“The end is near!” is stereotypical in movies and television shows for the insane person on the street corner to scrawl on the side of a building or put it on a piece of cardboard and hold it for anyone to see. The world sees it, and scoffs at the foolishness. God, after all, has done so little in the past 2,000 years. No new messiah or legitimate prophet, no additional revelation that is recognized, and certainly no judgment day and end of time. I published a video online just this week where I mentioned the “end times” and a commenter said, “Do you know how long Christians have been saying that?” The truth of the matter, though, is that we truly are living in the last time. Certainly, the world scoffs at it, because the world has no need for truth and for the ways of God.
The teaching of Premillennialism teaches that the last days are yet to come, that Jesus will come back and reign for a thousand years, or a millennium, as a king upon the earth over a physical kingdom. Unfortunately, this teaching is not supported by the Bible when context is applied. The Jewish nation as it is today has virtually nothing to do with the nation it was when God allowed the Hebrew people to cross the Jordan and possess it. The promise to Abraham from Genesis 12:2 which says that, “I will make of you a great nation,” and from Genesis 22:17 which says that, “your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” was realized not only in the land of Goshen when they were enslaved in Egypt, but in their conquest of Canaan. They were a great nation which was only brought down by evil doings of that great nation. The prophets told them repeatedly that this great nation which they had would be brought down and destroyed if they did not change their ways.
Christ’s mission was not to reestablish a physical kingdom. He even had the opportunity to do so at the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds” (Matthew 14:22). “When the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself” (John 6:14-15).
Jesus had the perfect opportunity to become a king. He was at one of the highest points of His popularity. An army of people had followed Him around the Sea of Galilee, and He had a ready and willing royal court in His disciples, who already expressed interest in being in royal authority with Jesus as king. Jesus, instead of taking the opportunity, sent His disciples away, and hid from the crowds, praying in the mountains, until He could cross the water, miraculously on foot, and diffuse the situation.
Jesus prayed that this kingdom would come, but did not do it when the opportunity would arise? No. Jesus said it Himself to Pilate when addressed. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But My kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36).
Jesus’ kingdom was spiritual, and it was established when His church was formed. This church which belongs to Christ is the spiritual kingdom which is the fulfillment of the final promise of Abraham. In that final time, John tells us that the devil will attempt to negate that promise, though with his temptations, or antichrists: “Children, It is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour” (I John 2:18).
John tells us that the last hour is upon us. We are not in the “pre” time of the millennial, but that time is now. That reign of Christ from heaven is happening now and this is the last time. There will be no more revelation of the Word. There will be no more prophets. There will be no other messiah. Our impatience for the final stroke of midnight will not make it come any faster, nor does it having not happened yet meant that it will not. It just means that God exists in His own time, and it is His choice, and in that we trust and know that it will happen. Repent before it is too late!
Lance Byers