Why the End Times are Important

About a year ago, Jake was in an interesting conversation that caused both of us to do some thinking and studying. He was talking with a guy who mentioned his frustration when people focus on the end times. This guy went on to say something along the lines of "Yeah, we all know the end times are going to be horrible, but I'm not going to go lock myself in a prayer room." Interesting thoughts. This conversation, and many like it, have caused us to be sure of why God has called us to have understanding about this particular topic.

I have no idea what kind of audience I have reading this blog, but I do know that there are many open doors for me to offend people when talking about this topic. I don't pretend to have it all together or to know all of the answers, nobody does (Matthew 24:36). But what I do know is that we don't have to be in the dark about this subject. Ignorance is not bliss when this all goes down. There are varying opinions on how much the church will be around during the last days. With that said, I strongly believe that the church will be present on the earth during the end times and will face immense hardship and trials including the greatest falling away in human history, coupled with the most revived church the world has ever seen. I know this is strong language, but it's a reality a lot of Christians choose not to grapple with. All this is just an intro as I share about what Jake and I concluded from his earlier conversation.

So, why put any focus at all on the end times? Why does it matter so much?

1. Because the end of this story is essential. The early church seemed to think it mattered a lot. In multiple gospel messages preached by the apostles, the return of Jesus was mentioned. Paul talks to the church in Thessalonica in his second letter and mentions that he had already spoken to them quite a bit about the end times and he had only been among them for a few weeks! (2 Thess 2) Now, some might argue that the early church was convinced that they themselves were going to see the return of Jesus, while this is true, there's more to it than that. The early church knew that the gospel message was not complete without the resurrection of the dead and the return of Jesus. You're missing the end of the story if your only hope is to live a some what moral life and then go to heaven after you die. Jesus isn't planning on staying in Heaven forever, and neither will any of us who are saved. His inheritance is the Earth and all of the inhabitants, and He plans to live here, as a man, and rule over all the nations. That's a pretty HUGE part of the plot that so often is left out. Jesus hasn't forgotten. He can't wait to be one with His bride.

2. Because in the last days the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12) The church needs to know and understand what the Bible says about the end times so that we might not become offended and confused. Jesus is going to reveal His glory, leadership, jealousy, and justice in a way that many in the church are not prepared for. If we don't have revelation of the character of God, His plans, and His purposes, we may be among those who fall away because of the great delusion that will cover the earth.  Especially in the church in the west, who has little to no grid for suffering, we must be prepared so that we have unoffended hearts when trials and testings come. It is biblical for Christians to suffer, and I urge you to search that out for yourself if you feel bothered by me saying it. We must not be so foolish as to assume that our hearts will not grow cold. Our hearts are prone to this, and it takes extreme diligence to tend to the "garden of our heart" so that nothing chokes out life.

3. We are commanded to know the signs of the times so that we can keep watch and be ready. (Luke 21:29-36)(Matt 24:42-51)(1 Thess 5:1-8)
Many believers will throw away the study of the end times with this simple phrase; "No one can know the day or the hour, so why focus on it?" Many believe that Jesus could come back at any moment, maybe today, or tomorrow, or on Friday!! Jesus, Paul and Peter clearly state that this should not be the case for us as believers. Yes, we may not know the exact date or time that these things will happen, but we are commanded to know the season so that we will not be surprised. Jesus will see it as disobedience if we are surprised by His coming. I know that is strong language, but Jesus tells multiple parables (related to His coming) about a time of waiting and the punishment received for those not found ready (Parable of 10 virgins, parable of the talents, parable of the faithful servant to name a few). I can say with confidence that He's not coming back on Friday, and that confidence has come through the study of scripture and what has been said about His coming. Jesus, the apostles, and the old testament prophets have all given us signs to look for so that we can know we are in the last days. In fact, all 3 of those sources said more about the final generation than their own! The Bible talks more about Jesus' second coming than His first, because it is just that important! (over 150 chapters in the bible have a main focus on the end times)

These are only 3 reasons why it's so important to have a focus on the end times. Jake and I feel called to be messengers preparing the way for Jesus to come back. Do we believe we'll be alive when this all happens? Maybe. But it might happen when our children or grandchildren are on the earth and we will be held accountable for how we disciple them. There is so much in store for those who go on the journey of searching out the scriptures in regards to Jesus' return to the earth. Your confidence in God's sovereignty will grow, you'll feel more certain of the victory for the saints, and your fascination of Jesus will increase exponentially. It's all about this Man. It's way less about timelines and charts and figuring out all the intricate mysteries of the antichrist and the mark. The Father's desire is that our hope would be firmly anchored in the age to come where there will be no more crying or pain and He will dwell with man and remove everything that hinders love. That is something to rejoice in!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!