Does the conflict in the Middle East mean we are in the End Times?
A look at Eschatology and current events
As we look at world news with conflict in the Middle East, the threat of war looming over us, and natural disaster taking place all around us, we can feel a very real sense of danger and fear. With all of these things happening around us, Christians can feel as though we are on the brink of the End Times and that the events prophesied in the Bible are surely upon us. However, are these feelings true or is this just how the world works until Jesus returns to establish his kingdom of peace? In this article, I want to explore what Jesus has to say about End Times events and how they line up with what is happening in the world around us. This article will not be a full presentation of Eschatology (the study of End Times), nor a full presentation of what the Bible has to say about Israel in the future. Rather, I simply want to show what the Biblical authors think about the future return of Christ in general and what will accompany that return.
The main passage that needs to be examined when we speak on this topic is Matthew 24. Here, Jesus is walking with his disciples in and around the temple complex not long before his crucifixion. The disciples draw Jesus’ attention to the beauty of the temple, to which Jesus replies, “I assure you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” The disciple aren’t sure how to process this statement and are obviously confused about how all of this works. Jesus then goes on a discourse about the destruction of the temple, the tribulation, and the return of Christ to rescue his people to give some clarification for his disciples.
Let’s examine closely what Jesus says so that we can share in this clarity he gave. The disciples start off by asking in verse 3, “when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? (HCSB)” Take special note of the phrase “these things,” and to what they refer. Jesus starts his answer by saying that they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, that nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and that there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things, however, are but the beginning of birth pains.
As we look at this list, these things are happening right before our eyes. In the world today there are wars and rumors of wars, nations rising up against nations, and earthquakes and famines in various locations. This is where the unease within the believer starts to take root because we are watching Jesus’ words unfold right before us and expecting it to get much worse because Jesus will soon return.
However, this is not the reaction Jesus wants from his followers. Instead, in verse 6 Jesus states plainly, “See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” These signs are signs that the end is not yet upon us. In fact, Jesus states in verse 8, “All these events are the beginning of birth pains.” Bible scholar R. T. France says about this phrase, “‘Labor pains’ itself implies ‘not yet’ (The pains precede the birth, sometimes for a long period), and with the addition of ‘the beginning’ the phrase clearly echoes the message of v. 6, that ‘it is not yet the end.’”1
As we look through history, these things have always been happening and are a part of the world we live in. There has always been wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and nations rising up against nations. In fact, in verse 32 Jesus teaches his disciples to look for these things as a sign that will take place within their own generation. We should not see these signs as pointing to the return of Christ within the generation that these signs take places, rather, we should see these signs as pointing to the fact that we are in the “birth pains” or “last days.” Peter says as much in his sermon in Acts 2:17. He points to the prophecy of Joel that states, “And it will be in the last days…” and then goes on to explain that his audience was seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy. John echoes this same thought in 1st John 2:18 by saying, “Children, it is the last hour.” By last days or last hour, the apostles do not mean that Jesus will return within 20 years, but that since the resurrection of Jesus, everything that needs to be fulfilled before the great Day of the Lord has been fulfilled.
Jesus doesn’t stop here in his explanation, though. He goes on to explain a few more events that must take place before the end comes. First, there will be persecution for the followers of Christ. Disciples will be betrayed and there will be many false prophets. In spite of all of this, the gospel will be proclaimed to all nations and then the end will come. Again, as we look through the history of the church, there has always been some form of persecution for the followers of Jesus and the gospel has been spreading throughout the earth. As the 2nd century church father Tertullian states, “the blood of Christians is seed.”2 As the church experiences persecution, the church spreads further and more people hear about the message of salvation.
Then, Jesus states the next 2 things that must take place. First, Jesus gives a warning about “the abomination that causes desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet. He doesn’t explain what this abomination is but warns that when it takes place those in Judea should run for the hills. Then, in verse 26 Jesus gives the second thing that must take place. Immediately after the tribulation of those days there will be cosmic signs in the heavens that all people will see. The Son of Man (messianic title for Jesus) will come on the clouds of heaven with power and glory and will gather his elect. This sign will be obvious and visible to everyone, as explained in verses 23-28.
Again, this is where verbiage becomes important. Jesus describes the Day of the Lord as immediately after the tribulation of those days (rather than these things) and connects this with his warning in verses 36-44. He says, “concerning that day (the Day of the Lord) and hour no one knows…. as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark.” In short, Jesus is telling his disciples that when the Son of Man comes it will be obvious and visible to all people, but no one knows when that time will be. The only sign that is connected to Jesus’ coming are these cosmic signs connected to the great Day of the Lord that will be unmistakable.
So, does the unrest in the Middle East tell us we are in the Last Days? In a way, yes. The church has been in the Last Days since the resurrection of Christ. Should Christian worry that the End and all of its calamity is coming soon because Israel is being attacked? I don’t believe so. We are feeling the birth pains of a world that is awaiting redemption and we can expect that these things will happen and continue to happen until Jesus returns. Since we do not know when Jesus will return, it is our responsibility to make sure our salvation is secured by trusting in Jesus as the only Lord and Savior and to go forth and tell this Gospel to others.
R. T, France, The Gospel of Matthew; The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 2007, p. 904.
“The Apology,” Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., and Coxe, A. C., ed., Thelwall, S., trans., vol. 3, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Christian Literature Company, 1885, p. 55