We Must Refute "Armageddon"!

Since the days of the Apostle Paul, ultra selfish and deceived Christians have been eagerly waiting for the so-called "Rapture", i.e. to be caught up in the air by Jesus, so that they should escape the "great tribulation" which sinful infidels deserve! Some cults had even set certain dates for the appearance of Christ, but they were always disappointed... The distorted picture of God that Christian fundamentalists hold, i.e. certain characteristics they attribute to Jehovah (anger, jealousy, vindictiveness, partiality, etc.), as well as their belief in the unavoidable fulfillment of Biblical prophecy poses an imminent threat to world peace. Christians are already guilty of numerous crimes against humanity throughout history, which unfortunately continue to this day. And although, in my opinion, the aim of most wars is economic exploitation, the fuel that sustains them is religious fanaticism. Nowadays, Christians are working diligently for the fulfillment of a morbid "End Times" scenario, i.e. Armageddon! This, according to their beliefs, is necessary, in order to prepare the way for the supposed "Second Coming" of Christ in order to establish God's Kingdom on earth, at last! Apart from Christian fundamentalists ("born again"!), Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons believe in a similar scenario, too. Unfortunately, the Muslims also anticipate some sort of morbid end of this world. It is my firm belief that the future of the world is not, and should not, be dictated by any catastrophic prophecies, as mankind have the free will, the responsibility and the power to render ineffective all morbid human predictions. Nor should we be deceived that, after an "Armageddon", Christ will establish his long awaited Kingdom on earth! This is pure fantasy and it is refuted even by scripture. It is therefore worth examining a few Biblical verses relevant to this issue. "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'." (Matt. 3: 1-2) John the Baptist preached earnestly repentance and prepared the people to receive the message of Jesus. He preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. What did he mean by this? What kind of kingdom was imminent? The following verses will clarify it: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zech. 9: 9) This is a prophecy about the Messiah, the long awaited king of Zion, as the Jews believed him to be. As we will see in the following verses, Jesus knew and made sure he fulfilled this scripture in order to convince his fellow Jews that he was the Messiah they were awaiting for, i.e. the anointed king of Israel. "As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away'. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Hosanna in the highest!' When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee'." (Matt. 21: 1-11) In the above eloquent and detailed description of St. Matthew, it is made clear that the crowds of the Jews who accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem recognized in him a descendant of David and a prophet, who was coming in the name of the Lord. So the Jews were expecting a king-prophet, just like David had been. (By the way, if one wonders how Jesus was able to sit on two animals at the same time, i.e. on the donkey and the colt, I am afraid I cannot figure it out!) St. John in his Gospel also verifies that many Jews expected Jesus to become the king of Israel: "The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John 12: 12-13) The following verses give a spiritual dimension to the kingdom of heaven, something that does not derive from the prophecies of the Old Testament. It makes one wonder why Jesus sat on a donkey to fulfill a prophecy that did not exactly apply to him. Or did he still have the intention to become king of the Jews when he rode the donkey? There again, the words that Jesus spoke about the spiritual kingdom of God preceded his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. So, by then he knew what he had come to do. Let us study the following verses where he explains all about the kingdom of heaven: "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'." (Matt. 4: 17) Jesus preached exactly the same message as John the Baptist; he even used the same words. The kingdom of God was apparently near, but in order for one to experience it, he/she had to repent. "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matt. 11: 12) These are the words of Jesus. Since John the Baptist started preaching about the kingdom of heaven, people tried to enter it by force. They were in a hurry to conquer it, to establish it in their hearts, repenting of their sins and making amends for those they had wronged. "Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt. 6: 10) This is a verse from the Lord's Prayer, which we have already analyzed. The coming of the kingdom of God on earth presupposes that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven; that people comply with His sovereign laws. "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it." (Matt. 21: 43) How is the kingdom of God taken away from a people? If a nation rejects God's messengers, as the Jews did with Jesus, it rejects His kingdom. Then God's messengers will bring His kingdom to another nation, preaching the word of God to people who accept it and produce fruits of righteousness. "But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you." (Luke 11: 20) This verse leaves no doubts about the essence and the nature of the kingdom of God that Jesus was referring to. The kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven, comes into somebody's heart when God, by His finger (Spirit) casts out the evil therein. From then on, it is up to the person delivered from evil to firmly establish God's kingdom in his heart by adhering to the divine principles, i.e. to God's word. "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." (Matt.13: 31-32) The field is the heart or the soul of man. Originally the kingdom of heaven is a small grain, like that of a mustard seed, which was sown there by the Creator. This seed, however, if properly watered and fed by the word of God, can grow enormously and become a great spiritual tree. Weary people can rest on its branches and find comfort in their souls. "He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened'." (Matt. 13: 33) If the kingdom of heaven is established in a person's heart, then this person becomes like a leaven hidden in society. Just as a small amount of leaven makes three measures of flour to ferment and rise, so the enlightened person can permeate and transform society. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." (Matt.13: 44) When one discovers, i.e. becomes aware of the kingdom of heaven, i.e. the hidden treasure in one's heart, then his/her joy is so great that the person gives up all his/her belongings (idols) in order to invest in that field. The pleasures and the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of the spiritual treasure within! "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Matt. 13: 45) Every human being is like a merchant constantly searching for "fine pearls" that will make him/her happy. People try to find "fine pearls" in knowledge, in position and power, in fame, in money and possessions, in personal relationships, entertainment of every kind, and generally in the gratification of their senses. Yet, when one finds the "kingdom of heaven" within, one realizes that he/she has found the "pearl" of the greatest value! So, that person sells whatever he/she has in order to buy that "pearl". This, of course, is an allegory, as the "kingdom of heaven" cannot be bought with money. "He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old'." (Matt. 13: 52) To be a teacher of the law, instructed in the things of the "kingdom of heaven", is to be open to new revelations about the Truth. If you are stuck to the old beliefs, you are not a good householder. The tragic thing about religion, any and every religion, is that its ministers are closed to new revelation for they are afraid of changes. They are stuck to the old and, quite often, erroneous and ineffective doctrines and so deprive themselves and their "flock" of precious new spiritual treasures that God has available to the pure hearted and open minded. "Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them: 'The kingdom of God does not come so as to be observed; nor will they say, 'Lo, here it is' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17: 20-21) The Pharisees of Jesus' time, just like the fundamental Christians of all times, expected a visible kingdom of God, i.e. a theocratic state, governed by the Messiah. But Jesus' answer was clear. The kingdom of God is not an external kingdom that can be observed. Nor can any theocracy deal with the internal vices of the heart, such as envy, hatred, pride, greed etc., which cannot be detected and punished by any law. The kingdom of God is within man and it comes in one's heart when one decides to be governed by the Spirit, i.e. when a person submits his/her thoughts, words, feelings, desires and actions to the will of God. Let those who adhere to the prophecies of Revelation and look forward to a visible kingdom of God on earth, without sin and pain - when Christ will supposedly return to reign and "Satan" will be bound (!) - meditate on the above words of Jesus and reconsider their beliefs. But even if "Satan" were to be bound for a period of time, who could eliminate that great "dragon" within human beings, namely our ego, from which all vices arise? Ego will always be there, tempting people to sin against their fellow human beings, until the time when man realizes that we are all part of each other, members of the one God. Flesh also will be there, craving for things that are contrary to the dictates of the spirit. No external Messiah could conquer these two giants. Man must become his own Messiah, his own Christ, in order for the kingdom of God to be established in the hearts of individuals and through them in society and the world as a whole.