Dec 1995 - Editorial

by Lawrie Burrows | Category: Editorial | Dec 1995

For the majority, 'the millennium' is the next thousand years, beginning on January 1st 2000 A.D. There are great expectations of improvements in many areas of human endeavour: better understanding between nations, better health, greater prosperity. Scientists, engineers, architects, doctors and other well qualified people will, it is believed, make their expert contributions to produce vast improvements in the human condition. But for the Christian the Millennium is the time briefly alluded to in our final article on the life of Joseph, when Satan, the deceiver, will be bound with a great chain and thrown into the abyss (Rev. 20:1-3). The result will be world-wide peace and prosperity. Even the wild beasts, formerly so feared, will become docile. The prophet Isaiah lets us into the secret:

'The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea' (11:1-9). That happy state of affairs cannot be realized now, for until the coming of the Lord to the earth to reign, Satan is still able to deceive people as he did so successfully in the garden of Eden. Improvements in technology will indeed help us in many areas of life, hut the benefits can only be temporary and of limited extent. Scripture declares that things must get worse and worse (2 Tim. 3:1-5,13). We can be quite confident of the accuracy of this Spirit-given prophecy of the apostle Paul, for some of it is taking place before our very eyes.

Focus gives warning about the New Age Movement which attempts to foster unjustified expectations of human betterment and relies on the original satanic temptation: 'Ye shall be as God...' (Gen. 3:5). Let us not put our trust in worldly hopes, but in divine promises. 'Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord' (James 5:7).

Lawrie Burrows | Dec 1995
Editorial