Friday, December 21, 2012

WILL THE WORLD END TODAY?

thethrivingsmallbusiness.com

No! But there are predictions that say it will or could.

Self-proclaimed prophets of doom trumpeted that humanity will come to an end on 21 December 2012, on the day of the winter solstice. The idea is driven more by the longing for cathartic catastrophe than actual facts. And this idea gains more prominence with the increase in uncertainty as we are living in now. Uncertain times feed uncertain minds.

Every now and then, the world is agog with news of an impending danger, a world shaking event of catastrophic proportions. One such false alarm which comes to mind immediately was the hype surrounding the imminent collapse of the world-system in the days leading to Y2K. As is clearly evident now, it was a false alarm. The prophets of doom have been proved wrong, not by critics, but by the turn of events!

And now, alarmists and doomsayers have come up with yet another dose of speculative prophecy saying that the end of the world is near. They based their deduction and theory on a primitive and outdated system of calculation. According to them, the Mayan Long Count calendar ends on December 21, 2012, leading them to speculate that on that date the world will end. Sensing the panic in the minds of people the world over, a movie based on the theme of the end of the world was released on November 13, 2009. I grabbed a copy of the DVD and without doubt was hooked. But I also knew deep down in my heart that the end of the world will not be like what it was in the movie.

But are the Mayans credible source to calculate the end of days? History tells us that the Mayans flourished from 300 to 900 AD and they were advanced in the field of astronomy. But it was also a civilization that couldn't see its own downfall and decline. Are we willing to stake our future and society on the knowledge, assumptions and predictions of a culture that was not good enough for its own survival? I don't think the Mayans are hardly reliable witnesses...

As Christians we know that the end is near and if we start looking at the seasons and the times we are living in, we tend to speculate that the end cannot be too far into the future. But why am I willing to bet my life on the assumption that the world will not end today? The Bible is very emphatic about that…

Don't be fooled! Jesus Christ said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36).

Yes, there will be an "end of the world" someday (see Matthew 28:20), but the chances of it falling on December 21, 2012 are most unlikely!

Whenever it comes, let's be ready!

5 comments:

  1. Who knows? Only half the day is over! Anything could happen between now and the next 12 hours.

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    1. That is true! But in the final analysis, it is only God who knows...

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  2. Thank you so much for the wonderful post. It is short but informative.

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  3. You are correct to point out that the Mayans who could not even know the end of their culture should be trusted to know the end of the world. Thank you!

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  4. Researchers and scientists have pointed out the many discrepancies in the Mayan calendar and their method of calculation. It is unreliable and we should not panic.

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