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Are These the Last Days?
by Richard A. Wiedenheft
Our world has serious problems. Environmental pollution has reached global proportions: we’re being poisoned with acid rain, dying oceans, destruction of the ozone layer, and now the “greenhouse effect.” We are developing a one-world economy based on the precarious foundation of fractional-reserve banking, high interest rates, and inflation — an economy that is like a bubble waiting to burst. Then there are serious moral and social problems: abortion, pornography, immorality, divorce, diseases, drugs, malnutrition, terrorism, and the possibility of nuclear destruction. What a depressing picture! But do all these problems prove that we live in the last days just before the return of Jesus Christ? Many Christians believe they do. Almost daily preachers and writers cite the latest disaster or environmental problem as a prelude to the end. Many have accepted a scenario of specific events that supposedly leads up to a rapture and then the Second Coming. Some use Biblical numerics to set a timetable. To be sure, the end may be near — very near; but there is great danger in so much preoccupation with eschatology; there is much more evidence to be considered — from the Bible and from history.
The end time since Christ? Students of the New Testament recognize that Paul and other apostles were under the impression that the Messiah would return in their generation. Frequently, New Testament writers referred to their time as the “last days” or as the “last hour” (Acts 2:16-17, Rom. 13:11; Jas. 5:3; 1 Pet. 1:5, 20; 1 John 1:2, 18). These references along with Hebrew 1:2 might be taken to mean that all time since the coming of the Son of Man can be considered the “end time.” For all of them it was the end — they all died. But the world went on. Paul warned Timothy that in the latter times some would abandon the faith and there would be terrible times (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1); Peter and Jude said there would be scoffers in the last days (2 Pet. 3:3-7), 11-14; Jude 18). While these passage are frequently cited as prophecies for our day, the problems described have been extant in every age; and a close look at the context indicates they were in fact intended as warnings for first-century Christians. For example, Paul, after warning Timothy about the kind of people there would be in the latter days, wrote: “Have nothing to do with them” (2 Tim. 3:5; cf. v. 6). He considered his day as the prophesied latter days and warned believers accordingly. Down through the centuries Christians have believed more often than not that they lived at the end of the age, that they would live to see the second coming of Christ, that the turmoil and problems of their day were sure signs of the end. Many Christians, including well-respected scholars, have even set dates based on various “Bible” chronologies. Periods of 2300, 2520, 1260, 1290, 1335, and 1000 years have been manipulated in various ways to predict the end in the years 1000, 1033, 1356, 1572, 1365, 1533, 1648, 1847, 1844, 1914, 1975, 1988, and others. All these dates have two things in common — they all made good sense to people at the time; and they were all wrong. One would think that Christians would have learned a lesson by now, but we haven’t. We keep right on believing that we can succeed at interpreting prophecy while so many before us have failed. Why? Why is there such a preoccupation with dates and chronology, with figuring out when Jesus will return, with seeing every evil as a sure sign of the end? One reason is that Christians long to be united with their Savior at the resurrection — a blessed hope indeed. So they look for evidence of the nearness of the event they hope for. In the process, however, they may be inclined to see only the evidence that supports their hope. Another reason is not so godly; it is the same reason people consult fortunetellers and astrologers. They are curious about the future; unable to rest securely in the loving arms of their Creator, they want to know what lies ahead. And for every such individual, there is some Bible teacher ready with new proofs of how near the end is or of exactly when it will occur. Just possibly, someday someone might happen to hit the right date; but in the meantime millions of Christians are falling into a number of pitfalls associated with a preoccupation with the nearness of the second coming of the Messiah.
Pitfalls of end-time prognostications The end of this present age may be very near; certainly, the world has serious problems that bear the potential for cataclysmic destruction. But those who can see only the problems and who are preoccupied with the nearness of the end can fall prey to a number of serious pitfalls. Preoccupation with gloom and doom can lead one to be primarily concerned with physical protection (from a great tribulation) instead of with spiritual protection from eternal death. Having a stockpile of staples, alternate sources of energy, land for growing food, etc. are all good ideas, whether our future holds the end of the world or an economic recession. Being prepared for bad times might prolong ones comfort for a few months or years in this life, but it is useless in the eternal realm. Preaching the “signs” of the end can replace the preaching of the Gospel of eternal salvation. For many, gloom and doom has become their gospel. Pages and pages of their periodicals, the whole focus of their conversations, are what is wrong with our country and our world. They are so completely preoccupied with the problems that they have precious little time or energy left to preach the ultimate solution: the eradication of sin from individual lives, salvation through the power of God’s spirit. Dire end-time predictions can serve to keep Christians on their toes spiritually. However, they can also motivate people to religious activity out of fear of physical suffering instead of fear of God and His ultimate eternal judgment. And when predictions do not come to pass, individuals so motivated can (and often do) lose all commitment to God. Yet their personal end, and the eternity that lies beyond, approaches just as certainly as ever. Preoccupation with gloom and doom can lead to a biased perception of the real world. People so oriented see in history and in contemporary life only what fits their preconceived idea of what the end times will be like. They see only evidence of things getting worse and worse, ignoring evidence of advancements in various areas of life. Like a man who is so convinced he’s dying that he refuses to believe in any possibility of recovery; he contributes to his own demise. Those who choose to see only one side of what is going on in the world become a laughingstock to those who know otherwise. Among Americans in particular, there is a tendency to nationalize the gospel and prophecy, a tendency to see the fate of America as the fate of the world. In fact, it is conceivable that the end of the U.S. could come but not the end of the world. History reveals that nation after nation, civilization after civilization has crumbled and decayed. Given enough time, ours will undoubtedly go the same way. But to equate the demise of America with the end of the world is quite a leap of logic — a very presumptuous one at that. It should be noted that cultures frequently (though not always) die rather slowly. Consider the fall of Rome, to which America is often compared. Already in gross moral decay at the time of Nero (a.d. 60-70), the Empire continued for several more centuries — more time than the U.S. has existed as a nation. Among those who proclaim gloom and doom, there is a tendency to equate all disasters with the judgment of God. To be sure, our nation deserves judgment — by drought, war, pestilence, or however God chooses to send it. Any and all of these should serve to remind us of the results of sin and of our need to trust in God and Him only! They should serve to remind man that he is not in ultimate control of his own fate, a fact Christian preachers could well use to their advantage. But to equate every natural calamity with God’s punishment belies the fact that many such happenings play an important part in balancing the creation. For example, the powerful forces of hurricanes that wreak such destruction in some areas also suck up tons of moisture and drop it as life-giving rain in other areas. The problem is that mankind too frequently has tried to harness and abuse God’s creation instead of getting in harmony with it. Cities built on flood plains of rivers supposedly “tamed” with dams and reservoirs, only invite disaster. Rivers have been flooding for thousands of years — long before cities were built along their banks. Whom was God punishing back then? Those who believe the second coming is imminent can adopt a fatalistic attitude and fall prey to barricade or siege mentality — there’s nothing to be done about the world’s problems, don’t prepare for any future, just hole up and wait. Instead of actively working to deal with problems, whether physical, spiritual, personal, community, or national, they say, “This is prophecy being fulfilled; the end is almost here, so there’s no need to do anything.” So they sit on their hands, so to speak, assuring an even worse world for their children if the end doesn’t come soon. I have no illusions that Christian social activism will somehow solve the world’s problems. But if I can stand up against sin in my local school district and keep it just a little bit better for just a little bit longer for the sake of just a few more children, it will be well worth the effort. People make lifetime decisions based on gloom and doom scenarios. I have talked to people who face old age without children, mates, or resources because in their youth they believed the end was imminent. Others have rushed into ill-advised marriages because they thought time was short. Preoccupation with gloom and doom inevitably leads to date setting and creation of end-time scenarios. All these have failed in the past, and those who espouse them are an embarrassment to Christians in general. To be sure, our world is faced with serious problems, a number of which could bring national or global catastrophe and culminate in the second coming of Christ. But it is a serious mistake for Christians to be so caught up with gloom and doom that they fail to recognize good news and fail to preach the Good News that leads to eternal life. Of course, there is just as much danger of going to the other extreme — of believing that everything is fine, that the end is a long way off, and that the world is getting better and better.
Can we know when the end is near? Some Bible passages are commonly believed to indicate that Christians, by observing signs of the times, can know when the end is near. However, some of these indicate that by that time it will be too late, that the end will surprise all except those who are ready at all times! Luke 21:25-28 and Matt. 24:29-30 describe a picture of cataclysmic events just before “. . . the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). But by the time this sign appears for all to see, it may be too late for spiritual or physical preparations, as it is in the parable of the ten virgins. Many other passages indicate an unexpected return: “. . . and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap” (Luke 21:34; see also Mark 13:32 and Matt. 24:37). If the prophetic scenarios commonly accepted by Christians are true (rebuilt temple, invasion of Palestine by Russia, rapture of saints, great tribulation, etc.), there would be nothing unexpected about Jesus’ return. But time and again the message of the Bible is always be ready, always be doing the work of the Master because you don’t know when He will return! On the other hand, if we are putting God first in our lives, we will be prepared, whether Jesus comes back within a few days or a few decades, whether our personal end comes this very day or we live to see our great grandchildren. Very possibly we do live in the last days. But how sad that all the gloom and doom, all the end-time prognostication, all the date setting obscures the real message of Christianity. The fact is that it is the end time for this generation. All of us will die. You will die. And unless you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, you are not ready for your end. On the other hand, if you have become a child of God through Jesus Christ, then you are already sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Whatever happens in the kingdoms of this earth, as long as you continue in Christ Jesus, your eternal future is secure. Of course, what happens on this earth is of great consequence to our children and us in the physical realm. Whether or not freedoms and blessings continue in our homelands should be of great concern to Christians. But whatever the freedoms, whatever, the blessings in this life, they will ultimately end. The only ultimate freedom, the only ultimate blessing, the only ultimate security, is in the eternal, spiritual realm — the kingdom of God. The Bible Advocate Press grants the user permission only to download and print this article. If the user wishes to make multiple copies, permission must be granted by the Bible Advocate Press.
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