Dr Paul Allen

In the church age, we Christians have no definite unfulfilled list of events which must transpire before his return. What the Bible promises will happen at the end is already happening, in significant measure, around the world today — and has been happening, in some sense, since the earliest days of the church. As long as Jesus tarries, we do indeed have the concrete directives of the church age to continue pursuing, like the evangelization of the nations ( Matthew 28:19 ) and the hastening of his coming through holy living ( 2 Peter 3:11–12 ). And yet we have no firm, certain list of unfulfilled conditions about which Jesus could not surprise us. His coming is the next big thing and could happen at any moment. That’s what the New Testament means when it says his return is near. The End Is at Hand Four particular texts in the New Testament, from four different human authors, say that the end is “at hand,” or literally, “has drawn near.” Paul writes in Romans 13:12 , “The night is...

The number 666 is mentioned in Revelation 13:18 as the “number of a person,” which is also “the number of the beast.” If the method of gematria is employed, the number 666 is interpreted as the numerical equivalent of the name of a person.  The results of efforts to find such a name vary depending on the choice of the Greek, Hebrew, or Latin alphabet as the basis for the calculation. Since many names yield the numerical value of 666, since names and titles can be combined (and abbreviated) in many different ways, and since there was no fixed orthography of personal names in antiquity, it has to be assumed that John’s readers knew the individual to whom he was referring. John refers, perhaps, to a tradition known to some of his readers regarding the person associated with the number 666.  The emperor Nero is the best candidate for such an identification, not least because the numerical value for the Greek term for “beast” is also 666. Since John describes the false ...

The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In Matthew 24 , Jesus ’ answer to the disciples’ double question about the destruction of Jerusalem and the signs signaling the end of the age is a prophecy of ten signs, followed with a description of his return. The time between Jesus’ present life and ministry (in the first century) and Jesus’ return in glory is characterized by the activities of messianic pretenders and false prophets, by wars and rumors of war, by famines and earthquakes, by persecution of Christians and lack of love among believers, and by the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The destruction of Jerusalem represents a series of climactic events that, however, do not constitute the end. Jesus’ return will be public and universal, as the cosmic events of Matthew 24 illustrate. Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times . (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (p. 43). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional. Related articles...