Prophecies of Doom

Prophecies of Doom With Scientific Basis’
The incredible power to destroy that man now has is exemplified in one fact quoted by Dr. Lown, copresident of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War: “A single modern submarine has approximately eight times the total firepower of World War II—sufficient to destroy every major city in the Northern Hemisphere.” Please note—that is the destructive potential of just one submarine! The great powers have dozens of submarines and surface ships carrying nuclear weapons. Adding to these the land and air weapons, it makes a total of over 50,000 nuclear warheads!

When before in history has man ever had such awesome and dreadful power in his hands?

Dr. Lown admits that every historic period has had its unheeded prophets. What is the difference now? He explains: “Our era is the first in which prophecies of doom stem from objective scientific analyses.” If there should ever be a nuclear conflagration, he says, “it is sheer hubris [arrogance] to pretend that there would be human survival after such a man-made catastrophe.”

The future is a subject of intense fascination. Who of us would not like to know what we will be doing next month, next year, or even a decade from now? On a broader scale, what kind of world will this be in 10, 20, or 30 years?

Increased “Anguish of Nations”
In 1945 man released the evil genie of nuclear warfare from his magic lamp of scientific knowledge and has no way of ever getting it back in again. He may destroy his nuclear weapons, but how will he annul the knowledge that can always lead back to them? Therefore, the actual events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki plus the development of super nuclear weapons have increased the potential for “fearful sights” and “great signs” from heaven, for “anguish of nations . . . not knowing the way out” since 1945.—Luke 21:11, 25.
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Anguish of nations has also been multiplied by our ability to achieve instant communication. Only in this 20th century have modern systems of communication (radio, TV, computers, satellites) allowed all mankind to know instantly of wars and disasters, thus spreading fear and anguish of nations in a way that was never before possible. Not only does the world public know of them but by TV they can watch wars and bloodshed as they occur!

DO YOU have an optimistic view of the future? Millions of people do, and these may be divided into two groups: those who say they have solid grounds for their belief that things will get better and those who maintain a bright outlook simply because the alternatives are too bleak to consider.

Of course, some people see no good news on the horizon. Among them are prophets of doom who seem to take delight in heralding an apocalyptic annihilation of planet Earth. Their view of the future has room for few, if any, survivors.

How do you envision the future? Do you foresee gloom and doom or peace and security? If you expect the latter, on what is your hope based—wishful thinking or firm evidence?

Unlike the doomsayers, the publishers of Awake! do not believe that mankind is headed for extinction. On the contrary, the Bible provides solid reason to believe that the best of times are ahead.

The Scars of War
In this year of 1988, there are millions of families all over the world that have experienced part of the proof that we are in the last days. How so? They have lost one or more loved ones in the two world wars or in one of the other major conflicts (Korea, Vietnam, Iraq-Iran, Lebanon, and so forth) that have decimated mankind. Perhaps your family is one of those that can remember a lost father, grandfather, uncle, or brother. Also, millions of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts died in wars and in the European Holocaust.

WHAT will the next 10, 20, or 30 years bring? It can be frightening to contemplate the future in this age of terrorism. Technology is booming. Globalization has made many nations interdependent. Will world leaders unite and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow?

Some people say yes, hoping that by the year 2015, leaders will be able to stem the tide of poverty and hunger, reverse the spread of AIDS, and halve the proportion of those without access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

However, man’s vision of the future has often proved to be illusory. For example, decades ago one expert said that by 1984, farmers would plow the ocean floor with underwater tractors; another said that by 1995, cars would be equipped with computerized hardware that would prevent collisions; and another predicted that by 2000, there would be some 50,000 people living and working in space. Of course, those who made such predictions likely now wish they had remained silent. One journalist wrote: “There’s nothing like the passage of time to make the world’s smartest people look like complete idiots.”

Consider an illustration. Imagine that you are traveling by bus through a foreign land. Because the area is unfamiliar, you begin to feel uneasy. ‘Just where am I?’ you wonder. ‘Is this bus really headed in the right direction? How far am I from my destination?’ By consulting an accurate map and by observing the signs outside your window, you can find the answers to your questions.

The situation is similar for many today who feel anxious as they think about the future. ‘Where are we heading?’ they wonder. ‘Are we really on the road to global peace? If so, when will we reach that destination?’ The Bible is like a map that can help us to answer those questions. By carefully reading it—and by looking closely at what is happening outside our “window” on the world scene—we can learn much about where we are and where we are heading. First, though, we need to consider how our problems began.