Is civilization itself coming to an end?
Malcolm Muggeridge suggested, "The basic condition for a civilization is that there should be law and order. Obviously this is coming to an end. The world is falling into chaos, even perhaps especially our western world... There are many other symptoms. The excessive interest in eroticism is characteristic of the end of a civilization because it really means a growing impotence, and fear of impotence. Then the excessive need for excitement, vicarious excitement, which of course the games provided for the Romans and which television provides for our population. Even the enormously complicated structure of taxation and administration is a symptom of the end of the civilization. Above all, there is this truly terrible thing which afflicts materialist societies - boredom, an excessive boredom which I note on every hand."
Today many secular as well as religious authorities recognize "These are extraordinary times."
A Wall Street Journal headline read, "Millennium
Fever: Prophets Proliferate, The End is Near." A New York Times book review
began, "Some 50 million Americans share a belief that these are the last
days." Even the Chicago Tribune ran a front-page story about the
end times in a recent Sunday edition. Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of Nobel
Prizes in 1954 and 1963, has said he believes the greatest catastrophe
in the world is approaching. This looming catastrophe might well result
in a world war which could destroy civilization and spell the end of the
human race. Or, it might take the form of mass starvation among a world
population that has been doubling every 35 years. Civilization might end
because of the collapse of the systems on which it depends; or the end
of civilization might result from weather changes induced by governments
to improve the yield of crops.
Even the most seasoned newsmen who have "seen it all" are in awe of
the world developments in recent years. All of them realize that something
unique in the history of the world is happening today. And what's most
stunning about it all is the breath-taking rapidity of these recent developments.
Consider the following:
Many students of the Bible and eschatology recognize the events
unfolding in the world today as signs of the lastdays.
"Armageddon is now near not because of this event or that event which may, in isolation, look like a prophetic fulfillment. Rather, it is because of the very nature of what causes Armageddon, coupled with the fact that our world today is rapidly assuming, on a global scale, the characteristics of that which underlies Armageddon." [William R. Goetz, Armageddon Next].
The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. At the present moment of history, the planet Earth is in grave crises. This celestial ball is on a collision course with its Creator. We have reached the day which the prophet had in mind when he wrote, "Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil"[Isaiah 5:20]. Man has pushed the self-destruct button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled; things sacred have come unzipped. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people's hearts. The Los Angeles riots were, as every reporter noted, evidence of a deep-seated anger and bitterness welling up in America's soul.
We must have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Somehow God must reveal himself to this lost generation. Everything else has failed. Education has failed our youth. For the most part, parents have failed them. Government has failed to reach them. Dead religion has turned them off.
"The end of all things is at hand,"
the Apostle Peter said nearly 2,000 years ago
(1 Pet. 4:7).
Billy Graham quoted John Walvoord in his book, "Storm Warning":
"The present world crisis is not a result of any one factor, but a concurrence of causes and effects which combine to set the world stage for a conflict which may quickly bring an end to hundreds of years of progress in western civilization and establish new centers of international power. Whatever the future holds, it is going to be dramatically different than the past. In this dark picture only the Scriptures chart a sure course and give us an intelligent explanation of worldwide confusion as it exists today."
Our Lord told us not to be troubled, because these are only the beginning of "birth pains" [Matt. 24:8]. I believe that God is warning the world. The world has broken His covenant and has gone away from Him and these events are warnings designed to turn us to Him. And what we have seen thus far is just a prelude. The warnings are going to continue during the next few years, even building in intensity. After these warnings, the real judgment is going to come.
Even though we see it all so clearly, it's still difficult to comprehend. What does it all mean? Where is it all leading? Why is there so little peace in the world when we have such unprecedented knowledge and unlimited potential?
The book of Revelation describes the end times. It speaks of a one-world government, a godless dictator, total regulation of all business, plagues, crime and rebellion, devastating disasters. To many, it seems like a far-off time. But there are "signs of the times" in today's headlines - signs Jesus said would herald His return.
Some people argue that the characteristic of 'end time' people have been our character throughout the ages and that people haven't really changed. In its simplest form, that is true. It's not that we don't do the same things, what's relevant is that we do it with increasing intensity and we are teaching new ways of doing it. Certainly, these things have been happening since the beginning of time. However, the intensity of these things today is such that we dare not blind our eyes to their meaning.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. [Matthew 16:1-4]
Jesus said, "You can read the signs of the weather in the sky, but because of spiritual blindness you cannot read the signs of the times." Our Lord was saying the Jews of that day were blind to the signs of their time. He indicated that only those who have spiritual illumination and discernment from the Holy Spirit can hope to understand the trends and meanings of history.
Cannot we learn a lesson from their failure?
After his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul wrote Timothy, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." [1Tim. 4:1] Writing to the church in Ephesus (A.D. 66-67) while he was imprisoned under Emperor Nero, Paul again wrote Timothy, "...There will be terrible times in the last days." [2Tim. 3:1] In the context of these verses, Paul's use of "the last days" is referring not to a period of time in the future, but to the times that began with the first advent of Christ (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2) and ending with His Second Coming. That the 'last days' referred to in 2 Timothy does not refer only to the time just prior to Christ's return is apparent from Paul's command to Timothy to have nothing to do with the unbelieving and unfaithful people who characterize this time (2Tim. 3:5).
We are now living in the "last days!"
The only way to understand the big picture is to look at the Bible and the various categories of signs that the Bible predicted would come together just before the return of Christ. The key to understanding current events is in some familiar old scriptural passages. Jesus Himself gave us the best insight shortly before his execution on the cross.
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "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 he 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 24:4-14]
The preceeding are the general signs that occur in the endtimes
followed by specific signs (vv. 15-28) and the concluding sign (vv. 29-31)
- Jesus’ return in glory.
A day of reckoning will come. There will be an end.
