There is a lot of hysteria surrounding this self-proclaimed “Christian numerologist”, David Meade, who claims that the world will end, or at least begin the process of ending, on Sept. 23, 2017. There have been many throughout history who have attempted to predict or calculate the time of the “end” of the world as we know it. A good number of people who have predicted this in recent history have been “Christians”, or at least have attached themselves to Christianity. Oftentimes, they are doing nothing more than hijacking the Word of God (the Bible) to make some money or gain a following of people by feeding on their fears.

However, this prediction is simply false. Aside from the fact that NASA has not even seen Meade’s Planet-X, which is supposedly going to “collide” with the earth, the answer is quite simple. All that we have to do is actually look at what the Bible says, and more specifically, what Jesus Himself taught. Unfortunately, far too many are quick to cling to the doctrines of men before they observe the doctrines of the Word.

Jesus said that “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). The important thing that we all need to understand, especially in light of recent catastrophic events, is that there is an end coming. And things will get worse, natural disasters will become more and more frequent and severe, and people will become more and more wicked. For more on this, simply read Luke 21:10-28 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5, to name a few references. Consider this quote by C.S. Lewis:

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world” – C.S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain)

Not only does the Bible attest to the reality of the “end”, but there is general agreement among the scientific community that the end of our world will come. But what about before that? What about a more personal and likely, more proximate, end? What about death?

Death, if we have no hope beyond it, is the inevitable end for each of us… All of our struggles, personal developments, joyful memories, efforts to build our businesses, hours of aiding our neighbors in need, donating to the poor, raising and caring for our children, fighting for our marriages, going through grief and loss, vigourous research to advance medicine, working 50 or so years to earn a living…. We experience and navigate all of that for what, to face the uncertainty and pain of death!? The darkness of that thought, if we are honest with ourselves, is very heavy.

BUT God is gracious and merciful! He tells us about the warning signs of the end, the hope we can have in Jesus, and reality of eternal life in the Bible which He has preserved through history. He has sent Jesus (perfect, sinless, God in the flesh) to die for our sins so that in Him we can escape God’s wrath for our multitude of sins, experience the abundant blessings of a redeemed and renewed life now, and partake in the glory of eternal life that is void of sin, pain, suffering, death, and is in a perfected state of reality where we can finally see the face of God and thrive in His Kingdom forever!

The truth of the matter is, God gives us time to repent and seek reconciliation with Him now! So what are you waiting for? If you are genuinely in right relationship with God after repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus as the Son of God, the Lord and Savior of your life, and are wholeheartedly following after Him, then remember this; you are a child of God and are secure in your salvation, no matter what troubles or peril may befall you in this life. Death no longer has victory over you.