DISCLAIMER: This post has a bias view on the perspective of apocalypse.
Today is December 20th, 2012. According to the Mayan Calendar, December 21st 2012 is technically the day when the Calendar stops continuing. It prophecies that this Friday is possibly the end of the world. Some argue that it won’t happen because the person got tired of continuing with the calendar. As the day is approaching, a lot of people on the internet are discussing and worried about Friday. As a Christian, I want to stand firm with what the Bible says about apocalypse and the end of the age. And I want to suggest several biblical-eschatological reasons why the event for this Friday will not happen.
1.) Regarding “that day”, the disciples were asking Jesus what will the sign be for the end of the age in Matthew 24:3. Nobody knows when it will happen. Only God knows. Therefore, the Mayan Calendar is not a divine prophecy that was utter by God, so it won’t happen.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36 ESV)
2.) The end of the age is when Christ returns for the 2nd time. One of the things we know that Christ is coming back very soon is when the message of the gospel is proclaimed in all the nations. The Mayan Calendar does not know when Jesus will come back.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14 ESV)
3.) The rebellion comes first. The rebellion is when the anti-Christ or the man of lawlessness reveals himself, and the Lord Jesus will come and destroy him.
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 ESV)
4.) Jesus will return for the 2nd time like a thief. For unbelievers, they don’t know when a thief comes to rob their home, and it will surprise them. For Christians, we shouldn’t be surprise because we are ready for that day to come (whenever it is). We are ready because we are children of light. We are children of light because we belong to God when we receive Jesus.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 ESV)
5.) The book of Revelation offers apocalyptic perspective on how the end will come, which is very different from the Mayan Calendar. My church recently worked through the book of Revelation. Anti-Christ will come. False Prophet will come. Satan will come. The “unholy Trinity”, the way my pastor called it, will come and attack and kill a lot of Christians during the Great Tribulation. The Seven Judgement (Trumpets, Plagues, Bowls of God’s Wrath) will come. Jesus will come and defeat the “unholy Trinity” once and for all with the breath of His mouth. You can read and study it for more detail. I just want to say in general that the events are slowly happening and we should anticipate the Jesus’ coming.
There are many passages in the Bible that I could point out, but I hope 5 reasons are good enough to convince Christians not to stress out over this Friday. As Christians, we can be more confident to not know when Jesus will return than to know His return. However, we are expecting for His return and we are ready for His return. Are you ready for His return?
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Tommy Wong 