By Nneka Okumazie
If Christ’s second coming does not happen soon, to immediately set in the Book of Revelation, there are likelihoods for the next one thousand years.
The reason for this prognostication is how lost many are in the maximum of present day capability, knowledge, power, problems, etc.
History is forgotten and future is disregarded. A century is diminutive in a larger scope, but a millennium explains better.
The last one ending 1999 was thoroughly eventful.
That thousand years starting in 1000AD could be referred to as M1-AD. This current millennium can be referred to as M2-AD, then next as M3-AD, etc.
M1 is parallel to M2, but lots of significant events of M1 are yet to happen. Some have, in another fashion, seen with common denominators.
There are lots of knowledge javelins, questioning, discrediting and creating new philosophies. But the fiercest of reasoning forgets its recent history – in elevating its own truth.
For most of M1, starting with the Renaissance, lots of thinkers came out against the Christian faith and the Scriptures. Many continue till present arguing against the faith of total morality.
Many debate the possible origins of morality without Christianity, but whatever their debate says, no speech or writing till the end of this earth will – independently – match the totality of the sermon on the mount.
Yes, people are free to use logic and science to question the existence of God, a spirit. But atheists or those in their beliefs should write their own book based on history on the last one thousand years.
They should write about events, mistakes, assumptions, collapse, wars, etc. They must not include anything about the church. If they do, to paint the church in a bad light, they must also include the contributions of the church to progress, those the church supported and great things it set in motion.
It is true that the church made mistakes, for example, in dismissal of other ideas about the solar system.
That came in centuries of fighting ‘heresy’ but the church did not stop the progress of science – in general, neither did it affect space exploration when complete knowledge for progress was ripe.
True Christianity is never the problem of the world. It is possible that people misinterpret the scriptures, speak or act in defensive ways against obedience to Christ, or make mistakes, but the real problem is always something else – not Jesus.
When some people are sometimes in crisis, they often think what they need now is not Christianity.
They often forget that no matter their problems, there are problems they don’t have. They often also forget a time they had power to do whatever they chose.
Christ came out of the purest of love. It may be hard to comprehend. But God is love.
So much energy is expended to question Christianity, forgetting that discrediting the faith of the good news that preaches pure love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, makes some hate doing any right thing associated with Christianity.
Through history, the absence of the pure morality of Christianity worsens major collapse.
In the last millennium how did problems or non-problems got worse with these headers: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.
The philosophers of the enlightenment, who thought they knew enough to question the Scriptures, didn’t have the know-how to develop modern technologies, even if they had vague imaginations.
Still, many will not accept the truth in the scriptures, in spite of how limited knowledge is.
Assuming modern day science can solve all problems, answer all questions, cure all diseases and cover every ethical weakness, one aspect of frail knowledge is economics.
Economics, touted as the shaper of free enterprise, has required many individuals or businesses to do all sorts of unethical stuff, or things that cannot be reported, just to survive. So, while it is true that economics is the jewel, sticking with it to have a sustainable business has been tougher for many than could be said. Yet, no adjustments in economics against these extra factors, to make the laws of economics provide new ways to play by the rules, and not fail, or make huge losses.
Also, there is no way that knowledge or new massive theories of economics can be designed to make illegal drug trade disobey the laws of demand and supply, as another way to fight drug overdose – growing across, including the budding acceptance of micro-dosing.
The natural selection of free market economics has rendered many people near useless, because they don’t have the value that makes them qualify for jobs, or get better working conditions or perks.
Universal Basic Income – a budding policy proposal, though could really be useful – won’t fill the void when many in a population have nothing to do, seeming like an unwanted economic conscription.
So, how would everyone – of age, become valuable to the labour market, in diverse ways, to make them fit into roles, or provide a channel for what they can do or join.
There are no new – major – economics ideas on these, looking into the field to shape and reshape known flaws. Lots of papers make the case for designer free stuff, but if people – skilled or unskilled don’t fit, no free stuff will change much, in unpredictability of what those who are left out would do.
Yet, many assume the supremacy of knowledge when economics, a major area of knowledge is starving of ideas that are as important to how the world would be better, with less strife, wickedness, envy, greed, etc.
It is possible that the reason there are no ideas on what to do with the ‘unemployable’ or under-employed people across countries is because the knowledge has not been released.
Yes, it can be argued [against] that knowledge is released from anywhere, but what would have stopped the innovations and change in the Renaissance to have happened in the millennium before? Also, why was it that some imaginations of that time only became technically possible centuries later?
Is it not possible that with centuries is knowledge released, or knowledge increasing?
Also, is it not possible that there are often two ends of knowledge released, or as knowledge increases, unanticipated problems show up, or another end of dangerous knowledge also follows?
If knowledge increases, and some ideas are unavailable now, aren’t they likely in eight centuries?
Also, if some of the smartest thinkers were alive during the Bubonic Plague(s) and star scientists during the 1918 flu, yet they could not contrive something fast to stop the deaths, is it not possible that most scientists can only think what they can think, or do what they can do, not everything?
In general, if knowledge increases, and knowledge is released, and those coming will be able to ‘see’ those in history and probably know better, why can people in any century be able to conclusively say the resurrection of Christ, the Savoir does not match their limited reasoning?
[2 Peter 3:8, But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.]
The United States: The United States is likely to remain the dominant power for another century, and probably beyond. But it is likely a remote advanced country in the South could need its help in a crisis and some Americans would move there, and may be settle but would likely be a place for majority of the future Americans mid-M2, if things change.
Europe: Domination and power is likely to return to Europe within the first half of this millennium. It is easy to guess that authority would be in Germany, but another country hard to predict may emerge.
Middle East: The Arab Spring was like a warning to what would come for the region this century, as it may have its own religious reformation, new states, and those who would take out grievances on their own people. It is also likely that at least one major country would overplay its power for religious intolerance, with oppression of others, but result in a major war – breaking the country. It is also possible there’ll be major powers to become foes occupying another’s territory – in the next century.
Others: There might strange natural disasters in some places, as climate change becomes ‘normal.’ Some places will get to a point of progress that their poverty won’t matter. Some would beat poverty. Other will remain in poverty. Some would have pandemics within their space. Some would be neutral zones in pandemics. Some would become spaces where others would build a new country. Some would face major secessions. Some would become armed republics. Some would become regions of intense conflict, etc. in the coming years and hundreds of years.
Technology: It is likely that another existence that will become as intelligent as humans will be an animal. If it’s an animal, it may not be domestic or what can be easily guessed. It is unlikely that a general intelligence will be Artificial, or computers. The dream of Artificial General Intelligence is likely to be on the radar of engineers, but if not elusive, may not be necessary.
The weakness of technology is already false information, fakes and conspiracy theories. These will be the Achilles heels of tech hamstringing progress, far more than the church ever tried to. There will also be lots of misdirected and misguided developments that will become troublesome. There might be so many covert sciences – throwing out ethics that will lead to mistakes, or for use as deterrent.
In this century at least, new models of whistle-blowers and privacy breaches will weaken trust in technology, institutions and make many distance from it.
Though technology will bring new great innovation easing lives and helping people, but just like legal notices are clear from the start, so will ethics and transparency have to be extremely clear from the beginning, almost to a painful point.
Science will have unexpected collapse of certainty, where scientific instruments or proven knowledge will be erroneous – in the face of problems. For example, the initial rapacity for mechanical ventilators, for COVID-19 patients, until it didn’t matter to keep many alive.
Though more old diseases will get curable, mutations and replications are likely to become more worrying. Adjustments to green energy are also likely to grow.
Psychology: The world is already in a collapse of mind and behaviour. Lots of people are in a crisis of emptiness. Some are nominally depressed and others have anxiety and other disorders.
Dependence on technology is likely to make this century one of failure for psychology in a manner resulting in all kinds of mind and behavioural suddenness and actions that cannot be explained.
There will, at least, be a century of great psychology, probably from 2250, or beyond, that would look back to this era, and wonder how a people became crushed by their own invention, while thinking they were living in the best time to be alive.
Though psychotherapy will take new forms, and more people will find ways to keep their minds light, but, place in history and usefulness for the future can become pivotal in easing anxieties for people.
Also, for lots of people, pornògraphy will become a recruitment tool for homòsexuality.
Many would be triggered by images of something else, or what another experience would bring – after exhausting satisfactions that always becomes linear.
People addicted to jokes and memes or seeking entertainment always from their smartphones will gradually be eroded from choice cognition and be taken over by something else, whatever it may be.
Drug use and overdose will enter into another territory as mind collapses and many behaviours become undefined. Drug use will lead to an unprecedented amount of ‘waste’. Though, a way to heal for many will be when they see extremes that happened to someone they know, or a different presentation.
Atheism: There will be an explosion of spaces for atheists – online and offline – till at least mid-century this decade, especially as psychology collapses and [what people cannot understand] befall personal lives of many.
But atheism spaces will be crippled by failure of patience where many would see what wrong decisions they took because of lack of Patience – a fruit of the spirit in Christianity.
Also, some members will watch with disgust the lack of wisdom of many of their leaders. Also, they will be surprised by the rejection of doing things right because of their larger belief of nothingness.
Lots of confidences of the atheist teams will fail suddenly, making many reflect on [the outsized way they rated] their strengths and knowledge.
There will also be individuals, who wished for something, and it happens, or wanted something and they got it, but later found no lasting satisfaction.
For example, some people wanted a total collapse before COVID-19, they got lockdown, yet became anxious and panicked.
Some also wanted freedom, or a desire, or a kind of drug, sex, or anything, they got it, yet was not the answer to their emptiness.
There will be lots of fatigues in their community, with deceit, envy, anger, those who breakout will be persecuted.
There is likely to be dedicated factions of atheisms, from general against all religions, to specific. Yes, it seems most atheists are against Christianity, but many would probably focus.
There will be those who will emerge with new thoughtful questions and logic, to initially create new waves, but will always be impaired knowledge.
Since atheists claim to be curious, they can read the Book of Job from Chapter 3 till the end, then come back to read Chapters 1&2. If they cannot find answers there, they can read Psalm 1 – 50. To understand [that] whatever they say isn’t new, also to place why they hate God – love of sin or life’s troubles.
Space: It is possible that man may make Mars this century, however necessity and sustainability could continue or limit that exploration. Within this next one thousand years, it is likely that an unknown planet or star could fly by, defying established theory on distant stars or gravitation, or all the work done to look for life on other planets.
It is also possible that lots of talents and resources that would’ve been useful in revolutionizing economics, etc. will be spent to seek distant astronomy, but won’t yield much after decades.
Judaism
Judaism will enter into a golden age, with its people in major positions and general balance. Also, Israel will benefit from some collapse that may happen in places within its region, expanding its territory and getting genuine conversions.
Catholic Church
People have different interpretation from the Scripture from many of the practices of the Catholic Church. But it is likely that the Lord God Almighty has a covenant of mercy with the Catholic Church, probably [because] the Church was instrumental to Church history prior to Protestant Reformation.
No one can judge the church, except Christ.
If committees in the Catholic Church were to guess what the future may hold for the Catholic Church, it is possible their submission may include that a major crisis may happen that will lead to power sharing of leadership of the Catholic Church with a leader or more of major Pentecostal Churches.
This, in the guess of the committees, may come as a way of forced restitution as God forgives the Church for several errors in the past centuries.
God decides, not committees, or any guess, but if that would happen, it may also involve losing some choice ownership in locations to the Pentecostal Church or Churches.
But in a recommendation, the committees may say towards restitution, intense collaboration with leading Pentecostal Churches, even if to the point of opening up its buildings for worship services, and collaborations on challenges facing the world.
Ultimately, the Catholic Church should keep crying to God, relentlessly for mercy, for so many mistakes of past centuries, and the Lord should remember His covenant with the church.
[Psalm 130:4, But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.]
Also, the Catholic Church has been told by many before and starting from the Reformation about their scriptural misinterpretations. Churches needs to pray – in groaning – to Jesus to show and correct their mistakes and to have mercy so they can make the changes in obedience to Christ alone.
Christianity
This century – at least, will be one of more closet Christians than can ever be measured. The collapse of psychology will be so devastating, mindfulness will be helpless. So many will seek Christianity answers and covertly obey.
So, it will be important to continue true preaching because the word of God does its own work – even if online video views are small, or it seems like no physical crowd, or low metrics.
Religions around the world will often refer to their imitations of the Scriptures as a way to become epicentres of morality.
But within this millennium, it is possible that there will be religions that will mix Christianity and others in what they will say are the way. The only religion that will not [be used] for this mix is Judaism, because of its similarity. But the true word of God is the truth.
There will also be people who will be ready to accept Christ even if the questions are not answered in a way they want, like why is there suffering? Or how really does prayer work?
Also, churches need to try and answer the hard questions, multiple times, with enough realness – of impossible problems many face. Churches must always insist on looking unto Jesus – permanently.
True Christian Churches must be so transparent.
They must also preach obedience always, but with love and hope.
Through the scriptures, the Lord God can save or call anyone, but a common factor is how God loves obedience. There is no other way to carry one’s cross and follow Christ than to [trust and] obey.
Churches have to be more tolerant of each other, minimizing criticisms over who misinterpreted what Scripture because on the day of trouble criticism, like atheism, is useless.
It is unlikely that through this millennium Christianity will – generally – face the kind of persecution that the Apostles faced, after Christ.
But, if at any point the burden becomes hard everywhere and Christians unite to cry to God for mercy – the prayer that thy kingdom come. Christ may return.
Yes, that is not what is in the scriptures but if that is the prayer, with probable cause, God looks mercifully on sincere prayers for mercy, because mercy is also a nature of God along with holiness.
The word of God is the future. Predictions can be grim or lofty, but the Lord, the Creator, decides.
[Psalm 135:6, Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.]
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