Modern people find the end of the world fascinating, strange because such ancient belief was supposed to disappear as technology improved society. In fact, the world has ended several times already since the late twentieth century until now. 1988, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2012 have all been predicated dates for the end of the world. What drives our obsession with the end times? People are looking for a meaning to history because in doing so it gives their lives purpose. Prophecy buffs search for a coherent philosophy of history. Something that tells them life is not a random series of events, but has real meaning and going somewhere. The search for the end then represents only the beginning. We are not looking so much for the end itself as the new start we believe will follow. We look for a better place, an improved world. The preoccupation with the end has a bright side. It gives us hope that things will change, regardless of how bad they seem now. We can expect a new world after this one.
Some locate this new age beyond history in the new heaven and new earth mentioned at the end of Revelation or in the millennium, the thousand year reign of Christ over the earth. History will be brought to an abrupt end as God intervenes to save humanity. Once the present order of sin dissolves God will bring us safely home to our eternal resting place. A new order of peace, justice and righteousness will reign over the world. Others find this new age in history in the current ebb and flow of events; as history progresses a better world will arise on the ashes of the old. The contemporary age will give way to a better one if we work for it. This has been called by theologians and philosophers millennialism. The belief that the present will give way to a period of time in the future that will bring in a golden age for humanity, an age of peace, harmony and prosperity for all, an age without out war and strife between nations.
Modern thought finds itself steeped in millennialism. The idea of progress, humanism, technicism, futurism, communism and postmillennialism amongst others expect a better tomorrow through social reform, evangelism, technology and human cooperation. These many isms aren’t looking for an end to time. The end has already happened in the past and is slowly receding away from us in the end of the old order of things. They look to the future for meaning and purpose. Technological progress will prove triumphant over the old regressive forces from the past, such as superstitious religion, tyranny, inequality, famine, disease and war. The future remains unbounded and we are witnessing the emergence of a utopian society.
However, this positive vision of the future has stalled with the advent of many existential threats to human survival, such as nuclear war, world war, pandemics, genocide, climate change, autonomous technology and many others. All these problems are the result of the very progress we thought would save us from disaster. Our optimism for the future has waned and turned into bitter pessimism. Now history only brings finality. We have difficulty seeing beyond the horizon of our present landscape. We search beyond history to the end of the world and thus a new beginning.
Prophecy leaves two paths open to us, put bluntly, repent or die life or death. This was the same choice Yahweh gave to the Israelites; worship the one true God or suffer terrible calamity. If we choose life God will spare us and bless the earth, if we refuse to walk in His ways sudden destruction will surely fall on us. Prophecy is not about predicting the future, but changing it. Prophecy says if we take the path of disobedience here is what will happen. We will surely perish. If we obey in faith God will bless the world and judgment will be avoided. The purpose of prophecy prevents future judgment by calling us to repentance.
A happy future still remains open to us, if we replace our technologically centered world (idolatry) with a God centered one. If we do not repent God will wait for the last possible moment before He wreaks His vengeance on a disobedient world. I believe God will end the world right before mankind destroys itself as in the days of Noah. Until then He waits patiently for all to turn to Him. Jesus said, “if those days had not been cut short no one would be saved” (Matthew 24:22). God will intervene to save mankind from extinction. How this will happen we do not know; but until that time if we live in disobedience we can expect fearful events to dominate our world as we grow worse and worse. “People will faint from fear of what is coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). The future appears contingent on us. What path will we take life or death?
As postscript we need to mention premillennialism which has driven much of our preoccupation with the end. This belief asserts that the end comes before the golden age that progressives hope for. It is not located in past history but future history. Premillennialism proves pessimistic. Destruction persists as a foregone conclusion things will only get worse before they get better. But this handicaps bible prophecy. No matter what we do we can’t change the outcome. Maybe this represents the realistic view, the inescapable fact that we can’t change human nature and we know human nature is self-destructive. Premillennialism describes humanity left to its own devices. But God would not have given us a choice between life and death if there wasn’t a real possibility of turning things around.