Beginning Apologetics 8: The End Times

Father Frank Chacon and Jim Burnham

Section 282 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church assures us that knowing what happens at the end of human history is “decisive for the meaning and orientation of our life and actions.” Our view of the end times determines our view of salvation history. Knowing what happens at the end of our lives and at the end of human history is of supreme importance for understanding why God made us and what He has planned for us both in this life and in the next. 

Unfortunately, many non-Catholic groups today are promoting serious errors about the last things. Sadly, many Catholics are vulnerable in this area because they don’t know the Church’s teaching about the end times. 

In this booklet we give the basic teachings of the Catholic Church on the end times, and we deal with some of the more common errors in this area. A correct understanding of the last things helps us live this life with great peace and hope. It also gives us a deeper appreciation of how much God loves us and how great a gift we have in being made in His image. Unlike some pagan religions that believe human history repeats itself endlessly with no ultimate purpose, we Christians believe that human history in this world is moving toward a climactic finale. This end will fully reveal the meaning of human history.