Tag: End Times

In all my life, I haven’t seen anything like what we’re currently watching unfold around the world. The spread of Covid-19 (the Coronavirus) is evolving moment by moment, and every nation is responding in the way they deem necessary.

In Australia, gatherings of more than 100 people are now banned, and so many churches (including Bayside Church) are ceasing their weekly meetings and opting for online options and small groups. This is likely to be the case for at least six months, maybe longer!

Of course, this is not the first time the world has faced a pandemic. 36 million people died from HIV/AIDS, which was first identified in 1976. In 1918, 500 million people were infected with the Spanish flu, with up to 50 million causalities. Before that, you have to go way back to 1346 when 200 million people died from the Bubonic Plague.

But this is the first time in our lifetime that we have seen a global pandemic with such far-reaching consequences. So, what does the Bible say about the Coronavirus? There are several things …

This Is Not Revelation 13

Coronavirus is not the end of the world, it’s got nothing to do with an antichrist or the Mark of the Beast. I know some Christians will be very disappointed by this. I’ve met people who relish disasters because they somehow (in their mind) fulfil end time Bible prophecy. And this is not a new phenomenon. While the Black Plague ravaged Europe in the 1300s, people became convinced that their Jewish neighbours were secretly poisoning Christians’ wells. Conspiracy theories about Covid-19 range from believing the disease is a bioweapon to the result of eating bat soup. No, the Coronavirus has nothing to do with Revelation 13.

It Probably Has More to Do with Leviticus 13

According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, medicine and religion were closely connected for Jews in ancient times. Priests were “the custodians of public health,” and Jews in biblical times regarded the physician as “the instrument through whom God could affect the cure.” This is the picture we see in Leviticus 13, which, although it may sound somewhat elementary to our ears, was very progressive for its time (around 1500 years before Jesus).

According to Leviticus 13:21, the priest was to inspect someone who had a disease and could “isolate the affected person for seven days.”  He would then re-examine them and could “isolate them for another seven days.” Fourteen days! Sound familiar? The diseased person “must live alone; they must live outside the camp.” And if they did walk around, they had to “wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’” By the way, my favourite verse from Leviticus 13 is verse 40, “A man who has lost his hair and is bald is clean.” Amen!

So, Coronavirus isn’t about Revelation 13. It has more to do with Leviticus 13. So:

Act According to 1 Corinthians 13

Consider, a few weeks ago, Aussies (and others) were demonstrating a whole lot of love. We were buying goods to be sent to areas ravaged by bushfires, we were donating money and putting others first. But not anymore. Now we’re emptying supermarket shelves, stockpiling rice and pasta, and fighting over toilet rolls. In a few weeks, we’ve seen the very best and the very worst of humanity. What we need is more of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails

Now, there’s some truth to live by.

Coronavirus isn’t about Revelation 13, it’s more like Leviticus 13. So, let’s act according to 1 Corinthians 13 until Romans 13 runs its course.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.”

Now, I know these verses have been and can be abused. I’ve written about this elsewhere in a blog Are All Governments Established by God?, but now would be a great time to listen to our leaders and put into practice their directions, for the common good. I encourage you to pray for all who are in authority and everyone who is unwell. Pray for our health and medical practitioners as well as emergency services. Look out for the most vulnerable, and stay connected as much as you can. Love courageously and be like Jesus to those around you.

 

Read Rob’s other blogs on the Bible and Covid-19:

Lately in the news there has been an increasing number of reports on microchips placed in humans.  The technology used on our pets since the Seventies is now available to us, and hundreds of Australians, as well as those in other countries, are embracing it.

The microchips are the size of a grain of rice and inserted into the hand between the thumb and forefinger.  Ultimately they will allow the recipient to do away with their car keys & credit cards; they will contain medical data and enable you to control all the technology in your home and workplace and everywhere in between.

In future, “other uses might include children tapping to let parents know they are at school safely, refugees checking in at camps or women at shelters.  It can share diet, exercise and sleep information with you and your doctor, and the next generation could even release medicine as and when you need it.” [1]

One of the people who has already had a microchip implanted has had some messages from certain Christians on Facebook telling her she’s going to hell (gotta love it when God’s people preach the good news right?). And here’s the problem, because some Christians have an understanding of Bible prophecy that is based more on novels and movies than on sound Biblical interpretation.  Consider these verses from the book of Revelation:

“He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.  And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.  Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666” (Revelation 13:16-18).

When I converted from atheism to Christianity in the late 70s, everyone was reading Hal Lindsay books, such as “The Late Great Planet Earth,” which interpreted Revelation in the light of current events.  Movies like “A Thief in the Night” and “Image of the Beast” reinforced our view of the End Times, and there were regular predictions about the end of the world (as there have been since time began).

This same interpretation of Revelation was again highlighted in the 1990s and 2000s when Tim LaHaye co-authored 16 best-selling religious novels known as the Left Behind series.  LaHaye’s book “The Rapture” was released on the 6/6/06 to capitalise on the 6-6-6 connection.  Tim LaHaye died last year aged 90 and Left Behind a loving family and a lot of money!

I don’t doubt that these books (and movies) have brought many people into the Christian faith. They were hugely influential in my early Christian years in good ways and bad. For example, because Jesus was coming back soon and the world was going to end, it wasn’t worth buying a house, so I didn’t. I still regret listening to Hal Lindsey instead of my dad.

The greater problem with this kind of pop-theology is that it is simply wrong.  In fact, a lot of things taught as valid interpretations of Bible prophesy these days show little historical understanding of the Book of Revelation and other prophetic Scriptures.  As a result, much of the church is watching – and sometimes taking a rather gleeful longing – for an increase in war, natural disasters and marks on the right hand and forehead – like the microchips.

This fairly new approach to the interpretation of Bible prophecy is called dispensationalism. It was developed in 1827 by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren and spread widely with the 1909 publication of the Scofield Reference Bible.  Darby went on to be the founder of the Exclusive Brethren cult after George Mueller (and other Brethren) challenged him about some of his unbiblical doctrines.  Charles Spurgeon also claimed these teachings were false.

We need to remember that the apostle John wrote his Revelation to seven churches in the First Century. When John told THEM to “solve the meaning of the number of the beast” to identify this man, he wasn’t teasing them to try and recognise someone who would exist two thousand years later. He was writing in a well-known code of the day (gematria) that his readers would understand.  They would know that John was referring to Nero Caesar (a Greek form of Nero’s name, when rendered into Hebrew, gives a combined value of 666). [2]

Understanding history helps us comprehend the book of Revelation and the great tribulation, a period that is spoken of as 1260 days or 42 months or “a time, times and half a time.”  All of these refer to three and a half years in the lunar calendar used at that time.  These three and a half years began when the people of Judea rebelled against the Roman Empire in mid-66 AD.  Nero sent Vespasian to bring the province under control.  He was ruthless – destroying villages and crops, massacring people or selling them into slavery.  In AD 68 he captured and destroyed the town of Jericho and then advanced onto Jerusalem, which his son Prince Titus defeated in AD 70.  The Jewish historian Josephus reported the slaughter of some 250,000 Jews, with much more dying of disease and starvation, and 97,000 Jews sold into slavery.

These are the events that Jesus warned of in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.  Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-22).

History reveals that Jesus’ followers understood His prophecies:  the believers obeyed the warnings and fled Jerusalem to a town called Pella, and thus saved themselves.  In fact, not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christians left Jerusalem thus escaping what Jesus referred to as the “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).  The destruction of Jerusalem occurred three and a half years later, at the end of the Great Tribulation.

Christians today should not be looking for antichrist or the great tribulation, and we certainly shouldn’t worry ourselves about microchips or the Mark of the Beast.  We should occupy our time doing good works, living productive lives, making the world a better place and sharing the good news of the Christian gospel. Let’s be looking for the real Christ, not the anti-one!

 

[1] http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/wearables/australians-embracing-superhuman-microchip-technology/news-story/536a08003cb07cba23336f83278a5003

[2] http://www.patheos.com/blogs/atheology/2016/09/first-century-coin-of-nero-found-in-jerusalem-the-mark-of-the-beast/#kSyToUFzpo6Q2hKj.99

Social media is abuzz with yet another prediction of the end of the world.  There seems to be no end to prognostications of the end!  This time it’s because of a mysterious planet called Nibiru (or Planet X) that apparently will crash into the earth this Saturday. Nancy Lieder, the founder of the website ZetaTalk, first mentioned Nibiru in 1995 after she received messages from extra-terrestrials through an implant in her brain [1].  Nibiru was supposed to destroy the earth in May 2003 and then December 21st, 2012, and here we go again!  According to Nasa, Nibiru does not exist.[2]

The forerunner event is said to have been the Great American Eclipse on August 21st, with September 23rd being 33 days after the eclipse. 33 is significant because it was Jesus’ age when he was crucified, the eclipse featured a black moon which occurs every 33 months, and the eclipse was the first of its kind in 33 years – 33 times three – three being the number of completion in the Bible.[3]  The only problem here is that the three things this prophecy is based on are not true. Jesus could have been much older than 33 when he died[4], black moons occur every 32nd month, and total eclipses happen every 18 months somewhere in the world.[5]

Those who are making this forecast of doom are quoting Revelation chapter 12 along with Luke 21:25-26, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”  The video has had over 2 million hits and is intentionally disturbing.[6]

Why is it that some people are preoccupied with the end of the world?  Of course, it’s not a new phenomenon.  For centuries people have been prophesying the end of the world.  Many of them have given exact dates; all of them have been wrong!  More recently, people have been deceived by American radio evangelist Harold Camping who said that judgment day would be on May 21st, 2011 when God would raise up all the dead that have ever died from their graves. Earthquakes would ravage the whole world, as the earth would no longer conceal its dead.  Once again the prophecy was based on numerological “proofs” that proved incorrect.[7]

And then there was John Hagee’s now-defunct Blood Moon prophecy of the end of the world. Hagee, another American preacher with a huge following despite his numerous false prophecies and false teaching, taught of massive upheaval in the world between April 2014 and October 2015 when the sun and moon eclipsed creating a red (blood) moon (an unscientific term by the way).  The fourth blood moon was on September 28th, 2015 a time when Hagee suggested America and the world would face another economic crisis, perhaps as a result of a war in the Middle East or an economic crash. Hagee even wrote a book on the subject, Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change and made a movie of the same name.  Nothing happened except the author made a bucket load of money from gullible church people – and he still is.

Last year was going to be the beginning of the end, with World War III starting in June 2016, according to Pastor Ricardo Salazar, a Peruvian lawyer who now resides in Japan.[8]  He has put together his very own timeline of events from 2015 until the second coming of Christ by 2023.  He prophesied that China would attack Japan in February last year; an asteroid would strike Earth on May 16, and shortly after the Yellowstone volcano in U.S. would erupt, obliterating a large part of California.  As a result, the profoundly weakened America would suffer an attack from Russia and China who would win the war on October 25th, 2016 resulting in the Chinese Yen becoming the new global currency by March of 2017. In late 2018, Russia will attack Israel. The Anti-Christ will arrive on Earth by 2020 and the Second Coming of Christ will rescue people in 2023. I think Pastor Ricardo had too much cheese on his pizza before going to bed!

All of these predictions should sadden us greatly because they cause people to harden their hearts to the truth of God’s Word just like the people who heard the boy cry “Wolf!” Jesus IS coming back but making endless predictions based on dates, numbers, times and seasons is pointless and counterproductive to the Gospel.[9]

It’s interesting to note that the vast majority of Bible prophecies concerning the end of the world deal with how we are to live in the here and now.  The Bible teaches that the world will end one day, so it’s important that we live pure and productive lives in the present.[10]

In the meantime, share the GOOD NEWS about Jesus with people who are open to hearing it; live a genuine and consistent life that makes this world a better place and love your neighbour as yourself. Resist getting sucked into these baseless and pointless predictions and look for the real Christ, not the anti one!

 

[1] http://www.paranormality.com/maya_prophecy.shtml

[2] https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html

[3] http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/no-world-not-september-23-article-1.3504874

[4] The Church Father Irenaeus claimed that Christ was about fifty when he died (Against Heresies II 22:5). His primary argument was that this information has been passed down to him by way of John and the other apostles (Courtesy of internetmonk.com)

[5] https://www.space.com/25644-total-solar-eclipses-frequency-explained.html

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoNp8dkyYWU

[7] https://baysidechurch.com.au/the-end-of-the-world-not/

[8]https://www.reddit.com/r/WWWIIIPredictions/comments/3wl4w5/pastor_ricardo_salazar_predicts_wwiii_june_2016/

[9] Acts 1:7-8

[10] Matthew 24:36-44; Luke 19:13; 2 Peter 3:11 & 14; 1 John 2:28; 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Philippians 1:9-11; Titus 2:11-14

 

I created a bit of a stir on social media this week (unusual, I know) by making the following statement: “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  What ensued was a healthy and somewhat robust discussion that included a number of comments and Bible verses to suggest that my statement is wrong.  Some “strongly disagreed”.  Others proposed that we learn nothing from history, morality is at an all-time low, today there is potential for more horrendous actions to take place such as nuclear war and, the Bible talks about everything getting worse before Jesus returns.

I don’t disagree that the world of today is far from perfect.  As Swedish doctor and world-renowned statistician Hans Rosling said, “You have to be able to hold two ideas in your head at once: the world is getting better and it’s not good enough!”  Nonetheless, I still hold to my original statement: “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  People who think the world is getting worse view the world through the isolated lenses of the present and a misunderstanding of Bible prophecy.

When we look at the world in 2015 – especially if we simply rely on mass media – we get fed all the bad news and it’s easy to think that everything is awful and getting worse.  When you listen to some preachers or read certain books on Bible prophecy, you buy into a relatively modern understanding of end-time events.

This relatively new approach to the interpretation of Bible prophecy is called dispensationalism.  It was developed in 1827 by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren and spread widely with the 1909 publication of the Scofield Reference Bible.  Darby went on to be the founder of the Exclusive Brethren cult after George Mueller (and other Brethren) challenged him about some of his unbiblical doctrines.  Charles Spurgeon also claimed these teachings were false.

These days much of the church has gained its understanding of Bible prophecy from novels and movies such as the Left Behind series.  While these books make their authors a lot of money they do little to educate Christians about the historical understanding of the Book of Revelation and other prophetic Scriptures.  As a result of this, much of the church is watching – and sometimes taking a rather gleeful longing – for an increase in war, natural disasters and signs in the sky like the blood moon that passed uneventfully this week.

So back to my statement, “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  It’s true.  Let me give you some facts to back it up:

Since the late 1800s, life expectancy for Australians has increased by over 30 years. Today Australia ranks number 9 in the world.  While many African countries still have a much lower life expectancy than Western nations things are still improving dramatically thanks to AID agencies many of which are Christian.  Life expectancy across the world is over 30% higher today than it was in the 1960s.

In Jesus’ time, most people were poor but over the centuries this has changed dramatically.  Since the economic growth of industrialisation, the number of people living in poverty has decreased – and has kept on falling ever since.  The number of people living in poverty has decreased massively in the last twenty years.  While there is still much to do we are winning the war on poverty; the world is getting better!

Fewer people are dying because of war.  The number of people per million who have died in armed conflict dropped from 235 in 1950 to 2.5 in 2007, despite an increase in the number of smaller conflicts.  Since WWII international conflict has decreased dramatically.  Compared to prehistoric, pre-state and even medieval man, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker argues, the world has become incredibly peaceful.  “Violence has been in decline for thousands of years, and today we may be living in the most peaceable era in the existence of our species.” (Wall Street Journal)

There has also been a decrease in disease especially due to effective immunisation programs.  Cancer rates are declining, the number of people with access to improved sanitation has increased by 50% since 1990; HIV and AIDS are in a slow retreat throughout the world.  Africa has cut AIDS-related deaths by one third in the past six years.

Literacy rates have doubled in the last 100 years.  Since the mid-19th century, global adult literacy rates have greatly improved, from an estimated 10% in 1850 to 84% today.  Teen pregnancies are at an all-time low; IQ scores have risen 24 points since 1914; renewables now produce 22% of the world’s electricity; the ozone layer is making a recovery and worldwide gender inequality has reduced by 20% since 1995.

Studying history shows how much better the world has become and that is what we would expect as Jesus came to make the world a better place (Luke 4:18-19).  The Kingdom of God is succeeding.  I’m not saying the world is problem-free, it’s not.  However a study of history shows that the world is so much better today than it was when Jesus first stepped onto it and when He steps onto it again, He will make it perfect!

Over the centuries there have been frequent predictions about the end of the world.  And here comes another one dubbed by the media as the  “blood moon apocalypse”.

On September 28 this year the fourth lunar eclipse in just two years will occur, a series known as a “tetrad”, each coinciding with a Jewish holy day.  September 28 marks the first day of this year’s Feast of Tabernacles.  And the fourth and final of the lunar eclipses will also be a ‘Super Moon’ (when a full moon coincides with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit).  It’s worth mentioning that the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar – Jewish holidays are based around full moons – and so this is no coincidence, no surprise, and probably no sign from God.

The Blood Moon Prophesy has been propagated by two very influential Christian ministers in the United States: Mark Biltz and John Hagee.  Both men have written books on the subject.  Mark Biltz’s book, Blood Moon, has also been turned into a documentary.  John Hagee’s book, Four Blood Moons, is now a movie.  There’s also some controversy between the two men.  Mark “discovered” this concept first (in 2008) and shared it with John Hagee in 2012.  Hagee now says he did his own research with NASA (even though he quotes his dates incorrectly from the NASA website).  WND Publishing has issued a demand letter to John Hagee for a public retraction of his claim.

Mark Biltz leads El Shaddai Ministries in Washington and is regarded as a modern prophet by his thousands of followers.  John Hagee is founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, and spokesperson for the 1.8 million strong Christian’s United For Israel.

It was Mark Biltz who first coined the term “blood moon” which is not a scientific term at all.  It refers to any total lunar eclipse when the moon almost always appears to be a brownish-red colour.  Biltz and Hagee see the 2014-2015 tetrad, when the dates of the lunar eclipses coincide with two major Jewish holidays, as an ominous sign of the end of days as described in Joel 2:31, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”  However, the apostle Peter referred to the Day of Pentecost of his day as being the fulfilment of this prophecy (Acts 2:16).  In the first century AD there were 251 lunar eclipses including one on 3 April, 33 AD when Jesus is thought to have been crucified.   And so when Peter referred to the moon being turned to blood his audience would have known just what he was talking about.

In his book, John Hagee says, “[God’s] been sending signals to Earth, and we haven’t been picking them up.  Two blood moons, in 2014 and 2015, point to dramatic events in the Middle East and, as a result, changes in the whole world.”  Mark Biltz is equally sensational.  While denying reports that an asteroid would hit Earth on September 28, “wiping out most of the Americas,” Blitz said, “the end will instead be heralded by the mother of all earthquakes.”  Neither of those options is very exciting!

Biltz refers to another (apparent) blood moon reference in Revelation 6:12, “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.  The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red …”  He believes this will be a sign of divine judgement.  He says it will be a warning such as “a major war involving Israel and the possibility of an economic collapse.”

Both Biltz and Hagee warn that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will reveal their individual missions on 28 September 2015.  John Hagee says, “There will be a world shaking event … the heavens are God’s billboard, and when something big is about to happen He gives planet earth a signal that something significant is about to happen.  Pay attention!  NASA said these four blood moons are coming.  God has said through Joel and St. Peter, Listen!”

John Hagee is an interesting character with some odd beliefs.  For example he describes trying to convert Jews as a “waste of time.”  He says, “Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus.  But not Jews.  Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced with Christianity.  The Jewish people have a relationship to God through the law of God as given through Moses.  I believe that every Gentile person can only come to God through the cross of Christ. I believe that every Jewish person who lives in the light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption.  The Law of Moses is sufficient enough to bring a person into the knowledge of God until God gives him a greater revelation.  And God has not.”  So, in short, Jews don’t need Jesus.  In fact he denies that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah.  This heresy, known as Christian Zionism or dualism, was first made popular in the 1800s by John Nelson Darby, a heretical preacher who formed the Exclusive Brethren cult.

In a 2006 interview John Hagee described Hurricane Katrina as “God’s retribution for a planned gay pride parade.”  He said, “All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens.  I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.”

While the Bible has little or nothing to say about blood moons in association with end time events, it has plenty to say about the rise of false prophets.  How do you identify a false prophet?  Easy, watch and see if their prophecies and predictions come to pass.  John Hagee has a string of false predictions to his name:

In his 1996 book “Beginning of the End,” Hagee said the tribulation started with the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1995).   The book sold 700,000 copies and was called “the publishing phenomenon of 1996” by the executive vice president at Thomas Nelson.  Hagee saw the murder of Yitzhak Rabin as the event that more than any other confirms that “the Messiah is coming very soon.”  Nothing happened!

So in 1999, Hagee wrote a book called “From Daniel to Doomsday” (which sold 12 million copies) saying that the Y2K Bug’s effect on computers would unleash economic chaos and deaths that marked the start of the Tribulation, the end of the world and God’s judgment.  But I thought it came in 1996?  Y2K came and went.  Nothing happened!

So in 2006 he wrote “Jerusalem Countdown” in which he said the Bible teaches that the USA (which never features in Bible prophecy by the way) would invade Iran and trigger the start of the Tribulation (so much for 1996 and 2000).  Nothing happened!

In 2008 he wrote “Financial Armageddon” about the Global Financial Crisis – after it happened!  In 2011 he released two more books – “Earth’s Final Moments” and “Can America Survive?” – detailing the imminence of the Tribulation (which had now been going for 15 years if you believe his 1996 prediction) asking “could 2012 be the end of the world as we know it?”  Umm, no!

And here he goes again in 2015 with his “Four Blood Moons” prediction for the end of the world next week.

The thing that amazes me more than anything else is that people keep buying this rubbish.  Hagee, who is now 73, has sold 25 million books making him tens of millions of dollars.  No doubt he’s laughing all the way to his 7,969 acre Texan ranch!  It seems you’ll never go broke predicting doom even if that doom never happens.

The sad reality is that while guys like this have made millions profiteering on people’s fear, their false predictions take people away from biblical truth on the end times – they desensitise people to the truth and increase cynicism like the boy who cried “wolf.”

So what can we learn from all this?  There are three options with John Hagee and Mark Biltz’s predictions about September 28:

  1. They’re right.  And if they’re right, September 28 is going to mark the beginning of the end and so it’s time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.
  2. They’re wrong but they think they’re right.  In other words, they genuinely believe what they’re predicting is true.  They’re not trying to deceive anyone.  If that’s the case it’s still time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.
  3. They’re wrong and they know they’re wrong.  In other words, they know what they’re predicting is false and they are deceiving gullible people in order to get money.  If that’s the case, God will sort it out in His time and His way.  This is still the time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.

My prediction?  I’ll be writing another blog next Wednesday 30 September 2015!

The world’s going crazy!  Have you noticed?  In all my life I have never seen the world in this kind of mess: from war in Ukraine to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (scientists are warning that the Ebola virus is likely to reach Europe and Britain in the next three weeks).  Cold war tensions are rising between Russia and the West; there’s civil war in Syria; simmering tensions continue between Palestine and Israel, Pakistan and India, North and South Korea and China & Japan; and, probably the most concerning of all, is the rise of Islamic State.

Just this morning I received this message from a friend who pastors a church in Turkey: “Anti-ISIS demonstrations and provocations by Kurdish groups all over Turkey turned violent today. The demonstrations were broken up by Turkish police in full riot gear using tear gas, pepper gas, pressurized water canons with acid water, etc. One reported dead and many injured and detained. Already martial law declared in some cities.  One of our evangelism outreach teams found themselves in the middle of a mess in Taksim square area and got gassed. They are ok, but a little shaken up.  Last week the Turkish parliament approved a resolution to send troops into Syria.  There is massive military build up along the Turkish-Syrian border as ISIS is now engaged in war with Kurdish militants in Kobani just south of the Turkish border. Everything is setting up for a NATO invasion of Syria and Iraq. Soon NATO-controlled regions will blanket Israel. Could we be headed for Armageddon?  Keep the Christians in Turkey in your prayers.”

Meanwhile, the Taliban group that seeks the overthrow of the Pakistani government (The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) – has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State and has directed jihadists across the region to help IS set up its caliphate which stretches from northeastern Syria to western and central Iraq, and threatens to take over all of the Levant that includes Jordan, the rest of Syria, Lebanon and Israel.  This group seeks to overthrow by violent means the Pakistani government, which possesses nuclear weapons.

This all comes at a time when Pakistan is facing yet another political crisis that threatens the existence of its democratic secular government. Jihadist groups see this an opportunity to assert their influence.  TTP’s swearing of allegiance to ISIS potentially extends the jihadist groups influence and potential for a caliphate from the Middle East into South Asia.

And of course these things are now no longer just happening “over there.”  We’ve already witnessed firsthand the actions of militants on our own soil and without great vigilance, there’s no doubt we will see more.

None of these events should be a surprise to those who study the Bible.  Jesus made it clear that before He returned we would “hear of wars and rumors of wars … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places … then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:6-14).

In this prophetic chapter Jesus describes these things as “the beginning of birth pains” and He also gives some good advice to His followers: “see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”  It’s easy to watch what’s going on in the world and be fearful but Jesus encourages us to be faithful.  In Luke’s record of Jesus’ sermon he writes, “So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

The instruction is clear. Many will turn away from the faith or simply grow cold. But the faithful will read the signs of the times and stand firm and strong. As Jesus encourages us, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35).  This is a timely reminder to us all.  It’s so easy to allow our Christianity to become an optional extra.  I hear all the time from Christians how they’re “too busy to gather with believers” or “it’s just not a priority for me at the moment” or “I’ll come soon when I’m free” or “I just sit at home these days and watch on live stream.”  Well good luck with that because as times become more intense and challenging, the gathering of the believers will need to become a greater priority in order to keep our lamps burning bright.  The writer to the Hebrews wrote this two millennia ago: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

 

Pastor Mark Howell put it this way:

In community we can know and be known.

In community we can love and be loved.

In community we can forgive and be forgiven.

In community we can challenge and be challenged.

In community we can celebrate and be celebrated.

In community our joy is doubled and sorrow is halved.

In other words –  “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”

 

The astronomer was fascinating. We got a clear look at Mars and Venus and then checked out some of the phenomenal clusters of stars that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Then he directed us to a distant star that appeared red. He told us that when stars appear red it means they are starting to burn out. The star is Chi Cygna and is about 550 light-years from earth.

What he said next surprised me. He told us that our sun is also starting to burn out and appears red from outer space. Chi Cygni has swollen in size to become a red giant star so large that it would swallow every planet out to Mars in our solar system. Moreover, it has begun to pulse dramatically in and out, beating like a giant heart. As a sun-like star ages it begins to run out of hydrogen fuel at its core and like a car running out of petrol its "engine" begins to splutter.

Now before you start to panic, our sun still has plenty of time left and it’s more likely that humankind will end up destroying itself by its own sins and shortcomings. But one-way or another life, as we know it now, will one day cease to exist. This is sobering especially in a world full of people who seem to live life with no thought for tomorrow, of anything changing, and no expectation of a future judgment or Second Coming. The Bible speaks directly into this in 2 Peter 3:3-14. Find a Bible and read this amazing prophecy.

These verses speak of a future when “the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare …That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

Years before the sun burns out, the earth will be subjected to massive radiation as the sun starts its destabilisation process and life on earth will change dramatically. 

The astronomy lesson in Africa was a timely reminder of the finite nature of life on earth. As the Bible says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). 

Let’s make every moment count for eternity!

Why are some people preoccupied with the end of the world?  Of course, it’s not a new phenomenon.  For centuries people have been prophesying the end of the world.  Many of them have given exact dates.  All of them have been wrong!

The latest false prophecy about the end of the world was made by American radio evangelist Harold Camping who said that judgment day “… will be on May 21st[2011] that God will raise up all the dead that have ever died from their graves. Earthquakes will ravage the whole world as the earth will no longer conceal its dead.”

The prophecy was based on two numerological proofs. The first proof was based on Genesis 7:4, when God said to Noah: “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”  According to Camping, when God referred to seven days, he meant both seven days and seven thousand years, because “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” The flood occurred in 4990 BC. Seven thousand years later is 2011.

The second proof looks at the significance of the number of days between the crucifixion and 21 May, 2011. There are 722,500 days between these dates. 722,500 is a significant number because it is composed of the significant numbers 5x10x17x5x10x17. Five signifies redemption; ten signifies completion; and 17 signifies heaven. The numbers represent the day of redemption (5) and the end of the Christian era (10) and the ascent to heaven (17) – and these factors are doubled for added significance!

For all of his profound mathematical insight Camping was profoundly wrong – 21st May came and went. Instead of admitting his mistake, Camping released a special statement on his radio program Open Forum stating that his predicted 21 May 2011 Rapture was “an invisible judgment day” and that he has come to understand it as a “spiritual”, rather than a physical event. “We had all of our dates correct,” Camping insisted, clarifying that he now understands that Christ’s May 21 arrival was “a spiritual coming” ushering in the last five months before the final judgment and destruction. But of course, and the Emperor has no clothes on either!

In an hour and a half broadcast, Camping walked listeners through his numerological timeline, insisting that his teaching has not changed and that the world will now end on 21 October 2011. Camping also speculated that perhaps a merciful God decided to spare humanity five months of “hell on earth.” Some followers said the delay was a further test from God to persevere in their faith.

The tragedy is that many people quit their jobs, sold their homes and spent their entire life savings to warn people about the impending judgment. Robert Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old, retired transit worker from Staten Island, invested his entire life savings of $140,000 into a New York advertising campaign.  I wonder if Harold Camping will refund their money? After all, the evangelist is a multi-millionaire.

In Old Testament times a false prophet was to be stoned to death.  Although I don’t advocate for the return of stoning one can imagine that it certainly would be a deterrent to the wild imaginings of some people.

It’s interesting to note that the vast majority of Bible prophecies concerning the end of the world are actually aimed at how we should live now.  The world will end one day, therefore it’s important how we conduct our life.

The Bible does speak about the future, but it is much more interested in how we live in the present. Jesus even told His followers “… do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

When Jesus’ followers asked him about the timing of future events he replied, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses …” (Acts 1:7). That’s a very polite way of saying “mind your business and get on with the job!”  That would be very good advice for all us – including the Harold Camping’s of this world!

In the news this week there’s been the ongoing debate about Earth’s limited resources and particularly how much oil is left.  Some say that we only have 20 to 30 years before oil runs out.  Others say we still have 75% of the oil reserves still untouched.

Whoever is right one thing is for sure – we live on a finite planet with finite resources that will one day be used up.  Of course some resources can be recycled, but others cannot. So once they’re gone – they’re gone!  The question then must be raised: Can people survive on this planet once key resources have been exhausted?

Two eminent scientists have recently stated their belief that the human race is likely to become extinct at its own hand in the next 100 years, as it drains resources through a population explosion and uncontrolled consumption.  Ninety-five year-old Australian Microbiologist Frank Fenner, who helped eradicate Smallpox says, “It’s an irreversible situation.  I think it’s too late.”

Britain’s astronomer-royal and president of the Royal Society, Martin Rees, questions whether humans are smart enough to use what they have learned to save themselves.  He warns that the promise of extended life spans through medicine, and prosperity through economic growth, could easily lead to oblivion by using up Earth’s resources and changing the planet’s climate.

It’s gloomy news – basically we’re all doomed.  That’s the best message our humanistic society can ultimately offer.  In the light of this we shouldn’t be surprised at the increase in popularity of political parties like the Australian Greens with a strong message of conservation and care for planet earth.  And this part of the Greens’ message is not at odds with the Christian faith.  In fact God’s first instruction to the first humans was “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15) – “it” being planet earth.

Ultimately though, if there is no God, we are all doomed no matter how hard we conserve, recycle and reduce emissions.  That’s why the Christian message continues to shine bright – and will shine even brighter in the darker days ahead.  We are not the result of some random accident.  We are not the product of a monkey that got lucky.  We are not all doomed.  We are on this planet because of a divine creator who loves us, cares for us and has our best interests at heart.
God made this planet finite for a reason – because he never intended us to live on it forever.  There will come a time when the prophetic words of the apostle Peter will come to pass:

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Looking forward – what great words they are.  How wonderful it is to “look forward” to something.  Looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of those who have been made righteous by God’s free gift of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus Christ.  We’re all doomed?  I don’t think so!