End Times - Look to the Star

Where to begin with the end… the end of the world, that is. The End Times is a really big topic. The Holy Spirit tells us a great deal about what the world will be like when it ends and what will be the logistics of the end of the world. If there is one detail that has confused more people than any other, it is the 1000 year reign of Christ. This is known by some as the Millennium.

The source of this false teaching is a misinterpretation of Revelation 20:4. In that passage the Apostle John is recording his vision about what he sees. Some of the details are fantastic. Many of the details are symbolic, not to be taken literally. I would say that in Revelation, the 1000 year reign of Christ is symbolic for a few reasons. First, look at the context. There is not reason to take the number at face value when every other detail is a fantastic picture of what will happen. Second, the only other time that the concept of 1000 years is mentioned is in 2 Peter 3:8. In that passage God specifically says that time doesn’t mean the same thing to him as it does to us. Third, any time that there is a portion of Scripture that isn’t as clear as we might like, the rule of thumb is to go to a clearer passage of Scripture. The exact opposite happens with the 1000 year reign of Christ. Perfectly clear parts of Matthew 24, other portions of the Gospels and the Epistles are twisted into pretzels to accommodate this one misinterpretation.

There is nothing to fear about the Last Day, or the season of End Times in general. The Last Day will be coming soon, although the Bible doesn’t give us a specific date. (Anyone who claims to have a specific date is lying or sincerely wrong.) When Jesus returns, it will be in the same way that the disciples saw him go – on the clouds. His coming will be powerful in that everyone around the world will see him. He will have angels with him who will gather the people of the world. The believers and the unbelievers will be separated, the righteous and the wicked. It will come with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God. The creation will start to fall apart before our eyes. No doubt, this will be a terrifying event, but Christians need not fear. That day, the Last Day, will be the first day of your eternity with your Lord. It is a day to look forward to. Come quickly Lord Jesus!