Or is it the end of the beginning? The popular media portrays apocalyptic prophecy in an overtly negative light. Is this the whole story of God's wonderful plan for restoring peace to the earth?
by Darris McNeely
How many times have you heard it said, "The
world is coming to an end"? Whenever someone writes or speaks about the
subject it seems to conjure up images of gloom and doom, fear and dread.
Prophecy can have very dark overtones and leave an impression of total
cataclysm when handled in an irresponsible manner.
A recent issue of Newsweek, an American
weekly news magazine, had as its cover story the subject of end time
Bible prophecy. Featured in the issue was a dreadful picture of the
last judgment complete with bodies descending into hell. The title
of the lead article was, "The Way the World Ends." Throughout the piece
references were made to the end of the world and the idea that time
will come to a close with the unveiling of the prophecies of the book
of Revelation and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Overall the piece
left a distinctly negative impression about prophecy in general and
end time prophecy in particular. Most articles written in the mainstream
press follow this approach.
Make no mistake, the prophecies of the
Bible that speak of plagues, tribulation and woe are serious and very
real. The cataclysmic events that lead up to the coming of Christ will
produce a time of trouble unlike any previous period of human history.
Every student of history knows there have been some pretty horrible
epochs of the past. Historian Barbara Tuchman wrote a book titled The
Distant Mirror, in which she chronicled the tumultuous 14th century
that saw, among other catastrophes, the plague called the Black Death.
Our own 20th century has been dubbed the bloodiest in history. Yet
Daniel the prophet was told that in the end time "there shall be a
time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to
that time" (Daniel 12:1).
