Introduction:

There has been a lot in the news over the last year concerning climate change. There is some scientific consensus that the Earth is warming and that this warming is mainly caused by human activities. This consensus is supported by various studies of scientists’ opinions and by positional statements of scientific organizations. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has reaffirmed scientific evidence of global climate change. The U.N. climate chief says world leaders must recognize there is no option except to speed-up and scale-up action to tackle global warming, warning that continuing on the current path will lead to “a catastrophe”. I think we all can agree the climate is changing, the weather is changing and storms are increasingly more sever. However, this does not mean the world is coming to an end. So we have scientist claiming the world may end in 12 years or less. We also have politicians claiming we must react or we are all doomed.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has claimed the “world will end in 12 years” because of climate change. She claims hundreds of millions of people may be irreversibly endangered by drought, flooding, extreme heat and increased poverty in the decades to come. We have Bernie Sanders and Kamila Harris to name a few who are jumping on this bandwagon and supporting a green new deal to eliminate your cars, cows, coal and much more. Renewable energy is wonderful but is it practical? It won’t stop the end of the world when the time comes either!

It appears to me that climate change has become yet another doomsday narrative. Folks, the Earth isn’t ending in 12 years. It didn’t end at Y2K or when the Mayan calendar predicted the collapse of civilization in 2012.

But let’s not be so hard on the politicians and scientists when we have had false religious prophet telling us that the world was ending too. There was William Miller who became convinced that Christ would return for the church on April 3, 1843. In our day Harold Camping’s followers quit their jobs, gave up their houses and their savings to support Camping’s prediction of the end of the world on May 21, 2011. Of course it did not happen as he predicted. He made several others claims such as September 4th then the 6th of 1994. Folks, how many times did the J.W. predict the end of the world? Eight times! They fail in 1878, 1881,1914, 1916, 1918, 1924, 1925 and 1975 making Charles Russell the #1 false prophet of the last century.,

Many secular prophets prophesied that we would not last as a civilization past the year 2000. In fact many had the world coming to an end along with computers meltdowns and nuclear destruction. If history teaches us anything, it’s that humans have a proclivity for anticipating the End Times. Dear Christian folks, I am not interested in what the politicians, scientists or the false religious prophet claim; only what the Jesus Christ has proclaimed…he cannot lie.

I. No Man knows the Day or hour of the End.

1. Matthew 24:6 state, “But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man… Jesus claimed that this knowledge was reserved for His Father only. If Jesus Himself – at least during His earthly ministry – did not know this day and hour, it emphasizes the foolishness of any person then or now making predictions regarding the prophetic timetable.

2. What we do know according to scriptures is that the world will be changed after the Rapture of the church. This truth is found in “I Thess. 4:13-18”. This is the rapture of the bride of Jesus Christ. It is the last trumpet sounding. Paul explains to this church some of the features of the Rapture. The term in verse 17, “shall be caught up,” is the term här-pä’-zō from which we get the concept of Rapture. In I Corinthians 15:52 again the mention of the Rapture… In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

3. The world will quickly become a very different place in the aftermath of the rapture. Even then this will not be the end of the world. Those left behind will experience the horrible chaos that will result after the Christian community is gone. The trauma will be the greatest where believers are rapture from various means of transportation such as flight – rail and personal automobiles. There is just no telling what kind of disasters will occur when millions of people working in critically important jobs instantly vanish. But this will only be the beginning for those who are left behind. Scientist and scholar will give their best explanations but …

II. The World Changes not Terminates.

1. Jesus foretold us these truths in the scriptures. [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:21
The world’s environment will be changed. Martial law will be enforced to control evil elements. Governments will tumble and international disorder will pave the way for the charismatic leader and deceiver known as the anti- Christ. The world will be changed economically and environmentally. You will not be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast-anti Christ. The wrath of God; Satan and man will be unleashed on planet earth. Food supplies will be exhausted and diminishes from the many disasters. Revelation 6:5-6

2. A loaf of bread will cost $20 or 3 pounds of barley flour- olive oil and vinegar will be almost impossible to purchase. Natural disasters will destroy 1/3 of marine life and prices will rise on sea-foods or become very hard to purchase. Revelation 8:7-10, 1/3 vegetation and trees and 1/3 the water supplies will be undrinkable.

3. In Revelation 8:11 the name of the star or meteor hitting our earth is called Wormwood. This is a mile-wide mountain hitting earth. Is that really likely? An asteroid labeled 2002 NT-7 it is a comet that NASA is watching. This Asteroid, currently heads the list on their Sentry Risk Table. While this prediction is of scientific interest one must wonders could this comet be “Wormwood” spoken of in Revelation 8:10 and 11 that poison 1/3 of the earth’s fresh water supply and many will die. It is due to come near the earth again on January 30, 2020.

4. The world powers and religions will also change. The anti-Christ’s power will become worldwide by the middle of the seven-year tribulation. Rev. 13:7. He will receive global worship. He will be a superman and there will also come about a one -world government. Even in our time the beginnings of such a possibility are forming within the EU and tri-lateral commission as well as the ecumenical movement for a one- world religion.

5. Jesus Christ foretold us nearly 2000 years ago that in the latter days there would be earthquakes in many places. Scientist agreed that since 1950 there is notable documentation proving the proliferation of earthquakes in these last decades. Those left behind will experience the worst earthquakes ever – Rev. 16:18, verse 21 tells of 100lbs hail- stones. Our time will not allow for the many other plaques and torments. But be it noted” it’ll be so bad men will seek death and not find it. Rev. 9:6 –

Conclusion

Jesus said in John 16:33 that we’re going to have trouble. That’s just part of life, and the extent of that trouble will vary. Sometimes we’re inconvenienced by the lack of a parking place, other times we’re struggling to function as we process illness or the death of a loved one. Difficulty is part of our human existence. However, in the same verse that Jesus warns us we’re going to have trouble, He tells us to “take heart…”

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).