THE BIBLE AND THE END

 

 

 

If you are like me, it is hard to listen to the news with its unbalanced and distorted reporting. Their unrighteousness and hypocrisy are so deeply disturbing that I have to force myself to look beyond these thoughts to the bigger picture, the one that transcends the chaos, suffering, and the inevitable destruction. We must do as Jesus had done:

·       looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:2–3)

 

The Prophet Micah had to also to fix his gaze upon the Lord. Everything else was falling apart:

 

·       Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:5–7)

 

All of the things and people we had placed our trust in we now find unworthy of our trust. It seems that we are living in the “last days”:

 

·       But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1–7)

 

Those who graduate from an institution of higher learning are at an all time high, but it seems that wisdom is at an all time low.

 

·       For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)

 

Truth has been rejected in favor of any myth might suit their fancy, even those which have been utterly discredited. Sadly, these myths are flooding into our churches:

 

·       But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. (Jude 17–19)

 

But our God reigns. He has predicted all these developments and has allowed them for His own good purposes:

 

·       …you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. (2 Peter 3:2–3)

 

Don’t be surprised by the criticisms of the scoffers. Yet our Lord is with us even through the worst horrors:

 

·       “Behold, I [Jesus] am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles…When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour…Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 10:16, 19, 21–22)

 

Yet, through this, His Spirit will enable us to stand, bear witness to the Truth, and even give us the words to speak.

 

Jesus had predicted what would happen in the end and prepares us for what we must face. If we fail to take these things to heart, we might be inclined to listen to the voice of the world, which tells us that it’s all our fault:

 

·       “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9–14; John 16:1-3)

 

Many blame themselves and the Church for the hatred directed increasingly towards us. Of course, each one of us falls far short of Jesus’ example, but He also warned that the world will hate us because we are the light (John 3:19-21) as His disciples:

·       “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18–20)

 

Consequently, we must not be quick to blame ourselves because we are hated and discredited. Jesus was perfect but hated and wrongly put to death. Nevertheless, we must examine ourselves. If we have committed any sins, we must confess them and make reparations if necessary, but then refocus upon our One Hope.

 

Only true believers will be enabled to endure through the persecutions. The rest will turn against us, as we see happening today, and will bring many false charges against us as they had our Lord.

 

We have our work set out before us. Our Lord will raise up His people during these hardships to valiantly serve Him and proclaim His Gospel to a world that is passing away.