Time Of The End In The Bible

The time of the end in the Bible, what is it? For thousands of years people have been fascinated with predictions of the end of the world. At times people thought they understood when and how our age would end. But failed expectations about the end of the age have bought profound disappointment to scores of sincere religious individuals and groups. They thought they were correctly discerning the time and manner of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But all have been wrong, or at least premature. In spite of centuries of such disappointments, they haven’t put an end to attempts to associate world events and conditions with biblical prophecies concerning the end of time. This is especially true in America, where books, television and radio programs focusing on biblical prophecy abound. Today, we’re going to share with you what the time of the end is all about according to the Bible. As always, we will let the Scripture interpret itself and ask Yahweh’s Holy Spirit to guide us as we discuss this topic to you. May you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear for this true and faithful heavenly message.

If we look into the inspired writings of the Old Testament prophets and Yahshua the Messiah’s apostles, we find many prophecies that refer to the time of the end. Should we take them seriously? Should they mean anything to all of us? Are world conditions for such predictions could be fulfilled in our day? Are we near the climax of the prophesied period in which the world is faced with insurmountable problems and global distress of holocaust proportions? Are we approaching Armageddon? The Savior of mankind Yahshua Himself talked of a future time so horrendous that “if that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive” (Matthew 24:22). Yes, everyone alive would die if that time was not cut short! Was Yahshua speaking of our time or this generation? Many Bible prophecies leave us in no doubt that increasingly cataclysmic events will occur before Almighty Yahweh’s direct intervention in human affairs. These terrifying prophetic occurrences will see their fulfillment at some future time. The crucial question is when! Much confusion surrounds the timing of these prophecies. But this need not be so. The Bible itself reveals certain vital keys that will help us place these forewarnings in an understandable prophetic framework. Yes, we must let the Holy Scripture itself interpret its own prophecies!

Furthermore, some biblical terms have a considerably broader application than the 3 1/2-year time of crisis immediately preceding Yahshua Messiah’s return. This can lead to some confusion should someone try to force these terms into a strict end-time only usage. Below are specific biblical terms for the coming end of man’s age.

• End of the Ages: Hebrews 9:26 uses the phrase “end of the ages” to depict the period from Yahshua the Messiah’s sacrifice to His second coming. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us: Yahweh…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”
• The Latter Days: The expression “latter days” (Daniel 10:14) can include the “time of the end” (Daniel 11:35), a period leading up to and including the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The context of these words and phrases reveals their meaning.
• The Latter Times: Apostles Paul, Peter, John and Jude use the terms last days, last time and last times to describe the final part of man’s era. Paul warned Timothy that some Christians would leave the truth of Elohim at the time of the end. Paul called this general future period the “latter times.” He said: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1).
• Last Times: Notice the apostle Peter’s words: “He…was manifest (visible) in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20). The apostle John says: “Little children, it is the last time (because) many antimessiahs have come, by which we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). Note that apostle Jude also uses the term “last time.” He said: “…Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Master Yahshua Messiah: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own unholy lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit” (Jude 17-19).
• The Last Hour: The apostle John, writing in the first century, used the expression “the last hour” in referring to his day. He said: “Little children it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antimessiah is coming, even now many antimessiah have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).

Like the others in his day, the apostle John likely thought Yahshua Messiah’s return was imminent (Acts 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). But Yahweh has a considerably different perspective of time. A day with Elohim is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years as one day (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4). John did warn us to be on the lookout for “antimessiahs,” a term used for any professing to be like Messiah but actually working against Him! Yahshua the Messiah Himself warned that many would come in His Name, claiming to represent Him. He said, Take heed that you be not deceived: for many shall come in My Name, saying, I am Messiah; and the time draws near: go you not therefore after them” (Luke 21:8). Yes, a trend that began in John’s day will continue to the time of the end, when a false representation of Yahshua Messiah and His original teachings will grow worse! Although Scripture reveals certain conditions will deteriorate as the end of the age draws near, we should not confuse the conditions we see around us with specific final period prophesied in the Bible. Global conditions could regenerate or degenerate over a considerable amount of time before they lead to the concluding events of the last days. The final days of this era will be marked by prophetic events. Many would interpret such developments and conditions as certain signs of the end time. But they would be wrong and lead many people astray! Thus just the mere presence of charismatic religious leaders, wars or global disasters is simply not enough to confirm the arrival of the end time.

In closing, the time of the end in the Bible will unfold events. To avoid confusing general world troubles with actual end-time events, the Bible describes specific events and conditions that will occur in the final days. One unmistakable end-time event will be the coming domination of Jerusalem by gentiles (non-Israelites). Yahshua Messiah prophesied that “Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). In Revelation 11:1-2 an angel reveals to the apostle John how long gentiles will control the city: “And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months”—the equivalent of 3 1/2 years. It will also be the time of intense persecution of Yahweh’s people. Yahshua warned of troubling trends that He called “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). Then, Yahshua said, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (verses 9-13). In Revelation, the apostle John sees a vision in which some of Yahweh’s people, depicted as a woman, are sheltered from Satan’s persecutions and “nourished from for a time and times and half a time”—for three and a half years (Revelation 12:14). Furious at being unable to attack these people, Satan will “make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the Commandments of Yahweh and have the testimony of Yahshua Messiah (verse 17). Thus we see in three prophecies of the end time that the focus is on a culminating 3 1/2-year period of worldwide distress so terrifying and threatening to human survival that Yahweh will never allow such to occur again. Such prophecies help us understand the conditions and events that will mark the beginning of this crucial period in the end-time! May Yahweh protect and bless those who are the doers of His words. And may the peace be in Israel. We humbly pray these things to Yahweh our Elohim through Savior Yahshua our Master and King, Amen. Halleluyah, Shalom!