Signs of the End Time

We’re talking about the end of times and the response of Jesus to the disciples’ question in Matthew 24:3: “What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” 

What will the signs be? Are we really living in the last days? Is the second advent imminent? Is Jesus coming soon? 

There has been a long history of people misunderstanding and misapplying biblical prophecy. The Jews preceded the Christian church in doing so, convinced that a God-appointed king-messiah would be sent to them to provide a military victory over the Romans and establish a dynasty that would make Israel last forever. 

They ignored the warnings of both John the Baptist and Jesus and consequently they supported numerous military leaders and false messiahs during the first and second centuries, leading to disastrous wars. 

In the second century, a Christian sect—the Monetarists—believed itself gifted with new revelation from the Holy Spirit. Montanism claimed that the end of the world was at hand and that the Heavenly Jerusalem would be established in Phrygia, which was the base of their movement. Believing that the end of the world had almost arrived, the sect practiced extreme asceticism, including sexual abstinence, and became a serious threat to the life of the church. 

Christians repeatedly mistook the conditions of their day as the fulfillment of end-time prophecy, and do so even today. Every generation of Christians, it seems, thinks of itself as uniquely significant in God’s plan, and when unusual circumstances and conditions arise—such as periods of warfare, calamity, pandemics, or any major cultural change or social upheaval—they usually see circumstances and individuals of their day fitting remarkably well into the symbols and the images of biblical prophecy. 

In the late Roman period, for example, Attila’s Huns and Germanic Goths were viewed by terrified Christians as Gog and Magog, the great warriors of Ezekiel in the Book of Revelation. And after the great defeat of the Roman army at Adrianopolis, Bishop Ambrose of Milan declare the end of the world was upon them. 

The Crusades themselves were a point of great eschatological expectation. Many Crusaders felt that they were engaging in Armageddon, the great battle at the end of time. And later, the major reformers in what we now call the Reformation also viewed themselves as standing on the verge of the apocalypse. They saw the pope as an internal Antichrist establishing the temple in the holy place, and the marauding Turkish Muslims as the external Antichrist. 

During the 17th century, England was awash in prophetic speculation. The English colonies in North America were also preoccupied with the end time, and the Puritans who traveled to America in the 17th century and the Quakers and Baptists and Methodists who followed in the 18th century all believed that America was the wilderness promised to John in the Book of Revelation. 

A cluster of radical apocalyptic movements appeared in the United States and in England in the early- to mid-19th century. These movements led to the rise of the churches now known as Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons, along with other groups that are still large and growing today.

A large number of political, religious, and military circumstances of the early- to mid-20th century, embracing World War 1 and World War 2, made it appear almost certain to many observers that the circumstances were in place for the imminent rise of the Antichrist, the appearance of the false prophet, the rapture, and the beginning of the seven years tribulation culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus. 

However, from our vantage point in the early part of the 21st century, it is obvious that many of the boldly projected and predicted prophetic scenarios did not occur. So where are we now? What are the signs? Are we really living in the last days? What effect would it have upon you if you knew for sure that these were indeed the last days, that we were at the end of time? What signs are you looking for in the earth, in society, in the sun and the moon and the stars? 

From the time of Jesus’ statements until now, every generation has seen itself as being in the end time. Is this now really the end? Every generation has seen itself in biblical prophecy. Every generation has seen signs of the end. Jesus said:

 “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

When I was a boy, I learned in church school the signs of the end. I was taught one sign was the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, which nearly razed the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It was felt throughout Western Europe and in the northern part of Africa. About 20,000 people died. Although is a significant number, it pales in comparison to some other earthquakes. 

Another sign was the Great Dark Day that occurred in New England on May 19, 1780, when darkness covered most of New England and part of Canada during daylight hours. The cause was never determined—the science of 1780 was not sophisticated enough to determine the cause. Was it a combination of eclipse, fire, fog, smoke or was it truly a sign of the end? 

Another sign: On November 13, 1833, there was a great meteor shower seen in various parts of New England. It’s been estimated that 200,000 meteors fell in an hour. Was this a sign of the end? Would you expect that signs in the sun and the moon and the stars would only be visible from the United States or would they be global? Would they be regional? Or would they only be local? Would they only occur in New England? Would these incidents occur only as the Seventh Adventist church was being formed and were they seen by the founders? Are these true signs?

What do these signs do for the Chinese, for example? Or for the Africans, or for those in the Middle East? Or for the Eskimos? Are these signs only for North Americans and those who lived in the late 18th and their early 19th centuries? And can these nearly 200-year-old signs be classified as signs of the end? Is this what Jesus meant when he told the disciples the signs of the end? 

What did Jesus mean about the signs? He had this exchange with the Pharisees:

 Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21)

How can he give the signs of the coming in the sun and moon and stars and then say that it is not something that you will observe? Are these really signs or are there really no signs? Can we really know the time of the end? Do we need to know the time of the end, and should we? In what way does knowing something about the time of the end make a difference in your life? 

Jesus’s statement about the time of the end seems utterly confusing, and vague and nonspecific at best. I’d like to share four points about the relationship between Jesus and signs. First, he never seems to bring the subject of signs up himself. Either the disciples or the Pharisees seemed to ask him for a sign. If it were so important, don’t you think that he’d maybe bring it up himself? 

Second, he states categorically that he doesn’t know when the end is coming:

 “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36) 

How reliable can Jesus be about the end of time if even he doesn’t know when the end is coming? 

Thirdly, the signs in the earth and in society, and signs in the sun and the moon and the stars, seem to be very vague and nonspecific. If the signs are so important, why doesn’t he give something really specific? For example, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average, reaches 40,000, that could be a sign of the end. When the New York Yankees win back-to-back World Series would be a sign of the end. Or when the price of crude oil reaches $200 a barrel would be the end of the age.

Are the signs in the earth and the signs in the sun and the moon and the stars specific enough? Are they measurable enough? Are they precise enough to be actionable? Don’t they need to be a little more specific? What is the purpose of the signs anyway? When the signs are present, is that when we begin to straighten our lives out, shun our evil deeds, and become confessional? 

Point 4: To understand more about the signs of the Second Coming, we can look to the signs Jesus referred to concerning his first coming. Well into his ministry, the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. In essence, they’re saying: “Can you give us a sign that the Messiah we’ve been waiting for has come and is in fact you?” In other words, what is the sign that the first advent had occurred? 

Jesus’s response was cryptic, and to the point:

 “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:36-40) 

Asking for a sign of his first coming, Jesus said, is wicked. Why would asking for a sign of his Second Coming be any different? The only sign, he said, will be the sign of Jonah. He then describes what that sign is: Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days, and he (Jesus) was in the belly of the earth for three days. But he leaves the meaning of the sign of Jonah to the reader, to the hearer. 

The sign of Jonah, as we know from our studies of the book of Jonah, is the story of grace. God’s grace to Jonah is the focus of the whole story—grace in the form of a great fish—and grace to the Ninevites as well. The story of the death and burial and the resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate story of grace. 

Paul Ellis has put together 10 points of similarity between the sign of Jonah and the sign of Jesus:

The Sign of Jonah  

(Matthew 12:39) 

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Paul Ellis 

The scribes and Pharisees could have won the gold medal for insensitivity. One minute they’re accusing Jesus of being in cahoots with the devil; the next they’re asking for some sign of his divinity (Matt. 12:24, 38). Jesus responded by telling them: 

A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40, NIV) 

The sign to look for was Jesus rising from the dead after three days. But there’s more to the sign of Jonah than this. Much more. Consider these ten interesting parallels between Jesus and Jonah: 

▪Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17); Jesus spent three days and nights in the belly of the earth 

▪Jonah, as good as dead, rose from the depths (Jonah 2:10); Jesus rose from the dead ▪After he rose, Jonah preached for 40 days (Jonah 3:4); after he rose, Jesus preached for 40 days (Acts 1:3)

▪Jonah, understood something of the grace (hesed) of God (Jonah 2:8, 4:2); Jesus came from the Father full of grace (John 1:14) 

▪Jonah was sent to a city known for its wickedness (Jonah 1:2); Jesus was sent to a city that killed the prophets (Matt. 23:37) and killed him 

▪Jonah preached what God told him to (Jonah 3:2); ditto for Jesus (John 5:19) 

▪Jonah suffered (mildly) after preaching his message (Jonah 4:8); Jesus suffered (mightily) after preaching his 

▪When the people of Nineveh heard the message, they were cut to the heart and repented (Jonah 3:5);  when the people of Jerusalem heard the message, they were cut to the heart and repented (Acts 2:37) 

▪God’s message was that Nineveh would be overturned in 40 days (Jonah 3:4), and it was – by grace; Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, and when he came, 40 days later, Jerusalem was overturned by grace (Act 2:14, 4:16, 6:7) 

▪As a result of Jonah’s preaching, there was an outbreak of divine compassion or grace (Jonah 4:11); as a result of Jesus’ preaching, there was an outbreak of the Holy Spirit, a.k.a. the Spirit of Grace (Acts 2:2).

Do you see the Sign of Jonah? Although Jonah was an Old Testament prophet famous for running away and being grumpy, he was also a sign pointing to Jesus. 

For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation… The men of Nineveh … repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here. (Luke 11:30,32) 

The insensitive priests and Pharisees asked for a sign, and Jesus said, “Consider Jonah.” Did they see the connection between Jonah and Jesus? Did they see the sign? Some of them did: 

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. (Act 6:7) 

The stories of Jonah and Jesus reveal what can happen when the grace of compassionate God comes to a city full of sinners. Nineveh and Jerusalem deserved judgment, but both were overturned by the gospel of grace that comes through Jesus. (https://escapetoreality.org/2018/04/20/the-sign-of-jonah/)

So there you have it, we’re back to grace again. Is it possible that grace—understanding and embracing the promise of grace—is a sign of the end? We so wish to be in control and to manage time, to chronicle and know the events and the sequences in the timeline of the end. But what we really need to understand is God’s eternal, everlasting and all encompassing grace. To accept grace, Jesus says, is not just a sign of the Messiah’s coming, but is designed as a sign that the kingdom of God is already here. 

So what do we do with wars and calamities, floods and earthquakes, hurricanes, with signs in the sun and the moon and the stars? Can these calamities speak of God’s grace? Are the signs of the end of time important, and if so why? What are you waiting for? What are you looking for? Is it possible that looking for things in the sun and the moon and the stars, as we’ve traditionally done, could be making us completely miss the point? 

Can the sign of Jonah, can the sign of Jesus, can the sign of grace be somehow incorporated into your thinking about the signs of the end? Can you put the sign of grace into what is the purpose of the signs? Why are the signs so nonspecific that essentially every generation has viewed themselves as being at the center at the time of the end? Are they nonspecific for a purpose? Is it intentional? Why wouldn’t Jesus make them more measurable and actionable? 

And if you’re saved by grace, what is the purpose of the sign? We always ask ourselves the question: “Are you ready for Jesus to come?” What does that mean if you’re saved by grace? Should the apocalyptic language of celestial and earthly signs be taken as literally as we’ve done?

C-J: I’d like to add one more thing about the 40 days. After a woman gave birth she was 40 days separated from the community. The numbers 40 and three and seven have great significance among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But if you go back to that 40 days or being confined for three days, I think it goes back to what happens in that place. In a tomb, the body becomes corrupt, the flesh begins to take on bacteria etc. 

As for the whale, there is documentation about people who have been swallowed, and the bile within the digestive system of these great fish literally eats the flesh of the human being, which becomes corrupted. It’s very acidic. If anybody’s ever had gangrene you feel the cells within your body dying, it’s extremely painful, there’s a horrible stench, it’s so intolerable that people just cut it off. 

And with women who give birth, it’s a very dangerous time, those 40 days: Hemorrhaging, bacterial infections, issues with the placenta, lots of things can happen. So this whole idea of this dangerous period, and sloughing off of unnecessary or now corrupted material, and a newness, this transformation of flesh is indicative of what happens in the lifespan of an individual from birth to death. A healthy happy baby is plump and soft and supple, and the other tissues are healthy. But as we age, even if we give ourselves nutrition and rest, the body begins to no longer have the capacity to replenish cells with healthy cells. 

I think in the idea of transformation spiritually, the generational purpose is the same as creating offspring, healthy offspring. It’s not about “Today, we shall die; today, we shall go to war.” But living in itself is an act of being a warrior, hunting and gathering, relationships, shelter. All those things are survival.

As for the idea of the narrative of a sign: We don’t have to look far for a sign. How long can we go without oxygen, clean water, healthy food? Not very long. I think the whole thing is going back to we are spirit beings primarily. We need to have this relationship with the divine, the Creator, which is always reminding us about those relationships. The others are metaphorical, the representation of the law of nature, or the laws of nature. 

God is always saying: “If you’re only thinking about the temporal, you’re not going to go very far.” The eternal is a spiritual relationship. In this dimension, it’s symbolic. It’s in those things that you can point to God. And we should always be seeking God in the present—a flower growing, the laughter of a child, loving somebody greatly, willing to lay down our own life that others might live.

David: I wonder if we’re looking at the sun and the moon and the stars in the right way. The way I look at it is that Jesus is talking about the universe. The signs will be universal. In his day, to say “the sun, the moon, and the stars” was to say “the universe.” A parochial event—an earthquake here that nobody in China is even aware of—is not a sign. Signs affect everybody, everywhere, all at once—for example, the growth of intelligence in machines. To me that’s a sign of universal, or at least global, change. 

It seems we are talking about the end of time on Earth, rather than the end of time for the universe as a whole. It may seem to some Christians that we are “it”—there is no other intelligent being in the universe, but statistics strongly suggest otherwise and I don’t accept that.

Donald: Not all of our class has a background in Adventism, but most of us do. I think this is a particularly valuable, important conversation. We quickly accept that our church was really formed on the basis of misunderstanding. It was put together on the basis of a particular time of thinking that Jesus would come and the Earth would be no more. That didn’t transpire, so then they went back to work (as I understand it) and formed what is now the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The organization didn’t pinpoint a date. It only said in general that the time of the end is near. 

Ellen White’s visions started after 1844. We probably should discuss what Mrs. White had to say about this topic, because it is very specific in regards to the Great Controversy and things relating to this. We would be remiss if we didn’t include what she had to say in regards to prophecy and the end of time.

Carolyn: I was gifted the book The End of Time, How to Prepare. It’s a collection of Ellen White’s writings on the topic. My own view of the end time is that I have to be ready today as though it were the end time. I don’t proselytize, but when people ask me what I think about the end time, that is my stock answer. We have no guarantee of anything but the here and now.

C-J: I have a problem with very conservative (forgive me if I offend anybody here) religious people—not faith-based people but religious people. That’s because they make decisions as if they’re going to expedite and execute the end time, which is what I believe is happening in our Supreme Court. That’s very political, and I believe in the separation of church and state. 

But when people start living their lives as if their generation is going to be present when the trumpet is sounded and people are caught up in the great tribulation and they will be preserved, that’s a very dangerous thing, when you create the scenario, because I believe human beings are co-creators with God, using our Inspiration, intellect, the evolution of science, and the quality of life in the United States and other developed countries. But I don’t think that’s the job of humanity. Revelation comes from God. When we start trying to be God, things don’t go well. Like the atomic bomb.

Bryan: I think Adventists have a unique take on end-time events, and “unique” is not necessarily a good thing. The Adventist church did a good job of terrorizing my generation when we were children about end time events. I can remember things that I’m not sure served any other purpose. Adventists have used end-time events as a tactic to scare people, whereas some other denominations seem to look forward to them. Adventists in general don’t look forward to it because of the things that will happen to you before it happens. 

The signs—the stars, the moon, the wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, all that stuff—has been going on throughout history. So how do you differentiate one sign from another? Are the Sunday laws in this country right now a sign? We are rapidly moving toward a theocracy. The religious right in this country is hell bent on making sure the rest of us all do what they think we ought to do. Adventists have been talking about the Sunday laws which involve a national day of rest and so on, but obviously, if you worship on Saturday, a lot of end-time events for me personally revolve around that occurrence. 

I may be speaking out of turn but it seems to me that Adventists would be affected more than the other religions who worship on Sunday. It may be something for other denominations to look forward to versus something to dread. The Adventist perspective seems to me to be a little bit different when you talk about end-time events and for me, it has nothing to do with the physical signs. It has to do with political signs, where countries begin to dictate behavior.

David: Maybe we’ve got two separate conversations going on here: One about the history or the development or the philosophy of the concept of the End Times, which is where Ellen White’s thoughts might be interesting; the other is the actuality, the reality of an end time based on the signs that we’re seeing today. Both are interesting but conflating them might make us more confused than we already are.

Bryan: The end-time is a package of events all rolled into one, to me, that occur on this earth before Christ comes again. They may be physical events, political events, social events, whatever; to me, it’s all in the same package.

C-J: I agree, it is a collective. But as individuals, I think it goes back to what Carolyn alluded to. To me, the Second Coming is when this life, my consciousness of it, passes and I’m standing in the presence of the Divine. That’s the end time: The end of this has passed. And so I agree with Carolyn, it is important that we’re consciously and actively engaged in working out our salvation and relationship with God, the divine and each other. 

That eliminates all that tribulation and collection of events, signs, and wonders and fulfillments. I only have this time. Some people live an hour, 20 minutes, 100 years. But in that time, there’s purpose and only God really knows what their purpose is and how well we will fulfill the purpose intention of God. For me, all that other stuff is a distraction. I have to live with it. We have to live it it. That’s humanity, actual conscious humanity. But I agree with what I heard Carolyn allude to. When that time comes, I want to make sure that I’ve done my best to be what God would have intended and purpose for my life. It’s very personal.

Donald: I agree completely that it’s a personal thing, but I don’t think I can stop there, because in my experience (and I think Brian’s experience, and probably Don’s experience—the three guys that are about the same age and all came up in the church) this doesn’t work. It’s not a distraction—it is the essence of our denomination. And I am sorry to say—I concur with Brian—that it has been built on fear, from my point of view, not on joy. 

In the quietness of an end of life moment in the hospital, we all may say we are anticipating with great joy the end of time. I’m not here to judge those who say that. But my sense is that we give lip service to it. Running to the mountains doesn’t really sound too joyful to me. And even the concept of running to the mountains to escape points to technology. A mountain isn’t going to protect you, given today’s technology.

I think we have a responsibility to review our orientation to this as Adventists. The issue is too fundamental. I would like to think I would anticipate my end time with joy if I had some dire medical diagnosis, or hope that joy comes in the morning with a reprieve. But if we live our day-to-day life, yes, we have to be ready for Jesus to come daily. But how does that serve? It seems kind of selfish in some ways. In reality, we proclaim the gospel “Do unto others.” I don’t know where this conversation goes.

Don: We have all much to discuss. I don’t know where it goes either, specifically, but I know some of the points we need to touch on and they’ve been raised here, we’re going to continue to work on this. 

Kiran: Two of the main fundamental beliefs of Adventists—Sabbath and the second coming—are a bit touchy. If our perception of the second coming changes we will no longer be Adventists. But there are alternative perspectives on the second coming, and one that struck me is that we try to think that more violence is the answer to all the evil that we have. Every movie starts with bad guys doing some violence and ends with the good guy coming with a bigger gun to destroy the evil. For every act of violence, or every evil act in this society, our answer is greater violence. 

We seem to be looking at the second coming that way also: There is a lot of evil in this world and God comes down with much more violence to destroy that evil. But that’s not what he did with the first coming. There was a lot of violence back then, much more than today, and he came “armed” with love to destroy it. God’s response to Nineveh’s violence was kindness and grace. That is what could happen during the Second Coming. But as a human being, I’m so used to violence being the answer to everything, and I can’t accept that.

For example, one of the plagues destroys a third of the population. That could be India or China. How could you love a God who did that? You’d be scared, and would not want to go near that God. India and China don’t know Jesus that much, but if they all, in some way, figured out the grace of God and were changed, how would you view that God? You’d want to be close to that God. 

My perception of the answer to every evil in this world colors the Second Coming. That’s why instead of being joyful about this occasion, I’m scared of it. If we preach a second coming where God overcomes evil with goodness and grace and starts a new era of the Kingdom, I think I would look forward to that much more.

Reinhard: Yes, I believe the end time overall is a joyous time. It’s the end of the great controversy between good and evil, between Satan and God. We have been the human part of the this process from the beginning when Lucifer was hurled down from heaven to earth and contaminated humanity with his intention to repudiate God. But to me, the end time is important. It marks the end of human history on this earth and we’re going to move to the New Earth. 

Either we’re going to experience this globally, as a group, as all the people on earth, or we’re going to do so as individuals. I think it doesn’t matter. When Jesus was teaching and preaching, the end time issue came up, as we read in Matthew 24. The parable about the manager tasked by the owner to be on watch and alert for his return, and Jesus’ talk about watching for the thief, serve to remind believers of all generations that the Second Coming may be imminent and could happen during the lifetime of any generation. 

The second coming is going to be a colossal catastrophe and there will be great devastation, but people will be saved also during this time, the living and the dead. Remember, after the wrath of God and the plagues, a thousand years will pass with Satan imprisoned. Then there’s another event. So to me, the major issue is to be prepared. The second coming is not a big deal—it’s only part of the message. What God wants is for us to be close with God and obey his commandment because when we are close to God we don’t have to worry if the Second Coming is going to occur, whether to us individually or as a group. 

If we’re going to be saved, if we’re going to move to eternity, the End Time is just part of the process. It marks the end of the existence of humans on this earth. The important thing is to be prepared. In every major catastrophe or calamity, people think it is the second coming, the end of the world, but it’s not. The history of earthquakes and floods and wars, with millions dead, has not brought the second coming. 

Maybe China will become the superpower, maybe this will be a sign of second coming, but maybe not. We don’t know. The world might carry on for a long time We just have to be in line with God so we don’t have to worry what comes. As Adventists, we emphasize two things: The testimony of Jesus, and keeping his commandments. I think that’s the edge for Adventist—to keep stressing on the Second Coming so that by looking for it we remain alert and prepared and close to God. 

Donald: Do the younger generations of people raised as Adventists have a different perception regarding how Adventists should be raised?

Jay: First of all, the cultural tie that the older generation has to the End Time I think is very different from the younger generations, perhaps because they were more ignorant of the world, lacking access to the knowledge base which the younger generations enjoy, so their respective global worldviews are different.  The younger generation looks through a lens that is more global. 

In high school my generation too learned the signs—the Lisbon earthquake, the meteor shower, etc.—but we learned them in in the context of a much broader global view, so very specific and narrow definitions of End Time signs perhaps don’t resonate so much, or don’t make as much sense. The universality of signs is important thing.

We should not underestimate Christ’s admonition to not look for signs but to stay away from them. When we narrowly define and try to be specific about things that are in our control, we will get them wrong. Yet, he does give signs, which every single generation for all of time can find themselves in—wars, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars and so on. 

There’s a vagueness to these signs and I think that the contrast between those two things is important. We must understand or try to understand that if we want to be very specific about End Time events, we are most likely going to be wrong. Unfortunately, Adventists have closely tied a very specific end time event scenario to our culture. 

Even so, Christ gave signs, and I think that we have to reflect on our own humanity as to why that is. As human beings, as created beings, if not given some stimulus, some impetus to change, we will not change. For human beings, there has to be stimulus, there has to be impetus in order for us to evolve, to improve, in order to change. Signs give that sense of urgency that a human being needs in order to continue to evolve, improve, change their behavior. 

Being able to see yourself, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what time period you live in, in the end time scenario, is common to every generation that has ever lived. They all go through an end time before they die. I think that that’s why Christ gives us a very open-ended, vague scenario of end time, so that all of us can see ourselves in it, and hopefully make some changes as a result of it.

Robin: It’s interesting to note that when asked, very specifically, Jesus did not say that signs are non existent. He also did not say that they are only spiritual, that there will be no physical signs. If we want to say that, then we essentially wipe out the entire Book of Revelation. 

About two years ago, I was so unsettled and back and forth about the Second Coming and the signs and exactly where were we in the timeline of earth’s history and would earth’s history ever end and so on. I prayed to the Lord “Please settle my mind about it, because I don’t want to continue doubting and looking for specific answers and not finding them.” I was quiet for a while, and it came to me that I needed to go back and read what happened just before the first advent. 

I thought I’d find an answer in one of the Gospels, but I found it in Galatians, which tells us exactly when the first event would happen, and also when the second advent will happen:

 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. (Galatians 4:4-5)

It was a physical Advent, it was not just spiritual. This really settled my mind and my heart. When the fullness of the time comes, God will send forth his Son a second time. And Jesus said, no man knows—only the Father knows, implying that even Jesus does not know the exact time that he will be sent forth for the second advent..

David: Most of the people in this class are Adventists and all are my friends. I hate to see you beating yourselves up over this, in part because I don’t think you need to. I think you’re on the right track. It may be, as Jason has said, that you have tended to look at the second advent from too narrow a perspective. 

But one of the joys I get from this class is that I am gaining another perspective—the biblical perspective. Your Christian perspective fits nicely with the process theology (the idea of God becoming) and Daoist perspectives I hold. Like the Daoists, the Christian perspective advocates “Doing Nothing” in the broad spiritual sense because we’re not God and cannot understand it. You can only follow the way of Jesus, which I think is the same as the Dao, The Way of Daoism. So stop beating yourselves up! You’re on the right track! 🙂 

Don: We will beat ourselves up and then retreat!  

There’s no shortage of people telling us that we’re in the time of the end. Hardly a day goes by without somebody mentioning it, in a newscast or somewhere. So it’s an important topic and we’ll continue to look at it. 

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