“Nothing is more deadly for men who do not know which way to turn in their adversity than to be deceived under the pretext of God’s name, with lies that close the door of repentance, increase the darkness of infidelity, and in the end throw them in despair into the headlong confusion of insanity.” – John Calvin

December 12, 2012 is the day the world is supposed to end! The Mayan calendar says so! … or so goes the story that’s sure to pick up momentum as fast as a snowball as we roll toward this projected date. Predictions include cataclysmic or transformative events amounting to “the end of the world as we know it” but what that means and exactly when it will occur and what shape it takes varies depending on who you talk to.

For some, it’s no less than impending doom. The earth is supposed to collide with a black hole, an asteroid or the planet Nibiru. Others suggest it will be the beginning of a global transformation of consciousness.

While scholars studying the Mayan calendar differ on not only what will take place and when, or even if the Mayan calendar suggests anything will take place, what’s clear is that eschatology (the study or science of last things) has long been a subject filled with filled curiosity, speculations, doomsday prophets, and the like.

Plenty of charts are available on the internet which show end time predictions have a long history and fill every generation.

Recently, those which come to mind include Hal Lindsey who suggested the 1980’s could very well be the last decade of history as we know it and the U.S. could be destroyed by a surprise Soviet nuclear attack. Pat Robertson has made several predictions of the end of the world including one which suggested it was coming in October or November of 1982. According to some Mormon literature in 2000 the New Jerusalem would descend from the heavens landing in Independence Missouri. Time LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, though they later backed off of it, suggested the Y2K bug would trigger global economic chaos which the Antichrist would use to rise to power.

Then, there’s Harold Camping who first predicted the end times on May 21, 2011 wherein Jesus Christ would return to earth, the righteous would fly up to heaven, and there would follow five months of fire, brimstone and plagues on earth with millions of people dying every day, but after May 21 passed, Camping stated that a “spiritual” judgment had occurred on that date and that the physical rapture would occur on October 21, 2011, along with the destruction of the universe. He retired and had a heart attack soon after this prediction failed.

Predictions of future dates for the end time span from the present to hundreds of trillions of years away, including Jeanne Dixon’s claim that Armageddon will take place in 2020 to scientists predictions of future events such as the year the level of CO2 will make life uninhabitable, the year the sun will swell into a red giant and swallow the earth or scorch it, and the year the universe will experience a thermodynamic heat death. How is it that we should look upon and think about the end times?

What should our response look like?

Are we to wonder if every major political or world changing event is the beginning of the end? Are we to quit our jobs and sell our homes every time a Harold Camping comes around? Are we to waste our money on every prophecy book or printing of books on the rapture? Are we to spend endless amounts of time extrapolating or going conferences to discuss the details of end time predictions? Are we to be impressed by the enormous backdrops and timelines that John Hagee uses regarding the nation of Israel?

Or, are we to live in ignorance as though there’s nothing we can know about the end times? Or, does Jesus and the Scripture, while not providing end dates (in fact, declaring that date is not known by or revealed to humans) provides enough, in fact all that we need, to live and not fall prey while we wait on the glorious coming of our Savior?

In Luke 17, Jesus gives us guidance in four areas. You might think of them as parameters, or crucial areas to consider and keep in mind when it comes to eschatology, including both the coming of the kingdom of God and the days of the Son of Man).

The first area deals with CURIOUSITY.

While man is naturally curious, it’s important you know what to look for and that you are looking for the right thing.

In the same way we have search engines today that can help us find things when we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for, Jesus emphasizes the need for people to know what to look for concerning the coming of the kingdom of God.

While the Pharisees, after Jesus and John the Baptist stated the kingdom is near, were anticipating a Messiah who would lead some form of religious, political, national, or military revolution in order to bring about the kingdom, Jesus corrected them by stating the kingdom is within you (or in your midst).

Jesus was saying the kingdom of God is of a different nature! It’s spiritual in nature.
For three years, he had been performing miracles and demonstrating himself to be divine. Here, in their very midst was the King, who had come and been establishing and setting up his kingdom, a kingdom which did not come with fanfare but as Henry says consisted of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon and exercising power over the souls and consciences of men, but the Pharisees, even with the King in front of them, and the kingdom being established all around them, were still looking to something future and missing what had come and was already in their midst.

The first principle of eschatology is to first know what you should be looking for regarding the coming of the kingdom of God.

When it comes to the coming of the kingdom of God (which is different from the second coming of the Son of Man), do YOU know what you’re looking for?

The second area of Jesus’ teaching deals with CONSOLATION.

You may say, “I would never think like the Pharisees did”, but note that Jesus then turned to “the disciples” and said “The days will come when YOU will DESIRE to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and YOU will NOT see it.” [Caps, my emphasis]
In context, these words would prove ominous for the disciples. Following Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples would at first experience great success in their ministry.

Those who accepted Peter’s message at Pentecost numbered three thousand, but would it always be that way? The answer is NO! Days would come when men would not be so accepting of their message, when the Christians themselves would be treated as outsiders and heretics. Days would come when THEY would LONG for the days of the Son of Man, but would NOT see it!

The life of Christian discipleship is not always easy and Christians should not be surprised if WE face times when we ourselves long for the days of the Son of Man.
Such longings may be due to difficulties in our daily lives or ministries. They may come as a result of challenges in dealing with others, or our own heath. They may come when facing situations where the gospel is not accepted or begins to be openly opposed and rejected. They may be experienced when confronted with suffering related to evil in this world or tribulations which come because of Christian profession and convictions.

These should not surprise us! Christ’s example and experience should comfort us and shape our expectations.

Referring to the coming of the Son of Man, Jesus said “and they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them nor follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in his day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

While the second coming of Christ will be undeniable, because Christ suffered and was rejected before that coming, we should not be surprised if we do as well! But care must be taken that that desire (and it can be strong) does not lead us to turning to or following false prophet or false hopes and prophecies rather than recognizing the necessity of our going through the things God intends for us and waiting upon the second coming of Christ.

Calvin says “There was great danger in this temptation that men in the misery of their afflictions and despairs would be deceived… go after make-believe Christs, and embrace the devil’s delusions instead of God’s assistance. … Satan will cleverly throw out new hopes which will lead people further astray from God. Nothing is more deadly for men who do not know which way to turn in their adversity than to be deceived under the pretext of God’s name, with lies that close the door of repentance, increase the darkness of infidelity, and in the end throw them in despair into the headlong confusion of insanity.”

The second lesson in eschatology is don’t be surprised by suffering and don’t be carried away by your desires into following false hopes.

The third area deals with man’s CONCERNS.

Many, being preoccupied with the present world, are unconcerned with the things of the kingdom of God, and therefore will be found unprepared and found to miss out or forfeit the salvation and deliverance of God and to be found among those who experience the judgment of God either in this life or in the life to come.

Jesus points to two stark examples to get men’s attention.

First he points to Noah and how men ate, drank, married, and were given in marriage “until the day” that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Second, he points to Lot and says likewise in his day the people ate, drank, bought and sold, planted, built, “but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. In the same way that people in those days were overly occupied with the things of earthly life (even good things) and experienced judgment rather than deliverance, so will it be with the days of the Son of Man.

These physical examples are meant to stir our responses on a spiritual level.
Will YOU treat the preaching and teaching of God’s Word today as the people treated it in Noah’s and Lot’s day? Or, will you be so enamored, so dependent, so in love with your things in this world that like Lot’s wife, though she began on the path to leave the city, though she was told not to look back, did so, and became the object of God’s judgment?

The third lesson of eschatology is don’t be so preoccupied with the present world that you’re not prepared or that you miss out on the Lord’s deliverance and salvation.

Indeed, “whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

There is a giving up in order that we may gain when it comes to life with the Lord.

Lest you think you’re safe because you’re doing the same things everyone else is, consider Jesus’ words when he said “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

The fourth and final area deals with CERTAINTY.

The disciples asked Jesus “Where, Lord?” Where will we find those receiving your salvation and those experiencing God’s judgment? Jesus responded “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

This is a difficult passage to interpret. In fact between 200 and 300 interpretations have
been given. On one level, it can be related to other passages where vultures refer to the judgment that comes to the (spiritually) dead. Calvin argues Jesus speaks from the lesser to the greater – that “if the birds are so wise that many come together from distant regions over one corpse it would be shameful for the faithful not to be drawn to the Author of life, from whom alone they take true nourishment.”

The emphasis here is “WHEREEVER the body is, there the eagles WILL be gathered together. You and I can be certain that redemption and judgment “will” come. Redemption to those who repent, put faith in, and follow Christ; judgment to those who are preoccupied, who are not concerned, who refuse to repent, and are unwilling to give up the things of this world and/or turn back.

The good news is that just as the kingdom of God was already in the midst of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, so it is in our day as well. Even though Jesus has come, and died, and been raised from the dead, and sits at God’s right hand, he still is serving as king and is establishing his kingdom, changing the souls and consciences of those he desires.

Just as Noah entered into the ark and there he was safe (along with his wife, and sons, and their wives), and just as Lot believed the message given to him and went out of Sodom and also was delivered from judgment, so too can people today experience the redemption and deliverance of God by receiving his word and turning and repenting of their sins putting faith in Christ as Savior. Just as in Noah and Lot’s day, salvation will come to those who heed God’s warning, trust in Christ, and yield themselves to His care!

The question is: Are you ready?

Do you know what you should be looking for? Will you accept following in the Lord’s path and avoid following false hopes as you wait? Will you show necessary concern, or will you be preoccupied with this world? And, are you convinced of the certainty that these things will come to pass wherever a person is, physically and/or spiritually?

If so, then your only proper eschatological hope and response is to be found in watching (i.e., looking to) and waiting on Jesus alone, for while no one knows the date of the end time, we are equipped with all we need to know until that time comes!

Tim Muse is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and serves as Senior Pastor at Brandon Presbyterian Church (PCA) in the Jackson, MS suburbs. He blogs at All Things Reformed where this article first appeared; it is used with his permission.

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]