Current events are creating lots of questions. Are we, for instance, moving into the final battle between good and evil, as prophesied in Scripture? Are recent events such as September 11, the war in Afghanistan, and continuing unrest in the Middle East the beginning of the end of the world? How should we look at the ancient prophecies? Were the prophets of yesteryear able to foresee our future? Are things set up to pan out a particular way and at a certain time, regardless of what we may or may not do? Can our choices make a difference?
I don't pretend to be a scholar on prophecies—Biblical or otherwise. Yet, these are things I've been thinking about lately—deeply and with a lot of prayer. Like all of us, I want to understand what comes next. Some of the prophecies of devastation, famine, and suffering don't point toward a very happy future.
I get genuine hope, though, when I think about Jesus and what he brought to humanity. How does his promise of a second and final appearing of the spirit of Truth square with the destruction prophesied in connection with the world's end?
