I knew some wannabe prophets who predicted the end of the world would come in their lifetimes. But they’re gone now. They saw things they didn’t like and assumed that must be it. They pressed Cold War era events through the book of Revelation like it was a prophetic strainer. Evil nations with nukes came out as the beasts God warned about. A swath of Christians still thinks that way and has influenced American foreign policy, especially relating to Israel because it figures in the apocalyptic story line. 

It’s tempting to call for the end of all things when some things aren’t going your way. But I think it’s a selfish prophet who says, “Since my world is coming to an end, yours should too.” Jesus said, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3).

I’m sorry if you feel like your world is coming to an end. Some worlds are already gone. My grandfather’s is gone. But, despite his predictions, mine is still here. I accept that my world is coming to an end and that I will never get a ’72 Malibu SS. But I don’t want my children’s world or my grandchildren’s world to come to an end. If I last that long, I won’t want my great-grandchildren’s world to end either, because I believe God is still “reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19).