There, I said it (typed actually) and now the proverbial cat's out of the bag! It seems that everywhere I turn someone is talking about eschatology or end times. My mom is doing a bible study on Revelation, a women's bible study at Riverstone is doing the same thing, our family is taking an IHOPU class on the book of Joel, a number of the Christian radio stations I listen to when I mow the grass are teaching on it, various ministries and websites that our family follows are discussing it, and a friend of ours, Mark Nysewander, is actually writing a book about it from the Enemy's view. Right now people seem really hungry for a better understanding of how God's end time plan lays out. What does this mean? I don't know. Maybe nothing or maybe the Lord's stirring up His people. If I had to vote I would fall on the later side.
So, why is so important to have a clear understanding of the end times? Because it is important to God. Did you now that there are over 150 chapters in the Bible that focus on the end times? Compare this to the four gospels which total 89 chapters. The gospels give us a record of Jesus' ministry related to His first coming when He redeemed us from our sin. The 150 chapters on the end times reveals His ministry related to His return to rule all nations.
Some say that it's too difficult to understand or that we weren't intended to understand. Many are offended at the idea that we can know. Some choose the Ostrich method - putting their heads in the ground hoping it goes away. Others mock calling anyone who talks about it as doomsdayist.
Noah was given a difficult message to receive, unprecedented, unfamiliar, doomsday type message. They undoubtedly mocked him, after all, everyone knew that water didn't fall from the sky. It came up from the ground. Others were offended at the idea. Still others ignored his message. But did that change the message?
Jesus said "as in the days of Noah, so it shall be in the days of the Son of Man (Luke 26:27)". They were eating, selling, buying, planting, and marrying right up until the rains came. That's how it will be with us.
But, how will we know when? Matthew 24 tells us that no one knows the day or the hour. True. But in the same chapter Jesus tells us what things or signs to look for. The book of Revelation lays out God's plan for Jesus return. In the middle of summer, we don't know when the first snowfall will occur. However, when we see the leaves changing colors and falling off the trees, the temperature dropping, the thick gray clouds rolling in, and the snowplows getting ready, we tend to get the idea that snow might possibly be coming.
So, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with what God's word says about Jesus return. Sounds simple, right? Often God's way seems so simple that its offensive. The story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 is a great example. "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh will be restored." Sounds easy enough. But, nooooo! Naaman couldn't imagine it being that easy. So he suffered with leprosy until he relented to the simplicity of God's plan. Am I saying that it's easy to know when He will return? No, but you won't know how soothing the water feels until you jump in with Naaman.
When is Jesus coming back? I have no idea! Though I do know that we are a day closer. It could be 10, 20, 80 or so years, but I see the leaves changing.
--Jeff
