Is it the End of the World?

One topic that Christians talk about is the end of the world.  The doctrine that deals with this is ‘eschatology’ and is ‘the study of final things.’  Due to the overwhelming popularity of the “Left Behind” books (more than 70 million copies sold) a particular view of the end of the world has become very popular.  I’ve talked about the book of Revelation and various topics relating to this interest in sermons and Bible studies.  I thought it mind be helpful to spend some time writing about it for those who might be interested.  So for the next series of blogs I’m going to address various themes relating to this issue.

For this first blog I basically want to give an overview and then in articles to come I’ll deal with specific topics.

Are we living in the last days?  Is the end near?

That is a good question and the answer is that we simply don’t know.  Our focus as Christians is to work until Christ returns and not sit back and wait.  Jesus himself warns us to not set dates.  Read Mark 13 and you find a passage that mainly talks about the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple (which happened in 70 AD).  Yet he gives this final hint of his return and warns us that no one knows the time or hour.  In the 19th century one group set a date and sold it all and went to wait.  When Christ didn’t return on that specific date the day became “The Great Disappointment.” 

There are a few statements I would want you to understand before this blog discussion can begin.

*There are many interpretations regarding this issue.  Tim LaHaye’s view in “Left Behind” may be a popular view but it is not the only view!  Many Christians disagree with this particular way of viewing the end of the world and we will explore that.

*This is a doctrine that we shouldn’t battle over.  The basic Christian belief is that Christ will return (the Second Coming).  These detailed discussions of what that means and how it will happen is not worth dividing friendships over.  It is not a salvation issue.  We aren’t questioning the divinity of Christ but rather intepretations in the text regarding one aspect of Christ.  Christians who have different views on eschatology still affirm Christ is the Son of God and is our salvation. 

*This view does have implications.  Having said what I said this view is important.  What we teach and believe matters and our views on various subjects do connect.  Some people become so focused on this one view and on the return of Christ that they neglect everything else!  The overall message found in Christ’s return is a message of hope.  We may not know the details but we do know that Christ will win the day!  As one person said in a study recently, “In the end we win.” 

Back to the first question I gave— Is this the end of the world?

Usually people ask this because they see how bad things sometimes seem.  The truth is I don’t know and no one else does.  I would caution against thinking that the sky is falling.  If we start down that path we might just start to talk about date setting!  Things have loooked dark many times in history.  When Jerusalem fell and they burned the Temple to the ground it seemed like the end of the world.  During many wars and struggles it seemed as if the end were near.  In this country there have been dark times.  During the American Civil War when the country was torn apart it seemed like nothing would ever get better.  The citizens under seige in some cities probably thought life would never be ‘normal.’  During World War Two people could easily feel as if it were all over.  Personally on September the 11th in 2001 I felt a shudder and wondered if life would ever be sane.  Dark days scare us.  Jesus said there would be many wars and rumors of wars.  Civilizations do fall.  Rome seemed invincible and yet it like all empires fell.  So we want to be careful to not declare that exact events in current life are verses from the Bible coming true.  Imagine a preacher stressing and banking it all on the Soviet Union being the beginning of the end of the world.  He might put out videos and studies pointing out various poltical events stressing the spread of Commuism and stating that this is bringing things together for the end.  Then commuism fell and the USSR disappeared over night.  Suddenly his message was wrong!  People who followed such a preacher intently would then began to question it all.  There were those who did just that.  Some of the ‘end times’ books that said the end was literally a few years away were written decades and decades ago.  In fact during the first century Christians were upset because they thought surely Jesus was about to return right then and when he didn’t and they saw their friends die they were questioning the whole thing.  The New Testament encourages them to not lose heart! 

So do I believe the world will end?  Yes.  Do I believe Christ will return?  Yes.  Do I think that there are strange ideas about it? Yes.  Do I think there are wrong ideas about it? Yes.  Do I think there are dangerous ideas? Yes.  Do I think there is confusion about it? You bet.

The book of Revelation is a wonderful inspired book that I love.  It has passages I use at funeral services. It is a message of hope.  Yet it is one of the most confusing books and can be scary in the hands of some.  From the beginning Christians wondered if we should even read it!  Some thought it didn’t belong in the New Testament!  Most did and I’m glad we have the book of Revelation.  It is Scripture and it is a part of our Holy Bible.  Yet it like many issues can become confusing. 

On other warning I would give.  Some people might get so focused that the end is near that they use that as an excuse to not do something to make the world a better place.  Some argue we should only evanglize because the world is ending so why worry about poverty or hunger?  Why take care of the environment if it is only going to be destroyed in a few years?  We are called to be stewards of this earth and to take care of poverty, hunger, and other issues as well as share our faith.  We do need to live a better world behind for the next generation. 

So stick with this blog journey.  I’ll try to write more often when possible to cover some of the issues at hand.

Next blog– What is the Theology of “Left Behind”?

Blessings,

Derik