I started reading in 2 Thess. 1:5-10 this morning and realized this is a continuation of my reading and meditation yesterday. The verses I was reading were Paul's description of the end of the age, which is very similar to the description that Jesus gave in the story of wheat and the weeds (Parable of the Sower). I think this is a very good indication that what Jesus taught Matt 13 (Not Matt 24) was what was taught later by the Church regarding the end of the Age (world) and the final day of judgment.
Lately the Lord has had me thinking about and studying, in a small way, eschatology (the study of the end-times). Interestingly, this word was first used in 1844, according to Webster's Dictionary. So although the teaching of the end of the world and judgment day has been around for a very long time (it was spoken of prophetically in the old testament), the actual study or at least the word is relatively new in the history of Christianity.
I found myself asking the Lord why He had me studying this theme lately and I felt that He gave me the following answer, "It is important, because it affects how you live your life out on earth." The more I thought about it them more I realized this was a true statement. Our idea of the end times does affect our faith and our life strategy as a Christian.
If we believe the presently popular Book of Revelations/ Matt 24/Luke 21 based view of the end-times, than every time we see something that looks bad, we start thinking that this is one of the birth-pangs that is signalling the beginning of God's judgments upon the earth. We tend to see everything from this judgmental perspective, believing that the judgments of God will become more and more severe, finally leading to the return of Jesus. Our focus is on the judgments, and as such, this becomes our message, 'God is judgmental and sinners are going to suffer, and are suffering for their sins'. We see every natural disaster and every evil force as a validation of our perspective, and rather than praying for mercy, find ourselves hoping for judgment, because that gives credence to our message and hastens or is a sign of the Lord's soon return. Our witness becomes one of being the herald of judgment, which to me does not sound like "good news" except for those waiting for Jesus return. We spend out time trying to save a last few people before the end of the world, rather than trying to advance the Kingdom of God, and see it increase continually.
The alternative is a perspective that was taught by Jesus (see Matt 13 - parable of the sower), and as I noted above, by Paul which was clearly modelled after Jesus' teaching. This perspective says that Jesus came and established the Kingdom of God/Heaven here on earth. His Kingdom continues to expand and increase in glory. At the end of the world there is a day of judgment, but until that day, good and evil people co-exist on the earth. Our life message in this perspective is supposed to be to love one another and to invite all to restoration of relationship with a loving Father, and a demonstration of the reality of the Kingdom of God through the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. In this perspective, our message is not focused on the end of the world, as Jesus' message was not focused on that, but rather on the Kingdom of God, present in our midst. We are called to advance the Kingdom of God, preaching and demonstrating through the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth. We are called to provide a witness to the Love of God, forgiveness for sins, and restoration of relationship with the Lord.
Paul spent his ministry spreading the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom to unbelievers everywhere (see the last verse of the Book of Acts - Acts 28:31), and the Kingdom of God/Heaven was Jesus' primary topic and message, and that which He spoke about after His resurrection and before His Ascension (See Acts 1:3). If the end times and coming judgment were supposed to be our primary message, I would think that Jesus, and after Him Paul would have spent their last days teaching about that message, rather than the message of the Kingdom.
In summary, we are called to be ambassadors of the Gospel "Good News" of Jesus Christ. He spent His years introducing us to the Father, revealing the Father's character and proclaiming and demonstrating the reality that the Kingdom of God/Heaven had been established and was in their midst. The "Good News" is that we are invited into this new life, and our way in has already been assured through Jesus' blood. Our participation and inclusion has nothing to do with our works or own righteousness, but is based on Jesus' love and sacrifice. All we need to do is enter by faith. The "Good News" is that God loves us and has established His Kingdom in our very midst and we can become members of His Kingdom, while still on earth. We don't need to wait for Heaven!
So let us be ambassadors of the Love of God and relationship with Him, rather than His coming judgments.
Amen!
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