SHOCKINGS TEACHINGS OF JESUS (Part 1)

THE END OF THE WORLD

Although this corrupt civilization will end, we must be prepared spiritually for what's ahead.

It is common knowledge that for centuries people have read the Bible and concluded that the world will come to an end.

Fantastic prophetic images of earthquakes, horsemen, famine, and wars may come to mind. Devastation, floods, hunger - and I mean worldwide hunger, not just some people. This new world order thing that is starting to come into play...

I think there are some pretty ad forces out there that are working against humanity. It's a very dangerous time. The question is : " Will all of this bring annihilation to the world? If it will end, how it will come about? What does Scripture teach about the end of the world?"

In fact, what do you think lies ahead for our earth? Is it possible to discern if we are in the end of times?

This blog will focus on a remarkable teaching of Jesus that surprisingly, most Christians don't understand. Did Jesus predict the end of the world?

Nearly 2000 years ago, in the final days before His crucifixion, Jesus sat with His disciples atop the Mount of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem. Gazing down on the magnificent temple complex, Jesus declared that it would be utterly demolished, with not one stone left on another. Now His disciples were shocked! They asked Him a question that's intrigued people ever since:

"Tell us", they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

The KJV translation says "end of the world?"

Every generation since has had people wonder about it. Will the world literally end?

any differ in their answers:

*At some point, yes.

*No way. No way it's not going to end - too much going for it.

*You got to think positively.

*There's going to be like a lot of chaos going on because of all the problems in the world.

*I have no idea. It'll be a long time from now.

*You see a lot of stuff that don't even make sense.

*I don't think that's something we can predict.

*Fighting over resources like oil, raw materials, stuff like that could be catastrophic.

*I think media really tries to embellish things to cause panic.

*We'll figure it out, and realistically things are not as bad as they have been in the past.

*Eventually, yes, I do, and we're helping it along quickly!

Will the world really end? If so, how? Why? And what does the Bible really say about this crucial and disturbing question?

Now religious people aren't the only ones asking these questions. In recent decades people from many walks of life have expressed concern about the possibility of the end of the world as we know it. Politicians, educators and scientists foresee the potential destruction of our world from a number of causes. Science agrees that we face awesome challenges including: nuclear warfare, environment disaster, planetary pollution, overpopulation, killer diseases and possible collision with an asteroid or comet. Together, they are a reminder that we are at the most dangerous moment in the progression of human history. We have now the technology to destroy the planet on which we live. Now some of these possibilities are unlikely, but others pose a real threat.

Theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, ecologist Guy McPherson, and biologist Neil Dawe are just a few of the many scientists who see the possible near-term demise of humanity. They feel destruction is closer than you might think. Based on the increasing number of gigantic impact craters discovered in recent years, some scientists believe that a devastating collision between Earth and an asteroid is inevitable. They feel that an asteroid strike on Earth is just a matter of time and it will destroy major cities - perhaps even more. According to Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen's University in Belfast, it's a case of when an asteroid collision will happen, rather than if it will happen.

Scientists from the UK and US have devised a computer program called "Impact Earth". It lets people simulate an asteroid collision with the Earth. On the Purdue University website, you can choose the size of the asteroid, the speed that it's travelling, the angle at which it hits the Earth and the density of the material it's composed of, which lets people see the resulting damage more accurately. So what would be the result of a violent encounter with a sizeable asteroid?

"Ask an Astronomer" website states that it would cause global disaster, a tremendous amount of damage wherever it impacted, throwing a great deal of dust into the atmosphere and blocking the light of the Sun. The lack of sunlight would kill most of the plant life on Earth. For humans, this would possibly mean extinction.

Biblically speaking, this connects with what Jesus said in Mathew 24. In response to His disciples' question about when the end would come. Christ replied with a description of conditions and events that would lead up to the end of the ages. Sign in the heavens is one visible way that He mentioned. Jesus said that this will come right on the heels of another prophetic event: " Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

As shocking as that may be, He gave something even more specific, explicit information that we must take special note. Jesus said that when these signs become evident, His return would occur within one generation.

"Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you... Sky and Earth will wear out; my words will never pass away."

Could we be the generation that sees the end of time? Some of my friends or many people expressing their thoughts and beliefs in the media think so...

*Yes. There are some nutty presidents out there. They ready to push the button.

*You see a lot of greed in the world nowadays.

*I think the world will be around long past our generations, but we'll always have societies struggles and what not. We will always work through them.

*We have the capability. We could do it. We make bad decisions. We could make that happen.

*We definitely are seeing some of the signs I believe, but I believe that also some generations ago they probably would say the same thing. (to be continued)