What Do
You Believe About the 'End Times?'
by Lonnie Honeycutt
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What Do
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What Do You Believe About the
End Times? One of the most frequent questions I get concerns my stance on eschatology - my belief and/or position concerning the study of end-time events. It sometimes seems as though such beliefs are part of a litmus test for orthodoxy. As I begin this article I would like to state, up front, that my personal beliefs and convictions concerning the subject of eschatology may not constitute the belief system of those who are members of Deeper Life Fellowship, either in Mobile or Daphne. With that being said, here are some of my thoughts on the end-times. Without meaning to be flippant I want to say upfront that I believe there will be an end to this system of things. I mention this because some hyper-liberal sects of Christianity (and I use the term 'Christian' very loosely when speaking of these sects) do not believe in a literal end of the world -- they see the terminology traditionally interpreted as speaking of the end of the cosmos as a metaphor that has more to do with a cosmic rejuvenation or reincarnation. I definitely do not fall into this category. While I definitely subscribe to a certain eschatological viewpoint I also realize that this viewpoint is due to how I interpret end-time passages. I also believe that my specific beliefs concerning the end-times are not possibly without flaw. In other words, I could be wrong. To say that arguments about end-time events abound is about as much of an understatement as describing the sun as 'hot.' I'm not certain as to when such arguments began but I wouldn't be surprised if it were just after Adam and Eve's children became old enough to understand the promise God had given them (us) of a coming messiah. Further, as I've studied the eschatological arguments of men and women whose intellect dwarfs my own, I've found myself agreeing with certain aspects that seem perfectly rational but which are in genuine conflict with one or more different viewpoints. This is not to say that I've become convinced, as some have, that this type of study is unprofitable. I believe that any in-depth study of the Word of God can be profitable since His Word does not go out and come back void. It Seems To Me... Without a doubt, the investigation of prophetic events, both those that have already taken place and those yet to do so, holds a great deal of interest for me and most other people. Perhaps it's because we know, at some basic level even before some of us accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, that we are eternal beings. As such we have an innate understanding that while we are temporarily bound in time, we will not be forever bound by it. Whatever the reason, it's beyond dispute that humans the world over are intensely interested in what will happen 'tomorrow.' One random poll about a decade ago (back in the early or mid 1990's) asked the yes or no question 'if given the chance would you want to know what you would be doing in five, ten, or twenty years?' Over 92% of those polled answered in the affirmative (Yes). Even with a 20% variance to the negative that's an incredible response and it shows that the majority of our friends and family members are curious as to what the future holds for them. If one assumes that the Bible is true and that Jesus Christ can be taken at His word we can expect that all the prophecies mentioned in Scripture will take place. Even if one does not believe in the literal culmination of all future prophecies there is no doubt that the scenes revealed in the book of Revelation is heady stuff. However, it seems to me, given the fact that we are clearly told in the Bible that no man will no the precise date and time of Christ's return (be it in two stages with the Rapture of the Saints with Jesus in the clouds and then His second coming with Him coming directly to the earth or one stage, His coming directly to earth without a Rapture), many Christians are so 'caught up in eschatology' that it's not healthy. I can't count the number of times I've heard pastors, at the beginning of a sermon that will be dealing with future events or the Kingdom of God (either as it is presently being revealed or will be revealed in the future), say something to the effect of 'I'm not going to talk about my view of the end-times because it really doesn't matter what view a person holds as long as they're Christian.' Invariably they then go on to note specific 'problems' with views that don't agree with their own. It's almost like they just can't get past what they truly see as a non-issue without making it an issue. Usually when someone begins to talk about the end-times, especially if it's in defense of the particular view they hold of the Second Coming of Christ, they use 'straw man' illustrations. For instance, I can't count how many times I've heard people who don't hold to a pretribulational rapture or wrath view refer to those who do as people who are hiding out and waiting on God to return. Or, even worse, they make it sound as though those who hold to either a pre- or mid-tribulational view believe that hell is, in reality, overtaking the Kingdom of God. "God isn't coming back for a weak church or a church that cowers in fear. He is coming back for a strong, powerful body. There are some who think that the world is overcoming the church, but God isn't losing the war, His Kingdom is expanding. He isn't going to 'sneak up on His children' like some 'thief in the night' in some 'secret rapture' so that they are surprised when they suddenly appear in Heaven before Him." I've heard similar statements by pre-tribulationists against post-tribulationists and everything in-between. In my opinion, arguments such as these, that rely on exaggerations that aren't remotely similar to the actual beliefs held by those they are meant to 'convict' should be below Christians. We should also simply agree to disagree unless our particular viewpoint is hindering the work of God's church (believers) on earth. Hold Whatever View You Want, But Do God's Will Maybe I'm too simplistic when it comes to reading the Bible. Even if there is a sub- or over-arching meaning found in certain Scriptures, it would seem to be wisdom to at least do what is blatantly obvious. Here's an example of what I mean... In Exodus 20:16 we are given a simple commandment -- "Don't bear false testimony against your neighbor." In short, 'DON'T LIE.' That's pretty simple. In other words, 'Tell the Truth.' Period. If we understand the commandment as it plainly reads we don't have a problem. Certainly, the commandment not to lie would help relationships flourish -- especially if both parties adhered to it. However, if we analyze it so that we understand it to be a 'relationship tool,' which it is, and then restrict it to this analysis we run into some potential problems. In other words, if we begin to 'expand' on the meaning of the commandment in such a manner that it takes on a different meaning, regardless of how well-meaning that meaning is, it can become an altogether gnarled mess. For example, if we 'de-mystify' the command by assuming that the original intent of God was to preserve peace among mankind (certainly this is one aspect of the command) and that lying to or about one's neighbors is abhorrent to God (which it is) we might then conclude it would be best to simply live in a cave so that one doesn't have neighbors to lie to or about. While this might be a viable option for a monk with pathological tendencies towards telling falsehoods, it simply doesn't make sense for the rest of the world and it would certainly go against the rest of the tenor of Scripture which assumes one-on-one relationships to be the norm. Lest anyone accuse me of being overly dramatic, I can list at least a dozen such liberal, hyper-spiritualized notions that are held by people calling themselves Christians off the top of my head (e.g., the resurrection of Christ was spiritual rather than bodily, headship of man over woman is a metaphor for sexual intercourse rather than an issue of simple god-mandated positional authority based on a man's submission to God, etc., etc.). The point is this: Regardless of when or how you think Jesus Christ is going to return (and He is), there are plain and simple instructions given to those who follow Him for what to do until He does return. At the very least we should... Love
the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind and with all your strength and love others as you love yourself.
Mark 12:28-31 Okay, having said all of the above, here's what I believe about the End-Times... The end WILL come, Christ WILL return, and, we WILL give an account of how we spent our time here on earth. Since no one knows the day or the time of Jesus' return I certainly don't want to have to admit that I spent a lot of time debating my particular eschatological views with another brother or sister when we both knew that Christians should be about our Father's business night and day. Amen. Pastor:
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