Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
Upon Whom the Ends Have Come
In a strange move earlier this year, sports analyst Pat McAfee reposted a Tweet from 2021 featuring an interview of quarterback Aaron Rodgers positively speaking about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Given McAfee’s close ties to Rodgers, the sports world could not help but wonder if McAfee’s repost foreshadowed the future. Would Rodgers join the team?
Three months later, Rodgers fulfilled McAfee’s prophecy by signing with The Black and Gold. Steelers fans hoped against the acquisition because they believe the veteran quarterback’s age and recent performances hint at a mediocre 2025-2026 season and another early exit from Super Bowl contention.
Signs seem to point to the impending end of Rodgers’ career and the Steelers’ playoff dreams.
Outside of the realm of the NFL, other signs point to the closing of an age – that is, life on Earth as we currently know it. But Christians are spared the devastation Steelers fans currently feel; Christians believe the End is the start of something even greater: eternal life with God!
Throughout Scripture, time and time again we see how the stories tie together to point toward messages of judgment and eternity. Sometimes these messages are communicated explicitly, such as in Matthew 24:36-44, and other times they are conveyed more implicitly, often by recurring themes and symbols as we find with the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Nebuchadnezzar’s envisioned statue.
The Bible is rich in stories and prophecies revealing that our Creator is also our Judge, and that we are currently living in the Last Days. The End will come soon, but when we hold close to Jesus, it is nothing to fear. It is something worth looking forward to!
For Reflection
Connecting: Have you ever had a “gut feeling” that something bad was going to happen, and then it did?
Sharing: What do you personally take away from the End-Time symbolism found throughout Scripture?
- There is no other way it could be so intricately woven unless inspired by the Holy Spirit
- God’s divine wrath is beyond terrifying and final
- God is merciful to provide so many opportunities to repent
- A key component of love is justice
- The gravity of our sin and our choices
- Other
Applying: What moral conditions led to the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the fall of Babylon? What parallels do we see today, and how can we combat them?
Valuing: Revisit Revelation 20:4–6, 11–15, and consider that God permits the dead in Christ to examine the records for 1,000 years so as to better understand what will happen to whom and why. What does this reveal to you regarding God’s character?
~ Stefani Leeper
