2012: The End?

This morning my friend Lisa joined me in sharing the gospel with folks at the Fargo Street Fair. During this outreach, we saw ten people pray to receive salvation. I also encountered a man who tried preaching to me. When I asked him where he would spend eternity when his life ended, he replied “2012” and then rambled on about why he believes the world will end on December 21st of that year. Another man I talked to minutes earlier also made reference to 2012.

Late last year I saw the motion picture “2012”, which I thought of as a mixture of “Armageddon”, “Titanic”, and “Independence Day.” Although the movie was well produced, it was biblically inaccurate. First of all, “2012” showed the whole earth flooded by a great tsunami. God promised in Genesis 9:11, “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Secondly, the Bible says the world will suffer through a tribulation period of seven years prior to the return of Jesus Christ. Some people mistakenly think we are in the tribulation right now. But that won’t begin until the antichrist signs a seven-year peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). Even the worst part of the tribulation period (often referred to as the Great Tribulation or “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7) lasts 3½ years. That will began when the antichrist sits in the rebuilt temple declaring himself as God (Daniel 12:11). So even if that were to occur today, that still takes us into the year 2014.

It’s possible the rapture of the church could happen in the year 2012. However, we must remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” The Lord might tarry His return for more than two years because He wants to see additional people coming into the kingdom of God. In the meantime, we must continue to be about the Father’s business.

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” - Luke 19:13 (KJV)

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