The Three Principles That Make the End Times Simple
The End Times Made Simple
Could the End Times actually be… simple?
It used to confuse me to no end. But now it feels like everything is clicking into place. A topic that once felt daunting now feels sensible, rational — clear. By the end of this book, if all goes well, this will be how you feel about it, too.
The confusion ran rampant, for me. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College, followed by a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I’ve read more theological books and articles than I can remember.
And the more I learned about the End Times, the more confused I became.
No one seemed to agree. Some people believed Jesus would return imminently, even going so far as to set dates. Others thought Jesus wouldn’t return for millennia. Some thought Jesus would rapture the Church away right before a seven-year period of intense tribulation. Others thought He would catch the Church away in the middle of it, or at the end of it, or not at all. The more I read, the less clarity I had.
But three principles helped sort all of this out.
They’re simple, they’re purely biblical, and they can make sense of everything.
Here they are:
It’s all about Jesus.
Deception is everywhere.
You must be ready.
When you understand these three principles, you’ll be able to apply them to any situation relating to the End Times and find instant clarity, discernment, and direction. They cut through the noise, helping you to focus on what truly matters.
Let me explain them briefly.
1) It’s all about Jesus.
How does this idea clarify everything, making the End Times simple?
Because it’s all about Jesus. Everything in the End Times exists for Jesus, points to Jesus, and ushers in the return of Jesus.
It’s about Him.
It’s not about charts, figuring out dates, or plotting out who each prominent figure must be. A lot of things will happen during the End Times. We could devote ourselves to endless mysteries, trying to solve every riddle.
But those aren’t the point.
If we’re not careful, they’ll end up taking us away from the point.
It’s amazing (and scary) how much we can ignore Jesus on the very event that is all about Him — His return, His victory, His Bride, His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus is what everything is all about. Yet we can study all of this in a way that separates our hearts from Him.
How do we know? How can we tell if we’ve lost Jesus in our study of the End Times?
It’s simple: check your heart.
When you think of Jesus returning, what emotion does it stir up in you? Is there affection, longing, eagerness for His return? If so, you’re doing it right.
But if Jesus’ return feels neutral, or if Jesus feels the same as He always has — if your study of the End Times hasn’t stirred up your longing for Jesus — then you’re doing it wrong.
Worse, if the things that excite you about the End Times are proving others wrong, or proving yourself right, then you’ve placed yourself above Jesus. The End Times isn’t about Jesus for you — it’s a tool for personal gain, a way to prove yourself smarter than others.
Even worse, if you are using the End Times to escape what Jesus is calling you to do now, then you’re using the return of the King to foster rebellion against this very King.
It can get confusing when we take our eyes off Jesus.
But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, everything falls into place:
Why is Jesus returning? Why did He have to go away in the first place? What does Jesus feel about returning — what’s His heart posture in relation to everything that has to happen?
Why is Jesus waiting? Why hasn’t He returned already?
Who is Jesus, really? Who is He returning as? How is His return different from His first appearance? Why are there two different appearance, anyway?
Why does Jesus want the Tribulation? Why does Jesus design the End Times this way? What is Jesus accomplishing with all the judgments?
When we ask our questions about Jesus, it brings everything together.
We’ll begin digging into these questions in the next chapter, after we finish laying out the three basic principles.
2) Deception is everywhere
When Jesus’ disciples ask Him to explain the times of His return, Jesus begins with a warning: “Do not be deceived!” (Mathew 24:4). As Jesus elaborates on everything that will come, He repeats this warning over and over.
Deception is everywhere. It runs rampant through our cultures, but also through the church. It’s part of the reason why there is so much confusion and disagreement on this topic.
Jesus didn’t warn against disagreement or debate. He warned against deception: deliberate lying and manipulation.
We’ll explore the specifics of many deceptions as we go through this book. But for now the point is simple: keep your eyes open. Be aware that deception is everywhere on this topic.
Some teachers mean well, but lead astray. Others are deliberately deceitful, being wolves in sheep’s clothing. Others have wrapped their pride up in this so much that they can’t tell the truth from the error any longer.
Yet the solution to deception is easy: focus on the truth. The better you know the truth, the less you can be deceived.
This leads to the third point:
3) You must be ready
Jesus never spoke on the End Times as a mere matter of intellectual curiosity.
It’s a real event.
It’s coming soon.
And you must prepare yourselves for it.
Jesus tells several parables, warning specifically about what can happen to those who aren’t prepared for the return of the Master. While Jesus is away, we don’t waste our time partying. We prepare. We serve. We obey.
We make ourselves ready.
Because the End Times is all about Jesus — and about His bride.
At the end of the End Times, after all has been completed, Revelation 19:7 announces:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7, NIV).
Church, that’s us.
The church — the global body of all believers in Jesus — is the bride of Christ. Jesus returns to get His bride and bring her to the wedding, bringing her home.
And this bride has made herself ready.
Jesus provides such detailed accounts of the future to help us prepare. We need to be ready, so Jesus gave us everything we need to make ourselves ready. He’s good like that. But it’s still our responsibility to make ourselves ready.
This is the aspect of the End Times so many Christians completely neglect. It’s hard work to prepare. It takes focus. It requires something of us.
But it also provides drive and purpose. It focuses us, keeping us from falling astray.
It provides hope, and hope does not disappoint.
With these three principles established, let’s break open Matthew 24 and walk through how these three principles can bring clarity to our understanding of everything Jesus says.
This concludes Part 1 of this chapter. Part 2, focusing on Matthew 24, comes Wednesday.
Wise words!
May I repost with attribution?
Phil
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