Hi Darren . . .
It's not uncommon to suffer from a bit of "Armageddon Syndrome" . . . When we hear bad news on a daily basis, we can begin to wonder what it all means . . . and look for an explanantion for it all. Remember though . . . truckloads of bad news is only a feature of the modern technological age. We're constantly being fed on it.
Back in the 12th century, Ghengis Khan and his immediate descendents had marched from East Asia, through Central Asia and China, clear across to Eastern Europe slaughtering civilian populations as they went. The rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th and 15th centuries involved similar scenarios as it expanded. In later Centuries many colonial wars were fought in almost every continent . . . bloody battles were fought and many died. You see . . . today is just a reflection of the same old shit when it comes to human conflict . . . it's always been there from time immemorial.
About 1900 years ago Lake Taupo exploded and sent a pyroclastic cloud of super-heated material 5000 feet high and travelling at over 200 mph in several directions . . . all the way to the West Coast of the NI. It still stands as the greatest release of seizmic energy in the last 5000 years. Along the edge of the Tarawera range in western Wairarapa Tsunami debris has been found. For material to make it that far inland required a wave of over 50 meters travelling at 100 mph when it made landfall. It's almost certain the earth has been struck by large asteroids or comets in the past, that have drastically changed the nature of things.
You see where I'm coming from? Imagine being around when something like that happened. These things can only take on greater significance when they become attached to something mystical . . . like Bible Prophecy . . . otherwise they are nothing new.
Do you believe that the world was once entirely covered by water? And humans and animals survived by floating around in a little wooden boat? People living for 900 years . . . and conversing with snakes? Parting the ocean? . . . stopping the sun? . . . losing super-human strength after a haircut? . . . food falling from the sky? . . . angels coming to earth for a shag?
They sound a lot more like fairy stories don't they?
Do some reading Darren . . . with a blank page in front of you . . . and do some thinking my friend.
Whatever you do, you don't want to expose yourself to further disappointment. Seek the real "truth" about the history of these things . . . including religion . . . rather than take in a single narrow version of it.
Whatever you do with your life from here . . . you don't want to waste it.
Cheers brother.
EDIT: Nice appropriate quote Paula . . . A Einstein I believe.