Every time there is a war in the Middle East there is an explosion of predictions that this is the end of time and that Jesus is about to return. Since 1948 there have been six (1948–49, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006) and now seven conflicts between Israel and nearby Arab states (If you count Hamas as a state). Not to mention countless minor conflicts both within and outside of Israel. The response of many in the US has been to announce that this conflict is in one way or another the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and that Jesus’ return is just around the corner. In case you didn’t know we are living in the last days, and have been since the day of Pentecost and the establishment of the church as recorded in Acts 2.
Rather than argue the various theories and interpretations of the Revelation I want to ask why we are so trigger happy to announce that every skirmish, large or small, is a harbinger of the “End”? So, rather than point to some esoteric interpretation of Scripture let’s look into our own hearts, souls, and minds. Perhaps we will find a better way of thinking about what is going on around us and more importantly a better way to live in moments like these. So, without any specific order of importance here are some of the reasons we are easily carried away by the hype.
We only have one lifetime of experience to draw upon and so it is hard for us to have perspective. The battle with Hamas is presented to us in dramatic and vivid terms and it seems unprecedented. But can you, without doing research, give a comparison to the Six-Day War or the Yom-Kipper war? For the most part we only know of the Six-Day and Yom-Kippur Wars as history which seems less dramatic than what we can see happening now via You-Tube. Just because it happens in our lifetime doesn’t make it more important. Here is an exercise in perspective. How catastrophic was the Battle of Cannae? Have you ever heard of the Battle of Cannae? During 8 years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam police action (it wasn’t really war) the U.S. suffered just over 58,000 casualties. In the Battle of Cannae the Romans lost between 65,000 and 80,000 casualties in one battle. Our lack of knowledge and experience tends to make us think those things happening near us are more important than they may actually be. Perhaps we ought to study history a little more.
Related to the first issue is our inflated sense of importance. As a result of the fall, we all have to battle pride and our ego often makes us think we're closer to the center of the universe than we are. We would never say it so bluntly but the statement, “Of course Jesus will come back in my lifetime because I am so important” is often our subconscious mindset. The great Christopher Columbus was convinced that Jesus was about to return, after all, the world was undergoing dramatic changes. Clearly he was wrong, but he was a bigger deal than you or I and the events of his day were more dramatic than ours.
This runaway sense of importance is fueled by the popular and social media. Narcissism is nothing new but social media has given it a steady dose of steroids. All media outlets work hard at drawing us in and making us feel that we are more than observers; we are participants. These organizations employ specialists to get us hooked on their feeds by convincing us we are a part of the narrative. People are more skeptical, generally, than past generations except in the area of their own perceived competencies and abilities. Not only do we need to be skeptical about what we see and hear, we also need to be sure that we are not pulled into an echo chamber for the purpose of reaffirming our convictions. We need to learn to think Biblically rather than contemporarily.
We need to feed our skepticism about what we are invited to consume in the media because even in times of crisis money is a powerful motivation. One Youtuber I watch from time to time has a near weekly posting. While she addresses different subjects, the theme is always the same and the solution is almost unchanging. Whether the subject is big pharma, the medical industry, banks, real estate, agra-food industrial complex, or the price of goat's milk in Siberia (okay I made that one up) the theme is always the same “We are facing a disaster and you better start preparing now, it is almost too late.” She offers solutions, her online classes, in- person classes, publications, products or giving donations to keep her work going. I am not saying she is wrong, but I am saying sometimes money is a strong motive. In the days ahead, don’t be surprised if you receive solutions from people who will explain, for a fee, how this latest conflict is the expression of the end of times about to happen.
Finally, focusing on apocalyptic scenarios is a powerful way to avoid uncomfortable and needed spiritual change. Never underestimate the power of distraction and deflection. In one church I served there was a lady who was a prophecy conference fanatic. She knew all the latest theories, star-powered speakers and implications of the news. Her marriage was a farce, her kids were distant from the faith and godly living, and her service in the local church was zero. But it was a lot easier to contemplate the prophetic meaning of the water depth in the Euphrates river than to live life daily in a holy way. If focusing on prophecy causes us to not live holy then we don’t properly understand prophecy.
Is Jesus about to return? For selfish reasons I certainly hope so. But whether now, later or much later I have to live a holy life. In fact, that is the only thing which I can do to prepare for that certain-to-come day.
