# 103: Living in the Midst of the Doomsday Age

It doesn’t take a prophet or one with a crystal ball to look at the world situation and vividly see the writing on the wall: There are more disasters just waiting to happen, along with those that have happened in the last 65 years, for any thinking person to ask, “What’s going on, anyhow?” The question is often being asked, “What do you think about the end of the world (Armageddon/Great Tribulation)?” My answer, most often, has been vague and ambiguous. I now am going to be more specific. First of all, I don’t believe God is going to be directly involved with what is going to happen, though He has been—and will be—working behind the scenes, pulling the strings, so to speak. For example, a clearer example of the term “behind the scenes” was when God hardened the heart of Pharaoh by not letting the Israelites leave Egypt until after the Passover disaster. The reason I used the term “doomsday age” is because the destruction of mankind will most likely take as little as 20 to as many as 50 years from now (that is only my guess) for God to accomplish, through natural and manmade events.

The Book of Revelation, chapters six to twenty, is almost exclusively devoted to telling what will happen in this final tumultuous period of time. There is only one gigantic problem: It is mostly symbolic. One hundred Bible scholars can study Revelation and come up with one hundred different versions of what the Apostle John wrote—if that was who really wrote it. Then, the Apostle Peter, in 2nd Peter, third chapter, describes the end times of the world as being destroyed by fire. Along with that, the books of Matthew and Luke tell of the end time through the words of Jesus. Jesus combines the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the end time as if it is one story. Therefore, one must do a lot of separating as to which is which, to make any sense of what is being said. Since every writer seems to tell a different story, let me tell mine. The answer is clear: God’s rancor toward humanity per se finally gets to a boiling point, where He prophetically declares, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” Hebrews 10:30. Deuteronomy 32:35.

Some might be thinking, “If He is a God who claims to be all-loving, then why would He want to destroy billions of people that are created in His image?” Good question. Here is the unequivocal answer: Of the almost seven billion people on this planet, including all the world's religions, how many are living and believing as God requires? How about the millions of Hindus who worship gods their hands have made? No. What about the Arabs of Islam with their god Allah, who teaches them to destroy nonbelievers? No. How about the Buddhists with their self-imposed restrictions as to the truth? No. What about the greedy and capitalistic Jews who practice Judaism but have rejected the Son of God as their Messiah (the anointed One of Jehovah God)? No. What about the almost one billion, mostly hypocritical Christians who aren’t even close to resembling or following their leader, Jesus Christ? No. And how about the many atheists who believe that whatever seems profitable for them is the right way? No. How many does that leave? Less than we all can imagine.

Although we all were created with the potential to become like God, everyone in the world, with the exception of a few, missed the mark. Is that a good enough reason to do away with the whole bunch, excluding His own? If you were God, what would you do—continue to have grief and sorrow over a hopeless gang of misfits, who just might have been? Or would you start all over again with a clean slate in some other location (planet)? Good question, ha?

Let’s first categorically name what has already taken place and then what will most likely happen in the future. It might have all started in Europe during World War II, when millions of Jews, Russians and the worthless were murdered. Then things got worse in 1948 when President Harry S. Truman got us in the middle of a conflict that has been going on between the Jews and the Arabs for over 3,000 years. He ordered our ambassador to the United Nations Security Council to vote in favor of giving Israel statehood so that it could become a member of the United Nations and have other privileges—against the wishes of George Marshall, Secretary of State. Who could have ever guessed that just five “yes” votes could have escalated into September 11, 2001, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the never-ending war in Iraq, and the hatred Arabs have for Americans for supporting the nation of Israel militarily and financially for the last 57 Years?

Another event was the destruction of the World Trade Center. Although it killed about 3,000 innocent people, which is a large number, it is a small figure in comparison with natural disasters. Then there was the war in Afghanistan (the heroin capitol of the world) that killed many, with the turmoil still going on. Of course, one of the biggest ongoing disasters is the national deficit of the United States; at last count, if I am not mistaken (correct me if I am), it is about 8 trillion dollars and still climbing with no end in sight. As I see it, that is the biggest danger looming over our country. As it keeps getting larger, a time will come when it, along with other events I will mention in further paragraphs, may bring America into financial ruin. Of course, the world will be forced to play “Follow the leader” as it did in 1929.

There was also the start of the needless war with Iraq. At last count, it has already cost us $200 billion and counting; over 2,000 precious American soldiers (as of 10-26-05) have lost their lives, not to mention how many thousands of Arabs have been killed, along with the lingering pain and suffering of all the wounded on both sides and the continued heartbreak of their families. Then came the hurricanes of 2004, which didn’t kill many but left an enormous amount of damage, much of which has not yet been made right. Then there was the tsunami in the Indian Ocean which killed over one hundred thousand. Talking about the damage water can do, look at the water damage in New Orleans, and the destruction the 20-foot-high water surge did in Mississippi and Alabama, and then look at what is happening in the Northeast with their floods. This much destruction in such a short period of time is unprecedented. Then came Katrina, the most costly disaster in our history. Next came Rita, to make matters much worse. And just last week came Wilma; she didn’t kill many, but was the costliest hurricane this year in terms of property damage.

Here are a few events (not in chronological order) that will come to pass: One thing that surprises me is something no one has told us yet, although I may not be the first. As global warming continues—and there isn’t much we can do to stop it—our atmosphere and bodies of water will get warmer. As that happens, many natural disasters may occur from the changing climate; that translates into many millions of lives lost. As the South Atlantic, not to mention the South Pacific, warms up another degree or two, along with the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes will become more frequent and much more powerful. Along with that, the oceans will rise by a foot or more, resulting from the melting of the glaciers in the north. Then, to compound that, insurance companies may refuse to insure property in the Gulf Coast and Florida; they are out to make money and not lose it. The end result: In the next five or ten years, the State of Florida and the Gulf Coastal regions may be forced to permanently leave and relocate to other parts of our country. The federal government may feel obligated to pay some of the cost. We are talking about millions upon millions of high-life and low-life people settling in other states. That strain on our government may help to bring about our financial collapse.

One of the saddest of all catastrophes is the earthquake in northern Pakistan, where almost one hundred thousand have died and possibly many more will die if more help doesn’t get there soon, before winter sets in. Talking about earthquakes, what about the big one on the West Coast? That has been long overdue. Many thousands of buildings in that whole region are not earthquake-resistant. That may spell thousands of casualties. That quake is not a possibility but a certainty.

Here is something we don’t talk about because it is truly scary: When (not if) our enemies infiltrate our borders–most likely through the Mexican U.S. border at Christmas time or some other holiday, with nuclear devices (dirty or clean, if there is such a thing as a clean device), that will not only kill untold millions, but change the name of the game from terrorist to “turmoilist.” Some, with their heads stuck in the sand, will forcefully say, “That will never happen.” With the hatred from the many Islamic terrorists toward us (and they are growing in number since the Iraq war), it is inevitable. Of course, that will happen, as I mentioned above, when we least expect it, or at our weakest moment. Remember that this hatred for Americans started festering in 1948. That hatred has grown into a rancor that most, if not all, Americans cannot identify with.

Do we think much of the horrific circumstances that are happening in Africa? Thousands upon thousands have already been murdered and millions are starving to death. That is one of the worst crimes that can happen to humanity. To me, it is actually hard to believe that it is really happening. We all are guilty, of sorts, by the food we waste in America, by overeating, and throwing away leftovers; if somehow that waste could be weighed and gathered, there would be more than enough to feed all the starving in the world. What are complacent Americans doing about that? Just getting fatter.

Here comes the biggest killer of all: a deadly virus that can spread like the rhinovirus. It could mutate like the now-talked-about bird flu, or become a super strain from some other source. Again, experts are talking about it—not if, but when. We don’t understand enough about viruses to be able to control them. We think we could create a vaccine to immunize Americans, but we are only fooling ourselves. Experts don’t know for certain if Tamiflu (a new medicine) will kill the bird flu or other related viruses. If we can’t make one to stop or cure the most common cold virus or the AIDS virus, what would make anyone think they can create one that can prevent or cure a deadly strain? Viruses are so ultramicroscopic—probably one thousand times smaller than bacteria. We don’t even know what they are made of. Listen to how my college dictionary describes a virus: “. . . viruses are considered as being EITHER living organisms OR inert chemicals.” Sure, what else is new? Experts say that the bird flu pandemic can kill as many as 1.5 million people worldwide (that is, if they can find a way to contain it). To be more realistic, it could kill in the billions. That can be called real terrorism.

What’s funny about it is that atheists, who don’t believe in God, can easily believe most of the above without a mention of God. The only thing is that to many, it will seem as if it was/is just another one of the rhythms of our ever-changing planet. They, most likely believe that if terrible events do happen, survivors will have to adjust to the changing environment and make the best of it. They are wrong.

Here is what the New Testament predicts will come about in the last days, through the pen of the Apostle Luke (you be the judge of just how close that prediction is to what is now happening and inevitably will happen): Luke 21:7. “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” Luke 21:9. “When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Luke 21:10: Then He said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” Luke 21:16: “You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me.” Luke 21:25: “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”

What can we do? Or is it too late and/or difficult to change our ways? All that read this doomsday chapter can’t say, “I didn’t know it would really happen; I just thought it was phony-baloney, religious scare tactics.”