Are Christians too focused on the end times? One of the most popular and common Bible studies you will find in any Church will most likely have to do with the end times. Studying Revelation and Christ’s return is valuable, as is any study of scripture. But can Christians be too focused on the end times?
People will always have an area of Christianity that will interest them more than others. There is probably someone right now writing an article titled “Are Christians too focused on apologetics”! Everyone has different interests and talents. So, if this is your area of expertise or something you enjoy studying, by all means, continue!
But I think this area of study can produce a few worrisome trends. Here are three areas we should be cautious of when studying Revelation or the end times.
Look, But Don’t Force
It’s easy to look at the world today and think we must be living in the end times. I’d be cautious about this though. Almost every generation since the Ascension of Jesus into heaven has believed they are going to be the ones to see His return. The first Disciples believed this. It was only after some of them began to die that they began recording the Gospels. They didn’t see the need initially because they all assumed He would return in their lifetime.
I think people living through World War I and World War II would have certainly believed the end times were here. The entire world was at war, and in the early years, evil was prevailing.
Just understand, Revelation has some very specific things to say about the end times, and some metaphorical things to say. It’s important to know the difference between the two, and how to apply them before applying them to a particular event that is taking place currently.
Don’t Let It Affect Your Evangelism
One of the dismaying things I see with the end-times study is that it can be used as motivation for evangelism. Evangelism is good. But it shouldn’t take Armageddon to get us off the couch to do so. We should be evangelizing as if the end times weren’t happening. We should be assuming that everyone we see will die without the return happening in our lifetime.
I had a pastor teaching an evangelism class many years ago, and he told us at the beginning of the class what motivated him. “I see dead people”. He didn’t mean he saw actual dead people. He meant that he saw people that had not yet accepted Jesus. There were spiritually dead. And it is our job to share the good news of Jesus with them, regardless of when the end times might come.
Don’t Let It Affect Your Joy
End times study is not pleasant. After all, it’s the end. The end of everything. And while we as Christians look forward to what comes next, a new heaven and new earth, the process to get there is frightening.
I’ve seen people terrified of this to the point they are scared to live their lives. This is not healthy, and not what the Scripture is meant for. We are to have joy even during hardship or persecution. I know that seems counterintuitive but just look at the martyrs of the faith. They counted it as a blessing to suffer for Christ.
So, if you are worried about the end time to the exclusion of anything else, this could be a warning sign. If you are damaging relationships or isolating yourself, this is also another bad sign. Reach out to someone for guidance. A pastor or trusted and wise friend would be a good place to start.
The End
So, are Christians too focused on the end times? I don’t think most are. I think in most cases it is a healthy look at an important part of God’s word. But for some people, it can become an unhealthy obsession. If you feel like the end times are consuming you, and that is all you can think about, you may be too focused on this one aspect of Christianity.
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