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We Christians would do a thousand times better to read and live the Gospels than engaging in end times speculations.

If you consider the book to be of divine origin (As I do) then you need to consider the fact that of all the new testament books, the only one that promises a blessing to those who read and keep the words in it is the Book of Revelation.

Now maybe none of us will understand it until it is all over, but nevertheless, we are admonished to read the words and to keep the words of the Book of Revelation.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

So I think it is at least as important to read as the gospels. We may not understand a single word, but nevertheless, we will be blessed if we read it. We have that promise upon the authority of the Word of God.

"We Christians would do a thousand times better to read and live the Gospels than engaging in end times speculations."

Ecc 12:12-14 "But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil."

Perhaps Polycarp1 is correct.

I remain convinced that endless speculation on the end times detracts from Christian life and mission. What if all the things we see today are not "signs of the end" but rather invitations by God to DO SOMETHING about what is happening?

Too many Christians are wrapped up in end times things and see all these terrible things and refuse to address them because they figure "Well its just the way its supposed to be in these last days." Some even rejoice over the pain and brokenness they see because they care only for bugging out at the "rapture".

At the end of time Jesus in the Gospels clearly states that the difference between the sheep and the goats has nothing to do at all with those who may have successfully guessed the actual time of his appearing and the surrounding circumstances (and EVERYONE to date has been wrong) but rather if we did what he asked to the "least of these..."
In addition in the parables of the wise servants it is those who are found doing the master's will who are rewarded and not those who have have hoarded what the master gave them in anticipation of his return.

Writers like Tim LaHaye and Hal Lindsey have done great damage to the faith by playing on people's fears and telling stories based on a very flawed vision of faith (dispensationalism) while making themselves very rich. Imagine if all the millions spent by Christians eager to digest this spiritual junk food would have instead been given to church planting, feeding the poor, or helping those in need! Imagine if all the energy spent on bad guesses about the end were given to the work of spreading the Gospel! How different would our world be?

It's for this reason the Eastern Orthodox churches have never used Revelation in the cycle of liturgical readings. In the wrong hands, and most of the hands are wrong, the book is all sound and fury signifying nothing. Yes it is Canon and has been accepted by the Church as God inspired but it is DEFINITELY NOT for the spiritually immature.