Welcome to Apocalypse Theater, where you can load up on popcorn and soda as you view the end of the world and the destruction of all of evil mankind, or at least watch the very Apocalypse-minded go insane finding "signs and portents" pointing to the imminent return of the deity, the end of the Mayan calender, Planet X, etc, etc...
Alright, down to the business at hand. This post was prompted by comments made by an unnamed family member this morning pointing to the ongoing revolution in Egypt, a relatively peaceful one I might add when you consider the American, French or Haitian Revolutions, as a sign of the "birth pangs" of the apocalypse. It is, this person believed, yet another sign that we are indeed the terminal generation living in the "End Times."
This belief that we are the final generation, based on some creative readings of Biblical passages, seems like a tune that has gone on forever. I've heard it all of my life, and doubtless others older than myself have too. Recall Hal Lindsey's repeated predictions of the end of the world, especially the one that said believers shouldn't expect to see the year 2000. Still waiting on that one. Some in England believed that the year 1666 would be the final year because it was the devil's number. Still earlier many Europeans quavered at the approach of the year 1000 fearing that it too would mark the end. In our own time, some feared 2000 as the end, or 2012. Now a group of Christians believes that, based on some creative interpretation of the Bible based on some sort of mathematical code, that the end of the world will happen this year on May 21.
What are we to make of all of this apocalyptic talk, what has been called the "end of the world blues" by one author? Surely such a belief should come to seem tired, perhaps even quaint after all the false alarms? The examples I've given are only a handful of religiously (or otherwise) inspired hysteria, a mere selection out of hundreds of projected dates for the end of the world.
But it doesn't seem to stop those who wish to believe that the world itself will end, fairly soon. Perhaps such a notion is borne out of a desire to see ourselves as special, the times in which we live important? Or could it be because we cannot, literally, imagine a world in which we as an individual do not exist, we look to the ending of the entire world for some manner of consolation? Without a study into the matter, I can offer no answers to this, only plausible suggestions.
Let's be reasonable for a moment, think this through clearly. You believe we are the final generation because things seem only to be getting worse, that evil is running throughout the world unchecked and unchallenged, that the very rise in evil seems to indicate that surely the END must be near. You think that, as my family member did, the rising price of goods indicates that the biblical prophecy that a day's wages will hardly suffice to buy bread is coming true.
How about a little perspective to throw cold water on this? Inflation doesn't mean the end of the world, and other countries in other times had far worse levels of inflation (in fact, hyperinflation) than we do now. Look at the late Roman Empire, the Wiemar Republic in Germany, or Zimbabwe now. In fact, people in the United States spend far less of their money (proportionate to their income) than many places in the world now. Don't tell me that you have to work an entire day just to buy the food for that day; I'll tell you that you're a liar.
What about violence? Humankind has always had a propensity for violence, not just now. I would hardly even say that it is on the rise. We have a number of small-scale wars going on in the world at present, a number of separatist and terrorist movements, certainly, but nothing like the conflicts of the past. World War II saw casualties in the millions in the space of six years, forty million casualties in the Soviet Union alone. Genghis Khan butchered an estimated forty million as well, and we can only estimate the level of death through warfare and disease unleashed upon the Native American populations after the arrival of Europeans. The numbers of people slaughtered at the hands of the Crusaders, under Tamerlane and under Attila the Hun are idle speculation. We know that anywhere from one-third to a quarter of Europe's population perished during the Black Death of the 14th Century. Anywhere from 20-33% of the population of Germany were killed during the Thirty Years' War; in some states over half were killed.
I need hardly go on with this body count.
The point is this: There have been many worse times than the present, and although there are definite problems that need to be addressed, the modern era is, for many in Western nations, a pretty good time in which to live. The supposed "signs" of the end, war, famine, genocide, have always been with us and are unlikely to go away.
The problem is that this constant focus on the end distracts us from the now. Why work to end poverty, address deforestation or worry about the end of oil if you expect the imminent return of Jesus? It will all end soon anyway, so why bother, right? That's the danger of this apocalypse meme. Only when we accept that the end isn't coming on May 21st, or in 2012, that we can begin to appreciate the immensity of the task before us. Climate change, a burgeoning population, depletion of our natural resources, a massive debt, increased resistance to antibiotics and so forth, won't go away just because we pretend that they aren't there. We can't expect an out on this one; the end of the world won't stop our problems from finding us.
In fact, it will only ensure that they do.
Alright, down to the business at hand. This post was prompted by comments made by an unnamed family member this morning pointing to the ongoing revolution in Egypt, a relatively peaceful one I might add when you consider the American, French or Haitian Revolutions, as a sign of the "birth pangs" of the apocalypse. It is, this person believed, yet another sign that we are indeed the terminal generation living in the "End Times."
This belief that we are the final generation, based on some creative readings of Biblical passages, seems like a tune that has gone on forever. I've heard it all of my life, and doubtless others older than myself have too. Recall Hal Lindsey's repeated predictions of the end of the world, especially the one that said believers shouldn't expect to see the year 2000. Still waiting on that one. Some in England believed that the year 1666 would be the final year because it was the devil's number. Still earlier many Europeans quavered at the approach of the year 1000 fearing that it too would mark the end. In our own time, some feared 2000 as the end, or 2012. Now a group of Christians believes that, based on some creative interpretation of the Bible based on some sort of mathematical code, that the end of the world will happen this year on May 21.
What are we to make of all of this apocalyptic talk, what has been called the "end of the world blues" by one author? Surely such a belief should come to seem tired, perhaps even quaint after all the false alarms? The examples I've given are only a handful of religiously (or otherwise) inspired hysteria, a mere selection out of hundreds of projected dates for the end of the world.
But it doesn't seem to stop those who wish to believe that the world itself will end, fairly soon. Perhaps such a notion is borne out of a desire to see ourselves as special, the times in which we live important? Or could it be because we cannot, literally, imagine a world in which we as an individual do not exist, we look to the ending of the entire world for some manner of consolation? Without a study into the matter, I can offer no answers to this, only plausible suggestions.
Let's be reasonable for a moment, think this through clearly. You believe we are the final generation because things seem only to be getting worse, that evil is running throughout the world unchecked and unchallenged, that the very rise in evil seems to indicate that surely the END must be near. You think that, as my family member did, the rising price of goods indicates that the biblical prophecy that a day's wages will hardly suffice to buy bread is coming true.
How about a little perspective to throw cold water on this? Inflation doesn't mean the end of the world, and other countries in other times had far worse levels of inflation (in fact, hyperinflation) than we do now. Look at the late Roman Empire, the Wiemar Republic in Germany, or Zimbabwe now. In fact, people in the United States spend far less of their money (proportionate to their income) than many places in the world now. Don't tell me that you have to work an entire day just to buy the food for that day; I'll tell you that you're a liar.
What about violence? Humankind has always had a propensity for violence, not just now. I would hardly even say that it is on the rise. We have a number of small-scale wars going on in the world at present, a number of separatist and terrorist movements, certainly, but nothing like the conflicts of the past. World War II saw casualties in the millions in the space of six years, forty million casualties in the Soviet Union alone. Genghis Khan butchered an estimated forty million as well, and we can only estimate the level of death through warfare and disease unleashed upon the Native American populations after the arrival of Europeans. The numbers of people slaughtered at the hands of the Crusaders, under Tamerlane and under Attila the Hun are idle speculation. We know that anywhere from one-third to a quarter of Europe's population perished during the Black Death of the 14th Century. Anywhere from 20-33% of the population of Germany were killed during the Thirty Years' War; in some states over half were killed.
I need hardly go on with this body count.
The point is this: There have been many worse times than the present, and although there are definite problems that need to be addressed, the modern era is, for many in Western nations, a pretty good time in which to live. The supposed "signs" of the end, war, famine, genocide, have always been with us and are unlikely to go away.
The problem is that this constant focus on the end distracts us from the now. Why work to end poverty, address deforestation or worry about the end of oil if you expect the imminent return of Jesus? It will all end soon anyway, so why bother, right? That's the danger of this apocalypse meme. Only when we accept that the end isn't coming on May 21st, or in 2012, that we can begin to appreciate the immensity of the task before us. Climate change, a burgeoning population, depletion of our natural resources, a massive debt, increased resistance to antibiotics and so forth, won't go away just because we pretend that they aren't there. We can't expect an out on this one; the end of the world won't stop our problems from finding us.
In fact, it will only ensure that they do.
I figure I'll know it's the end times when Jesus comes for me. Until then, it's my job to make the world better as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteAnd does anyone remember the revolution overthrowing the Taliban? Talk about bloody.
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ReplyDeleteEvery generation has had those who believed they were the last one, and they lived long enough to see they were wrong.
ReplyDeleteJesus predicted he would return in the life time of those who heard him. He was wrong. Why won't people admit it already and get on with their lives?
From a Biblical perspective, no man will know “the hour,” so I can hardly care to try to figure it out from that end. I think the problem for many of these people -- assuming that they are all sincere in this particular belief and not just out for attention and $ -- is their ability to be blown around doctrinally because of lack of understanding of their own biblical texts. Like scientific and, as I'm sure you'll appreciate, historical studies, one must not attempt to do their research with an agenda in mind; it is important to always be open to the fact that you could be wrong.
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe it is a symptom of doubt. Doubt in their beliefs which leads to the wish that the world would end in their lifetime to confirm the correctness of their belief in the face of their own doubts.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a shame that we must pay politically, and socially, for their doubts.