As believers navigate through today’s complex cultural changes, questions about the end times become more prevalent. Are we living in the last days? Dr. Robert Jeffress sits down with Dr. James Dobson to discuss his newest work, a book that offers hope and perspective to those in search of spiritual clarity. Dive into biblical prophecy, the significance of Israel, and the promise of Jesus Christ’s return, all while gaining peace and preparation for what lies ahead for believers.
Welcome everyone to Family Talk. It’s a ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute supported by listeners just like you. I’m Dr. James Dobson and I’m thrilled that you’ve joined us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, your co-host for the day, and we are here at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, Texas. You know, with the direction of the culture and the darkness seemingly at every turn, it’s very easy for us as believers to ask the question, are we living in the end times? A question like, will Jesus be returning very soon? Well… Matthew 24, we know that the day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven or the son, only the father knows when the Lord will return. So does that mean that we should still be looking for, of course we should be waiting for with great anticipation, the return of our savior. And our guest today here on Family Talk has written a new book, Looking at Jesus Revealed in the End Times. Our guest is Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. He’s the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, a contributor at Fox News, the author of more than 34 books, including A Place Called Heaven, Courageous, What Every Christian Should Know, 18 Minutes with Jesus, and the newest book, Jesus Revealed in the End Times, Hope for Today from the One Who Holds Our Future. Dr. Robert Jeffress, welcome to Family Talk today. Dr. Dobson and his wife Shirley, of course, send their best regards to you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, they’re wonderful friends for many, many years, and Roger, always good to be with you.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s good to be with you. Thanks for having me. It’s our pleasure. Well, as the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, I know there are a lot of people who are coming to you every day, and they’re saying, we saw this explosion, we saw this hurricane, we saw this, this, we saw the election results, you know, turn out the way they did. And they’re asking about the end times. What kinds of questions are you getting from people and what kind of assurances? I mean, I know your assurances are study the word, look for the signs of the times, but what kinds of questions are people asking? You know, it’s interesting.
SPEAKER 02 :
Some people are just excited about any study of the end times. They love it. They take notes. They can’t wait for the next prophecy series. But then there are other Christians who are really terrified by the end times. It makes their blood pressure go up to think that Jesus is coming back again and so forth. And really, I address that second group in this book, Jesus Revealed in the End Times. I’ve been studying, Roger, Bible prophecy for more than 40 years. And I’ve always used the same approach, describing the events of the end times, the rapture, the tribulation, the second coming, and so forth. But when you look at the Bible, the end times are not so much about an event as they are about a person, about Jesus Christ. And so what makes this book unique from any other Bible prophecy book is It’s a book that looks at Jesus as the fulfillment of the end times. We see Jesus in his ultimate role as judge, as priest, as Messiah, as friend. And that’s why we don’t need to fear the end times. You know, the book of Revelation, that word revelation, apocalypsis, means the unveiling. We’re going to see Jesus not just as some little rabbi who roamed the countryside saying nice things to people, but in all of his majesty. And it ought to encourage people of faith. As the subtitle says, our future is in the hands of the one who has planned our future.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen to that. And it’s interesting because there are so many books that have come out recently on the end times, especially. And yours focuses on Jesus. And I think that’s… Maybe it’s kind of a reminder from you to the church that, hey, don’t look at the different political things or what’s happening societally, but look to Jesus and see where he is in all that.
SPEAKER 02 :
And it’s so true. We tend to want to try to make every headline a sign of the end times. Jesus gave us some general outlines of the end times in Matthew 24 and 25. He said there’ll be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and so forth. And in one sense, it’s true. These things have always been with us since the beginning of time. But Jesus said, in the end, these things are going to be like the birth pains a mother experiences before birth. You know, there’s such a thing as false labor. But then there comes a time when those birth pains increase in frequency and intensity. And Jesus said, when you see that happen— You can know the end is near. I have a funny story I tell people about the end times when they want to know whether or not we’re living in the end times. When I first started working at Fox News, one of my earliest friends was the late Alan Combs, who was the resident liberal at Fox News, Hannity and Combs.
SPEAKER 01 :
He was the other side.
SPEAKER 02 :
He was always the other side, and he was such a great guy. He was Jewish. And he would kid me about my faith, but every time I was on his show, he gave me a chance to share the gospel. Interesting. And one night in New York, he said, just out of the blue, he said, Pastor, do you think you’re going to be alive to see Jesus return? And I said, well, I don’t know, Alan, but it really doesn’t matter. He said, what do you mean it doesn’t matter? I said at the time, I said, I’m 55 years old, and I know in the next 30 or 40 years, one of two things is going to happen. Either he’s coming or I’m going, but I better be ready, and so is you. And that’s what the end times ought to motivate us to do. We don’t know when they’re going to be, but we know the end is close for every one of us, and we need to be ready.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, that’s a great story, and it’s encouraging to hear because I felt bad for Alan Combs. Sean Hannity used to win most every argument they had, but it’s interesting to hear that he held to a Jewish tradition.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s interesting. One of the last times I was with him, I— He asked me to pray for him, and I prayed for him, and he said, you know, I have a roommate in college who’s a Messianic Jew. He claims Jesus is his Savior, and between him and you, I don’t think I have a chance.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, my.
SPEAKER 02 :
He was a great God.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, that’s interesting. At the beginning of this new book, Jesus Revealed in the End Times, you take a look at three of the biggest questions that we all have in life and how in these moments they become a lot more pronounced. You know, what is my purpose? You know, why am I here? How do I get right with God? What does the future hold? When you look at end times prophecy. How does that help us address those needs for people who really are seeking? They might have fancy cars and homes and, you know, great jobs, and so they can kind of avoid those questions for a while. But deep down, those are kind of woven into the fabric of our hearts, aren’t they? That’s right.
SPEAKER 02 :
And the questions really shouldn’t be about me. It’s about how do I fit into his plans for me. I mean, you know, the bottom line question of all of life is one that was asked by Job when he said, if a man dies, will he live again? I mean, when you think about it, that’s all that really matters. Is this life all there is? When I shut my eyes for the last time, do I go into nothingness and just cease to exist? That thought is just incomprehensible because it’s not true. There is an existence after death. And Job also asked the question, How can a person be right with God? If I am going to meet God, how can I know I’m going to be welcomed into heaven? And the only answer is the person who’s the subject of the Bible in this book, Jesus Christ. He provides not just a way into heaven, but the way into heaven. And I remember talking to Dr. Dobson years ago. He had me on to talk about my book, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. And he continues to air that program because he believes it’s the most important thing a person can discover, the way to heaven. And the way is a person, Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 01 :
And a person who is glorified. And one of the things you describe in your new book, Jesus Revealed in the End Times, is that a lot of us here in American culture, especially, really do have the wrong view of Jesus. You know, we think of old school Jesus, or you even mentioned Jonathan Rumi, you know, from the Chosen series. And people look at him and they’re coming up to him, you know, and saying, hey, you know, can you tell me about Jesus? Talk about why this book helps us to get a more comprehensive view of Jesus.
SPEAKER 02 :
I found out in researching the book, Jesus is the most portrayed character in human history. Mm-hmm. In art, in literature, movies, radio, television, nobody is portrayed more than Jesus Christ. But all of the portrayals, 99.9% of them are Jesus at his first coming. Jesus in the manger. Jesus teaching on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Jesus in Gethsemane. But very few attempt to portray him in his second coming. And you know, in the Old Testament, Roger, most people don’t know this, but in the Old Testament, for every one prophecy about the first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, there are eight about his second coming. And that’s where the emphasis in Scripture is, not just on a baby who came and died and rose again that we might have eternal life, but a king who is coming back to reign over all the earth with justice, love, and righteousness, just as he promised.
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, it’s interesting as we’re having this conversation with Dr. Robert Jeffress, I mentioned in the outset of the program, of course, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas. I should also mention congratulations are in order for being named here at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention as a 2025 radio program of the year. That’s a phenomenal accomplishment.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, we’ve been at it just for 10 years or 20 years. Nothing like Dr. Dobson.
SPEAKER 01 :
He’s the pioneer in Christian radio in so many ways. But it’s well-deserved, though, because, I mean, you are literally showing people the pathway to the victorious life, which is Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s all we aim to do is point people to Jesus. And that’s what this book Jesus revealed in the end times. And I would say to anybody who thinks Bible prophecy is too complicated, well, so much of Scripture, 25 out of 27 books in the New Testament deal with the return of Jesus Christ. You can’t read a page of Scripture without finding some mention of it. You know, the book of Revelation, interestingly, Roger, it’s the only book of the Bible for which there is a special blessing to everyone who reads and obeys what is in the book. And how we view Jesus and how we anticipate his return ought to affect our everyday life. You know, Peter said in 2 Peter 3, after recounting how everything in this world is going to be burned up one day and there’s a new heaven and a new earth coming, he said, so what sort of people ought we to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the Lord? You know, I hear this phrase, some people are so heavenly minded, they’re no earthly good.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
I’ve never met a person like that. You know, C.S. Lewis said, the problem is not that we think too much of heaven, but we think about it too little. And I think that’s true. He said, focus on heaven and you get earth thrown in.
SPEAKER 01 :
Focus on earth and you get neither. powerful insights, and it helps us to frame what we’re talking about here in the life that we’re living right now. I mean, in terms of the cultural changes, you know, you and I’ve had conversations in the past about politics and things of that nature that often divide people, especially in the body of Christ, and realizing that that’s not the goal. I mean, unity in the body of Christ, being of one mind, one body, one spirit, it requires us to look at Jesus for who he is.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s right. And the fact that Christ is coming back again should not cause us just to sit and rest on our blessed assurances and wait for the Lord to come here. He said, he told us, work while it is still day because the night is coming when no man can work. And that’s what I love about Dr. Dobson and his ministry is they’re not just focused on heaven, but they’re focused on the earth too. And what we can do to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ, stand up for righteousness and the protection of the unborn, and really make this culture more conducive to the gospel. You know, the command by Jesus was to be salt and light in the world. As salt, we delay the decay of the world. We can’t prevent the decay. This world is going to unravel completely. But we can delay it so that we have longer to share the gospel. And that’s what being salt is. That’s what the Dobson Institute is about. But at the same time, we’re to be light. And that is pointing people to Jesus as the only way for salvation.
SPEAKER 01 :
We haven’t come to this part of the conversation yet, so I want to get to it now. It’s just a splitting hairs issue. When you hear people talking about the end times, you’ll hear people say the end times are near. We’re living in the end times. Then you hear the last days too. They’re not one and the same.
SPEAKER 02 :
They’re not. Those are two very distinct phrases in the Bible. The end times technically refer to that time beginning with the rapture of the church when the church is removed. It only takes seven years for the earth to completely unravel when there are no Christians on the earth. And then you have the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his kingdom. All of that is part of the end times. We are not technically in the end times. The rapture hasn’t occurred. The tribulation hasn’t begun. But we are in the last days. Paul talked about the last days. The last days have really been in existence for more than 2,000 years. They started when Christ ascended into heaven. We’re awaiting the return. And so for 2,000 years, we’ve been in the last days. And Paul made this comment in Romans. He said… Our salvation, our deliverance is closer today than it was when we first believed. About 30 years had elapsed between the Roman Christians’ conversion and Paul’s letter to them. What he’s saying is every second that passes makes us closer and closer to the end times. So we’re in those last days right now. We need to live in light of the last days.
SPEAKER 01 :
Great counsel from Dr. Robert Jeffress today here on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. The new book is called Jesus Revealed in the End Times. Hope for today from the one who holds our future. And we have a link for it up at drjamesdobson.org. We haven’t talked about Israel yet. Probably a good idea to discuss that because there are a lot of Americans who are confused. A lot of people who profess faith in Christ are confused about what role Israel plays. Should the United States be supporting? Should the church be supporting? Help us understand that. that in talking about Jesus revealed in the end times, we also have to discuss where Israel is going to be.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, one of the greatest privileges of my ministry was when President Trump in 2018 invited me to deliver the opening prayer at the dedication of the embassy in Jerusalem. It was a historic day that day, and Prime Minister Netanyahu was there, and they were all seated in front of me, and I got an opportunity to say a word about Israel’s role in history and Israel’s role in the Bible. And God has a special affection for Israel. He calls Israel the apple of his eye. It was Israel through whom we got the scriptures. It was through Israel that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came. But Israel was created by God, not 50 years ago, as the liberals would have you believe. It wasn’t 1948 when Israel came into existence. Israel’s been in existence for 4,000 years. When God said to Abraham, I’m going to make you a father of a great nation. It’s going to be a nation that’s the object of my affection. It’s a nation through whom the whole world will be blessed. And he pronounced a promise. He said, I will bless those who bless Abraham and his descendants, and I will destroy those, curse those who curse Abraham and his descendants. Israel, Roger, is the only nation in the world that has the promise of God’s blessing and endurance. The United States doesn’t have that promise. Israel was a human object lesson of God’s ability to protect his people. And God said, I’m going to protect Israel. They’re always going to exist. And Satan has said, we’ll see about that. Satan’s goal has been to destroy Israel because it destroys God’s credibility if Israel ceases to exist. And what we see in the news, that horrible Hamas invasion, the Holocaust, all of these are satanic efforts to destroy God’s people and to make God appear impotent and incapable of protecting his people. And that’s why I said that day at the embassy dedication, to be on the right side of Israel is to be on the right side of history, but more importantly, to be on the right side of God. To oppose Israel is to oppose God.
SPEAKER 01 :
And it’s so amazing how many people will get into like a little political kerfluffle over that rather than taking a look at what Scripture says and saying, look, if we are the body of Christ, Israel is important. And let’s be clear about this.
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re not saying that because you’re a Jew, you automatically go to heaven. Right. That is completely contrary to Scripture. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Jew of the Jews.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
And he said, my heart’s desire is that Israel be saved. He dedicated his life to preaching the gospel of Peter. On the day of Pentecost was a Jew who talked about their salvation under no other name except Jesus. I’ll tell you a funny story. A Jewish businessman in Dallas approached me one day and said, I’ve always wanted to meet you. You’re the preacher who says all of my people are going to hell. And he was laughing about that. I said, well, actually, I got that idea from one of your people. He said, really? Who? He said, so, Rabbi, you may know his name, Jesus. He’s the one who said, I’m the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, I love that. I love that. The words of the wisest rabbi of all. But we think of the salvation message, it’s for the Jew first and then the Gentile. That’s right. I mean, that should be our heart’s desire as Christians.
SPEAKER 02 :
And that’s not anti-Semitic. No, not at all. Some people would judge. I’ve been charged with being anti-Semitic because I say you have to accept Jesus to be saved. I say it’s the same message for Jews as for Baptists and Catholics and every other religion. There’s no salvation apart from Jesus.
SPEAKER 01 :
When the Lord returns, we’ve all heard another term, Armageddon. Think about the big battle. And I know a lot of people are thinking, well, gosh, you know, Russia invaded Ukraine. So here comes Armageddon, you know, whatever it is. And nothing could be further from the truth. But can you help us understand what that is going to entail? I mean, it’s a horrible question to ask and say. In three minutes, can you explain Armageddon, but can you give us just an overview of that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Revelation 16 and 19 give us the background of Armageddon. The world forces are going to descend on the plain of Megiddo. Many of us have been there before. Napoleon, when he looked over the plain of Megiddo, said it’s the most natural battlefield in all the world. And there will be representatives from all the nations that will descend to launch a war against Antichrist. Their reason is not religious. It’s they’re tired of this one-world dictator bringing so many problems to the world, and they will rebel against him. And it will be as they launch an attack against the Lord Jesus Christ and his forces that the heavens will part and the world will see Jesus. He will descend with his church and he’ll defeat the world forces at Armageddon. You know, many people wonder how in the world and why would world forces descend into that little country of Israel… It’s no bigger than the state of New Jersey. Well, I think we’ve seen that in recent days, how a regional conflict between the so-called Palestinians and the Jews could quickly escalate into a worldwide conflict. And people say, well, it’s always been tension there. But here’s what makes this different, Roger, two words, nuclear weapons. And that’s what makes this world conflict not only possible but probable.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s fascinating to think about the times that we’re living in, and yet at the same time, we can’t have hope in the midst of the darkness that we’re seeing. Talk to that person. You mentioned that your target for this one was the Christian who says, I see all this and I’m terrified, forgetting, of course, that their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and their spot in heaven is secure. What kind of encouraging words can we share with other people who are frustrated or they’re scared or they’re confused? Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I think we can go back to Jesus’ words in John 14. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again to take you unto myself. That where I am, there you may be also. We can trust that Jesus is coming back to save the righteous and to judge the unrighteous. His credibility is on the line. He said, I am going to do this. It’s not the words of Robert Jeffress. It’s the words of Jesus Christ. And, you know, I think of the words of Romans chapter 8. Paul says, if God is for us, who can be against us? If he did not even spare his own son for us, will he not also freely give us everything else?
SPEAKER 01 :
I love that sentiment, and I can imagine that there are people right now who are going to get your book. They’re going to read this. They’re going to study it, and they’re going to see that their faith walk has gotten stronger. I mean, the fear dissipates because of the fact that they know the truth, and the truth is setting them free in this regard.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is a great book, not just for Christians, but to give a non-Christian as a way of pointing them to Jesus Christ. I think there’s a real place for book evangelism here. You can always say, here’s something about the end times if you’re curious. Because people are curious, non-Christians. They’re asking questions. Is the world spinning out of control? What’s going to happen? We as God’s people need to be the ones who demonstrate that hope and faith in Jesus.
SPEAKER 01 :
Would you conclude our time together here with a word of prayer?
SPEAKER 02 :
If there’s anybody listening who doesn’t have that assurance that they’re going to be welcomed into heaven one day, I’d like to invite you, whoever may be listening, to pray this simple prayer. Dear God, thank you for loving me. I know I failed you in many ways, and I’m truly sorry for the sins in my life. But I believe what your word says, that you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for me, to take the punishment I deserve to take for my sins. And right now I’m trusting in Jesus and Jesus alone to save me when I die. Thank you for forgiving me and help me to live the rest of my life for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen, amen. What a powerful invitation from pastor and author, Dr. Robert Jeffress, today here on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. Again, the brand new book is called Jesus Revealed in the End Times, Hope for Today from the One Who Holds Our Future. And we’ve got it up on our website. Pastor Jeffress, thank you for being with us today. Thanks for being such a great friend of our ministry. And we appreciate your time here on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you and give Dr. Dobson and Shirley my best.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friend, you’ve been listening to a special edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk and my dynamic conversation with Dr. Robert Jeffress about finding hope in turbulent times. What a great reminder that our future rests in the hands of Jesus, not in headlines or world events. And I think that’s a powerful shift in perspective for believers who may feel a bit anxious about what lies ahead. Now, if you’d like to hear today’s program again, or perhaps even share it with a friend, you can do so when you visit drjamesdobson.org forward slash family talk. And while you’re there, you’ll also find a link for Dr. Robert Jeffress’ brand new book called Jesus Revealed in the End Times. Again, that’s drjamesdobson.org forward slash family talk. And while you’re online, I encourage you to check out a special book from Shirley Dobson and her daughter, Danae. It’s called Welcome to Our Table. It’s part cookbook, part family memoir. This heartwarming collection shares cherished family recipes alongside stories of hospitality from the Dobson household, where countless guests, from dignitaries to local neighbors, have experienced warmth and welcome around their table. This treasure of family wisdom can be yours. It’s our way of thanking you for your gift of any amount in support of Family Talk today. So make a secure donation online at drjamesdobson.org. That’s drjamesdobson.org. You can also give a gift over the phone when you call 877-732-6825. And to send your donation through the U.S. Postal Service, Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. PO Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and on behalf of Dr. Dobson and all of us here at Family Talk, thanks so much for listening. Be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
