It seems as though every time we experience a disaster; man-made or natural, frightened cries begin to echo through social media correlating whatever is happening to passages in the book of Revelation predicting of the end of the world. But before we all head off to wherever we think we should be during the rapture, I think there are a few things worth considering.
First of all, proclamations of the end of the world are not new. Throughout history there have been folks claiming the end was near. Here’s a link to a list of 10 courtesy of the Encyclopedia Brittanica https://www.britannica.com/list/10-failed-doomsday-predictions. My favorite is the Prophet Hen of Leeds. Who knows, maybe she was the inspiration for the story of “Chicken Little,” a tale the exemplifies just how important a little perspective is.
Secondly, pandemics are not new. A quick trip to Wikipedia reveals the stats on epidemics and pandemics going back two centuries. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic) I have no doubt that when people were in the midst of these crises, there were those who believed that it was the end of the world. And, for many of them, it was. Let’s face it, when we die, and we all will eventually, the world we have built for ourselves dies with us.
Lastly, on to the book of Revelation. As a Catholic Christian, my understanding of this scripture may vary from other Christian traditions. Catholic teaching holds that this book was written in an apocalyptic style, full of symbolic language and allegory, telling the story of oppression and persecution, not necessarily a prophecy things to come. Apocalyptic literature was a form of writing that was popular at the time it was written and its audience were familiar with the symbolism used. To the first century community of persecuted Christians living in Asia Minor Revelation it was a call to stand firm in their faith; a reassurance that God would not abandon them in their struggle. In that respect, Revelation is appropriate for all believers today as we are either asked to stay inside, away from each other or conversely, asked to go out into the community and work, risking our health. We are united in our struggle and faith is more important than ever, especially when fear attempts to reign over us.
From my perspective, I find it more reassuring to ponder the first book of the Bible instead of the last. Genesis 9:11 is a good place to start. God’s covenant with Noah should reassure us all that we are in good hands. I suppose it is no coincidence that so many people have begun to display rainbows in their windows; the symbol of God’s promise to us all. Rainbows are a symbol of hope; a tangible reminder to just about everybody, that no matter how badly the storm may rage, it will eventually pass and all will be well.
God’s promise revealed.
I know it is challenging to remain positive in a time when we receive daily death counts from Coronavirus each time we turn on the TV, but at this time of year especially when Christians have just celebrated Easter; a time when we remember Jesus’ triumph over death and Jews have celebrated their Passover; when God saved His people from death, we are again reminded that God is always with us. And no matter what your faith tradition is, it isn’t as important in what you believe as it is that you believe and hold your faith close, now more than ever.