If one does a Google search on End of the World 2012, you will find there are 1,560,000,000 websites with that reference. The whole world is talking about the year 2012 being the end of the world, with numerous signs mentioned as proof that this event will take place.

According to the Mayan Long Count Calendar, on December 21st, 2012, the earth will be destroyed by an asteroid. Recent movies depict the end of the world with earthquakes, mountains sinking, islands vanishing, tidal waves, and asteroids bombarding the earth.

Also, several current television shows on the History Channel feature 2012 as the end of the world.

There are many civilizations which have predicted the end of the world occurring in 2012. These include the Mayans, Aztecs, Chinese, Ancient Egyptians, Hindus, the Native American Hopi Indians, plus Islamic predictions in the Quran.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have set many dates for the end of the world: 1914, 1918, 1925, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1975 and 1984.

Harold Camping of California, a false prophet, originally predicted that the world would end in 1994. He then made a further prediction that the world would end on May 21, 2011. He raised $100 million to finance 5,000 billboards across the United States and 30 other countries advertising the end of the world. Millions of copies of free books and pamphlets were also circulated. After the date passed, and Christ did not come, he admitted in a private interview that he no longer believed that anyone could set a date for Christ’s return, and that his attempt to predict a date was “sinful.”

If we look at the world around us, it appears that natural disasters are on the increase, with almost daily occurrences of deadly floods, life-shattering earthquakes and killer hurricanes. The United States and the Caribbean countries are just recovering from Hurricane Sandy, which is reported to be the most destructive hurricane in history in terms of damage to property. There were a number of lives lost, with damage estimates well over $10 billion dollars. And these are just early days. Costs are expected to mount exponentially, with severe impact on the United States economy. Many people lost everything in the hurricane.

The bad news is that these types of disasters will only become more frequent and increase in their intensity as we approach the end of time as we know it. Jesus very clearly taught us that earthquakes and famines are only the beginning of birth pains, as we read in Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Coupled with natural disasters, we will see an acceleration of unbridled evil as we get closer to Christ’s second coming.

President Obama of the United States promotes the new morality, marriage between two men or two women. In news from Mexico, the drug cartels killed and mutilated 49 people.

How will we survive the apocalypse?

Will Jesus come again? “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3. This is a literal, personal and imminent promise to His people. This is good news for modern man, and hope for the future.

Why is Jesus coming back? He is coming to make things right in this old world. He is coming to put an end to strife and war. He is coming to close the hospitals, to put doctors and nurses out of business. Jesus is also coming to put all the preachers out of work.

Our world will increasingly experience bad things, that will range from cataclysmic natural disasters to an outpouring of evil like we have never seen before.

The Bible gives us warnings about what to expect in the last days before Christ comes. There will be false teachings and a false sense of security. The Bible, however, tells us that Christ will come at a time when the world least expects Him. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3. He comes as a thief in the night or as a surprise—but only to the wicked who have not looked for, nor prepared for His coming.

Satan will even try to impersonate Christ and many of the world will believe. We are warned to watch out for these deceptions. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14

No man knows the day and hour of Christ’s return. Jesus forbids setting dates for His return. We know that Jesus is coming, as he has promised, but we do not know the exact time.

There are over 2,000 references to Jesus’ Second Coming in the Bible. For every prophecy concerning the first coming of Christ, there are eight prophecies that look forward to His Second Coming.

Jesus will come at a time when the world is totally unprepared. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Matthew 24:37­–41.

Here, Jesus makes a very simple comparison to the days of Noah. What was it like in Noah’s day? It was “business as usual.” While Noah patiently built the ark and warned people of the coming judgment, people laughed at him and said, “It will never happen.” Noah’s day was like our day—an age of skepticism and moral relativity. The more Noah preached, the more his contemporaries mocked him. They refused to believe that anything like a worldwide flood was possible.

For years and years, life continued without a change. With each passing day Noah looked like more of a fool than the day before. But finally the heavens opened and the rains came down. When Noah entered the ark, I’m sure his friends pounded on the door and said, “Noah, we’re sorry. You were right and we were wrong. Open up. Let us in.” But it was too late.

In the year A.D. 79, Mt. Vesuvius erupted violently, completely destroying the Italian city of Pompeii and its surrounding suburbs. The May 1984 edition of the National Geographic shows, through colour photos and drawings, the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mt. Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gases. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day. The saddest part is that these people did not have to die.

Scientists confirm what ancient Romans writers recorded—weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain, days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to Vesuvius’ warning!

There are similar “rumblings” in our world: warfare, earthquakes, the nuclear threat, economic woes, and a breakdown of the family and moral standards. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming Day of Judgment (Matthew 24). People need not be caught unprepared. God warns and provides an escape to those who will heed the rumblings.

According to Matthew’s account of the Lord’s message, he summarized all of the above as merely “the beginning of sorrows” (literally—birth pangs). Matthew 24:8. The distinction of labour pains is that as the time of the birth gets closer the pain increases; the intensity grows and the frequency grows. The point being that, although the characteristics that Jesus points out can be seen in every age, they will increase and intensify as the time of Jesus’ coming draws near.

Our work today is to preach the 3 angels’ messages to the world, to be repairers of the breach, to call the attention to the world to the truth of the gospel, including the imminent return of Christ. God wants everyone to be saved. He wants to give us and those who will receive this message an opportunity to respond. This is a moral message, not a message of doom, but hope, not a message that calls people to store such things as dried fruits, water purifiers, and of needing weapons, and hideouts, it is about getting ourselves right with God. It is about restoring God’s law and as God’s instrumentality; point out the decision of morality just before Christ’s second coming. It is in reality about preaching this last message of mercy, about being ready. We therefore are not to be fearful of the future, but this message is to fill us with hope and to call people out of darkness into His marvelous light.

God wants everyone to be saved. He wants to give everyone a chance to hear about His soon coming. He wants to give each of us an opportunity to respond.

We are to be ready today. “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44

Throw sin as far as you can throw it and kneel at Jesus’ feet. We need to “Remember Lot’s wife.” Lot moved closer and closer to sinful Sodom. This was the wrong place to live. She moved into Sodom, and Sodom moved into her.

“And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” Genesis 19:17.

Was it because she disbelieved the call of God to get out? No. She started to leave, but with no eagerness. She was reluctant to leave her home, her material things. With death at her heels she lingered. She loved the world more than she loved God. She believed the truth; she knew what she ought to do; she wanted to be saved—yet she lingered. Millions have lingered until the best years of their lives have gone. Lot’s wife looked back, and she died. She disobeyed the commandment of the Lord. God means what He says. There is no excuse for worldliness, covetousness, or any sin.

Obey, even if you don’t understand why. The story is told of a railroad worker who lived near the tracks. He was off duty that day. He looked up from his work in the yard to see his little boy, four and a half, playing on the tracks. And a train was thundering toward him!

There was no time to reach him and snatch him away. He called, but  Johnny did not hear. Then he called out at the top of his voice, for there was time for nothing else, “Johnny, lie down and don’t move!”

Johnny obeyed instantly, without even turning to look his father’s way. The train rushed over the motionless boy. And after the caboose had passed, the father gathered him up, his little heart pounding—but safe!

There was nothing in Johnny’s short experience, his few years, to qualify him to understand his father’s strange command. But he didn’t question it. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t delay. His father had spoken. And that was enough for him!

The offense of looking back indicates a divided heart. Two voices were competing for the allegiance of Lot’s wife—the voice of God calling her to liberty, purity and salvation; the other voice of popularity and pleasure, the voice of Sodom. Get out or stay in. No neutrality. Choose right now what you will do. Those who look back will perish with the things they loved more than they loved God.

Look to Christ and don’t look back. He loves you and wants to save you.

Henry Dering