Is the world coming to an end?

Now that many people are living in grave fear and no one is sure of tomorrow, I looked again at my Doctoral thesis that I published as, “Human Life, Here and Hereafter (Eschatology and Anthropology) in 2011. Those who have access to the book could use it for meditation during this period of isolation. This is the time to think about the human person, life on earth and human destiny. It is becoming clear to wise people that if God wants to shut down the world, he can do it in a minute. George A. Maloney says that questions about the end of the world have always intrigued us. We are curious about what the world in the life to come will look like. The end of the world is not tied to some mathematical equation concerning the heat-death of the world that science can predict to us. It is tied intrinsically to our history as parsons who make decisions to live in love or in fear and selfishness; the end of the world is tied not merely to God’s ultimate decree but to our human ability to form free decisions as to the direction of this universe. Thus we may never be able to know when the fullness of this world will come and the transformation of this material existence will move the cosmos into a new spiritual existence (G.A. Maloney, The First Day of Eternity: Resurrection Now (Bangalore: I.J.A. Publications, 2002, Page 165).

Some ecologists maintain that life on this planet will be destroyed by man’s heedlessness while others think that the end of the human world may come about as a result of nuclear and biological war. These at each given moment put fear in the hearts of many that these terrible happenings seem to fulfil apocalyptic prophecies and that the world is coming to an end. The French Revolution and the interest in restoring the Jews after the massacre wrath by Hitler gave rise to end time theology in Europe and America. Ernest R. Sandeen says: “the French Revolution was directly responsible for the revival of prophetic concern. To live through the decade of the 1790s in itself constituted an experience in apocalyptic theology for many of the British. The violent uprooting of European political and social institutions forced many to the conclusion that the end of the world was near (E.R. Sandeen, The Roots of Fundamentalism: British and American Millenarianism, 1800-1930, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970), Page 5).

Richard Kyle says that “in particular, the French Revolution fostered an interest in prophecy. The turbulence of the revolution created an apocalyptic mood, causing many to believe that the end was near. The demolition of Papal power in France was of special interest to Bible scholars in both Britain and America who believed that the Papacy had to be destroyed before the millennium could come (Richard Kyle, The Last Days Are Here Again: A History of the End Times (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1998), Page 87). This strong sense of an approaching end was further heightened when some students of “Bible prophecy” calculated that the Papacy would last 1,260 years and that it was, at last, coming to an end in the late 1700s. This calculation was based on the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation. As for the ten horns; from this kingdom will arise ten kings and another after them; this one will be different from the previous ones and will bring down three kings; he will insult the Most High and torment the holy ones of the Most High. He will plan to alter the seasons and the Law, and the Saints will be handed over to him for a time, two times, and half a time’ (Daniel 7:24-25). The woman was delivered of a boy, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron scepter, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had prepared a place for her to be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days (Revelation 12:5-6).

When Catholic power in France was destroyed during the Revolution and French troops marched on Rome in 1798, many interpreted those events to be the “deadly wound” of Revelation 13 concerning the dragon delegating his power to the beast and the false prophet as the slave of the beast. The Papacy had first emerged in A.D. 553, a date still used by groups such as the Seventh-Day Adventists.  During the early 1800s, numerous sects in Britain split off from the Church of England; most were devoting themselves to the study of biblical prophecy, anticipating the imminent return of Christ to establish the millennial Kingdom. Connections between prophetic passages of Scripture and the apparent demise of the Papacy in 1798 were accepted as keys to understanding other passages of Scripture, especially the apparently unfulfilled Old Testament promises of an earthly kingdom for the Jews. Interest in restoring the nation of Israel eventually resulted in strong support of the Zionist movement, which in turn influenced British and American policies toward the Jews and the nation of Israel (C. E. Olson, Will Catholics be “Left Behind”? San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2003, Pages 152-153).

In 1791, Manuel Lacunza preached that believers would be caught up to meet Christ in the air, where they would somehow remain for forty-five days, after which they would return with him in triumph at the Second Coming. Lacunza declared that the Catholic Priesthood would form the Antichrist, and believed that a new Jewish temple would be built and used in the millennial Kingdom (Olson, 152-153). All these biblical prophetic efforts were a result of the fear that the world was coming to an end. This also gave rise to many Pentecostal Churches whose founders taught that they were preparing their members for the end times. When they waited and the world was still moving on and many of their prophecies were failing, they turned towards the gospel of prosperity for earthly comfort disregarding the way of the cross (via crucis). Recall that Jesus had warned: “Take care that no one deceives you, because many will come using my name and saying, I am the Christ, and they will deceive many” (Matt 24:4-5). This is why the recent attack on the Pope by modern apocalyptic prophets should not surprise anybody. The Church had gone through worst attacks in the middle ages but the Church keep moving and sailing on.

The cosmic events, epidemic and human efforts to terminate life is another cause of worry but the world keeps surviving.  May God still save the world from COVID 19. Nigerians can make jokes and act comedy with any ugly and terrible situation because the poor have developed a thick skin for suffering and deprivations. The present “stay at home” order is akin to the expectation of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Some who have nothing to sustain them for a day wished for death as the only option in a nation that cannot provide electricity for people to store the food that could keep them for 14 days. Those who prefer Europe and America to their native homes can now see the vanity as people now avoid them when they return home. Recall the words in William Butler Yeats’ book.  “The Second Coming”: “Turning and turning in the widening gyre; The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world; The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand (W.B.Yeats, The Second Coming  in C.E. Olson (P.25)). If we survive this Corona virus, may we see the need to fix our nation. Now we know that a time would come when foreign nations will not be safe for us to run to. Let COVID 19 be a call to renew our faith in God and humanity.

Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua is the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC [email protected]) & The Secretary General of the West Africa Inter-Religious Council (WA-IRC – [email protected]).