Paul Poulton critiques the issue

Paul Poulton

Billy Graham's son, Franklin, said on TV that people taking pictures on their phones and uploading them to youtube will be the way that the, "Every eye will see it" prophecy will be fulfilled. Ms Amanpour, the ABC TV Anchor, replied, "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but could there be a Second Coming by social media?"

Franklin is not alone in telling the world what will happen at Christ's second coming, in fact he seems level headed compared to some other people who tell us precise details of what will happen as the Second Coming draws closer, and some have even told us when it will happen. These statements are said in a bold authoritative manner, which seems to leave no room for human error, banding phrases about like, "One world government", "Rapture of only obedient believers" and "World War Three revealed as the second seal in Revelation". It all makes for more hits on websites and what is known in media circles as 'good TV'. There are some who tell us the antichrist will soon be unleashed on the world, but others tell us that he's already been; that Nero's name adds up to 666 and that the historian Josephus gives a pretty good account of what is described in the book of Revelation when he tells us what happened around 70AD. So what seems simple when we listen to one teacher seems more complicated when we hear someone else's view. What is the average person to make of all this?

It is a good thing that people are interested in Jesus returning to earth but a sensationalist obsession with it is not so healthy. The disciples were probably beginning to get an ache in their necks as they looked to the sky, so two men in white came to them and said, "Why are you standing here gazing into the sky?" It was a good question and seems even to have a little humour attached to it; Jesus had ascended into the clouds where the men of Galilee could no longer see him, but the 'men in white' came along and let them know that standing around looking into the sky is no way to carry on, there are things to be done and they won't get done with you standing open-mouthed gaping skyward.

Some people get on with the business of living out the commands of Jesus, which I'm sure the 'men in white' would be pleased about, but I wonder what the white men would have to say to today's second coming speculators. Would they say, "Why spend your time gazing into the future, shouldn't you be about your Father's business here in the present?" History is littered with failed attempts to predict all manner of 'signs of the times', in fact it seems that every generation since Christ's ascension has thought itself to be the last one. There are lists of failed predictions including harrowing stories of people burning themselves back in the 1600's to protect themselves from the antichrist.

So how do we avoid being misled? Well, providentially we have the Bible; in fact it is called the full canon of Holy Scripture. If something is full then nothing can be added to it. So when I hear someone say, "I believe 'God' will shake the nations in 2012 like they've never been shook before". I note that they put stress on the word "God", this of course makes it sound convincing and authoritative, but really the accent should go on the words "I believe", then we realise that the onus to be correct is not on God, but the person who is saying it. Satirical videos laughing at faith and God have been made because of subjective statements believers have made. Our trust is not placed in the subjective sayings of men, but in the objective truth of God's word. The Bible was written by men, it's true, but men who were breathed upon by God's Spirit, that's where our faith lies. I personally believe in the gift of prophecy; I have experienced it first hand, but I'm also aware that sometimes people speak without inspiration and we sometimes hear enthusiastic individuals say all manner of things that 'God' has told them to do. i.e. "I believe God has told me to walk up and down the high street wearing only thong style swimming trunks with a placard saying 'The end is in sight'" Then after the guy has been arrested onlookers say, but I thought God told him to do it. We can end up getting God a bad name and faith ridiculed. When I hear people say any sentence that starts with the phrase, "I believe God will do.." I remember that this is their subjective thoughts taking place not something from the Bible.

The first coming of Christ was hard enough for people to predict, even though there were plenty of Old Testament verses that talked about it. It looks easier to us because we have the benefit of hindsight. When we hear people say that they have the second coming all planned out, God may have a surprise for them. It may well be that the early believers back in the first century thought they were going to see the second coming, but God is always bigger than we realise and isn't that what we expect from God, his ways are past finding out. After the first advent of Christ we can point to the scriptures and show people how the birth of Jesus was predicted and perhaps that is one of the roles of prophecy - a dish best served after the event that God may be glorified.