And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
As Jesus answers the question posed by the disciples who wanted to know about His return and the end of the age, He is sure to first focus their attention on their present call as disciples with the gospel. They must be faithful to the task of gospel proclamation to all the world. That must continue unabated until the end comes. Jesus is gospel centered in His eschatology.
All my life I have observed American evangelicals getting all in a lather over end times when a presidential election cycle occurs. Granted, I've tended to run in dispensational circles where this sort of stuff is an easy distraction for some people, but I see it as a bigger problem than the novelty of a "chart theology" of the end times and zeal about identifying the Anti-Christ. It gets in the way of the gospel.
The thing that is wrong about mixing politics and Christian theology (not just eschatology) is the way that politics inevitably focuses on humanity and pulls the emphasis of our lives away from Jesus and the gospel. I'm going to say something that will be heard as controversial, but I sincerely believe it is absolutely sound and biblical. It really does not matter who is elected to any office in any country in this world, or who seizes power by force. Regardless of worldly power, the gospel must be preached to the nations, and by the grace of God it will! Echoing advertising we are bombarded with for the next two months: "I'm Martin Burch, and I approved this message."
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