(For newcomers, I strongly recommend you first read the post “Introducing the Bible Bar Graph,” which explains
the BBG project’s purpose and scope. This post contains one of many themes I’ll be teasing out of the BBG data. – S)

My first thought when I saw this stat — and maybe this is your reaction too — was to wonder, “is this number being skewed by the book of Revelation, which is long and somewhat uncharacteristic of the rest of the New Testament (NT) and which primarily involves the End Times?”

Just to put this doubt to rest, let me show you what the BBG looks like when Revelation is removed:

Yes, it does slip from first place…but only to sixth. The slip itself isn’t surprising, since about 65% of Revelation (263 verses out of 404) is indeed tagged with End Times. What’s more surprising is how much End Times still remains in the NT after subtracting the book most commonly associated with it. There are still over 300 End Times verses left, which make an appearance in every book but five (Galatians, Colossians, and the teensy one-chapter books 2/3 John and Philemon).

There’s no getting out of this conclusion about the End Times category. It’s huge. And it’s everywhere.

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Now one of my readers wrote to me last week:

WOW — like you, I’m kind of shocked by the results. Well, primarily the emphasis on the End Times. I’m really curious to hear your reflections on this outcome. In my experience, an overemphasis on trying to tie world events to predictions in Revelation can be a dangerous and distracting business.

I’m really glad she made this point. I agree with her 100%, and in fact that’s the first thing I want to emphasize: by End Times verses I do not mean (only) verses that make specific predictions about world events, and which invite speculation as to their fulfillment. There are a few of those, to be sure (the increase in seismic activity predicted in Matt. 24; the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thess. 2; the mysterious “mark of the beast” in Rev. 13; etc.) But the vast majority of these verses are not describing what signs will portend the coming of the end. Rather, they are simply focusing the reader squarely on the bare “fact” of the End Times: that God will, inescapably, pronounce judgment on humanity, triumph over His enemies, and usher in a new age of a kind we can’t even begin to imagine. When and how exactly this will happen is left unsaid, for the most part. But the multitude of verses on the topic suggests that the NT authors want us to hold that promise front and center in our minds as we live our daily lives.

The complete list of End Times verses is available in the raw data, of course, and also at the bottom of this post. Let’s look at some prototypical examples.

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Surprise!

Among the many spokesmen about the End Times is, of course, Jesus Himself. I’ll quote Him at some length:

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, whenever you did it to the least of my brothers, you did it to me.’ ” – Matt. 25:31-40

(I truncated this for brevity, but spoilers: the goats are sent to hell.)

Clearly this speech refers to the End Times, but equally clearly its purpose is not to help its listeners decipher tea leaves and predict the date of the Apocalypse. Quite the contrary, in fact: there’s an element of surprise implicit in the passage. Both the sheep and the goats are taken somewhat off-guard, as though being judged for their actions was the last thing on their minds.

This pattern of sudden unexpectedness is common in Jesus’ End Times teaching, which is often expressed in parables:

“Know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” – Luke 12:39-40

and again:

“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

“As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ …the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

“While they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matt. 25:1-13

In fact, Jesus famously stated that even He didn’t know when the End Times would arrive:

“Of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Mark 13:32

And this same language of surprise is echoed by the Apostles:

You yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly. – 1 Thess. 5:2-3

The day of the Lord will come like a thief; the heavens will disappear with a roar. – 2 Pet. 3:10

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind. – 1 Pet. 4:7

Thus, far from encouraging us to obsess about the “when,” as my reader feared, the thrust of most End Times passages is exactly the opposite: you can’t know when, but you’d better believe it’s coming – and be ready.

(To be fair, I should mention that there are a handful of passages which seem to hint that we can have limited visibility into the timeline. The “lesson from the fig tree” in Matt. 24:32 is in this category, as is the reference to Daniel’s prophecy earlier in that chapter. Perhaps Luke 21:28-31 is another example, although many think Jesus is predicting the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. in that passage, not the End Times. Anyway, verses like these are the exception rather than the rule; the NT definitely stresses the element of surprise rather than schedule.)

It’s a difficult task, though. It doesn’t come naturally at all, at least for me. My immediate circumstances are so vividly real and scream so loudly for attention. How can I focus on anything else?

Important vs. urgent

Note that importance and urgency sometimes go together, but often they do not. For example:

• Getting to the hospital if you’ve just broken your leg is both important and urgent.
• Deciding what part of the world you want to eventually live in is important, but not urgent.
• Making it to 7-11 before they close to buy a box of Hot Tamales is urgent, but not important.
• Keeping the TV on after a show ends just to see what’s on next is neither important nor urgent.

Covey makes the argument that we should maximize how much time we spend on tasks that are important but not urgent (the second example, above). I agree with him, and I daresay so do Jesus and the Apostles. Most things crying out for our attention every day (“new notification!!”) use urgency to masquerade as importance. But they’re actually not very important. In light of the reality of the End Times, in fact, nearly everything that consumes our thoughts simply does not ultimately matter! We need to keep our eye on the ball:

“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find caring for his household when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matt. 24:45-51

Restoring the masterpiece

Another reason I think that End Times gets so much ink has to do with the theme of renewal and restoration. God wants us to see that the world we currently experience is a far cry from what He’s capable of. Frankly, I think this temporary state of affairs is a bit of an embarrassment to God. It’s not indicative of His best work. And that’s because according to the New Testament, human free will resulted in His perfect universe being corrupted.

There’s not a ton of data on this, but one passage in particular is truly breathtaking, and merits careful scrutiny:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. – Rom 8:18-24 (NIV)

I quote from the NIV instead of ESV here to try and maximize clarity. It’s a tricky passage with some tricky language. The Greek word underlying “frustration” (ματαιότητι) is used for things that are transient, ineffective, or devoid of real value. Apparently, then, the universe itself has in some sense been emptied of its original purpose — it’s still beautiful in spots, but it’s marred by futility and decay. And anthropomorphizing a bit, this defilement was done “against its will” to the point where it’s “groaning” in agony.

In sum: God reluctantly permitted the results of humankind’s sin to permeate, and mutilate, the world at large. What we see of the universe now is a blurred and disfigured version of what He originally made. It’s currently “in bondage to decay” (δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς).

I know this idea might seem bizarre. But consider the account of the Fall in Genesis 3. Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience produced at least two crazily unrelated side effects: crops succumbing to weeds, and women experiencing pain in childbirth. Now what on earth do either of those things have to do with a human act of insubordination?! Regardless of how literally you take the Genesis account, the only answer that holds together is that the physical world was somehow corrupted by a moral choice of one of its creatures.

And now for the rest of the passage. God allowed this blemish on His handiwork, but only because it one day would be liberated from it. And incredibly, just as seemingly minuscule human creatures were the driving force behind the corruption, those same humans take center stage in its redemption. The whole creation is apparently waiting in line behind us – a motley crew of trifling and measly beings – to be restored first. And meanwhile, we’re mostly unaware that anyone is waiting for anything.

I would. And I think this might help explain the Bible’s emphasis on the End Times. God is anxious for us to know that as lovely and pleasant as this world might occasionally be, it does not represent His best work. It features pain, death, and entropy, all in large quantities. We’re living in a booger-smeared universe, my friends, and both we and it are groaning because of it. But it’s all only temporary. To finally quote from Revelation, the quintessential End Times book:

I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making everything new!” – Rev. 21:1-4

Prologue

If you’re like me, you tend to view this present life as “the main show,” with the End Times as a sort of awards ceremony afterwards. We’ll all celebrate with punch and cookies, happy that we’ve graduated and looking fondly back at our memories, before vaguely moving off stage.

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End Times verses:

• Matthew 7:21-23
• Matthew 10:23
• Matthew 11:22-24
• Matthew 12:32
• Matthew 12:36-37
• Matthew 13:30
• Matthew 13:39
• Matthew 13:41-42
• Matthew 13:49-50
• Matthew 16:27
• Matthew 21:41
• Matthew 24:2
• Matthew 24:4-51
• Matthew 25:1-46
• Matthew 26:64
• Mark 12:9
• Mark 13:4-8
• Mark 13:10
• Mark 13:12
• Mark 13:14-23
• Mark 13:24-27
• Mark 13:28-31
• Mark 13:32-37
• Luke 12:46-49
• Luke 17:20-37
• Luke 19:22-27
• Luke 20:16
• Luke 21:6-36
• Luke 23:29-31
• John 5:28-29
• John 12:48
• Acts 1:6-7
• Acts 2:19-20
• Acts 17:31
• Acts 24:25
• Romans 2:16
• Romans 8:19
• Romans 8:21
• Romans 9:27-29
• Romans 14:11-12
• Romans 16:20
• 1 Corinthians 1:7-8
• 1 Corinthians 3:13
• 1 Corinthians 4:5
• 1 Corinthians 10:11
• 1 Corinthians 15:24-26
• 1 Corinthians 16:22
• 2 Corinthians 5:10
• Ephesians 1:21
• Philippians 1:6
• Philippians 3:20-21
• 1 Thessalonians 3:13
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
• 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23
• 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
• 1 Timothy 4:1-3
• 1 Timothy 6:14
• 2 Timothy 3:1
• 2 Timothy 4:1
• Titus 2:13
• Hebrews 9:27
• Hebrews 9:28
• Hebrews 10:25
• Hebrews 10:37-38
• James 5:7-8
• 1 Peter 1:4-5
• 1 Peter 1:13
• 1 Peter 4:7
• 1 Peter 5:4
• 2 Peter 1:16
• 2 Peter 2:4
• 2 Peter 3:3-7
• 2 Peter 3:10-13
• 1 John 2:18-19
• 1 John 4:3
• 1 John 4:17
• Jude 1:6
• Jude 1:13-15
• Jude 1:18
• Jude 1:25
• Revelation 1:1
• Revelation 1:7
• Revelation 1:19
• Revelation 2:25
• Revelation 4:1
• Revelation 6:1-17
• Revelation 7:1-17
• Revelation 8:1-13
• Revelation 9:1-21
• Revelation 10:5-7
• Revelation 10:11
• Revelation 11:2-19
• Revelation 13:1-18
• Revelation 14:6-20
• Revelation 15:1-8
• Revelation 16:1-21
• Revelation 17:8-14
• Revelation 17:16-17
• Revelation 18:2
• Revelation 18:5-6
• Revelation 18:8-24
• Revelation 19:1-9
• Revelation 19:11-21
• Revelation 20:1-15
• Revelation 21:1-27
• Revelation 22:1-7
• Revelation 22:10-12
• Revelation 22:14
• Revelation 22:17-20