"Doomsday?" (Bulletin Article for March 18)

Gamma ray bursts, super-volcano eruptions and global warming were all listed, as were an asteroid hit, pandemic flu and even an alien attack or robot uprising. All of these were on a recent documentary on MSNBC entitled, “Countdown to Doomsday.”

The premise of this show was that experts had chosen the 10 most likely ways that the human race would either be nearly wiped out or totally destroyed. That network thought this was even worthy enough to devote a 2-hour show to it. (I tried to find a transcript to the show on the internet so you could have the web address, but could not “run it down.”)

As I watched that show, certain things ran through my mind. First, some of these scenarios were totally bogus. An alien invasion? A robot uprising? While movies and television shows may make these look like a possibility, God set man over the earth (Genesis 1:28-30), not aliens or robots.

Also, some of these events had some merit as a terrible tragedy, but God has already told us how the world will be destroyed. It won’t be by water (Genesis 9:11), but, rather, by flaming fire. In fact, everything will melt with “fervent heat” (Second Peter 3:10, 12). Talk about an exciting subject for a documentary!

Finally, one thing was correct about this documentary. Nearly every expert talking about each of the “doomsday scenarios” said something along these lines: “It could happen at any time. We’re just in a waiting game.” They may have had the scenario wrong, but they got the timing exactly right.

There will be an end. But it doesn’t have to be “doomsday.” We know that, when Jesus returns, the end is here. The universe and all that is in it will burn up. For many, as the song says, it will be a “sad day.” But, for those “who love the Lord” it will be a “bright day.”

“Are you ready for that day to come?”