APOCALYPSE, ESCATHOLOGY AND SURVIVALISM

The first time I encountered the word “APOCALYPSE” was when I joined a bible study in a Christian congregation decades ago which later helped me understand about GOD and EVIL. On the other hand, the word “ESCATHOLOGY” – although an old Greek word translated & entered in the English dictionary – I came to know about the word only recently (January 2010) after reading the popular and intriguing book “EPICENTER” and “INSIDE THE REVOLUTION” both authored by Mr. Joel S. Rosenberg, an American Jew who is advocating Christian faith and peace in the Middle East. And last, the word “SURVIVALSIM” intrigued me most because it points directly to the words of apocalypse and escathology which means doomsday and end times.

As everybody knows, “APOCALYPSE” as defined in the English dictionary means total destruction or devastation. In the Book of Revelation of the Holy Bible, it mentioned the word “ARMAGGEDON” which means the battle between the forces of good and evil that is predicted to mark the end of the world and precede the Day of Judgment. (Revelation 16:16).

However, aside from the Bible, many interpretations and explanations about the word “APOCALYPSE” were written and shown in so many publications, investigative research, scientific research, media presentations and in Hollywood movies. The different studies about the word are so complicated that even the Discovery channel has its own version of “APOCALYPSE” and that is the possibility of a giant Asteroid hitting our beloved planet Earth.

Whilst most of us are aware of what apocalypse is all about, another intriguing word is somewhat not in our radar screen of general information and that is “ESCATHOLOGY,” made popular by Mr. Joel S. Rosenberg in his books “EPICENTER” and “INSIDE THE REVOLUTION” and other equally great master pieces he had written in the last years.

In his books, Mr. Rosenberg described the end times or eschatology that was prophesied in the Book of Ezekiel of the Holy Bible. According to him, some Islamic countries together with Russia will make war with Israel and the US will just stand idly by and watch the conquering forces annihilate Israel but in the end GOD with his full might and heavenly power will help Israel inflict untold misery, sufferings and death against the invading armies of the enemy.

Although, apocalypse and eschatology are two Greek words with different meaning or interpretation but with almost the same result of doomsday prophesy, majority of the people from around the world do not believe such things exist because in today’s world, non-believers outnumber believers but not in Oregon, USA.

According to the AFP report which was published in a local newspaper in the Philippines last July 12, 2010 (Monday), a man named Mr. Jerry Erwin, Mr. Jim Rawles and others like them are now preparing the doomsday scenario, a catastrophic societal collapse that is likely to happen in their lifetime. They call themselves as “preppers,” “doomers” and “survivalists.”
Here, the word “SURVIVALISM” takes precedence and Mr. Erwin, Mr. Rawles and others like them have taken a variety of different approaches to prepare for the coming apocalypse. They see political upheaval and natural disasters as signs of the impending doom of civilization. For one, they adopted Christian-influenced approach, isolationist and self reliant approach to cement their belief and sever their reliance from the outside world.

As I tried to understand these things in my own personal view I came to conclude that “SURVIVALISM” is the reckoning point for Mr. Erwin and Mr. Jim Rawles and the rest of their followers. In fact Mr. Jim Rawles is called “the patron saint of survivalism” by Mr. Erwin himself. The selfless Mr. Rawles can be reached in his website survivalblog.com.

Lastly, it’s up to you readers to believe or not to believe but all I can say is that the words “apocalypse,” “escathology” and “survivalism will stay and who knows we might as well be a part of the unfolding prophecy. 2012, nuclear armed Iran and the re-emerging power of Russia, anyone?


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