End Time Proximity
Are the end time events soon to happen? People have been asking this question for a long time. Even the ancient Jews were anticipating similar events based upon the prophecies made in the Books of Isaiah, Zechariah, Jeremiah, Ezechiel and Daniel. These anticipations were realized to some extent with the tribulation of the Babylonian exile in 586 BC and the joy of the return to a "New Jerusalem" in 536 BC. They were also realized to some extent under the persecution of the Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 168-164 BC and the liberation afforded by the Machabeean revolt. These events, of course, predated the writing of the Book of Revelation and did not include much of the end time events foreseen in that book. As such, they only prefigured the end time in a limited way as indicated in the Book of Daniel.
Subsequently early Christians were anticipating end time events. St. Peter himself states in 1 Peter 4: 7 "But the end of all is at hand. Be prudent therefore and watch in prayers." St. John states in 1 John 2: 18 "Little children, it is the last hour: and as you have heard the Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour."
These anticipations could also have been due in part to prophecies made by Christ during his life on earth, such as those presented in Matthew 24: 4-41. These verses include a description of the awesome celestial events of the end time, which may have been difficult to believe. As a result Christ said in Matthew 24: 34-35 "Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass: but my words shall not pass."
Some would hold that Christ proved himself wrong when he made this prediction since that generation has died long ago and these events have not yet happened. However, there is an alternative interpretation of this remark. It hinges on an alternative interpretation of the phrase "pass away." That interpretation is the same as the meaning behind "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." This interpretation is clearly that "pass away" means "cease to exist" as mentioned in Hebrews 1: 11-12. Although the generation of Christ's time has died off, it has not ceased to exist. It still exists spiritually and will probably witness the fulfillment of Christ's end time prophecies. Christ made these prophecies prior to the writing of the Book of Revelation and they prompted early Christians to anticipate a fulfillment in their lifetime.
Even some Jews anticipated the Messiah during this time according to Luke 3: 15 as well as the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. This anticipation caused some to be exceptionally bold and contributed to the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66 AD resulting in a war with Rome that lasted until 73 AD. This war likewise placated some anticipation regarding end time events. According to Josephus, "No destruction ever wrought by God or man approached the wholesale carnage of this war." He also states that "All the prisoners taken from the beginning to end of the war totaled 97,000; those who perished in the long siege 1,100,000." It could be estimated fairly that about another 1,000,000 perished in the surrounding areas, or that the total numbered that perished in this war was between one and two million. In addition, it destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple.
Per Matthew 24: 1-3 Christ foretold the destruction of the Temple to the apostles, who then asked when this would take place. Christ's reply in the following verses did not answer this question directly, but rather described the events that would precede his return. There would then seem to be a perplexing change of subject in the discussion, unless one reads between its lines. That would indicate Christ implied that the destruction of the Temple would occur in a period when the Jews were expecting his return, as supported by Luke 17: 22.
As great as this destruction was, it did not fulfill the end time prophecy made by Christ in Matthew 24: 21 "For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be." The latter "neither shall be" remained unfulfilled. There have been greater catastrophies since then, such as the holocaust of the Jews during World War II. The Jewish War therefore failed to fulfill Christ's prophecy.
This destruction also failed to fulfill other significant end time prophecies made by the Bible. An idol was not placed in the temple for worship as had been done by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV. Nor were the Jews marked with a name or code for such an idol. Nor was a battle fought at Megiddo resulting in a sea of blood. Nor did the dead rise from their graves. Nor were the sun and the moon darkened. Nor did the stars fall in the sky. Nor did the Son of Man return coming upon a cloud. Nor did the Jews ascend to meet him. Nor did God send his wrath upon the world in the form of the plagues described in Revelation.
In fairness it must be said that some supernatural events did take place towards the end of this war as Jerusalem was falling. Josephus records "Before sunset there were seen in the sky, over the whole country, chariots and regiments in arms speeding through the clouds and encircling the towns." And during the same timeframe the priests of the temple declared that they were aware, first of violent movement and a loud crash, then of a concerted cry: "Let us go hence." Combining these observations, one could conclude that the angels protecting Judea had abandoned it to its fate and manifested these signs as testimony to that abandonment. The Jewish War therefore failed to fulfill the essential aspects of the end time, and anticipation continued.
When the Book of Revelation was written towards the close of the first century AD, Christians were being persecuted by Rome, which was then suspected of being the beast expected. The emperor Domitian was also suspect since he was the reigning emperor when the Book of Revelation was written according to St. Irenaeus and had declared himself "Master and God". He ruled with a strong but equitable hand, but later was ruthless in suppressing opposition to his policies. This included a persecution of Christianity. According to Revelation, however, the beast's tribulation would last for three and one half years. Roman persecution continued to some extent for another two hundred years until the reign of Emperor Constantine. During his reign Christianity was legalized and endorsed, and he himself became a Christian. When this happened, Rome was no longer the beast it was and anticipation for some other fulfillment of prophecy continued once again.
After so many unsuccessful attempts at explaining Revelation in terms of historical events, some wanted and did exclude it from the Bible. St. Augustine, however, managed to have it retained for many due to his preeminence in the church. He argued that it was written by one of the apostles and should therefore be retained, but with a proper interpretation. He demonstrated the feasibility of such an interpretation by providing one he himself made in his book "The City of God". It was due in part to his interpretation that prompted quite a few to anticipate that Christ's return to take place around the year 1000AD.
Revelation 20: 4 states "And I saw seats. And they sat upon them: and judgment was given unto them. And the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God and who had not adored the beast nor his image nor received his character on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." St. Augustine speculated that this thousand years had begun with Christ's first coming and would end with His return. However, as the year 1000 AD came and passed the world did not end and people rejoiced.
Still, some expected it to happen soon thereafter and took measures to prepare, particularly for Christ's return. Within another century the Crusades were launched to retrieve Jerusalem and the Holy Land for Christendom. With various victories and defeats several crusades were subsequently launched over a period of centuries. The nature, size, and duration of these crusades spawned new anticipation of the end time.
This anticipation was accentuated by a doctrine set forth by the Italian monk Joachim of Fiore (1130 to 1202 AD). This doctrine divided history into three parts as follows: the Age of the Father (Old Testament) characterized by fear and servile obedience; the Age of the Son (New Testament) characterized by faith and filial obedience; and the Age of the Holy Spirit due to begin about 1260 AD (Revelation 12: 6), which would be characterized by love and liberty. This doctrine was quite similar to traditional church doctrine except that the Age of the Holy Spirit traditionally began with the first Pentecost when the Apostles and others first received the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2.
Joachim believed that the visible church of the second age would be absorbed by the spiritual church of the third age during which: the clergy and hierarchy were to have a place in the spiritual order; the active life was to be absorbed by the contemplative; Jews were to be converted, and Greeks and Latins reconciled; wars were to cease, universal love would reign, and the theology of the beatitudes would endure until the end of the world. Since the year 1260 AD came and went without this realization, this doctrine was dismissed, yet permeated the thoughts of some religious thinkers for centuries to come.
Such thinkers liked the idea of the visible church of the second age being absorbed by the spiritual church of the third age. They probably did not care for the church and wanted to have more influence in church doctrine. This attitude for some probably existed off and on as long as the church had existed. The same could be said for most any organization that has ever existed. However, it took firm hold in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation due to the advent of the printing press that made the Bible available to the average layman.
The Bible's accessibility was no longer limited to the church clergy, but became available to most everyone. Subsequently, the need for its interpretation by the clergy was challenged and Protestants began to make independent interpretations, which could be as varied as the number of individuals making them. The Catholic Church on the other hand insisted that the Bible could not be subjected to such varied interpretation and must be interpreted within its guidance.
That is not to say that Catholics were not allowed to interpret the Bible for themselves. They too had been availed individual copies of the Bible, thanks to the printing press. They too were interpreting the Bible for themselves, but within the guidance afforded by church clergy. This practice could be likened to the study of a medical guide for one's physical health. Medical authorities make these guides available so that the layman can perform common care for relatively simple health problems. For more serious problems the medical guide directs the layman to consult a health authority such as a physician. Likewise, the Catholic Church openly encouraged its laymen to study the Bible for themselves and implement it guidance in their daily lives for their spiritual health. However, in matters of serious or profound questions, it refers the layman to a spiritual health authority as availed via its clergy.
Unfortunately, this latitude was not sufficient for some and the Christian world was rent into different sects. These sects then began to form various interpretations of Revelation and anticipations of the end time. However, these interpretations did not come into real conflict with Catholic Church doctrine, since it had not taken an official position on the interpretation of Revelation. Its position was as put forth by St. Augustine that this book should be retained in the Bible, but accorded only its proper interpretation, yet to be determined.
Nevertheless, it is said that Martin Luther went so far as to accuse the pope himself of being the Antichrist. The pope had offered indulgences for donations, which was consistent with 1 Corinthians 9: 1-14 and Acts 5: 1-11. For Martin, however, it was the last straw, since the church had been previously exploited in various ways by various interests. Martin's accusation implied that he expected the end time to take place in his near future. History indicates that it did not. This must have pleased the pope, since he was thereby exonerated.
When the Puritans were being persecuted by the Protestant Church of England, they looked upon escape to the new world of the Americas as their escape from tribulation to a "New Jerusalem." Even later the American colonists looked upon King George of England as the Antichrist, particularly after the imposition of the "Stamp Act". This act required all commercial transactions in the colonies to be marked with a stamp for which a duty was levied. Consequently, it was suspected of being "the mark of the beast."
In the early 19th century Napoleon had conquered most of Europe and had terminated the existence of the Holy Roman Empire, which had existed for approximately 1000 years. During his reign, he had caused much death in his wars and distress in his economic policies. Consequently, many regarded him as a monster. He, of course, was defeated by a combined European force, abdicated, and was banished to the isle of Elba off the coast of Italy. Soon thereafter, however, he brazenly returned to usurp the throne of France only to war again for another defeat, banishment, and death on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic.
Prior to his rise to power he was observed to be frequenting the seashore for contemplation. This practice resembled the prophecy in Revelation 12: 18 "And he stood upon the sand of the sea". His second return must have evoked recollection of the prophecies in Revelation 17: 8 and 17: 11 as follows: "The beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit and go into destruction. And the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was and is not." and "the beast which was and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction."
Consequently, it is probable that many regarded him as the Antichrist. It is no wonder, then, that his defeat and banishment led to a belief that Christ's second return was imminent and that expectation for this event ran high at that time. Shortly thereafter, an American named Mr. William Miller calculated and predicted that the Second Advent would take place between 1843 and 1844 AD. His prediction was widely published, creating much expectation that resulted in much disappointment when this event did not take place. However, belief in Revelation and the nearness of the end time remained.
Little need be said about the events of this century that prompted end time expectations. Its two world wars probably can be credited with most of it, and the media continues to carry on the legacy of these wars. They were unprecedented world wars in which all sides suffered alike. If one reads related literary accounts, one can observe that the peoples involved on both sides were caught up in these wars without real animosity towards each other. It is little wonder, then, that Christians on both sides of the wars felt that they were undergoing end time events. Such feelings were probably accentuated by prophecies made in the previous nineteenth century as well as those made by the recognized seer Nostradamus and scientist Isaac Newton centuries before.
They were also perpetuated by events that followed these wars such as the invention of the atomic bomb and the rise of international Communism. The recent rebirth of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, or in one day as prophesied in Isaiah 66: 8, fueled further anticipation. It indicated that rebuilding of the Temple in the near future was a likely possibility and this would permit the fulfillment of Revelation 11 prophecies concerning activity in the Temple. However, more than a half century has passed since these events and the end time has not been realized. On the contrary, an era of peace was introduced towards the end of this century.
The year 2000 AD, of course, stirred up further anticipation by the prophecies of Nostradamus and contemporary authors writing books on the subject. This year was particularly meaningful due to its basic significance and speculation that these events could well result from worldwide failure of computers. This failure could have occurred because many computers were not programmed to handle the change in date format required by a new millennium. Such computer failure and the presence of computer-controlled nuclear weapons of mass destruction posed a real threat of an Apocalypse as envisioned in the contemporary mind. However, the year 2000 came and passed quite peacefully.
Recent discovery of an apparent code throughout the Hebrew rendition of the Bible has also revealed apparent prophecies of a number of events that have taken place in the recent past. These "prophecies" are indicated to be far more accurate than those made by Nostradamus and growing in credibility. Much of this growth has been due to the traceability of recent significant events to related keywords found in proximity to each other in the Hebrew Bible, as made possible by current computer technology. As in the interpretation of the prophecies of Nostradamus, interpretation of this Bible code relies on hindsight to some degree and is therefore challenged by some who insist on foresight as the criteria for validity. This code does provide some prophecy of the future in the prediction of a comet approaching and threatening the earth in the year 2012 AD. In view of Revelation 8: 10 such an event could be associated with the "end time" and would provide proof of some foresight, if it does happen.
Recent advances in space travel could also lead one to believe that end time events are near. This belief would be based on the premise that these events will be experienced by all who dwell on earth, so they must occur before man is able to migrate to other planets. Although there have been advances in space travel, successful migration of any number of persons is still very questionable. Other planets in our solar system are not really habitable and travel to distant solar systems is still very much beyond current technology.
Some authorities have even stated that such travel is impossible due to the extremely long distances involved and the hazards presented by dark matter collision. The nearest other solar system is something like four light years away. To reach it in lifetime would require traveling at near the speed of light. Such speed capability is not foreseeable and would introduce further complications if it is ever. While the theory of relativity indicates that time slows down with speed, mass also increases. Such mass increases introduce unknown stresses with probable disastrous consequences. If such speeds could be successfully developed there is then the added threat of colliding with any small amount of dark matter. At these speeds such a collision would very likely cause disintegration of any space vehicle. In view of these observations it can be safely concluded that migration is not possible in the foreseeable future, if ever.
All of these prior anticipations to realize the end time tell us that we really do not know when the end time will occur. Not knowing, we are at a disadvantage with those who would argue that it would never occur. St. Peter warns us about this matter in 2 Peter 3: 3-4 "Knowing this first: That in the last days there shall come deceitful scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying: Where is his promise or his coming? For since the time that the fathers slept, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
In response, 2 Peter 3: 8-10 advises "But of this one thing be not ignorant, my beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance. But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which the Heavens shall pass away with great violence and the elements shall be melted with heat and the earth and the works which are in it shall be burnt up."
Christ tells us in Matthew 24: 36 "But of that day and hour no one knoweth: no, not the angels of Heaven, but the Father alone." We must therefore admit that we do not know when these events will happen and can only talk in terms of probabilities. Still, it is incumbent upon us to do this, as instructed by Matthew 25: 13 "Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour."
