While Christians go to sleep preferring to indulge in their latest toys and gadgets instead of watching for the Day of the Lord, the world watches the end of the world in trepidation. The Doomsday Clock is now set two minutes to midnight. This is the closest setting to midnight since 1953.
Doomsday Clock – Two Minutes to Midnight
Why the world connects midnight with doomsday? This is not without biblical implications. Bad things do happen at midnight. The first recorded incident was when the Lord slaughtered all the firstborn in Egypt before Pharaoh finally let the children of Israel leave Egypt.
Exodus 11:4: And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
Exodus 11:5: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
Exodus 11:6: And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.
Exodus 12:29: And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
Exodus 12:30: And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
Not a single Egyptian family was spared from mourning and burying a loved ones that night. Cruel as it may seem, the Lord sends judgment according to how fallen men respond to His dealings. The obstinacy of Pharaoh sealed their doom, including his own firstborn and eventually himself drown in the Red Sea.
The world may complain how a loving God can kill so many people including little ones. Unfortunately, the world thinks that the Christian God is just a meek and lowly carpenter from Nazareth and He is only interested in promoting love so this world can take God’s name in vain and continue to take advantage of Christians.
They could not be more wrong. The day will come when the Lord returns to rule the world with a rod of iron. And even before His triumphant entry, the massive depopulation of the world envisaged by doomsday watchers would make all world wars combined look like a small scale rehearsal for things to come.
Psalms 2:9: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Psalms 2:10: Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psalms 2:11: Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psalms 2:12: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Concerning death of innocent little ones, little do men know or care that they will not end up in everlasting hellfire. Else why would so many abort unborn little ones! Even Abraham questioned the Lord before the Lord sent destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah, exterminating everyone including little children.
Genesis 18:25: That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Of course the Judge of all the earth will do right. The Scriptures make clear the little ones will not be held to account like adults responsible for their own conscience and sins committed in their lifetime.
Romans 5:13: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 4:8: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
End of earthly life does not automatically equate commencement of eternal torment. It all depends on the state of that person before death. Earthly life is a probation for the afterlife.
So there are reasons for the world to fear midnight with regards to doomsday predictions. Midnight is a scary time for many people. Scriptures make it abundantly clear midnight is a time to watch out for evil to come.
Job 34:20: In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
Midnight is not a time for those get caught off guard to rejoice. The coming of the Lord is terrifying for the unprepared unrepentant unregenerate.
Matthew 25:6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
1 Thessalonians 5:2: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
However, midnight is not a cause for concern for Christians because their domain is of daytime and not the night season. They are children of the day and not the night, spiritually speaking.
1 Thessalonians 5:5: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:6: Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:7: For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:8: But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Romans 13:12: The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Physically on earth, the Lord’s people are still busy at midnight, meaningfully occupied instead of fearing evil to come.
Acts 16:25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Psalms 119:62: At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.
Unlike the world, the Lord’s people are exhorted to be watchful for the coming of the Lord with regards to end of all things and the hour to watch is not midnight alone.
Mark 13:35: Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mark 13:36: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
Mark 13:37: And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
1 Peter 4:7: But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Revelation 1:3: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 22:10: And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
The end of the world as viewed by the people in this world and that of the Lord’s people are diametrically different. The people in this world will find ways and means to mitigate dangers leading to doomsday scenarios to save the earth while Christians rejoice in the coming of the Lord for the glory to come.
The movie 2012 depicts a believer as a madman watching for doomsday in glee where he himself was consumed in the destruction of the earth. Such views of the Lord’s people as crazy fanatics caught up in the same destruction share by the people in this world cannot be further than the truth. While Christians are told to watch for such midnight events, they are not partakers with rejecters and haters of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 1:10: And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
When all hell finally breaks loose on earth from Revelation 4 to 19, not a single member of the Church or Christian is mentioned there. The midnight terror is not reserved for Christians who are of the day and not of the night. The world can go on to monitor the doomsday midnight hour but Christians simply go on with their life with full confidence and assurance all is well with their souls in the Lord.
2 Peter 2:9: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: