Man’s Arrogance

Man builds a house in a flood plain, then gets wiped out when the torrential rains come.  What does he do?   Rebuilds, of course.  In the same spot.  After all, it certainly wouldn’t happen twice, would it?

Man also gives predictions.  The end times are a classic example of man’s arrogance.  He will sit and calculate when he thinks the end will come.  Who doesn’t want to make a name for himself by announcing to the world when this will end?  Even if it happened when he proclaimed, who’s going to seek him out to congratulate him?  If we won’t be here, then there won’t exactly be any back-slapping and accolades.

End time predictions date back to 66-70 A,D. when some viewed the Jewish uprising as the actual final battle that would usher in the Messiah.  Some three hundred years later a French Bishop predicted it would be that year.  Over the centuries there have been – according to the divisions of the centuries and my count of those listed – over 170 attempts at predicting this event.  There are (according to Wikipedia) five dates yet future to us but still in our millennium.  Interestingly, there are also 12 listed in the FAR future (300,000 – 2 billion years from now).  These concern “super-nova explosions, carbon dioxide starvation” and other scientific calculations that are light years away from my ability to comprehend.  As to those 170+, some are repeat predictors (Harriet Livermore, Herbert W. Armstrong, Harold Camping, for example).  These are those who offered their ideas, then said, “Oops,” and did some “recalculating”, as your Garmin used to do when you took a wrong turn.

It even goes beyond that.  Jerusalem real estate agent Sarah Eiferman once said, “When He comes, we will know.”  It turns out many leases there require tenants to vacate apartments once the Messiah comes back so that owners can enjoy the “world to come.”  It’s called a “Messiah clause”.  Since He goes to “prepare a place for you” (John 14:2-3), is this really necessary?

Some of this is based on the idea professed by a checkout counter “newspaper” which purports:  “Inquiring minds want to know.”  But, as Yogi Berra once said:  “Predictions are dangerous; especially predictions about the future.”

Have you ever wondered about taggers?  Those who spray paint their artwork on train cars or block walls?  Their art is often quite good.  So, why not use it for something constructive?  In the same way, then, rather than fussing over when Jesus will return, why not use the time we have to pray and share with others about this Jesus we know?

“No man knows the day or the hour…”  (Matthew 24:36)

“You, too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”  (Luke 12:40)

“Make the most of every opportunity…”  (Colossians 4:5)