Question: When Will the World End?

 

 

Question: All kinds of catastrophes, events, currents of time, and crises cause many Christians to see the end of the time of graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More as having come. But what criteria can really be found in God's Word for this? Do they even exist? How can we distinguish between the many expressions about the end, the future, etc.?

 

"I am coming soon" - the daily expectation of the coming Lord

Regardless of the many individual texts about the future and future events, a common thread runs through the entire New Testament: the Lord Jesus is coming soon, and His disciples should always expect Him - without "ifs and buts". Luke 12:36; John 14:3; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Titus 2:13 [1]; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:37.

All the texts quoted are aimed directly at the immediate expectation of the Lord Jesus - without mentioning any previous event as a condition. No earthquake, no peace treaty, no political upheavals in the Middle East or Israel are intended to deny us this great, happy, living hope in the coming of our Savior.

Wars, earthquakes, and epidemics - indications of the imminent end of the time of graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More?

Daily reports in the media about wars, especially in the Middle East, about refugee dramas, and also about natural disasters do not leave us cold. They should motivate us to pray earnestly for the Christians and non-Christians affected - and to love our brothers and help our neighbors actively. But are these events indications that the Lord Jesus is coming soon? Perhaps a few considerations can help to clarify this question:

• God has always spoken to people through his judging intervention (the Sint-flood, the destruction of the tower of Babel, the toppling of the tower in Siloam, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; Job 36:31; 37:13; see also Amos 3:6). It is therefore not a new, end-time phenomenon.
• In mankind's history, there have always been terrible natural disasters (e.g., the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD and the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755, which caused around 30,000 deaths), often worse than the current ones. But back then, they were less researched, recorded, and even less disseminated via the media.
• Incidentally, the devil can also be behind such disasters (Job 1:19), as far as God "allows" him. This warns us to be cautious about immediately concluding that God initiated the end. There have also been wars since the beginning of human history, sometimes with catastrophic consequences much greater than those of today (30-year war 1618-1648, WorldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More War I and WorldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More War II, etc.).

A look at human history and Bible texts should, therefore, make us cautious about making a connection with the end, the coming of the Lord, on the basis of intensive media reports in the present about many bad news of war and disasters.

The Lord's end-time discourse - with references to wars and the near end?

How, then, for example, is the well-known biblical passage in the Lord's end-time discourse in the Gospels to be understood? It explains just such a connection between wars and the end, doesn't it? Let's take a closer look at the text from Matthew's Gospel (Mt 24:4-13).

Verse 4: "And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’”

Important point: The Lord Jesus is speaking to his disciples here as representatives of believing Jews who are waiting for the MessiahMessiah is a Hebrew word (Maschíach) meaning “the Anointed One.” In the New Testament, the Greek form “the Christ” is used and applied to the Lord Jesus alone. The Jews,... More - and not as representatives of later Christians. This is clear from the context. For example, the SabbathThe last day of the week that God had set aside as a day of rest in the OT because He rested from His work after the 6-day work of... More is mentioned as a typical Jewish institution.

Verse 5: "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More,' and will deceive many..."

This is an indication that the Lord Jesus is addressing Jews here: believers today do not need to be warned about a false ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More (= MessiahMessiah is a Hebrew word (Maschíach) meaning “the Anointed One.” In the New Testament, the Greek form “the Christ” is used and applied to the Lord Jesus alone. The Jews,... More) - they know Him as the Crucified and Risen One.

Verse 6: "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."

"The end" is not the end of the time of grace but the end of the so-called time of tribulation, at the end of which the Lord will appear in power and glory. The end refers to the terrible "final" - in comparison, the beginning of this time is even less terrible.

Verses 7-8: "For nationNation (not nations) refers to any kind of people on the whole earth. This term is used to describe both Jews (John 11:51; Acts 10:22) and all other tribes. The... More will rise against nationNation (not nations) refers to any kind of people on the whole earth. This term is used to describe both Jews (John 11:51; Acts 10:22) and all other tribes. The... More, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

The "sorrows" are violent events after the Rapture of Christians and begin with political and geological upheavals. They are described in Revelation 6 under the six seals. Luke 21:11 also mentions "signs from heaven" - a reinforcement of the idea that this passage is not referring to current wars and earthquakes.

Verses 9-12: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulationIn the Bible, tribulation stands for oppression and persecution, such as the first Christians had to go through (2 Thes 1:4) and in particular the earthly people of God, Israel,... More and kill you, and all nations will hate you for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then, many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

Again, the Lord speaks about the believing Jews of the future, who will accept the Lord Jesus as MessiahMessiah is a Hebrew word (Maschíach) meaning “the Anointed One.” In the New Testament, the Greek form “the Christ” is used and applied to the Lord Jesus alone. The Jews,... More after the RaptureThe rapture of the believers is one of the great mysteries that was unknown in the OT and is only described in the NT (1 Cor 15:51). It describes the... More. They will be hunted down by their own fellow Jews who follow the AntichristThe Antichrist is a person of the end times who takes the place of Christ and is also his great adversary. He (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7)... More. The Lord prepares them for this with these words.

Verse 13: "But he who endures to the end shall be saved!"

Salvation here means entering the kingdom of peace, which has been the great goal of all faithful Jews at all times, in contrast to the "many" (unbelievers), the faithful ("but he who ...") will experience this salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More, either as martyrs or alive on earth.

Once again, the most important points in brief:

• The Lord speaks to his disciples as faithful Jews who were waiting for the fulfillment of prophecyProphecy includes any message that God saw fit to pass on to his people or anyone from the nations. Romans 16:26 speaks of the New Testament Scriptures as "prophetic writings."... More, for the kingdom of peace.
• The "end" does not mean the coming of the Lord for his own, but the end of the time of tribulationIn the Bible, tribulation stands for oppression and persecution, such as the first Christians had to go through (2 Thes 1:4) and in particular the earthly people of God, Israel,... More.
• The wars, earthquakes, etc., mentioned refer to precisely this future time.

The decline of Christianity - evidence of the imminent coming of the Lord?

Catastrophes, wars, and epidemics do not give us any direct evidence of the end of the time of grace, the Christian era. But we cannot overlook a progressive process of decline in Christianity. "The late period of Christianity in Germany has begun," one could once read in the secular media. However, the downward trend has existed since the beginning of Christianity, and Christians of earlier eras also felt that their time was the last. Shouldn't we also be cautious in our classification? If we think about the relevant Bible texts, however, they seem to clearly show a development that we have obviously reached the end of - even if we do not know how much longer the Lord still wants to wait. Perhaps He still wants to save my family members or yours (cf. 2 Pet 3:10).

We want to follow this development on a short "foray" through the New Testament in order to understand the divine thoughts and predictions better.

• "The last hour" (1 John 2:18)

With this expression, John outlines the general character of the time of Christianity: (a state of) perdition from the beginning to the end, especially in connection with false teachings about the Father and the Son.

• "Later times" (1 Tim 4:1)

Already this came in, towards the end of the time of the apostles, when some fell away from the faith, i.e., from Christian teaching. For example, they taught asceticism and celibacy.

• "In the last days, hard times" (2 Tim 3:1)

In these verses, Paul outlines 19 characteristics of the last days within Christianity (e.g., a form of godliness is mentioned). There had never been a decline of this intensity until the beginning of the 20th century.

• "In the last days ..." (2 Pet 3:3); "At the end of time" (Jude 18)

These two passages reveal even more blatant phenomena within Christianity:

-> Scoffers within Christendom who deny the coming of the Lord (this did not exist in previous centuries);
-> Rejection of the creation story (this also hardly appeared "across the board" within Christianity until the 20th century);
-> living in ungodly desires (the more recent history of Christianity provides far more sad evidence of this than the earlier one).

To summarize, it can be said that the downward development of Christianity had already begun at the time of the apostles. However, in the last 50 to 100 years, elements have been added that did not exist before: Open opposition to the Lord, to his word, to the work of redemption, to creation, to marriage and the family - and all this not (only) from secular institutions, but from the midst of the ranks of "Christians." Furthermore, no further stages of decline are mentioned - apart from the judgment on Christendom, which has degenerated into "Babylon" in Revelation 17 and 18. But this clearly takes place for us after the coming of the Lord.

We cannot deduce the time and hour of our Savior's coming from this decline either. But it certainly gives clearer indications of the Lord's imminent coming than political, biological, or geological catastrophes. It will be an act of mercy on the part of our Lord when He leads us out of the chaos of Christ-less Christianity and into the Father's house!

Despite everything - stay active until the end!

Should we Christians now despondently throw up our hands in the face of these sad prospects? Not at all! There is plenty of motivation for faithful discipleshipDiscipleship is a commandment of the Lord Jesus for His own (Mk 2:14). In discipleship, we follow the Lord Jesus in obedience; He is our authority. It means sharing His... More, for actively working in the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More, and for standing firm in the midst of much sadness:

• Main motivation: the Lord himself continues to build his assemblyThe literal meaning is “called out”: • called out of "the darkness" (1. Pet 2:9)—this refers to the area where there is a lack of light about God Himself, His... More (congregation, church), and the true church of believers will not be defeated even by HadesThe Greek term Hades, which is used in Mt 11:23; 16:18; Lk 16:23; Rev 1:18; 6:8; 20:13.14, corresponds to the term Sheol in the OT. This expression is used in... More (Mt 16:18). The church of Jesus continues to grow until it becomes a holy templeThe house and dwelling place of God in Jerusalem in the OT. The forerunner was the tabernacle.  It consisted of two main rooms, the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies,... More in the Lord (Eph 2:21). This can be observed particularly impressively in many countries outside the West. But the Lord continues to work in German-speaking countries, too!
• Jesus' appeal to pray for the harvest and workers remains unchanged - and to become active ourselves (Luke 10:2, 3). What about you and me?
• Steadfast resistance against the devil and his human minions (1 Pet 5:9; Eph 6:13), against evil per se, leads to the preservation of divine blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More, also for the benefit of the Christians around us.
• The Lord rejoices over waiting, watchful, and active servants (Lk 12:36, 37, 43). "Act until I come" - that is his commission to us (Luke 19:13).

Our Lord will come soon. Nothing more needs to happen until then. But we can and want to serve Him faithfully until then. Then we will see Him as He is - and thank Him eternally for His patience with Christianity and with us.

[1] Paul summarizes here the coming of the Lord at the Rapture ("hope") and His coming in glory ("appearing") - and skips, so to speak, the intervening time of tribulationIn the Bible, tribulation stands for oppression and persecution, such as the first Christians had to go through (2 Thes 1:4) and in particular the earthly people of God, Israel,... More.