In these blogs, and in my book ‘Radiant and Resolute’, I have been sketching out different ways of looking at the biblical End Times. It has to do with chronology – what happens in the world around the time of Jesus’ return. It has to do with teleology – how God brings his brilliant plans for creation together in the end. And it has to do with fidelity – with faithfulness and the keeping of promises. Faith is relational. God will never let us down.

Do you remember a time as a child when you hoped for a birthday or Christmas gift, and the reality was better than you had hoped for? When you grow up, sadly you get disappointed, and you adjust to a reality that never quite measures up to your adult hopes. We try not to hope or trust too much.

Our relating to God is different. As we are called to trust the Lord, it is based on his utter faithfulness. As one bible promise states ‘he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 1v6). Wonderful! Yet God’s promises span things greater than my life. He promises to bring a great end to his saving plans for our world that he started at the first coming of Jesus. We await a very good end to our story, which only God can bring about. When we think about the future prophesied in scripture, can we trust God to fulfil his promises to his Son, to us who believe in him, to his ancient people the Jews, and even to the cosmos? Yes we can!

God has made promises to Jesus. He has promised Jesus a people who are like a bride – a redeemed, devoted people, those he ransomed on the cross, who love him as their saviour, and who will be with him for ever. He has promised Jesus that he will reign over the full expression of the kingdom of God on earth. He has promised Jesus that he will be one day be vindicated and honoured before heaven and earth for his suffering, and every tongue will confess that he is lord.

God has made promises to us who believe in him. He promises us the joy of resurrection life with him. He promises a glory that outweighs struggle, suffering and loss. He promises us the return of our king and a wonderful end to our story of salvation. He promises us a future where all our longings and ultimate hopes will be fulfilled.

God has also made promises to his ancient people the Jews. He has promised them a corporate revival of faith as their Messiah returns. He has promised them that the land of Abrahamic promise, this land of intractable conflict, will one day be a blessing to the earth. He has promised them that a righteous king will bring a perfect kingdom rule on David’s throne from Jerusalem.

And God has made promises to the whole cosmos. As the alpha and omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end, God has promised the end of the Adam curse of the fall, and the final defeating of evil. He has promised a new heaven and earth in which he will dwell with his creation in full union. God has promised to bring unity to all things in heaven and earth under Christ.

Remember the biblical End Times is not really about timelines or obscure prophecy you can’t understand. It is about a God who is the ultimate promise keeper. How can that help you trust him today?

Thanks for reading, William