“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30, 31
In recent months, many thoughtful persons have been led to contemplate the end of human history. Events have prompted parallels to the thirties when the second world war consumed the world. Nuclear weapons possessed by many nations make any potential world war three apocalyptic in every way. Nuclear warfare would devastate the planet, kill millions and leave the ground, sea and air charged with unimaginable nuclear poison and waste. The stuff of dystopian novels and films. They were more prophetic than we realized in their vision of what could happen.
The Christian Bible, guide books of other religions, many mythologies from the past, have imagined, and yes, prophesied, the end of our planetary world. The Judeo-Christian faith, through its prophets, both of Old and New Testaments, promises an end to this world order and the beginning of a new. The Bible teaches this world is under the influence of Lucifer/Satan, the fallen angel who successfully tempted the first human beings, led them into rebellious sin against God which resulted in death. The Light at the end of that tunnel, according to Christian Scripture, is Jesus Christ, Incarnate Son of God, who paid the price of humanity’s sin through His sacrificial death. Those who believe that Gospel and put their faith in a resurrected Christ, are promised deliverance from death by their future resurrection.
But the Biblical Christian gospel also promises an apocalyptic destruction of this earth in the future, an end to present human rule and a new heavens and new earth where Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Here is the Apostle Peter in one of his letters which echo passages in the Old Testament and other prophecies in the New Testament, from Jesus Himself and in the Apostle John’s Book of Revelation: “ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up….the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat…nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13.)
When the Apostle Paul addressed the Athenians, he set out the Judeo-Christian world and life view of God, creation of the world and mankind, the organization of nations and powers. But he also set out the Biblical perspective of the end of human history, Acts 17: 22-31. Jesus in the Gospels, had also taught about this. See Matthew 24:36-44 among other texts. Jesus compared the days of Noah and the great flood with what was going to happen at the end of the world. Paul’s writings and his speech to the Athenians echo the words of Jesus and other prophets and Apostles.
Paul teaches here that a final day of human history and control was appointed by God already. Against the pride and arrogance of man, so much in evidence these days on the world stage, Paul affirms the Divine Sovereignty of God the Creator. The source of all life, the One Who ordered the destiny of nations, God, not men, their slick armies, their nuclear weapons, boastings and invasions – is in charge of the world and humans he created. This God is not like the worthless idols of men.
Paul tells them that the last day appointed by God is a day of judgement. Eternity, with judgement to follow, not time and its ultimately vain pursuits, is what is most important. God will judge every human being by His standards of righteousness. For the Christian believer, these standards are set out in Holy Bible Scripture. The God of the Bible is perfectly Holy. “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). The Biblical gospel that is preached into the culture, into the world, sets out God’s standards of righteousness. Jesus had taught: “The words that I speak to you will judge you in the last day” (John 12:48).
But Paul also taught what must have been amazing things to those Athenians. The Biblical Gospel preached and taught today also proclaims and declares revelations that are uncomfortable, disbelieved and hated by the majority of persons. Other religions and mythologies have their own beliefs. Which are different from Biblical teachings. Eternity will eventually reveal what is true from false. Paul then tells the wise men of Athens that God will judge this world on the last Day by Jesus Christ “whom He has ordained”! In a letter to Timothy, Paul will describe Jesus as “the righteous Judge.” (2 Timothy 4:8). In Matthew 25:31ff, Jesus describes Himself as “the Son of Man” Who will judge the nations.
And the proof and qualification of Jesus as Judge is that He who was crucified has been raised from the dead!!! He has conquered death, the great plague of mankind! The resurrection of Jesus changes everything for this world of humanity!
In the light of all this, Paul tells his audience, as he and other Bible teachers exhort us still, “these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30). To repent, that is to examine one’s life and behavior in the light of these teachings, and have a change of mind and attitude. To repent is to believe these revelations about the coming Judgement day and end of the world, and by faith in the God of the Bible, to live as the Scriptures direct and teach. Jesus taught: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (Luke 21:34-36).
The present behemoths trampling the world and even our Caribbean region consider themselves god-like and supreme. They have no regard for God the Creator and Judge Who in fact has them on a strong leash. As He used ancient Babylon to discipline His people, so God will use present arrogant and power-drunk leaders to do His will. A will not seen by us now. But believers in the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ know that there is a Day appointed when God, through Christ, will overthrow all evil. His people will enter a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells and Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings over all His people. There is a Day appointed. Believers are making themselves ready. Ultimate salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Saviour. This is the Biblical gospel.