There is a lot of rhetoric these days about another “Armageddon.” I can see why. The world under human rule is a huge mess. Yet, we, as Christians, should not be afraid. For there is a living hope for all who are, as Paul writes in Ephesians, “in Christ.” (See Ephesians 1:3ff; Romans 5:1-5) Peter writes; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3–5, emphasis added) God always has the believers back! And let us not forget; “For God has not given us [the Christian] a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We need not fear a coming Armageddon.
But for the wicked rulers of this world, hope is truly in short supply, and fear seems to be on the rise. Isaiah writes; “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20–21) The prophet goes on for a while, but I think we get his point. Judgment is coming. It seems to me the wicked are seeking more and more power in an attempt to cheat or outrun the reality that one day they will be judged for all they have done to others for their own gain. Do they really think so highly of themselves that they consider themselves untouchable? These will all suffer for their sins in the end, just as Jesus said they will. There is nowhere anyone can hide from God. (See Psalm 139:7-12) But we are hidden “in Christ” by faith in the finished work of the cross and are protected from the destruction that is to come. “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3; Isaiah 26:20)