A ministry supporter in Washington State a few years ago, sent me a flyer that was handed out in his church. It is more mocking. The flyer asks if folks have met “End-Times Eddie” in the church. It denigrates “Eddie” and suggests he is so focused on end-times that he has missed all the present opportunities and people in front of him.
“Eddie” is gloom and doom. Why isn’t he looking for Jesus to bring Heaven to earth right now they ask?
Then, the flyer suggests some questions for the church’s small groups. Here are a few samples:
- What are your emotions when you encounter “End-Times Eddie”?
- Is the last days’ message one of hope or fear?
- Jesus told us to pray for “your will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. “What does Heaven on Earth look like today?
- Who in your life needs Heaven to come to earth right now?
Two things stand out to me:
1) Here is just one more church preaching, “Come, Lord Jesus, but not too soon.”
2) They have embraced the false teaching promoted heavily by the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) that we can have Heaven on earth now. This is called Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology.
Show me just one square mile of this planet that can demonstrate a Garden of Eden-like Heaven on Earth. You will find only chaos. And the church trying to perfect the world for the next one million years won’t fix it.
Those of us who have promoted the important message that the King is coming are painfully aware that young believers no longer uphold Bible prophecy as a key component of the faith. They would rather focus on social justice, the green agenda, and Christian Palestinianism.
When I was a teenager in my church, we had regular prophecy conferences and I never once heard that Israel was “occupying” her God-given country. I never would have heard the denigrating title of “End-Times Eddie.”
I was never taught that we had to “save the planet” because I learned that it was hopelessly lost until Christ’s return. I was never given the delusional teaching that, in time, my church would be able to “save the planet” by seizing the Genesis mandate of dominion — which is about dominion over animals and not mankind.
Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology tries to humanize God and deify man. Sadly, the world will continue to deteriorate and spiral into chaos, forcing man to consider the hope of Heaven and abandon thoughts of a glorified earth. Only when Jesus Christ returns at the Second Coming will all things be made new!
The church is not in the business of taking anything away from Satan but the souls of men. The world is a sinking Titanic ripe for judgment, not Garden of Eden perfection. Jesus will take dominion of the cleansed earth. For men to speak of doing that before the judgment of this earth is spiritually arrogant.
Yet “End-Times Eddie” is the one with unsound theology according to the Washington church, not those preaching this unsound theology that the church can perfect the world.
One of my conference attendees wrote me recently. He had been tagged an “End-Times Eddie.” He writes, “I no longer feel safe talking about the issues you deal with in your ministry. I am scorned and ridiculed by friends, family, and co-workers if I talk about the Lord’s imminent return or any prominent headline. To suggest that life, as we know it may end soon, is simply the ultimate in lunacy to all of these folks. I feel so alone.”
David Barnhart once wrote in his magazine Vine and Branches, “God’s prophetic clock is counting down to the appointed hour. If you don’t believe it, listen to the latest news reports or read the paper. Scriptures are replete with signs, prophecies, and promises of Christ’s return.”
He continues, “The signs are everywhere, yet the silence of the churches is deafening when it comes to proclaiming this vital truth of Scripture. Slumbering preachers and sleeping saints need to wake up to the reality that the King is coming and His coming may be sooner than any of us realize.”
Bible prophecy is given as a light shining in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). Talking about it should not instill fear in the Christian; rather, provide confirmation that the “blessed hope” is ever nearer and the time ever shorter to snatch people from the fire.
There are many “End-Time Eddies” around. May their numbers increase. May our pulpits grow bolder and talk about things that really matter. Our message is hardly doom and gloom. It may be about the only good news left. The supposed ‘good news’ that we’re taking the planet back to the Garden of Eden isn’t the truth — it’s an end-time delusion.
I’m honored to be among the “End-Times Eddie” crowd. I’ve got the best news there is. This world isn’t it. God believed the topic of eschatology was so important that He devoted one book exclusively to it: Revelation. Almost 30% of the Bible is prophecy-focused.
This message, when coupled with warnings, encourages evangelism and repentance like no other. So, I’m looking up because the King is coming, perhaps even today.
And today we celebrate #76 for Israel – her re-birth 76 years ago today. She’s not the miracle of the 21st Century. She’s the miracle of all time! If God says He will do it, He does! He’s a covenant keeper.
Terry James Prophecy Line 
This is an encouraging message. Like a meme going around in Christian circles says “Everyone laughed at Noah too, until the flood came and drowned all the fact-checkers.”
I was at the Ark Exhibit in Kentucky with a sister-in-Christ last week. That meme kept running through my mind. For all the people who scoff about the Lord’s return, and especially about the Rapture, they are going to be VERY upset and shocked when we are suddenly gone. I’m talking about those who survive it, because it seems likely that many people will die in car, plane and boating accidents, among other deadly mishaps, when hundreds of millions of Believers vanish.
The difference between the flood and the rapture is that NO ONE who wasn’t inside the Ark survived the flood and was saved, but multitudes of the unredeemed will be saved once we are gone. Praise God for His mercy and patience!
I’m not tired of praying for my loved ones, and even strangers, who are still trapped in unbelief, but I am weary of the mockery and ridicule we experience when we try to warn the world. Our absence will vindicate us, and likely save some who refused to listen. That is a comfort.
At the Ark, it became so clear how much effort God has put into His creation and His plan of redemption. He must believe it is worth it; I’m certain I would have given up on us almost from the start! What an amazing, kind, loving, gracefilled, holy, holy, holy God we serve.
Surely, it won’t be long. Maranatha!
Apart from the fact that this theological position raised is obviously an error in the embrace of Dominionism, there are those within the Church that grow weary!
There have been many well known prophecy scholars and teachers that have proclaimed sole knowledge of either the timing of the Rapture or even the Second Coming. Of course we also have our barrage of YouTube personalities also claiming to have the keys to unlock such mysteries.
While at the same time many, will say the Rapture is a signless event yet then declare that these blood Moons, Solar Eclipses, UN SDG’s, and various other cosmic or geopolitical movements herald the time has arrived. Sadly, these things tarnish our witness of the Truth of God’s Word.
Frankly, it would seem that the audiences that subscribe to these daily forecasters that make merchandise of them are either babes in Christ or willingly choose to not read the scriptures for themselves.
It is certain that we are Children of Light and of the Day, that none of these things will overtake us as a Thief. We also have this solemn promise from our Lord.
John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
As believers indwelt with the Holy Spirit and earnestly searching the scriptures will not be found blindly feeling our way in the dark. May we boldly stand for the Truth of the Word of God and not be led astray by fables of men.
In Christ our Lord,
Rodney Dezarn
2 Peter 3:3,4
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
If we truly examine this scripture we can identify the subject of this mocking as well as those doing the mocking. The term provided here “since the fathers fell asleep” identifies with the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The text applies to unbeieving Jews in the Last Days that will mock the coming of the Messiah.
In Christ our Lord
1st Corinthians chapter 15 identifies the source of our “Blessed Hope” as not being in relation to the timing of the Rapture yet rather in the promise that whether we live or die as believers nothing will separate us from the promise of eternal life.
Since most of the so-called modern lukewarm church has rejected the Bible, we shouldn’t be surprised that the biggest resistance comes from its members. As Rodney quoted above, Peter revealed this skepticism is merely another sign of these times.
In my opinion, the stronger it is, the closer to the end we are since Satan is intensifying his efforts to mislead people, hoping that they will end up never realizing the truth and, thus, be lost. This is why the attacks on those of us who have a biblical world view are ramping up.
Jesus told us in John’s gospel:
{15:18} If the world hate you, ye know that [it hated] me before it hated you. {15:19} If ye were of
the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
I actually like that “End Times Eddie” label Jan mentioned, for obvious reasons!
For over 61 great years I have been preaching the “Soon Return” of our Lord. Never missed a beat. Just call me “End-Times Ready”. Jesus made it clear, When you see these things BEGIN to happen! ” Paul saw the beginning two thousand years ago. Time is not the issue. SIGNS is what it’s all about. I’m believing we’re leaving. Keep up the Word! Any day now!
Just call me “End-Times Ready” cause I’m believe’n we’re leave’n.