The End of the World?

                I have heard in recent days an increasing amount of chatter and discussion about the coming doomsday, “prophesied” about in the Mayan calendar.  Even within the circles in which I run, people are talking about it more and more.  Presumably, should this horrid scenario play out as depicted in the film 2012 (which I have yet to see), my writing this for whatever purpose will be quite futile and those that do read it, either before or after the coming cataclysm are welcome to become part of what I’m sure will be a cacophony of “I told you so” to all those, like me, who don’t believe it will happen (sarcasm intended).  I guess if I think about it, in the event that this debacle does not take place on fateful coming of 12/21/12, this subject will make little difference, except that I will be able to join the chorus of folks also able to say “I told you so.”  In any case, I think a quote here from Marvel Comic’s Character Nick Fury may at least provide some sort of platform on which we can stand and address this topic:

 

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on”

                As I reflect on this though, I think there is a significant amount of theological insight that can be brought to this discussion, some of which has to do with worship, all of which has to do with our faith.  It is no secret that discussions about the end of the world and things related to it such as terrorism, nuclear disasters, and even politics tend to generate, even at the most basic of levels, a small amount of anxiety and perhaps some inner angst that we have to deal with.  It is, simply put, Worry.  It is the most basic of emotions and thought processes arise when things present themselves in our lives and we either do not have the capacity to deal with them or have no answer, good or bad, for them; a spiral of problem ever seeking a solution that is not or seems not to be present at the time.

                But, apart from asking whether or not we should be talking about this particular topic, which I suggest at the present time, is practically unavoidable, I would like to address the reaction to this topic as a topic of conversation.

                In the extensive history of doomsday-predictors, the Mayans are, at least by some standards, the philosophical ancestors to our modern day versions.  Even the last ten years have been quite full of cults like Heaven’s gate, predictors like Harold Camping, and even the anti-climactic crisis of the millennium all predicting our impending doom.  In fact the world has survived about 180 (thank you Wikipedia) dooms day predictions, at least those made public, with ten more that we know of coming up between now and approximately 10 to the 100^th power years from now when the universe is supposed to burn itself out.  It’s a wonder that we’ve made it this far…

                So how are we supposed to face these false predictions, and the anxiety associated with them?

FAITH

                Like all things, this too is an opportunity to live into what we say we believe.  What do we believe?

                Genesis 8 – The last time a major cataclysm struck the earth it was sent by God in the form of a worldwide flood.  According to Scripture, God wiped out every living creature on the planet with the exception of Noah, his family, and those animals on the ark.  After this happening, God made the following promise:

“I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”  Genesis 8:21-22 (ESV)

Though often associated with the flood, there is no direct reference to God only promising to not send a flood.  We do not serve a deceitful God who makes thinly veiled promises, but hold a trump card in God’s back pocket just in case.  This is an all-encompassing promise.  God will not destroy all life on earth again.

                Matthew 24 – Here Jesus speaks about the signs of the coming of the end of the age.  This has often been quoted, sometimes pulling in random proof texts from all over the Bible, as a way of point to the continuing degradation of society which is supposed to mark the end of time.  While I won’t deny that things often seem bleak, and even that some of these things appear to be coming true, Jesus makes a blatant statement here:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  Matthew 24:36 (ESV)

Yes, this passage seems to thinly reference that the moral fabric of society will unravel and it will be “as in the days of Noah,” but that doesn’t mean that tomorrow, or 12/21/12, or any other day is going to be the day.  I myself believe that this passage actually makes the point of saying “it will be a day like every other day,” which stands firmly within the context of the rest of the passage.  Jesus is saying that, like when the flood came, no one was paying attention (much like our Savior’s coming at Christmas that we anticipate now in Advent).  We simply don’t know when it is going to happen.  According to Scripture, anyone who predicts this sort of thing is wrong.

                Revelation 21 – With these two passages in mind, we come to the mystery of Revelation.  Some would say that Genesis 8 ensures only that the earth would continue to spin as long as the earth exists, and that the text of Matthew 24 also references global catastrophe, both of which give us reason to be afraid.  I cannot argue with these statements, but rather lift up Revelation 21 in light of them.  John the Revelator doesn’t say, “and God destroyed the earth,” but rather that he sees a “new heaven and a new earth.”  The imagery here is not that of God doing away with creation, but rather God’s restoration of creation.  John heard these words in his vision:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  Revelation 21:3-5 (ESV)

What we see here is the fulfillment of the work of God throughout the course of human history.  Though I would not presume to know the will of God, it is clear that God has been working toward the complete and total restoration of creation.  All that was made wrong in the fall would be put right.  There will be no more death, pain, crying, and mourning because all of that will have passed away.  God will dwell on earth and all of creation will be restored.  While there is a great deal of imagery in the Bible that has to do with the end of time, the seat of God’s throne will be here on earth, in a restored and glorified creation.  Even though society may be degrading, we know that God is working in ways much higher than we’ll ever understand to restore and renew God’s creation.

So, what are we to do with this?  In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus instructs us to not worry about tomorrow.  God will be faithful to us, as God has always done in the past.  God’s promises are true and God’s love for us is unrivaled.  God will always provide for us all that we need.   Worry is really our attempt to control things that are out of our control.  Jesus could come back tomorrow, or in a hundred years.  We don’t know and we have no control over it.  In the present time, we simply need to rest in the peace of God and the promised that have been made to us (hard as that may be).  Every day we must continue to try and live into these promises, casting aside our fear and worry.

 Jesus also says, in Matthew 24, that we need to be alert, always ready for the day and hour when Jesus will return.  We shouldn’t be caught unprepared.  Jesus references his coming like that of “lightning” or “as a thief in the night.”  It will also happen when we least expect it.  We will never know the day or time that He will return until he actually does.  Therefore we should be prepared at all times.  All we know is what Jesus says at the end of Revelation:

“Behold, I am coming soon.”

Amen.  Come Lord Jesus.