Questions and Answers #4 (When will the world end?)

Question: A lot of people have been saying that judgement day is near because of all the natural disasters happening around the world. I know this probably isn't right, but i cant help feeling that i'm not ready for the world to end just yet. When do you think judgement day will be? Is there any chance it could be in the near future? i'm really worried because i'm still a teenager and thought that i still had years and years ahead of me, but now it seems i don't.


Great question, thanks for posting.


I was eating at a burger place in Subiaco the other day. The guy who was bringing out the burgers came up to me and my friends and asked us "what are you guys doing tonight? Didn't you hear the world is going to end? (he said sarcastically). I hadn't heard much about it but as I read the news and spoke to people I found out that an American man had predicted the world would end last night. He and his followers had spent a lot of money on advertising and billboards to let people know the end of the world was coming. (See this article for more info http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/05/21/doomsday/index.html  ) Clearly this guy was wrong but it does make us ask the question when will the world end? And will it even end at all? As always the Bible has answers to life's big questions (though often the answers may not be what we want to hear).

The reality is that this question goes further than the end of the world. If we are young and think we have years ahead of us then the end of the world should not be the only thing that we are concerned about. I don't want to scare you but the reality is we all will eventually die. Even if the end of the world doesn't happen in the next week, it is possible any of us could die in the next week. It does and can happen to anyone, it may sound emo but it is a healthy thing to realise you are mortal (especially when you are young). Why is it important? Because we all need to be ready to meet our maker. So if life is so uncertain and if our lives or the world could end how should Christians think about the future?

The basic answer the Bible gives to Christians is that they should be alert but not alarmed. Why should we be alert? Because we don't know when the end of the world (Matthew 24:42-44) or when our deaths (Ecclesiastes 8:7-8) will occur. Jesus describes disasters and wars as birth pains but the end of the world will come like a thief in the night, we won't expect it. We should be alert because our death and the end of the world will come at God's appointed time and we won't know when that is. As Jesus says "can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:27). None of us can stop death or the worlds destruction but we need to be ready for these things because they will eventually happen. 

So how do we get ready? Well Christians are already ready. We have put our trust in the death of the Lord Jesus to save us. We know he is the risen king over all and has granted us eternal life. Whether Jesus returns to end the world or whether we die, we have confidence that we will go to be with him for a joyful, glorious eternity. As Paul says in Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!" As Paul lives whether in suffering or comfort he lives for Christ. He lives seeking to please Jesus. He lives to  encourage and build Jesus' church. Paul is also confident that when he dies he will be with Christ (the best place he could possibly be). We need to rejoice and trust in the hope we have in Jesus. We stay alert but continuing to remember who we are in Jesus and where we are going. 

For non-Christians the message is a different. The message is be alarmed and get alert. Non Christians should fear the fact that they will have to meet their maker one day. If they reject Jesus they face eternal destruction more horrible than they could ever imagine. If there are any non Christians out there, I don't say this to scare the hell out of you, I say this to scare you out of hell. Make sure your trust is in Jesus and that you follow him as Lord. But to the Christians it is important that we keep remembering what we will have when Jesus returns or when we die will be better than anything we have now. At one level we should want the world to end sooner because it is good for us, at another level we should want it to be delayed so that more will be saved (In 2 Peter 3:8-10 God himself delays judgement so people can be saved). We have to hold these two truths in tension.

If you are worried that you will miss out on doing certain things because the world is ending than I would ask what is it that you are looking forward to? Is it things in this world? Don't set your desire on good things set them on the best things, heavenly things! 2 Peter 3 is one of the best chapters of the Bible you can read on the end of the world and what you should do waiting for it. For Christians we should use our time serving, following and getting to know Jesus, this is the best thing that has eternal value.

Answer in summary:

• We can't know when the world will end or when we will die
• We need to be ready to meet our maker
• Christians are ready because Jesus has saved them by making God their friend and heaven their home
• Non Christians should be alarmed and get ready by trusting in Jesus and repenting (turning to Jesus)
• Our future should change the way we live know, we live valuing what Jesus values