Many people have questions relating the End Time. Sadly, the subject can often be a cause of friction within believing circles. Are we even asking the right questions?
Peter Sammons considers.
FAQs versus MAQs
Many people have questions relating the End Time. Sadly, the subject can often be a cause of friction within believing circles. All people everywhere have (or ought to have) a vested interest in the future!\
In 2022 I published a book on the subject of the End Times (“Last Days and End Times – Making the Connection”, see link below). As part of a ‘presentation’ on the book, I’ve suggested below six highly relevant questions that are rarely asked, and consequently rarely receive a proper, considered answer. I call them MAQs (meaningful un-asked questions) as opposed to FAQs. (n.b. this is not in the book, its subsequent to).
Some people are too frightened to focus on the future at all, and display no apparent interest. Others, especially amongst some Christians, focus their questioning around issues that are high on their personal agenda, but may be completely alien to the average ‘man-in-the-street’. These questions are typically around the contested areas of ‘Preterism’, ‘Futurism’, ‘Dominionism’ ‘Premillennialism’, and so on. These ideas are (a) not specifically referred to in the Word of God and (b) unintelligible to most people. They do not ‘scratch where it itches’ for ordinary, struggling people who sense today’s growing uncertainties concerning the future.
Tongue-in-cheek
Here are two totally imaginary questions just for illustration, but hopefully readers with get the point:\
“Don’t you think that Amos 4 verse 99 demonstrates that the “elect” will rejoice mightily before their ‘rapture’?”
“Don’t you think that Obadiah 2 verse 44 proves that Taiwan will no longer be a separate nation when the Lord returns?”
These are not really questions at all; they are statements designed to elicit a response of agreement or disagreement. They help to ‘pigeon-hole’ a person’s insights, understanding and theological ‘position’. In considering (whether to, and) how to respond, my first thought would be, will an ordinary non-Christian (the ‘ordinary man/woman in the street’) be in the least bit interested to know the answer to the question? If the answer is ‘no’, then the ‘question’ itself is non-pressing, probably non-relevant, and of interest only to the “specialist”.
MAQs
These are the questions that rarely get asked:
- How does study of the End help me today?
- Why doesn’t God just “cut to the chase”? (n.b. why does the world have to go through all this woe?)
- Is there ‘gospel’ in the End times?
- So, what’s going to happen? (this one may be asked, but ‘answers’ tend to focus around specific interpretations such as ‘Dominionism’, or ‘Pre-trib rapture’ etc). In that sense answers are very often highly divisive – precisely where the devil wants us to be!
- Why is there no clear roadmap? Why is prophecy about the End ‘distributed’ across Scripture as in a ‘blockchain’?
- I’m a non-believer: what ONEquestion should I take away from all this to make me ‘think again’?
Please find below a video discussion between myself and Dan Holland, author and Lead Evangelist at Through Faith Missions. These questions are addressed, and hopefully Christian Comment readers may find this helpful.
IN ADDITION
This is aimed at “Christians” who stand opposed to Israel (via their “Fulfillment Theology”)
Is Israel of God, or of the Devil?
(When asked this I find that church people tend to change the subject, or clam-up
This is aimed at “Christians” who are totally absorbed in end times, and speak of little else
If I could tell you with certainty that our Lord Jesus will not return until 14 July AD2276, how would your life and witness change today?
I hope readers, especially those who are deeply attached to some defined schema of End-Time understanding, will ask themselves this serious question. In answering it, they may well discover things about themselves they have never before considered.
Book details here, together with video interview with the author: https://www.christian-publications-int.com/Last_Days_and_End%20Times.html
If you wish to purchase this book via Amazon USA you can do so using this link: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-End-Times-Connection/dp/1913741109/ref=sr_1_6?qid=1654446283&refinements=p_27%3APeter+A.+Sammons&s=books&sr=1-6
UK Edition via Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1913741109
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