Why So Much Time On The Biblical End-Times Teaching?

This week I received a very thoughtful, helpful, and encouraging message from someone in our congregation about my recent blog posts on why I believe what I do about the Bible’s end-times teaching. The message went something like this: Tom, I just believe that Jesus is coming back and that is a great thing. I don’t know how and when, but isn’t it enough to know he is coming back and that is our hope?

This was an encouraging message because this precious fellow follower of Christ gets the main thing—that Jesus and his future coming is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13)!  This person also realizes that inordinate speculation about what the Bible may not clearly communicate is not healthy (see Paul’s emphasis on this in 1Timothy 1-2).

In the message there were also some implied questions: “Why is it necessary to study things like this?” “Do I need to study all biblical issues with this kind of rigor?”  “What if I don’t want to?” “Does this discussion about the Bible’s end-times teaching violate the implied application point from Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:36 (‘But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even…the Son’)—an application point that we should not try and give a date for Jesus’ coming?”

I have received these questions throughout the years many times and so I know others have the questions on their minds in response to my blog posts, but have not verbalized them.

So, let me offer the following brief answers.

(1) In the same way that emergency room staff have to practice triage (determine which are the cases that need attention first and which can wait) during a crisis that includes a large influx of patients, so Christians must practice theological triage. We need to think through what teachings have most importance.  Certainly, things such as Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation, the Trinity, the truthfulness of Scripture, and how we trust Jesus Christ as Savior are to be our foundational and most important doctrines to which we give attention. Our end-times beliefs certainly have lesser significance.

(2) The first point, however, does not mean that what the Bible has to say about the end-times is unimportant. Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that all Scripture comes from God and is profitable. This does not mean that all Scripture is equally profitable, but it is all profitable. To think through what the Bible teach about the end-times not only helps us focus generally upon how things might unfold, but also helps us see how the Bible itself is put together. It can have impact on other understandings we have and result in very practical application.

(3) In this particular situation and with this particular doctrine, one of the reasons I am giving it attention is because my position led to the loss of my ordination. Also, since my stance is probably different than what many of you believe and what you have been taught, I want you to see that I am not simply pulling my view out of thin air. Nor, am I coming up with a new view. It has strong biblical support and also a long history.

(4) Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 12 that different believers in the body have different gifts. Not everyone is a teacher and we could add that not every teacher is a pastor-teacher (Eph. 4:11). I believe that every pastor/elder in a church should be grounded in the Bible and able to teach it (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). I believe that every lead or senior pastor-teacher who is in charge of laying the theological and visionary foundation for the other elders and for the church should be especially grounded in the Scriptures and should be willing to dig that much deeper as a pastor-theologian. I also believe that some lead pastors have even more of a specific calling to dig that much deeper and to serve the local church they pastor and the larger church through their scholarly abilities, experience, efforts, and writings. I believe I am one of these lead or senior pastors of the last variety. So, no, not every Christian and not even every Christian leader will look into things to the same degree and with the same rigor. However, all of us should have a desire be students and readers of God’s Word (see 2 Timothy 2:15)—even if it is not anywhere near the rigor with which I and some pastor-theologians approach it.

(5) Simply-put, to try and understand what the Bible does teach about the end-times is not the same as setting a date for the time we believe Jesus will return. It is true we cannot know everything about that future return and the unfolding events—such as the specific day. But, we can know some things—the things the Bible reveals—and what we know we can truly know.

(6) And, finally, yes, I find my greatest hope in the coming of Jesus Christ, not in a system of theology or a view of the end-times (Titus 2:13)!  And I am so glad that is the case. Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus!

I hope this helps some of you who are asking the same questions. I thought it important to stop and answer these before going on in our blog series.  In my next post I will return to setting forth the exciting teaching of Revelation 20:1-6!