STAND FIRM: The End Times is Just a Regional War - The Disciple’s End Times View (Part 1)
The end times is just a regional war that spills out into the whole world, during which some astonishing calamitous events occur.
I know that’s a hot take. I think it’s becoming my take. I also believe it was the take of the disciples. The take of the prophets. The take of the patriarchs. Even the take of Jesus. Bear with me.
I understand that’s not the modern pop view of Bible prophecy. It’s not what you would hear at modern prophecy conferences, but I believe if you were at the two greatest prophecy conferences in history, you’d walk away with this take.
I gathered my Bible and binder of notes, reached down, and flipped on the wireless microphone sender on my belt. My introduction had already been given, and I was supposed to step on stage at the end of the song. I should have paid attention to how the song ended. I was stoked to be a part of another prophecy conference. There’s nothing quite like being with people who track with “signs of the times” and “Biblical truth.” And what an honor to share a lineup with such incredible speakers — all except that one guy. You know the one, the kind that makes you double-check your mic is off before whispering to your wife, “I think this dude’s nuts.”
I thought about the start of my message, hoping I wouldn’t say anything dumb right off the bat. Maybe just limiting dumb statements was a better goal. Then it hit me — I was about to read from the greatest prophecy conference known to man. Sure, I was stoked about this one, getting to hear speakers I admire, soaking in great music, hanging with folks on the same prophetic wavelength and, yes, enjoying a bit of time at the beach with my wife. What could be better?
Well, the prophecy conference I was about to read from was better. Far better.
The ballroom where I stood was beautiful. A giant screen loomed behind me, making my big head look even bigger. Massive displays flanked each side. Professional lighting set the mood and gear for a full band awaited the next worship set. The cymbals glistened in the stage lights. Eager prophecy enthusiasts sat around tables with coffee cups and notepads ready. But the conference I was about to speak of didn’t scratch the surface of that original one — and it was free, not $199 (unless you scored the early bird special).
Imagine the scene of the greatest prophecy conference ever to happen.
The golden glow of a Jerusalem sunset painted the horizon, bathing the majestic temple and ancient city walls in hues of amber and rose. The warm evening breeze whispered through olive branches, rustling leaves overhead. Seated on the Mount of Olives, directly opposite Jerusalem’s famed Eastern Gate, you felt the echo of prophetic significance from just two days earlier when Jesus, riding humbly upon a donkey, entered triumphantly as the Messiah.
Jesus sat before you — calm yet intense — His eyes reflected profound compassion and unmistakable authority. Beside you, Peter shifted anxiously. James and John exchanged silent, knowing glances while Andrew leaned forward, eager and attentive. Your mind, saturated with prophetic Scripture memorized from childhood, raced through passages of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Joel. Every word spoken and every image described by the prophets pulsed vividly in your memory, igniting your heart with urgent anticipation.
Hours earlier, you had heard Jesus fiercely confront the Pharisees in the temple courts, warning them of impending judgment and declaring the temple itself would soon lie in ruins — not one stone left upon another. These words still rang loudly in your ears, echoing the haunting prophecies of desolation recited since your youth.
You stood at the very spot where the Messiah would one day walk and split when He established His kingdom. You looked upon the very gate through which He would enter and restore. The valley of decision stretched below you.
And to top it off, the Messiah Himself was right there.
Now, as you gazed across the Kidron Valley — the Valley of Decision — toward the temple complex, dramatically illuminated by the setting sun, the urgency and reality of these ancient words felt imminent. The kingdom could arrive literally at any moment. You sensed it deeply — you weren’t merely observers of prophecy; you stood at its epicenter.
To add to it, He opened the floor for a Q&A session.
Unable to contain yourselves, you and the others asked the question burning urgently in your hearts — “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3).
In response, Jesus carefully reaffirmed and clarified the scriptural truths already embedded in your souls. He painted a prophetic picture unmistakably centered on Jerusalem and Israel. This moment on the Mount of Olives etched itself into history — not only as the greatest prophecy conference ever held but also as a powerful prelude to the next great prophecy conference, which lies still decades away on a lonely, windswept island called Patmos. The same speaker would lead there, but only one attendee would make it to both events.
Sure, this beach-setting conference I spoke at wouldn’t compare to those two, but fortunately, we have some notes from them.
You’ve probably realized that the first conference was the Olivet Discourse mentioned in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21. This “conference” didn’t take place in a church auditorium or hotel ballroom, but on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem. It didn’t depend on flashy graphics or multimedia presentations; instead, it was Jesus discussing the events leading up to and during the end times. Interestingly, He wasn’t revealing anything new.
The disciples weren’t objecting or questioning. They already held an “end-time view.” Jesus didn’t claim their view was wrong, but He may have adjusted their timeline. Again, He didn’t reveal anything new. Instead, He returned to the prophets they already knew and provided a masterful summary that only the architect or playwright of the end could articulate. Most of what Jesus communicated wouldn’t have sold many prophecy books or filled theaters. There wasn’t a lot of sensationalism.
Just as there hadn’t been throughout the Old Testament prophets, it was a narrative. A narrative the disciples were familiar with, known since the giving of the law—and likely before. It’s a narrative that, somehow, we’ve lost. It describes a regional war that spills over to the world, during which some pretty astonishing things take place.
Over the next few weeks (Lord willing), I will share parts of a project I’m working on. I’m doing this because it’s been a while since I explored a foundational understanding of the end times. In my earlier articles, I laid out a foundation of the end times using a timeline and examined things categorically. I want to revisit the foundation the disciples had and reflect on that core narrative — a narrative that focuses heavily on a regional war.
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Jake McCandless
Jake McCandless authors a weekly column titled, Stand Firm and Live Epic, through which he seeks to encourage the modern church to not just survive, but thrive in current times. He also addresses many end-times topics.
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