The Final War

Romans 11:33-36; 2 Peter 3

For the next few minutes, imagine this scene:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for . . . the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
(2 Peter 3:10-12)

Scary stuff, that business about the heavens passing away and the astronomical destruction and the twice-mentioned “intense heat” that will result in a total wipeout of Planet Earth. Makes me wonder how. Oh, I’ve heard the same things you have about super-atomic warheads and World War III. But somehow that never explained how “the heavens will pass away” or how the surrounding atmosphere and stratosphere could be “destroyed by burning.”

Because that would usher “the day of God,” I’ve always questioned whether He would use man-made, adult fireworks to announce His arrival. But in my reading recently, I stumbled across a possible hint of how the Lord might be planning to pull off this final blast.

On March 9, 1979, nine satellites stationed at various points in the solar system simultaneously recorded a bizarre event deep in space. It was, in fact, the most powerful burst of energy ever recorded. Astronomers who studied the readings were in awe.

The burst of gamma radiation lasted for only one-tenth of a second . . . but in that instant it emitted as much energy as the sun does in three thousand years. If the gamma-ray burst had occurred in the Milky Way Galaxy, said one astrophysicist, it would have set our entire atmosphere aglow. If the sun had suddenly emitted the same amount of energy our earth would have vaporized. Instantly.

As untrained and ignorant as we may be about the technical side of this, I suggest it might cast some light on the validity of Peter’s remark. At least, in my estimation, it makes a lot more sense than atomic wars.

It’s probably going to be more like star wars. The good news is this: I have no plans to be around at the premier showing.

How about you?

We may not understand all His ways, but we can know Him whose ways are “unfathomable.”

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, Day by Day with Charles Swindoll (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2000), 305. Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Posted in End Times, Theology and tagged , .

Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading programme in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.

పాస్టర్ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విండాల్ దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని నిర్దిష్టంగా, ఆచరణాత్మకంగా బోధించడానికి మరియు అన్వయించడానికి తన జీవితాన్ని అంకితం చేశారు. ఆయన టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చి వ్యవస్థాపక కాపరియై ఉన్నారు, అయితే చక్ యొక్క శ్రోతలు స్థానిక సంఘ పరిధి దాటి వ్యాపించి ఉన్నారు. 1979 నుండి క్రైస్తవ ప్రసరణలో ప్రముఖ కార్యక్రమంగా, ఇన్‌సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రసారమవుతోంది. డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ప్రెసిడెంటుగా, అలాగే ఇప్పుడు ఛాన్సిలర్ ఎమెరిటస్‌గా చక్ యొక్క నాయకత్వం క్రొత్త తరం స్త్రీపురుషులను పరిచర్య కొరకు సిద్ధపరచడంలో సహాయపడింది.