The Importance of Eschatological Correctness

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I enjoy doing a bit of thinking. I like to wrestle with difficult concepts. For me, the argument (even with myself) isn’t about being right. It’s about the argument. I enjoy thinking about difficult things and arguing with them. I ask myself questions like, “What if it isn’t really that way?” or “What if we have it all wrong?”

I have been wrestling with eschatology. Eschatology is concerned with the end. One of my professors in college really enjoyed eschatology. For him, everything theological came back around to eschatology.

I’m not quite on his level of enjoying the study of eschatology. However, I do enjoy talking and thinking about eschatology. Also, it’s a fun word to say. Say it. I’ll wait a moment. Eschatology.

I heard a pastor recently preaching about the end times, and what it was going to be like. He spoke with absolute certainty about the end of days. He knew exactly what was going to happen in the end of days.

To me, this seemed a bit arrogant and possibly somewhat short-sighted. I always got the impression that even Jesus (who was fully God), did not have it all put together yet. How could this pastor possibly have it all figured out if God didn’t really seem to know exactly what was going to happen?

It’s somewhat heretical to suggest that God doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s the impression I always got from Scripture.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t talk about the end times. Quite the contrary! I do think, however, that we should avoid speaking of the end times with absolute certainty. The simple fact is, we do not know what is going to happen, and we surely do not know when it is going to happen (88 reasons for ’88, right?).

I remember reading the Left Behind books a number of years ago. I really enjoyed them, but I’m very cautious not to count them as Scripture. They are a fantastical interpretation of what two men believe to be true, regarding the end times. If it happens that way, good for them. If not, should we be sad?

I say all this to implore anyone reading this to be careful. Be careful when talking about the end times. We do not know what is going to happen. What we know is that in the end God wins.

God wins.

And in the end, that’s all we really need to know. Don’t waste all your time looking heavenward for the rapture. There are people on earth who will not get to be a part of that glorious day. Spend your time in the fields, evangelizing, discipling.

If the rapture happens while you’re in the fields, God still wins.

If the rapture happens after you die, God still wins.

If the rapture never happens, God still wins.

Regardless of the outcome, God always wins.

Live like it.