2012 Doomsday: From God’s Perspective

What does God say about 2012 Doomsday? If you really want to know, the answer is found within the pages of His Holy Bible. As with any almighty “question and answer” quiz, God has given us His Holy Word as your sovereign resource for and in all things. Who will you trust as all-knowing? Gandhi? Joyce Meyer? Billy Graham? Oprah? Dr. Phil? Merlin the Magician? The Oracle of Delphi? Dead Mayans? Nostradamus? Me? The LORD our God?

If certain soothsayers are accurate with their predictions, this spells “Good News” for the Christian. But, what if somehow God has slipped and changed His mind about the end times? What if somehow one of these human predictors have pulled a fast one on God by gaining God’s sovereignty? Well, one thing is for sure; if December 2012 proves to be the end of the world as we know it, then let us who have accepted Christ rejoice; we are coming home!

The 2012 Doomsday prophesy has many origins. The most well know is that of the belief based on the Mayan Calendar. It is believed that the Mayan calendar was more accurate than our own and was able to accurately predict eclipses several thousand years before they occurred. The calendar ends a 5,125 year long cycle on December 21, 2010 which coincides with the winter solstice leading to this end of the world theory.

Other theories which point to the end of the world as we know it include: Sybilline Prophecies, the Pythian Prophecies, the I-Ching Prophecies, the Mayan Prophecies,  “Merlin” Prophecies, and the modern day Web-bot project which uses the internet to make its predictions. All claim that the world will end on or near December 21, 2010.

Besides this doomsday prophecy, our society has a fascination with various degrees of the occult which includes astrology, fortune telling, palm reading, crystals, channeling, spirituality, new age practices, witchcraft and others. And Satan is behind all of them.

What Does God Say About All This?

A Dangerous Fascination (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)

Just as most of us are naturally curious about a magician’s trick, the Israelites were curious about the occult practices of the Canaanites.  Because Satan was involved in these practices, God warned Israel to avoid them.  People today are still fascinated by horoscopes fortune-telling, witchcraft and cults.  Often their interest comes from a desire to know and control the future. But the information Satan offers is likely to be distorted or completely false.  With the trustworthy guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures and the church, we don’t need to turn to occult sources for information.

⁹ “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. ¹⁰ For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, ¹¹ or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. ¹³ But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)

Just Say No to the Occult (Leviticus 20:6)

Everyone is interested in what the future holds. We often look to others for guidance.  But God warned the Israelites against looking to the occult for advice.  Mediums and psychics were outlawed because God was not the source of their information. At best, occult practitioners are fakes whose predictions cannot be trusted. At worst, they are in contact with evil spirits and are thus extremely dangerous. We don’t need to look to the occult for information about the future. God has given us the Bible-a trustworthy source-for guidance. Is it your one-stop wisdom check?

² “Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death. ³ I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech. ⁴ And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them, ⁵ I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech. ⁶ “I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. (Leviticus 20:2-6)

Star Charts (Jeremiah 10:1-5)

Everyone would like to know the future. Decisions would be easier, failures avoided, and success assured. The people of Judah tried to figure out the future by reading signs in the sky (like horoscopes). Jeremiah’s response applies today: God made the stars that people consult. God, who promises to guide you, knows your future and will be with you all the way. Don’t trust the stars; trust the One who made them.

¹ Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! ² This is what the Lord says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them. ³ Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. ⁴ They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. ⁵ Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” (Jeremiah 10:1-5)

Acting on What’s Right (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

Although Saul had banned all mediums and psychics from Israel, he turned to one in desperation.  Likewise, we may make a great show of denouncing something that we know is wrong. Yet if our heart doesn’t change, we may find ourselves doing what we said was wrong. Knowing what is right and condemning what is wrong does not take the place of doing what is right.

³ Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.  ⁴ The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. ⁶ He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. ⁷ Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”  

His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.” ⁸ So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.  “I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?” ⁹ “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”

¹⁰ But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”

¹¹ Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?” “Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

 ¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

¹³ “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”  “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” Saul asked. “He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.

¹⁵ “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul. “Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶ But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? ¹⁷ The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. ¹⁸ The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. ¹⁹ What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”

²⁰ Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.

²¹ When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, “Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life. ²² Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”

²³ But Saul refused. The men who were with him also urged him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴ The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread. ²⁵ She brought the meal to Saul and his men, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night. (1 Samuel 28:3-25)

The Power of His Name (Acts 19:13-19)

The sons of Sceva were impressed by Paul, whose power to cast out demons came from the Holy Spirit.  This power obviously was greater than theirs. They discovered the hard way that Jesus’ name could not be used like a magic charm. No person can control or duplicate God’s power. Only through a relationship with Jesus-one sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit-can one experience the power of God.

¹³ A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

 ¹⁷ The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. ¹⁸ Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. ¹⁹ A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. (Acts 19:13-19)

God’s Infallible Commands

God’s position on this subject has always been the same; so much so, He inspired Jeremiah, Moses, Isaiah, Micah, and others to be clear about His commands pertaining to the occult and knowing the exact date of the end times.

² This is what the Lord says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.  ³ Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. (Jeremiah 10:2-3)

“Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.” (Leviticus 19:26)

Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? (Isaiah 8:19 – 19) 

Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger. (2 Kings 21:6)

I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers. (Micah 5:12)

King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?” (2 Kings 9:22)

¹⁰ For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, ¹¹ or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12 10)

Christian Conclusion

For centuries people have looked everywhere outside of God’s word to find guarantees and certainties to what the future holds. The idol worship of the Old Testament mirrors our current day practices from horoscopes to tarot card readings to psychic hot lines to playing with Ouija boards along with a myriad of occult practices. Those who believe that they are  simply dabbling are proclaiming their lack of faith and belief in our one true Sovereign God. One must remember, at the end of the day, that each of us will stand, individually, before the Lord our God according to Revelation 20:13 which states, ” And all were judged according to their deeds.”

Our unchanging God makes it perfectly clear that he does not want us to know the future. This should be good enough for all of us unless in our arrogance we believe that we know something that God doesn’t. Therefore,  though you may believe these things to be innocent and harmless,  anything which turns your focus from the Lord is rooted in evil and can lead directly to Hell! Satan’s “purpose is to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

 And finally, what is it we are looking for really? If we knew what the future held would it really have a positive effect on our lives? Would we live differently? When one attempts to find answers outside of God’s word, what they are really saying is that God does not have the answer or that He cannot be trusted.

We live in a volatile world with no guarantees. But one thing we can count on is God’s promise in Malachi 3:6, which states “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That is one promise of the future we can always count on.

May almighty God bless you always,

Tony

Tony Marino
Founder, Executive Publisher
http://www.ChristianTimesNewsletter.com

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