The Doomsday Clock
There are some things in life that you didn't know you needed to be concerned about. For instance, as I did some online research for the sermon this Sunday, I found out that there is an official "Doomsday Clock" which is set by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Who knew? In January of 2018, they moved the clock from 2 1/2 minutes to midnight to just 2 minutes away from midnight. Midnight symbolically stands for the end of the world . . . of course.
The furthest it has ever been away from midnight is 17 minutes, after the Cold War ended. And the closest it has ever been . . . are you ready for this . . . is right now - 2 minutes to Midnight. What this means is that they think we as humans are closer to destroying ourselves in some apocalyptic event brought on by nuclear war and global climate change than we have ever been before. Well, technically, they thought we were this close back in 1953, as well, when both Russia and the U.S. were racing for nuclear weapon advancement.
By the way, it is not just scientists who think the world is going to come to a catastrophic end. God tells us, through Peter's pen that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!" (2 Peter 3:10-12, ESV).
But there is a major difference between the outlook of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and the Bible. Though the world will indeed come to a catastrophic end in both views, the facts of future judgment are coupled with hope in the Scriptures. This is seen in Peter's conclusion, where we read, "But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13, ESV).
Every day we draw closer, not to the end of the world but to a glorious new beginning!
The Delphic Oracle
Croesus, the rich King of Lydia who controlled much of Asia Minor, consulted the Oracle at Delphia in the year 549 B.C. to find out if she thought he should attack the Persian King Cyrus. The Oracle said: “If you go to war you will destroy a great empire.”
Encouraged by the Oracle’s response, Croesus marched against the Persians. He was decisively beaten, and the Persians then invaded Lydia and captured its capital, Sardis. Croesus became Cyrus’s prisoner. Croesus sent messengers to the Oracle at Delphi asking why she had deceived him. The priestess replied that he had not been deceived; he had indeed destroyed a great empire .... his own!
Unlike the Delphic Oracle, God's Word speaks plainly of the dangers, risks, and rewards of our actions. Scripture tells us what God does not permit, what are sins, and what we should or should not do. It also implores us to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord. It warns us of what will happen if we don’t, and it tells us how we will live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven if we do!
"As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him" (Psalm 18:30).
The Shadow Of Things To Come
A shadow can give us an indication of who is coming toward us, but it is still just a shadow. The reality is found, not in the shadow but in the person casting the shadow.
Likewise, the Feasts of Isreal provided a foreshadowing of an approaching person, the Messiah of Israel. Each one anticipates some aspect of His arrival and redemptive work.
"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17).