Standing in the hour of the great, final reckoning

This epoch has crept in on us mankind slowly, but inexorably. I believe that the experiences of these times go beyond what we look in the direction of the alert and the discerning alone to unravel and interpret. Scholars, sociologists, scientists, philosophers are no doubts digging. A group of scientists issued a statement in 2019 expressing their disgust over all manner of burden afflicting the United States. They heaped these on suspected psychological instability of Mr. Trump, his mental balance. Many believe that the trumpet proclaiming these times began blaring a long time ago, but human beings in general paid it no heed. Similarly a great many of those who heard but from out of unbelief dismissed it with a wave of the hands, their hearts suffused with doubts. It is this same Hour of the Great, Final Reckoning that is the proverbial End-Time. Many in Christendom and across lands must by now be familiar with the prophesied signs of the approach of the End-Time.

According to the Gospel of Mark, the attention of the Lord Christ was drawn to “massive stones” and “magnificent buildings” by one of His Disciples. The Lord was reported to have replied: “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.” He was then asked by the Disciples when all these would happen and “what will be the sign that they are all to be fulfilled” to which He was said to have replied: “Many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am he’, and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famine.” “Brother will betray brother to death and a father and his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death…and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive…”

With the dawn of each day comes perturbing and distressing news of events from different parts of the globe—from West to East, North to South. It would appear there is a current sweeping from country to country. Where it makes its port of call, it touches off a chain of upheavals of monumental proportions. There are social, economic or political flare-ups. There are catastrophes that confound the mind. Take the fire in Greece, for example, according to online publications. It is reported that it has not been possible for firemen to gain access to the affected area. But it is strongly believed that a town has been completely gutted. As of 14 August, just last Saturday, there were 5, 804 fires raging in Canada, out of which 227 had gotten out of control. In the United States where its fires are perennial, by last Sunday, 15 August, 40, 364 wild fires had swept through and destroyed 395 million acres. Italy suffered 500 fires. In Algeria, 65 persons died from inferno.

Rains have been pounding parts of Europe. According to Centre for Disaster Philanthropy, an agency that monitors disasters through-out the world reports that some places in Europe witnessed rain that would normally spread through two months in a deluge of two days—14 and 15 July. That same July was the warmest month ever in recorded history according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States. On August 13, parts of China were flooded with rain measuring 15.7inches; 21 persons died.

In India, 6,237 persons were evacuated to relief centres after 450 villages were destroyed by floods, affecting about 100, 000 people. Reports garnered from the internet say flooding was as a result of several rivers burst their banks in Utter Pradesh State. In Turkey, flooding from rain that fell between August 10 and the 12 left a trail of destruction and killed 57 persons; 10 unaccounted for. Here at home in Nigeria, five persons died and more than 1, 500 buildings and farms were damaged after a prolonged downpour in Bauchi. Similarly, buildings collapsed when Douala, Cameroun, had 7.3inches of rain all within 24 hours last week and drainage was overwhelmed. What was described as heavy rain of August 10 and 11 in Niamey, Niger Republic, 50 persons died, the deaths distributed across the country. Earthquake measuring 7.2 hit South of Haiti on August 14, not too far from the epicentre of the devastating eruptions of 2010.

It can be observed that the panoramic report covers principally happenings within this month, August 2021. What may be regarded as the world’s enemy No.1, Mr. COVID-19 is not letting up in menacing our world. It has even introduced its cousins scientists call Delta and Lambda. They are reputed to be more vicious.

Total infections, according to reports as of Monday, August 16, have hit 208 million world-wide and still counting with about 700, 000 cases emerging daily. Deaths have come to 4.3 million. Health authorities who pre-occupy themselves with the pandemic say the United States has the highest infection rate. The number of cases is 37.5 million and daily new cases of 100, 000, with Florida accounting for 20 per cent of the figure. The U.S. is trailed by India: 32.2 million, and Brazil, 20.3 million. UK has 26, 852 daily infections.

We must all have been sensing that we are living in unusual times. A great many familiar with the Lord Christ’s pronouncements more than 2,000 will undoubtedly be shaken by the events of these times. The most telling, indeed, frightening are sudden deaths. There is a long list of young and the old whose deaths were unexpected, politicians, actors, actresses, scholars and from the ranks of the clergy. Have we not been told that in a storm both ripe and unripe fruits fall? We must be obtuse not recognise that our world is in the grip of storms and aberrations fast becoming the new normal. What did the Lord Christ say that we are not already witnessing the commencement of its fulfillment? Back home the political bickering and stalemate, brazen provincialism in high quarters, exchange of blows in hallowed chambers, absence of principles and shamelessness are familiar features. While the political sand dunes are sweeping to blind the eye, scientists are busy in their own corner to unravel the age-long mystery of how and where life started.

With human beings unable to find political, social and economic direction as well as to answer the most troubling and fundamental question about who we are and how we arrived on earth and what our business is here, the genuinely seeking ones know that we have reached the dead-end and man can only move from one disaster to another—until our world becomes uninhabitable. But never are we left alone without information, if only we will be humble enough to listen and receive it. When we encounter difficulty with our gadgets, we ask for the manual which we are certain will give necessary, information and explanation about what we want. In some cases, we even write to the manufacturer who is ever happy to write back shedding light on his product. But when it comes to how we come to this world, what our tasks and responsibility are, how we are to relate with ourselves and run our economy, we do not consider it necessary to ask our Maker, the Creator. How are we to live in Thine Creation? What are the rules? Where is the manual of Creation? Yet the Manual exists on earth today which mediates knowledge—a manual right on earth, sent from the Heights. In all the ages, enlightenment had been sent to us to give us clarity on how the Creator relates to His Creation. Teachers, helpers, prophets had been sent. The Lord Himself, His Son, had come.

We often say the Creator is in every stone, in every tree, in every leaf, in the air, in the homes when we consider His relationship with His Creation. And there we run into problems. Christ His Son, inseparable from Him, Who should know better, had asked us to direct our prayers to “Our Father Who art in Heaven.” There can be no greater authority to inform or enlighten us on the Abode of the Almighty, about where He is. Heaven is where the Creator is. Enlightenment about Creation and activities Therein can only come from there. No amount of experiment or discovery can fetch us accurate, undistorted knowledge of there. Information just has to come from there. What we discover through science is only what is material. That which is material itself is of different grades—coarse, medium and fine. It is material instruments such as microscope to identify. So is it that in clean, clear water we find organisms fighting themselves mercilessly.

As Creation is in different realms and planes it takes instrument of the same consistency as a particular plane or realm to recognise it. This is why the intellect with its seat in the brain which is material cannot find nor appreciate what is spiritual. It is far beyond its capacity and capability. In other words, it is the spirit which is the core of every man is what can comprehend the spiritual. What is in Creation is the Will of the Creator. This Will is personified. He is the Executive Will of the Almighty Who brings the Will of the Almighty Creator into fulfillment. Through His Power, Creation took on form. He is the Spirit of the Almighty Who moves over the waters.

Through the manual referred to earlier, we now know that we encounter Him through the Laws. They are laws which have been unchangeable, consistent, universal and perfect. They ensure development, birth ripening and harvest. But what man does is to name the law after the scientist or the discoverer as if the law is peculiar to him or even our earth. These Laws carry and operate the Will of the Almighty in all planes of Creation of which the earth is the last outpost. As they ensure ripening and harvesting, it is no wonder all past activities are now returning to us with the approach of End-Time in what may be referred to as the great, final reckoning. In the closing of the circle—the end going back to the beginning; all fruits returning to the sower –do we find the proverbial final reckoning. And everything is involved, including the earth itself that is racing to close its cycle.

What is going on in all parts of the world is Purification, be it in the social, economic or political sphere in fulfillment of what the Lord said: That those magnificent buildings will be thrown down. There will be wars and rumours of war. Nations will rise against nations.

“The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard”…so warned Isaiah ages ago. The only way of escape from the impending wrath is for us to find the Manual of Creation, life and existence. It is for us to find out what the Will of the Creator is in His Creation and abide by it. Any other path will lead to destruction, the beginning of which we are already witnessing.