End of the World As We Know It? (I Feel Fine)

Swirling around the Internet over the past couple of weeks has been the observations of a pastor from a church in Washington. This pastor was perusing the NASA website on eclipse data when he noticed something significant. He noticed that in the years 2014 and 2015 there are going to be 6 eclipses (2 solar, 4 lunar) that all coincide with significant days on the Jewish calendar. In 2014, there will be lunar eclipses on Passover (Nisan 14) and the Sukkot (Tishri 15). In 2015, there will be lunar eclipses on Passover and Sukkot again as well as solar eclipses on the religious new year (Nisan 1) and Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1).

Adding additional intrigue to this discovery is the fact that the Jewish year lasting from Rosh Hashanah 2014 to Rosh Hashanah 2015 is a Sabbatical Year (the final year of the seven-year cycle). There is a strong belief among many Christian scholars that the Tribulation will occur during an entire Sabbatical cycle. This leads to the supposition that the Rapture could occur in the Sabbatical Year just before the start of the new cycle (2008, 2015, 2022, etc.). While the pastor who made this discovery is not saying anything definitively, there is an air of excitement breeding around that these signs may be the signs preceding Jesus’ return at the end of the Tribulation. Obviously this means that the Rapture would have to occur prior to October 2008 for this to be true.

I am impressed by the pastor’s scholarship and I certainly agree with him that these signs are definitely pointing to something significant, but I am a bit skeptical that they point to the end of the Tribulation. There are a few questions that would seem to preclude the chance of the Tribulation kicking off six months from now.

First, Israel does not control Judea. Judea is mostly the land that is now controlled by the Palestinians and referred to as the West Bank. Prophecies in Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to Israel controlling these lands at the onset of the Great Tribulation. While it is possible that they might gain control of this region at the beginning of the Tribulation, it seems to me that there should be a firmer measure of Israeli control in preparation of full control of these territories prior to the signing of the treaty with Antichrist.

Second, the Gog Alliance. The alliance of nations set to attack Israel in the War of Gog and Magog is not yet set. While Russia and Iran are growing more and more aligned, they are still in the early stages of their pact with Libya and Sudan. There also has been very little movement towards bringing Turkey into the alliance, aside from a few negotiations about oil and gas pipelines passing through Turkish territory. Things are still not quite set for a war that many believe will occur either before the Tribulation or in the early stages of it.

Third, the initial position of the Antichrist. Most theories on Antichrist have been that he will rise to become Secretary-General of the United Nations and then take over everything from there. This is certainly possible. But I, and a few others like me, have begun to suspect something a little more subtitle. Europe recently signed a treaty that has created a new post overseeing foreign policy and security. In 2009, this post will be combined with the post for the Commissioner for External Relations. This new office is called the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and would effectively act as the Secretary of State for all of Europe. In this capacity, the occupier would sign and oversee all treaties signed by Europe as well as negotiate matters within the overall European government. It is probably the best place for a single person to confirm a treaty with Israel (given that the UN does not sign many treaties as all nations are supposed to be equal members) and then use the position to vault himself to greater prominence. However, given that the full powers of this position will not take effect until next year, it is unlikely that this person would be in a position to sign a great treaty by October/November 2008.

Fourth, the timing of the last two eclipses. If the eclipses are intended to bracket the return of Jesus, two of them are oddly out of place. Many scholars suspect that Jesus’ return will occur on Yom Kippur (Tishri 10), yet the solar eclipse occurs ten days prior to this, on Rosh Hashanah, when no great events are suspected during the Tribulation. Also, the final lunar eclipse will occur on Sukkot, the day that Jesus will officially take up rule of Earth for 1,000 years. For a period of great celebration, that seems a rather odd day to have an eclipse that will include a period of the moon becoming red like blood.

Weighing all things in the balance, though I will not preclude the possibility that the Tribulation might start in late 2008, I think it rather unlikely. Far more likely to me, is that these signs point to the beginning of something significant in 2015. Perhaps this is meant as a warning that the Tribulation will kick off in that year. But it might not. We are counseled to be watchful, but we are also warned that most people will be taken completely by surprise by the destruction that comes upon them. I would certainly love to be wrong, but I would strongly dissuade anyone with thoughts of selling their possessions and going to sit on top of a mountain to wait things out.