Articles
Prophecies about the End of Time
Prophecies about the End of Time
By Paul R. Blake
A few years ago, I received a lesson request to answer the Zeitgeist (zartgarst - “spirit of the times”) Movement’s conspiratorial approach to rejecting Jesus as a fraud and a copycat of pagan religions, and their somewhat paranoid predictions of the end of the world in December 2012. In the process of researching this matter as well as in response to other questions asked about end time predictors, I learned that there is very little written by faithful brethren answering contemporary end time prophecies. I suspect that part of the reason is that there are so many speculative variations on end time matters, produced by a large number of denominational preachers and writers that addressing each one would be endless and seem pointless. In truth, every generation of man since the Lord ascended to heaven generates a new crop of errorists who think they know how to apply the end time prophecies of the Bible. And, they are like snowflakes... no two interpretations are alike and are so fragile that they fall apart upon examination. It is impossible to address every single one of them, and so most brethren simply answer the matter with a general address to Christians to accept only what the Bible says about end times and avoid being caught up in listening to these predictors.
In reality, many of the people who buy into the mongering of contemporary pseudo prophets are people see an insecure, unstable, and often unjust world around them. They want John Woo vengeance wreaked on the world with Steven Spielberg special effects. They are hungry for secrets and special knowledge, especially in a world where everything seems to be studied and quantified until all the mystery is gone. So, they turn to the Hal Lindsays and the Jack van Impes of this world. I poke light hearted fun at conspiracy theorists, and perhaps I shouldn't, because affinity for conspiracy theory is believed to be related to one of the obsessional disorders. I have good reason to believe that the proponents of these outlandish end time doctrines are the religious equivalent of government conspiracy theory hacks. They grossly mangle the scriptures, twist history, adjust contemporary news and conditions, and ignore or contravene science, all in an attempt to support a view of end times probably put in their heads by temptation from the Adversary.
I guess the bottom line is this: very few people want to be or are willing to be convinced of the truth; instead, they want to hold onto the dark, mysterious, convoluted ideas of modern false prophets. They don't like the world the way it is and have a hard time reconciling what they believe about God with what they see in the world around them, and so they embrace the idea that this messed up world must surely come to an end soon. There have been false teachers out there taking advantage of this for two thousand years, telling people that the world will end in the near future. And that creates a niche for flagrant opportunists like the Zeitgeisters and the Jack van Impes to take advantage of vulnerable, misguided souls.
Yes, the world will end one day when God decides it to be. But the best answer to people who claim special knowledge of the signs of when it will end is to ask them to consider the words of Jesus Christ: Matt. 24:36 - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Or in Acts 1:7 - “And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Or the apostle Paul: 1Thes 5:2 - “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” Or the apostle Peter: 2Peter 3:10 - “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…”
It is unlikely that modern pseudo prophets will give it a rest. The best solution to their blather is not to give them an ear. There are millions of things to do that are more spiritually profitable than to listen to them. There are millions of thoughts to be considered without wasting a moment worrying about when the world will end. Live daily as a faithful child of God and it will not matter whether the world ends in ten minutes or ten thousand years. The outcome will be the same.
“The Ones Who Care”
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.
A Moments Wisdom
--A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
--To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.
--To err is human, to blame the next guy even more so.
--The easiest thing to find is fault.
--In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned.
--It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.
--A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.
--Beauty, unaccompanied by virtue, is a flower without perfume.
Upcoming Sermons
7/23/23 AM - When Our Rooster Crows; PM - Guest Speaker: Doug Sanders - New Jerusalem?
7/30/23 AM - Milk Drinkers and Meat Eaters; PM - When Lying Feels Right
8/6/23 AM - “The Memorial of Christ” (A Worship Service Dedicated to the Lord’s Supper); PM - Monthly Worship in Song - Themed Singing Service: “The Lord’s My Shepherd”
8/13/23 AM - Shaking Hands with a Leper; PM - “I Quit!”
8/20/23 AM - God Wants All of Us to Be Saved; PM - When Love Facilitates Sin
8/27/23 AM - The Bible Plan for Personal Peace: Things Persons at Peace Refuse to Believe; PM - The Bible Plan for Personal Peace: Things People at Peace Do Differently Than Others
