CHRISTIANITY AND THE NEW MILLENNIUM

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended." -Revelation 20

For Christians in all parts of the world, the coming of a new millennium is not a matter of computer problems. To devout Christians, the new millennium means a new age ruled by Christ. According to the Book of Revelations in the Bible, Christ will come down from the heavens and battle Satan in what will be the worse fight the world has ever known. Plagues will overwhelm the Earth, and thousands of people will die. Christ will win this battle, and Satan will be caged for one thousand years, which is known to us as the millennium. Under Christ's rule, only the true believers will survive and live in a newfound paradise with the Lord.

In anticipation of this new age, Christians everywhere are preparing for the year 2000. Hotels in and around Jeruselum and Bethlehem are constructing new hotel rooms for all the people who believe that Christ's second coming will be in one of those areas. Rome is also going to be a popular destination spot for the new millennium because it is "the center of the church" and has over 600 churches in the city. Christians eveywhere are rereading the Bible, hoping to pick up some hints of Christ's arrival that they may have missed previously. Even many non-practicing Christians are turning to the Church and the Bible before the new millennium so they can be the part of the very few who will survive the Lord's judgement.

This is not the first time the world has seen people so wrapped up in the arrival of Christ and religious enthusiasm. The approach of the year 1000 brought on many fears and terrors to Europeans who suspected that the end of the world was at hand. People flocked to churches and prayed often so that they would be forgiven for their sins and their judgement would be favorable. When the year 1000 arrived, nothing happened. Many Christians were relieved and many were disappointed. There is no specific date in the Book of Revelation as to when the second coming of the Lord will be, but many assume that the dawn of a new millennium seems appropriate.

Christians around the world will engage in a celebration of the new millennium in places from Boston to Malalysia to Singapore. The celebration of the new millennium is called Jubilee 2000, which will take place in various cities on the globe. The USCC Department of Education has sent out thousands of catechetical kits to parishs which inform and suggest many activities for the members of the parish during the last months of the millennium. The Jubilee theme is one of reconciliation, and it is the hope that the people of the world will join in the pledge for charity, justice, and peace. The intention of the celebration is to commemorate the life of Jesus and to unite the world in spite of many troubling social ills.

 

 

 

 

 

  Jubilee Year 2000 Prayer

Abba, Father

You bless our journey

into the third millennium

Today we offer you ourselves

to continue the mission of Jesus

We ask you, Father,

to renew the whole church

in holiness, fellowship, and unity,

in evangelistic fervour

and action for the deprive and oppressed

Your spirit empowers us

to build a new world

with all people of good will

Through the witness of our lives

may all experience your Fatherly love

and the redeeming grace of Jesus

whom you have sent

Together with many

the star of Evangelisation

we make our prayer

through Jesus your son

who lives with you and the Holy Spirit

for ever and ever. Amen.

The Christian religious leaders are also very excited about the new millennium. Pope John Paul II has written a letter to all the people of the world. The letter is entitled "Tertio Millennio Adveniente", which means "As the Third Millennium Draws Near". It is an apostolic letter that was written on November 14, 1994.

Many Christians believe that Christ will return in the dawn of the new millennium, but many others believe it is an opportunity to celebrate the life of Jesus and that it is unknown when he will return. No one can really know the truth, not even with all the interpretations of biblical prohecy and all the faith in the world. The only thing that definite is that the new millennium will be ushered in with fear and hope, but no one will truly find out the mystery untill December 1999.