Left Behind or Stepping Up? The Importance of Understanding Biblical End Times
The Microwave Rapture and Other End Times Terrors
Have you ever seen one of those low-budget Christian dramas about the rapture? You know the scene: a woman is frying eggs for breakfast, chatting with her Christian neighbor. Mid-conversation, there's this weird whoosh sound effect, and suddenly the neighbor vanishes—clothes falling empty to the floor. Our egg-frying protagonist is left standing there, spatula in hand, as the eggs begin to smoke and burn. The camera zooms in dramatically on her horrified face as she realizes she's been "left behind."
You might have seen something similar—maybe it was a steamy shower running with no one in it, or an empty car crashing as the driver disappeared, or even the classic pilot-gets-raptured-mid-flight scenario. These dramatizations all send the same message: "Better get right with Jesus, or you'll be stuck here making breakfast when everyone else gets beamed up!"
But here's the thing—what if we've been focusing on the wrong fear? What if missing the rapture escape hatch isn't what we should be worried about, but rather being unprepared when these times "come like a snare upon the whole earth" (Luke 21:35)?
The Snare That Catches the Unprepared
Have you ever seen footage of an animal caught in a trap? In agricultural societies, everyone would recognize this terrifying image—the sudden spring of the mechanism, the inescapable grip, the deadly consequences. It is this exact picture that Jesus uses to describe how the end times will catch an unprepared world—sudden, inescapable, deadly.
But Jesus doesn't leave us with just a warning. He provides hope: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). The escape isn't about being whisked away before trouble comes; it's about being spiritually prepared to endure when it does.
Our first roadblock? We may have inadvertently picked up (like a cold) a case of bad theology that leaves a malaise over our entire perspective of Scripture, inoculates us from appropriate urgency, and makes studying the most important hour in human history completely irrelevant.
Think of it this way: We're heading into the Super Bowl of human history—the great showdown of good and evil—and we might have all the wrong plays. It's as if we've prepared extensively with another team's playbook while neglecting to study either the actual game plan or our opponent's strategy. Some of us may even have a theology that doesn't put us in the game at all!
I apologize for the superficiality of describing something so monumentous using a metaphor of something so trivial as a football game, but it drives the point across—especially regarding Israel, which will be a key point of contention in the last days.
So here are my reasons why:
You will be in the game (Mark 13:13, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved")
You need to know our plays (prayer, study, courageous witness, ministry of the Spirit - Acts 1:8, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses")
You need to know the enemy's plays (persecution, deception, warfare, economic and political manipulation, coercion to false worship - Revelation 13:16-17, "It also forced all people... to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark")
You need to understand the context (political and religious upheaval, moral decline, and natural disasters that manifest God's judgment at an unprecedented scale - Matthew 24:7-8, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains")
Let's start by understanding the three main perspectives Christians hold about the end times, and why I believe one of them best prepares us for what's coming.
The Three Views: An Introduction
Boyd and Eddy, in their book "Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology," describe end times theology as "some of the most controversial questions in evangelical theology" and "the most complicated, confusing topic in theology" (254). But despite the complexity, understanding these perspectives is crucial for our spiritual preparation.
Three Perspectives on the Millennium
Let me break down the three major views on the millennium—that thousand-year period mentioned in Revelation 20:
1. Premillennialism: Christ will return before (pre) a literal thousand-year reign on earth. Within this view are two distinct approaches:
Historic Premillennialism: Believes the church and Israel share one redemptive story, and Christians will go through the tribulation before Christ returns.
Dispensational Premillennialism: Maintains separate plans for Israel and the church, with Christians being raptured before the tribulation.
2. Amillennialism: The millennium isn't a future literal period but symbolizes Christ's current spiritual reign through the church.
3. Postmillennialism: The millennium will come as the church gradually transforms the world through evangelism and social action, with Christ returning after (post) this golden age.
Why Historic Premillennialism Prepares Us Best
After studying these perspectives, I'm convinced that historic premillennialism best equips believers for what's ahead. Let me explain why this matters tremendously for your spiritual life.
We Must Face Reality, Not Fantasy
First, Scripture doesn't support the idea that we're currently in a millennial period of Christ's reign. Look around—does our world match the biblical description of the millennium? Jesus warned of unprecedented tribulation when He said, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21).
If we believe we're already in the millennium or that we'll be raptured before things get tough, we risk being caught completely unprepared for what's coming.
The Deception Will Be Overwhelming
Jesus warned that the deception in the last days will be so powerful that "if possible, even the elect" could be deceived (Matthew 24:24). This isn't something to take lightly! The global upheaval will be catastrophic—Revelation describes judgments where a third of humanity perishes (Revelation 9:15-18).
We'll witness what Paul called "the culmination of creation's groaning" (Romans 8:22) as human wickedness peaks. There will emerge a leader possessed by Satan himself, whom the world will worship, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?" (Revelation 13:4).
Being Prepared, Not Raptured
Both amillennialists and dispensationalists miss crucial aspects of preparedness. Amillennialists don't anticipate a specific future tribulation, while dispensationalists believe the church will be whisked away before it happens.
Yet Scripture repeatedly calls believers to prepare for these difficult times: "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). Despite many falling away, we'll also see an unprecedented harvest—"a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9).
The Salvation of Israel
The tribulation will culminate in Israel's national salvation, as Paul writes: "And so all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26) and Zechariah prophesies: "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child" (Zechariah 12:10).
As believers, we're called to participate in this redemptive work. We'll remain throughout the tribulation period until "the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52).
The Stakes Are Too High For Misunderstanding
These differing perspectives aren't just academic—they fundamentally shape how we live and prepare. If historic premillennialism is correct, then believers who expect to bypass tribulation or who think we're already in the millennium are dangerously unprepared.
The coming events will force everyone to choose sides, as Revelation describes: "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 13:8). These pressures will bring in "the fullness of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:25) before Christ returns.
How To Prepare: Four Essential Steps
1. Stay Spiritually Alert
Jesus commands: "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42). Don't get caught up in worldly distractions that dull your spiritual senses.
2. Study Scripture's Prophetic Timeline
Understanding prophecy isn't optional—it's essential. Jesus rebuked those who failed to recognize the signs of His first coming: "Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3).
3. Build Spiritual Resilience
Paul warned about the challenging character of the last days: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:2-4). We need to be strengthened in faith now before these pressures intensify.
4. Maintain Hope in God's Ultimate Victory
Despite the tribulation, we have the promise that Christ will return and establish His kingdom. The millennium will be a time when "they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" (Isaiah 2:4).
Conclusion: Prepared, Not Scared
Understanding end times prophecy correctly isn't about fear—it's about preparation. God doesn't tell us these things to terrify us but to equip us. As Jesus said, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28). By embracing the historic premillennial perspective, we prepare for the greatest challenges humanity will face and the greatest opportunity to witness God's redemptive work in history. The eggs are starting to smoke on the skillet of human history. The question isn't whether you'll be raptured before the smoke alarm goes off—it's whether you'll know what to do when the whole kitchen catches fire.
References
Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. 2nd ed., Baker Academic, 2009.
Jones, Timothy Paul. Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing, 2009.
Oden, Thomas C. Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology. HarperOne, 2009.
