Is this the end of the world?

As the year 2,000 approaches, more and more people are asking, Will this be the end of the world? Various movements have proclaimed that there will be an apocalyptic judgement for the ways in which we have strayed from the truth. Some groups, such as the group organised by David Koresh, actively pursue this apocalyptic cataclysm (in 1993 Koresh and more than 70 other members of his militant Christian cult died during an FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound following the cult’s murder of four law enforcement officials - Ed). Other groups speak of three days of darkness which will precede the end. What is going on?

The End of the Millennium

The end of an era always provokes a certain amount of introspection and concern. When someone turns 20 or 30 or 40 or so, she asks herself, What have I accomplished, how much longer do I have to live, etc.? This is also true of the end of a century and especially the end of a millennium.

This natural tendency is reinforced by some passages in the Book of Revelation which speak of a 1,000 year period which will precede the Final Judgement. From the earliest days of the Church, there have been those who have interpreted this 1,000 year period literally. When the year 1,000 approached, a great apocalyptic fervour arose among the faithful. Many people claimed that they had received a special revelation from the Holy Spirit. Groups moved into isolated places to await the return of the Lord.

Something similar seems to be happening today. Many people claim to have received a special revelation, but this time many of these revelations are said to come from the Blessed Virgin Mary (possibly due to the influence of the Holy Father who has a strong Marian devotion. This is not to say that all of these apparitions are suspect, but some of them are.) We live in a time of chaos which makes us conclude, if things continue in this way, there will be hell to pay! But is the end of the world at hand?

The Book of Revelation

Let us look at the Book of Revelation to see exactly what is said about the millennium. In Chapter 19 forward, we hear that Jesus will defeat Satan in a great battle after which He will reign for 1,000 years. During that millennial period, Satan will be imprisoned. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released, and will lead an army of evil against God and His saints. A great battle will be fought, and the forces of evil totally defeated. Satan and all of our enemies (e.g. death) will be thrown into hell forever, and this present world will come to an end. There will be a great judgement and those found worthy will be invited to live forever in the new heavens and the new earth which will replace the old, flawed creation which has passed away.

Some fundamentalist sects interpret these verses quite literally in spite of the fact that the Book of Revelation is highly symbolic. They combine this passage with some teachings offered by St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians to produce an interesting image of the end times. In 1 Thessalonians, one hears that, at the end of time, those who are dead will rise from their graves for the final judgement while those who are still alive will be caught up into the clouds to be with Jesus. This is called the rapture.

Fundamentalist groups often claim that they are the ones who will be caught up into the clouds. There they will reign with Jesus for 1,000 years while the rest of us are stuck down here on the earth. One occasionally sees bumper stickers which proclaim, Caution, in case of rapture this car will have no driver. Is this what Paul meant?

Paul was writing to a community which he had evangelised. The problem was that he had spent a relatively short time with them when he was forced to travel to his next destination due to persecution. He did not have enough time to share all of the truths of the faith. One thing he did share with them, however, was that the end of the world was at hand. Paul believed that it would arrive within a matter of months or at most a few years. After Paul had left Thessalonica, a member of the community passed away. The members of that community were now confused. They were worried that maybe this person would miss out on God’s reward because he or she had passed away before Jesus had returned in glory.

Paul wrote them that they should not worry about this. He told them that on the last day the dead would rise from the grave. This was their main concern: that those who had died before the Last Day would miss out on their eternal reward. Almost as an afterthought, Paul then speaks of those who are still alive when Jesus returns. They would not have to die. Rather, they would be caught up into the clouds. This expression, caught up into the clouds, was a way of saying that they would be with Jesus in heaven. Paul was not saying that only some of those alive would be ‘raptured’. Rather, he is saying that everyone would meet Jesus before whom they would be judged. The fundamentalist proposal that rapture is a limited affair is simply wrong.

The 1,000 Year Reign

What about the 1,000 year reign with Jesus? All numbers found in the Book of Revelation are symbolic. Seven, for example, signifies perfection. The number four signifies the four corners of the earth. The number twelve refers to the Patriarchs of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament. The number 1,000 means a long time. It should not be interpreted literally; it is simply a way of saying that no one knows how long the reign will last, but it seems as if it will last a good long time.

Furthermore, the reign of Jesus and His saints has a symbolic meaning. Jesus is the King who reigns from a cross and who wears a crown of thorns. His reign is not one of power but rather one of love. Jesus’ reign began with his death and resurrection. Thus, the millennium has already begun and we are presently living in it (but remember not a 1,000 year millennium but one that will last a good long time). We reign with Jesus when we take up our crosses and love as much as He loved. Thus, we are already reigning with Jesus.

What about the devil being imprisoned for 1,000 years and then released? Satan was defeated when Jesus died on the cross. In a sense, he was thrown into prison. And yet, in spite of the fact that he was defeated, he still seems to have some power, for we still sin. Thus, at the end of time there must be another defeat of Satan, for Satan will have no place in heaven. That is why this book speaks of that second battle at the end of time when Satan will be definitively defeated.

To summarise this teaching, we are already reigning with Christ when we die to selfishness and take up our crosses out of love for Him. Satan has been defeated by the love of Jesus on the cross, but he still seems to have some influence, so there will be a second defeat after which Satan will never be able to tempt us again.

The Plagues

In addition to this millennium, the Book of Revelation is often cited for its list of plagues that will afflict the earth before the last day. People try to identify natural disasters with one or another of the plagues. Yet, the plagues were not intended to refer to this or that event. They were purposely described in vague terms so that they could apply to any disaster in any age. We are always having earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wars, etc. The sun often turns black (eclipse), the moon red (harvest moon) and stars fall from the sky (meteors). The message of the plagues is that whenever any of these things happen, they should warn us to be ready for the end (our own personal death or the end of the world). We just never know. A plaque hung in many sacristies might be a valuable reminder: Priest of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass. The Book of Revelation is saying, live today as if it were your first day, your last day, your only day. Time is precious, so today is the day to convert our hearts and our lives. Nothing is quite as sad as being at a funeral home and hearing someone say that he wished he had made up with the deceased earlier but now it is too late. We cannot afford to wait till tomorrow because we really do not know if we will have a tomorrow. Today is all that we have, and we must use it well.

Repent

So ultimately, the end could come anytime. The year 2,000 is one possibility, as is 1999, as is 2001. But as Jesus warns us, beware of those people who say, ‘the time has come.‘ (Lk 21,8)

Besides, if one wants accuracy on this question, there is a little discrepancy in our calendar which puts things in perspective. The man who invented our calendar, Stephen the Short, made a mistake when he calculated the birth date of Jesus. He meant for Jesus to be born in the year 0, but he was 6 years off in his calculation. According to his calendar, Jesus was actually born in 6 BC. If that is true, then the 2nd millennium actually ended on 31 December 1993.

This does not mean that we should not look at our lives and bring them closer to the Gospel. As we approach the year 2,000, we should attempt more and more to use this occasion to review our lives and convert our ways (just as we would on our 40th, 50th or 60th birthdays). But if the end does not come in 2,000 (and the odds point in that direction), then we should not allow ourselves to be disillusioned. If we have made our lives more loving, then certainly nothing is lost. The end will come when it will, but in the meantime we can live God’s love more and more.