The End Times, As I See It

I usually don't listen very much to George Noory's late night radio show Coast-to-Coast AM, but last night he had as a guest someone who was discussing a broad range of topics, which included the "end times".  Although it wasn't his main point of the interview, he brought up the same point of view that I have long held...

Many people... too many, in my opinion... cling to the desperate hope that we in this present world of ours are in something they call the "end times" or "final days".  Usually, this involves a Christian eschatological perspective and the books of Revelation and Daniel figure heavily in their analysis of current events and trends that they interpret to be biblically relevant. Things are going to keep getting worse and worse...until Jesus comes back on Earth to set things right, overthrowing the bad guys and keeping his people with him for a glorious thousand-year reign...after which the Final Judgment will take place.  I would personally be more interested in all of this were I, like the elves in much of fantasy fiction, essentially immortal.  But I have my own individual "end times" and "final days".  Besides, doesn't being a saved Christian mean that Jesus has already become my savior and that the Holy Spirit dwells within?  Whether I die today, next year...or I live to be 120, my end times on Earth are quite probably independent of most of what goes on elsewhere.  Which may be the key to why at least some are so concerned about apocalyptic prophecy...

During our brief span of life here on Earth, we come to share our time with others and have family, friendships, and associations.  We're all contemporaries...but each of us entered life one-by-one (unless we're twins, triplets, etc.) and each of us will leave it the same way.  I believe that a lot of people are fearful of dying anyway, but the idea of dying while life continues as usual for the rest of the world is unbearable for them.  So it is a comfort to feel that when they go, so will pretty much the rest of the known universe.  That's why it is almost unheard of for people to discuss "end times" as being far off in the distant future, beyond their own individual life spans.  They are in essence projecting their impending personal "end times" to everything else...

I'm not saying don't read the Bible and try to understand and live out its meanings.  What I am saying is that I don't think that it is a productive exercise to obsess about world events and the return of Jesus...especially if you have already invited him into your life as your lord and savior.  If you are already there, you don't need to be elsewhere!