Are These the Last Days?

by Richard 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 have developed a one-world economy based on the precarious foundation of fractional-reserve banking, high interest rates, and inflation. Then there are serious moral and social problems: abortion, pornography, immorality, divorce, diseases, drugs, malnutrition, terrorism, and the threat 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.

The end may be near, but a great danger lies in so much preoccupation with the last days. We can consider much more evidence from the Bible and from history.

The last days?

Most New Testament students recognize that Paul and the other apostles thought the Messiah would return in their generation. In one of his early letters, Paul included himself among those who would be alive at the coming of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:15), though in a later letter he wrote of his impending death (2 Timothy 4:6, 7).

Frequently, New Testament writers referred to their time as the "last days" or as the "last hour" (Acts 2:16, 17; Romans 13:11; James 5:3). These references, with Hebrews 1:2, might mean that all time since the coming of Jesus can be considered the "end time." While some might dispute this, the fact remains that for all the New Testament writers, it was the end; they all died. But the world went on.

Warnings

Paul warned Timothy that in the latter times some would abandon the faith and that there would be terrible times (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1). Peter and Jude said there would be scoffers in the last days (2 Peter 3:3-7, 11-14; Jude 18). While these passage are frequently cited as prophecies for our day, the problems described have existed in every age.

A close look at the context indicates they were intended as warnings for first century Christians, though in principle they certainly apply to our day. For example, after warning Timothy about the kind of people there would be in the latter days, Paul wrote, "Have nothing to do with them" (2 Timothy 3:5; cf. v. 6). He considered his day as the prophesied latter days and warned Christians accordingly.

For centuries Christians have typically believed 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. These dates have two things in common: They all made good sense to people at the time and they were all wrong.

Reasons

Why is there such a preoccupation with dates and chronology, 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 godly hope. So they look for evidence of the nearness of the event they hope for. However, in the process, they may be inclined to see only the evidence that supports their hope.

Another reason is not so godly: Christians 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.

Pitfalls of prognostications

Maybe someday someone will happen to hit the right date. But in the meantime millions of Christians are falling into pitfalls of preoccupation with the nearness of the Second Coming.

Physical vs. spiritual protection. Some Christians are 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. may be a good idea. It might prolong one's comfort for a few months or years in this life, but it is useless in the eternal realm.

"Signs" vs. the gospel. Preaching the "signs" of the end can replace the preaching of the gospel of eternal salvation. For many, gloom and doom have become their gospel. The whole focus of their conversations and periodicals is what is wrong with our country and our world. These people are so preoccupied with the problems that they have little time or energy to preach the ultimate solution: the eradication of sin from individual lives and salvation through the power of God's Spirit.

Fear of suffering vs. fear of God. Dire end-time predictions can motivate people to religious activity out of fear of physical suffering and the hope of physical protection instead of fear of God and His ultimate eternal judgment. And when predictions do not come to pass, people so motivated can (and often do) lose all commitment to God. Yet their personal end, and the eternity that lies beyond, approach just as certainly as ever.

Biased perception. Preoccupation with the end of the world can lead to a biased perception of the real world. People so oriented see in history and in contemporary life only what fits their idea of what the end times will be. They see evidence of things getting worse and worse, ignoring evidence of advancements in various areas of life. Those who choose to see only one side of what's going on in the world become a laughingstock to those who know otherwise.

Nationalized gospel and prophecy. Some Americans in particular tend to nationalize the gospel and prophecy, to see the fate of America as the fate of the world. In fact, the end of the U.S. could come but not the end of the world. History reveals that nation after nation, civilization after civilization have 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 presumptuous leap of logic.

Disasters and judgment. Some who proclaim gloom and doom tend to equate all disasters with the judgment of God. For sure, America deserves judgment. But to equate every natural calamity with God's punishment belies the important part such happenings play in balancing the creation. For example, powerful hurricanes that wreak such destruction in some areas also suck up tons of moisture and drop it as life-giving rain in other areas.

Fatalistic attitude. Those who believe the Second Coming is imminent can adopt a fatalistic attitude and fall prey to a "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 (physical, spiritual, personal, community, or national), they say, "This is prophecy being fulfilled. The end is almost here; there's no need to do anything." Such people sit on their hands, so to speak, assuring an even worse world for their children if the end doesn't come soon.

Lifetime decisions. People make lifetime decisions based on end-time scenarios. I have talked to people facing 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.

Calculations. Preoccupation with the end inevitably leads to date-setting and creating end-time scenarios. All these have failed in the past. Those who espouse them are an embarrassment to Christians.

Can we know when the end is near?

A number of Bible passages are commonly believed to show that by observing the signs of the times, Christians can know when the end is near. However, some of these passages 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 Matthew 24:29, 30 describe a picture of cataclysmic events: "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" (Matthew 24:30).

But by the time this sign appears for all to see, it may be too late for spiritual or physical preparations. As in the parable of the ten virgins, when the cry of the approaching bridegroom is heard, it is too late for acquiring lamp oil.

Many other passages indicate an unexpected return:

"That day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap" (Luke 21:34).

"No one knows about that day or hour . . ." (Mark 13:32).

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42).

If the prophetic scenarios commonly accepted by Christians are true (a rebuilt temple, invasion of Palestine by Russia, rapture of saints, Great Tribulation, etc.), there would be nothing unexpected about Jesus' return. But frequently 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!"

Conclusion

Maybe we do live in the last days. But how sad that all the gloom and doom obscures the real message of Christianity. It is the end time for this generation. All of us will die; you will die. Unless you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and have 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 Jesus, your eternal future is secure.

Of course, what happens on this earth is of great consequence to us and our children 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.

Richard Wiedenheft lives in Barrington, IL. Scripture quotations were taken from the New International Version.

© 1998 General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day)