An ancient Mayan calendar mysteriously ends at the winter solstice in the year 2012. Is this a sign that the Mayans knew that December 2012 is the end of human history? The History Channel, Newsweek magazine, major movie studios, booksellers and dozens of websites are fanning the 2012 craze. Should you be building a shelter and stowing away food for the coming disaster? On Beyond Today we’re going to answer the question: Is 2012 the End of the World?

2012…entire cities devastated by enormous tsunamis, earthquakes and category five hurricanes; meteors rain down fiery death from heaven and human history comes to a violent end.
Other 2012 scenarios picture a wonderful change in human consciousness and the ushering in of the New Age of Aquarius. John Major Jenkins, author of the popular Maya Cosmogenesis, describes the coming New Age this way: “Around the year we call 2012 a large chapter in human history will be coming to an end. All the values and assumptions of the previous World Age will expire, and a new phase of human growth will commence.”

The hype is based on a mixture of speculation about Mayan calendars, the book The Bible Code, some ancient Oriental prophesies, the writings of Nostradamus and passages from the biblical book of Revelation.

While the special effects of a tsunami wiping out the Himalayas is visually spectacular the real answers to the question about the end of the world lie in the only true source of the prophecy…the Bible.

You’re in for a few surprises today as we explore the final chapters of the book of Revelation. Although the last book of the Bible does contain descriptions of terrible future events, it is ultimately a book about hope.

You can use some more hope in your life. You’re worried about the mortgage, the kids, the job and with all the hype… is the end of the world just around the corner? The book of Revelation shows us that there are reasons why life is so hard and there are keys to help you discover hope in your future.

There are two ways to look at the book of Revelation. It’s like the twins Bob and Tom. Tom was the eternal optimist while Bob saw nothing but the bad in everything. One birthday their dad decided to play a trick on the two boys. He gave Bob a new bicycle, but all the pessimist could say was, “It’s the wrong color. Who will fix it when it breaks down? And I’ll probably get hurt trying to ride it.”

Tom ran through the house trying to find his gift only to end up staring at a pile of manure dumped in the back yard. Dad went outside and found Tom excitedly digging through the manure.
“What are you doing?” he asked.

Always seeing the good side, Tom answered, “I know there’s a pony under here.”

You have heard that 2012 is the end of the world. Many 2012 scenarios predict the total destruction of humanity and leave you with no hope for a personal future. The book of Revelation is more than gloom and doom and predictions of the violent end of the world. Underneath all the graphic images of death and destruction is a message of hope for the future of humanity and for you personally.

This central theme of hope runs through the entire Bible and culminates in the book of Revelation. So let’s look at this central biblical theme of hope:

1. You have a special purpose in life and there are solutions to your problems.
You can keep applying the same old solutions to the same old problems and you’ll keep arriving at the same old problems.

2. God created you in His image, but his purpose is not being fulfilled in your life.
You must come to believe that the Creator of life knows how life works.

3. You can experience a relationship with God and fulfill your purpose.

4. Accept that you need to change and believe change is possible through the plan of God being carried out through Jesus Christ.

5. The Bible is God’s instruction book for His purpose in your life.
The Bible just isn’t an ancient book of stories. It is relevant to your life.

6. Jesus Christ is coming to save the world, establish a New World Order, and you need to be preparing for that day by becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ now.
This New World Order is not going to be set up by a secret society or a collection of bankers. Jesus Christ is coming to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. This Kingdom will be based on God’s universal values and laws. His government will create a new agricultural system, pollution free manufacturing, a universal educational system, one world religion and peace and prosperity.

7. Your ultimate destiny is to become a child of God and you can have a child/Father relationship with Him now.

Nothing can bring more happiness, hope, love and power into your life than living by this basic biblical theme.

So what does the book of Revelation say about the end of the world and the hope of the future?

Before we answer that question I want to offer you a free booklet that will help you discover the true fascinating message of Revelation. The Book of Revelation Unveiled will help you sort out the story flow and strange images of this important prophecy. Finally, you will be able to read the book of Revelation and understand the meaning of the seven trumpets, the mystical beasts, Armageddon and the Day of the Lord.

Revelation is God’s newscast of events before they happen. It is a book about your future and the hope of deliverance.
This booklet is absolutely free. We’re not going to ask you for money. Go online right now to beyondtoday.tv to read or order your free copy of "The Book of Revelation Unveiled." Or, call toll-free 1-triple-eight-886-8632. Write the number down…1-triple-eight-886-8632, or go online to beyondtoday.tv.

What does the book of Revelation say about the end of the world?

The book of Revelation was written towards the end of the first century by the apostle John, the last of Jesus’ original twelve disciples. It is a divinely inspired prophecy predominately concerned with the events preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

John’s visions reveal that before Christ returns humanity will suffer:
world war
disease pandemics,
religious strife,
and famine on a global scale.

Many of these happenings are trends we see occurring in our world today. Watching your world teeter on economic chaos can leave you anxious…news of possible pandemics, the on-going crisis between Israel and the Arab nations, racial tensions….sometimes you may want to crawl in a hole and hide from all the bad news.

Don’t despair!

Hope comes at the end of the book. In Revelation chapters 19-20 John gives us a description of the return of Jesus Christ. Many people believe that Jesus is returning to destroy the earth, but this isn’t the scenario revealed by God to John. He writes that Jesus will establish God’s Kingdom on the earth for a thousand years, bringing peace and prosperity.
So 2012 is not the end of the world. Jesus Christ is coming to save the world. It is the beginning of real life and prosperity for humanity. There is a fantastic future waiting for humanity, beyond your wildest dreams.

What is your ultimate destiny?

If you don’t have a Bible in front of you, get one and follow along. Let’s turn to Revelation 20.

All human beings aren’t going to be destroyed in a great fireball caused by an asteroid or atomic weapons. Humanity isn’t going to face extinction in 2012. Sometime in the future Jesus Christ will return to save humanity from destruction!

Remember, earlier I said that you were made in the image of God and that God has a purpose for your life? The hope is in the believing…the hope is in the doing…and the hope is in living God’s purpose in your life.

Are you willing to give up your own ideas about how life works and turn to your Creator for the solutions? God wants more than a profession of faith from you…He wants you to become His child, life by his standards, accept His values as the Creator of the universe, and serve with Jesus Christ at His return.

In the next segment our panel is going to explain what Revelation teaches about the end of the age and what it means to your daily life.