End Times?

Likely if you can read this, then you probably remember something about 1999. Many were concerned or confused by the issues. What was the primary concern? Realistically, a simple issue of calendar dating on some older computer systems. Would things really have gotten out of control had the world's computer systems all suffered a massive failure? Not likely. Humanity had survived for thousands of years without computers. Certainly we would have had to adapt to what would be a temporary setback at best. However, we would have gotten through it just fine.

What does this have to do with end times? Plenty. During the Y2K scare (farce?), many reputable christian authors put out books about Y2K and the end times. Various bible scholars were even trying to postulate that the Y2K crisis would herald the beginning of the tribulation period. Well, that was nine years ago and we are all still here. Obviously sometime went wrong, or did it?

Let's be clear, God's time table is NOT our time table. We should not be trying to say that some sign or situation conclusively proves that the end times are upon us. In fact, in a related vein of folly, many Americans tend to try to see the United States in end time prophecy, even though there is really nothing there. However, that is where we get people like LaHaye, Jenkins, Lindsey, and LaLonde, amongst numerous others. Often they try to claim that the United States is the Israel or Babylon spoke of in the Apocalypse or else they skirt the issue of no direct reference to the United States by postulating a nuclear holocaust. Of course those believe in Christ Jesus as Saviour will be "raptured" before any of this happens, or so they claim.

Let's get real. The lack of a direct reference to the United States in bible prophecy is adaphoria. It doesn't matter. Christians should NOT be looking for some form of rescue from trials and tribulation, for Jesus promised that we'd have trials and tribulation. Rather, they should be looking for times and opportunity to share the gospel of Christ Jesus to a sinful and fallen creation. Are we in the end times? Maybe. Unless certain events happen, we can not really know. However, those events will happen on God's time table and not ours. It is God who knows our futures and also our pasts. We should live as if Jesus could return at any given moment as we do not know if we will live to see the next sun rise. Indeed, we are not even promised the next breath. In fact, the simple truth is that world does end when we die. Such being the case, we should live in the now and live for Christ Jesus according to his commands, obeying God's law out of love.

However, here is what the reformers felt about the end times and it would seem it is still quite true today. From the Augsburg Confession as found at http://www.bookofconcord.org:

Article XVII: Of Christ's Return to Judgment.

1] Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will appear for judgment, and 2] will raise up all the dead; He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, 3] but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end.

4] They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils.

5] They condemn also others who are now spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed.