Why Every Christian Should Study the End Times

I think most of us have heard someone say, “I don’t study the Last Days or the return of Christ because it’s all so confusing and no one knows the day or the hour so why bother?  Just live your life as a good Christian and let God figure out when Christ is coming!”

But that’s really just a cop out.  Studying about the return of Christ makes a follower more eager to see Christ and to watch Him fulfill prophecy before our very eyes!  Fixing our eyes and thoughts upon the glorious future that we have with Christ helps to keep “the things of this world” at bay.  Knowing that Jesus could show up and snatch His bride away tonight, tomorrow, next month or next year helps us to hold things loosely and encourages us to be more bold in out witness.  When you believe that time is short it tends to focus your attention on eternal things.  Maranatha!

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The Purpose of Eschatology

But I began to realize something. Loving Jesus and longing for His return are inseparable. The gospel message encompasses more than just the atonement, eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus's mission was to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43), announcing the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel -- the promised seed, the promised land, and the promised kingdom. The gospel is inherently eschatological, pointing to the return of King Jesus, the establishment of God's eternal kingdom of righteousness, the deliverance from this present evil age, and the restoration of all things.

The biblical word that embodies this gospel message is "maranatha." Marantha is an Aramaic term meaning "the Lord has come," "the Lord is coming," or "Come, Lord!" depending on the word's pronunciation. This longing for the Lord to return and fulfill His promises begins in Genesis 3:15 when God prophesied of the snake-crushing seed of the woman and ends in Revelation 22 with the Spirit and the Bride collectively saying, "Come Lord Jesus!"

Jesus compared the signs of the end of the age to birth pains (Matthew 24:8). We will know Jesus is coming soon when we start seeing these "contractions," and he commands us to watch and be ready as he returns like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:36-44). But don't get obsessed with the birth pains and miss the central purpose of it all -- new life. As the pain and pressure of birth culminates in a beautiful child, the apocalyptic pain and pressure at the end of the age reveals the resurrected, glorified Son of God reigning in righteousness, reconciling all things to Himself, and presenting the church to Himself as His bride in spotless splendor.

The heart of the maranatha message is an intense yearning and desire for Jesus Christ -- to see His unfiltered glory annihilating the curse of sin and death brought upon all creation by Satan and his cosmic forces of darkness. And that is why every Christian should study the end times -- to know and love Christ as He truly is.

Final Thoughts

My eschatological journey is far from over, but here's how I would summarize what I've gathered along the way:

- The gospel is undeniably eschatological.

- Do not be afraid of eschatology. Embrace it.

- You can understand eschatology. Just follow where Jesus pointed us to -- the Old Testament prophets (see Matthew 24:15).

- Don't miss the forest for the trees. The primary goal of studying eschatology is cultivating a deeper love and desire for the return of our Lord and Savior.

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