Jack R. Johnson

Many parables and analogies have been drawn over the years from the tragic sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. The disaster has provided object lessons in humility vs. pride, wisdom vs. foolishness, courage vs. cowardice, the relative value of money, and the brevity and uncertainty of life. The colossal ship that "God Himself could not sink" was very effectively sunk by men -- who arrogantly steamed at full speed through dangerous waters on a moonless night, even though the lookouts did not have their binoculars with them (the only pair had been locked up and the keys had been lost).

A much broader analogy can be made, however, as we compare the Titanic story with the Bible's prophetic picture of the end times, and mankind's coming day of reckoning.

Like many aboard the ill-fated ocean liner, multitudes today eat, drink, party and plan for an earthly future, unaware of the danger that lies just ahead. Just as the faithful wireless operators of a neighboring vessel dutifully warned the Titanic's officers of icebergs which had been sighted, so faithful Christians have warned this generation of the Bible's description of the perils to come just before the return of Jesus Christ, and how they are ominously reflected in current world events.

And as Titanic's wireless operators rudely dismissed the ice warnings and told the operator on the other ship to "Shut up!" (Titanic had paying customer's messages to relay!), many today ignore Biblical warnings as unwarranted paranoia, and it's messengers as fanatical pests interfering in their business. Titanic's hull was compromised by the collision with the iceberg, and mankind's eternal future has also been doomed by compromise with the cold, hard reality of sin.

In the James Cameron film "Titanic," Captain Smith asks Ship Builder Thomas Andrews about pumps keeping the vessel afloat. "Pumps buy you time, but minutes only," Andrews tells him. "From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder." Millions today either work for or support humanitarian and social ministries to better the planet and the human condition, but, relatively speaking, this will "buy us time, but minutes only." Does this mean that these good works should be abandoned? Of course not! Yet such efforts need to be kept in their Biblical perspective. They will not prevent the inevitable fulfillment of God's prophetic word.

The lifeboats were the salvation of the Titanic survivors. No one who remained outside a lifeboat survived. Jesus Christ is the eternal "Lifeboat" for all who will trust and receive Him by faith. The great difference is that He has enough room for all who wish to come! "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" John 14:6.

The majority of the passengers and crew of the Titanic perished. Jesus said that the majority of mankind would perish and suffer eternally because of rejecting His offer of Salvation (Luke 13:23-24). They will blindly "party on" until it's too late, or they will seek to save themselves and others by their own futile efforts. Only those in the Lifeboat of Christ will be saved for all eternity. Have you "gotten in?" Don't miss the boat! "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." John 1:12.