The mideast has been in crisis for a couple of thousand years, and we've gone through quite a few popes as well. Doesn't seem like any cause for alarm to me.
And what about these numerous other signs: Michael Jordan coming back Olajuwon leaving the Rockets Earth barely missed by comet Futurama....CANCELLED Family Guy......CANCELLED Duke not in the Final Four The Chair The Chamber THe Bachelor Do You Really Want Me To Continue?!?!?!?
This newspaper theology has been 100% wrong 100% of the time. The end will come like a thief in the night...Jesus, Himself, said that. Every day pushes us closer to that day...live every day like it's your last. Keep your eyes on God..not on the world.
I believe in the bible, but I feel man has yet to grasp the full concept. Most of signs of the endtime have been happening since the beginning of time. Wars and rumors of wars Famine across the land revival We see the moon turn red Violence in the middle east has been there since day one Pope is not immortal Maybe the Bible was not meant to be taken literally word for work. Maybe all this will come to pass. Maybe judgement day is the day we die. I pretty much agree with MadMax, keep your eyes on God and you will be ok.
Then there's always the point of view that the Book of Revelations wasn't inspired by God and is only the collected delusions of a man living alone in a cave on a Greek island; it was included in the "standard" Bible only after much contentious debate. Frontline did an excellent (as usual) program on Apocalyptic dogma; here's a link to their discussion of Revelation: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/revelation/