Interpreting the signs of the end times can be tricky,
depending on who you listen to and the many different interpretations of
scriptures. Since the ascension of Jesus
well-meaning Christians have looked at various events considered as signs in
their times and had diverse interpretations to predict the coming of the end
times and have always been wrong. How do
I know they were all wrong? Well, Jesus
has not come again yet and we are still here aren’t we? People in the days of the Apostle Paul
thought the signs had been fulfilled in their day. Some stopped working thinking the end was
about to happen at any moment. “If the end of the world is coming tomorrow,
why go to work?” He addressed some
of that in his letters to the Thessalonians.
Numerous sincere believers thought World War 1 was
Armageddon and Kaiser Wilhelm was the Antichrist. When the war ended and Jesus did not return
many lost faith. When Nixon was dealing
with foreign policy that some believers did not approve people started looking
at signs of the end times. There was
even a formula concocted by some using numbers to substitute for letters of the alphabet
(example A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.) to determine that the Antichrist was the
Secretary of State in the Nixon administration.
The total numerical value of Henry Kissinger’s name added up to 666.
Oohhh!!!
Then along came Operation Desert Storm, the war in Iraq and
many sought to make that fit into their understanding of fulfilled Biblical
prophecy. All of this is to say that
depending on one’s interpretation the signs have been fulfilled in every
generation. However we must remember
that Jesus did not give us signs to be used for predicting the time of his
second coming. They were simply given as
messages to give hope in times of persecution and difficulty to encourage
believers to remain faithful.
The book of Revelation was an uninterrupted drama that was meant to be read aloud in one
sitting to gain the full effect of the story.
It was not intended to be chopped up and dissected to be used to make prophecy charts and
prediction of the fulfillment of particular signs. If one were to stop a classic movie every few
moments and make charts and debate or discuss every detail of the previous
scene one would probably miss the drama and full meaning of the story. It is filled with symbolism that was not to
be taken as much literally but to tell a colorful story conveying a message to
believers not to be discouraged no matter how difficult things become in the
world at a given time, those who remain faithful will be saved in the end. Not looking at the story in its entirety can
give the wrong message. For instance if
one were to view a few isolated scenes from ‘Gone With The Wind’ out of context
of the whole movie one could get the idea that Rhett and Scarlett were the
ideal couple. That is certainly not the
case when one views the entire movie. I
have long had a mental picture of those who use scriptures to form charts and
graphs so they can ‘know’ and ‘properly interpret the signs of the times’
being shocked when Jesus shows up…not on their timetable but His and they are stunned
saying, “This can’t be right. I still have two squares unchecked on my
chart!”
One of the best places I could refer concerning interpreting
such signs is Matthew 24 where Jesus addressed the disciples’ questions about
the end times. Jesus clearly says that
no one knows when the end will come in verse 36; “But about that day or hour no
one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Verses 42-46 give a good summary of the way Jesus wanted us
to look and live in preparation for that day; “Therefore keep watch, because
you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the
house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept
watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be
ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of
the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It
will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
I have a personal theory (more for fun more than theology) that
Jesus will return on the third day after His ascension. He was in the tomb three days and was
resurrected so I think it would be great symmetry to return for His second
coming on the third day after his ascension into Heaven. Wait, that was some 2000 years ago…we are way
past the third day!!! Hey, don’t forget
that, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are
like a day.” (Psalm 90:4 & 2 Peter 3:8) So according to that timetable, Jesus has
only been away a couple of days and perhaps will return in another day…sometime
around the year 3000. So, hang in there!
Seriously, in my humble opinion, there have always been
troubling times in history and there have always been those who seek to make
the events of the time fit their agenda or theology. However, I believe it is
best not to worry about such matters, as Jesus said, but to be faithful each day because we do
not know when The End Times (or our end time) will come. So live each day to the fullest honoring God and sharing His love to those around you and I think it will all work out OK for you whenever the end comes.
