Bern, Switzerland [Associated Press, Christian Style News, CD-COM].
The Vatican's top astronomer has some assurances to offer: The world won't be ending in 8 days, despite predictions to the contrary.
The Rev. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, wrote in Wednesday's Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that "it's not even worth discussing" doomsday scenarios based on the Mayan calendar that are flooding the Internet ahead of the purported Dec. 21 apocalypse.
Yes, Funes wrote, the universe is expanding and if some models are correct, will at one point "break away" — but not for billions of years. But he said Christians profoundly believe that "death can never have the last word."
For the Maya, Kukulkan is the name of the serpent god. Mythology tells that the ancestors received knowledge through the spirit of this god and it says that one day, in 999 A.D., Kukulkan left his people to embark on a journey to the places from which he came. Before leaving, he promised to return. And the Maya await his return. 21 December 2012 will be the day Kukulkan, the serpent god, will return to begin a new era and to restore to man the knowledge he had given him in ancient times.
The adventist 'End-Time understanding' is based on God's Word. The Bible tells a very different story about the enticing serpent god. Indeed, it shows the serpent as an impostor. It is written, “And the great dragon, the old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…” (Revelation 12:9).
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of God's people, the grand climax of the gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.
What do I believe in: in a new era of knowledge promised by the deceptive serpent since the days of Adam and Eve or in the eternal life in paradise promised by Jesus?
by Andreas Mazza, CD-EUD; picture: wikipedia