Healthy goals for the next millennium

John Vooys

Most of us mark the passage of time by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and New Year's Days. It's been a thousand years since people have had the opportunity of marking the passage of a millennium, and people in the Western world are responding in contrasting ways.

Some predict that the year 2000 means the end of the world for theological reasons. This is based on their interpretation that it has been 6000 years since creation, and next will come "the millennium" mentioned in Revelation 20. An extreme example of such thinking is to be found in the cult called "Concerned Christians". Members of this group were recently expelled from Israel, accused of planning violence, which they supposed would hasten Christ's return.

Some predict that the year 2000 will mean a serious disruption of the world for technological reasons the Y2K bug. When computers switch over to the year 2000, they might think it is 1900 and so cease to function, or garble information, causing everything from major utilities to financial institutions to fail. In Canada, the RCMP is planning emergency procedures to handle potential civil unrest.

On the other hand, many see the year 2000 as an opportunity to celebrate, to throw a "new millennium party". Many hotel and convention facilities are already fully booked for Year 2000 parties.

Still others see the beginning of the new millennium as an opportunity to evaluate the past and make a fresh start for the future. Many of England's churches have called for "millennium celebrations" where believers recommit themselves to live more fully the Christian life.

So, how should we respond? Resign ourselves to the fact that the end of history is here and do little except be ready for Christ's return? Become fearful of the future since technology might fail us and disrupt our comfortable life? Forget about our problems and celebrate? Seize the opportunity to do something for God and His kingdom?

For one thing, except for potential computer problems, worry about the date 2000 is unfounded. The Western calendar is based on Christ's birth 2000 years ago. However, our calendar is out by four-to-six years. We know Jesus was born while King Herod the Great ruled Judea. We also know this king died in 4 BC. Since Herod tried to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem up to age two, Jesus may have been born as early as 6 BC. So, in reality, 2000 years after Jesus' birth would have come somewhere between 1994 and 1996.

The arbitrariness of our calendar should thus caution those who have set the end of this millennium as the time of Christ's return. Even more crucial is Jesus' own statement: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32). When date setters are challenged with these words, they often respond, "We may not know the day or the hour, but we may know the month and the year." Somehow, this misses Christ's point. In Acts 1:7 He is even more direct: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority."

In these texts, Jesus adds two crucial comments: "Be on guard; be alert;" and "Be My witnesses." These are good clues for setting goals for the next millennium.

For help in facing the next millennium, there is much to be gained by examining texts dealing with Christ's Second Coming. The New Testament often refers to the certainty of this event. What is noteworthy is that this expectancy did not drive the first Christians to set dates for Christ's return. Unlike so-called modern prophets, they did not ask, "What will we experience (or avoid) then?" Rather, the early church asked, "How should we live our Christian lives now?"

Consider the advice in those New Testament passages, all in the context of Christ's Second Coming:

"Be clear minded and self controlled" (I Peter 4:7).

"Live holy and godly lives" (II Peter 3:11).

"Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him" (II Peter 3:14).

"Let your gentleness be evident to all" (Philippians 4:5).

"Those who use the things of the world [should live] as if not engrossed in them" (I Corinthians 7:31).

"Be patient and stand firm"(James 5:8).

"Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (I John 3:3).

"Let us…spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together. Let us encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:24-25).

When all these are put together, we see several common emphases regarding the kind of lives we should live, and the healthy goals we ought to have for the coming millennium (and at any time, for that matter):

1. A controlled life. Galatians 5:22 reminds us that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It causes us to avoid extremes, either fear about the things that might happen, or abandonment of all restraints so as to just party.

2. A focused life. Romans 12:1 tells us that all aspects of life may be worship. Our whole focus, in word and deed, is to be centred on pleasing God.

3. A committed life. We should be committed to God rather than to material goods, or even life itself. I John 2:15-17 reminds us not to focus our lives on worldly things for they do not come from the Father; besides, they will not last.

4. A ministering life. In Matthew 25:35, Jesus tells us that all deeds done for others are deeds done for Him. II Timothy 4:5 suggests that even if we do not have the gift of evangelism, we all need to evangelize as we have opportunity. I Peter 3:15-16 reminds us that we should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ.

Paul's instruction to Titus gives a summary of the goals we ought to have for life in the next millennium (and for however much time God still grants us): "Live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-14).

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