A UC Irvine study published this year revealed that up to 40% of Americans actually believe we’re living in the end times. Now, this was not a poll for only those who profess to be Christian—it included non-Christians who are reading the same headlines we all are, and wondering if these are the last days.
25% of the Bible Is Prophetic
So I want to talk to you about what Jesus said about the end times in Luke chapter 21. It’s actually an answer to a question from his disciples. And by the way, it’s the longest answer he gave to any question that was ever asked of him.
The question was, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?” People are asking this very question today. What are the signs of Christ’s coming? Is the end of the world near? … I want to focus on why we should even talk about this.
So why should we talk about the end times? Answer: because 25% of the Bible is prophetic. So it’s not some obscure side note. The Bible literally oozes with the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, the New Testament contains over 300 references to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. So if the Lord talks about this a lot, shouldn’t we be talking about it as well? Shouldn’t we be paying attention to it?
God Wants to Reveal Bible Prophecy to Us
Some people say, “Well, it’s so hard to figure it all out. It’s hard to understand.” I understand that. But listen, it’s not God’s desire to conceal, but to reveal.
In fact, the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, the word actually means “the unveiling.” When Jesus talked about the abomination of desolation, he added this word of commentary: “Let the reader understand.” In other words, he’s saying, “As I’m talking about these end times events, I want you to understand these things.”
When the apostle Paul was addressing the topic of end times events in 1 Thessalonians, he said, “I would not have you ignorant, brothers and sisters.” So, hey, we can [and] we must know about this, and we can understand it.
I heard a story about a guy who just loved studying the book of Revelation, and some academics came up to him. And they considered themselves far more intelligent than he was. They were great theologians. And they said to this guy, “Why do you read the book of Revelation all the time? No one can understand that book. It’s an enigma.” The guy says, “Well, I love to read it, and I do understand it.” They said, “Oh, do you? Okay, well, then explain the book of Revelation to us.” And the guy said in response, “It means we win in the end.”
He got it right. We are going to win in the end. The Bible promises this.
Bible Prophecy Brings Hope in a Hopeless World
So why should we study Bible prophecy? Why should we know more about end times events? Answer: understanding Bible prophecy brings hope in a hopeless world. … And that is why the Bible calls it the blessed hope. In Titus 2:13, Paul writes, “Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” And by the way, that word blessed can be translated happy. So we can say it’s a happy hope. It’s a happy thing to realize that Jesus could come back at any moment.
Bible Prophecy Unravels the Mystery of History
Another reason it’s a good thing to study Bible prophecy is it unravels the mystery of history.
You know, we ask the question, why is there so much evil in the world? When will right prevail over wrong? When will Satan finally be judged? Answer: when Christ comes back and establishes his kingdom.
Isn’t that what he taught us to pray in what we call the Lord’s Prayer? He says, “After this manner, therefore, you should pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Bible Prophecy Brings Sense to Our Suffering
Another reason we should study Bible prophecy is it brings sense to our suffering.
Because we ask questions like, what do you say to someone who has suffered a great tragedy? What do you say to someone who has been going through life with a severe disability? What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one? What do you say to someone who is weeping with grief? You say, “This is not God’s final plan.” You say, “There’s coming a day, according to Revelation 21:4, when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there’ll be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, for those things are gone forever.”
What do you say to someone who has lost a loved one? Well, if that loved one has died in faith, you come back to the words of the apostle Paul when he was writing to the believers in 1 Thessalonians 4, who had lost loved ones. And he said, “The Lord himself is going to descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” That’s what you say.
You see, you tell them, “If your loved one died in faith, you’re going to see them again. You’re going to be reunited with them again. They’re not just a part of your past. They’re also a part of your future.” And that is why Paul adds this statement after he talks about the Lord’s return. And that statement is, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” Whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible, find out what it’s there for. Paul’s drawing upon what is said. He’s saying, in effect, “Christ is coming. You’ll be reunited again with your loved ones. So comfort one another with these words.”
Bible Prophecy Motivates Us to Live a Godly Life
Another reason we should study Bible prophecy is it causes us to live a godly life.
The more we think about the future, the more we’ll be motivated to live right in the present.
Whenever you read what the Bible says about the future, there is usually an exhortation to live a godly life attached to it. As an example, 2 Peter 3:11 says, “Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live.” And then in 1 John it says, “He that has this hope [the hope of the Lord’s return] purifies himself even as he is pure.”
We Don’t Have to Fear the End Times Because God Is in Control
Luke 21:28: “When you see these things begin to happen, look up, because your redemption is drawing near.” Know this. Governments change, wars erupt, threats increase, people panic. But again, Jesus says look up, not freak out.
I know it can be scary at times, but why should I not freak out? Why should I not panic? Simple answer. God is sovereign, and God is in control. Listen, nothing is catching God by surprise right now. History is not spinning out of control. History is moving exactly as God said it would, because history is His story.
The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon put it this way, and I quote, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which a child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.” I love that statement.
… So listen. You can lay your head on the pillow at night knowing that the Lord has all things in control. … Know that our God, who loves us, is sovereign, He’s in control, and everything is going according to His plan. In the end, like the guy said who loved to study the book of Revelation, we win. That’s true. We win in the end.
Focus on Jesus Christ, Not Antichrist
So, in closing, why should we study Bible prophecy? Well, Bible prophecy is not given to scare us, but to prepare us. It’s not given to make us argumentative. It’s given to make us evangelistic.
We should not be focused on who the Antichrist is. We should be focusing on who Jesus Christ is. The Bible does not tell us to look for Antichrist. It tells us to be looking for Jesus Christ.
