Matthew 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
So, I met my husband at the movies last Friday...to see 2012. Matinee...I got in for $4, senior rate. I'm glad I didn't pay full price. I had to see what all the hype was about this movie which supposedly depicts what could happen when the world ends in 2012 as predicted by the Mayans so many years ago. It just might be a subject of discussion. Warning: possible spoilers!
There are a few facts we can glean from the Bible about what the end will really be like. I can tell you that like many of the people in the film there will be panic, fear and dread. It will be a perilous time. We could see some of the disasters that took place in the movie. We already know there are powerful forces under the earth's surface just waiting to come to life. Just remember, God is in control of all things, even forces of nature. There is no such person as "Mother Nature." Father God is warning us.
We are also experiencing violence worldwide and evil abounds in the forms of crime, abortion, drugs, wars (Luke 17:26, Mark 13:8). Might I suggest that we are seeing worldwide famine, pestilence and earthquakes (which produce tsunamis) (Matthew 24:7, Luke 21:25). We will see insolence as 2Timothy 3:1-5 states:
What I noticed in the movie, viewing it from a spiritual perspective, was that anything Christian was destroyed. That sounds about par for what we are seeing in our country. The statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro crumbled to the ground. The Vatican was destroyed. The painting by Michaelangelo of God reaching out to Adam shows a crack forming inexplicably between both their fingers, bringing total separation. This was the most devastating thing I saw in the movie because it's what is happening in the world today. And, although we only saw a quick glimpse and do not know the final outcome, a mosque was filled with praying Muslims. I'd read that the destruction of Islamic landmarks would not be viewed because of fear as to how their religious authority would respond. But it's okay to attack Christianity?
What I found to be the most ridiculous parts of the movie were the action scenes: cars outrunning earthquakes, airplanes outflying everything, people outrunning tsunamis, men climbing out of huge cracks in the earth. Give me a break! I suppose those scenes, along with some attempt at comedy amidst the tragedy, is to give us hope, including a couple of references to Wisconsin--like it will be the new South Pole when the poles shift--or that everyone has a relative from Wisconsin. No one looked to God but relied on their own strength and the strength and intelligence of men. There were, of course, as in every movie, some redeeming people, heroes, who were willing to risk their lives for others.
God and Jesus Christ were shown in two ways. One way was at the end of the movie a wife prayed, "God, save him, please save him" as the hero of the movie was about to lose his life. Prior to that no one called on the name of the Lord for help, so that seemed like a last ditch effort to mention Him. The other references were disrespectful--through profanity. That hurts.
When pending disaster was recognized certain people began fleeing to a location in China where huge metal "arks" were built to accommodate thousands of people and animals in order to repopulate the world. Sound familiar? It was explained that intelligence, genes and money were major factors in the selection of these people so a good repopulation would be sure. God's choice of people are those who acknowledge Him. They all come from a sinful past, but who have been redeemed by God. Some considered in the movie were obviously suspect.
We don't know when the world will end because only God knows the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). The Bible tells us there will be a last days in the future, but it will not totally destroy the world. It could be 2012, it could be tomorrow or a hundred years from now. God tells us that He will never use an event like the Great Flood, as in the days of Noah (Genesis 9:11). It is believed that nuclear and biological warfare will be the ultimate means and prophetic words interpreted today give some possible explanation of this.
The only Hope we have is Jesus. This is what I believe. I tried to put myself in the shoes of some of those people facing death in the movie. It would be a fearful time, but having the knowledge that I will be in the safe and loving arms of Jesus is the hope I have.
As the title of the movie states, "we were warned." We have been warned. There is truth in the last days and we all need to realize this truth. It's in the Bible. Yes, God is a loving God, but He is also a God of judgment. Those whose hope is in the Lord can be comforted in these days ahead. The Bible is filled with admonition for a good reason, and is also filled with hope and comfort.
In order to receive the love, peace and hope of God we must turn to Him with our lives. There's just no getting around that. I say this only to point to the Truth of who God is, what He can do in a person's life, how He's not some distant God, but with a person's action to devote themselves to Him, He will be as close as a call out to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment