hese are fearful times to be alive; these are wonderful times to be alive. God is working, bringing His purposes to fulfillment, and those who put their trust in Him find peace, security, and joy.

1. Troubled times: The events of September 11 burned their images into our brains, and the anthrax scare compounds the uncertainty. What could be safer than a building, the place where we work? What could be less threatening than the United States Postal Service?

Suddenly the world changed. Many people, not only in America, are frightened. Some are close to panic, wondering what will happen next, imagining new and diabolical acts of terrorism.

In Jesus' outline of the future given just before He died, He described these times: "Distress of nations, with perplexity . . . men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:25, 26).* Ellen White elaborates: "Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly" (The Desire of Ages, p. 636).

2. Fast-moving times: September 11 showed us that huge shifts in attitudes can take place overnight. Faced with terror on their own soil, legislators will yield unprecedented powers to government.

We Seventh-day Adventists are a people of prophecy: We believe that we live in the end-time and that Jesus is coming again soon. If some among us have tended to overindulge in speculation about the Second Advent, others have grown complacent. September 11 reminds us that in these fast-moving times the final events could take place in rapid-fire sequence and Jesus be here far sooner than many of us have thought possible.

3. Times of deception: As Jesus told His disciples about the future, He warned them against deceptions. "Take heed that you not be deceived," He said at the outset of the Olivet discourse. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them" (Luke 21:8).

In the aftermath of September 11 the ancient error that the soul is immortal has come into new prominence. Preachers and songwriters are describing those who died in the attacks as going to heaven and meeting Jesus.

The Bible knows nothing of such ideas. Not an immortal soul, but the resurrection of the righteous dead when Jesus returns—this is the biblical truth (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-57; John 11:11-14). Not a flight of the soul to heaven, hell, or limbo, but sleep—this is what our Lord taught.

At the close of time the forces of evil will work with doubled effort in their struggles against Christ. We can expect supernatural phenomena, including apparent miracles, that will sweep away those who are not grounded in the Scriptures. The teaching that we do not cease to be when we die has seductive power to draw us into the trap of the enemy.

4. Times of opportunity: These troubled times are times of opportunity for the church's mission, which is Christ's mission. People have been jolted into an awareness of the fragility of life. After years of shrugging off religion, secular men and women are ready to listen to talk about God and to pray.

Because Jesus is Lord of the mission, the gospel will go to the whole world (Matt. 24:14; Rev. 14:6, 7). All who claim to be His followers—who confess Him as Savior and Lord—have a part in that mission.

The nineties were the decade of prosperity, pleasure, and peace (also greed!). From here on we may expect to live in an atmosphere of fear. But listen to the words of Jesus from Olivet: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).

*All scripture references in this editorial come from the New King James Version.

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William Johnsson is editor of the Adventist Review.