Some people do not think about when the end of the world will happen, while others, on the contrary, are waiting for the new predicted date. This is often due to different attitudes to the issues under consideration, more or less awareness, religious preferences, but any point of view has the right to exist, and which one to adhere to, the person decides for himself.
What is the end of the world?
There is no exact definition for this concept. In a sense, the end of the world is the cessation of the existence of life on Earth, various civilizations and their achievements. Sometimes this phrase is understood as a threat to the lives of all living beings on the planet. The phraseological unit in question can denote a fictitious and real picture of future events. Many researchers and ordinary citizens interpret this concept differently. An apocalypse can occur not only as a result of predictions or fictitious ideas, but also of truly possible events:
- political conflicts;
- nuclear wars;
- environmental disasters;
- natural disasters;
- overpopulation of the planet, hunger;
- spread of epidemics and genetic diseases.
According to the book of the Apocalypse, the earth will be renewed and will find Heavenly Jerusalem
So where does it say that the Earth will perish in the apocalypse? No, it turns out that this is not the case. It will change, be transformed, be renewed. This is what the divine Songsinger David says about future events: “You will send Your Spirit, and it will be created; and you will renew the face of the earth.” (Ps. 103)
That is, King David claims that only the face of the earth will be renewed. And the holy fathers interpret his words as the resurrection of the dead to eternal life.
And the wonderful city of New Jerusalem will descend from heaven as the tabernacle of God and man. That is, the Earth will also receive a wonderful gift from heaven.
Can the wonderful city of Jerusalem descend to a scorched, disfigured, lifeless planet?
“And the city has no need of the sun or the moon to illuminate it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The saved nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates will not be locked during the day; and there will be no night there. And they will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations.” Revelation 21:24-26
So there will be saved nations who will “walk” in the light of this city. Coming and going by gate. Otherwise, why would they need these gates? Is it just to enter the city once? So it is said that they will not be locked.
This means that saved nations will come and go. Why go out? To look at the scorched earth and sigh, how beautiful it used to be? Obviously not.
The end of the world according to the Bible
In Christianity, such events are described by John the Theologian, a disciple of Christ. This is the book of the Apocalypse of John - the name of the last part of the New Testament. The end of the world in the Bible is not mentioned by an exact date, but by the events that will precede it. The main one is the coming of the Antichrist, who will be destroyed, as well as his supporters, and true believers will live in the Kingdom of Heaven, where evil will be eradicated. It is important to remember - everyone will sooner or later appear before the Court of God, and perhaps the end of the world will consist in the death of a person and condemnation for his sins.
What does the end of the world look like?
The question posed can only be answered when the world ends. There is no single description of the above picture; there are some theories and assumptions. Most of them depict sad events - empty, destroyed cities. This effect can occur after a nuclear explosion, a volcanic eruption, or any other possible and actually existing cause of the apocalypse.
The process itself, as well as its consequences, has a considerable number of descriptions. It can be:
- bright flashes;
- explosions;
- the onset of darkness.
Is the end of the world a myth or reality?
Every person decides for himself whether to wait for the apocalypse or not. This will depend on his prejudices, literacy, religious preferences. The main thing is not to impose your opinion on someone else about when the world will end. There are many points of view on this matter, and to answer the question under consideration, one should recall the features of the signs of the end of the world and the put forward theories of the apocalypse:
- Currently, the problems of the ecological state of the planet and climate change are relevant. We are already seeing the results of modern activities. Its aggravation can have unpleasant consequences.
- Believers will say that the apocalypse in the Bible is not a myth, only the exact date is unknown.
- For the modern developed world, the issue of fatal diseases remains unresolved. An aggravation of this situation could lead to the death of humanity.
- In the era of the introduction of the latest developments in the military industry, any international conflict can negatively affect the security of the entire planet. Unable to solve problems peacefully, a person takes up arms, and if it is nuclear, then an apocalypse is possible.
- If we talk about global causes, then the solar system lives by its own laws, and any violation of them will affect our planet to varying degrees. A person here is deprived of the right to choose.
- Another reason is the desire for modern technologies and the creation of artificial intelligence. A computer can be made so smart that it will find a way to control people.
When will the world end?
When answering the question - when is the end of the world, the exact time and date are not always known. Again, this question depends on the cause of the event. According to some theories, the corresponding dates have already passed, and according to others, they are still in the future. Therefore, when thinking about the day of the apocalypse, it may be necessary to select fundamental material on the basis of which to build guesses and the timing of the end of the world.
Three days of darkness
The famous prophet Padre Pio, who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, predicted terrible events for humanity. The first clergyman in history to demonstrate the stigmata to the world.
At the very beginning of the twentieth century, Pio said that a strong earthquake would destroy the most powerful city in the world (editor's note - I wonder what city this is?). There will be three days of darkness, and on the last day of darkness Satan will appear.
But the prophet reassured that afterward the Virgin Mary would appear, with whom a wonderful era of light would begin. 9
The end of the world - Vanga's predictions
The Bulgarian clairvoyant Vanga did not give a definite answer to the question of whether the world will end, but among her prophecies there are those that may come true.
- She spoke about a world conflict, a third world war, which could begin after hostilities in small countries.
- Another prophecy was an assassination attempt on high-ranking officials of several states.
- The current prediction is about the death of animals due to exposure to radioactive substances. The issue of nuclear weapons, along with the tense global situation, may draw public attention to the issue of the end of the world.
Clairvoyant Vanga
The prophecies of the Bulgarian blind seer were short but accurate. Many deciphered it when the tragedies had already happened.
In 1979 Vanga said: “Everything will melt like ice.” Consequently, in her opinion, humanity cannot avoid the Apocalypse. The researchers asked to decipher it, to which the soothsayer replied that humanity would first face deadly epidemics, natural disasters, and the death of plants and animals.
It’s probably worth listening to Vanga and somehow changing our consumer attitude towards nature. 10
The end of the world - Nostradamus
The prophecies of the French alchemist and predictor Nostradamus are considered to be one of the theories of when the end of the world will begin. The basis of his prediction is military-political clashes in modern times - a world war may begin with several local conflicts. Nowadays, the situation in the world is very tense, and no one knows what it can lead to. Nostradamus spoke about several Antichrist figures in world history:
- A native of Attila, who would be the founder of modern Babylonia.
- Antichrist, who can provoke war in the European part of the world.
- The one who will voice information about the unification of the northern and eastern states before the end of the world.
- Another prediction that deserves attention is “The Great One of Rome will perish,” and after seven days all living things will perish.
Where did all the water in the first world go?
There is one more question left. The first world, it turns out, contained much more water than we can even imagine. Just think how much water was needed to cover the entire earth during the Flood! It was contained in the sky, which, it turns out, consisted much more of water than it does now. The question is, where did she all go afterwards?
In November 2021, interesting information appeared from scientists that an entire ocean was discovered in the Earth at a depth of 1000 kilometers in the transition layer between the upper and lower mantle. Moreover, the minerals themselves are saturated with water in large quantities:
The depths of the Earth contain a huge amount of water, several times greater than the volume of the World Ocean. How it got there is unclear, and one can only speculate about its role in the formation and modern internal dynamics of the planet... The abundance of water in the Earth’s mantle was reliably learned only in 2014... Simple estimates show that there is at least enough water in the bowels of the Earth, on several of the world's oceans. Scientists cannot yet say for sure why there is so much of it in the bowels of the Earth and how it got there. Lenta.ru tells more about unexpected discoveries, including those made with the participation of Russian geophysicists.
End of the Mayan world
Many people talk about the existence of the Mayan calendar - it includes three components:
- Solar calendar - 365 days.
- Religious - 260 days.
- Week calendar - 13 days.
The common date 12/21/2012 is the day of the apocalypse according to the Mayan calendar, and was supposed to be the day of the end of the world. Since the appearance of life on Earth, four cycles have already passed, which means that four races have already changed. Each of them died due to natural factors:
- earthquakes
- hurricane
- eruption;
- flood
The fifth cycle was supposed to end on December 16, 2021 due to such phenomena as the parade of planets. Interested people drew conclusions about these days in the apocalypse calendar. Who knows, maybe they will become starting points for new assumptions. Answering the question of when the end of the world will come, the exact time will probably be indicated, and we will eagerly await fresh predictions and look for signs of the fulfillment of prophecies.
Sleeping Prophet
American healer and mystic Edgar Cayce practiced a variety of healing methods. He was born in 1877 in Kentucky. He loved to prophesy.
Before giving the world a new prophecy, Cayce put himself into a trance, for which he received the nickname “sleeping prophet.” In one of his predictions, Cayce said that the end of the world would come when the poles of the planet changed. The contours of Europe will change, Japan will go under water, and North America will split into two halves.
The prophet named the end of the twentieth century as the date of these disasters. Maybe the “sleeping predictor” just made a mistake with the date and geographical location. Africa has already begun to split apart. 7
The end of the world - predictions of the saints
In religious beliefs, predictions about the end of the world also occur. Such prophecies are united by a single thought - you need to live with a clear conscience before God. Find strength in time, repent and admit the impurity of your actions and thoughts, realize that when the end of the world comes, you will have to answer for your sins before the court of God. Information on some prophecies has been preserved:
- according to the prediction of Matrona of Moscow, 2021 will be a period when, without war, people may die, this will happen at night, and in the morning all living things will disappear underground;
- St. Seraphim of Sarov in the 30s of the 19th century predicted the fall of royal power and the fate of the sovereign, which played a huge role in the fate of Russia - it was a kind of end of the world and the flourishing of a new government;
- in the book of John the Theologian, the death of a person and retribution for sins committed is comparable to the end of the world.
The penultimate Pope
In 1148, a small work by a Catholic saint named Malachi was published. In his work, he gave his characteristics to all the heads of the Catholic Church.
The list, consisting of 112 lines, begins with Pope Celestine II. On line 111 is Benedict XVI, chosen by the conclave to become pope in 2005.
It turned out to be the penultimate one, but during the last one, according to Malachi’s prediction, the Eternal City, standing on seven hills, would collapse. A terrible judge will appear to the world who will judge people for their sins. 3
How to survive the end of the world?
In the understanding of most people, the apocalypse is the death of all life on the planet. Therefore, the question of how to survive it is sometimes called a problem from the realm of science fiction. If humanity learned to predict such events with a certain accuracy, then everyone would know how to prepare. In this situation, you can mentally prepare yourself for some probability of the end of the world, be it a nuclear apocalypse or a flood, because if such an outcome is inevitable, then humanity is unlikely to be able to prevent it.
If we assume that some probability of salvation after the end of the world still exists, then we can prepare some reserve for further existence:
- essential medicines;
- supply of drinking water;
- shelf-stable products - cereals, vegetables, canned food;
- warm clothes.
Perhaps this is fantasy after all, and similar stories can be seen in famous films. Whatever dates are given, there is no consensus on when the world will end. It could happen soon or in billions of years. Perhaps you shouldn’t constantly think about it, because what will happen will inevitably happen. Everyone is free to have their own opinion, and common efforts are important for solving real problems that can cause an apocalypse - conflicts, epidemics and environmental disasters.
According to the book of the Apocalypse, the earth will see fire, but locally and even in some other way
However, fire will specifically be sent from heaven to the hordes of Gog and Magog, when at the end of time they go to war against the saints:
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire fell from heaven from God and consumed them; Revelation 20:7-9
Here it is unequivocally spoken of the fire that will burn the damned at the end of time. But not the whole earth.
However, there will still be a great cleaning of the earth using fire after all the deeds that the hordes of Gog and Magog will do. The prophet Ezekiel states this in chapter 39 of his prophetic book:
Then the inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go out and kindle a fire and burn weapons, shields and armor, bows and arrows, and maces and spears; I will burn them for seven years. And they will not carry wood from the fields, nor cut down from the forests, but will only burn weapons. Ezekiel 39:9-10
Now, it is said that for seven years they will collect and burn the weapons of Gog and Magog, without even adding wood. It is doubtful, of course, that Gog’s troops will recently come to the battle of Armageddon with weapons on wooden shafts in such numbers. But we know that there will be a court at which all the affairs of people will be sorted out. And it is said that all evil and wicked deeds will be burned up.
The saints will judge. This will be their job of “burning weapons” and the evil deeds that the damned did. The earth will be cleansed of evil and even the memory of it will be buried in the valley of the “hordes of Gogov.” For seven months, it is said, only the remains will be buried. And so, it is said that the earth will be cleansed.
And so the question arises: why would it be necessary to clean the surface of the earth so thoroughly if it would burn in fire anyway? From the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel it clearly follows that the earth will not burn! And the warlike hordes of Gog and all his deeds will burn, along with the instruments of evil that he created on earth.
So, we can conclude that the Earth as a planet will not die and burn in fire. Everything earthly will burn up as worldly, vain, sinful, evil deeds that were done according to the flesh and self-interest, and not according to the spirit. Evil will burn on earth.
And all unrepentant sinners are promised that they will be thrown into the lake of fire along with Satan and the Antichrist. It is already clear that there will be a lake of fire. But not the size of the entire earth, of course. Otherwise it would not be a lake, but a fiery ocean. But it is said that there will be a lake “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”
What kind of fire is this in which even a worm does not die? Saint Gregory of Nyssa warns that we cannot imagine all this literally in our earthly concepts:
“Even if we call any of the punishments there by the name of those that are known to us here, the difference will be considerable. For when you hear about that fire, you are taught to imagine something different from ordinary fire, since that fire has something that this one does not have: after all, it does not go out, and for this purpose experience has invented many ways to extinguish it. But there is a big difference between that which does not go out and that which does not allow itself to be extinguished, therefore that fire is something different from this fire. Again, when you hear about that worm, do not direct your mind to the local earthly creature, based on the similarity of their names, for the addition that that worm does not die forces us to imagine a nature different from that known to us.” St. Gregory of Nyssa
It turns out that the fire will be somehow different and the worm too. We shouldn't even try to imagine all this. We must simply fear the fate of sinners and try not to end up there ourselves. That's all we need.
