Year 2000 … Y2K

1. INTRODUCTION

Most adults in the west have heard about the ‘millennium bug’ and the computer chaos that is expected to occur on the 1^st January in the year 2000, also known as Y2K (Y=Year, 2K=2000). Absolute chaos is predicted. Though the vast majority of computers world-wide are not Y2K compliant, I somehow think that it is still going to be a colossal non-event. January will come and go more or less as before. Sure, there will be computer problems; but nothing like the global chaos that is expected.

Stewarton Bible School has not written about the problems that will arise at that time; even though as far back as 1981 when I was working as a systems analyst in the computer department of the National Savings Bank I was testing programs involving dates. Companies dealing in defence, hospitals, banks, travel & insurance, water etc. will obviously be badly hit IF their programs are unable to cope with the changeover from 1999 to 2000. So too will small businesses using non-compliant hardware and software. But total disaster in January 2000 is not something the ordinary citizen should be worrying about.

2. WHAT IS THE MILLENNIUM BUG?

The ‘millennium bug’ is not a computer virus. It is a term used to describe a computer’s (or program’s) inability to handle a 4 digit year in a computer file’s date field. For example: a program using a 2 digit year in a date field (i.e. 31/12/99) would the next day on 1^st January show the date as 01/01/00 and this incorrect date could be mistaken for the 1^st January 1900. That is where the problem lies. In other words, non-compliant hardware and software would be unable to cope with a 4 digit year; and after year 99 the dates would go back to year 00.

3. SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS

Why didn’t those early computer folk foresee this date problem some 40 or 50 years ago when they first designed their programs? The answer is because they didn’t think that the programs they were producing would still be in use in 1999. For them the year 2000 was as far away as the year 9999 is to us; when a similar changeover to the year 10000 will occur. The year 10000 will need a 5 digit year; but it’s so far away it just doesn’t bear thinking about. It was like that in the early 1940s, 50s and 60s, when only 2 digits were allocated for the year in a date field. The year 1999 was so far away!

4. BUYING IN FOOD

Will there be chaos throughout the world in January 2000?   No.  Undoubtedly there will be serious problems in some areas; but the world is not going to grind to a halt in January 2000! That much is certain. It may be a good idea to buy in some food to last over the ‘potentially problem period of a few weeks;’   but, I repeat, the world is not going to grind to a halt in January 2000.

5. WILL JESUS RETURN IN Y2K?

Millions of Christians believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth in the year 2000 or, at the latest, in the year 2001. Others teach that when he rose from his grave he didn’t go to his Father in heaven; but went to the Himalayan mountains in Tibet and that he will return from there and reveal himself to the world in the year 2000 or 2001. Others teach that he travelled to the USA!
And so I ask:

• Just where did Jesus go when he rose from the grave?
• And do the Scriptures give us a date for his return?

The Bible answer is: The Saviour ascended to heaven after his resurrection (Mark 16:19); but no man or angel knows the day when he will return to earth.

6. THE BIBLE MILLENNIUM

The Bible millennium is not to be confused with the year 2000.
They are two separate events and start at very different times.

• The Bible millennium is the Messiah’s 1000 year Reign of Peace as described in the Scriptures. It will start when Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) returns to earth.
• The next Civil millennium, the year 2000, will start on 1^st January in about 6 weeks time.

As mentioned above, no human knows when the Saviour will return to earth and when the Bible millennium will begin. Most certainly it will not be in the year 2000. Nevertheless, calculations based on the Scriptures, indicate that we are currently (in 1999) about 5994 years from the creation of the world; that is we are 6 years away from the 6000 year mark. To understand how we arrived at this date, see the following two files:

• Time is Short
• Questions Concerning Time

Why are these calculations important? The answer is: Because IF the Almighty is working to a template of 7000 years, (that is, if He is allocating 6000 years to mankind and the seventh thousandth year to the Bible millennium), then we are about 6 years away from the end of the 6000^th year. Read the above paragraphs several times to appreciate what is being written here. Also bear in mind that Stewarton Bible School is NOT claiming that Jesus Christ will return 6 years from now in the year 2005. What we are saying is this:

IF   (Note that word IF)   the Almighty is working to a 7000 year programme, (that is, allocating 6000 years to mankind and leaving the seventh thousandth year for His Son’s rule), then we are but about 6 years from the end of the 6000^th year.

7. THE SECRET RAPTURE

“But,” I can hear many believers cry out in horror. “What about the Rapture?   Aren’t we Christians going to be caught away to heaven seven years before Jesus returns?
Believe it or not, that is not what the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures teach that the church will go through the tribulation (Rev.7:13-17) and that Jesus will return to earth at the 7^th or last trump, which will sound at the end of the 7^th Seal of Revelation.

Await These Events Before Yeshua Returns

Very briefly here are a few – of many – things which still have to occur before Jesus Christ returns to earth:

• The events under the 6th Seal   have still to occur. Under this seal there is a global earthquake when EVERY mountain and island will be moved out of its place. This has not yet happened.
• The events under the 7th Seal   have still to occur. Under this Seal, which is subdivided into 7 Trumpets, the earth suffers absolute devastation! Indeed at Trumpet 6 (The 2nd Woe) a third of the human race is slain! This has not yet happened.
• The Beast of Revelation 13 (The Antichrist)   will arise from the Bottomless Pit   and begin his world-wide reign; during which time no one can buy or sell unless he/she has the Mark of the Beast.  All this has not yet happened.

For more details of what is scheduled to occur before Jesus Christ returns to earth, write for our free booklet: Understand the Revelation.

SUMMARY

• The world will not come to an end in the year 2000. There will be computer problems in most countries; but nothing like the chaos being predicted in the media.
• The ‘millennium bug‘ is not a computer virus. It is the inability of computer programs or chips to handle a 4 digit year in a computer file’s date field. It is an easy problem to put right; but it takes time. Firms which have put off sorting the problem will be hard hit; but world-wide chaos will not result.
• The ‘millennium bug’ was inadvertently created by short-sighted computer professionals. They caused the problem in the first place; but they are well able to put it right.
• Having a standby stock of essentials is a good safety measure; but don’t panic!
• Jesus Christ will not return in the year 2000. Indeed no one knows when he will return. However, IF the Almighty is working to a 7000 year plan, (that is, allocating 6000 years to mankind and leaving the seventh thousandth year for His Son’s rule), then the Bible millennium could begin in about 2005.
• The teaching concerning the Secret Rapture is not in line with Bible prophecy. Several earth-shaking events have still too happen before the Saviour returns: (i.e. a world-wide earthquake, massive destruction of the earth, its rivers and oceans; and the death of a third of earth’s population!)

Have We Nothing to Fear?

Does this mean that everything is going to be fine?
Certainly not. Our world is in for some terrifying events, the real Time of Trouble!  But that will not be caused by the ‘millennium bug.’ If you are really interested in the future, read our booklet entitled Understand the Revelation. It will open your eyes to coming events which will make the ‘millennium bug’ appear like a harmless moth.

Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
November 1999