Things have changed. The pandemic is on the wane. But one
thing that has not changed is that certain circles still believe we are in the
last of the last days. It is disturbing. It means that hope for your children
(should you have them), is no longer there. Who could believe our luck? Not
only do we have to cope with energy prices skyrocketing and the strange effects
of Brexit just happening to raise the prices of milk, bread and pizza, but we
now have to cope with the four horsemen. No! Go away horsemen. You are not
wanted.
First plague and now war (and I can guarantee that some people already want you
to think that Putin is the antichrist).
So, as I do not like it when people are misled, here are ten more reasons why
this is not the end of ages.
I’m going to have to think about all this. I’ve already gone
into the main ten reasons here (of which I am 99% certain) and now I have to
think ten more up…
1. 1. Believers say that God always keeps his
promises. Eventually. So here is the thing – if God has promised specific
things to specific people because they’ve asked him to answer their prayers
then he can’t wind up the whole of history without answering those prayers. For
example, an individual may say ‘God, I really, really want a Blackberry KeyTwo’
(even though it is almost impossible because Blackberry have now faded). And
so, if God says “Okay” then that person has the promise of a new phone with
that dinky little keyboard. Conceivably they could get one in heaven, but what
if they are asking for a specific job? Or a partner? Or some kind of healing?
God has made specific promises to lots of people and they can’t all be answered
outside of time.
2. 2. What did the thunders say in the Book of
Revelation? Maybe they said ‘Ignore all this really bad stuff, there’s going to
be good stuff too’.
3. 3. The Two Witnesses. According to our favourite
book, which we all read all the time I’m sure, there have to be Two Witnesses.
Now this is the reason I’m never going to Israel. For someone like me, with
mental health problems, apparently it is a thing that Christians who go to
Israel get really worked up and start believing they are one of the prophesied
two witnesses. Apparently, it happens all the time and even has a syndrome name
amongst doctors there. But, if we are in the start of the tribulation then
where are these protagonists? You could say they are symbolic and not literal,
but I still don’t see how they are around now. And for us literalists, take
some comfort in the fact that the Church fathers actually thought that a
literal reading of the gospels and revelation (not the rest) showed spiritual
maturity rather than the opposite. No two witnesses. Not here yet.
4. 4. Us Christians can be an argumentative bunch. You
may have noticed that we are not as loving as we are supposed to be and that we
sin all the time. So here is number 4. ‘The worldwide church has been prayed
for by Jesus to be in unity. But have you seen the state of us? We can’t agree
on the very slightest thing most of the time. I’ve seen unity in political
parties at moments (such as in Labour at the start of Blair’s takeover), but I
don’t think you can call what is going on now unity, even if you redefine the
word. No unity.
5. 5. If the main forces who want us to think that
this is the end of the world happen to be the devil and his demons, then can
someone tell me how they know that when even Christ claimed to have hidden it
from himself? Do they have secret knowledge of some brooding antichrist figure?
The spiritual forces are bullies and as far as I am concerned have no rights.
They certainly have no knowledge concerning the actual end of the world. They
simply want to freak people out.
6. 6.6.6. According to the Muslim meta-narrative there
will be a wind which will take out all of the believers. It’s windy here but I
haven’t seen that happen. I may have got my faiths mixed up momentarily but bear
with me…
7. 7. Earthquakes. There was one here in Blighty just
recently. I slept through it. You tell me just how it so happens that earthquakes
and great plumes of smoke ‘just so happen’ to have been more reported recently?
Oh yes, that would be because of the digital revolution. Now we all hear if
there has been an earthquake in Dudley or wherever. It’s also possibly down to
fraking or something. I bet they are still doing that.
8. 8. The harlot riding the beast! So where is she
then? And no, it isn’t the Catholic church. Anyone saying that is kind of
proving my point that we are not in unity. The harlot represents such and such
but according to the Bible, Babylon effectively implodes through fighting
factions (you could say ‘oh, what is the point of fighting it then?’ and maybe
you would have a point). Revived Roman empire. Good grief.
9. 9. So much for receiving the latter-rain in terms
of revival. Oh, and some of us thought that was promised as a mercy in the
midst of plague and war. God was supposed to be pleased with Brexit. Where has
that reward gone then? Now we are facing an economic nightmare.
10. 10. The rapture! Well, this is the main argument
against any of my sign-seeking. The idea is that the rapture could happen at
any moment, meaning that none of these prophecies needs to be fulfilled
(although you would think church unity would, but hey?). Could happen any
moment. Take your lover close and all that. But no, is church unity to happen
in heaven alone? What is the point of the prayer of Jesus then? And no orthodox
Christian ever thought that a rapture would save us from the tribulation when
it comes. And surely someone during that time will be writing a list of 20
reasons it is not the end of the world? According to the Bible, the Church is
right there side by side with people in that time. Those of us still alive are
still here and haven’t been swept up into the air. Yes, we are going through
all this bad news with you. It could happen, but I’m 99% sure that the other
prophecies have to happen first. Christians can argue about the pre-trib
rapture all day long and it kind of proves my point that we are not in unity on
this or on most other issues. The rapture hasn’t happened yet. It could happen,
but God, as a storyteller is probably most likely to do it at the very last
moment when all seems more hopeless than ever. No rapture yet.
And no Season 4 of Stranger Things.
Think happy thoughts.
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