Are We Living In The End Of Days?

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Those of us who take the Bible literally believe there is a time period in world history describing the end of days. These events surround the time when Jesus Christ returns to snatch away His Bride (the church). Many Christians today wonder if we are already living in the end of days. Bible Scholars, prophecy teachers and preachers have produced hundreds of volumes of text trying to unpack this important teaching.

They have developed systems and models such as pre-trib, mid-trib and post trib, pre-millennial, a-millennial or post-millennial. These terms describe the different options in how and when Christ will return and if the church will experience any part of the seven year Tribulation. One third of the Bible deals with prophecy much of which has been fulfilled. The Church over the past one hundred years has concentrated its teachings on the sections that deal with the end of days or the end times. Who is the Anti-Christ? Is he alive today? Are we living in the time described by Jesus in Matthew twenty-four? The proliferation of prophecy seminars and teachers in the past twenty-years is a testimony to the interest that many have in this subject.

Like you I have my eschatological ducks in a row. But over the last ten years I have mellowed in being dogmatic about certain details. Only Christ knows how and when these end time events will unfold. Every Christians game plan should be, live like Christ will return today but plan like He could delay for another one hundred years. This is not the time to sell our possessions and live an ascetic live style. We should all heed Peter's instruction.

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat: both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2 Peter 3:10-11 NKJ).

[Jimmy Wallace Turner]

Hello my friends.As time progresses I am often slow to respond.I check in as often as possible.To this I state!T.V. newspaper radio ect.For some time has lead the field in building the hisstaria of end times.Promoting violence,sex,racisim,politics,These things may not seem realivent.Yet a man or woman ,child,hear and see these things.They hear so much of it and more times than not are surrounded by this.As a little one new to faith sometimes this is overwhelming!To that I say no matter if someone should make a mistake correct it move on!Why?The wolf waits for the sheep.As many say some are held to a higher standard.And some are not seen.But let your guard down on your flock fall asleep!The wolf will come!At this people christians,are affraid.We have become safe to beleave behind four walls where we are not seen!Pew faith,Many cry revival!Critic those behind the pulpit and as soon as a mistake is made want to silence them.The wolf!So it could be end times.Due to a calender,prediction,astrology,a profesy,astroid,any number of reason as of late like y2,These are things we hear everyday!But fear is not of God!!I admit I myself that I am somewhat strange.Therefore to speak with me may seem a little weird!Yet I say why hide end or not Iam hear until called!Dark street,alley,stores,offices,or someones home.The word is a part of me my nature my words and actions.therefore it could be the end of days!Ido not know.This I know be who you are wherever you are do not belittle yourselves or another.It takes curage to stand in front one or a thousand and do what all of you are doing!No one said to follow Jesus was easy.I saw no easy way in the gospels for the desiples.So yes there is a end time.We need not wear a sign the end is near!We need no revival we need to be seen as a whole in belife in faith and truth for who we are!Christians who beleave!Do not let the wolf catch you asleep!It may not only be you left but others who look to you!The time will come but the end time for myself or anyone else could any second!So always seek jesus ,always tell others of salvation the rest as a whole we can work on together.Be blessed.

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

Amen. May the Lord continue to use you both for His glory until we come into the Kingdom Age where we will be with our God forever! Glory to God! Praise you Jesus!

[Christopher R. Dockrey]

Amen, Dr. Henry!

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Amen!

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

Whether Preterist, Futurist or whatever you believe about eschatalolgy, We must all believe that JESUS IS COMING BACK. In fact the early Church only really preached 3 things: 1. Jesus is God 2. Jesus died and rose again 3. JESUS IS COMING AGAIN.

I agree that their are many sensationalism teachings on both camps of beliefs and their are some who want to take every newpaper headline and try to pigeon hole scripture, but this must not take away to the important teaching of end times. Teaching on escatalogy has a sobering and sanctifying effect on the church. It spurs on the church to be holy for He is holy. It gives hope to the church living in a world which the spirit of the anti christ lives. Let us all teach on end times but let us not make this our central teaching so we will not neglect the weightier matters of the Law. God bless.

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Hi Christopher,

Though I do not except the Preterist view of Bible prophecy I respect your intellectually honesty. I agree that many current prophecy teachers sensationalize current events to prove a particular world view. Like you I have far more questions than answers not just about prophecy but of Scripture in general. The Bible is God's revelation to man. Man's understanding of God is faulty at best. We can understand God's Special Revelation (the Bible) only through the insight given us by the H.S. But even the H.S. does not let us clearly interpret every nuance. God wants us to be able to trust Him. If everything in the Bible were black and white we would trust in our intellect not in His Sovereignty.

Always nice to hear your thoughts because I know you have dug deep and have a thirst for truth.

God Bless you!

Michael

[Christopher R. Dockrey]

Hey, everybody. I'm not interested in debating the issue per se, but personally I'm leaning more and more toward a form of Preterism - basically the idea that most of the end-times prophecies were fulfilled in the First Century. I'm still looking for Jesus to return, but I no longer believe that Matthew 24 specifically relates to our day and time, and I don't think Jesus was referring to the end of our present age, but rather the end of a Jewish age beginning with the destruction of the temple and the siege of Jerusalem. The only way to make an objective judgment about this is to compare Mark 13 and Luke 24, because Mark and Luke also provided an account of the Olivet Discourse recorded in Matthew 24. When you do that, it really changes your perspective.

That said, I'm no longer looking for a future Antichrist. I know the spirit of Antichrist is out there, and can manifest in various ways, but I think there is very compelling evidence that Nero was the Beast of Revelation - particularly the evidence of his anagram being 666, as well as other clues in Revelation. My definition of the Great Tribulation has completely changed compared to a few years ago. My ideas about Jesus' earthly return are much different than they used to be. I don't believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

I realize a lot of this flies in the face of what is commonly taught in the States, and particularly in my own circles, but I have come to accept Preterism as the most plausible explanation - and one that puts to rest all of the hype of trying to fit current events into the Bible. As much as I respect many prophecy teachers on a personal level, I really have a problem with their taking weekly headlines and trying to prove that they are fulfilling Bible prophecies. And I also have a problem with taking biblical prophecy and turning it into a fictional book series. In my view, there is something seriously wrong with that kind of treatment of the Scriptures.

However, to be clear, whether Futurist eschatology is true or not should not be judged on the basis of those who take it to extremes. Those are two different things. But I honestly do think this particular brand of eschatology naturally lends itself to these extremes by nature of the fact that it looks more to the future than any other time in history for the fulfillment of much if not most of end-times prophecy.

I still have more questions than answers, and I still don't have an adequate understanding of what role Israel will play in any prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Neither do I have a grasp on who Israel is pertaining to prophecy, whether it is the modern secular state, the physical descendants of the tribes of Israel (many of whom are "lost"), or whether certain passages do refer to the modern government and others to the descendants, or whether there is some other explanation. And honestly, I think very few people I have met are secure in there understanding of this. When you really press the issue on specifics, virtually no one is willing to lay out the evidence for their position. And I think that's because, like me, they're not really sure. From my perspective, I'm comfortable with admitting I don't know, because that's the only way I'll ever be able to find out.

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Greetings Jimmy,
Very observant comments! It seems some in our world live as if they will never die and others are paralyzed by the thought of dying. God gives all of us one day at a time. You are right, we need to make the most of each day. I like what one person said, "We (Christians) are not in the land of the living waiting to go the land of the dying, we are in the land of the dying waiting to enter the land of the living"!

Blessings,

Michael

[Jimmy Wallace Turner]

Hello,Sir.For some time I have heard much of the end time debate!Is it now ?Or latter!They say Yellowstone can errupt, sun ,earth ,blackhole aline,core shift ,nukes,floods,and so much more!Churchs debate which is right which is wrong.Science profess great advancements.Goverments still have conflicts of policy.I could not say that any one of these things could not be our final day.Yet at any given time illness starvation,random acts.Can end a mortal life!I was once told.I had rather beleave in Jesus and get saved!Than not and find out I was wrong and suffer!This being said.End times or not.I would rather serve a savior who loves me!Therefore my concern is not when life ends!Instead how life is lived.We all know mortal life can be short.Yet how many know truly spirital life is forever?Therefore the debate is not end.But the fear injected into our lives that this is our last breath.So I choose to beleave my Lord that sin is forgiven and life is not ending but just beginning.So to all I say.Forget what you fear of end times and so on it is not for us to know.Seek Christ and live beleave all you do makes a diffrence no matter how small it may seem.To this end I state.It is better not to know when your time has come.But Jesus is now and salvation forever for you and all.So live life as if it is your last breath serveing Jesus to save all he can.

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Well said. Politicians and preachers should be taken with a grain of salt! Some of the most idiotic statements I have ever heard came from the pulpit (mine included).