The 2012 Factor
Last night I finally went to see 2012, the film with the boffo special effects of the utter destruction of the earth. There has been lots of water cooler talk about whether or not the world will actually end in 2012 like the Mayans supposedly said it would. I'd even noticed a number of books on the shelf at Borders all about how justified the concern should be. Whatever.
The one book I read about all things significant is the Bible, and it pretty much has everything right there. It categorically says that the world as we know it now will indeed end. When that is only God knows. Sure he gave us some hints, but none of them amount to enough for anyone to say things like, "Yep, there it is, it'll happen on December 21st 2012 yessiree..."
The one thing that is for sure is that God will hold on to those covered by the blood of His Son, and whatever value that has for anyone depends on whether or not they simply put their faith and trust in Him.
When you watch this film it is flat-out harrowing to behold millions of people dying right there in wide screen brilliant technicolor. Interestingly it did show a lot of people praying or preaching about what's really going on. It also had a kooky conspiracy theorist (aren't they all kooky?) played by Woody Harrelson, who as googly-eyed as they portrayed him, he actually said stuff that ended up being true. Huh, you mean some of that stuff those kooky spooky conspiracy nuts say could actually have some merit? Huh.
As I watched the movie I was more and more convinced everyone should see this. They should be exposed to the horror of a world falling apart which the Bible says is a result of the sin that has infected it. As I looked over the reviews on Metacritic, it seemed to me that those who reviled the film didn't pan it because it had flaws but because they just don't like the idea that this could actually happen at all.
What? There's actually something called sin? Pshaw. A fallen world brings about this kind of end to all that we know? Puh-lease.
The film did have flaws, but the huge holes in the plot progression were merely an accepted product of the dramatic effect. Some of the more presposterous moments included for expressly illiciting a visceral response were actually kind of comical, so it made the movie kind of fun in that sense.
I must say, however, that while I do believe the Bible says the end of the world will be something like what they showed through most of the film--just read the Old Testament book of Zephaniah and revisit the Revelation to see why--the ending was probably the most frightening thing of all.
What? You mean the heart-warming part when the massive tectonic violence ends, the arks get their bearings, and they all eagerly set sail for the new landforms and renew civilization? How on earth can all that be so horrible?
It is simply because of the following simple question.
What will the people who arrive there do to protect them from themselves?
It is one thing for the earth to open up and swallow people whole. Horrific. It is no less horrific when people do things to swallow up other people. During the film there were lots of profoundly stirring moralizing about how we must stick with one another. But there was also lots of cutting, conniving, callous, and plainly wretched behavior.
When they make landfall, will all that just go away? I just don't think so. They'll have to begin yet another arrangement where someone with enough force to constrain sinners must be enthroned in some sense. And with it will come the same old body of death, the rebellion and the retribution and all the Sun-Tzuan machinations to keep the game going.
What will really happen when there actually is the biblically described end of the world? Oh yes, again, all that destructive stuff will happen, but the difference between the movie and real life is that in real life--
The destruction will be complete.
That is, the end of the world will indeed be the end of the world. All of what is physically there, including our very bodies, will be thoroughly destroyed. All of it, all of the universe even, will be totalled. Dust. Gone.
And a new one will be put in its place.
What of the people? Again, the Bible cannot be more clear: those covered by the blood of Christ are His. Their very souls are held in His hands and they will have new "resurrected" bodies. Check out the 15th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians to see more of how this plays itself out.
The only reason I mention all of this is because, yeah, I am kind of a kooky conspiracy guy, but that's only because like the Woody Harrelson character I just see what I see and I'd like to share it with others.
And like those holding up the signs "For God so loved the world..." I want people to know about the One who they can put their trust upon, and in turn be fully protected from the effects of a completely destroyed earth.
The movie 2012 just tells you that even after the fall, there will be more of the same. Lying, cheating, murdering... Yuck. The Bible tells you that all the yuckiness will go away, albeit quite dramatically, but that there will be a brand new and truly wonderful place to live in by His love, His joy, His exuberance for life shared by all...
And God's ticket to that place has already been bought for you. All you have to do is get it.
The one book I read about all things significant is the Bible, and it pretty much has everything right there. It categorically says that the world as we know it now will indeed end. When that is only God knows. Sure he gave us some hints, but none of them amount to enough for anyone to say things like, "Yep, there it is, it'll happen on December 21st 2012 yessiree..."
The one thing that is for sure is that God will hold on to those covered by the blood of His Son, and whatever value that has for anyone depends on whether or not they simply put their faith and trust in Him.
When you watch this film it is flat-out harrowing to behold millions of people dying right there in wide screen brilliant technicolor. Interestingly it did show a lot of people praying or preaching about what's really going on. It also had a kooky conspiracy theorist (aren't they all kooky?) played by Woody Harrelson, who as googly-eyed as they portrayed him, he actually said stuff that ended up being true. Huh, you mean some of that stuff those kooky spooky conspiracy nuts say could actually have some merit? Huh.
As I watched the movie I was more and more convinced everyone should see this. They should be exposed to the horror of a world falling apart which the Bible says is a result of the sin that has infected it. As I looked over the reviews on Metacritic, it seemed to me that those who reviled the film didn't pan it because it had flaws but because they just don't like the idea that this could actually happen at all.
What? There's actually something called sin? Pshaw. A fallen world brings about this kind of end to all that we know? Puh-lease.
The film did have flaws, but the huge holes in the plot progression were merely an accepted product of the dramatic effect. Some of the more presposterous moments included for expressly illiciting a visceral response were actually kind of comical, so it made the movie kind of fun in that sense.
I must say, however, that while I do believe the Bible says the end of the world will be something like what they showed through most of the film--just read the Old Testament book of Zephaniah and revisit the Revelation to see why--the ending was probably the most frightening thing of all.
What? You mean the heart-warming part when the massive tectonic violence ends, the arks get their bearings, and they all eagerly set sail for the new landforms and renew civilization? How on earth can all that be so horrible?
It is simply because of the following simple question.
What will the people who arrive there do to protect them from themselves?
It is one thing for the earth to open up and swallow people whole. Horrific. It is no less horrific when people do things to swallow up other people. During the film there were lots of profoundly stirring moralizing about how we must stick with one another. But there was also lots of cutting, conniving, callous, and plainly wretched behavior.
When they make landfall, will all that just go away? I just don't think so. They'll have to begin yet another arrangement where someone with enough force to constrain sinners must be enthroned in some sense. And with it will come the same old body of death, the rebellion and the retribution and all the Sun-Tzuan machinations to keep the game going.
What will really happen when there actually is the biblically described end of the world? Oh yes, again, all that destructive stuff will happen, but the difference between the movie and real life is that in real life--
The destruction will be complete.
That is, the end of the world will indeed be the end of the world. All of what is physically there, including our very bodies, will be thoroughly destroyed. All of it, all of the universe even, will be totalled. Dust. Gone.
And a new one will be put in its place.
What of the people? Again, the Bible cannot be more clear: those covered by the blood of Christ are His. Their very souls are held in His hands and they will have new "resurrected" bodies. Check out the 15th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians to see more of how this plays itself out.
The only reason I mention all of this is because, yeah, I am kind of a kooky conspiracy guy, but that's only because like the Woody Harrelson character I just see what I see and I'd like to share it with others.
And like those holding up the signs "For God so loved the world..." I want people to know about the One who they can put their trust upon, and in turn be fully protected from the effects of a completely destroyed earth.
The movie 2012 just tells you that even after the fall, there will be more of the same. Lying, cheating, murdering... Yuck. The Bible tells you that all the yuckiness will go away, albeit quite dramatically, but that there will be a brand new and truly wonderful place to live in by His love, His joy, His exuberance for life shared by all...
And God's ticket to that place has already been bought for you. All you have to do is get it.
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