The End . . .

Most of us have probably seen caricatures of so called prophets of doom and destruction. In cartoons, TV and movie a man can be seen with a sandwich board hanging over his shoulders which often reads, “Repent, the end is near” or some other variation of the saying. Often this character is portrayed as a bearded man, often ignored, and sometimes even as a panhandler with a cup for donations.

Nearly 2,000 years have come and gone since the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Since our Lord’s ascension into heaven believers have been anticipating His second coming. With His coming will be the judgment of the living and the dead, the ultimate battle between good and evil—Armageddon, the wrath of God upon sin, a new heaven and a new earth; need I go on? With Christ’s return we are really are looking for the end of the world as we know it.

Now please don’t think I’m making light of these things, or that Christ’s coming is not my hope. I am looking forward to that day; as I wrote yesterday, “the Lord’s return will happen sooner than later.” I guess you could say that I really believe the end is near, that the final chapter of human history is being written before our eyes. Sooner not later Christ will come again. The righteous will be with Him forever in heaven; the unrighteous in eternal torment in hell.

Yet I’m not the first among believers to say that Christ’s coming is imminent or looming just over the horizon. Christians have believed this for centuries. I guess that’s why the caricature of the prophet is often ignored or seen as a panhandler. Isn’t that what people around us often think about the church?

Still others would claim that Christ has already come, that we are living now in the Day of the Lord. All that remains is for us to establish His kingdom (as though God need our help). Such misunderstanding and rumors have been around for a long time. Look what the Apostle Paul wrote:

• [1] And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. [2] Please don't be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us, don't believe them.
  2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 (NLT)

Don’t let yourself be lulled to sleep, or worse to be deceived by false prophets. When Jesus returns to gather us to be with Him we won’t miss it if we are looking for His coming. Stay alert because the end is . . .