End of the World?

"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: 10-11

"Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near." - Luke 21: 31

The end of the world has sparked interest and controversy for most of human history.  Countless number of people have tried to come up with predictions as to when the end of the world would come.  All predictions have failed except one:  those that are found in the Bible.  The passage above is Jesus answering a question posed by his disciples, who wanted to know what the signs of the end would be.  It should be known that Jesus' disciples thought that the end of the world would happen in their lifetime, that is why they were asking.  Jesus mentions that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  This is an obvious indication that wars are going to be almost the norm when the end of time is near.  Jesus also says there will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places.  Now people will say that there have always been earthquakes and famines but there is one fact that they cannot deny:  for the last five years, not only has the frequency of earthquakes increased every decade but the number "deadly" earthquakes have increased.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that the signs of the end would be like birth pains.  When a woman is about to give birth, her pain and contractions become more intense and more frequent until the ultimate birth.  Jesus is saying that the signs of the end would be the same:  more frequent and more intense.

Now, this is not meant to scare or put fear into anyone.  This is simply to educate.  For believers of Jesus Christ, though all these things are tragic, don't see these events as random.  We see them as signs from God that Jesus is coming again.  Later in his answer, Jesus says, "Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near."  It may seem like the world is out of control, but Christians know that God is in complete control.  These earthquakes and unrest in the Middle East are signs that Jesus told us to watch out for.

Again, this is not meant to scare anyone but rather to be an explanation for why the world seems to be in chaos.  Jesus said it would be.  But it is important to remember that this is all part of God's perfect plan for the world.  Every day, hour, and minute that goes by, we are that much closer to seeing our Savior face to face.