One of the recurring themes of the Bible is that this world is imperfect. And more importantly……..it is temporary. Even the pure scientists agree. We just disagree on the time frame and on the details. This means that the earth, mankind as we know it, and our culture……..will end. Today I will dive into the end of the world……..according to the Bible……..according to the guy who created it……..according to God. You probably have figured out that this week’s post is mainly for the mature Christian. If you are a secular humanist, you might enjoy it for its entertainment value. If you are just dipping your toe into Christianity, this is where mankind is headed…….someday. Please understand, I am not trying to draw any parallels between Biblical prophesy and current events or personalities. I will not be digging into current events to identify the antichrist. That has been tried before.
The Bible is loaded with prophesy. Much of it is vague and deeply buried in symbolism. I have a hard time working my way through Daniel and Revelation. My Bible reading today includes the second chapter of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. To my eye, this is the clearest biblical description of the end. Paul describes a series of events:
A period of increasing lawlessness brought on by a delusion based on lies.
Behind the Delusion is a man of lawlessness who is being restrained by another being.
Lawlessness will increase until there is a rebellion. This will occur when God is ready.
During the rebellion, the being who is restraining the man of lawlessness will be removed freeing the man of lawlessness and things will go from bad to worse.
The man of lawlessness will set himself up…..as God……and will perform miracles.
Jesus will destroy the man of lawlessness and usher in a time of peace for his followers…….and pain for non-believers.
So…..what are the practical implications of this?
First, I don’t know where we are on this continuum and neither do you and neither does your preacher.
Second, things are bad and they are going to get much worse.
Third, at some point, there will be a division between those who believed the truth and those who believed the delusion. One group will be rewarded, the other will be punished.
You may ask: isn’t this unfair……isn’t this exclusionary. You may conclude that you don’t like this ending……that you don’t like this God and his “religion”.
But, I would say that you are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “do I approve of this ending?” You should be asking, “is it true?”
I say that it is true…….because Jesus says that it is true.
And a man who rose from 3 days in a tomb is a man I can trust.
for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Paul, second Thessalonians, 2:3-11, ESV