This longer article is divided into 5 parts:

1. The world we live in
2. The threatening change
3. Dealing with the Bible
4. Is our time depicted in the Bible?
5. Need and function

Our world is in upheaval

Before we get to the statements of faith, I would like to make a brief digression. Keywords of our time are for example “COVID-19” and “climate change”. These are real challenges that have a global impact. These and other words are only nails in the wall, on which ideas, phenomena are hung. They are situations, conceptual worlds, developments that move not only individuals, but entire societies. Our world is on the move – in many different ways. Movement also means change. Change is a challenge. Those who suddenly face such challenges have to reorient themselves in changed situations. Does that succeed and what does that do to me?

Let’s take Corona as an example. Is that real? Unfortunately, many people deny this. The problem with a pandemic is that it remains largely invisible unless you’ve lost your parents or siblings, your co-workers, your boss, your neighbor in the family. Those who do not nurse the most severe cases of corona in intensive care units, who do not see corpses piled in the street (as in the time of the plague in European cities), hear about the pandemic but are not directly affected. Based solely on one’s own experience and not listening to what others say, one might conclude that nothing is going on. Downplaying the pandemic just because the measures are working is a fallacy, also known as the “Gambler’s Fallacy” (Wikipedia: Gambling Fallacy). But, misconception or not, this view is shared by many people. Let’s take that as a possible reaction.

As mentioned before, this phenomenon is only an example in the context of this paper. I’m not concerned with that reaction. In this paper, I will try to sketch a larger context. Are there mechanisms for how people deal with stressful situations? The denial of a reality is one of them. What other mechanisms are there?

How does it look if we mentally draw the circles a little larger? Our world is not just about the pandemic. It’s very present right now, but it’s far from the only challenge. Many things are in motion. This threatens stability, security, well-being and often the current life situation. I think we are only at the beginning of a challenging time. That’s worth thinking about. But is that the end of the world? Hardly. Is it the biblical end times? We will pay attention to this at the end.

Complexity is threatening

The pandemic shows it vividly: Many people in pampered Western Europe are experiencing a drastic event for the first time. Uncertainty is a logical consequence. Suddenly, the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. This creates not only discomfort, but also rejection. Another way to play is to feel victimized – victimized by pharma, by governments, by others. I find this very understandable, even if I do not share the assessment. More on this in a moment. I see it as understandable, not because it is “true”, but because it speaks of a real sensation that lies behind it.

The world seems to be becoming increasingly complex. The pressure is increasing, not only personally, but also in society. As a reaction to the increasing pressure, one can try to escape: “Let’s get away from the pressure and the experienced chaos!”. This is one possible strategy for dealing with increasing complexity. I understand that well and I think it’s great when someone realizes that you have to be active for your own well-being. But where do you want to go when the pandemic rages globally? Unfortunately, real escape is not an option for most people. The life situations, tasks and obligations are too different. Some may not even want to leave. What helps then?

Another option is to try to narrow down the complexity by using an interpretive framework. We interpret to make it easier for us to manage complexity. Each of us does this every day. In special situations, as we are experiencing today, this takes place in a special way. Some interpretation is also an escape, but in thought. We are looking for an image that simplifies the world for us. In this category I see the conspiracy myths. They offer a simplified worldview and thought pattern, where it’s about the good guys and the bad guys, where the “woke” seem to know how it’s right. This is not a sign of critical thinking, but of uncritical escape behavior.

Attempt at an interpretation: The fear of complexity is projected outward by blaming others for the situation. This does not do justice to the complexity, but in simplification lies the attraction. It does not seem to matter whether the assumptions are correct. The subjective effect is symptom control. This helps. It is a method of coping with complex reality. It’s a fear-avoidance strategy. There is nothing wrong with that per se (!), but it remains a symptom control. A solution to real challenges cannot be expected from this direction.

One can try to master the threatening complexity by combating the symptoms. The causes, however, remain unaffected. Or, to put it another way, reality cannot simply be bent around. If we want to solve the complexities and challenges of our time, we must look, not look away.

Dealing with complexity

Everyone sees the world with their own eyes. Some get vaccinated, comply with the measures so that they take effect as soon as possible and we return to normal. One does the “humanly possible” to put an end to the spook. It is not simple, but requires ongoing adjustment of assumptions.

Others are strongly insecure because of exactly this ongoing adjustment due to current developments, and prefer to react with rejection. A general unease and mistrust now finds a grateful projection surface in conspiracy myths. Alternative facts are very popular with unsettled people.

I am convinced that these alternative facts serve an important purpose for some. Truth is not the issue and facts do not help. The alternative facts are believed, not because they are true, but because they serve a function. The disinformation finds appeal because it corresponds to an insecure attitude to life and confirms this feeling.

Despite all the pros and cons, I would like to make it clear: The uncertainty is real. We can agree on that, even if interpretations still differ. It seems important to me to acknowledge that the reference to uncertainty is neutral. Everyone senses uncertainty. How we deal with it, however, varies. Here is a multi-layered representation of our complex world:

“We also live in an interregnum. The postwar liberal order is crumbling. It has ensured stable political conditions and unprecedented prosperity in large parts of the world. Their promise was that each generation would be better off than the previous one.

Today, this optimism has not only evaporated, it has turned into its opposite: disillusionment characterizes the zeitgeist. And from disillusionment – because the promise of ‘trente glorioses’ still resonates in many minds – it is only a small step to outrage.

We face a variety of daunting challenges. From geopolitical uncertainty in some parts of the world to the climate crisis. From refugee flows to authoritarian regimes’ assertive power grabs to a pandemic of ‘fake news.'”

Alain Berset, speech: “The false power of monsters”.

This speech draws wide circles. It’s not just about ourselves, not even about our country, but about developments that are taking place around the world. Uncertainty is part of our time and no one lives on an island. The question is how we deal with it in everyday life. Are we aware of what we can do and do we recognize the mechanisms by which we resist change?

Uncertainty causes stress. Stress is real. Dodging stress is a human need. Do we know our own stress factors? We can think of our personal need for security, our previous life experience, our temperament. We cope with change differently. I myself love change. That inspires me. For others, change is more of a stressor. These are value-free observations of difference.

Eyes closed and through, or rather eyes open and through?

But what if change is inevitable? Closing your mind to change is not a solution in the long run. I ask myself the question here, what is the best way to proceed: “Close your eyes and go through” or rather “Open your eyes and go through”?

A New World Order?

I am not surprised that conspiracy myths are regularly about a “New World Order”. I see it mainly as a projection of insecurity. One senses the changes in this world, and looks for “culprits” for the changes, who then serve as a “projection surface” of diffuse fears. Think Bill Gates, George Soros, Big Pharma, the Illuminati, the supposed dangers of G5 and other projection screens. Here the fear is projected outward, away from oneself. Conspiracy myths are red herrings. However, it seems to help when many join together in it. As Jürg Halter aptly puts it:

“In Bern, we are reminded weekly that we do not live in a dictatorship, but in a demonstration.”
Jürg Halter, on Facebook (10/24/2021)

The idea of a new world order is not new. The focus on the dangers of a new world order is striking. The enslavement of mankind shall be the goal. Christians like to lecture on ideas taken from the book of Revelation. A world government, a world currency and a world religion (Rev 13:1-18) are the secret goals that illustrious groups have in mind for the world. Fear is stoked.

One could list here dozens of websites that spread such ideas. Among them are typical sites for spreading conspiracy myths, but also a surprising number of Christian sites. It is not uncommon for me to read of Christians who sympathize with conspiracy myths and then spin the thoughts on in apocalyptic scenarios from the Bible. I notice this and wonder if the same mechanisms are at work?

Christian end time fantasies

This intertitle is provocative. But it also wants to outline something, namely the assessment that some ideas about the end times correspond more to fantasies than to reality. The mechanisms seem to be the same as I mentioned before. My cautious hypothesis: The feared “New World Order” is primarily a fear of losing the “current world order” and an expression of an insecurity that is overplayed religiously.

Where does this become visible? Well, the moment you try to link current events with biblical prophecy. I am more than critical here. In the last 40 years or so, I have seen this again and again, read it, heard it in Bible lessons and heard it preached from the pulpit: “The signs are all there, the prophecies are being fulfilled today”. But: None of these claims has come true. Sobriety forces me to dismiss such speculation as speculation.

On the positive side, I would like to note here that I find the linking to the Bible to be understandable. I myself also do that. However, I do it differently than in many an end-time fantasy. One can and should ask how we can read the Bible in light of current developments. This does not mean, however, that we find the present time back in the Bible per se. There are several points of view here. If you want to listen to an interesting podcast about this, you will find it at RefLab: “I don’t believe that we are living in the end times!”.

What strikes me negatively is the attempt to try to find the present time back in the Bible and specifically to portray it as the end times. While I can sympathize, I don’t think we do justice to the Bible itself by doing so. As a Christian, I have a trust in God that is nourished by the message of the Bible. I have a deep trust in the sober statements of the Bible. However, I also keep in mind that while everything is written for me, it does not all speak of me. Even if “nothing” is happening at the moment, I trust in God’s nearness and work. These do not become real only by threatening disaster.

Not every time is depicted in the Bible.

• This includes over 400 years that the people of Israel were in Egypt. Reports come only from the beginning and end of this period.
• Also, there are several centuries of silence between the last book of the Old Testament and the first book of the New Testament.
• Since the books of the New Testament were closed, it also became quite quiet.

Realistic is: God does not speak directly at every time and something is not written about every time.

Making sense

The next step in managing complexity is sense-making. The Bible declares that our life has a purpose, that we are not accidental products of an explosion in the past, but live here willed by God (Eph 1:4). Making sense is not pious. Making sense is meaningful. It seems more than logical for a Christian to try to trace the Bible to see if this time is not “in some unknown way” also God’s time and how to determine that.

If you find clues in the Bible, they not only help you understand the current world, but may also give you encouragement and a clear view of the future. Of course, such ideas are helpful – if they are right. Unfortunately, experience shows that this is not the case.

One thinks for instance of the end time fantasies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the mentioned dates of the end of the world, which did not come true and were either spiritualized or postponed anew to the future. Consider also the false claims of Hal Lindsey in the 1980s, who calculated that we are in the end times (on this, two assessments by Samuele Bacchiocchi, Andrews University: Part 1, Part 2). Then there are still “hidden” truths, which could be derived from numbers, or for instance from the Psalms. None of these things have been confirmed.

A look at the history of predictions makes one cautious. Not only is it easy to see that such predictions have not been fulfilled, but it also shows that some approaches to looking at the Bible hold the potential for seduction. This is what happens when security is pretended to be missing. They are projections, often well-intentioned but without basis.

An interpretation is not to be equated with the Bible

How do end-time ideas come into being? Through interpretation. The lack of distinction between the Bible and biblical interpretation is problematic. The Bible can never be anything other than the Bible itself. It is not dependent on my interpretation. It is a text testimony. My interpretation of the Bible can never be anything other than my personal interpretation – with all the limitations that attach to myself. My interpretation is time-bound and tied to me. Those who position a particular doctrine or presentation as the final truth, regardless of intent, blur the line between text and interpretation. This is not only disrespectful to the text, but also absurd in its claim. Here you can easily see the projections that take place.

The desire for security in an uncertain world can be boosted by speculative ideas. If these ideas are closely linked to the biblical text, they acquire an aura of truth, from which the effect seems even stronger. Consequently, it is not about believing, but about feeling, about not only longing for God’s nearness, but already recognizing it in the world. It corresponds to a deep desire for meaning and to live in God’s presence. And yes, I too want to live in God’s presence. This, however, does not depend on end-time fantasies, nor does it make it more concrete.

When I recognize my need for meaning, I am thereby freer to examine my motives when I am drawn to something. I will not blindly fall for inferences of men, but can learn to examine what is essential (Phil 1:9-11). Such an attitude is needed when we deal with end-time texts and end-time fantasies.

Where do the end-time prophecies come from?

If you look up the Bible for end-time scenarios, you end up with the prophets from Israel as well as the Gospels and the Revelation to John. Outside of these writings, there are references, but not as condensed as in the aforementioned books. Without exception, we are not moving in a “Christian” environment here, but in a “Jewish” one. The prophets spoke of the future of Israel. Jesus had a commission for Israel in the Gospels (Matt. 15:28; Rom. 15:8); John was entrusted with the gospel of circumcision (Gal. 2:7-9).

What I am getting at is this question: are we, as a church from all nations, at the center there? Do these books speak of our time? It can already be deduced from the aforementioned quotations that it is clearly about Israel. We are not centrally located. These books do not speak of our time. In terms of a prophetic interpretation of various statements, this is a key insight. The context described in these books is different from today.

Israel and the nations

Where can we put the differentiation now? We have to do it carefully so that we don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. It is helpful to look at the development in the Bible. This is often about Israel on the one hand and the other nations on the other.

There was a time when God chose Israel out of all the nations and walked a path with this people.

“And now, if ye will willingly hearken unto my voice, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my possession out of all nations: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Ex 19:5-6

Israel is seen as a kingdom of priests and a holy, set apart nation. This, of course, is with one goal in mind: through Israel, the rest of the nations are to be blessed. This calling and this outlook run like a red thread through the Old and New Testaments. The nations have no special calling at this time:

“He [Gott] let all nations go their own ways in the past generations.”
Acts 14:16

So the attention was on Israel, while the nations were not given special attention for the time being. This does not change in the Gospels, but afterwards, in Paul. Something new is happening with Paul. He is the only apostle to speak about the “body of Christ,” a church made up of all nations, without priestly mediation by Israel. While in the Tenach Israel and whole nations were named, Paul is about individual people from all nations. After the 12 apostles were in Jerusalem and continued to wait for the fulfillment of messianic prophecies, Paul was called as the 13th apostle. He was given a new task. This happened at a time when people were asking, “What will happen to Israel? Now, Israel’s path seems to be interrupted. But that was a secret. Paul describes it as follows:

“For I will not leave you ignorant of this mystery, my brethren (lest you be counted prudent among yourselves): hardening has happened to Israel in part, until the perfecting of the nations comes in. And then Israel as a whole will be saved, just as it is written: “The rescuer will come from Zion; He will turn away unrighteousness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Rom 11:25-27

While the focus was once on Israel, today it is on the nations. We do not have to think of whole nations, but with individuals from all nations who accept God’s grace. That’s a real change. No wonder Paul explains these things in detail in Romans 9-11. It is something new. It is a mystery, as he states in the last paragraph.

However, the secret is not a one-time change, but it is like an intervening time. Israel’s hardening, as he calls it, is for a limited time. It is namely “until the completion of the nations come in”. Thus, the present time of the nations would come to an end, and Israel would be restored by God Himself. Because Israel also still has a future.

However, we now live in a time that was unknown in the past. It is not found back in the Old Testament or in the Gospels. Why is this important? Well, let’s see where the prophecies have a place. Surprisingly, these prophecies have nothing to do with today. The time in which we live was a “mystery”. The typical end-time prophecies have to do with Israel’s expectation, more specifically, the time when Israel will be restored and she will take up her function as a priestly nation.

The Establishment of the Messianic Kingdom

End-time scenarios usually deal with the establishment of the messianic kingdom. When the disciples ask to Jesus: “Tell us, when will this be, and what is the sign of Your presence and the conclusion of the Aeon?” (Matt. 24:3), then Jesus responds to it in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25. In detail, He describes the time at the close of this aeon and the transition to the next, the messianic time. The book of Revelation also describes this and connects with the prophets and also with the speech of Jesus. It is about an upheaval in time, about the establishment of God’s reign on earth. That was the expectation, and that is what the typical end-time images point to.

According to Paul, however, we live in an intermediate time. The present parish is formed in this interim period. Before us it was Israel, after us it will be Israel. But now there is the church from all nations. It is as if God paused with Israel to call out the present church in between.

I mention these things so that we can better understand our position. Many end-time ideas are based exclusively on prophecies about the establishment of the messianic kingdom. However, these do not concern us. We live in a different time, while Israel has a time-out. We cannot simply apply the texts to today. First, we need to get some clarity.

When times touch

The significant question is: Although we do not live directly in the time of prophecy, can we see this coming time on the horizon? Because: Logically, the present time will touch the future time at some point. Are we close to it? Can we see the development in the distance and what does it mean for us?

Of course, we do well to know the development in the Bible. First, however, we should understand the manifestation of our current time. The current time is characterized by grace (Eph 3:1-3) and by faith, not perception (2 Cor 5:7). The expectation is central:

“For we know that all creation groans and travails with us until now. But not only they alone, but also we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we ourselves also groan within ourselves, awaiting the state of sonship, the release of our body. For it was upon this expectation that we were saved. But expectation that is glimpsed is not expectation; because what someone sees – does he still expect that? But if we expect what we do not behold, we wait for it with perseverance.”
Rom 8:22-25

The essence of our time is not the prophetic fulfillment, not the feeling and seeing, but the expectation before it. We believe not because of apocalyptic “special effects” but because of the reality of encountering the living God in whom we trust and whose future is centered on life, justice and relationship.

The day of the Lord

The book of Revelation, which is especially popular for end-time interpretations, begins with a chronological assignment. John reports:

“I was in the Spirit in the Lord’s day.”
Rev 1:10

John had a vision of a time he calls “the Lord’s day.” In the prophets and also in the New Testament we repeatedly read about the “Day of the Lord”. Here the words are reversed, as if the emphasis is on the Lord of that day. It is about Him, Christ, the returning Messiah.

The reference to the Lord’s Day can now be considered information. Can we see the day of the Lord coming? If we are not in the middle of it, rather not if we want to follow Paul here:

“Concerning times and terms, brethren, there is no need to write to you; for you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and safety!” ruin stands before them unexpectedly, like the woe before a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape.”
1Thess 5,1-3

Like a thief in the night! This does not allow for much planning. This day of the Lord, with all the judgments and with the establishment of the Messianic kingdom, comes unexpectedly. When that day comes, many things happen rapidly, as John records, “Revealing Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His slaves, which must be done with speed” (Rev. 1:1).

However, those who justify apocalyptic scenarios from the Bible like to refer to the following verses from 1 Thessalonians. In it Paul writes:

“But ye, brethren, are no more in darkness, that the day should seize you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day. We belong neither to the night nor to darkness.”
1Thess 5,4-5

Paul’s first statement is now turned around, that the day could not seize us like a thief. In other words: We can find out when it all takes place! Unfortunately, however, this interpretation loses the fact that Paul is not concerned with undoing his previous words, but he is concerned with communicating a healthy spiritual direction to the believers in Thessalonica.

Paul declares that the day of the Lord comes “like a thief in the night.” That is why the day comes as a surprise. Believers, however, do not belong to the night and therefore can “watch and be sober.” This does not mean that they can suddenly know when everything takes place, but they can at least wait positively for the dissolution of the night and the dawning of the day.

“But since we are sons of the day, let us be sober, and let us put on the armor of faith and love, together with the helmet which is the expectation of salvation.”
1Thess 5,8

Faith and love and expectation shape our understanding (cf. 1Cor 13:13). This is what characterizes a sober and vigilant attitude of faith. So no special effects, not “see and feel”. Rather, Paul has already enlightened the Thessalonians as follows:

“But let the Lord increase and overflow you in love toward one another and toward all, even as we also show it toward you, to strengthen your hearts, that they may be blameless before our God and Father in holiness his in the presence of our Lord Jesus, with all his saints.”
1Thess 3,12-13

As an encouragement, Paul writes:

“For God hath not set us to wrath (cf. 1Th 1:10), but to the appropriation of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or slumber, we may live at the same time with Him. Therefore, speak to one another, and one build up another, as you also do.”
1Thess 5,9-11

Whether we are awake or asleep! Generously we are embedded in the grace of God. We are not dependent on what comes, how it comes, when it comes. We depend on Him, not on prophecies. Paul does not put off the congregation with speculative fantasies, but rather solidifies the congregations in loving sobriety for today.

Are you not allowed to interpret?

Of course, one should interpret. We even have to interpret. Everyone interprets this world in their own way. It seems to me to be an inner necessity so that we can move in the world. No interpretation is flawless, not even my interpretation. Thus, it is not invalid, but it is limited, completely imperfect, an expression of a very real dispute, without any claim to absoluteness. I struggle as a human being and I struggle as a believer with the reality that I would like to grasp. Will it succeed? I try to reflect on that all the time.

Instead of speculaas

Thinking does not protect from mistakes. YouTube is not always purposeful. There are, on the other hand, methods of thinking that are sober, proven and useful. They help us to avoid wrong conclusions and to develop concrete solutions for current challenges. That doesn’t make the world any less complex, but it helps manage complexity.

We can also see the answers we find to the complexities of this world as need-based personal solutions that serve a function. They want to help us find our way in this world. What have you found and what have I found for guidance? There is plenty of room to talk about this without getting into a trench war.

Paul wrote in this sense:

“But take heed to the weak in faith, but not for the judgment of inference. One person thinks he can eat anything, but the weak person eats only vegetables. He who eats everything, do not spurn him who does not eat everything; and he who does not eat something, do not judge him who eats it. For God took care of him. Who are you to judge a foreign house slave? To his own master he stands or falls; but he will be kept standing, for his master is mighty to keep him standing.”
Rom 14:1-4

In conclusion

Thank you very much if you have read this long post to this point. How do you see your world after this post? What needs further attention?