Back to the biblical future

Do you know what the word eschatology means? Can you spell it? If you are in doubt, I just spelled it for you … with the help of spell-check. Next question: Is spell-check one word or two words, or neither? You’ll have to look that one up yourself.

Eschatology is the study of the end of the world or the end times. It’s a very popular topic with many Christians. When I was in college, I read a lot of books on Bible prophecy and the end times. Then I got married, had three children, and was too busy or too tired to read about the end of the world or much of anything else.

Predictions

However, in 1982, I devoured the late Hal Lindsey’s hugely popular The Late Great Planet Earth, which was originally published in 1970. Basically, the book laid out the belief that ancient prophecies were coming to pass and that the return of Jesus Christ was around the corner. “Around the corner” – those are my words because I don’t think Lindsey set any specific dates on the second coming of Jesus Christ, although he suggested it would be around 1988.

In fact, the Bible warns against making precise predictions. However, if we had asked Hal Lindsey in 1970 whether Jesus would return by 2026, he would have most likely said yes. The sequel to his book was titled The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon. It also became a bestseller.

Then, in 1990, he released The Last Days Are Here … Again, which sold 17 copies, and his publisher went out of business.

(Just kidding about that last book, but I had you going there for a second, didn’t I?)

The end times is a subject that interests many people, and a host of well-known Bible teachers and pastors have weighed in on it. My recommendation for an excellent overview of the subject is 100 Bible Questions and Answers on Prophecy and the End Times by Dr. Alex McFarland and the Rev. Bert Harper. (It’s available at resources.afa.net.)

Prophecies

Let me cut to the chase: I am convinced that there are at least two end-times prophecies of which I am certain. One of those is that the Jewish people would return to their ancient homeland of Israel, which occurred in 1948. This fulfilled several Old Testament prophecies, including Isaiah 11:11-12, Ezekiel 37:11-12, 21-22, and Amos 9:14-15. Without the hand of God, it is far-fetched – to say the least – to imagine that a people who had been scattered around the globe for nearly 2,000 years would return to the land of their father, Abraham – yes, that Abraham.

The second sure prophecy is that Jesus Christ will one day return, and He will rule and reign forever.

The book of Acts, Chapter 1:6-11, says of Jesus’ ascension:

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Christians, through the centuries and even today, long for the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! This is a blessed hope of a better and glorious world to come for those who trust in the Lord God!