The End of the World as We Know It?

Lately there's been a buzz about the end of the world. On May 21, 2011 it is said that all Christian believers will be taken from this earth in the blink of an eye, as Christ comes in final victory. So as people pile extra food supplies into bomb shelters misled to believe that a) the prediction is correct, b) rapture and Armageddon are the same thing, and c) that a bomb shelter can stop God, consider the words of Douglas Adams in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:

The Origin of the Claim

The claim began with the mathematical calculations of a man by the name of Harold Camping. Camping is the head of Family Radio and a long time Bible code enthusiast. He previously predicted the end of the world would occur in September 6, 1994. Either Camping miscalculated, or we were all left behind.  Followers of Camping are enthusiastic about the idea, wearing T-Shirts and passing out pamphlets explaining what the future does or doesn't hold.

Profittable Outcomes

If you are prepared to evaporate into Heaven this coming Saturday, be sure to invest in rapture pet insurance. For $135, your pet will be cared for by atheists if the rapture occurs in the next ten years.

For $15- $25 you can pick up your very own rapture t-shirt, complete with the mathematical equation Camping developed for explaining his conclusion.

What does this mean for Christians?

We must remember what Scripture tells us: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  Matthew 24:36

While you believe that the world will end on Saturday or not, we must remember that we cannot predict the hour of Christ's return, nor do we know what the events of that day will look like. Instead we must live in the freedom given to us by our God. The only thing we can do to prepare for Christ's unknown return is to live with the hope of Christ in our hearts.

So, again, don't panic. Don't feed into the hysteria. Don't invest in rapture pet insurance or their flashy tote bag. Trust that the God who formed you and knows you by name will take care of you even in uncertain times.