Christian eschatology – the understanding of the biblical End Times – has three dimensions as it pertains to our faith. It is about chronology, teleology and fidelity. Chronology in the sense that certain things will happen before Jesus’ return. Teleology in that God is drawing together his kingdom purposes in the world and the cosmos. Fidelity in that God will fulfil all that he promises in the bible to his people.

In my book Radiant and Resolute, I start with a look at the events in scripture that point towards the end of this age – this is chronology, a timeline. Biblical prophecies seem to agree that we will see an increase of the work of the Spirit through the His people and an intensification of world crises. You could call these twin dynamics ‘glory and shaking’. What many Christians don’t seem to realise is just how far along the End Time timeline we are right now. In terms of fulfilment of conditions for Jesus to return, we are getting very close.

Two dynamic conditions are these: one that the Jews are back in the promised land. In the political chaos to do with Israel and surrounding nations, plus hatred between Zionists and anti-Zionists, the simple fact is that End Time prophecies in Zechariah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak of a Jewish people being back in their homeland before the Lord returns. The second is that the gospel has nearly reached all tribes and nations of the world. The fulfilment of the great commission is within sight, and Jesus said in the gospels that the end would come when the gospel had been preached in all the world. We have never before been in a place where every person can encounter the gospel, in a global push of evangelism, bible translation and church planting. Maybe the spiritual conditions for Romans 11v25-26 are ready to be fulfilled – that the fullness of the Gentiles will come in and then all Israel shall saved.

Three troubling conditions also highlight how close we could be to the end of the age. Jesus spoke in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 about an increase of birth pains, where localised wars and troubles turn to more widespread global shaking – times of conflicts, earthquakes, famines and a shaking of the natural world. We know that we are closer to these times because we have never before faced existential threats to the human race and our planet. The nuclear threat looms large over fears of a third world war. With climate change, we have never before faced environmental devastation to the whole planet. And now the AI genie is out of the bottle, with governments worried about hostile threats to humankind from a runaway intelligence explosion.

I want to encourage you to read End Times prophecies in scripture with fresh eyes, not to make you fearful, but to make you watchful. Certain things have happened in the world in the last few decades that position us closer than ever to Jesus’ return. This is both a thrilling and sobering thought. If the End Times is about chronology, how far along the timeline do you think we really are?

Thanks for reading, William