What Does TruthForFree Believe About The End Times?
This is a question I have been asked on numerous occasions by various individuals for a number of different reasons. I sometimes receive email inquiries that comment how they could not find any information on my website about the subject of “eschatology” (the branch of Christian theology that deals with the biblical study of end times prophecies and the events of the last days). I’m sometimes asked, “What do you believe about things like the Rapture, the Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom, Future Judgments, etc.?”
It is true that there is only minimal information related to my personal opinion on these subjects on my website and this is for a reason, which I am quite happy to share. First of all, while I do have personal opinions (even strong opinions) related to these subjects, I am (quite honestly) not confident enough in my own understanding of each aspect of the various eschatological talking points to claim that I know for absolute that Scripture teaches what I think it might teach in many of these areas. That is not to suggest that I think the subject is unimportant. As I said, I do have opinions about these subjects and they are certainly not hidden from the Lord or from some of my closest friends. My convictions motivate me in different areas and my heart is always open to the Lord concerning them. He knows my desire to grow in my understanding of the truth and to be taught of Him in every area, including His desires for me as they relate to the aspects of this subject.
This topic has often been a major point of contention among believers in Christ and that disheartens me because, at the end of the day, Christian folks are dividing from one another based on their opinions about something that is not often directly related to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’ll try to give you an example…
Take the camp that believes in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture (and by this example I mean no offense or disrespect to those who hold this view in sincerity and who may not fit into my stereotype). Some in this camp have become so occupied with their concern over the Rapture and “end time events” and warning people that if they do not get saved they will be left behind, that their version of “the Gospel” becomes, NOT the actual message of Christ’s work on Calvary and its significance, but rather the “good news” that you can be saved from The Great Tribulation and physical suffering on earth. In response, many may decide to become “Christians” based on fear of being “left behind” rather than because they’ve had a genuine conviction of sin and the need for repentance or even because they have fully believed the Gospel of Jesus and desired to be an active part of the Family of God. I have been concerned at times that this amounts to a distraction from the true Gospel of Jesus and its ultimate significance.
The positive aspect I see of many who hold that view (or really any of the prominent views on the subject) is when the Gospel is made central to the conversation. While Christians may disagree on perspectives about the timing of various end time events mentioned in Scripture, if the urgency of motivation is to ensure that the Gospel is preached and souls are being saved because the will of the Father is to seek and save the lost, then I can get behind that – even if I disagree with some of the nuanced particulars of the eschatological view itself!
When people get caught up in concern over all the “stuff” of the end times (no matter what eschatological camp a person may reside in), many people simply give up on the effort to be a light to the world around them because, in their mind, what’s the point – since they may be raptured at any moment or since they may operate under the mindset that “everything is gonna burn anyway” and they won’t be here much longer to have to mess with anything in this world… In a word, this could be called apathy.
The other possibility is that concern over these things lead some people to a hyper “survivalist” mentality or excessive worry about moving to the right location (for example) to escape whatever possible calamity may happen. Please understand, I am not anti-preparedness. I think it is wise to have basic preparations available for unforeseen circumstances, but regardless of a person’s conviction about how to manage these things, I strongly believe that the safest place to be on earth is WHERE YOU ARE! How can I say that? Because I believe that if a person is listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit day by day, they will know where to go, what to do, and when. Followers of Jesus should have confidence that they exist in the palm of His hand and that NOTHING can be done to them if it is not His will to allow it! Remember the words of Jesus to His disciples?
Matthew 10:28-31 – Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Makes it pretty clear where our priorities are to be on this issue doesn’t it and whom we should be trusting in for our provision and protection? The evidence in Scripture that our God cares for His people is abundant and we should comfort one another with these truths!
Psalm 56:11 – In God have I put my hope, I will have no fear of what man may do to me.
Isaiah 41:10 – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13 – For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
But in case there may be occasion of suffering in this life, do not be discouraged. God has adopted us and made us His dear children. We should not live according to the concerns of the flesh, but concern ourselves with putting to death those anxieties, temptations and deeds so that God’s Spirit may lead us, even through troubled times and circumstances. The Scripture reminds us to be content with what we have and to trust Christ that He is our helper and knows all our needs and will be faithful to take care of those needs.
Romans 8:13-18 – For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! (Daddy) Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Hebrews 13:5-6 – Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Whatever good the various viewpoints of how the “last days” are expected to pan out may include, there often seem to be unhealthy aspects of the focus on those things that (in my opinion) show an imbalance with what the believer’s focus is supposed to be in accord with Scriptural teaching and the influencing character of Christ.
The truth is I could pick on each perspective of the end times and find flaws and concerns. This subject has the potential to turn into a huge distraction and debate; which is something I am not interested in focusing on with this website. My conviction is that the Lord has encouraged me to speak up about the things I am currently speaking up about so that’s what I will do until I sense some other direction.
So, unfortunately, those of you seeking details of what I believe concerning eschatology are not in much luck today. I will tell you this… I am not one who puts much stock in wild conspiracy theories or most of the typical end times hype that’s bouncing around out there, let alone some of the movies made about the topic (even though a few of them are, at least, entertaining). I am not a “doomsday prepper”, a weapons stock-piler, a gold grabber, or a bunker builder. I’m not waiting for the collapse of America’s economy. I also do not hold the opinion that, since the Bible talks about a great apostacy and tribulation in the last days, that Christians should just draw back from righteous actions because they believe it’s all going to burn and the world is on its way to hell in a handbasket anyway. NO, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS A RIGHT RESPONSE! God will hold His people accountable for their actions, as well as their inaction! If we know to do good and don’t do it, then how can God approve of such behavior?
The Bible says that God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if there were as few as 10 good men found there… Abraham pleaded with the Lord to spare the city if righteousness could be discovered… I dare say there must yet be a few righteous people left in the land today and that means there is yet hope. But where, I ask, are the people like Abraham who also plead with the Lord in prayer for our cities, our governments, our leaders… even the ones we don’t like and know are wicked?
Genesis 18:23-32 – Abraham approached the LORD and asked, “Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.” The LORD answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.” Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?” The LORD answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.” Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.” He replied, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.” Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty.” Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?” He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.” Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, and I will speak only once more. What if only ten are found?” He said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
I dare say that, most of those talking about the end times and expecting doom and gloom to descend suddenly upon America and the world because of their sins are maybe forgetting this story… Not to mention the fact that Christ Himself was tortured and murdered by sinners and yet He cried out, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Is it not possible that, even today, God might hold back the tide of His wrath against the wicked for the sake of His people… especially if we continue to pray for others so that they might come to know the goodness and grace of God as well? Especially if we continue to fight for justice, to advocate for the weak, to proclaim the truth, and take every opportunity to see righteousness prevail to whatever extent may be possible. To just give up and complain about the evil is not an option for the true Believer! So if that’s what someone’s “eschatology” leads them to (to give up and just assume doom), then I want nothing to do with them! They are not demonstrating the fruit of righteousness and God will eventually hold them to account!
America itself was founded at a time in history when all the deck was stacked against it. Christians were undergoing persecution; even being cast into prison for going against the wicked regime of the day. They could have given up. They could have said, “There’s obviously nothing we can do about the evil in this world… We are weak in numbers and power to do anything about it. This is obviously the end times and the Lord is probably coming back soon, so we might as well just resolve that this is the way it is…” No, they persevered! They essentially laid their faces down in the mud so that their children could walk on their backs unto freedom! They literally had a 500 year plan… They were always looking forward! Where is this resolve among today’s church people? It’s time to shed the distractions and pursue righteousness, goodness, justice, and truth! God will wind all this up whenever He sees fit and only He knows when that time is.
I’m not living in fear of the future. I trust the Lord and believe He leads those who put their trust in Him – period. Yes, I absolutely do believe that Jesus is coming back one day. As to when that will occur, I do not know. What I am compelled by is the greater truth that Jesus has already made His home in my heart (and hopefully yours as well), so in this sense He certainly is present among us who believe and He actively speaks today and leads those who listen to what His Spirit is speaking.
I will say again, I do NOT believe in giving up because “it’s all gonna burn”. I am not sitting around waiting for a rapture or fearing the Great Tribulation or worrying about whether it may have already happened in 70 AD or is yet to come. Yes, I enjoy studying Scripture and these subjects are of interest to me, but my relationship with Christ and other people is NOT founded on the study of eschatology. Whether the Church is raptured out before a time of great suffering or whether in the middle, after or not technically raptured at all (but perhaps the Scripture is referring to the wicked being taken out of the way), I care less about whether I understand this perfectly all at once than I do focusing on my walk with Jesus day to day and how Christ intends to work through my life and through the relationships with those around me. By-the-way, if it be that the “rapture” is actually for the wicked (for the Scripture compares those to be “taken” as akin to those swept away by the flood), then all the more we should pray for our lost neighbors and those who might fall into judgment if they do not turn to God and repent of sin.
I am not suggesting to anyone that it’s not important to study these things about the end times. I am not telling you to rip out the book of Revelation from your Bible. I am not telling you any such thing! Some of my closest friends on earth (whom also help me with the content on this website) have different opinions than I do in some of these areas that relate to “end time” events and their timing. So what? YOU walk with God! YOU listen to His voice! YOU follow the conviction that the Holy Spirit places within your heart! One thing I will remind us all of, regardless of what eschatological view each of us may lean toward, the words of Jesus:
Luke 19:13 – “…Occupy until I come!”
God has given each of us something to minister, to give, to share, to do… Let us then be found doing that!
God bless you!!!