Why You Should Know Eschatology
The Vitals
As we move on this week from describing what eschatology is, we are going to end this week by addressing why eschatology is even important in the first place. If this study is one that takes place to understand the end signs, times, and events, then why is it important for us to know now? Especially with the book of Revelation being the main source for the final days, why spend so much time in a book that is so difficult to understand at first glance? I think Michael Valch from The Master’s Seminary has a solid response to this. He notes, “It is concerning that some churches today don't take eschatology seriously. The very fact that God has revealed so many details about events to come in both testaments tells us that it is important. At the center of biblical eschatology is the blessed hope of the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Not only should we be interested in prophetic events to come, we are also looking for our Savior, with whom we will spend eternity.” The goal of knowing eschatology is not to be able to debate with your friends on how and when you think Christ will return. The goal of this overall study is to be prepared for Christ, be prepared for the devil, and help lead the lost back to their savior. With this in mind, let’s dive in.
Christ’s Return
As previously stated, one of the biggest reasons we should study eschatology is to be prepared for Christ. But what does this entail? You might be thinking, ‘I’m a Christian…what more preparation do I need?!’ And on one hand, you would have a point. The most crucial aspect of being prepared for the end is making sure you know where you’re going. If you have not repented and believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, this is of course the first and foremost issue to address. But for those of us who are already Christ-followers, what more can we do to prepare for the end? What’s interesting about this question is that many people think they know the answer and then live the exact opposite way. Look at what Revelation 1:7-8 says, “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Jesus is coming back one day, and everyone will see Him. John further adds that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. This is a huge reminder that Jesus will in fact come back, and regardless of when He does, He has been at the beginning of time and the end of time anyway.
Now again you might be thinking, ‘I get all that, I’m a Christian. What more is there left for me to prepare for?’ And to that, I would say you didn’t read this closely enough. If you have a physical Bible around you right now, I would encourage you to open to Revelation 1 and look at what the subject heading is for this particular section of scripture. This section is written directly to seven Churches that Jesus has a specific message for before He reveals to John what will happen for the rest of the world. That’s right, this was written to churches. People who would already consider themselves Christians. And yet, it seems that the message for believers here is to remember that Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end. I can’t help but think that the reason this was brought up was because many people were living like they didn’t know this. Many followers of Christ were living life like Jesus wasn’t the one who gave them life and like He wasn’t the one who they were awaiting at the finish line. And yes, if you continue reading, you will see even more specific detailed disciplines for these churches, but one thing I think we can all use a great reminder of is that Jesus really is coming back. He really has been there from the beginning, and He is who we will await at the end. Do you live like you know that?
Reaching The Lost
Furthermore, another great reason we need to know eschatology is because of the devil and the people he will try and take with him. Look at what Revelation 13:1-2 says, “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority.” The Antichrist is coming at the end times, and Satan isn’t afraid to give him everything he needs in order to try and deceive people to lead them away from God. We must be prepared for these attacks and not caught off guard by them. However, the ones that will be caught off guard by them, are the ones who don’t follow Christ. This is why it is also important we know about eschatology in order to warn others. Look at what the next verse says here in this sequence. Revelation 13:3 “I saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast” This world will follow after Satan and the Antichrist if they are not saved by the gospel of Christ. If anything, this should light a bigger flame under you in order to keep praying for and evangelizing to the lost. I know this seems like a lot, but this is how important it is to know about the end times. We can’t just shrug our shoulders and act like this has nothing to do with us. It definitely does. Whether you are someone who needs a reminder to start living like Christ or you need more passion to reach the lost before time runs out, knowing eschatology will inevitably lead you down that road.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] Vlach, M. J. (2020, April 3). 7 Reasons Your Church should take Eschatology seriously. The Master’s Seminary Blog. https://blog.tms.edu/7-reasons-your-church-should-take-eschatology-seriously
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