A question I’ve recently been asked by a number of people is whether or not I think the current events are a sign that the end of the world is near. When people have asked me this question before, I have a somewhat similar response each time – one that I hope is helpful in this time. My answer is “Yes and Maybe.” Let me explain why I say that.

Is This the End?

One thing that I think is important for us to remember is that ever since Jesus rose from the dead, we have been living in the “end times.” In Acts 2:14-24, Peter quotes a passage from the Old Testament Book of Joel that speaks about the last days and says that what is happening at the Day of Pentecost fulfills what was predicted in the last days, as the Spirit has been poured out on those who believe in Jesus. The people of Israel believed that in the last day the dead would be raised to life – and this last day has occurred as Jesus rose from the dead. This “last day” is a long day…one that has spanned nearly 2,000 years now, but there is a sense in which we absolutely should affirm that we are living at the end of the age. 

The end is already here, but the end of the end is not yet here, as Jesus also speaks about an hour to yet to come: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). We are in the end times, and there will be an end to the end.

But Is It the End of the End?

People may then ask, “Is this the end of the end”? To that, my answer is “Maybe.” That was my answer prior to COVID-19 and it remains my answer. Typically, we look at what is going on in the world and see things like natural disasters and now COVID-19 which could be considered a “plague” (and possible other effects like famines and other chaos), and we see connections to what Jesus teaches in places like Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 as well as the Book of Revelation. I have always been very cautious about connecting particular events to these details spoken about by Jesus for a variety of reasons. 

There are historical and cultural reasons why I am very cautious about identifying specific events with certain details. Christians through the ages have often tried to connect events in their time with events spoken about at the end of the age — whether it is a series of disasters, diseases like the Black Plague, or political figures. Yet, they have always been wrong. There is also a sense in which some of these discussions occur within particular cultures without reference to what is happening in the rest of the world. For example, Christians in the West often speak about increasing persecution from culture and declining faith in the church, yet Christians in places like Africa and Asia see great revivals and shifts in their locations. Similarly, we see disease or disasters in our land and think the end might be here, but similar things have happened in other places at other times and the world still hasn’t come to an end. Therefore, the examples of history and worldwide perspective cause me to be careful when making these predictions.

There are also significant biblical reasons to be cautious. When Jesus speaks about his return in Matthew 24:36-37, he says, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” When Jesus was on earth, he did not have knowledge of when his return would be or when the end of the end would happen — why then do I think I can obtain that knowledge? Moreover, Jesus seems to point out that the end will come at a time when people don’t see it coming. While this could refer to people who do not have faith or don’t believe that there will ever be an end (or at least one outside of scientific explanation), I think there is something to be said here that the end will come when people aren’t expecting it — it is more like a pop quiz than a final exam. In addition, when Jesus talks about the end, he notes that the very things that people often focus upon (wars, famines, and the like) are not the end itself, but the beginning of the birth pains. Matthew 24:6-8 says, “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Jesus likely says some of these words with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, but overall, I think the point is that we need to be careful not to assume that all these things mean the world is coming to an end.While it certainly could be, Jesus tells us that we can’t know for sure. Overall, his teachings point us to the fact that his return could happen at any time. 

So What Are You Going to Do?

When Jesus teaches about his return, his key emphasis is not that we can correctly predict when everything will end and he will return; the doctrine of his return is not some sort of pool to see whose predictions are correct or a chance for us to have special or privileged knowledge. Rather, what he seeks to do is push us towards faithfulness in our lives. We see this made clear in Matthew 24:45-25:46 as Jesus teaches and then tells a series of parables on the fact that we should be found faithful when the Son of Man comes. It is not about predicting when Jesus will return as much as it is about living faithfully while we wait. Therefore, rather than focus on when the end is coming, I want to focus on how I will live as I wait for the return of Jesus. In addition, the Book of Revelation was written for a persecuted church to give them hope that God will win and that He is in control even when the world seems to be spinning out of control and the church is suffering (for more on how to read Revelation, see this post from a few years ago).

This brings me back to one of my favorite passages: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). God’s grace has appeared, so let us live upright and godly lives as we wait for the return of Jesus. Or to put it another way — Jesus has come and ushered in the end of the world, let us now live in this reality as we wait for the end of the end (for more on how to live in light of this doctrine, see this post from the series on the Belgic Confession). 

Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.