“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9-14, NASB)

Apocalyptic passages like this one get a lot of attention. Many Christians are almost obsessed with the end times. Interest in Christ’s return is not a bad thing: After all, Jesus Himself taught about His return. He wants us to keep His ultimate triumph over evil and eternal reign in mind. He wants us to live with an eternal perspective, not acting as if this world is all that matters.

However, it can become an obsession. Some preachers and authors have devoted their entire careers to analyzing current events, with the King James Version in one hand and the New York Times in the other. They continually rewrite their end-times scenarios, trying to discern who the antichrist is, when the Rapture will occur, and which countries are the beasts of Revelation. Some have set dates, promising that Jesus would return by a particular date. Many of those dates have passed already, inspiring some Grumpy Cat fans to declare it to be the “worst apocalypse ever.” I think I must have already lived through about 50 Raptures and 75 Second Comings.

Grumpy Cat’s cynicism notwithstanding, I am sure that Jesus will return someday. It may not be in our lifetime, but it will occur when God decides the time is right.

Far too often, we look at end-times prophecies the wrong way. Many of these prophecies paint a bleak picture. Just look at Matthew 24:9–12: Tribulation is happening. Christians are dying for their faith in other countries. It seems like the entire world has turned against Jesus and the church. Christians are falling away. People are betraying us. They hate us. False prophets are deceiving Christians. Lawlessness and immorality are rampant. It sounds like Jesus is talking about 2016. Many people will look at that and say one of the following:

• It can mean only one thing: Jesus is coming back really soon! Any day now!
• Yes, all of that is true, but it has been going for centuries. It’s all just symbolic of the cosmic war between God and Satan, between good and evil.
• It has been going on for centuries, and it will continue to happen. But, one of these days, Jesus will return.

I admit, I adhere to the third view. Whatever happens, Jesus calls us to continue to advance His kingdom until He returns. The Bible does not describe the end so that we can try to figure out when the Rapture will occur or live in fear. God’s Word calls us to perseverance:

• The one who endures to the end will be saved. Why does the Bible paint such a bleak picture of the last days? In part, it is because life is difficult. The world, flesh, and the devil wage war against the Christian, the Holy Spirit, and the things of God. Following Jesus is not easy. It will wear you out. You will be tempted to stop living for Jesus, or at least to stop serving Him in any active way. We must prepare to persevere.
• Before Christ comes, the Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached to the whole world. We are not to cower in fear. The world and the devil are daring us to be silent. God calls us to speak out. When the disciples asked Jesus if He was about to restore the kingdom to Israel, He simply told them that they should just prepare to receive the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Do not grow discouraged. Yes, we live in difficult times. Lawlessness is rampant: In our culture, in our government, and even in the church. Persecution seems to be creeping in, even in the “land of the free and home of the brave.” Christians have probably never been more marginalized in America than they are now. False prophets are leading believers astray. Yet, God is still on the throne. Even if America is in rebellion, Christ’s kingdom will last forever. We need courage and faithfulness to endure.

This post copyright © 2016 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.