As the world ends?

AS THE WORLD ENDS?

The first I learned about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ was about 1950.  I remember it mostly because I was hoping He’d come before my next test.

Roughly 10 years later my big brother had a LP record (Google it kid) which played a dissertation by Billy James Hargis.  I remember it mostly because I loved by big brother and it was important to him.

As I recall Billy had discovered scripture told of how there would be some “trigger” event, then the Bear (Russia) would unite with the king of Persia (now Iran) and attack Israel in the valley of Armageddon. All of this leading to the final gathering of all nations to begin World War III. As I recall all that was to happen no later than 1980.

Over the centuries many different doctrines regarding the “end times” have come and gone in popularity (do wish I’d kept that “88 reasons Jesus will return in 1988” booklet). 

As I understand it something called post-millennial dispensation was quite popular in America prior to World War I. But, when the war did not immediately lead to whatever that teaching required, the doctrine was replaced as most popular by pre-millennialism.  My theology professor said he was a “pan-millennialist – it will all pan-out in the end”.

Back in the day when teaching Bible survey I somewhat antagonized my diehard pre-millennial students with how I approached end-time prophecy.  Basically I had four guidelines:

1.  The only way to know a prophecy has been fulfilled is when the New Testament says, “this in fulfillment of.…”. 

2.  The Clergy will get it wrong. As far back as the first coming of Jesus the professional Bible scholars have always got it wrong.

3.  Skating on thin ice are doctrines proposing that before the end comes a specific real world event must occur.

4.  When the dust settles and we know the full story, everybody will be surprised as to how it was all worked out.

Given yet another round of crises in the Middle East, I remain reasonably assured God does have some overall plan to which he has not made me privy.  I depend on: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “ (Matthew 24.36)