Are We In The End Times

Are We in the End Times?

Are we in the end times? This question has been asked throughout the history of the church. So, let me rephrase the question, Do I feel that our present day Church Age to be the last of the Church Ages before the coming of Christ? After much reading and studying the scriptures, I am almost for certain that our Church Age is the last before the coming of Christ.

Do I want to predict an exact time of the return? NO! I wouldn’t ever be so bold. The scripture tells us that only God knows for sure when that glorious event is to take place. He is not going to let the cat out of the bag till its time. If everyone knew the time, then most people wouldn’t bother with Jesus until the time grew near. This is not the way God works. He wants us to choose his lifestyle for our own and live accordingly to his will. He wants us to trust him no matter if he comes tonight or 30 years from tomorrow night. Life is not truly lived until you live it for Jesus.

Why then do we care if these are the last days or not? Well, if God didn’t think his prophecy was important then why does 30% of his word contain prophecy. Prophecy not only clues us in on future events but also shows us how God keeps his word and promises to those that believe in him. There has not been a promise made by God that has not come to pass. All his words are true. All his promises are kept. All his prophecy will come to pass. So, is prophecy really important to us? If it is this important to God it should be just as important to us.

Prophecy is not really so hard to understand. Most of prophecy is God telling us the historical events that will transpire for his people and the peoples around them. The Apocalyptic Books such as Daniel and Revelation are more symbolical and figurative in style. The most common theme in prophecy is Christ’s return and the events surrounding his return.

So, let’s turn our thoughts to the subject of this message. Are we presently in the end times as written in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation? In order to answer this question let’s look more into the word of God.

In John 14:1-3, Jesus promises his followers that he “will come again” and take them to his Fathers house. In Matthew 16:18, he promises to “build his church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Christ started his church by developing followers that would carry on his work after he ascended into heaven. In Acts 2, we see that these followers began the first church age on the Day of Pentecost. Christ through the Holy Spirit with the help of the dedicated disciples began the ministry of the church.

From this humble beginning to this present church age the church has withstood centuries of persecution and hate. God is true to his word and he promised that the church would endure till Christ’s return in which then the church will be taken from the Earth. This is where we are today, near the point of time in which the church will be taken into the waiting arms of Jesus and the tribulation right around the corner. Christ’s return is eminent and soon.

Before we say another word let’s turn to the scripture and read Matthew 24:36 and Acts 1:7. { READ } It is very clear to me that anyone who predicts or gives a specified time of the Second Coming of Christ is walking a thin line of apostasy. Any one who predicts this event is seriously wrong and disobedient to the Word of God.

However, God does give us signs concerning the time structure of the Second Coming. Turning to Matthew24:32-36, he gives us the Parable of the Fig Tree. In this parable he gives to us an approximation of the coming of the end times. Matthew 24:33, he states “so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors”. By looking at the scriptures we have more reason to believe that this will be the last church age. I know every church age thought that they would be the last but then they didn’t have all of history to look at like we have.

I will need to emphasize that no one can predict the exact year, day or hour of the return of Christ. For whatever reason God could delay 10, 20 30 more years for his timetable to be completed. Though we can’t be for certain, there is starling evidence that suggests the second coming of Christ, the rapture of the church and the end of man’s reign over the Earth is nearing it’s conclusion.