How should a Christian react to all the doomsday predictions out there?

We find false prophets come up with new 'revelations'. And yet every Christian ought to ponder over the numerous so-called 'revelations' of modern prophets which have never been fulfilled. The beginning of the time of tribulation, for example, or the appearing of the Antichrist or the coming of the Lord have often been falsely 'prophesied' by leaders of various sects. And thousands have left home and family in a false hope - and have been bitterly disappointed! The Word of God, however, does not give us a single clue for such calculations! We ought to expect our Lord at any moment. And yet false prophets repeatedly succeed in deluding even true children of God.

There is another kind of false prophecy which can ensnare the hearts of believers. Sometimes men arise who speak about so-called hidden sins or entanglements of believers and bring real or supposed sins to light. By doing this they appeal to the feelings of many believers and seek to influence them. Often they not only say false things but some true things as well. And so many hardly recognise that they are false prophets.

The Lord Jesus says: 'Beware of false prophets.' The best way to discern the false from the true in spiritual matters is not to know the false but to know the true. The believer does not need to be able to refute every false doctrine, but should turn away as soon as he recognises that there is something that does not glorify his lord and Redeemer. And to recognise a false prophet one must know the features of a true prophet. A true prophet speaks out of communion with God to the hearts and consciences of his listeners. He will lead them into the light of God, to a deeper knowledge of Him and closer fellowship with Him. A prophetic ministry is characterised by ministering 'oracles of God' (1 Pet. 4:11), by reaching the hearts and consciences of the listeners and by working edification, exhortation and comfort or encouragement (1 Cor. 14:3).

"Of that day and hour knoweth no man" — are the solemn words by which the Lord refuses to pledge the moment of His return to His Jewish remnant. Matt. 24:36. That moment is to be to them as the thief of the night, or as the hour of the woman in travail. So as to death. If it come on any of us without a moment's warning, the Lord has not been untrue to any pledge He has given. And so as to the rapture. In no case is the day or the hour pledged or made known. All is included in one word of deep and holy import — "Watch" — and that one word is addressed to all: "What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch."

If He does tarry, and the heart that loves Him finds it long and has need of patience, it is well worth waiting for Him, whatever the delay. "And if he come in the second watch, and come in the third watch, and find [them] thus, blessed are those [bondmen]." At the same time, it is important to add the aspect of His coming for the conscience. The return from the wedding does not present this. "But this know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be digged through." Present ease and unwatchfulness in such a world as this always make the return of the Lord to be more or less unwelcome. The only right attitude for love or conscience is the attitude of watching for Him. "And ye, therefore, be ye ready, for in the hour in which ye do not think [it] the Son of man comes."342

But the word here flowing out of faith in the impending end of all things is, "Be discreet therefore," that is of sound mind spiritually; "and watch," or be sober, "unto prayers:" a very different attitude from absorption in the newspaper, and in each exciting movement west or east, so often to fade and disappoint the superficial readers of prophecy. Hope like faith looks to God, expects in patience, and does not make ashamed. The Christian ought never to forget that he is a Christian, and follows the crucified but glorified One, content — yea rejoicing — to endure till we reign together with Him at His appearing and kingdom. It is not our place to thunder and lighten, as those under the law were bound to do, at the revolt of Israel and at the passing enormities of the Gentile powers. When we are translated, it will be for the godly remnant on earth to take up the cry once more, "How long, Sovereign Master the holy and true, dost not thou judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell upon the earth?" Blessed saints will they be, but no more Christians in the full sense than the O.T. saints before us.

The instructed Christian fully concedes that signs are for the godly Jew, and not for him. No doubt this is so, and were the indications which have been mentioned adverse to the nearness of the coming, instead of for it, the Christian's fidelity to Christ's word would still require him to look with daily expectation for that blessed hope. Moreover, it is important to remember that in expecting the Lord's coming we are looking for a Person, not merely an event. It is a spiritual exercise, not only a mental conviction, and the more spiritual the believer is, the more will his heart he towards Christ, and desirous of His return. What the Lord values is affection for Himself, but the mind may be full of prophetic notions, while the heart has little occupation with Jesus. Still the Christian is not called upon to shut his eyes to the scriptural significance of great world-movements. The Lord rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for being able to discern the face of the sky, and for not discerning the signs of the times (Matt. 16:3). We live at a trying epoch. Nineteen centuries have run, and yet the Lord's coming has not taken place. Not only are unbelieving men saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?" but many believers are wavering, at least so far as to think that it is a mistake to be now looking for the Lord's return. John the Baptist, it will be remembered, after himself accrediting Christ to Israel, was stumbled at appearances on finding that with the great Messiah's presence he was left in prison; and so does the faith of weak believers sometimes waver. The Lord, in reply to John's messengers, gave the gentle rebuke, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." At the same time He pointed John to signs (Matt. 11:1-6). Similarly now, He providentially allows to the wavering disciple a pre-manifestation of movements which are to mature after the Rapture. This might not have been so, and faith would still have been governed by Christ's word simply. But, equally, faith will not refuse the comfort and aid of such confirmations as may be providentially placed before us. Possibly they may be intended to stir afresh the expectation and hope of Christ's coming. What if they should be an intimation to us that that coming is now near at hand?

There are certainly sure signs that we are in the last days, but these are not "wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes in divers places and famines and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs" (Luke 21). All these are to take place before the Appearing of the Lord in His glory and have nothing to do with the coming of the Lord for His Church. Some have allowed their imagination to run riot as to such things and as to sensational events in the political world. So, in the rise of Mussolini, and the efforts of the League of Nations, they have seen the Beast of Revelation 13 and the ten kingdoms. It is a superficial knowledge of Scripture that leads them into these errors, and the inability to rightly divide the word of truth.

We want no more. If any one presumes to come with a fresh revelation, with some new truth not contained in the divine Volume, we must judge him and his communication by the standard of scripture and reject them utterly. "Thou shalt not be afraid of him." False prophets come with great pretensions, high-sounding words and sanctimonious bearing. Moreover they seek to surround themselves with a sort of dignity, weight and impressiveness which are apt to impose on the ignorant. But they cannot stand the searching power of the word of God. Some simple clause of holy scripture will strip them of all their imposing surroundings, and cut up by the roots their wonderful revelations. Those who know the voice of the true Prophet will not listen to any other; those who have heard the voice of the good Shepherd will not listen to the voice of a stranger.

We add, as a sample of the way in which the New Testament treats the subject of the Lord's coming, and as a passage, moreover, of the deepest practical importance, our Lord's words to His disciples in Mark 13:33-37: "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house comes, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." What can be more striking or impressive than this passage? Christ's people are represented as servants, whose master has gone on a far journey, having previously made every arrangement for the well-being of his household, giving every man his work, and setting the porter to watch. The time of the master's return is unknown — but all are to be in constant readiness. By night and by day each one is to be at his post and awaiting his master's return. And lest any private or exclusive application of this should he made, our Lord concludes by saying, "What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch."

Don't interpret the Bible by world-events: let the Bible interpret world events. God is giving His longterm reality of what He is going to do, whereas we can only see the short-term variations in world politics and events. However, some world events in the light of prophecy will prove to be very interesting!

Our Lord would have us "watch" as well as "wait" for His coming. Both imply spiritual activity. Waiting souls are certainly not sleeping; for waiting according to our Lord's mind must be with girded loins, diligence in His service, and lights burning, thus bearing clear testimony to Him in the power of the Holy Spirit during the darkness of the night.