We live in scary times! Things are deteriorating around the world. There are wars, rumors of wars, and all kinds of horrors taking place. As things get worse, there are many who predict the end of the world. There have always been many who have suggested a time or even date for the End Times. I remember when one prediction failed in May, so was changed to October 21, 2011. Today, some argue that global warming will bring the end of all life by 2030. I don’t know! If we learn anything from Jesus’ words, we learn that only the Father knows when the end will come. I’ve often dealt with this question over my many years as a pastor. I remember when the Y2K scare brought panic to some people. In the Gospels, Jesus tells of great calamities that will fall upon “This generation” (Mark 13, Matthew 24). Many solid commentators argue that these events were adequately fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70. Since in the very following passage, Jesus says he does not know when the end times will be, many accept this interpretation. Some argue that it refers to the ultimate end times. Others see a dual fulfillment. Those signs of the end are pre-figuring the great end times as well. I have gone back and forth in my understanding of this. Thus, I am left with the same confusion the disciples had regarding the end times.
The bottom line regarding this issue concerns the practical conclusion that Jesus draws regarding the subject. We know it’s coming! But we do not know when. We all live with the shadow of the end looming over us, personally and corporately. Even if the world doesn’t end tomorrow, next year, or in 2030, we know that the end could come for any of us personally at any time. We never know when it will fall. In Luke 12:40, Jesus warns us, “You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.” But he also tells us not to worry about tomorrow. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Our impending end is no reason to be fearful or hysterical over that expectation. Yet, at the same time, we know that to forget about God and to become consumed with the things of earth is a very foolish way to live.
The scriptures clearly teach us that the wise man never forgets his mortal state and knows he must be ready when the summons comes. It should motivate us to consider that each day we have life, we have something to be thankful for and grateful for. We have good work to do, which is not a chore but a privilege. It means that we must live our lives in such a way that it doesn’t matter when He comes. Let’s make every day of our lives fit for Him to see. Let’s live in such a way that we’re ready to meet him face-to-face at any moment. If we live like this, the end will not be a terror but an eternal joy.