[Darris McNeely] According to the scientists who keep track of what is called the “Doomsday Clock”, we have just moved two and a half minutes to midnight, the end of all humanity, nuclear destruction – we’re in bad times. This just happened a few days ago – actually, it came in the aftermath of the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. The scientists who take care of this Doomsday Clock had it at three minutes to midnight, but now they’ve moved it two and a half minutes to midnight in light of, actually, as they admit, who has become President of the United States and some of his statements in regard to nuclear weapons and climate change. In fact, the scientists who take care of the Doomsday Clock list two essential elements of the world today – the nuclear situation and the very dangerous nuclear world that we are in with many nations holding nuclear weapons that are antagonistic toward one another, and wanting to use those weapons to advance their own particular nationalistic ideas and agenda – it is a very real threat. We have rogue nations such as North Korea with a nuclear weapon, Iran wanting a nuclear weapon – so, rightfully so. The world is very dangerously close to always and has been, since the 1940s, nuclear war.

The second item that they list as a major problem is climate change, because again, of comments that have been made by President Trump and others denying climate change and some of the science in regard to that. And of course, scientists even debate back and forth the various elements of climate change, but these are the two reasons that the scientists who take care of the Doomsday Clock feel it was necessary to move it up thirty seconds, to two and a half minutes, which is actually the closest it has been to midnight and the hour of destruction since 1953. They began keeping this clock in the late 1940s after the development of the hydrogen bombs by the United States and Russia and the testing of those, and again, moving the world closer to the brink of nuclear war or possible even nuclear winter, and nuclear annihilation.

It is a very serious issue, the matters of nuclear war and certainly climate is on people’s minds, and the earth is changing in many different ways – the cause of that, where it will take us, is certainly debated and wondered about. But let’s look at, really, this particular clock and take a step back. I have actually lived with this clock all my life. I’ve heard about it and from time to time, it will be brought up and a major headline will be made about scientists moving this clock dial back and forth, depending upon politics, who’s in charge, what’s happening in the world scene.

Your Bible does describe to us a scene in Matthew 24:22. Jesus Christ Himself did make the statement that because of world events, and tribulation, and war, and false religion, and other matters, that the world would move to a point and to the actual brink of destruction, as the Bible describes it in Matthew 24:22. Christ says, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” All the years I’ve been listening and hearing about the Doomsday Clock and the gloom-and-doom scenario, I remembered this verse, and you should, as well. Because Jesus Christ Himself, who’s in charge of history, who’s in charge of prophecy, and who is in charge of human life on this earth, as the Creator of life, has said that mankind will not get to midnight in nuclear extinction. That is a promise of God from the Bible. Regardless of the politics, regardless of the science, regardless of what happens in our world scene, yes, there will be some very difficult times ahead of us. But your Bible, your Word, gives us a word of hope that those days will be shortened, and they will be shortened as Christ says, “Because of the sake of the elect”. A group of people, the elect of God, who are faithful, who keep His commandments and understand the testimony of Jesus Christ – the church of God. Because of the existence of the elect, God will not allow this clock to tick to midnight. That’s the hope that we have. Understand that, and we can rely completely upon God.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.