What are the end times?

The end times are what Daniel calls the “time of the end” in Daniel 12:4.  Here is Daniel 12:4 from the New Living Translation: “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

Daniel is instructed to keep the prophecy a secret until the time of the end.  We would ask this next question: what is it the end of? The answer is that “the time of the end” refers to the end of this current age. 

God has made a plan for redeeming all of mankind from sin and death (1 Timothy 2:3-6).  Since Pentecost, God has been selecting a little flock or a bride for his son from this imperfect world (Ephesians 1:7-11).  After the completion of this little flock, a new age will come. That new age starts with Christ’s kingdom. Revelation 21:1 says there will be “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” The end of the first heaven and the first earth is symbolic. It means that the current imperfect political, social, economic, and religious organization of the world will come to an end. In its place will be Christ’s kingdom established in Heaven and on Earth.

When will this happen? Daniel 12:4 gives us two important clues. The verse says the prophecy will not be revealed “until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” First, we believe the prophecy indicates that the time of the end will be a time when man is rushing here and there. Doesn’t that describe the last 100 to 200 years? Before the 1800s man’s fastest way to travel was by horse or by boat, and most people did not travel far from home. Since the mid to late 1800s, we have seen the speed of travel increase greatly. Mankind went from the horse to putting a man on the moon.This increase in speed and ability to travel matches the description of rushing here and there from Daniel 12:4.  

Second, Daniel mentions there will be an increase of knowledge. During much of human history, knowledge increased, but over the last 100 to 200 years, the increase in knowledge has been very fast. Now, experts estimate that the amount of information in the world will double every 12 months. Knowledge is certainly increasing.

Because we see an increase in knowledge and man traveling faster and further than ever before, we believe Daniel 12:4 shows we are now in the end times. When Christ’s bride (the little flock) is complete, then this age will end, and Christ’s kingdom will begin.

What is meant by Revelation 21:21 “the great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.”?

The book of Revelation is highly symbolic. The entire 21st chapter of Revelation is about the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We believe that the New Jerusalem represents an all-powerful religious government, composed of our Lord and his saints (the Church in glory) that will exercise a most blessed and lasting influence for good over the earth’s people. We derive this meaning from the declaration in Revelation 21:9-10, “’Come I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ . . . and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” 

 The walls of the city are living stones, such as the Apostle Peter describes (1 Peter 2:5); the foundation stones are the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The coming of that City to earth is the symbolic representation of the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth, for a city is a symbol representing government or control.

 The verse you called to our attention, Revelation 21:21, describes part of the city.  “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made a single pearl.  The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.” Each gate is made of one global-like pearl. The pearl represents Jesus’ costly sacrifice. “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46) 

Therefore, since each gate is a pearl, no person can enter the city without first recognizing Christ as his Redeemer. The street of the city was made of “pure gold” like “transparent glass” so that one could look with deep penetration into the body of the street and observe that there were no flaws. The street was perfect and clear as crystal: it contained no specks or impediments of any kind. 

This broad avenue paved with transparent gold was the one and only main street in the city. Gold is representative of the divine nature. The fact that the city was “pure gold” like unto clear glass, is indicative, we believe, that the glorified Church who are the symbolic City, are not only partakers of the divine nature, but are resplendent in their glory.

How much time do we, Christians, have until the end of the world?

World = Heavens + Earth

The first “heavens and earth” are referred to as “the world (kosmos: orderly arrangement)  that then was.” This first world was destroyed by the flood.  2 Peter 3:5-6  When will the present heavens and earth of our “world,” or orderly arrangement, come to an end?

“…the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements (something orderly in arrangement) will be destroyed (loosened) with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up (or wholly consumed).” 2 Peter 3:10

We are certainly in this day as we see the elements of our earth-society and decent principles “melting down” before our eyes. We also see the heavens, the spiritual powers of religious organization and power “pass away” as they have less and less influence.  2 Peter 3:12

Jesus spoke about his return and “the end of the age” or the “end of the world” in Matthew 24:3  One of the signs that we are at the door of this final collapse is the fig tree, the nation of Israel, putting forth its leaves or showing signs of life as a nation.  Matthew 24:32-33  He states that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  So we are definitely “at the doors” of the end of the age.

The faithful Christians will receive their heavenly reward before the full ‘end of the world.’

The elect, or church of God in heavenly glory, and Christ will cut short this final “tribulation”, so that people will continue living on this earth.  “For then will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.  And unless those days had been cut short, no life would  have been saved; but for the sake (the channel of an act) of the elect those days shall be cut short.”  Matthew 24:21-22   See also Revelation 19:8, 11-15 A final part of this trouble will be all nations gathering against Israel, and divine intervention on behalf of Israel.  Daniel 12:1;  Zechariah 14:1-3

So how long do we have as Christians until the end of the world?  This time is ‘near’ and ‘at the doors’ but no one knows exactly when this full end will be.  But here is what we do know.

Our Heavenly Father knows the timing.

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…’  Isaiah 46:9-10

Our times are in His hand and under His power.  Psalm 31:14-15; 139:16

Our redemption is near.  Luke 21:28

This climatic end brings a climatic beginning.  He will use Faithful Christians to reign with Christ and bless all the families of the earth, for this end of the world is the beginning of a new world in which the whole groaning creation will be set free from sin and death and all things will be made new.  Revelation 1:6; Romans 8:18-21; Revelation 21:1-5 ; Zechariah 14:9