When Will the END Come?

We have all seen cartoons of a funny-looking old man in a white robe carrying a sign that reads, "The end is near!" It makes us smile, and helps us realize how many misguided religious people have made predictions about the end of the world—predictions that were absolutely wrong!

We all need to learn from that!

But does that mean that the Creator God will not supernaturally intervene in human affairs, or that the living Jesus Christ will not return to earth as King of kings as many biblical prophecies clearly say He will? Does this mean that we are to quit "watching" the end-time prophetic events as they unfold right in front of our eyes?

Of course not!

God's word specifically warns us about this very foolish approach: "Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation'" (2 Peter 3:3–4).

With the entire pattern of prophetic events we have foretold for decades now coming into clear focus, we dare not assume that "things will just keep going on as they always have!" It really is different this time! For the "breaking" of the pride of the British-descended and American peoples is already well underway. All over the world, more and more nations and situations are turning against our people and our plans. Now, the frightening state of affairs in the Middle East grows worse almost every year. Now, China and India are giving the Anglo-American nations increasing competition in world trade and world dominance. Now, the dollar is slowly but surely declining in value compared to many other currencies. And an extremely powerful European Empire is looming right on the horizon, as we have predicted for years.

Additionally, weather-related disasters are growing worse, and will continue to worsen! And the biblically prophesied "pestilences" (Matthew 24:7) or disease epidemics are about to make their appearance. What will be surprising to many people is that the coming devastation from alternating drought, fires, storms, floods and earthquakes, plus raging disease epidemics, will not occur primarily in Bangladesh, Ethiopia or other "far off" places! Rather, these coming catastrophes will strike the Anglo-American nations far more than ever before in history! Many events that absolutely confirm this prophetic understanding are already taking place on the world scene.

The Bible clearly reveals a 6,000-year period during which human beings follow their own ideas apart from the Creator. This will be followed by Jesus Christ's thousand-year reign on earth, during which He and the resurrected saints will literally teach the entire world God's true ways. Notice: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6).

Just after creating mankind upon this earth, God ended His work by blessing the seventh day of the week as a sanctified day of rest (Genesis 2:1–3). This began a weekly cycle in which human beings are to work for six days and rest every Sabbath (Exodus 20:9–10). In the book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul explained how the Sabbath pictures a wonderful era of peace that will follow the current age of human society on this earth (Hebrews 4:3–11).

The Jews of Jesus' day understood well the concept of each day of the week representing a thousand years in the Plan of God. Peter explained this principle: "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). So, the seven-day week represents God's 7,000-year plan, with six days of the week representing the time of our present human society, followed by the thousand years of Christ's reign as King of kings (Revelation 11:15).

In his world-renowned history, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon wrote: "The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the works of the creation had been finished in six days, their duration in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labour and contention, which was now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon earth till the time appointed for the last and general resurrection" (Vol, 1, pg. 403).

Gibbon went on to explain how this doctrine taught by the early Church of God was gradually "laid aside" and eventually stamped out by the leaders of the evolving Roman Catholic church. As they rejected many of God's laws and teachings, they also rejected this fundamental doctrine that would have helped them understand why mankind seems to have been cut off from God for the past 6,000 years but will finally be rescued by the Creator and taught His ways for the following 1,000 years! This is a vital part of the true "Gospel"—which means "Good News!" What wonderful good news it is! And what a tragedy, humanly speaking, that it was crushed through the vanities and intellectual arrogance of misguided professing "Christian" leaders near the beginning of the "Dark Ages."

Additionally, nearly all historians and those who study biblical chronology know that Christ was born approximately 4,000 years after Adam was created, and that approximately 2,000 years have passed since the time of Christ, making a total of nearly 6,000 years—or six millennial days—from Adam.

Most biblical chronologists realize that the probable end of the 6,000 years since Adam will occur around the years 2015–2025. And, remember: There is a 31⁄2- year Great Tribulation foretold to occur just before Christ's return! So the above dates indicate an approximate starting time of the Tribulation as early as the spring of 2015. That is nine years from now as I write. And even this period could be "cut short." So all of us need to really draw close to God and act on the Truth!

But the point is not to set an exact date. These facts and these figures, rather, should help us realize that we are finally nearing a definite end to the time when carnal human society will keep right on going the way it always has. In fact, as most of us who believe the Bible deeply realize, human society is growing worse and worse as more vile and degenerate sex activities are countenanced, as more violence and brutality is occurring all over the earth and as carnal men invent—and will soon use—more horrifying weapons of mass destruction.

So all genuine, Bible-believing Christians should fully recognize that, yes, the "end is near!" We can do this without setting an exact date. We can do this without being hysterical or fearful. For when Jesus Christ described a number of end-time events, He told His disciples, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).

We should be genuinely thankful and grateful that Christ's coming is soon! But God's word makes it very clear that He does not give His Holy Spirit—or spiritual understanding—to those who disobey His commandments and worship Him according to their own ideas and theories. Near the end of the apostolic age, the Apostle John was inspired by God to write, "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). A person does not truly "know" God or understand His ways unless he is willing to specifically obey the Ten Commandments as a way of life! Although many religionists just want to talk about "love," they usually misunderstand totally what genuine spiritual love is all about. For God's Word tells us, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).

People have predicted Christ's return before. But this time—near the end of 6,000 years of human turmoil—it really is different! Christ's coming will occur within this generation! God truly does want you to understand and act upon this precious knowledge in fully turning your minds and hearts and lives to Him. God wants you to become willing to obey His way of life, become involved with those who are truly serving Him, and be preparing actively to become a king and priest in the magnificent government of God that will soon be set up on this earth!