The following was written in response to a reader who asked about my take on end time events:

I believe in progressive revelation based upon John 16:12-13. This provides evidence that revelation would occur through the work of the Holy Spirit who would “show you things to come”. This leaves us with the ability to gain insight and leaves the listener to discern between what is an educated guess and what is the prophetic word to the church. Since God does nothing without revealing it to his prophets (Amos 3:7) there will be some measure of forewarning. Whether or not the church pays attention or not may depend on the condition of their stock portfolio or whether or not it’s in the middle of football season. We’re just that fickle.

Having said that let me tell you where I’m at. I went through a period of intense interest in end time events and at the close of that dramatic season I asked myself, why? What purpose did it serve to know when the return of Jesus would occur? Consider the story of Enoch, who walked with God so closely that he was simply translated into His presence. Consider Elijah, who had much the same experience. I realized that no place in the Scripture did Jesus tell us to figure out the time, but in fact we’re told to be watchful, sober, vigilant (1 Pet 5:8), and work while it’s light (Jn 9:41). The work is to do the works of the Father (Jn 5:36), destroy the works of the enemy (1 Jn 3:8), and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom (Luke 9:2). That Kingdom is the demonstration of the power of God that began with Christ and continues today (Mark 9:1). Eschatology is secondary because whether you’re a premillennialist, postmillennialist, amillennialist, Pre-Wrath, or Partial Rapture adherent, it doesn’t change the call and commission of Christ to His church.

Consider a house full of children in which the father leaves and on his way out, leaves some instructions saying, “These things must be done before I return.” Rather than being consumed with when he will return, it would behoove me to a greater extent to do be consumed with what must be done. Even if I found out when he’s coming back, what would it change? In fact it may have a negative affect on my attitude toward his instructions. I may wait until the last minute to get His work done in order to make room for my desires.

All of eschatology can be summed up (not simplified but summed up) in a single verse, Matt 24:14. In the Latin Vulgate, “et praedicabitur hoc evangelium regni in universo orbe in testimonium omnibus gentibus et tunc veniet consummatio.” And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. Consider the weight of those words. What if by completing the commission we determine the end? Both our faith and faithfulness to His mandate would then produce the power that moves the hands of prophetic history forward. Faith is the one thing that affected Jesus world and caught His attention. The preaching will not happen without His body. If we do not do the work, this verse will not be fulfilled and thus the end will not come. I believe this is why prophecy is so open ended. If we do as we’re destined to do, the rise of hatred for the follower of Christ will abound and compound into the cataclysmic spiritual showdown that is foretold (Matt 24:9). We will be hated by men, yet we wish to be accepted by men. We will be mistreated, yet we wish for blessing. We will be unjustly judged, yet we claim entitlement to earthly rights. Nobody is anxious to make the kind of impact that will stir the kingdom of darkness to the boiling point against the church. But it is to be, and the generation that could usher in such a move of God could be this one. However, if Jesus were to come back today, we would have to mark out Matthew 24:14 for today, more people will die without having heard the Gospel than at any time in history. Today’s record will be broken tomorrow. We may say we’re tired of waiting on Him. Consider that He may be waiting on us. We wait for a move of God when God waits for a move of His people. In Him we live and move and have our being and as the Body of Christ, when we move, He moves. When Jesus said in Luke 9:1 and Matt 10:1 “Behold, I give you power and authority over all the works of the enemy, I believe Jesus meant for us to walk in that, even if the enemy doesn’t like it. The hatred that will be poured out during the tribulation won’t be toward a lazy church but to a church that is making a global impact for God. An impact that’s not an ear tickling, sin tolerant, selfish desire fulfilling impact, but rather an impact of the power of God that so infuriates the enemy that all who are called believers in Jesus Christ will be targeted for destruction by demonically driven zealots who would rather die killing us than to see us live to proclaim the good news another day. While we cry for the rapture, I believe God loves this world too much to take the hope away from it but would rather allow us yet another opportunity to see people saved. When our heart burns with a passion for the lost, then and only then will we have the courage to truly give our all to fulfill the great commission, and in that day, we would rather miss the rapture to reach one more person than be rescued from this fallen world.