So, did I miss the end of the world?

Some fear that the use of the collider, which will smash together subatomic particles at energy levels heretofore unreached, will produce mini black holes and other exotic matter that could destroy the earth – even the Milky Way galaxy itself.

Such fears seem reminiscent of the early idea, since demonstrated to be false, that a nuclear bomb could destroy the earth by igniting the earth's entire atmosphere or by some other means. Still, if anyone sees Switzerland or France begin to be sucked into a growing black hole in space and time, let me know.

According to Bible prophecy, though, I won't be hearing from anyone. This world will one day "pass away" (2 Peter 3:10), but not until after the reign of Jesus Christ and His saints (Revelation 20:6) and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).

So, assuming that the earth will continue to exist during the first months and years of the collider's operation, a variety of fascinating mysteries about the universe are standing in line waiting to be answered: What is the mechanism that communicates mass in the universe? Is the "Standard Model" of physics correct or will science have to rethink its fundamental assumptions? The Bible says that "it is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2), and with the LHC, the search is on!

Yet, while we turn our most powerful machines and our most sensitive instruments to probe the behavior of quarks and neutrinos and the most minute of subatomic particles tucked away within the fabric of the marvelous creation around us, another realm lays frustratingly beyond our reach: the depths of the human heart.

The Bible notes that even our own hearts are a mystery to us. The prophet Jeremiah was inspired to write, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked [or sick], who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Yes, truly understanding our deepest wants and desires, our strongest passions and convictions, and our natural affections and inclinations remains a dimension beyond the reach of our sophisticated equipment and our twenty-first century technology.

Yet, there is a way to see behind the heart's veil. It's just that we need some help! Verse 10 of Jeremiah 17 answers the question that verse 9 asked above: "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." And God has given us a tool to explore our hearts, more powerful than any particle collider: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

This world IS coming to an end – and thank God for that, for a better one is coming! But rather than worrying about whether it will be consumed by a bevy of black holes or quarrelsome quarks, we need to focus on where we, as individuals, stand with God. When Christ returns in power and glory, will He find that we have been a part of the problem He is coming to fix, or will He be inviting us to work with Him and to be a part of the solution – reigning with Him for a thousand years?

For more information, consider watching our online video "The END of the Universe?" and reading our educational booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny, which explains that you have a great future than you ever imagined!