“Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:3-7 [Emphasis mine.]
The media has said much of late regarding the Mayan calendar and its prediction of the end of the world. This gives another opportunity for the world to jest and assure themselves that planet earth is safe. Science fiction and action films gives further confidence that if a large asteroid heads for the earth, NASA can send Bruce Willis – or whoever is the Hollywood flavor of the week – to blow it up and save civilization. Superman, Spiderman, the Avengers, and the X-men can all be martialed by the entertainment history to fight dangers both real and imagined. Not to be outdone, Great Britain is immune from catastrophe just as long as the martini-swilling, Aston-Martin-driving James Bond is in the employ of MI-6, or at least so we like to pretend. The problem with mythical and fictitious doom scenarios is that they help people to become calloused to the truth that the world will one day end in righteous judgment through the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Learning From History
People in the New Testament era were also skeptical about the end of the world. Peter cautioned his readers that this mistaken belief in the permanence of the current state of the universe is a recurring problem with fallen human nature. This error stemmed from their shortsighted view of the world. Planet earth has already experience a global destruction called the flood. Beyond a natural phenomenon, however, this global deluge was brought about through God’s Word (see Gen. 6 & Heb. 11:7.) It was a just punishment against mankind’s sin – especially its violence and rebellion against the Creator.
The Perfect Predictions Of The Bible
In like manner, Peter assures us that the Word already promises judgment by fire against the earth. Modern people ought to pay heed to this warning for the Bible has a 100% success rate in predicting the future. The true and living God knows the end from the beginning, and He will bring His purposes to fruition on this planet. He made this universe, sustains it, and has every right to rectify it by putting away evil people and things – even into eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10-15.) The Lord Jesus will return, and wrath will overtake everyone who has not trusted in the crucified and risen Christ to remove his sin through His shed blood. If you have not yet been reconciled to your Maker, do it today. “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:7.)
*Photo of the Mayan Calendar accessed via google images here. Accessed on 12/21/12.