331. The time of the end of the world
331. THE TIME OF THE END OF THE WORLD
All the many predictions about the time of the end of the world—are they all B.S.?
Whether the time of the future judgment is unknown?
Objection 1. It would seem that the time of the future judgment is not unknown. For just as the holy Fathers looked forward to the first coming, so do we look forward to the second. But the holy Fathers knew the time of the first coming . . . wherefore the Jews are reproached for not knowing the time of Christ’s coming (Lk 12:56). . . .
Reply to Objection 1. At His first coming, Christ came secretly. . . . Hence, that He might be recognized by believers, it was necessary for the time to be fixed beforehand with certainty. On the other hand, at the second coming, He will come openly. . . . Consequently there can be no error affecting the knowledge of His coming. . . .
It is written (Mk 13:32): Of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father. . . .
Further, it is written (1 Thess 5:2): The day of the Lord shall so come as a thief in the night. . . . For the world will come to an end by no created cause, even as it derived its existence immediately from God. Wherefore the knowledge of the end of the world is fittingly reserved to God (S88,3).
For good reasons, Christ made the time of His first coming clear but the manner obscure, and the time of His Second Coming unknown but the manner clear.
He made the time of the first coming clear for the same reason He made the manner obscure: to test His people, so that those who loved Him and what He was—righteousness—would recognize Him, and those who did not, would not. He wanted to give enough light for seekers to find Him Whom they loved, but not so much light that non-seekers would find Him Whom they did not love. Thus He made the prophecies of the manner of His coming deliberately obscure: for instance, that the Promised One (the Messiah) would deliver his people from their “enemies”. Those whose heart was set on worldly power did not recognize Him because they misidentified their enemies as the Romans, who stole political and financial power from the Jews; and Jesus did not free Israel from the Romans. But those whose heart was set on righteousness recognized Him because they identified their true enemies as their own sins, and His name was Jesus (“Savior”) “because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Thus the judgment begins in this world: everyone gets what their heart desires.
For the same reasons, Christ made the manner of His Second Coming clear but the time obscure: so that at all times His people would be ready for Him, for the Truth and Judgment that will leave nothing any more obscure. (See Lk 12:2-3.) It is like death: the reason God arranged that we know that it will be, but not when, is so that we should be ready always.
Those who claim to know the time of the end not only misunderstand the divine purpose in hiding it but more profoundly and seriously misunderstand themselves. They think they are wiser than the Son of God, Who said that He Himself did not know the time! (Mt 24:36) This prediction is not just a fault of the mind but of the heart. It is the sin of pride. In judging the time, they judge themselves.
We all do that—judge ourselves—in everything we do, both for good and evil. That is how the judgment works. At the Last Judgment we will not be able to argue with the Judge because we will see ourselves as well as God in the judge’s seat. We will know.