How to prepare
So, if you cannot read the road sign and do not know how to find it on the map, it is necessary to get help from those who can. Likewise, there are people who do not read the bible; even if they read it, they do not understand, and they do not listen to world news either. This article is written for these people.
Three ages
World calendar or planner has already been written in advance in the Bible. God said, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." (Isaiah 46:10) Therefore, we need to explore the world calendar in the Bible. The time as we know in this world from beginning to end is divided into three ages. They are: Pre-flood Age, Present Age, and Millennial Age.
From the beginning of creation until Noah's flood was known as Pre-flood Age or Antediluvian. That time was much better than now because human lifespan was more than 900 years.
From the time of the flood until Christ's second coming is called the Present Age. This age is bad because not only has human lifespan been reduced to seventy years, but also human life is full of trouble and sorrow. Moses said, "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10). Therefore, Paul said, make "the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:16-17).
Why are these days said to be evil? It is because human lifespan is not only very short, but life also is full of problems and hardship. But most people are not observant about it. Therefore, they live as though they will live forever in this world. If human lifespan in this world is compared to eternity, it is only a blink of an eye. Isaiah said, " A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)
Human lifespan is only as long as grass. The glory of man, beauty, prosperity, power, reputation, and knowledge is only temporary, like a flower. However, people only pursue those things, and want to live their lives in that moment. The word of the Lord stands forever. It is sad that most people do not want to seek the Lord's will, but are living according to their own will.
End Times
If you read the Bible, which is the road map of our lives, it is apparent that we are living in the end of the Present Age. When the disciples asked about the signs of the end of time, Jesus said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:6-8)
Paul also said, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Now we are approaching difficult times as written in the Bible. Everything written in the Bible has already been fulfilled. Lust for money has existed in all ages, but now it is more prevalent. Previous eras only knew millionaires, but now, there are many billionaires. For the love of money, people are forgetting God, seeing their family broken into pieces, and looking for wealth until they die. In reality, the prosperity of the world is not only temporary, but also the world economy has declined rapidly nowadays. But because the soul is blind, the pursuit of those things still continues. It is very sad.
Seeing less inhabitants of the world
Now the world's population is close to eight billion. In the eyes of certain groups, the world's population is too large. They see that this earth is suitable for a lot less. Therefore, in order to see less people on the earth, they have been accused of creating and releasing diseases. Because many people died from that diseases, certain medicines were then introduced. Not only the diseases killed but the medicines also greatly affected people. This resulted in the shortage of workers due to people leaving their jobs. Then the decline in production ensued. Distribution of goods became slow. At the same time, working hours have also been reduced. Because of too much public assistance programs, people avoid going to work for fear that their support might be cut off or reduced. In addition, the value of dollar declined. Due to the falling value of the dollar, commodity prices tripled. Workshops and factories were forced to reduce workers. As this trend continue, there would be more and more unemployment in the future. House prices have also skyrocketed. Bank interest rates have not been seen going down after they went up. Now is not a good time to buy houses. Say, if you become unemployed, would you be able to pay for the house? More and more people are seen lining up to get food at Food Banks every day. Looting, burglary; and murder cases are increasing. Because shootings are happening everywhere -- be it at schools, Churches, and shopping centers -- no place is safe for anyone.
Crop production is declining because the weather is erratic. The world has become either very dry or very wet due to heatwave or too much rain. Due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, the production of organic fertilizers has declined. Food shortages have started in some countries due to crop export bans. Because too many animals are killed for meat consumption, the market increased exponentially. A lot of warehouses were destroyed by fires. Due to the skyrocketing price of crude oil, commodity prices have rised, which affected the consumers.
Social immorality
Homosexuality is also growing rapidly. By the flood in Noah's day, God washed the whole world (verse 6). Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities were also destroyed by fire because of the sins of homosexuality (v. 19). Now adultery is committed in many ways. Men want to be women. Women also want to be men. So they resort to surgeries to resolve their problems.
Paul described about how angry God has become, " The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:18-32)
As in the days of King Ahaz of Judah
The world's social problems are many. Those things serve as reminder to not love the world, to not take root in the world, and to not hang on to the things of this world. However, until being confronted with problems, people would not learn their lessons. Only when they can't fight any longer do they give up and surrender.
The situation in the world today is similar to the time when Ahaz ruled Judah (read 2 Chronicles 28). Ahaz could not rule the country because he forsook God. He lost every war with neighboring nations. Because he could not protect the country, his country men died and were destroyed; faced worry; and were being bullied. However, King Ahaz still did not rely on the Lord. He worshiped and looked to other gods for help. He did not learn his lesson until his death. When he died, no one mourned for him.
Like Hezekiah
Although he was young, Hezekiah, the son of King Ahaz, knew the source of the problem surrounding his father's kingdom. He knew Judah's troubles was because of his father abandoning the Lord, So Hezekiah took refuge in God. He destroyed the idols and cleansed the country and the country men. Because he took refuge in God with all his heart, he conquered his enemies. The wealth of gold and silver then came to him. It is now time for today's believers to rely on the Lord for refuge like Hezekiah did; by reading the Bible, praying, attending Bible classes; preaching the gospel; having fellowship with believers; cutting off of destructive drugs; living a holy life, and live a life that is pleasing to God. It is time to enjoy being in God's service. It is not time for politics, education, hobbies, and ethnic advancement.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. (2 Peter 3:11-12)
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:11-14)
