Well, it looks like the stock market has stabilized and the world economies are -if not “stable” at least doing more of a teetering motion instead of a free-fall. So all the talk of Doomsday seems a bit premature now doesn’t it?

Well yes actually -and uh no. It appears at this moment that the world, our economy, and all that jazz is poised to muddle along for perhaps years. And this isn’t a surprise, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if all of a sudden things went south again.

Americans especially, but most of us in this modern age in general, tend to expect things to happen quickly. We want a microwave God. Say a prayer, 30 seconds later, out comes a steaming hot answer. Someone points out a “sign of the time” and we’re thinking that Jesus should return in the time it takes to defrost a steak. Maybe two.

But you know, it just doesn’t work like that in the Bible. God told Abraham he’d have a son, and it was what? Something like 25 years later? I mean, I’m pretty sure by year 2 1/2 all of us would have given up on the promise. By year 15, we’re atheists. “Where’s that son God??? Huh??? Hellooooooo?? I must have been hearing things….”

And that’s nothing. There are some prophecies in the Bible that took centuries to finish. Some thousands of years. Some aren’t finished yet.

After all, the Bible did remind people:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. -II Peter 3:8-9

So you know, an eternal God… pretty much doesn’t look at the passage of time the same way we do. I mean, if you lived forever, that means when 1 million years have passed, you still have just as much time left. That’s just weird isn’t it? Time means nothing. What’s another 100 years? That’s like a second to you.

So even though some like to take these verses and work out some mathematical formula for the end of the world, the context of the verse is simply that with God… patience might mean a LOT of years. At least, it’s a lot to us, but to God, it’s nothing. He’s ETERNAL.

So if you’re David Wilkerson, who recently came out saying he had a vision that New York City would be in flames and that this economic crisis is the hand of God’s judgment… It still doesn’t mean that it’s all going to happen in MY lifetime, even if the vision is correct! In my opinion, David should be more careful with the time frame predictions since he admits he doesn’t know when. With God, it may be awhile.

After all, Isaiah once prophesied to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7 that the nations who were conspiring against him would not succeed. Isaiah wrote:

“Within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.”
-Isaiah 7:8

Sixty-five years! I mean, if God told that to me, I’d be thinking… ok… but that makes me 105 God, and hey, haven’t you seen me drive? No way am I living THAT long!

But in the scope of world history, 65 years is nothing. In the scope of eternity, it’s an instant.

God isn’t slow. We just don’t live all that long. Even if we’re really close, we could miss it.

So what WAS this economic crisis (or what IS it) in light of the Bible and Bible prophecy? It was/is a birth pang. Here’s what I mean:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. -I Thessalonians 5:1-3

Clearly, the warning is that it will come suddenly, so the need to be ready just in case Christ does come back, is always there -whether it turns out to be the time, or not. When a tornado siren goes off, usually a tornado doesn’t hit your house. In fact, there’s no guarantee a tornado will EVER hit your house. But we still head to the basement because if it does and we’re watching tv in the living room, we’ll wake up either in Heaven or in Joe Bob’s back forty next to a bewildered cow.

The thing with Bible prophecy is, however, that one day it will hit home. The guarantee is that one day it really will happen. And it will happen suddenly, catching people flat-flooted. That should be a sobering enough thought but notice the final description: it will be like “birth pangs.”

Birth pangs come in waves. They tend to get worse. They may go on and on for hours, but eventually the birth pangs end with the “event.” And the Scripture here says the end will arrive in much the same way. In fact, a study of the Old Testament prophets will also show the same type of thing. God often sends smaller judgments before the big one, much like smaller earthquakes can preceed the big one.

Why? So people will turn to Him. It’s that patient thing, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentence stuff.

So right now, that’s where I believe the world is. We’ve gone through a birth pang with our economy and the entire world came close to financial collapse. That wave seems to have subsided for awhile. Good! Praise the Lord!

The end is still to come. How soon that is, remains to be seen, but don’t forget the next verse in I Thessalonians:

But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. -I Thessalonians 5:4

In other words, no excuse for not being ready. You’ll hear the sirens occasionally if you listen.