Is This The End?
Is this the end? Are we headed for Armageddon? Many people, irrespective of their faith, have sensed an apocalyptic aura in the air.
A New York Times article stated, “For people of many faiths, and even none at all, it can feel lately like the end of the world is near.” Another NYT article had the headline, “Apocalypse When?” In fact, nearly every news source that I checked (CNN, MSN, Fox News, etc.) had articles about the end of the world as we know it. Even Wikipedia has a page dedicated to a “List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events.”
In the midst of this speculation, what do we really know about the end of time? What does the Bible really tell us about the return of Jesus, Armageddon, and the last days?
The Bible does tell us a lot about what will happen as we near the end, but it also leaves some things unsaid. In some parts there is clarity. However, other parts are shrouded in mystery. To that end, here are six things that Scripture does say about the last days.
#1, There is an appointed time for the last days.
Jesus is coming at an appointed time. The last days will not be random. It’s not as if God is distracted and He’ll do it when He feels like it. No, the Bible is clear, there is a sequence of events that will set the stage for Jesus’ return and there are specific things that will happen after His return.
The prophet Daniel wrote (11:27 NLT) that “the end will come at the appointed time.”
Habakkuk wrote (2:3 ESV) “the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
When the disciples asked Jesus if the time had come, He responded by letting them know that “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times” (Acts 1:7).
Paul preached that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world” (Acts 17:31).
To be sure, we don’t know when it will happen, but there is a specific time that our world, as we know it, will come to an end. There will be nothing random about it.
#2, No one knows when the last days will come.
Even though the Father has set a very specific time for the last days, for Christ’s return, and for the judgment of this world, He has not told us when that would come.
This intentional secrecy is stressed by Jesus, who declared, “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36 NLT).
Many people have tried to assemble all of the puzzle pieces of prophecy and predict a date, or at least a season, as to when they think the last days will commence. I remember as a child hearing a preacher say that he believed the Lord would come during the spring of 1982. If you were born before 1980, you most likely remember a book titled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Come in 1988.
Jesus, however, makes it clear, if anyone says that they know specifically when the last days will culminate with His return – they are a false prophet. Jesus, in the parable of the Ten Virgins, makes it clear that the bridegroom’s return will be unexpected. He concluded the parable by saying, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that the Lord would come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
And yet, even though we do not know when the last days will come, Jesus says that there will be signs indicating the end is near.
#3, There will be signs of the coming of the last days.
Yes, there is an appointed time. No, we don’t know specifically the day or hour. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t be totally caught off guard. Jesus assures us that there will be signs signaling the imminence of the last days. He says, “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:32-33 NLT).
Jesus uses the fig tree because it is one of the last trees to bud in the spring. When we see that the fig tree beginning to blossom, we know that summer is right around the corner. There will be no more false starts, no more cold snaps. Summer is certain and soon.
There will be signs in the heavens, in the geological events of the earth, in the relationships between nations, and much more. Numerous signs pointing to the last days are listed throughout the Bible. Moses spoke of Israel being regathered together as a nation. Daniel wrote about empires and gave specifics about certain years. Jesus gave many signs which are listed in Matthew 24. Paul wrote the following to his young friend Timothy:
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT).
Paul said that people would love themselves and money. Nowhere is this more clear than that in our time there are more than 5 million children who are being exploited for money and/or illicit pleasure (wearelumos.org).
He wrote that they would consider nothing sacred. We see this fulfillment in the fact that our culture has killed more than 70 million babies in the name of choice. Life is no longer sacred, marriage is no longer sacred, and the family is no longer sacred.
Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that one of the signs of the end would be “a great rebellion against God.” That’s happening now. Fewer Americans are regularly attending church, and many don’t believe the Bible is accurate. Worldwide there are many Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. Yes, there are many who are coming to Christ and are trying to be fully devoted to Him. It seems, however, that the hatred of those who don’t know Jesus is at its zenith, and seems that there is no stopping.
Certainly, Paul’s words describe the days in which we live. It should make us wonder, “Are we in the last days?” If so, we should know that the Bible says the last days will happen quickly.
#4, The last days will happen quickly.
The last days will not drag out. Jesus says that all the prophecies of the last days will be fulfilled within one generation (Matthew 24:34). A generation is seventy years and to us that seems like a prolonged period of time. However, we’re now two thousand-plus years past the life of Jesus. In comparison, seventy years is quite fast.
While all the last day prophetic events may cover a seventy-year period. There will be parts of it that happen in just a moment of time. Jesus says “as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes” (Luke 17:24 NLT).
Paul wrote “that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’ then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 NLT).
Peter wrote that “the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief” (2 Peter 3:10 NLT).
Three times in Revelation Jesus said, “I come quickly” (22:7, 12, 20).
If we know there is an appointed time for the last days, and we know they’ll come quickly, but we don’t know when they’ll come – what should we do? Jesus admonishes us to watch.
#5, Jesus tells us to “Watch” for the end.
Several times in the gospels, Jesus warns us to watch for His return. He says in Matthew 24:42-44 (NLT), “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Are you watching for the signs of the last days? Are you ready for His return?
Jesus has invited us to be ready. Revelation 22:17 (NLT) says, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.”
The life that Jesus promises is His gift to us. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT) says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
We believe that we are saved by grace through faith – we love it, and we are so thankful for it. However, the Bible also says that we should test ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
How can we test ourselves? By asking if we are truly following Jesus and His teachings.
He says in John 8:31 (NLT), “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
Sadly, He says in Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT), “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
In other words, there will be people who claim to be Christians, but God will say they are not. In the end, God will only accept those who love Him and keep His commandments. That sounds like a lot, but it’s not. In fact, if we will truly love Him, selflessly love each other, and unashamedly share His gospel we will be people who are following His commands.
Jesus says in John 13:34 (NLT), “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
And in Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) He commands, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Is this the end? Maybe. Either way, there is an appointed time, there will be signs, and it will happen quickly. Our calling is to be ready and to help others be ready.