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April 23, 2023: Living in the End Times in Light of the Resurrection
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In teaching a class titled World Religions to gentlemen who are presently studying for the diaconate in our Diocese, I put forth the question to them as a sidebar to the class, “In relation to our faith, what is the present time called that we live in?” I was surprised none of them could answer, although the Deacon sitting nearby who was monitoring the class, blurted out softly, “End times.” After I told him to be quiet and not answer any more questions I pose to the candidates taking the class, I in turn answered, “Deacon Bill is correct. We live in what is called in our faith the end times.” They were a bit surprised to hear this religious fact.
What was it that ushered in what we see as the “end times?” Answer; the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, the entire life of Jesus. It is in this ongoing period of time, 2000 years and running, and however long it will last, which only God knows, that we await the return of our Lord Jesus to consummate the world. Jesus’ Second Coming will bring time as we know it to a close. The Lord’s return will actually finish all time, meaning, time will no longer exist, having been transformed into eternity when the Lord comes to judge the living and the dead. We can draw up many maps of what this would look like, our Lord’s return and after, and some of them may possess a grain of truth to them. As we know, it is nearly impossible for a person to explain an event that has never happened. We have ideas and dreams of what it may consist of. But can anyone explain what our existence will be like when time goes the way of the dinosaurs and becomes extinct?
As our world returns to a cold war status, which very few people could have guessed just a few short years ago, believing we were past this stage of fearful human development, and as we inch toward a seemingly more dangerous world with nations possessing the most frightful weapons imaginable, weapons with the capacity to destroy Mother Earth and all her inhabitants many times over, can any person explain in great detail what such a catastrophe would look like? We could say that people who went through the Second World War would have an idea of what such overall catastrophe would be like since they had a smaller taste of total annihilation on a grander scale than we presently do. But attempting to write a book on the total destruction of our world through weapons created by ourselves, with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, having no hand in their creation, well, trying to write such a book would be based on imagination and not experience. Although war has been constant for humans since Cain slew Abel, we still cannot imagine the sort of destruction that would proceed from an annihalistic event such as a third world war. And may we never know. But if this event were to happen, the reality of time would not cease, but still be in existence, for there is nothing we can do to stop time from marching on, with or without human beings. The only event that can and will cause time to cease is the return of Christ Jesus, bringing this world to its final stage, ushering in the new condition called eternal life.
So, I’m glad the six gentlemen studying to be Worcester deacons in the present World Religions class did not know the answer to the question, “What is the time we live in known as, religiously speaking?” As bright as this class is, which they are very bright, the answer “end times” caused them a little internal shiver that traveled to the great distance of their souls. I confess I receive some joy when this happens.
In the second reading this week proclaimed from the first Letter of St. Peter, we hear the holy words, “He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you.” Yes, we live in what is affectionately known as “the final time.” There are many ways to view this idea of the final time through the lens of our faith. Science tells us, and we believe science, that the world as we know it will cease to be one day. I don’t fully understand it all (I’m a priest, not a scientist, or scientist-priest), but something’s going to happen when the sun is going eat the Earth for breakfast one day, maybe still millions or billions of years away. Yes, Mr. Sun is going to chew on Mother Earth and there’s nothing Mother can do about it. But the day is approaching when this will happen, as science declares. And there’s no reason to dispute this charge. They know what they speak of on this matter. And even if God’s creation arrives to this future point where the sun swallows the earth, then guess what? Time will still exist. The sun destroying the earth has zero capacity to cause time to cease. It won’t look pretty, with all the damage that will result from the sun consuming the earth like it’s a little baseball. And neither will it look pretty if present day weapons are unleashed upon humanity as said weapons do their best impersonation of the sun overpowering our dear Earth. But – and don’t quote me on this – I suspect Jesus will return to us before the sun decides to lose its mind and finish off this planet a few billion years down the road. As far as Jesus returning before a potential third world war? Only our Father in heaven knows.
Over the course of the centuries, many have tried to predict the return of Jesus, and, as many have tried, just as many have failed. The reason is obvious; they simply have no clue. They hold no secret knowledge. God has not revealed to any person the time of our Lord’s return. There’s no mathematical formula to figure out the Lord’s return. The folks who try to guess when the end of time will happen based on this statement or that belief…well, they do not know. They may as well tell us that 2 plus 2 equals 8, and do so with a straight face. They are not believable, and they never will be. Nor should they be believable where the sin of pride is controlling their thoughts. Some information is left for God alone, such as the end of time, and not for people who seek to be God. It makes for good discussion between people of good will, this end time stuff. But much of it is conducted by people not of good will. Also known as fearmongers. As Jesus said to his disciples, and I paraphrase, do not be fooled by fools who pretend to know things that God alone knows.
Living in the final times is actually a blessing for a couple reasons or more. First, as our world does become seemingly more dangerous as some nations hate other nations, and some of those nations who hate others possess weapons that can cause cataclysmic destruction, where evil men are willing to conduct the vilest acts. God-fearing people can fall back on the truth that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has won the ultimate victory. Most all of us do not want total destruction to our world perpetrated by evil nations and leaders, which is why Pope Francis and Popes before him have called for the total proliferation of nuclear weapons. Destroy the invented item that can potentially destroy God’s beautiful creation. We want a world that lives in peace, not fear. For our children and grandchildren if nothing else. Christians seek peace, not war. I really wish those representatives down the road in D.C. would get past their sometimes disgusting politics and join hands on this basic premise of peace in our world at all costs. Even the cost of agreeing with the other party, which they barely do nowadays. The stakes are too high to not be humble enough for the common good of our world. This begs the question, “Will the Lord return when there is peace in our world, or when the world is on the brink of destroying itself through evil acts, or after total destruction has occurred?” I’d like to think Jesus comes back when there is a greater degree of peace rather than all-out war.
And second, the end of time can be seen as a blessing because it can build up within us an attitude of the time being short. Even Jesus spoke this philosophy. When we consider how quickly life passes on, an important aspect of our Christian spirituality is to reflect on the very brief period of our lives on earth. If one were to ask Fr. Paul at 88 years of age, “Fr. Paul, how fast would you say your life has passed by thus far?” I’m sure he would answer with a smile, “Faster than I would like.” Knowing there is an end time, both to our lives here on earth as well as the absolute end of time when Jesus returns, this should, one would think, be cause for us to consider ways of preparation for one or both. This is healthy. Spiritually healthy. We know one day we will go forth to meet the face of God and, we pray, be welcomed into the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls. But also to look forward to the highest condition God has created in us; enjoying forever the bodily resurrection when the Lord Jesus returns to open our graves, or, if we remain alive, to bring our bodies and souls through the gates of heaven in one fell swoop.
Either way, we live in what is known as the end times. The final time. Ushered in by the birth, death, and resurrection of God’s only-begotten Son, Christ Jesus. The only One who can and will bring time to its culmination, bringing forth the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Now that doesn’t sound so bad, does it?