What is up with 2012?
“Questions you always wanted a sermon on”
Matthew 24:1-14; 36-44
Last year, Leisa took the one class that everyone has to take to graduate from CCV – it is called “Seminar in Educational Inquiry.” Let’s just say that is not the name I would have given it after hearing what was taught there – it was more a class on new age thinking. Anyways, during the class the professor started to talk about this time in the future when the world will go through a transformation and people will start living in a higher existence & in harmony. He said that would happen in … 2012. From then on my “news antennas” up!
Since that time I have begun to see many predictions that all reference this year 2012. On Google News this week there were the normal predictions for 2012 that included who will run for President for the Republicans, what will happen at the next Olympics, will we begin to use mobile devices to vote then, and whether GM will have to close 14 more plants by 2012 – in the midst of these normal predictions was a report on CBS in Chicago stating that the world may end in 2012. Leisa’s professor claimed humanity will start into a kind of 4th or 5th dimension Utopia in 2012 while those interviewed on the CBS report said the world is going to end then. So it didn’t surprise me when one of the submitted questions for this year’s “Questions you always wanted a sermon on” simply said “What is up with 2012?” And if YOU haven’t heard anything about 2012, you will in the next 3 years. So let’s get ready for this onslaught together.
Because we are interested in the eternal truth and not just our own feelings, we always FIRST go back to the Bible to establish a firm foundation from God’s word before we tackle what’s happening “out there.” That way we can rightly understand and interpret the many claims about the future that are being made around us.
PROPOSITION: Jesus’ power & love are so great we never need to fear the future, nor be enticed by false claims to paradise.
I. Jesus’ teaching about the end time
Here in Matthew 24 we are in that final week of Jesus’ earthly life. The disciples want to know three things: When would the temple be destroyed, what are the signs of Jesus’ return and what are the signs of the end of the age. Jesus chose to answer these questions in reverse, so He starts with answering what the signs of the end of the age will be. That is certainly a question that we want to know – what are the signs of the end of the world?
A. Deception will be common Matt 24:4
The first sign of the end times Jesus gives is that deception will be rampant. READ Matt 24:4. This is the first and primary guidance Jesus gives us – watch out for the deception – it will be plentiful and it will be powerful. If we don’t pay attention, maintain a level of scrutiny and train ourselves to discern truth from error, we will be deceived. Just living our lives by what comes naturally or what feels right at the time is a dead end street leading to deception. I was reminded of this again at the Thursday rally for marriage of one man with one woman. Steve Cable told how the newspaper contacted him to do a personal piece on he, Beth Robinson and Craig Benson. While Steve wanted to talk about the problems with “gay marriage”, they said this was just a personal piece on how he got involved that would be in the Living Section. So what did you get in the paper last Sunday morning? Front page article on personal story of Steve, but Beth gets to talk about the issue – makes it look like she is humble and has substance, while he is just a nice guy with no real reasons against this genderless marriage. The reader naively thinks the paper is fairly showing both sides – when it was a deceptive set-up. Is that fair? NO. Will it be “righted” by our society? NO. Will the paper have to answer to anyone for this? NO. Jesus knows full well that His followers will have to live through such unfair times and indeed freely sends us right into such situations. How could we ever do that without getting deceived ourselves or being overwhelmed with the deception our culture falls for? Because Jesus is so powerful and so ultimately in control that we can trust He will bring the best out of even the worst of situations. Jesus, as our King, is Lord of all & His victory will be complete.
B. Some will come claim to be the way to a new paradise Matt 24:5
The second sign of the end times Jesus gives is that some will come and claim the way to a new paradise. READ v 5. If someone claims to be “the Christ” or “the Messiah” – what they are claiming is the ability to lead you to a new paradise. The Messiah was going to usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. In fact so strong are the Old Testament passages that some churches mistakenly claim everyone will be healthy and wealthy NOW. No, that is for the millennium and then heaven after it. But it should never surprise us when people begin claim they have the path to peace and tranquility.
C. Some will point to fear-producing disasters or conflicts Matt 24:6-8
The third sign of the end times Jesus gives is that some will incite fear by saying major disasters and conflicts are signs of the end of the world. READ v 6-8. Jesus says these conflicts and natural disasters must come, like birth pangs must come before the birth of a baby – but it isn’t the end of the world yet. These will surely be overwhelming times, yet Jesus says we shouldn’t be alarmed. How can He say this? Because Jesus is so powerful and so ultimately in control that we can trust He will bring the best out of even the worst of situations. Jesus, as our King, is Lord of all & His victory will be complete.
D. Believers persecuted, shaken, but gospel penetrates the whole world Matt 24:9-14
The fourth sign of the end times Jesus gives is that believers will be persecuted & shaken but the gospel will penetrate the whole world. We see this in v 9-14 which we read before. It will be a very stressful time for people of faith. READ v 10. Yet while we think we are losing badly, Jesus reminds us of our great victory. READ v 14. How can this happen when everything will seem to be going against us? Because Jesus is so powerful and so ultimately in control that we can trust He will bring the best out of even the worst of situations. Jesus, as our King, is Lord of all & His victory will be complete.
E. Absolutely no one knows when the end will come Matt 24: 36, 42, 44
The fifth sign of the end times Jesus gives is that absolutely NO ONE can claim they know when the end is going to happen. READ Matt 24:36. Well if we can’t know the day or hour, can we know the month and year? READ Matt 24:42. Then uses the illustration of a thief – if we knew when someone was planning to rob us, then we would take steps to stop it. Jesus concludes with READ Matt 24:44. So “not knowing the day” in v 42 is the same as “coming at an hour” we don’t know. That means the terms “day” and “hour” here do not just refer to a single day or a specific hour, but it refers to time in general. We don’t know the time Jesus will return to end the world – others don’t know that time, even angels don’t know that time – satan and the demonic don’t know that time. NO ONE knows just when the end will come. Believing this truth told by Jesus will protect us from much deception in the days to come. With this clear foundation of Biblical truth about the future, let’s now look at some of the claims about what is going to happen in the year 2012. (Mark start up that second video clip – prepare your vibration …)
II. Claims of a New Enlightenment happening in 2012
A. Summary
This is called “Prepare your vibration for 2012” PLAY “The target date is 2012 for everyone to “wake up” in a Great Awakening that will help us bring a new age of consciousness and a new order for the world.”
Or let me give you another summary "Network 2012 was created on the premise that the Earth is undergoing a major transition at this time; politically, culturally, spiritually, ecologically and geologically. According to many ancient indigenous traditions, we came to the end of a 26,000 year cosmic cycle in l987. (some of you may remember that as “the Harmonic convergence”) In the year 2012 we begin a new 26,000 year cycle. We are now in an intense 25 year transition period comparable to a birthing - the birthing of a new era." As Leisa’s professor told the class – there is a new enlightenment coming in 2012.
B. Mayan calendar
A number tie this to the “Mayan calendar” and try to discern reasons for this proposed change. “At sunrise on December 21, 2012 for the first time in 26,000 years the Sun rises to conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic. This cosmic cross is considered to be an embodiment of the Sacred Tree, The Tree of Life, a tree remembered in all the world's spiritual traditions. Some observers say this alignment with the heart of the galaxy in 2012 will open a channel for cosmic energy to flow through the earth, cleansing it and all that dwells upon it, raising all to a higher level of vibration.” – Please note that this is based on a 26,000 year Mayan calendar – 26,000 year.
C. Photon energy
But it isn’t the only explanation out there for a coming time of spiritual enlightenment. Margaret McElroy, or Margaret M, as she is known on her radio program, says that people are finding there aren't enough hours in the day because of something called the "Photon Energy" which peaks in 2012. Margaret claims what scientists discovered as “dark energy” in 1999 is really Photon Energy & it is causing many problems in our world today. It is compressing time, pressuring people, causing road rage, and bringing a lot of anger out. “We think there are 24 hours in the day, but really there are only about 6 - 8. So many people don't have the time to do the things they plan each day. They go to the bank and, before they know it, it's lunchtime.” She said that metaphysically, Photon Energy is designed to bring out of humanity all the trapped energy that the majority on the Earth plane have, from this life and your many supposed previous lives. So if you think you are too rushed in life, it’s not because you plan too many activities, but this “dark energy” is causing it and that will peak in 2012 and then relief will come.
D. Wave of love
Another claim for a coming time of spiritual enlightenment involves the wave of love. “At the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy lies the Galactic Centre. The Galactic Centre is a powerful transmitter of energy waves known as ‘Waves of Love’. Since 1987, the vibrational frequency of these Waves have been increasing in intensity and will continue to do so as we near 2012, .. Then in 2012 they say we can fulfill The Great Shift – this is a shift into a more conscious way of being. Assisting us in this Great Shift are many stellar beings, such as the Pleiadians & Sirians all under the direction of the Galactic Federation. universallifetools.com (site accessed Nov 2007)
I can go on, but I think that you get the idea – there are thousands of these claims that 2012 is a time of coming spiritual enlightenment where humans are going to progress into a new level of consciousness and existence marked by peace, harmony and self-understanding. This is backed up by an endless supply of books, videos, power-points, websites, etc. Some of them use Jesus Christ’s name – some claim we are going to receive “Christ consciousness” at that time. Jesus gave us objective warnings ahead of time so we won’t be deceived no matter how much we would like more peace and harmony in the world – which we do. Don’t take the wrong path! Jesus said that as the end neared, there would be many who claimed they knew the secret of how to get to a paradise if only you will follow them or their way – that is false Christ. Even stronger Jesus warns us that no matter how soothing the music or voices – that is the one constant in all of the video clips I saw – in fact they don’t know how to make a short clip and they go so slow -- No matter how soothing the music or voices, we know that the predictions from ancient societies for a paradise coming in a particular year ARE ALL FALSE. NO ONE knows the date.
III. Armageddon type disaster happening in 2012
Well spiritual enlightenment isn’t the only thing predicted for the year 2012 – there are many predictions that an Armageddon type disaster is actually what is going to happen in 2012. Mark can you queue up the first video which is called “2012 Doom’s Day” – I’ve included the Greek captions just for Bill Wick’s love of that language. PLAY
A. End of world
A large number of the predictions for 2012 are of either the end of the world, or some unprecedented calamity. I watched around 10 videos proclaiming 2012 as a time of unprecedented spiritual enlightenment – each one averaged 14-17,000 viewings on You-tube. I also watched around 10 videos proclaiming great problems coming in 2012 – guess what their average viewings on You-tube was? 1.2-1.7 million each. That is 100 to 1. The call to FEAR is very loud and is going to get louder. Remember Jesus told us specifically in Matt 24, not to let these claims of the end of the world, of coming war and of impending natural disasters ALARM US, even though we may experience them. Jesus is so powerful and so ultimately in control that we can trust He will bring the best out of even the worst of situations. Jesus, as our King, is Lord of all & His victory will be complete.
Now this is the second time we have heard about this Mayan calendar. The Mayan urban culture flourished in Central America from 300-900 AD. They were very good at mathematics, engineering and astronomy. They paid a lot of attention to time and movements in the skies. From this they developed a number of different calendars. The dooms day people all seem to focus on one called “The Long Count Calendar”. It started on August 11, 2,113 BC and goes for 1,872,000 days or 5,125.36 years. That means it is a different calendar than the 26,000 year Mayan one we referenced earlier. The current Great Cycle, or end of the current Long Count calendar, is to be completed on the winter solstice of 2012, December 21. People today figure that if the Great Cycle ends, then the Earth must end as well. But the Mayans then or their descendents today in Mexico aren’t the one’s saying that. Fear of the unknown easily entices us to worry and concern that God doesn’t want us to carry.
B. Blonde Hair, Blue Eye Holocaust: Caucasians Extinct in 2012
Some predictions we just know are crazy. For example, the Black Hebrew Pagans mark 2012 as the year the prophesied Blond Hair, Blue Eye Holocaust will take place. According to Black Hebrew Pagan minister Yeshua Baal, “2012 is the year when the Rapture of God will be complete and Caucasian race will be consumed by the Ultraviolet Fires of the 2nd Rapture of the Sun of God,” unquenchablefires.wordpress.com (site accessed Jan 08)
C. I Ching & Pole Shift
Others we don’t understand as well so we are afraid to ignore them. The video mentioned the “I Ching” or the Book of Changes. To most people today, I Ching is a divination method where a person tosses 3 coins, three times and draws a hexagram of 6 stacked lines – then you look up one of the resultant 64 figures possibilities and try to interpret when it says for your situation. No one on-line explained how the “I Ching” comes up with 2012. Sometimes it is connected to “Pole Shift” – that is where the North Pole switches position with the South Pole – since that would require the actual land masses and ice layers to move, the result would be incredible devastation from volcanoes unleashed, earthquakes felt and storms many times worse than today. Interestingly, this idea of Pole Shift, which they said happened in the distant past, is very descriptive of the end judgments of the book of Revelation. Of course, Jesus reminded us that no one knows the time when this will happen and I Ching does not identify 2012 as year of disaster.
D. Nostradamus points to worldwide destruction
Others say the prophecies of Nostradamus point to worldwide destruction in 2012. It would come from a large planet-meteor coming close to earth or hitting it and causing all kinds of major national disasters. I had more fortune finding the actual words of Nostradamus on this – so I thought I would read those to you….
"In the year 1999 and seven months
The Great, KIng of Terror shall
come from the sky. He will bring to
life the King of The Mongols. Before
and after, Mars reigns happily."
All I can say from that is “that should clear things right up for you.” And now you know why I have no desire to read Nostradamus, nor do I consider the purported prophecies as something I should listen to.
E. 13 year tribulation end (cataclysm at 11:11 am)
Let’s conclude with John Kehne who tries to combine these different ancient
prophecies in an article he just wrote called: Is the world really going to
end on December 21 2012? His answer
was “No, but …”
“We are currently and unquestionably immersed in the final years of a
thirteen-year global tribulation that began on the winter solstice 1999 and will
reach its ultimate conclusion on December 21 2012. (why
unquestionably, why 13 years, why start in 1999) During this period of unrest
and uncertainty we will become witnesses to a gathering storm of events that
will slowly and systematically redefine our existence on this planet.”
What kinds of events?
§ First he says the closer we get to this time the more we will experience unprecedented natural disasters - as “never before seen”, “worst on record” earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, etc. We’ve always faced these but they will be more common and more intense.
§ Second, he says these will significantly increase global famine, disease, pandemics and many other forms of human suffering.
§ Third, he claims mankind itself will initiate its own near destruction through the use of social, economic, chemical, biological and nuclear warfare. In a push for power and global domination world governments will respond to perceived threats from other nations with unprecedented force and extreme violence. This will undoubtedly lead to a third world war & sure nuclear destruction of many highly populated regions.
§ Fourth, throw in economic &religious upheavals & you have quite the disaster coming
When will this happen? While problems going on now, at 11:11 GMT on Dec 21, 2012 a single global catastrophic event will take place. What is the end result of all of this? Some scholars have estimated that as many as two thirds of the world’s population may perish as a direct or indirect result of the coming events of December 21 2012 and the thirteen-year tribulation leading up to that date. Our current level of technological advancement could be thrust back hundreds even thousands of years, and the ecological and environmental effects of these events will most definitely prove devastating to the way in which we currently live our lives.
What additional evidence do you have for this? “The ancient Mayans and Aztecs refer to this coming event in terms such as the entering of the fifth world or fifth sun. The Hopi Indians call it the great purification. Christianity calls it the Rapture. Islam sees it as the coming of the Mahdi. The Hindus believe we are in the final moments of the Iron Age, which is the last of four periods known as Kali Yuga. Astrologers call it the coming of the Age of Aquarius which is representative of a cleansing of the earth. …The Chinese book of Changes (I-Ching) sees it as the end of history. The Bible Code, The Web Bot Project, Nostradamus and many others also have provided us with the necessary signs of coming devastation. NASA has confirmed increasing solar disturbances that will reach their peek in late 2012, and even Albert Einstein spoke about the possible implications of the coming astronomical anomalies.” That is a good ending summary of all the groups that are appealed to in this 2012 disaster – and yes, they also add that governmental and religious leaders know about this, but not letting you know -
IV. What should be our focus?
Do you find yourself being frightened by this, wanting to hide away, save up food or any number of other acts of alarm? That’s natural, but Jesus calls us to something more. Jesus calls us to see Him in a new light – as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus wants us to see that His power, plan and love are so great that we need not fear anything that comes along. Yes, there will be greater natural calamities in the future, we do not need to fear going through them because Jesus is greater than those and He has a task for us – to bring the gospel to everyone. Yes, great wars will happen, but Jesus is more powerful than all the armies of the world and He will overshadow us and make sure we do get to paradise. Yes, Christians will face much opposition and it will even look like we are losing, but Jesus is so great, that His goal of getting the gospel to the whole world will happen. It is only then that the end will come, because the task is done. The 2012 hype is only going to get stronger, don’t let it deceive you!