Are we living in the End Times?

"There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven." —Luke 21:11 (NLT)

During Jesus' ministry on earth, He revealed that the "End of the Age" would be coming and that He would return one day to judge the world and bring about the end of all things (Matthew 24; Revelation 22:12). This is a period of time that Christians commonly refer to as the "End Times."

We don't have to look far online to see videos, articles, and comments stating that Jesus is coming "soon." We might look at the news and think, "Surely, things can't get worse than this, right?! Jesus must be coming back!"

Something to Look Forward To

"God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." —2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

It's pretty a pretty common fear that Jesus might return during one's lifetime—as if Jesus' return is something we shouldn't want to happen yet. Some people fear that they'll "miss out" on certain life experiences—like graduating, achieving career dreams, getting married, or having kids. Or they're filled with anxiety and fear about the end of all time.

But Jesus' return isn't something to overthink or be anxious about. If we have accepted Christ, then, when Jesus returns, we won't be judged by account of our own actions but by Christ's (Romans 8:1). The joy of eternity with God surpasses all pleasure and enjoyment we can imagine here on earth. In heaven, we won't be bummed that we didn't get certain experiences (2 Corinthians 5:8). We won't even be thinking about that in comparison to the paradise around us (1 Corinthians 2:9)!

Are we in the End Times?

The truth is, we've been in the "End Times" for over 2,000 years. The world entered the "End of the Age" the moment that Jesus ascended into heaven. Take a look at these two passages:

"Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. Now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe." —Hebrews 1:1-2 (NLT)

"'In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.'" —Acts 2:17 (NLT)

Notice that both refer to the "last" or "final" days. The time when Jesus walked the earth and the time when the Holy Spirit began to permanently indwell believers both took place over 2,000 years ago. Other passages speak to the end being "near" at the time the passage was written (1 Peter 4:7; 1 John 2:18). So according to the Bible, we're currently in a state of being "near the end." But how close is the end of the end?

Predicting the End Times

"No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." —Matthew 24:36 (NLT)

Ultimately, we don't know how close we are to the end of the End Times. In fact, we can't even know when Jesus will be back because not even HE knows—only God the Father does (Matthew 24:26). Over the centuries, many have made predictions about Christ's return or when we'll enter the end of the end times, and every prediction has failed.

It seems like every generation believes they're the last ones based on their contemporary world events. Yet, all those generations have come and gone. The Bible warns that trying to look at global conflicts to make predictions is a pointless waste of time.

Don't panic. God's timing is perfect.

"You will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately." —Matthew 24:6 (NLT)

Think of the world events of the last 200 years that have induced panic in End Times theorists—global wars, nuclear threats, assassinations, genocides... Not to minimize current world events, but there have been even more chaotic and scary times than our recent history. Please try not to freak out when watching the news. The world has seen stuff like this before, and we're still waiting for Jesus to return.

One of the most important things to understand about the End Times is that God's timing is perfect, and He knows much more than we do (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Think about it, if Jesus returned centuries ago, you wouldn't have born or had an opportunity to have a relationship with the Creator the universe. I think part of the reason Jesus hasn't returned yet is simply so that more people can be born and saved (2 Peter 3:9)! Once Jesus returns, the eternal state of all who are alive will be set.

But the gospel is still spreading, and millions are turning to Christ every day. Why wouldn't Christ wait longer so they could all turn to Him?

What if I don't like waiting?

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes about waiting for Jesus' return:

"Plan as though Jesus is not returning for a hundred years, and live as though Jesus is returning today." —Jimmy Evans, Tipping Point

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." —unknown (though often attributed to Martin Luther)

When we have the perspective that Jesus will return "soon," we're motivated to continually serve Him, repent of our sins, and share our faith. When we plan as if Jesus isn't returning in our lifetimes, we're being wise about our futures and making important life decisions without worrying if we'll "miss out" when Jesus returns (Matthew 24:48-51).

If you haven't accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus, there's no better time than today to put your faith in Him. Then you can be sure that you'll be ready—no matter when the end of time comes.

ALSO SEE:

• How can I be ready for the End Times?
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• When You Don't Know What to Do With Your Life
• What is the rapture of the church?
• What does the Bible say about overthinking?
• How can I overcome the fear of death?
• How can I stop being afraid of going to hell?
• How should I respond to Christian YouTubers?