By David Faust
Few aspects of Christian theology generate as much debate as eschatology—the study of last things. Believers who love the Lord and trust the inspired Scriptures sometimes arrive at different conclusions about important questions, like when and how Christ will return, the role of Israel in end-time prophecy, and the identity of the beast described in Revelation chapter 13. Sincere Bible students disagree about whether key aspects of the book of Revelation should be understood literally or figuratively, and they debate whether Christians will live through a coming time of intense tribulation on earth.
Diverse eschatological views—premillennial, amillennial, preterist, and variations of these—are found among individual believers, congregations, colleges, and seminaries of the Restoration Movement. Romans 14:1 cautions against “quarreling over disputable matters,” and because we try to allow liberty in matters of opinion, people in our tribe generally manage to get along despite holding various perspectives about the end-times.
We shouldn’t avoid biblical prophecy because we find it controversial and difficult to understand. The book of Revelation is meant to be read, heard, and taken to heart (Revelation 1:3), so we should take it seriously and teach it carefully—but with considerable humility. (Somewhere I read, “The strength of your opinion should match the depth of your study.”) The heavenly Father knows the time of Christ’s return; we don’t (Matthew 24:36). Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can eagerly await the Lord’s return and spread the gospel with united voices even if we don’t know exactly how God’s plans will unfold (see Acts 1:7-8).
This weekly column explores how the Bible applies to life, including sections of Scripture that are difficult to interpret. Revelation 13 is a challenging chapter, but it contains straightforward, relevant principles Christians can agree about even if they hold different eschatological views. Key application points begin with the words, “This calls for . . . .”
Patient Endurance and Faithfulness
The book of Revelation echoes the words of Jesus, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Paul predicted, “There will be terrible times in the last days,” and “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:1, 12-13).
How should Christians conduct ourselves in times of intensifying evil, deception, and persecution? “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people” (Revelation 13:10).
Wisdom
Bible students puzzle over Revelation 13:18, which mentions “the number of the beast” (666)—a number that represents amplified evil. The verse starts by saying, “This calls for wisdom.”
The book of Revelation isn’t a quick, easy read. It requires us to invest time and deep thought to investigate and ponder its meaning. Revelation is a puzzling book, but it’s also a practical book—and it doesn’t have to be divisive.
For over 1,900 years, the book of Revelation has called God’s people to be faithful to the Lord in perilous times. Let’s study it earnestly and ask God for wisdom to understand it; but while we wrestle with the book’s mysteries, let’s be gracious with each other and preserve our unity in the faith. Every reader of Revelation can join other believers and pray, “Deliver us from evil” and “Marana tha (Come, O Lord).”
Personal Challenge:
Based on the plain words of the Bible (not mere human opinions), how would you summarize your personal beliefs about the end-times? How do those beliefs impact your daily life?
End Times, yes they will come, but about everybody SAYS “Please not now”, kinda like King Hezekiah who slept peacefully because the Babylonian destruction would not occur while he was alive. My favorite treatise on end time is “Vision of the Ages” by B.W. Johnson, who wrote it about 150 years ago. He correlates actual historical events to the signs given in Revelation and reveals how some of the time factors have occurred.
WE as Christians first and foremost have to accept that SATAN is our enemy and explores and exposes our sin weaknesses. His three agents are the Prostitute (an apostate christian church), the Prophet (all false religions) and the Beast (the ability to engage in commerce or banking). We are similar to the Pharisees who kept demanding signs, but were given parables. Pray to better understand the signs provided in the WORD!
I’m convinced Amillennialism is the best understanding of Christian Eschatology. I generally agree with Anthony Hoekema in The Bible and the Future (1979), with some exceptions (I believe the present physical Heaven and Earth will be annihilated, not just renewed), cf. 2 Peter 3:11 “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”