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Some atheistic thinkers claim that there is no meaning in "any one thing, or in everything put together." For them, "the world is absurd, pointless, hopeless," and there is no meaningful future. To be human, they say, is to choose that absurdity and accept the fact that the only meaningful existence is the one that accepts the world's meaninglessness. Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness
Although the geographical location of the Valley of Achor is disputed, it was probably the plain leading into the central hill country from the Jordan lowlands southwest of Jericho.1 It was approximately half a mile wide and one mile long, bordered on the west by a semicircle of ascending mountains and on the east by slightly hilly country opposite the Jordan Valley.2
The sound of victorious trumpets and falling walls of Jericho was still vibrating in the ears of the Israelites, telling them that their all-powerful God was with them, and that the obstacles on their way to the Promised Land were going to be easily removed. However, suddenly came military defeat from the inhabitants of the city of Ai, an insigni?cant force from a military point of view. Joshua, the old desert warrior and experienced military leader, "tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord" (verse 6) and sprinkled dust on his head before shouting, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why?" (verse 7). People's hearts were ?lled with anxiety. God seemed to be absent, and the gods of the city of Ai seemed to be more powerful. Perhaps the greatest tragedy was the fact that the Valley of Achor was found at the entrance to the Promised Land. Suddenly God made His "why" known to the inhabitants of the Valley of Achor (see verse 12). The one who was responsible for the situation in the valley was not God, but the people of the valley. They had sinned (see verse 11). The vertical "why" became a horizontal "why." Moreover, God made a most important and beautiful promise: He was willing to "make the Valley of Achor a door of hope" (Hosea 2:15). Our present world is quite comparable to the Valley of Achor. During the past 50 years the destiny of humanity and all life on this planet has been in the hands of ?nite and not always mentally balanced human beings. The fear in some quarters is that basements and other rooms in different countries of the world may be hiding small atomic bombs. The streets of many cities are covered with human blood. According to some analysts, World War III has already begun, unrecognized only because it has yet to affect us personally. Climate changes and earthquakes cause ?oods and consequent devastations as never before. AIDS is a menace to the very existence of several communities in various parts of the earth. We are not allowed to hope in our world. Hope in a Hopeless World
Our faith in the second coming of Jesus is based on the biblical teaching of creation. To have faith means to acknowledge that beyond this visible world exists God, the Creator of this world.
This planet did not always exist. The God whose intelligence is beyond our understanding has revealed Himself to us. He exists and He speaks. He tells us in His Word that this world has its beginning and also its end. Human history, according to the Bible, is linear, not cyclical as many Eastern philosophies claim. God has promised that He will transform the Valley of Achor into the gateway of hope. The Resurrection of Jesus
After the Crucifixion Jesus' disciples had been disoriented, discouraged, and confused to the point of being ready to return to their boats and nets. However, after the encounter with the resurrected Lord, everything changed. They witnessed His death, and they became witnesses of His life. Through their proclaiming the breaking news of Jesus' resurrection to the world, the cure for the most devastating problem of humanity was revealed. The apostles went across the world and ?lled it with the message of hope. Prophecies of the End
In Daniel 8 the prophecy of 2,300 evenings and mornings stretches down to 1844. In Hebrew thinking, truth is not just a spiritual or philosophical message designed only to nurture our souls and our minds. It is essentially historical. God speaks in history. And whatever explanation or emphasis we may want to give the date ful?lling this prophecy, we should not be surprised that biblical prophecy enters our modern history.6 Parallel to the symbolic cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, biblical prophecies indicate a time when humankind, led by a movement, rejects the idea of Creation. But another movement arises to remind humanity of Creation and to announce the beginning of judgment.7 The Promise of Christ
The apostle Peter wrote: "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). In the New Testament the promise of the Second Coming is mentioned 319 times; every twenty-?fth verse proclaims this glorious truth. In His eschatological discourses Jesus spoke about the signs that will make it easier for God's people to recognize the time of the end. These are a few of the signs He spoke about: First, signs in society, such as "wars and rumors of wars" (Matt. 24:6), famines (Matt. 24:7), anxiety and depression related to the future (Luke 21:25), and false feelings of peace and security (1 Thess. 5:2, 3). Second, signs in nature, such as earthquakes (Matt. 24:7). Third, signs in the ?eld of ethics, such as materialism in thinking and living (2 Peter 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:1-4). Fourth, religious signs, such as formality (2 Tim. 3:5), false movements (Matt. 24:24), increased understanding of biblical prophecies (Dan. 12:4), and the preaching of the gospel to the entire world (Matt. 24:14). Sanctifying Hope of the Second Coming
While waiting for the Master, God's servants are invited to bear fruit, to be the salt of the earth and the light to the world (Matt. 5:13-16). Moreover, the hope in the Second Coming inspires us to develop a sense of social justice and values, because we cannot be insensitive to the world's sufferings (1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Phil. 4:8). The waiting time before Christ's second coming belongs to the Holy Spirit, who works on the minds and hearts of people, preparing them and establishing the eschatological community for the coming of the Lord. The followers of Christ will take part in God's plan for the salvation of the world, and they will work with God to prepare the human race for that glorious event (Matt. 24:14). In this time of "distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations," we dare to hope. The basis of our hope is the creation of the world, Christ's resurrection, the prophecies in the book of Daniel, and the Lord's promises that He is able to transform the Valley of Achor-this valley of trouble and confusion-into the gateway of hope. We, like the old desert warrior Joshua, are invited to fall facedown to the ground and recognize that everything is dust. By doing so, we express our faith in God, who is able to transform that dust into life. When everything in our world is being turned into dust, we must be ?rm in our conviction that "the life appeared" (1 John 1:2), and that when He comes for the second time, "he will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4). _________________________
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Human DNA--and many other structures in a wonderfully constructed human body--contains mutually dependent parts that could not have appeared by any conceivable series of chances. The principle of irreducible complexity is present everywhere. The theory of evolution cannot explain why a fragile, extravagantly beautiful, complex, and exquisitely delicate orchid should continue to exist in a harsh jungle environment. Why are the tail feathers of a peacock not just colorful enough to attract a mate, but so extravagantly gorgeous?3
The certainty of hope in the second coming of Jesus is established in the New Testament on the clear promise of Christ Himself, and repeated by the apostles. Jesus stated: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. . . . I am going . . . to pre-pare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3).
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