In the next verse of the Lord’s discourse concerning the end of the age, He says:
We must consider that the Lord says this right after He exhorts us not to be deceived. Because war is the worst of all judgments, the most terrible of all conditions that we can be caught in, it is hard not to think that war is the end of the world when it comes upon us. Just as He warns us here, our fear can mislead us and cause us to think this.
Immediately after the September 11 attacks, I was amazed at how so many major newspapers and news organizations called seeking a biblical or prophetic interpretation for what had happened. I was surprised by how many had at least a sense that this was somehow a harbinger of the end of the age, even though they did not know why. I do not ever remember hearing the Lord mentioned so often on the news, and with such respect. Attendance records were broken in churches across the country. This openness to the Lord may not have lasted long, but it was dramatic for a time, and many people did at least become more spiritually aware.
My point is that we are going to be having many wars, and many rumors of wars that will compel many to think that it is the end, wrongly. And, this will present many opportunities for the gospel, even though we do not want to be misled into thinking that these things represent the end, and we do not want to use them to mislead others. Many have already heard “it’s the end” so many times that they are hardened against it now.
Regardless of this, at some point it will indeed be the end. So how will we know? How will we warn others when it is? Almost every generation of Christians at some point thought that they were the last generation of the age, and therefore all of these were deceived on this point. One way that I think we can help protect ourselves against this same deception is for our messages to not be overly focused on the end, but on the new beginning that it is. Our message is the ultimate message of hope—the King is coming! Our message is not a message of doom—it is a message of a new beginning!
For too long the church has been so focused on the end, and therefore its message so focused on doom, that we have not used the most powerful message that we were given—the gospel of the kingdom. This is the greatest message of hope the world has ever heard, and it will be preached throughout the world when the world needs it the most and is ready to hear it. I was sorry when the September 11 attacks happened that I was not more prepared for the opportunities for the gospel that came my way. I do not want to be so unprepared again.
There is also a factor that we need to understand about war. When I was in the Navy, because I was stationed for a time on a base where everyone was required to be a part of the ground defense force, I had to go through basic Marine Corp infantry training. A good part of this training was learning basic battle strategies and tactics. We were taught over and over how important a good battle plan was. Then, to our amazement, we were told that rarely in a battle were the plans followed. In fact, most battles are semi-controlled chaos. We were told simply that the one who could deal with confusion best would have the best chance to both survive, and win the battle. Fear and confusion usually cause people to shut down and become passive, so the one that overcomes this and takes action will win.
War is chaos and confusion for soldiers who are well trained for it. It is far worse for civilians who are caught in it. This is why the Lord tells His people in the exhortation above to “not be afraid.” We should not be surprised by these things, and we should be prepared for them better than any soldier. Regardless of what is happening in this world, if our lives have been built on the kingdom that cannot be shaken, we will not be shaken by what goes on in the world.
We were not redeemed and then left on the earth just to be blessed and have a good time. Every Christian that is still here is here for one purpose—to be a part of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. Neither are we to shut down because of any anti-Christ, as Daniel 11:31-32 declares:
"And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.
So, when “wars and rumors of wars” come, we must heed to the Lord’s command to “not be afraid.” Fear will not only cloud our thinking, leading to deception, but it will also cause us to miss some of the greatest opportunities for the gospel. We must gird ourselves for action. The more confusing it gets, the more important it is for us be strong and be bold.
Regardless of whether the war that comes is the very end or not, war is the end for many people. If we find ourselves in any such conflict, we are there for a reason, and the reason is to take action. Christians, who are assured of eternal life, should always be the most courageous in the midst of danger. For this reason the Lord tells us in Revelation 21:7-8:
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Cowards have their portion with the unbelievers, as well as the “abominable and murderers...” Not having courage is not an option for the Christian. If we do not have courage in the midst of these times it is because we do not really believe. But for those who do rise up to overcome, He will prove to be our God, and we will be shown to be His sons.