When I started attending the church that was to become a big influence on me thereafter, some sixty years ago, I noted, even then, its interest in End Times events and Jesus’ Second Coming.

An ocean full of water has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then and while there was a lull in interest in such happenings, I sense more recently a resurgence. I also noted then that those leading the being particularly interested charge were old men who knew their Bibles, once active in Christian ministry but having had their day made this their particular thing. Little did I realise that I might become one of them following a radical change in paradigm and movement concerning world events and one where there has been a shift away from the Judeo-Christian consensus that once existed to a large extent in western society as well as a lot more interest in the Christian message and its fervent acceptance outside of the West, despite a rise in the persecution of believers.

End Times and the Second Coming is a huge subject that lends itself to a seriously intense and sizeable book to sufficiently discuss the various aspects and, unsurprisingly, many have undertaken such an exercise, often not entirely agreeing. I have already made inroads into doing this in my forays into the blogosphere and my two books: Priests of the Bible and Prophets of the Bible (see here).  A long time ago I discovered that Christians, including those in the sound, conservative (theologically speaking) camp see things differently, often radically so, and it is one of the subjects when brothers do not dwell together in unity as the Psalmist urges us.

What I can’t and won’t do is a full exposition and since I want to simply get off my chest what I feel the Lord has laid on my heart, i.e. to share what that burden is along with the exhortation to study the Bible and not just the Books of Daniel and Revelation that end times junkies gravitate toward. I don’t dismiss what modern day political prophets (believers and non) have to say on the subject but suggest whatever they have to say has to be subject to what the Bible teaches. I also urge people who take up my suggestions NOT to get on their high horses when coming to a view they are right on some aspect of the prophetic and others are wrong. One thing I have discovered, and this also applies to many other areas of inquiry, is that the more I study the more I realise my ignorance and while this is not a time to be wishy washy etc., it is the time to be humble.

My own particular tribe is Plymouth Brethren and while these days I am less associated with the PBs (Open section) it is that which I associated with for much of my Christian life and, often unbeknown at the time, has also been a major influence when coming to a view concerning my subject. PB preachers, at least in the early days, urged onto their listeners, the importance of Jesus’ Second Coming and the need to be ready for something that could happen at any time. They were backed up in thinking along these happening soon lines by things like Israel becoming again a sovereign nation, the rise of the Common Market, the Ecumenical Movement, the thought that in the light of two World Wars that things instead of getting better as many hoped were getting worse and technology innovations that would make possible the rolling out of the Mark of the Beast.

The PBs did have a number of quirks not shared by many in their UK Evangelical leaning camp (although a lot of which, eschatology speaking at least, was by the likes of US fundamentalists whose influence on Christians the world over by the power of money is also significant).  One of which was the idea of the Secret Rapture when Jesus takes His (true) Church prior to the emergence of the AntiChrist and the Great Tribulation. Another is their belief that Israel has NOT been replaced by the Church and there is a special place for the physical descendants of Abraham that would become apparent, especially once the Church had been raptured. Most importantly, the PBs urged on folk the need to live lives pleasing to God, especially in the light of Jesus’ imminent return and be like the wise virgins Jesus spoke about, having their lamps trimmed.

While I agree with a lot of PBism, especially concerning ecclesiology and to a lesser extent eschatology, I am not a PB apologist. Moreover, PBs do not all sing from the same hymn sheet. I am not convinced on the Secret Rapture and regret it that such beliefs have led to members not getting involved in their communities as nefarious forces lead these down the wrong path. Unlike the majority of Christendom, I believe there is a special place for Israel (the people), yet have reservations concerning the Zionist led Israel state. I can see though that as world events are beginning to reach a crescendo of Israel increasingly taking centre stage. And like my elderly PB mentors of yesteryear, I can look at world events in the light of what the Bible has prophesied would happen, e.g. the rise and influence of the Babylon system, in a way these dear brethren would not have known but I have seen unravel in my own lifetime.

In wrapping up, I want to re-iterate my belief that Jesus is coming back soon, but only God knows how soon, and we need to be ready to welcome Him especially as the Bible talks about His radiant Bride and our reigning with Him when He sets up His Kingdom (like most PBs I am firmly in the pre-millennial camp and believe a-, post- and pan- all to be erroneous cop outs). I do believe in the need for balance, recognising Satan’s strategy to get the saints distracted and deceived and obsessed by all sorts of things, including end times events. As now I am an old man myself I see it is not things to do with end times that ought to take up my time and energy but rather the importance of some things I didn’t reckon too much on when I was a young man: kindness, faithfulness and godliness, community activism and the importance of loving God and my neighbour.