Some residents of San Antonio, Texas, who saw a strange sight in the sky, believed the end of the world might be near. During a recent thunderstorm, rain was falling, when suddenly a bright white stroke of lightning flashed to the ground. Immediately afterward, a dark gray cloud mushroomed 50 feet off the ground. As people in the city’s northeast side watched the cloud became a perfect ring of black smoke.

Yolanda Young saw the ring of black smoke. She told a local television station, “I looked out and saw a black trail of smoke and above it was this complete black smoke ring. It was rising higher and getting stretched out.” One of Young’s co-workers grabbed a camera and took pictures of the strange ring in the sky. Young said, “We joked with each other about it being a ‘sign from God. Revelation was here.’”

The television station looked into the strange ring and discovered that lightning had struck an electrical transformer. People saw the aftermath of the resulting explosion and fire. The National Weather Service assured the people of San Antonio that it was not the end of the world, but they admitted that capturing such an unusual sight on film was very rare.

—aol.com, Mysterious Smoke Ring: New Details Emerge, July 14, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise fist. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

I suppose that one of the difficulties police face in chasing criminals during a high-speed pursuit is anticipating where they are going to turn and being in position to follow them. The Flathead County sheriff's office didn't have that impediment as they chased down 28-year old Oliver Pearson, as he was kind enough to signal before he turned. When they finally apprehended him, they charged him with a "probation violation, assaulting a police officer, eluding and having no insurance or driver's license."

—http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&e=1&u=/ap/20050209/ap_on_fe_st/chase_signals Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

When it comes to the end times, we have the same advantage as these police officers had. Satan is signaling his turns—we know what he is doing. But really, we have greater advantages than they because we know what the ultimate outcome will be.

James 5:8 (NKJV) "You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

When will the end of the world occur? A new motion picture entitled, “2012” is the latest attempt to answer that daunting question. The movie provides an account of what might happen on December 21, 2012, which according to some represents the day the world will end. An Internet search reveals over 400 books on the subject and over 7 million websites concerned with the topic. 12/21/2012 is supposedly the last day listed on what is known as the Maya “long count calendar,” regarded by that people as the end of the present cycle of creation.

Archaeologist Guillermo Bernal of Mexico’s National Autonomous University says the fear stems from an inscription on what is known as Monument Six, uncovered during highway construction in the 1960s. The inscription on the Monument is eroded and cracked, but it seems to describe something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving a mysterious Mayan god. Bernal says, along with the date 2012, the inscription seems to say, “He will descend from the sky.”

Though it all sounds spooky, Jose Huchim, a Yucatan Mayan archaeologist, says the descendants of the Mayan people are more concerned with other issues, such a long drought in the area. Huchim says, “If I went to some Mayan-speaking communities and asked people what is going to happen in 2012, they wouldn’t have any idea. That the world is going to end? They wouldn’t believe you. We have real concerns these days, like rain.” 2012 isn’t the end of the world, Mayans insist,

--http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091011/D9B8P09O0.html; October 11, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2012 is just another in a long series of apocalypse myths which include the Harmonic Convergence, the Jupiter effect, and Y2K. We can place our hope in the Lord, who alone knows what will happen tomorrow,

Matthew 24:35-36 (GW) (35) “The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear. (36) “No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don't know. Only the Father knows.”

A somewhat controversial new cosmic theory suggests that the end of the universe might be cataclysmic. The theory expressed by an astronomical study’s lead author Robert Caldwell of Dartmouth University suggests the universe could end as a “phantom energy” eventually rips galaxies, stars, planets, and every speck of matter to pieces. The theory is one possible outcome based on observations indicating the universe is expanding at an ever increasing pace, as if some unknown force were pulling it outward. The force, which has not be defined, is referred to as “dark energy.”

Caldwell and his associates wondered what would happen if the rate of acceleration continued to increase. The result known as the “Big Rip” suggests that the unknown force would eventually overcome the normal effects of gravity even at the local level, and the subatomic forces that hold atoms together resulting in the end of everything. Caldwell says it is like a car accelerating an additional ten miles an hour every mile, then every hundred yards, and then every foot. Eventually, the car would disintegrate because it could not withstand the stress. Caldwell’s team says though the prospect is frightening, the good news is they estimate it will be 20 billion years before the Big Rip occurs.

--The Big Rip: New Theory Ends Universe by Shredding Everything, http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/big_rip_030306.html; March 6, 2003, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Peter 3:10-11 (CEV) “The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. (11) Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live.”

After thousands of birds fell out of the sky on New Year’s Eve followed by a large fish die off nearby, some people began questioning if these events were signs of a coming apocalypse in 2011. Several news organizations quickly located experts to talk about the possibilities. Anderson Cooper decided to seek the views of actor and born-again Christian Kirk Cameron. Since Cameron has appeared in several movies dealing with end times themes, Cooper thought he would provide a unique perspective.

On Cooper’s program, Cameron said he thought concerned reporters might do well to call a veterinarian. He explained that he was not a “conspiracy- theorist-go-to-guy” and added, “I think it’s really kind of silly to try to equate birds falling out of the sky with some kind of end-times theory.” There is a fascination with doomsday predictions these days, but Cameron said he thought birds falling from the sky had more to do with pagan mythology than Biblical prophecy. He said,” People love to find codes and signs of future events and see if they can decipher them before anybody else.” The father of six said he was not happy with the current state of the country and planning his own journey to retrace the steps of the pilgrims. He said, “If America is a ship, it looks a lot like it’s sinking, financially, morally, spiritually. “ He said though things are frightening, the pilgrims “left us some clues to get us back to the real treasure of America and get the ship righted again.”

-- Kirk Cameron: Dead Birds aren’t the end of the world, http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/08/kirk-cameron-dead-birds-arent-the-end-of-the-world; January 5, 2011; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Jeremiah 6:16 (HCSB) “This is what the LORD says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, ‘We won’t!’”

Recent world events, including massive earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and violence, and even fear of nuclear disaster have prompted an increase in the sales of underground bunkers. Companies that sell what could be called “doomsday shelters.” Northwest Shelter Systems which offers bunkers ranging from $200,000 to $20 million says sales have surged 70 percent in recent days. Normally the company sells 4 shelters a year. So far this year they have contracts to build 12.
The Vivos Company sells rooms in 200 person doomsday bunkers that come equipped with a bakery, dental facilities, pet kennels, and a detention center. The company is the process of building a facility in the grasslands of Nebraska. The 137,000 square foot facility can house 950 people for one year, and will withstand up to a 50 megaton atomic blast. Vivos CEO Robert Vicino says millions of people believe in a literal apocalypse, His company simply offers s way to help people feel secure. He said,”People are afraid of the earth-changing events and ripple effects of the earthquake which led to tsunamis, the nuclear meltdown and which will lead to radiation and health concerns.” He added,” Where it ends, I don’t know.”

--Sales of luxe doomsday bunkers up 1000%, March 23, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 24:6-8 (CEV) (6) You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. (7) Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. (8) But this is just the beginning of troubles.

As December 2012 approaches, many fear that ancient Mayan Prophecies predict the end of the world is right around the corner. Recently, experts in Mayan culture and history gathered to ease fears by announcing that the ancient Mayans never predicted a world apocalypse in 2012. They say the fury was started by a book published in 1987 which predicting “the end of time as we know it.” The spawned hundreds of theorists speculating on what cataclysmic events might be in store for the human race. Experts meeting recently to clarify the truth said 2012 merely marks the end of one period of creation and the beginning of another in the Mayan calendar.

The researchers say a rash of messianic thinking in the West has distorted the worldview of many ancient cultures such as the Mayans. They say the Mayan calendar is divided into 394 year time periods. Mayans believed the number 13 was sacred, and 2012 merely marks the end of the 13th time period. Erik Velasquez, an etching specialist said, “We have to be clear about this. There is no prophecy for 2012. It’s a marketing fallacy.” One of his associates, Alfonso Ladena, from Complutense University of Madrid, added, “The Maya did not think about humanity, global warming, or predict the poles would fuse together. We project our worries on them.”

--Mayans never predicted the world to end in 2012 – experts; http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE7B112M20111202, December 2, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Acts 1:6-7 (GW) So when the apostles came together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (7) Jesus told them, “You don't need to know about times or periods that the Father has determined by his own authority.

News reports indicating the Mayan calendar is scheduled to run out at the end of 2012, has many people around the world concerned that the world could end within their lifetime. A new survey found almost 15 per cent of people worldwide believe the world could end in their lifetime, and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could mean it will happen this year. Responses to the international poll of over 16,000 people in 20 countries varied widely. Only six percent of the residents of France believed the end of the world was at hand, while 22 percent of residents of Turkey and the United States thought Armageddon was right around the corner. Numbers were slightly less in South Africa, with Belgium and Great Britain coming in at around 7 to 8 percent of the population holding those beliefs.

Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Public Affairs, which conducted the poll said they found on average about one in ten people globally said they were anxious or afraid about the impending end of the world in 2012. Gottfried said people with lower education or household income levels, and those under the age of 35 are more likely to believe in an apocalypse either this year or in their lifetime. She explained, “Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming.”

--One in seven thinks end of the world is coming: poll, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-mayancalendar-poll-idUSBRE8400XH20120501 ; May 1, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 24:4-6 (GNB) Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come.

In February, 2013 a meteor about 55 feet in diameter flashed across the morning sky over Chelyabinsk in Russia’s Ural Mountains and then it exploded like a bomb about 20 miles up. The shock wave blew out windows and doors and injured 1,200 people.

On the same day an asteroid 150 feet in diameter passed close by the Earth’s surface, only 17,000 miles away. NASA estimates that there are about 4,700 similarly sized asteroids close enough to Earth to strike us and cause major damage.

Timothy Spahr of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics says we shouldn’t worry. “The odds of an extinction-level impact within the next century are vanishingly low, and the odds are thousands-to-one against even a midsize asteroid impact.”

For Christians, the odds are 100% that life on earth will not be destroyed until it is God’s time. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 24:29 (ESV) “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Ellen DeGeneres recently purchased a Los Angeles mansion for $40 million. A source says Ellen is totally freaked out by strange noises in the mansion, including footsteps, doors opening and closing, and a woman crying. “DeGeneres suspects the property is haunted by its former owner and . . . . plans to hire a spiritualist to conduct a cleansing ceremony.”

People can be deeply spiritual, but still not know the truth. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

1 Timothy 4:1-4 (HCSB) (1) Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, (2) through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. (3) They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth. (4) For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,