End Times
Mark 13: 32-33 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come." NASB
The other day I saw an ad in the newspaper about the world coming to an end. The organization based it's findings on a numerology. They did not set an exact date or time but believe that the end will come in the year 2001.
As a new Christian, I was very curious about the end times. I read Revelation and Daniel, did other studies, read commentaries and listened to others about the subject. I felt that Jesus was coming any day and wanted to be ready.
Over the past 10 years I have come across a few who tried to predict a year or month that Jesus would return. One person lived as if he would be caught in the tribulation. He stored food, had simple communication and energy equipment. He tired to place natural catastrophes as the end times. We were even chastised by this man because we chose to have another child. He questioned why we would want to put a baby through the tribulation. That was over 9 years ago. The man has predicated times and dates that have come and gone. Yet, he still lives as if there is no tomorrow, missing opportunities with family and friends to do the Lord's work.
Shortly after I broke ties with this man I took a job at a Christian conference center. In 1993 the center booked a conference by a well known evangelist who said that end of the world would occur in 1994. He too, based his findings on numerology. Sales of his book were brisk at the conference book store. I had my doubts and watched as people bought into this false prophet.
The evangelist rebooked for 1994 and held his "last conference" at the conference center before the Lord was to return. (I want to note that the evangelist rebooked for 1995, just in case the Lord did not return). The center turned into a mad house packed with followers and the media. Even some of the conference center staff became convinced that the Lord was coming and it affected their jobs. They lost sight of what Jesus commanded and fell victim to error. The month and day came and went and Jesus never returned.
During the conference I read about a well educated man who was following the evangelist. He responded to an interview from a large newspaper. He was convinced that Jesus was coming back. A few weeks after the conference ended, I was looking through the same newspaper and recognized a face and name in the obituary section. As I read through the obituary, I realized that it was the same man who was interviewed by the newspaper. I was told by a conference staff member that the man died because he was so convinced that Jesus was returning, that he stopped taking his life saving medication. All he had to do was read what Jesus said in Mark 13:32 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
Jesus was not inferior to the Father in that He did not know the time and date. He was limited in that He took on the human body. (Philippians 2:5-11) If Jesus did tell us the time and date we would probably be sitting around not doing His work. As Christians we are commanded to tell others about Jesus and build up His Church or Body of believers. We are to keep on working till He calls us home or appears in the sky to bring us home.
I believe that Jesus is coming. I don't know if it will be today, tomorrow, next week, year or in a 1000 years. I don't know if I will be called home or I will see Him in the sky. What I do know is that I am going to keep on working till it's time to punch out and go home.
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