Introduction: Why Study Eschatology?
by David J. Nixon
"The End Times"...you may hear this phrase and have a variety of reactions - the one I would encourage you to have is "joy" and "hope". I base this on the description of this event given to us by Paul in God's Word, The Bible. Paul says that the news regarding the End Times is the "blessed hope" with which we are to encourage and build up one another:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you." (Titus 2:11-15)
Whatever else comes to your mind when you see the phrase "The End Times", the Lord intends us as Believers to respond in a positive attitude and for this to be something taught in the churches to encourage each other and indeed exhort us on to live the Christian life. I go one further, and suggest to you that a knowledge of the End Times also exhorts us for evangelism while we still can. If we know Jesus is coming back soon then we are left with a massive task of seeing that all our friends, loved ones and even those people we have never met around the world hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Indeed, also useful is the fact that as the thousands of years old prophecies of scripture come to life and play themselves out on the world stage we have an incredible opportunity to draw peoples' attention to the predictive prophecy and divine self-proving element of a Book that so many dismiss too quickly. Furthermore, it is this call to evangelism and defending of Biblical truth that Peter attributes the Lord's tarrying so far in history because He still awaits more to be saved (2 Peter 3:3-10) - this is his answer to those who mock him for teaching Christ's imminent return and should be our model today also!
Jesus Himself told us signs that would draw our attention to His imminent return as an encouragement: "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." He expected us to be out looking for His return with joy because this is the culmination of the Good News: Christ's return and our uniting to Him for all eternity.
Even all of Creation is longing for the Lord's return, as Paul writes and he connects it also to our inward hope for the Lord's return and our bodily resurrection: For we know that all the rest of creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time. However, not only the creation, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit also groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?" (Romans 8:22-24). When the Lord returns He will eventually create a New Heaven and a New Earth, free from the curse of sin that has plagued so much of its existence.
These are just some of the things to think about as you look at the End Times articles available on this site and in the menu to the left. Far too often this context for the End Times is lost and it becomes a battleground of speculations; for these reasons the church today has largely turned its back on the black sheep of eschatology. It saddens me that a scholar on this topic came to my church and was greeted with disappointment when he told them he was going to talk on these things - where is their blessed hope? Do not sell yourself short, do not reject the hope the Lord has for you in this dark and wicked age, accept the blessing that He has promised to those who study these things (Revelation 1:3)
The Lord is returning, that is for sure, the details of it are contained in scripture. Let this be our scriptural model of interpreting Bible prophecy: we will determine the scriptural foundations and let those scriptures interpret events happening around us - not the other around! The scriptures foretold the rebirth of Israel and the recommencement of God's redemptive plan for that nation in the Final Days (the culmination of the End Times which have lasted from Christ's Ascension to now). That rebirth waited almost 2000 years but has happened now and so much more is taking place which seems to be lining up to fulfill Biblical prophecy, you can learn more now by navigating through our articles - may the Lord bless you as He has indeed promised!
Introduction: Why Study Eschatology?
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