Matt rolls his eyes when Aunt Sarah starts that crazy talk about the End Times—the end of the world—something of which the Bible seems to be obsessed. But Brittany … she doesn’t eye roll; she leaves the room. The talk of an end is morbid because she sees her future in the new guy. And Spencer and Malorie—they’re on kid number two and already saving for college. This little family has big academic dreams and any end-time reality is an interruption in plans.
Who wants to think about the end when there’s so much life yet to live; so many goals to achieve; challenges to conquer; and so many beautiful bucket lists to fill?
This is the problem: the unbiblical view of prophecy and of the latter days of which most prophecy points to. It’s a limited perspective of the entire, holy Word of God.
Purposeful Blindness
This is exactly where the one who seek to kill, steal, and destroy you and your holy purpose wants you—blinded to the truth of the future. When it comes to talk of the End Times, Satan wants you yawning or scared. He’d be happy with either.
Grasping blindly at your future or ignoring the truth of what’s ahead is not what the Maker and Planner of the universe wants for you. As His children and the object of His beyond-comprehensive love, He wants you tucked into His will when He deals with the principalities and powers of the air in these future events called the End Times—God dealing with the evil in this world.
Here’s the truth: Satan wants you unprepared, scared, disappointed, or even angry with God and His sovereign will.
God wants you prepared, fearless, hopeful, and at peace with His plan to usher in a better existence.
The Better Existence
The point of prophecy is not to alarm the children of God, but to direct their ever-wandering steps toward the culmination of God’s work in His people. And to reveal that He will do what He says He will do.
Through the literal creation story and the advent of man and woman, we learn that God, who is Love, extends love (Himself) through dwelling with His creatures (you and me). But through free will, humans have been given the choice to either serve God, mirroring holiness and love, or serve Evil, mirroring malevolent sin and hatred. The choice to not serve God and to serve Evil is what’s wrong with our world today.
At a future prophesied point in earthly and human existence, the evil and good in this world collide by Satan’s lust for power and God’s patient appointment. And all that takes place in these last of the last days (the wars, earthquakes, increased evil) is what many (even Christians) don’t want to face. While it’s troubling to know difficult seasons are ahead, it should be hopeful to understand that after this brief season of trials in which God’s faithfulness and our faith in Him are both proven, Satan is caste away for one-thousand years. The good guys win and the after effects last a long, long time.
Enter, a better existence. This is what we’re to be looking for—the return of Christ and the dwelling with God in a world created for good and peace and beauty.
When I seriously consider that prophecy fulfillment includes wars, death, and destroyed cities and countries, I confess, my thoughts turn to all that’s right with my life: the joy of watching my children become adults, the feel of my loving husband’s arms, the satisfaction of working in global ministry, the since of peace when I ponder nature—will all that be gone?
No. It won’t.
It will be better than what we have now. We live in a broken, corrupt world and what’s on the other side of the coming difficulties is what you and I were made for. All that is good times one thousand. We’ll have the blessings we have now and more. The made in His image part of our existence will become known in greater, deeper ways.
As the wars and rumors of wars grow more real by the day, I consider the current failing systems of man and I long for the perfect government of a good, holy, and loving King in Christ. Here’s a glimpse:
No more corrupt political parties unable to come to agreements.
No more dangerous youth gangs roaming lost in the streets.
No more heroin or meth sales making drug lords rich.
No more gender confusion in young minds.
No more cancer stealing loved ones.
No more wheelchairs.
No more bosses with enormous egos.
No more unfulfilled dreams.
No more Nursing Homes.
No more taxation or IRS notices.
No more disappointment in unfulfilled promises.
No more Hamas.
No more cheating.
No more lies.
No more hunger.
No more Alzheimer.
No more media talking points for hidden agendas.
No more broken hearts.
No more spam in my email.
No more deceit.
No more hate.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
The end times are the end of all things wrong and ugly in our current state of earth dwelling.
The end times are the end of evil.
And to that I say—be not afraid and be very hopeful.
Here’s what the Lord tells us to do as we speed toward these catastrophic events we’ve long wanted to ignore:
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. – Luke 21:28
And by the way, with the use of the word redemption here, we can understand that the Lord will not only do away with evil, but He will right what has been wronged in your world and mine. He will redeem it! Hallelujah!
So now, what will be your response to the proverbial words End Times?
Here is your call to action:
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. 2 timothy 3:1-5
If I perish, I perish,
Laurie
Author Laurie Green Westlake 