 |
| Writing instruments |
Commentary
Selling the end of the world
"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." Matt. 10:8 NT* (KJV)
"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7 OT*(NIV)
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Jesus Christ in Mathew 24:36 (KJV), when he was asked about this.
Diana Washington Valdez
The Digie Zone Network
EL PASO, TEXAS - Get ready everybody, another doomsday deadline is approaching soon, and this time it's October 15, the date set by author David Meade for the beginning of the Biblical end.
The first date he set for this, September 23, did not go as scheduled, so he gave us a new one. He says the explanation for this theory is in his new book "Planet X." End of world article .
Meade, who stated in published interviews that he's a "Christian numerologist," asserts that his dates for the end or the beginning of the end, are based on mathematical calculations and his interpretations of the Christian Bible.
The late Harald Camping, a Christian radio evangelist, also claimed to have used math to come up with May 21, 2011 as the date for the end times, as described in the New Testament Book of Revelation.
After nothing happened in May, Camping, who reportedly spent millions of dollars (from supporter donations) advertising the end of the world, recalculated and changed his date to October 21, 2011, according to published accounts.
Family Radio/Harald Camping billboard.
Camping paid for billboards like the one in the photograph to announce "Judgment Day." He ran a relentless publicity campaign to warn the world that the end was coming. We all know that the evangelist's prophecy did not come true.
Camping, who had a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, died of natural causes in 2013.
What sets Meade apart from the also math-oriented Camping is that Meade believes that a mysterious planet "Nibiru" will pass closely by the Earth, and that this will set off a series of catastrophes worldwide.
Camping, who had a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, died of natural causes in 2013.
What sets Meade apart from the also math-oriented Camping is that Meade believes that a mysterious planet "Nibiru" will pass closely by the Earth, and that this will set off a series of catastrophes worldwide.
NASA on its website has denied that any such planet exists. The idea of the mystery planet has been kicked around in conspiracy theory circles for decades. No planetary collision
The central plot of the Danish-produced movie "Melancholia" released in 2011 involves the end of the world as the Earth is set to collide with another planet. [My review of the movie: It's weird.] NYT movie review
The real countdown
Jesus Christ himself told his followers - who wanted to know - some of the signs pointing to his second coming. It's in the New Testament.
However, I disagree with how Meade has chosen to "alert" his fellow earthlings about the imminent doom that he portrays in his book.
In the first place, the countdown to the end really began after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That most important Earth-shattering event is what really set the clock ticking for what we have come to know as "the end of the world." In the Christian calendar, everything of spiritual significance happens before and after Christ (anno Domini).
Secondly, I believe that when we come closer to a specific end-times period, the Lord in his wisdom and mercy will probably let his church (the body of believers) know it, and not just one or two handpicked persons.
In fact, probably many other people in the world, in addition to Christians, will become aware of the prophetic events that signal a final divine warning.
Moreover, ff Meade truly believes what he wrote, then he should be willing to share his information free of charge (not have to buy his book) with the rest of the world. Why would anyone want to profit from such a warning, if he or she truly believes it?
The heavens and earth will tremble
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land." Haggai 2:6 OT (NIV)
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” Hebrews 12:26 NT (NIV)
Tomorrow's doomsday alert notwithstanding, the Bible includes numerous references to the kind of end-times scenarios that we've seen portrayed in movies and popular books.
Just because it won't occur in mid-October doesn't mean we should downplay or ignore the advisories contained in the Bible.
Jesus Christ himself told his followers, after they asked him, about some of the future signs that are supposed to point to his second coming.
Catastrophes can be caused by humans or may arise in nature. Across the globe, previous cataclysmic events have tested the resilience of people and their ability to survive under trying conditions. Prophetically, what's in store though will surpass anything in the known historical record. Until then, we ought to pay close attention to what goes on in the world and remain prayerful [1].
Life as we know it will not end on October 14. There is no need to lose sleep over it.
While on this earth, we will continue to experience catastrophes in our lives, collective ones and personal ones. All of them ought to serve as a wake-up call for getting into a right relationship with the Creator. Any day is a good day for this, doomsday or not.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27
(KJV).
# # #
The central plot of the Danish-produced movie "Melancholia" released in 2011 involves the end of the world as the Earth is set to collide with another planet. [My review of the movie: It's weird.] NYT movie review
The real countdown
Jesus Christ himself told his followers - who wanted to know - some of the signs pointing to his second coming. It's in the New Testament.
However, I disagree with how Meade has chosen to "alert" his fellow earthlings about the imminent doom that he portrays in his book.
In the first place, the countdown to the end really began after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That most important Earth-shattering event is what really set the clock ticking for what we have come to know as "the end of the world." In the Christian calendar, everything of spiritual significance happens before and after Christ (anno Domini).
Secondly, I believe that when we come closer to a specific end-times period, the Lord in his wisdom and mercy will probably let his church (the body of believers) know it, and not just one or two handpicked persons.
In fact, probably many other people in the world, in addition to Christians, will become aware of the prophetic events that signal a final divine warning.
Moreover, ff Meade truly believes what he wrote, then he should be willing to share his information free of charge (not have to buy his book) with the rest of the world. Why would anyone want to profit from such a warning, if he or she truly believes it?
The heavens and earth will tremble
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land." Haggai 2:6 OT (NIV)
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” Hebrews 12:26 NT (NIV)
Tomorrow's doomsday alert notwithstanding, the Bible includes numerous references to the kind of end-times scenarios that we've seen portrayed in movies and popular books.
Just because it won't occur in mid-October doesn't mean we should downplay or ignore the advisories contained in the Bible.
Jesus Christ himself told his followers, after they asked him, about some of the future signs that are supposed to point to his second coming.
To learn more about the "end times," read the entire Book of Revelation, along with other passages in the New and Old Testaments that foretell these same events in vivid detail.
(Not all Christians believe that prophecies are intended to be literal events, and prefer to view a book like Revelation as mostly symbolic.)
Life as we know it will not end on October 14. There is no need to lose sleep over it.
While on this earth, we will continue to experience catastrophes in our lives, collective ones and personal ones. All of them ought to serve as a wake-up call for getting into a right relationship with the Creator. Any day is a good day for this, doomsday or not.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27
(KJV).
# # #
#DianaWashingtonValdez , an award-winning veteran journalist, is a member of the International Association of Religion Journalists.
[1] Geopolitically, the most active hot spots at this time are #NorthKorea, the #MiddleEast and the #Baltics region and #Ukraine , according to news accounts and other sources.
* OT is the Old Testament and NT is the New Testament.
No comments:
Post a Comment