coming into focus.

     One of the most incredible signs that has happened since Jesus left this world concerns the miracle of the Jewish Nation. Israel has miraculously been regathered from the countries where God scattered them. Through the Prophet Ezekiel, God explained that because of Israel’s disobedience:

Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.

Ezekiel 36:18—20 (NKJV). During Ezekiel’s time, the sins of Israel had to do with rejecting God in favor of the false gods of their neighbors. The Jews were allowed to come back into their land under occupation, however, they were scattered again by God (through the Romans) when they failed to recognize the Messiah had come. Jesus predicted this when He said, “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:24 (NKJV).

     No nation in the history of the world has ever survived after 2,000 years of being scattered across the globe. Many nations have been conquered and dispersed from their land, yet they are always absorbed by whatever culture or nation they went to. This didn’t happen with the Jews. After living in various countries and cultures throughout the world for 2,000 years, the Jews retained their national, religious and cultural identity. That’s impossible, but because Israel plays such a central role in end times prophecy and because God has promised to prove to unbelieving Israel first and then to the unbelieving world that Jesus is the promised Messiah, Israel’s preservation and reunification were inevitable.

     Again through the Prophet Ezekiel, God said:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.’”

Ezekiel 36:24 (NKJV).

     Despite the impossibility of this happening, and despite the constant threat against Israel’s continued existence, this prophecy started its fulfillment when Israel regained its statehood in 1948 after more than 2,500 years of captivity, occupation or dispersion. One day the rest of Ezekiel’s prophecy will be fulfilled when God pours out His Holy Spirit on Israel and proves to them that Jesus is their Messiah, just as God promised through the Prophet Zechariah more than 500 years before Christ’s birth and crucifixion, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV).

     Almost as implausible as the prophecies surrounding Israel’s reunification is the reemergence of the Roman Empire as predicted by Daniel, who was a contemporary of Ezekiel. Through the Prophet Daniel, God told exactly how He would send the Jewish People into captivity through four dominating empires, Babylon and Medo-Perisa (both of which happened during Daniel’s lifetime), then Greece through Alexander the Great and the four rulers that split off when he died, and then finally Rome. Daniel also described that the Roman Empire would again be in existence in the end times, “And shall devour the whole earth, [t]rample it and break it in pieces.” Daniel 7:23b (NKJV). The Apostle John was given the details of how the revived Roman Empire, throughout the last seven years of the history of this age, would make a final but failed attempt to destroy the Jewish People and all those who trust in Jesus. See Revelation 6—19.

     I believe we are witnessing this revived Roman Empire come into formation through the European Union, which originally formed to create a common European market and community of nations. However, in November 2009 the European Union essentially formed a new world power when it ratified the Lisbon Treaty, which is actually a national constitution among united European states. This new united Europe will no doubt become a dominating force throughout the entire world, especially since the United States of America is clearly losing its position of global influence.

     I also believe that since the reality of the economic collapse in the Fall of 2008 became evident to all, the world has moved much closer to creating some sort of world monetary system, just as the Bible predicted would be in place during the end times. The Apostle John made it clear that the leader of the revived Roman Empire, whom Scripture calls Antichrist, would control the global monetary system by forcing everyone to swear allegiance to him. The Apostle John said, “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17 (NKJV). Now it’s impossible to see at this point in time exactly what that mark, name or number is, but it certainly appears that we are seeing the conditions for a one world currency to become a reality.

     There are also many other things happening in our world that appear to fit Biblical prophecy, such as an increase in natural disasters and disease, mockers of Christianity, and in fact an absolute hatred of Biblical Christianity even among churches that claim to be Christian. See Luke 21:11, 2 Peter 3:3, 4, Jude 1:17, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

     However, it has now been almost 2,000 years since Jesus said He was coming quickly. What’s going on here? Are we to expect the return of Christ is imminent, like being on watch for a thief coming in the night, or does coming quickly mean some sort of code for thousands of years? Furthermore, what if we really are nearing the end of time, what are we supposed to do about it? In short answer, God wants us to live as if those days would come upon us at any minute, and we are to constantly work at spreading the Gospel message until we either die, or the Lord returns.

     Nevertheless, God clearly wants us to know when the end is at hand or He would not have given us so many warning signs of that time in Scripture. I believe that there are two main reasons why prophecy is not always super clear before and until it unfolds. First of all, prophetic Scripture has definitely been more understandable at different times throughout history. However, I don’t believe any of Scripture was written in code. All of Scripture is written to all people alive since each book of Scripture has been handed down to us through the prophets, yet it is intended to become clearer beginning with and for the people who are alive at the time it unfolds. This helps the people alive in the midst of the prophetic event understand what’s happening, and proves to those who come later that God’s word is true since it was able to foretell the future.

     Consider this, Jesus was first predicted in Genesis when God said, “And I will put enmity [b]etween you and the woman, [a]nd between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, [a]nd you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NKJV). Adam and Eve could not have understood that this promise meant God in human form would crush the curse of death by taking the punishment we deserve upon Himself and eventually putting an end to evil. However, more than 3,000 years later, the Prophet Isaiah gave a description of the Messiah that was quite a bit clearer, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; [t]he chastisement for our peace was upon Him, [a]nd by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV). By the time Jesus was born into this world, there were enough prophecies of His first coming, that the people who were alive at the time have no excuse for failing to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah.

     Similar to the example of Adam and Eve, the Apostles could not have imagined that 2,000 years (and maybe much more) would pass before Christ would set Himself up on Earth as King. On what we know as Palm Sunday, when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (just as prophesied by Zechariah and on the exact date prophesied by Daniel, both more than five hundred years before the time of Christ), the crowd proclaimed, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!” Luke 19:38b (NKJV) (quoting Psalm 118:26); see also Zechariah 9:9, Daniel 9:24—26. They clearly thought that Jesus was coming to be their King and rescue them from the Romans. Even after the resurrection, immediately prior to Christ’s ascension into Heaven, the Apostles still did not understand that there would be a second coming of Christ when they asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6b (NKJV). To which Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Acts 1:7b (NKJV).

     Why was it not for them to know the times or seasons? Isn’t that what prophecy is for? Yes and no. I don’t believe it was for them to know because God’s Kingdom on Earth would not come for at least 2,000 more years. However, I do believe that God gave us the prophecies of Christ’s return so that those who are alive just prior to that event would not only be more prepared to expect Him, but also so that they will be encouraged in the face of the dismal outlook they will see around them. Just as the people alive at His first coming should have expected Him, we will know to expect Him too.

     When Daniel was given his apocalyptic vision, he was told, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4 (NKJV). As a side note, that description alone sounds much like today, doesn’t it? Although Daniel was given many prophetic details of the future, God obviously felt it was necessary to only allow Daniel to record a portion of what he saw concerning the end times. By the time that the final revelation was given to the Apostle John, nearly 600 years after Daniel, John was told, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” Revelation 22:10b (NKJV).

     Therefore the prophecies contained in Revelation are intended for people alive since then to be aware of. In fact, Revelation begins saying, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 (NKJV). By that statement, it’s clear that God wants us to be aware of prophecy, and in fact those who hear it and do the things Jesus commands in it are blessed.

     This brings me to the second reason why I believe prophecy is not always clear before it unfolds. We are to live the Christian life as if we are running in a race, because if we stop and get too comfortable in this world, we will take our eyes off of the world to come, causing us to fall into sin more often than we already do and to neglect the work that Christ commanded, which is to spread the Gospel message. The writer of Hebrews explained:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 Hebrews 12:1—2 (NKJV). The Apostle Matthew’s Gospel concludes with the command regarding what we are supposed to be doing as we run this race, which is what we call the Great Commission:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

 Matthew 28:18—20 (NKJV).

     The Great Commission is a command to all Christians, that we spread the Gospel message, which is that although we deserve God’s wrath for all the wrong we have done, Jesus, God’s Messiah, came to take our sins upon Himself, and if we would only repent and put our trust in Him, God will transfer all of our sins upon Christ and in exchange give us Christ’s righteousness. God uses faithful witnesses to spread His message throughout the world, so as Jesus said to God the Father while praying, “that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:21b (NKJV).

     The Bible gives some incredible promises to those who have been saved from the penalty they deserve over their sin. However, when we become complacent in those promises, and fail to engage the non-believing world to repent from sin and trust in Christ alone before it’s too late, we become not only disobedient to the Great Commission, but we also become far more susceptible to falling into sin ourselves. The way to avoid becoming complacent is to keep our focus on the prize in Heaven that awaits us at the end of this race in life. The Apostle Paul explained it like this:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12—14 (NKJV).

     Jesus wants us to run this race of life as if His return is about to happen any second. At the conclusion of what we call the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus told His disciples specific signs that would precede the end, Jesus warned, “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.” Mark 13:35—36 (NKJV). Therefore, we are not to be found asleep, but awake doing the work that Jesus commanded.

     After all, regardless of whether we are alive when Christ returns, or we die before that time, one way or the other we are all living within a lifetime of being confronted face to face by God. That thought alone should be enough to keep you awake! Therefore, whether we are nearing that time or not, there are only two things to ultimately be consumed with. First, you must get saved by repenting from sin and trusting in Christ alone for salvation; and secondly, you must run the race of a Christian life doing the work that Christ commanded, sharing the good news of the Gospel to those who have not yet been saved from the just penalty they deserve.

     We are all no doubt going to stand before God Himself one day and give an account of our lives. We will be judged for every single thing we have ever done, and every motive of our heart. Because all of us have fallen short of God’s holy and perfect standard, every single one of us will be found guilty of violating God’s law. You will not be able to argue that you didn’t know, because God gave you His creation to know that He exists, and put a conscience in your heart to alarm you every time you violated His law. However, because God loves His sinful and rebellious creation so much, He sent His only begotten Son to this earth so that He would live a perfect life and die an undeserved sinner’s death; and that if we would reject sin through repentance and trust Jesus through faith that He was our substitute, God will pass over our sins on that day, cloaking us in Christ’s perfect righteousness and letting us enter eternal life in His presence.

     These things are coming to pass. It seems to me that in fact we are the generation that is seeing the beginning signs of the end times. As Jesus said in His own words, “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near — at the doors!” Mark 13:29 (NKJV). Jesus wants us to know when these things are coming so that we will be prepared. Do not doubt they are coming just because they were predicted so long ago. The Apostle Peter warned, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8, 9 (NKJV).

     Are you ready to stand face to face before Christ? I fear that some people I know and love will have to live during that great and terrible time called the Great Tribulation. Nevertheless, even if I’m wrong, all of us will stand before God at the very moment we exit this life. Don’t be caught sleeping! Without the righteousness of Christ applied to your soul, God will not pass over you, He will judge you for your sins! We don’t deserve Heaven, we deserve judgment. Jesus is the only One who deserves Heaven, but in His incredible kindness, He offers you what you do not deserve, His righteousness! The writer of Hebrews asked, “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation[?]” Hebrews 2:2, 3a (NKJV). Don’t neglect this great offer of salvation. If you hear His voice, do as Jesus commanded, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15b (NKJV).