Are We Living in the End Times?

For many years, I looked with scorn at such a question.  I remember hearing people say, "Repent!  God is coming soon!"  He never arrived.  At least, He didn't arrive in the way I defined "soon."  I also remember as a little kid wondering when Jesus would return (after all, the Bible says Jesus will return to earth one day).  I was told by many people, "No one knows the day or the hour.  Only God knows that."

As I grew older, however, I began to notice Bible prophecy and ask that question again.  Are we truly living in the end times?  Is this the last chapter of human history?  Is Jesus going to return soon?  While no one knows the day or the hour, the Bible says we CAN know the season.  Jesus even told us to be watchful.  He instructed us to look for the signs of His soon return in Luke 12:

 ⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?"

I began to get interested in Bible prophecy about ten years ago after hearing Dave Reagan speak at Southern Acres Christian Church.  As I have studied the signs of the times listed in the Bible, from the prophesied re-establishment of Israel in 1948 by the Balfour Declaration (an event the Bible says is the beginning of the end times) to the multiple signs in the world today (the movement towards a cashless society, the movement towards a one-world currency, the movement towards a one-world religion, the turning of the world against Israel, etc) I am more and more convinced that God is calling His people and the people of the world to "interpret this present time" as Jesus instructed us to.

We will be doing a six-week study of Revelation in a series called "The End" starting this Sunday.  What better time to talk about the return of Christ when the world is thinking about His birth?  Jesus arrived in this world once as a baby.  The second time He arrives, He arrives as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  We will be looking intensely at the way the Bible says everything will end.  We will also be talking about what the role of the Christian should be.  Should we be afraid?  Should we cower in fear? Should we worry?  Should we deny everything?  Or should we structure our lives so that the return of Christ will be everything we've ever looked forward to?


I have never taught a series on Revelation before.  I have never really thought about the end times seriously before.  I have always just kind of gone on with things, thinking the times will last forever.  They won't.  If they do, the Bible is full of lies, because over 20% of the Bible is prophecy.  The times won't last forever- there will be an end, and I happen to believe it is soon.  I don't know the day or the hour, but I do know how to read the signs of the times.  If you want to know what these signs are, come to Catalyst for the next six weeks and find out.  Hope to see you there!