Y2K
(Signs of the Time - December 1999)
The end of the world is coming! The end of the world is coming! So has been the battle cry from all parts of the world as we leave 1999 behind and head into the year 2000. Although we’ve heard such a cry before, this time the sounds have been amplified due to the potential problems associated with the Y2K (Year 2000) issue. Y2K, which is also referred to as the millennium bug, alludes to the computer problems associated with a two-digit calendar and the fact that the new year will be represented as the year 00. This month’s article will look at the hype surrounding the upcoming new year with particular emphasis on the Y2K issue and compare it to the scriptures.
Background
The potential for major computer difficulties associated with the year 2000 were first
identified in the early 1990’s. In order to save computer memory in some of the
earlier computers (the editor being one such space-saving programmer who never dreamed any
of his programs would still be running in 2000), the date was abbreviated from four digits
to two. As a result, as the clocks round midnight on December 31, 1999, it is assumed that
these older programs will be unable to cope with a date of 00. The hysteria associated
with this potential problem is immense.
The New York Times reported, January 24, 1999, on how to "bunker down" for the coming apocalypse "with flashlights and gold bars and bottled water and, for self-defense, a stylish black crossbow. And why not? Supposedly careful authorities have raised the specter of power failures, plane crashes, food shortages, bank runs -- the computerized wheels of commerce all grinding to a halt as the clock strikes 12 on January 1, 2000. In sober preparation for the Y2K crisis, the government of the United States has created more committees, action weeks, budget reports, Presidential councils and orders, Congressional acts and, of course, Web pages than it has for AIDS and global warming combined -- to name two crises that actually do kill people and threaten the health of the planet."
Trivial problems so far
The hysteria is predicated on the fact that some computers had difficulty dealing with
the onset of 1999 and hence the year 2000 will be all that much more troublesome. As
reported in the New York Times in early January, "Some meters on 300 taxis
in Singapore failed for hours beginning at noon on January 1; tragically, many riders were
undercharged. In Sweden, drivers could not use credit cards at 600 gas stations because of
a Y2K-like bug. And in hospitals, thousands of heart defibrillators made by
Hewlett-Packard stopped displaying the correct date and time. They did continue to
defibrillate, but doctors needing the time were forced to consult their watches."
Preparations
In order to accommodate the potential problems, government agencies, private industry
and individuals have taken it upon themselves to prepare for the pending problems. For
instance, the US Federal Reserve has stockpiled $200 billion as a cushion against Year
2000-related hysteria, enough to keep the nation’s financial system afloat even if
every adult in the nation withdraws $1,000 at year’s end.
However, by far the most troublesome aspect of the upcoming new year is the fact the Y2K hysteria has been extrapolated by fundamental Christian organizations to include the return of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Christ’s imminent return?
Jerry Falwell has predicted that: "January 1 will be a fateful day in the
history of the world, a day when God’s wrath will be felt on all those who have
rebelled against Him." The Winnipeg Free Press on August 14, 1999,
reported, "A group of more than 100 Americans have moved to Jerusalem to await
the end of the millennium, and with it the end of all time." The article also
noted, "much of the year 2000 prophesying centers around Christian beliefs of the
rapture. Those who believe in the rapture, believe that it will begin in 2000. This belief
is based on the fact that Jesus was born 2,000 years ago."
Refuting the information
The hysteria has reached such a high pitch that even some of God’s true believers
are starting to make preparations for the potential problems which lie ahead -- storing
canned goods, bottled water and other basic survival gear. Yet so far the evidence seems
to indicate there will only be minor problems with the Y2K bug. The New York Times
reports: "Computers have had to deal with the year 2000 for quite awhile now. You
probably already have a credit card with an expiration date of 00. Date arithmetic has
always been arbitrary and flawed; all kinds of dates can cause trouble (9/9/99 was a
possibility). Many doomsayers predicted trouble for 1/1/99, and technology reporters
around the globe were on the lookout yet little happened.
"One alarming feature of the early year 2000 warnings was that it would cost fantastic sums. This has already come true -- never mind that much of the money has gone to the people and consulting companies sounding the alarm in the first place. That’s not a disaster. Companies need to replace outdated computer software, and the economy will somehow accommodate all the programmers who can now afford to fly first class.
"The one genuine risk confronting the world now is that people will take seriously the terrifying millennial forecasts and get even more panicky than they are: hoard cash and groceries, sell all their stocks and arm themselves with crossbows or worse."
None knows day of return
By far and away the most troubling aspect of the upcoming new year is the fact there
are some who believe that Christ’s return will occur at the stoke of midnight. True
believers realize they will never know the exact date and time of our Master’s return
until the instant that it happens. The scriptures indicate: "But of that day and
hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone"
(Matt. 24:36).
We should all be hopeful for the soon return of our Master and live every day as if his return will be tomorrow. However, as believers we should not "make our storehouses full" with the expectation that we can survive the tribulation that may lie ahead. Let us pray that His return is soon.
George Rayner