It’s the latest claim that the world is about to end. We have heard it before and we have seen these ‘prophets’ quietly disappear into oblivion when their predictions do not come to pass.
Christian numerologists claim that the world will end on Sept. 23, 2017 as they believe a planet will collide with Earth.
According to Christian numerologist David Meade, verses in Luke 21: 25 to 26 is the sign that recent events, such as the recent solar eclipse and Hurricane Harvey, are signs of the apocalypse.
My concern in all of this is the innocent bystanders that are affected. Some years ago there was a man in our church who believed that the world was going to end. He told the pastor – quietly – of the exact date, of which he was certain of. Sure enough as I am able to sit here and write this today, the world didn’t end.
Such was his embarrassment that he and his wife left the church. I didn’t really know him, but I got to know his wife a little. She was a beautiful lady, swept up in her husband’s theology. She was in a good church, was happy there, but in the space of a week had to pack up and move to another church.
Likewise all the other people out there who are certain of when the world will end. They are husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and when their prediction doesn’t eventuate, while we all move on with the rest of our lives, they have family left to pick up the pieces.
The embarrassment must be immense. To be so certain that you’re happy to go on the record with your stance means there is a mighty long way to all if we are all here on Sep. 24.
To the prophets out there, maybe just think about who you’re hurting along the way. You’re not really affecting my life, or the others who are going to read this article. There’s some damage to Christianity in general when it goes wrong, but there must be family and friends who you then need to front when it doesn’t happen who now have to deal with the consequences of public embarrassment.
Matt Danswan is the CEO of Initiate Media, publishers of Christian Woman.
Image courtesy Alexander Andrews, Freely Photos
