Scenes more suited to Hollywood blockbusters such as Contagion, End of Days, Mad Max or The Maze Runner have filled our newsreels rather than our movie theatres. We might ask, “where will it all end and what is it all coming to?”
While many people think that the whole world will continue on as it has done indefinitely, the signs do not look promising. Geopolitically, economically, geologically and ecologically it is starting to feel like this old world is creaking at the seams and showing its age. Whilst it is not within the remit of Understanding the Gospel to interpret current events to prove any particular prophetic doomsday scenario of the end of the world, the Bible is clear that one day this world will come to an end: “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
Scientists have been warning us for decades that we are causing irreparable damage to our environment, but this event, predicted in the Bible, is no ecological disaster caused by the release of greenhouse gases or deforestation. It will be an act of God in final judgement on humanity. Having rebelled against God, rejected his moral standards and legislated His principles out of our national collective consciousness, we stand condemned by God as unrighteous and sinful. The Bible tells us that the world we live in is living on borrowed time. The guilty verdict has been passed and a suspended sentence has been issued: “the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people” (2 Peter 3:7 NASB).
So, when we ask the question, “where will it all end and what is it all coming to?”, the answer is stark and sobering. The world will end in judgement after a period of unprecedented suffering on earth that makes “End of Days” look like a children’s story. After this, those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ will be punished eternally. The only things that hold God back from instantly judging us as we deserve are His great love and His gracious patience. Peter’s letter tells us that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise [that is, He isn’t making empty threats] . . . but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
God is giving each one of us the opportunity to avoid His judgement as He calls us to change direction, turning away from our sin and back to God. God is able to forgive all who repent and believe on His Son Jesus Christ because Jesus has stood in the dock instead of all who will place faith in Him. On the cross, He took the punishment that sin demanded for all who will confess their sin and turn from it, allowing God to freely forgive those who have sinned against Him while satisfying his own righteous justice.
That final day of judgement has not yet arrived. God’s free offer of grace and forgiveness is still available to you.
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
