With the turn of the century approaching
speculation about the "end of the world" is running rampant.
But does the Bible actually predict an end of time? Does the Biblical
term "the last days" refer to the last days of TIME or to the
last days of an AGE? We wish to take note some Bible facts.
#1-When God destroyed the world with a flood, Genesis 6, he promised
"I will never again destroy every living creature as I have
done" Genesis 8:21. This is normally interpreted to mean "I
WILL destroy the world again, but this time I will do it with
fire!" Reader, does the "as I have done" refer to the
WATER or to "EVERY LIVING CREATURE"? The traditional
interpretation says it refers to the water. But this means God was more
concerned about METHODS of destruction than he is MERCY for his
creation!
God brought the flood because mankind was
evil "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually." God brought the flood because of SIN. But in Genesis
8:21 God looked down through time; knowing "the imagination of
man's heart is evil from youth" God vowed to never again destroy
every living creature. God destroyed the world by the flood because the
world was wicked. But God knew that man would not change therefore he
vowed to never again destroy the world!
In spite of this, modern theories insist
that God will destroy the world because of man's evil. We are constantly
told that the world will get worse until God destroys it. But a
futuristic destruction of creation to destroy the wicked contradicts
God's promise to never again destroy creation because of man's sin! How
then do we explain the passages about the "end"? Stay tuned to
this four part series!
Fact #2-The Bible nowhere speaks of the "end of time"; it
always speaks of the "time of the end." There is a difference!
A few translations do unfortunately use the
term, "end of time" but not correctly translated. Revelation
10:6 is a good example, the correct translation is "there shall be
DELAY no longer." This is significant.
John, in Revelation was seeing the imminent
fulfillment of all things the Old Prophets had foretold. Those things
had been foretold hundreds of years before. For instance Daniel was told
his visions were not for his time but for the time of the end, 12:4, 9;
the last days, 2:28. Isaiah and Joel were also told their predictions
were for the "last days" Isaiah 2:2; Joel 2:28ff.
While the prophets knew their predictions
were for the "time of the end," John was told "there will
be delay no longer" in the fulfillment of what the prophets
foretold! THE TIME FOR FULFILLMENT HAD COME WHEN JOHN WROTE! John was
living in "the time of the end"; though obviously not the
"end of time!" This is why he wrote "it is the last
hour," I John 2:18.
Peter said the prophets knew the things they
predicted were not for their times, I Peter 1:10-12. But Peter said the
salvation they foretold was "ready to be revealed in the last
times"; AND HE WAS LIVING IN THE LAST TIMES, I Peter 1:3-20! What
was once far off was READY TO BE REVEALED WHEN PETER AND JOHN LIVED AND
WROTE--THE TIME OF THE END!
They were living in the last days of the
Jewish Age. This is what they asked about in Matthew 24:3--"What
shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the age." THE
DISCIPLES WERE NOT ASKING ABOUT THE END OF TIME BUT THE END OF THE AGE!
Jesus gave the signs, Matthew 24:14ff and said it would occur in that
generation, Matthew 24:34. The end of the age was to occur with Christ's
coming in judgment in the destruction of Jerusalem. He said that would
happen before all that generation passed away, Matthew 16:27-28.
The Bible nowhere speaks of an
"end" far removed from the first century inspired writers.
They always said the "end of all things is at hand," I Peter
4:7. If the end of all things was at hand when Peter wrote how can it be
said he was speaking of the end of time? Two thousand years have passed
and two thousand years is not "at hand!" No, the end was not
of TIME but of the Jewish Age.
As opposed to the time of the end, the Bible affirms the Christian
Age will have NO END.
In Isaiah 9:6-7 it predicted the
establishment of the rule of Christ on the throne of David and "of
the increase of his government and peace there will be no end."
Christ's throne is endless; not limited to a millennium nor until the
end of time! Daniel 2:44 and 7:13-14 says Christ's kingdom will never be
destroyed.
In Luke 1:32ff the angel told Mary that
Jesus would be given the throne of David and "of his kingdom there
will be no end." Paul says in Ephesians 3:21 that it is the mission
of the church to give glory to God "world without end." What
is the point here?
The traditional views of "the end"
say the church will give way to the kingdom [Premillenialism]; or
Christ will give up his throne at the end of time, [Amillennialism].
Both views teach that the Christian Age is temporary! Both views
contradict scripture about the unending nature of the Christian Age!
Since the Bible DOES speak of the end of the
age yet the Christian Age has no end, what Age was to end? IT WAS THE
OLD COVENANT AGE OF ISRAEL! Israel's "heaven and earth," their
Covenant world, was to give way to the New Covenant world of Jesus; the
New Heavens and Earth!
In Isaiah 51:5-6 God predicted the
destruction of "heaven and earth." Verses 15-16 defines that
"heaven and earth" as the world created when God gave Israel
the law at Sinai. In contrast to that world that would be destroyed,
God's new world would stand forever, vs. 6. GOD CREATED ISRAEL'S HEAVEN
AND EARTH AT SINAI, BUT HE WOULD DESTROY THAT WORLD TO MAKE WAY FOR THE
NEW CREATION OF CHRIST! Isaiah predicted this in chapter 65: God would
destroy Israel, create a new people with a new name, and give them a new
heaven and new earth, vs. 7ff. THESE ARE COVENANT WORLDS NOT PHYSICAL
WORLDS! This is what Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 when he predicted the
fall of Jerusalem: "heaven and earth shall pass away but my word
shall never pass away" vs. 35. Hebrews 12 speaks of the passing of
the heaven and earth, established at Sinai, and the deliverance of the
unshakable kingdom of God, the church, 12:21-28. Revelation speaks of
the new heaven and earth that would come when the city "where our
Lord was crucified" was destroyed, 11:8; 21:1f. The Bible does not
speak of the end of time. It speaks instead of the end of the Old
Covenant Age of Israel and the full establishment of the New Covenant
"heaven and earth" of Christ--his church.
The traditional views of final things
[eschatology] say the church will give way to the kingdom [Premillenialism];
or Christ will give up his throne at the end of time, [amillennialism].
Both views teach that the church is an interim measure until the
"real" blessings of God come.
Since the Bible teaches that the church,
established among men to be a teaching, evangelizing organization, is to
have NO END, then any view that speaks of the end of the church age
contradicts scripture! This helps us to better understand that when the
Bible speaks about the time of the end it is actually speaking of the
end of the Old Covenant "Heaven and Earth" of Israel, that was
to give way to the unending New World of the Messiah.
In Isaiah 51:5-6 God predicted the
destruction of "heaven and earth." In verses 15-16 he defines
that "heaven and earth" as the world created when God gave
Israel the law at Sinai. In contrast to that world that be destroyed,
God's new world would stand forever, vs. 6. GOD CREATED ISRAEL'S HEAVEN
AND EARTH AT SINAI, BUT HE WOULD DESTROY THAT WORLD TO MAKE WAY FOR THE
NEW CREATION OF CHRIST! Isaiah predicted this in chapter 65: God would
destroy Israel, create a new people with a new name, and give them a new
heaven and new earth, vs. 7ff. These are Covenant Worlds not physical
worlds! This is what Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 when he predicted the
fall of Jerusalem: "heaven and earth shall pass away but my word
shall never pass away" vs. 35. Hebrews 12 speaks of the passing of
the heaven and earth, established at Sinai, and the deliverance of the
unshakable kingdom of God, the church, 12:21-28. Revelation speaks of
the new heaven and earth that would come when the city "where our
Lord was crucified" was destroyed, 11:8; 21:1f. The Bible does not
speak of the end of time. Fear of Armageddon is unfounded. All forms of
futurist interpretations will constantly hold people in needless fear of
the future. Heaven and Earth have already passed. The kingdom of God
rules in the lives of the obedient. Don't fear the future; trust Him who
holds the future!