The End of Time

By Rick McGee

There is an alarming amount of misinformation concerning the most climactic event in all of human history-the imminent return of Jesus Christ to the earth. As Christians become more and more biblically illiterate with each passing generation, they are particularly susceptible to false teaching concerning the second coming of Christ, and yes, it does matter what you believe! Speaking of false teachers, the apostle Peter wrote, "They will secretly introduce destructive heresies...Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up" (2 Peter 2:1b-3a). In just the past one hundred years, many American Christians have been falsely led to believe they will be "raptured out," removed by Jesus Christ from this world before his Second Coming or serious tribulation occurs. This flies in the face of the fact that Christians are already enduring torture and are being martyred on a grand scale in many other countries, particularly by radical Muslims. This book, The End of Time, takes an in-depth look into the truths found within the Bible concerning the End Times-truths that have been obviously distorted. Lucifer began distorting the words of God in the Garden of Eden. An unprepared mankind was deceived, and Paradise was lost. The very same Tempter continues to distort the truth concerning the return of Jesus Christ within the walls of the church to this day! Once again, millions of unprepared Christians will be caught off-guard by the manner of the Lord's return in the same way the nation of Israel was taken by surprise at his first arrival in Bethlehem. A rapture and vindication of faithful believers will indeed occur, but will coincide with Christ's return to earth, as the Scriptures clearly indicate. The Lord will then judge this fallen world, reward the faithful, and paradise will be restored. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, the Old Testament with the New Testament, the truths we need to understand concerning the approaching end of time as we know it can be grasped.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641400589

Book preview

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THE End OF

Time

Dr. Rick McGee

ISBN 978-1-64140-057-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64140-058-9 (digital)

Copyright © 2017 by Dr. Rick McGee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Foreword

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day (Genesis 1:3–5).

This was the beginning of time as we know it. It began when the Creator first spun the earth on its axis. And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years . . .’ (Genesis 1:14).

And yet, God has always existed. He was there before time, as we know it, began, and he will exist long after time, as we know it, ceases altogether. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end (Psalms 102:25–27).

Whether you are already a believer, a skeptic, an agnostic, an atheist, or just a seeker of truth, contrary to prevailing opinions, science does not disprove the Bible. In fact, true science confirms its accuracy! Highly intelligent skeptics, Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel, set out to disprove the legitimacy of the Bible and the historical accuracy of the life of Jesus Christ. Having exhausted all available scientific, medical, geological, and historical research, both McDowell and Strobel independently came to the identical conclusion: The Bible is accurate, and Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be, the Son of God. Both men are now well-known apologists for the Christian faith.

In science, the second law of thermodynamics confirms what the Psalmist said three thousand years ago in the above passage. Though there is no need to be alarmed, this law forecasts the end of the universe as stars use up their nuclear energy. The universe, as we know it, is not eternal. All heat energy within the universe will eventually be used up, dispersing across the vast expanse of God’s space. Even the earth’s rotation slows by one second every eighteen months.

The point is, though God designed and created a breathtakingly complex universe, unlike himself, the universe is finite. It had a beginning, and it has an end. God created the earth as a storehouse of natural resources to meet our every need for as long as we will require them. "Through him (Jesus as God in the flesh) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3).

Speaking of Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15–17).

Men of science have yet to discover the glue that holds certain molecules together into items of substance, and yet the Bible says it is simply through the will of God, in the physical form of Jesus Christ, that all things hold together. That includes the chair you are probably sitting in as you read this. It is God’s will that maintains the orbits of every planet, moon, and star. We exist and draw each breath by the good graces of Almighty God! At any moment, he could remove his sustaining hand and . . .

So listen, for this is crucial to understanding the Scriptural concepts I am going to share concerning the return of Jesus Christ to earth, and the end of time as we know it. Our infinite God stands transcendent over time and space as we understand it. A God who can create and maintain that creation with such authority is not limited in any way to the confines of time and space. And yet, our finite minds have trouble grasping this concept.

Let’s imagine that, to this point, twelve billion people have existed throughout human history. Many Christians have no trouble believing that God can have a personal relationship with each individual. We believe that God is omnipresent (everywhere at once), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omniscient (all-seeing and all-knowing). The Bible supports this belief: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast . . . My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:7–10, 15–16).

Christians claim to believe God is unlimited in power and knowledge. Still, even though we believe he created the universe, many want to place human limits on the amount of time it took him to do it, as well as the methods he used. I ask them, If he can create in the first place, then why limit him in any way? Those limits exist only within our minds.

And when it comes to the order and method the Lord of the universe chooses to bring it to its conclusion, again, why limit him in any way? The Creator sets the rules, not us. At any moment he can choose to enter the human realm of time and space: But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4–5).

When God took human form in Christ Jesus, his Son, he allowed that part of himself to be subjected to human time and space for a limited period, but for a magnificent purpose! Following his resurrection, Jesus was no longer subjected to the confines of time and space. He could pass through walls, appearing and disappearing at will. He even physically ascended into the heavens before the very eyes of his followers in Acts 1:9, and two angels promised those followers he would return in the same way: ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).

Time, as we know it, does not exist in the spiritual realm. It is not marked off with the passing of days and years. Though Jesus promised to return, as far as humanity is concerned, two thousand years have slowly passed awaiting the promise to be fulfilled. It took four thousand years for the promise of his first coming to be fulfilled (Genesis 3:15)! But he did come in Bethlehem, as promised, and he will come again, as promised.

Within thirty earth years of Christ’s ascent into the heavens, people were already tired of waiting. The apostle Peter addressed their impatience: They will say, ‘Where is this coming he promised? . . . But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years a like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:4a, 8–9).

Through God’s infinite wisdom, you and I experience our existence within the limits of time and space and view history passing in sequence day after day. The Bible makes abundantly clear that what we do with that time determines where we will spend eternity and what we will be doing there. We’ll delve into that topic in more detail at a later time. At this moment, God stands transcendent over time and space, viewing all of human history as if it is happening in a moment.

To help with this vital concept, I’ll share an illustration I will use again in a later chapter. Imagine with me that you are in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, and you are watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade at street level. The parade stretches over two miles and has over eight thousand people participating with floats, huge balloons, marching bands, clowns, cheerleaders, dancers, and other performers. On street level, you would view the parade passing scene by scene over a period of three hours of time.

But you have a friend who was blessed enough to rent a room high in the sky in a posh hotel overlooking the parade route. From his vantage point, he can easily view the entire parade from beginning to end. At one point, he even phones you to let you know your favorite cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants, will be floating past your position in about ten minutes. Sure enough, he is dead on!

That is my parable, an earthly example of a heavenly concept. I use this parable to explain how our Creator God can accurately prophecy future events within the Bible—those that have already occurred and those that are still to occur within the framework of human history. It is also how we can rest assured that God wins out in the end. Throughout time, no matter how hard Satan tries to derail the plan of salvation, God already knows what he will do. Like a Master General overlooking the battlefield of a troubled humanity, our Father God has no trouble using what Satan would cause to destroy us to instead bring victory, and even more glory to himself. God can easily work within the framework of our freewill to bring about the ultimate triumph over both sin and death.

You see, even as God oversees history, our free will is entirely intact! Just because God knows what is going to happen and when, it doesn’t always mean he causes it to happen. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord (Psalm 139:4). Your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8). We still have the freedom to choose whether or not we will be on the winning side in the end or not.

In the meantime, we live in a fallen, messed-up world. It became that way by our own free will, but even so, God’s ultimate plan is to restore us to an intimate relationship with himself. The gospel story is simply too well written to have been conjured up by any human mind! Even as our bodies suffer decay, our Spirits mature in Christ. Paradise lost in the Garden of Eden will become Paradise restored in the New Heaven and Earth.

Paul understood that as he wrote, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and temporary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

The risen Lord encouraged his disciples to view the world through the lens of hope and faith when he said, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). Paul wrote, Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until that day arrives, he added, We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As you carefully examine this work of love for my Savior, my prayer is twofold: First, I pray I have already aided you in preparing your thought processes to examine the certain return of Christ in light of his sovereignty over time and space. It will greatly assist your understanding of prophecy as it is laid out before you, comparing Scripture to Scripture.

Secondly, yet even more important, is my prayer that you either come to a firm belief in Christ Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, or if you already have that assurance, that you are more adequately prepared for what is to come. There are far too many lies and myths floating around concerning the return of Christ, and not enough biblically sound believers that can debunk the lies.

I believe the Word of God from cover to cover, and it is to be read as a whole to uncover the true nature of our Creator God. Time, as we know it, had a definite beginning, and with each passing day, we are approaching The End of Time, as we know it. But I trust you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands . . . (Psalm 31:14–15a).

Introduction

But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13).

The time was 4:09 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Thursday, August 14, 2003. Lights began to flicker throughout New England in the northeastern part of the United States and then went out altogether. It was dark from New York to Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan, and even into some parts of southern Canada. The cover of Newsweek called it the BLACKOUT OF 2003. It affected fifty million Americans, but thankfully, the event was brief, looting was minimal, and no one died because of the blackout.

The older I grow, the more disturbed I become by the fact that there’s another blackout occurring within the Christian community. It concerns the spiritual darkness enveloping our nation as biblical illiteracy becomes more prevalent among American Christians, but its consequences will far exceed those of the 2003 blackout. Understanding biblical prophecy, what the Word of God has to say concerning the fast approaching end of the age that we live within, is crucial.

In the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:1–4).

Jesus Christ called us to be points of light in the growing darkness, and for us to effective beacons of hope, the Bible must not be hidden in our homes, but within our hearts. The apostle Peter said, But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Statistically speaking, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, famines, terrorist attacks, wars, and rumors of wars. Biblically speaking, this indicates we’re nearing the end of the world, as we know it. Though many Christians feel within their spirits that the return of Christ is close, when it comes to what the majority of those Christians think is going to happen, it very often differs from what the Bible actually says will happen.

Let’s look a little deeper into the apostle Peter’s claims concerning the truth of the Word of God in 2 Peter 1:16, 19–2:3: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty . . . And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these false teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Other than the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ alone, it’s quite possible that no other area of biblical doctrine has been subjected to as much misinterpretation, sensationalism, and just downright false teaching as has End Times prophecies and teachings within Scripture. There are some common traditional End-Time beliefs among many Christians today that only became popular in the last century and were never even dreamed of as being scripturally sound or conceivable by theologians until the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. British writer G. K. Chesterton said, Some men would rather deny the truth than appear to be behind the times. His words may be taken as the politically correct view of heresy.

In my forty years in the gospel ministry, I’ve discovered there are many preachers who will not teach or preach in anything other than vague generalities concerning End Time events. Upon further investigation, I’ve come to the conclusion that the pastors either have failed to educated themselves on what the Bible teaches concerning the End Times, or they’re afraid they’ll alienate their own flock because they may have differing beliefs than certain influential members of their congregation. In either case, those pastors are placing their congregations in a precarious situation by not fully preparing them with the truth of what’s to come! The apostles willingly laid down their lives for the truth, as have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of other Christians.

I love my flock, and I want them to be prepared for any eventuality. In the last days, I believe the Lord would have Christians to be the individuals in every community who are keeping their heads when all of those around them are losing theirs! The apostle Paul even encouraged his young protégé, Timothy, to keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, (and) discharge all the duties of your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

I’ve been honest with my congregation by admitting I’m not the final authority. Like any human, I can be wrong in my interpretations of Scripture. That’s why I always encourage them to read the Bible for themselves and to ask God to use the Holy Spirit within them to bring the truth of Scripture to light in their own lives. After all, Jesus said in John 16:13, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

I have encouraged my flock repeatedly to be Berean Christians. Paul and Silas had been chased out of the Greek city of Thessalonica for sharing the truth of God’s Word, so they travelled next to Berea. In Acts 17:11, Luke wrote, Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Today, you can go into any Christian bookstore and witness an incredible array of books written by any number of authors discussing their various biblical interpretations of how this fallen world will come to its conclusion. A large portion of my own library consists of such books. If you will take a few moments to scan just three or four authors, chances are, you’ll discover three or four differing opinions on how Jesus is going to wrap this mess up. In the process, you’ll also discover that the vast majority of those authors will lift isolated Scriptures, or Scripture passages out of context to support their personal opinion!

In addition, many authors use sensationalism or drama as a hook to capture your attention. Like the apostle Peter said, they make a lot of money selling books to people who would rather read it in an action-packed novel form than to read the truth found within the pages of the Bible itself! They will secretly introduce destructive heresies . . . Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.

There is no greater authority or source of truth than the inspired Word of God. Everything else is simply the opinions of men. As you will notice, I strongly believe in comparing Scripture with Scripture. Anyone can take isolated passages of the Bible, lift them out of context, and then make those passages appear to say what they want to believe, or