The End

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. -Daniel 12:1

We do not like to talk about The End. The Endo of All Things frightens us into silence. It seems to be an unspoken agreement amongst Christian that sermons, devotionals and conversation should always steer clear of the terrifying reality of The End.

But The End is very real indeed, and the thought of what is to come should frighten us. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (Rev. 9:6) This is a promise of agony for those who do not come to know God! It should frighten us; we should be God-fearing people. Yet, we cannot allow our fears get in the way of our growth and knowledge of the Lord. He has given us but a glimpse into The End in hopes that we might use it as a tool to motivate us to prepare ourselves for His second coming.

While He has given us a glimpse into The End, He has not revealed all to us. We simply wouldn’t be able to handle it. Even those like Daniel and John (the author of Revelation) that received a very real sneak preview of The End Times couldn’t understand it. Despite their strength as Christian leaders, they were ill prepared for what is to ensue during the great battle. For Daniel, what he saw was appalling, exhausting and beyond understanding. (Daniel 8:27) The End, just like the true nature of Heaven and Hell, is beyond our comprehension. No movie, book, or human will ever be able to accurately describe or guess what will happen during those days other than what has been given to us in Scripture.

God does promise that believers will know of the day of Christ’s return. We mistakenly assume we will wake up one day and it will be the end of the world and Christ will have returned. This isn’t true. We learn through the Revelation to John that it is those who live in darkness that will be surprised by the Second Coming. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you (Rev. 3:3)

How do we go about readying ourselves for The End? As believers, we are given ample instruction throughout the Bible but here is a good plan to get us started: We must fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:7) We must work every day as if working for the Lord. (Col. 3:22) To prepare for battle, we must put on the full armor of God every day. (Eph. 6:11) We must seek to spread the Word, so that when the day comes all who have had heard it might be saved. We must be fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19)

Above all else, we must repent. In the Book of Matthew we find that the very first time Christ begins to preach He simply states: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. (Matt. 4:17) This is the Son of Man and His first words to the public are already about His Second Coming!

Do not fool yourself into thinking that The End will not happen. It has been promised to us and we have been given the tools to ready ourselves for Christ’s arrival. Obey His Word and He will guide you through The End.

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