Atheist's Guide to Survival
Why Would All this Happen?
God has wanted Israel to exist and thrive from more than 4000 years; from when King David made Jerusalem Israel’s capital 3000 years ago, through to when the Jewish people were driven out of Israel, through to the early 20th century when many Jewish people returned to Israel and through to the re-establishment of Israel as a state in 1948. Throughout this time God has wanted Israel to exist and for the Jewish people to live there and thrive - and He still does. See book of the Bible 1 Kings, chapter 10, verse 9: “Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” Also book of the Bible Exodus Chapter 19 verse 5: “ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine.” These are just two of many references in the Bible which tell of God’s desire that Israel should exist and prosper.
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So why these horrific events? Simply, God’s love for us all is very great indeed and he has great patience with us when we go wrong. However, there will come a time when, for those who are persistently wicked and will not turn away from their evil ways, God will say, “Enough!” He will then address Satan, the Antichrist and False Prophet along with those who follow them and those who have taken the mark of the beast.
So What Might be Happening at the Moment?
What does The Bible tell us about what is happening in the world in the 21st Century? Remember, The Bible was written thousands of years ago yet it foretells the characteristics of people who will live now in the 21st Century - possibly towards the end of times. Do you recognise these characteristics in today’s society?
People will be lovers of themselves (see book of the Bible 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 2). It has been said that the illness of the age is self-obsession. This trait can be seen in our society; probably most obviously on social media. Here people are often proud and boastful; both these traits have been predicted in book of the Bible 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 2. Here we see the forewarning of covetous personalities manifesting themselves. Certainly we live in a materialistic world where people want more and more and if they can’t pay for it they acquire it on credit.
People will be blasphemers. This means speaking ill of God and taking his name in vain or using God’s name disrespectfully. We have all heard “OMG” and what it stands for, and worse. These phrases are commonplace in everyday speak but more seriously still, we have heard many celebrities speaking ill of God using such terms as “cruel”. This is true blasphemy. It is familiar to us all yet it is accepted in society as a right of free expression.
People will be unthankful. We see this approach every day. We have been told by teachers of the many complaints they received from some parents over the arrangements and support their children received during the Covid lockdowns. From personal experience we know what long hours and very hard work school staff put-in under very difficult and unprecedented circumstances. Yet many people were thankless. Further we hear of abuse to staff at surgeries or hospitals.
When it comes to money, society seems to expect hand-outs during lockdowns yet when it comes to contributing back in the form of taxes, this somehow becomes unacceptable.
The book of the Bible 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 2, also tells us people will be unloving, unforgiving, will slander others, will have no self-control, will be unusually cruel, will have no interest in what is good and will betray friends. We only have to look at social media to see people being cancelled simply for having a different opinion or suggesting an alternative. If they are not cancelled then very often cruel things are posted. We have lost the art of informed and respectful debate and the exchange of ideas.
People will be puffed up with pride. The world seemingly revolves around how many “likes” you can get or the “worship” of celebrity status or the status of money and possessions.
People will be lovers of pleasure. Ask yourself whether, in your opinion, society has become hedonistic? Do we pursue pleasure-seeking and self-indulgence over and above the care for others who are lonely, in-need or simply old? Do we really consider others as we should?
People will be disobedient to parents. Does society value the wisdom of its elders? Does society respect its parents and honour them with obedience?
There are many other areas which can be discussed but I am sure this will give you an understanding that standards have changed just as The Bible, many thousands of years ago foresaw, and which are quite apparent and commonplace now. These poor attitudes reflect the low values of the age. Ask yourself whether people are more selfish, rude, more greedy, more self-centred than they were just a few years ago. These attitudes are precursors as specified in The Bible.
More about the Decline in Society's Standards
Jesus said some 2000 years ago something which was recorded by his disciple Matthew. (See Bible book Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37-39.) “But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming age of the Son of Man.” The age of the Son of Man means the 2000 years since Jesus was on Earth. The days of Noah were described in the Bible book of Genesis: “Then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the Earth.” This world was swept away by God by the great flood. Yet have we not returned to such a world with the lack of respect for others, lack of self-restraint, selfish behaviour, greed, the demand for immediate satisfaction, being self-centred, being foul-mouthed, a high divorce rate, diminishing the value of the family, a high crime rate, violent crime, homelessness, obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse, unfaithfulness?
Materialism
The Bible book of Revelation foretells of a massive gulf between rich and poor. (Please see Bible book Revelation, chapter 6, verse 6.) This will manifest fully during turbulent times when only the wealthy few can afford luxuries and good food and drink whilst the vast majority of the world will become poorer and poorer, struggling even to afford to eat. Yet we can see even now the ever-growing gulf between rich and poor. This is something which has become all too obvious over the last few years. This trend is a very real sign of future events as described in The Bible.
