Four Myths About the Apocalypse... Revelation Shows It's NOT Like the Movies

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Are you worried about the apocalypse? A lot of people are. Some even talk of “apocalypse anxiety.” That is, the feeling that the world will end, by any number of calamities, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Do you ever worry about the end of the world? The Bible reveals hard times are coming. But should we be distressed about it? Is fear of the future irrational and unnecessary? And can a clear understanding of scripture actually give us hope and encouragement?

Let’s explore this subject today and discover the truth, as we uncover four myths of the apocalypse.

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World. The world of entertainment is really the heartbeat of a culture. It reflects society’s values, hopes, and fears. But what does our entertainment say about us? I think most of us would agree, our entertainment says we are obsessed with the end of the world. And it’s not just in recent times. Consider H.G. Wells’ book The War of the Worlds, published back in 1897. It was read on the air on October 30, 1938, in the form of a radio drama. Some mistakenly thought it was the news report of Martians taking over New York, and it caused panic among some listeners. Since then, countless movies have been made about aliens, invasions, and the end of the world. Who can forget the gripping title of 1955’s “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” or lesser-known movies like 1962’s “Panic in Year Zero”? In more recent years, we’ve had “Armageddon,” “Independence Day,” and of course, the ever-popular “Avengers” movies. If you think the number of apocalyptic movies is increasing with each year, you’re right. In 2016, renowned author and Colgate University professor Dr. Anthony Aveni wrote a book entitled Apocalyptic Anxiety: Religion, Science, and America’s Obsession with the End of the World. In it, he explained:

“The number of apocalyptic-themed feature-length films produced since the turn of the millennium has topped totals over the four decades ending in 2000. Projected totals for 2011–2020 are expected to at least double the count for 2001–2010.” (Aveni, Apocalyptic Anxiety: Religion, Science, and America’s Obsession with the End of the World, p. 6, 2016).

Society is obsessed with the end of the world. And most of these fictions present what is called a dystopian picture of the world. That is, a future when society collapses, order disintegrates, and there is great suffering for humanity. When monsters and zombies lurk from behind every burned-out, smoking pile of rubble, waiting to terrorize desperate human survivors. You get the picture.

It’s only entertainment though, right? I mean, we don’t take these movies seriously, do we? We know they’re fiction, just a harmless two hours of fun. But stop and think: Is there some level of primal fear behind this growing genre of entertainment? And some of them don’t describe aliens coming to earth, but rather global collapse from climate change. They predict the polar ice cap will melt, CO2 levels will increase to dangerous levels, and coastal cities will be inundated. Or maybe an asteroid will crash to earth. Regardless, when you look under the surface, though it’s fiction, there’s something behind this. They are playing on the real fears of real people.

Now, it is true that horrific events will happen in our world. Jesus Himself said there will be great distress in the future. In Luke 21, verse 25 He said this:

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear....” (Luke 21:25–26).

But in the very same section, we read of a different response from people who are aware of the truth of the Bible, preparing for it, and ready. This is in Luke 21:28:

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28).

How can we make sure we have this mindset when these things happen? That’s why we’re talking about it today on this program. You see, if we expose the erroneous myths about the future, we can have greater confidence and peace in our lives today. Who doesn’t want that?

So, let’s look at four myths of the apocalypse, to separate truth from fiction.