FREE ESSAY ON END OF DAYS

END OF DAYS

Paul Lockwood
End of Days
The Bible is literally packed full of information regarding the end of this earth as we
know it. Whether you choose to believe in God or not, it is a scientific fact that this
earth has a shelf-life and will come to an end at some point in the far off future.
However, those of us who choose to accept the Word of God as truth know of the future
that is in store for this earth and all that is on the earth. To fully attack such a
healthy topic as the end of the world according to the Bible would certainly take more
than the 5-7 pages I have for this report, so I will only attempt to "skim" the surface
of some of the more important and common beliefs and leave the rest for the novelists.
If we look at the Bible in its entirety, we realize that both the old and new testaments
are filled with prophecy regarding the end times. Because this class is focused on the
new testament, I will attempt to restrain my attention to those books. However, it would
be impossible to speak on the topic of the end times without making some mention of old
testament prophecies.
As with the entire religion of Christianity, the future of the earth also revolves around
the centerpiece of Jesus' life, death and resurrection on earth. Galations 1:4 states,
"Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father," this was Jesus' first coming to this earth
- there will be another. If we look at the big picture, we can now see the "two trips"
that God has laid out for humanity. First, we have Jesus coming to provide the ultimate
sacrifice for humanity by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. This is the
single most important act in the entire Christian faith. Because of this sacrifice, Jesus
provided a link between the lost sinners of the world and God the Father - a gap that had
not been closed since Adam sinned in the garden. Through this sacrifice, humanity
actually has renewed hope to spend an eternity with God in Heaven.
Well, what exactly is the big plan? When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden
because of their sin, they ended the perfect relationship that God had created with
mankind. God wants terribly to have this perfect relationship back, and the whole of
human history has been the struggle to regain this relationship. Satan has been the major
nemesis throughout the entire ordeal, and the presence of sin inherent in every human
upon birth has continued the rift that began between God and humanity when Adam first
sinned. The end of the age also represents the end of this rift as well as the end of the
struggle with satan. It can be looked at another way: When God sent Jesus to die on the
cross, that was the band-aid for humanity; however, when He returns, it will be the
ultimate healing of the human condition.
We should now shift our focus to some of the specific events that are going to take place
during the Lord's return. We have all heard of this word called "Rapture" yet it never
occurs in the Bible. How can something occur if it isn't even mentioned in the Bible?
Well, even though the word is not specifically used, the specific events that will take
place are spoken of many times throughout the old and new testament. 1 Corinthians
15:51-52 says, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Many
people think that we cannot know when the Rapture will take place, but "knoweth" is
present tense in Mark 13:32. There Jesus said, "But of that day and that hour KNOWETH no
man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." It was
true that particular day. If was phrased carefully; he did not say we would never know.
Jesus continued, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." What
were we to watch for? And what were we to pray for? That we would know when the time is?
Just ten verses before that, Jesus said, "but take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you
ALL things."
Will we really know the time and hour of Jesus' return? I don't think so. Jesus gave us
many things to look out for when the end of days are coming, but we would not know the
exact hour of His return. He said He will come as a thief in the night, and the last time
I checked, thieves don't knock on your front door and let you know they are coming in.
What does it mean to be "raptured"? Well, as I said, the word is not in the Bible, yet it
is a common term used by all Christians who believe in these events. The word simply
refers to the return of Jesus to this earth, and all the believers will be caught up with
Him in the sky. The dead in Christ will rise first, followed by those still alive when He
comes. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 reads, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you
by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise firs: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord." I think that is a quite vivid picture of the events that will take place when
Jesus will return.
Up to this point, I have only spoken of the good things related to the return of Jesus -
there are also some very bad things that will transpire. The day of the Lord is not just
the day when Jesus comes to save all of His people; it is also the day of Judgment. Joel
1:15 states, "Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction
from the Almighty shall it come." This is also the point in history when God cleans the
entire earth of all sin and sets up His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. It will be at
this time when God judges all of the unbelievers and they receive their eternal destiny
in the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 says, "And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the d3ead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not
found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." I must say, after
reading that, I'm glad I'm a believer. It's sad to think of all the lost souls who simply
chose not to believe in God. So as we can see, the day of judgment will not come lightly
to those who chose not to believe that God is their Lord and Savior.
So what should we as Christians be on the lookout for? Well, regardless of the timing of
the end of the age, we need to be prepared as though it will take place tomorrow.
However, there are some signs that give us an idea about what kind of time-frame we are
looking at. Israel declared her Independence May 14, 1948. To people that knew Bible
prophecy, this was a major signal that the end of this age was near. Eze. 38:8 says, "In
the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and
is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always
waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of
them." Israel fought her war of Independence, signed armistice agreements, and was
finally accepted into the United Nations on May, 11, 1949. 
This Sign of the End of the Age was what we were to watch for to enable us to figure out
when the end of the age would be. In 1967, Israel fulfilled the Fig Tree Parable in
Mathew 24:32-34. In answering the question what would be the sign of his coming and the
end of the age, Jesus said, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet
tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto
you, this generation (born in 1967) shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

Again, we see that even the end of the world is centered around God's chosen people - the
nation of Israel. Even though His people chose to deny Him when He sent His Son to save
them from their sins, they are still His chosen people.
When Israel first became a nation when she came out of Egypt, the males 20 and up were
counted. The 19-year-olds were the young. A generation was demonstrated to be 40 years,
not only in the wilderness, but in 30 AD, Jesus told the Pharisees that "All these things
shall come upon this generation" (Mt. 23:26). They did, in 70 AD, just 40 year later. If
we start with 1967 and add 40 years, we come to 2007 for the end of this age. Something
to think about anyway.
Well, as I said, I could continue on this topic for quite some time, but I hope I have
been able to give a good overall picture of the rapture, judgment, and the fact that we
are close to the end of this world and Jesus' return.
SOURCES:
Internet web pages:
1) www.greenlevel.com
2) www.virtualchurch.org
3) www.kiwi.net