I think one of the most heavily debated topics is the END.  What happens? How it happens. Will there be a rapture? When is the rapture? What do all the seals, vials and trumpets mean?  Is it all symbolic or is it literal?  Has the end already come?  Is there a millenium? When is it?  Who goes to heaven?  Do we go to heaven or does it come to us?  Do the wicked get completely destroyed or will they dwell with us?  Is there different levels of kingdoms or salvations?  

These are all questions I hear being asked and debated over regularly.  

 

The real question is, "Does it matter if we know and understand every detail?"

 

Yes and no.

 

As far as salvation goes, no.  You are saved by one thing only.  Christ.  Not how much you understand of the bible, especially topics like these that are really beyond complete human understanding.  I think we can get a general idea, but I have a feeling when the END does come, we will all be saying, "Ohhhhhh, now I get it! I was way off..."

 

BUT

 

As far as being able to be aware, prepared and not deceived, yes.  See the enemy counts on us not to read our Bibles and just take our pastor's or friend's word for it.  He expects us to just go with the majority and not take the time to truly dig in.  He knows an uneducated person is an unprepared person, and an unprepared person is an unstable one, and an unstable one is easily deceived.

 

So I encourage each and every one of you to start digging in the Word today.  Forget all you have been told and know.  Open your Bible and start from the begenning (Or at least start at the book of Isaiah) and ask the Holy spirit to guide you and help you to understand.  Try to clear your mind of all learned things and preconceived notions and let God teach you.  Be careful though, our heart may tell us things we want to believe and convince us it is the truth, but our heart is deceitful above all things; who can know it?

 

 

WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT

 

After all the studying I have done about eschatology (END times), I have realized two things:

 

• How little I really know

• How much I should use the time I do have to spread the Gospel

 

I used to spend hours debating and trying to convince others of the END and what it meant, but what I finally realized was that it was taking up precious time that I could be using to spread the word about God and helping educate His children so they can become warriors for Him also.  The END times prophecy warns often that we should be found busy doing the work of God, spreading His Word, planting seeds and harvesting!

 

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1- I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turntheir ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

 

We do not want our brothers and sisters to be deceived, lacking in knowledge and following after false teachings.  We also need to stay strong in the word so that we are net led astray also.  Be careful, because the time is nearing and there is more and more false prophets and teachings being spread and the only way we can discern if they are the truth is if we know the Word.