Are we really living in the end times, or do today’s crises just make it feel that way? That question framed a recent episode of Prophecy Watchers, where host Gary Stearman interviewed author and speaker Jonathan Brentner about hope, technology and the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return.
Stearman opened by telling Brentner that reading his work makes him “take a deep breath and relax.” Brentner said his goal is to restore biblical anticipation: “There is something to look forward to,” he explained, lamenting that many churches downplay prophecy and thus “ignore so much of the comfort that we can find in Scripture.”
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A panorama of hope
Brentner outlined the sequence he believes Scripture predicts:
- The rapture: “Beginning with the rapture,” he said, “we’re given new bodies and the Lord catches us up to be with Him in glory.”
- The marriage supper of the Lamb: A moment Brentner likened to “a thunder” of rejoicing, louder than a roaring football stadium.
- The Second Coming and millennium: Jesus’ return will be “the most triumphant moment in human history,” he said, and believers “will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
“Our triumph is Jesus’ triumph,” Brentner added. “So graciously He enables us to share in His triumph.”
Why prophecy still matters
Stearman noted that sermons declaring “Jesus is coming soon” are more common now than in past decades. Brentner agreed, warning that pastors who sidestep the topic “do a great disservice” because the promise of Christ’s return “affects believers in the pews and what they look forward to.”
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He also drew connections between current technology and biblical warnings. Artificial intelligence, he said, could become “the precursor to the great power the Bible talks about under the Antichrist,” facilitating an unprecedented level of deception. Yet Brentner urged calm: Scripture foresaw these challenges, and God remains sovereign.
Signs and perspective
Both men discussed the surge in antisemitism after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, viewing it as another indicator that prophecy is accelerating. Still, Brentner cautioned against panic. “Yes, Jesus is coming for me,” he said. “I don’t know when, but He’s coming for me… even if it doesn’t happen in my lifetime, it’s still worth waiting and watching.”
Living in the meantime
The Bible’s guidance for uncertain days is simple and practical:
- Stay alert: Jesus urged His followers to “watch” (Matt. 24:42) and recognize the signs without succumbing to fear.
- Live holy lives: Peter wrote that since “all these things will be destroyed,” believers ought to “live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11).
- Encourage one another: Paul called the rapture “the blessed hope” and told the church to “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18).
- Keep working: Jesus’ parables commend servants who stay faithful until the master returns.
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Brentner’s bottom line echoed those themes. Prophecy, he said, should move from head knowledge to heart assurance, producing “a lasting peace amid turmoil.” For Christians wondering if today’s turbulence marks the end times, the message is both sobering and uplifting: keep one eye on the headlines, the other on eternity, and let hope, not fear, shape each day until Christ appears.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
