For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36 KJV
Dark days are coming upon the earth. At some point in time, maybe sooner than we think, biblical prophecy will unfold, and the events of the final seven years of this age will occur. I believe multitudes of professing Christians will be caught by surprise. They will not be ready.
I have noticed a lack of teaching on these subjects lately. I haven't heard any sermons geared towards preparing people for Earth's final days. These are things Christians are not talking about. One pastor that I recently had a casual conversation with admitted that he didn't know what he believed about the end times. He hadn't really looked into it. I have heard others share the same concerns. They have also noticed a strange silence in their churches as well.
It's not as though there is a lack of end times information. Vast numbers of books have been written on the subject, the Internet is filled with videos and websites, some good, and others not so good. There are plenty of teachers out there promoting their version of how the last days will play out, and no doubt people are tuning in to see what they have to say. However, when I step into church, I'm not hearing conversations, I'm not hearing sermons, about world events that will someday be upon us.
I believe we have been set up for failure. On the one hand there is the popular teaching that we will not be here when all hell breaks loose. The main thing is to make sure you are ready for the rapture. The rest, as concerns us as Christians, isn't anything that will affect us.
The other teaching, one, more common than I realized, is that there will be no actual end times tribulation. All of the last days events foretold in biblical prophecy are symbolic, an apocalyptic portrayal of the battle between good and evil. All we as Christians need to do is wait for Jesus to someday come. While persecution has been a real thing all along, an end times Antichrist orchestrating great tribulation is only symbolic. Again, why worry?
What if we are wrong? What if there is indeed a day coming when the events that so many have spiritualized away into nothingness actually come to pass, and we as a Church are still here, contrary to popular belief?
I don't mean to offend anyone who may hold to any of these teachings. I understand that prophecy is not easy to understand, and a wide range of views are held by Christians throughout the world. I also understand that there are committed Christians who are looking into these things with the same interest and concern that I have. Therefore I am speaking in general terms when I voice my concerns. My intent is not to create heated debate between brothers and sisters, nor is it to belittle the beliefs of others. I write this out of a concern for the Church. I read the scriptures and see hard times coming, and a great falling away from the faith occuring at the same time.
Speaking of the return of Christ to gather his elect, we read of a great falling away that will occur first, along with the revealing of the "Man of sin" who we know as the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:1-4). This passage that has commonly been used to teach a prettrib rapture event actually teaches quite the opposite. Before Jesus returns to gather His faithful, many professing Christianity, instead of being raptured, will actually apostasize from the faith. This verse is clear, Christians will see the revealing of the Antichrist, and many will not make it. This affirms the words of Jesus, who foretold that the "love of many will grow cold." He admonishes us that one must "endure to the end to be saved" (Matt 24:11-12).
This is what is so tragic. How can we be better prepared to face the future? And if we never live to experience these events, how can we ensure that the future generation who will, is adequately equipped to stand for Jesus during Earth's greatest trial?
I have a few thoughts that I will briefly share. I will put them down here, and perhaps go deeper into them in future posts.
1. We must recapture the "Maranatha" cry.
The early Church looked for and longed for the return of Christ. It was not so much that they wanted to escape trials and trouble, but they had such an incredible love for Jesus Himself. I fear that many today have entrenched themselves into the affairs of this life. They have made a good life for themselves, and seek to keep up that standard. Like a child who spoils his appetite by eating a cookie before supper, many of us have got it so good here (at least here in America) that we no longer long for eternity with Jesus. We may give the idea of the return of Jesus some fleeting thoughts, but it is not a deep aching reality for a lot of us. We are too content here. At the close of his life the apostle Paul said this,
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV).
Are we numbered with those who "eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:28)?
2. We must recover a theology of martyrdom and suffering.
The early Church suffered intense persecution, yet they turned their world upside down for the cause of Christ. To identify with Jesus, to be baptized into His death, took on a literal meaning for them. Countless others have paid the ultimate price for their devotion to Christ down through the centuries. Jesus Himself calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. To save our lives is to lose our lives, while to lose our lives for His sake and the gospel's is to save them in the end (Mark 8:34-35).
We live in a time where we consider it persecution when the cashier at Walmart won't wish us a Merry Christmas. How will we make it when this verse is a reality,
And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death (Rev 12:11 KJV emphasis mine).
Martyrdom will be the primary way out of the great tribulation (see Rev 6:9-11, 7:9-17). Are we ready?
3. We need solid biblical teaching on the end times.
The Apostle Paul spent three weeks in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4). During this time souls were saved and a Church was planted. Paul was forced to leave because of persecution. However, in that three week period this group of "baby" Christians were soundly taught enough to thrive in the midst of suffering themselves (1Thess 1:14). They were also taught about the last days (1Thess 5:1-11, 2 Thess 2:5). Can you imagine a class for new converts today, where the main topic is a deep dive into eschatology? Could it be that this enabled them to endure the suffering that they faced?
Instead of running from prophecy because it is hard to understand, or scary to talk about, we must dig into it, learn it, and pass it on to others. The book of Revelation is perhaps the most misunderstood and therefore neglected book of the Bible. Yet we read this,
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near (Rev 1:3 NASB).
We need solid teaching based upon what the Bible actually says about the events surrounding the last days and the return of Christ. There is way more found throughout both Testaments than most of us realize. From the Prophets to Revelation an end times scenario unfolds. It is here that we learn why the events will unfold the way they do, who are the nations involved, where will the "Beast" come from, and at what point will Jesus return to establish His kingdom.
There is a lot of prophecy teaching out there, some of it is sound, but so much of it is mere speculation. It must line up with the word of God. Beware of those who have to spiritualize things away to hold to a particular doctrine. Yes there are symbols found in prophecy, but these symbols represent real things. If something can be taken literally, then take it literally. Wading through so much of the stuff out there is like navigating a minefield. It will explode in the end, and take many adherents with it I'm afraid.
We are warned throughout scripture to avoid deception, especially as it concerns those who will go through the last days. We must know and understand the truth. There is no more time to remain ignorant of these things. The Church cannot afford to remain in the dark,
But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober (1 Thess 5:4-6 NASB).
Paul wrote this to the Thessalonian Church. He knew that they had an understanding that went beyond a mere head knowledge, but had entered their hearts. Can we say the same today?
There are many more things I could say here, but this must suffice for now. Perhaps, God willing, I can expand on this in future posts. There is a day coming when Jesus will return, but before He comes there will be tribulation. If we are the generation to see all of these things come to pass will we be ready?