“Do Not Be Alarmed”

“Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken… When you hear of wars and revolu­tions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away” (Luke 21:26, 9).

God’s people, if they listen to Jesus today, understand that there is no cause for fear, or “losing heart”, because of all the rumors swirling around. In the ultimate sense, none of these temporary troubles make any difference, because the one absolute certainty in the situation is this: The Lord God of Israel is in control, of all nations and all rulers, as well as of His own people.

For us, this exhortation can be very helpful. Because we have an intense interest in the Bible and the fulfillment of its prophecies, we may get caught up in short-term political observations. We may be led to make predictions about national and world affairs, with a feeling of certainty far beyond our capacity to know. Or we may be easily led here or there by others who make such predictions. Some brothers, by speaking or writing, develop reputations as political-Biblical prophecy ‘experts’, trying to outguess all others as to the next big events that are coming on the world stage.

In such an environment, we may become addicted to the ‘guessing game’, and to the ‘experts’ who act as though they know for certain what the future holds. We call it ‘being interested in the signs of the times’.

Around us today, there may be rumors in the land, about violence that may occur, natural disasters that may prove calamitous, would-be rulers warning about the dire consequences of what other would-be rulers may bring down upon us all. These threats often prove to be unfounded in the long run. Many such threats in the past seemed real enough when first suggested, but never came to pass. Nev­ertheless, these dire predictions, even if they never materialize, can pose very real threats of their own for us all.

The danger is two-fold:

• We may find it impossible to consider such ideas without falling into the same trap against which Jesus warns: We may lose heart, grow alarmed, and be filled with dread at what may be coming in the world. Such feelings are counterproductive of the simple faith and childlike trust which Jesus exhorts us to develop.
• The second danger is that we may believe every political prediction we hear — especially the ones which come from other believers. If we put too much stock in ‘the next big thing’ that this one or that one tells us is sure to happen, only to find next month or next year that in fact it hasn’t happened as expected, then we may find ourselves disappointed, or even disillusioned. In such a state we may move to the other side of the spectrum, telling ourselves, or others: ‘How can we believe anything that anyone says about coming events?’ Or even worse, we may think, or say: ‘Since many predictions haven’t come to pass, and so many things continue on more or less the same year after year, how can we even believe the Bible anymore?’

A much better course is this:

1. Don’t get carried away with every ‘wind of teaching, or doctrine’ (Eph 4:14), especially when it is stirred up by speculative prophetic interpretations. Keep in mind that many faithful believers lived and died without ever knowing what some Bible student at the present time may think is terribly important to understand.
2. Keep everything in perspective. When someone says, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen next’, don’t get agitated. Take a deep breath, and wait a while to con­sider how much sense this new idea makes. Study to see how it fits alongside the basic truths of the Bible.
3. Remember: Many righteous people in the past have been surprised by how and when Bible prophecies came to be fulfilled in their day. It is not a sin to understand prophecy only after it has been fulfilled. By the time we all stand before Jesus Christ, it will make no difference whether we got all our details right as to how and when Bible prophecy was to be fulfilled.
4. Above all else: Don’t worry! If the best way to avoid worry is not to think about the latest rumor, fear, or perceived threat to the world that some brother tells you about, then by all means don’t feel guilty. Just smile and ignore what he has to say.

The great scientist and Bible scholar Isaac Newton wrote: “The folly of interpreters has been to foretell times and things by this prophecy [the Book of Revelation], as if God designed it to make them prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the prophecy also into contempt. The design of God was much otherwise. He gave this and the prophecies of the Old Testament, not to gratify men’s curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event; and His own providence, not the interpreter’s wisdom, might be then manifested thereby to the world.”

Again, concerning the book of Revelation, its objective can be stated quite suc­cinctly: “The theme of the Book of Revelation is simple enough. Regardless of disasters, despite sufferings, in spite of the seeming victories of the gross and the wicked, there is a power in righteousness that will ultimately prevail. It is a frivol­ity to scan through the pages of the Apocalypse for hints and clues as to the likely date of doomsday, when the real point of the Book is not the date itself, but the urgent need to straighten up while there is still time!”

Finally, we would also do well to remember Paul’s great words of assurance:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… I am convinced that neither death nor life… neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35,38,39).