The End is Nigh?

For some 2000 years Cristians have been making clear that Jesus will return one day. Every change in the weather, every major war or astronomical event, every upset to the long established routine brings out the cry, ‘The End is Nigh.’ 

So far it appears this has not happened, just as well as many of us would not be saved. God is good in giving us time to come to him through his Son Jesus the Messiah.  Every so often we hear people telling us the world will end soon, and one day they will be right. Today is another time when such claims are being made, and not just by excitable US websites either. Let us consider some things.

For one, climate change, which is real enough no matter how many oil and energy giants lie to us about this, is already causing much damage to the world. Melting ice is flooding many areas, changing jet streams lead to weather distortions, even Scotland is getting warmer! The weather has of course always changed, ice ages come and go, floods, earthquakes and such like will always occur, the bible is full of them, but is it worse now, or is that just our perceived opinion?

Another sign to the end is the return of the Hebrews to the land God gave them several thousand years ago. This has been an ongoing conflict since the Great War but has recently reached an intensity beyond anything seen so far. The Hamas attack, the Prime Ministers response, and the thousands of deaths have not brought peace to the area, nor have they established Mr Netenyau as the hero he wished to be seen as. 

The potential in the middle east is always for trouble. Now Yemen Houti’s opening fire on passing ships in the Red Sea has caused an increase, which can only intensify here. It takes little to begin a war, especially when some wish to see one. 

One situation worldwide is the end of the concensus reached after 1945 where the west sought peace, sometimes at a cost. Today the ‘liberal west’ sees the democracies open to abuse by a far-right movement which cares nothing for law or democracy and is intent on ruling the west. Donald Trump, an egomaniac has much support among many who have rejected Jesus while holding bibles, and refuse to see any wrong in the indulgent, spoiled child who wishes to be king. There was a time he would have been thrown out immediately, not however, in today’s USA.

With the democratc west facing uncertainty, the liberal view questioning why deaths of Arabs in Gaza are tolerated, while those in the UKraine are not, and a growing right-wing threat to stability, can this precede an end to the world? 

One biblical view, and there are two or three to consider, indicates that Israel will be surrounded by the world, all the nations will attack Israel. This is because all have rejected the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, and Gods plan for their salvation. They reject God and follow a lie. Some would indicate that this could be the world situation today. Christian influence is weakening, that is, if it was genuine Christian influence in the first place of course, and the world is taking shape for the end attack on Israel.

The end times may indeed have come, though of course this may take another hundred, or a thousand years. Only God the Father, who is in complete control of this confused world, knows that date. Not even Jesus the Son knows this.

Christians require to rededicate themselves to their Lord and Master. To return to his word, seek to understand it, and follow him in their everyday lives. The Lord himself will work things out as they go about their business. He knows their needs, he knows their suffering, he knows their pain, he knows his plan. 

Until that day, as John Wesley put it, ‘Expect Jesus back at 9 am tomorrow morning, but plan for 100 years.’

End Times

The credit crunch has some believing the end times are upon us, and this may well be so, however there again it may not.  Global warming, whether natural or man made, financial collapse, the Jews back in Israel all point , for some, to the end being upon us.
However let us hold on a moment.
Financial collapse is not new, it happens occasionally and sweeps the entire world, natural disasters will be there until the end, and the Jewish return nowhere implies an immediate return for Jesus, it is in the Fathers time after all.
Israel it must be said does not behave as a Godly society ought to behave.  Their treatment of the Palestinians does not comply with Jesus attitude to the Romans who dominated the land in his day!  It is one thing to defend yourself, it is another to terrorise and brutalise your opponent! Blind support, usually from the US, takes sides with ‘the apple of Gods eye,’ but does not consider their behaviour.  This is wrong!  Supporting the work of the Lord in the middle east does not mean accepting wrong behaviour from either side.  Both need to accept salvation and Christians ought to be offering love to both.  Some even see Muslims as demonic and Jews as righteous!  Both are sinners God wishes to accept salvation and if the middle east is important to you prayers need to be directed to this end.

Jesus will return soon, and we may be alive to see it, the indications are there.  However we often make mistakes and misunderstand.  Therefore if we really wish to see Jesus return we need to stop reading the signs and start living the life.  There is little point in understanding scripture revelation if we don’t love our neighbour, or our enemy.  If our marriage is failing and we don’t get on with those around us. Jesus does not want folk ‘standing looking into the sky,’ he wants those who love him to live for him.  Then they will see him all around them and walk into his eternal kingdom.  They way is hard, but glorious if we hold to it.