The End Times

Jesus Comes Back – The End Times

I was a weird kid (Note: This is NOT a time for you to comment on my present state of mind, nor is it time for you to affirm the weirdness of my childhood if you knew me back then).  I always had a fascination with “churchy” things.  I can’t remember a time I didn’t believe in God.  Sure, it was a childish belief, but belief nonetheless.  I was fascinated with TV Preachers (I used to do a GREAT Televangelist impression…maybe I should post a video…). 

It seemed that all the TV preachers talked about was the “End Times.”  They made predictions based on the “current state of the world,” and said we are most likely living in the End Times.  Then they went into their “turn or burn” rant (I’m not saying there isn’t a time for “turn or burn,” but isn’t Jesus more about love and forgiveness than just a way out of Hell???). 

I had in my mind the picture of “Rambo Jesus” coming back and destroying everything in his path.  And, according to these TV preachers, with a small donation of $19.95, you could get your own VHS video of how to survive these times.

Then came a series of books that I will not name.  I read them all.  They were engaging as far as the plot goes.  I even remember having one with me on a trip, and staying in a hotel.  When we left the next morning, I asked my wife if she packed the book, and she looked at me and in her deepest and darkest voice she said, “It was Left Behind!” (Insert horrible joke laughter here).

These books had a clear cut vision of how the End Times would happen.  You could even go on their website and get a chart outlining what we would all go through if we didn’t “turn” because what was about to happen was a lot of “burning.” 

Only a few years ago did I start to realize that it’s sad that I was getting my theological education from a bunch of millionaire TV preachers and a fiction series of books.  What did the Bible have to say about it?  (In case you were wondering – that’s where we should get our information on Godly things…Sure, teachers, preachers, and other books help – they help a lot in some cases, but the Bible is where the answers are).

Here’s what Jesus had to say about it:  Mark 13:1-32. (Read it and then come back).  Still sounds a little scary, doesn’t it???  Well, that may be what Jesus was trying to say.  But, was Jesus speaking directly to us in this generation?  Maybe, or maybe not (Remember, he said even He didn’t know when the End would be – it’s all up for grabs).

Read it again.  Here’s a Link so you don’t have to go back.  Now, let’s look at what Jesus said.  The whole one rock on top of another rock – That happened when the Romans destroyed the great Jerusalem Temple in the year 70.  The rest of it – well, hasn’t fully happened yet.  We do have wars, and we do have rumors of wars.  There have been a lot of natural disasters.  But, well, if you’re reading this, I’m guessing that we’re not yet in the Eschaton (that’s one of those fancy words meaning the “End Times”).  I’m pretty sure anything I write isn’t going to amount to much in the End.

So, what did we learn from Jesus?  Things will get bad.  Then they’ll get worse.  Of course that’s what’s happening.  Ask the oldest person you know what his or her parents said about that person’s generation (“Girls these days…wearing skirts where you can see their ankles…What horror!!!!).  So, yeah, it’s going to get bad. 

But, isn’t the end of almost anything where it gets ugly before it gets better?  Think of the end of a person’s life.  The person gets sick, struggles, as death approaches, the body fights to stay alive – harder and harder – then “boom” the person dies.  The family grieves and even that gets harder and harder – there’s denial, sorrow, family fights, hurt feelings.  But none of it stops there, does it?

Now read Isaiah 11:1-9.  A stump from Jesse’s root – That would be Jesus – Jesse was King David’s father, and Jesus was a descendent.  Go to the first chapter of Matthew to see that.  Here’s a link.  But, I’m more concerned with the vision of the New World.  Wolves living with lambs???  That just can’t be.  And a child playing over a snake’s hole – a poisonous snake’s hole.  And nothing bad happens???  Wow, sounds peaceful, doesn’t it?  That’s the point!  After all the bad things of an end happen, isn’t there a peace that follows?  After the person dies, you can see his or her face relax.  After all the family problems, there is usually a peace that comes.

(I could even use TV shows as an example – In their final season, most TV shows get bad…and then they get worse…Even our favorite shows rarely keep their quality, and we’re finally ready for them to end.  Then they do and we get some piece of mind)

Yes, there is destruction in the End.  But, the End is not about destruction.  The end is about redemption.  This is the message in the Book of Revelation.  There are wars, and bad things happen.  They get worse and worse, but God’s plan doesn’t end there.  God’s plan is for the world to be redeemed, not ended.  There is a New Heaven and a New Earth. 

So, maybe “The End” is a wrong label.  Maybe it’s like a graduation.  We don’t call them “Ending Ceremonies,” we call them “Commencement Ceremonies.”  Commencement means beginning.  Yes, students finish school, but that is a beginning of the rest of their lives.  So, maybe we don’t have “Rambo Jesus” but rather we have the same Jesus who came the first time who comes back a second time.  Maybe this Jesus comes to redeem and complete his people rather than to inflict pain on them.  Maybe “The End” is really a brand new “Beginning” of eternity.