Embedded Files
THE END OF THE WORLD:
Prophecies, Delusions, and the Psychology of Negation
By: Evangelos Dim. Kepenes (Junuary 31, 2026, 14:40)
In his work, Apocalypses: Prophecies, Cults, and Millennial Beliefs through the Ages, Eugen Weber demonstrates that apocalyptic ideas were not merely religious fantasies, but powerful motives that drove historical figures to acts that transformed the world. However, this analysis also reveals something deeper: how the misinterpretation of the divine will often leads to a dangerous rejection of present life.
Historical Figures and the "Divine Mission"
Weber highlights that the driving force behind great personalities was not "neutral rationality," but an eschatological expectation:
Christopher Columbus: He did not see himself merely as an explorer, but as an instrument of divine providence. Through his Libro de las Profecías (Book of Prophecies), he sought to prove that the discovery of new lands was the prelude to the End. His motive for gold was not greed, but the funding of a Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem, believing that Christ would return only if the city were in Christian hands—a notion that turned faith into a geopolitical tool.
Isaac Newton: Despite his scientific work, he devoted decades to the study of Daniel and Revelation. His attempt to "calculate" the date of the end shows the human anxiety to master the future through numbers. This endeavor was fundamentally flawed, as it ignored the infallible assurance of Scripture that God "laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved for ever" (Psalm 104:5). The obsession with a future collapse stands in direct conflict with the eternal stability ordained by the Creator.
Francis Bacon: He interpreted the progress of knowledge and commerce as a "sign of the last times," linking scientific evolution to an apocalyptic fulfillment regarding the end of the world.
The Trap of "Life Negation"
Weber points out that apocalypticism often turns the fear of the end into hope, but at a heavy price: the devaluation of the present world. When the world is considered "corrupt and unworthy," then the blessings of daily life—joy, love, nature—are treated as traps that distract man from salvation.
This mentality leads to an extreme contradiction: absolute pessimism for the "now" and extreme optimism for the "after." Thus, disaster (fire, famine) is not considered a calamity, but a necessary "purgatory."
From Religious to "Secular Apocalypticism"
In the modern world, the old religious anxiety has taken a new form. Weber and scholars observe that the psychology of negation remains the same:
Ecological Apocalypticism: The expectation of climate catastrophe gives birth to the "Guilt of Enjoyment." The use of goods is no longer seen as a gift from God, but as a crime against the planet.
Anti-natalism: Similar to medieval heresies (such as the Cathars), some consider it immoral to bring new life into a "dying" world, rejecting the command to be fruitful.
Doomsday Prepping: Preparing for collapse turns life into a perpetual "battleground," where survival replaces a living relationship with the Creator and one's neighbor.
Psychological and Spiritual Conclusion
As the examples below show, this "negation of life" does not always lead to isolation, but often acts as a fuse for violent uprisings. When people believe the world is so corrupt that its destruction is the only solution, passivity turns into sacred rage.
The Münster Rebellion (1534-1535): A group of Anabaptists seized the German city of Münster, believing it would become the "New Jerusalem" before the end. The rejection of old rules led to extremes: the abolition of property, polygamy, and ultimately, a bloody siege that ended in massacre.
The Taborites in Czechia: During the Hussite Wars, the Taborites believed Christ would return to exterminate the "sinners." This expectation gave them the psychological strength to fight with incredible ferocity, as they saw themselves as "God's sickle" cleansing the world.
The "Boxer Rebellion" in China: Although in a different cultural context, Weber connects similar millennial visions to uprisings where people believed bullets would not touch them, because their spirit had already renounced the material world for the sake of a higher order.
Conclusion
The timeless obsession with a "cosmological end" and the materialistic belief in a violent restoration of nature create deep wounds in those who do not lean upon the Word of God.
The Antidote: Faith in God is not the negation of life, nor merely the expectation of the End, but the full experiencing of life through His Wisdom. God does not call man to turn away from His creation, but to manage it with prudence and to thank the Creator for His gifts, relying on the infallible promise of His Word.
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him [...] they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." (Psalm 34:8-10)
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." (Proverbs 3:13)
True hope is not based on the destruction of the world, but on the trust that the Lord God is the provider of life and order, both in the present and in eternity, and in the faith of eternal life after our biological death.
----------------------------------
Google Sites
Report abuse