eschatology

What is the Hour of Testing Coming on the Whole World?

March 24, 2022 // 12 Comments

Once again, the world seems on the brink of destruction. Pandemics, terrorism, nuclear threats. Could this be the end? It probably isn’t, but it is an excellent time to discuss “the hour of testing” that Jesus mentioned in his letter to the church in Philadelphia: Because you have kept the word of My [...]

I Will Come Like a Thief

July 29, 2021 // 19 Comments

Once upon a time, in the iron-age kingdom of Lydia, there was a river of gold called the Pactolus River. Whoever controlled the river was rich, and this explains why Croesus was one of the richest kings who ever lived. Croesus, who lived about 550 years before Christ, built a citadel called Sardis to protect his [...]

Are We Entering the Great Tribulation?

August 6, 2020 // 58 Comments

This has been one of the toughest years in living memory. At the time of writing close to 700,000 people have died from a disease nobody knew about nine months ago. (2022 update: Make that 15 million!) In many cities there have been riots, looting, and other signs of lawlessness. People are suffering. Some fear [...]

The Sky is Falling! Darkened Suns and Falling Stars

May 14, 2020 // 34 Comments

Pamdemics. Economic collapse. Locust plagues. Murder hornets. Whenever the world goes through a crisis, it’s natural to wonder if we have reached the end of days. “This is it! We’re all going to die!” We turn to social media and YouTube for answers and encounter wacky end time predictions. Some involve [...]

Will Jesus return this year?

January 10, 2019 // 32 Comments

And so another year kicks off with a certain Christian magazines/websites making gloomy predictions about these last days. (I was going to provide some links here but it was depressing reading and I don’t wish to promote newspaper eschatology. If you’re interested, this stuff is not hard to find.) [...]

Is Jesus Returning Soon?

January 3, 2019 // 58 Comments

Me: “I am coming to your house soon.” You: “Great! When?” Me: “I have no idea. I don’t even know what day.” You: “Um, okay.” Me: “You’ll have to wait a really long time.” You: “But you said you’d be here soon.” Me: “Soon, sure! But it could be centuries.” If I delivered mixed [...]

What is the Sign of the Son of Man in heaven?

October 18, 2018 // 24 Comments

What do you make of these words of Jesus? Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) What is this prophecy about? And what is the sign of the Son of [...]

Forty Fulfilled Prophecies

August 30, 2018 // 24 Comments

Here’s a quiz question: When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, was he received as (a) the long awaited Messiah, or (b) a prophet? It might surprise you, but the answer is (b): When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is [...]

Every Knee Shall Bow: Was Paul a Universalist?

June 21, 2018 // 23 Comments

Here’s a verse to fire the imagination: It is written: “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” (Rom. 14:11) What picture comes to your mind when you read these words? Some see this verse as pointing to universal salvation. “Everyone who [...]

4 Myths about the Antichrist

November 30, 2017 // 86 Comments

No end times’ sermon is complete without a reference to that eschatological bogeyman, the antichrist. For those who came in late, the antichrist is evil incarnate. He’s in league with the devil, and he is your worst nightmare. According to some, he will be responsible for the deaths of two out of every three [...]

A Future Tribulation?

October 5, 2017 // 78 Comments

When I was a boy in Sunday School, I came across an end-times comic that featured believers being executed in something called a great tribulation. It was like a holocaust for Christians and it was coming soon! Probably in 1984. Or maybe 1988. But definitely by 1999. It was years before I realized that cartoon [...]

When is the Rapture?

September 19, 2017 // 58 Comments

Before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, I stumbled on a prominent website that predicted the rapture would occur soon. Why? Because the polls said Hillary Clinton was going to win and another godless Democrat in the Oval Office would surely trigger the great tribulation. “With such gloomy prospects, the [...]