Expert: Phillip Senn - 8/31/2006

Question
Okay, my husband is very concerned because for the past few years everytime he looks at the clock it says 8:08, or he see's 8:08 on a page in a book, or on a piece of paper. It started as a joke because it was always happening. Now he is concerned because it is so random when it does happen. Now mind you he is not superstitious at all, but he is terrified of this and that something bad is going to happen August 2008 to him. He also thinks about this nearly every day and its driving him crazy. He just now brought me a deck of cards where the joker had a 808 number by him. A little background, we are Christians so its difficult for us to be superstitious about really anything. We are pretty concrete people. I know I am rambling now, but I need some sort of insight on this. I am in constant prayer about this, but is there such thing as foreshadowing death? Is it Biblical to be thinking this way?  Does Satan know our actual time of death? Could he be playing with my husband?  Please any help or input you could give me would be helpful.

Answer
Stephanie,

As far as I know from Scripture, the only one that has our days numbered is the Lord. When we trust in Him, many of our fears of death should be gone. This is an odd situation, and I am not making light of it. I just don't have any concrete advice or information on something such as this. For the Christian, death is not something to be feared, but rather a time that the Lord looks at as a homegoing, and we should see it the same way (Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints). As far as premonitions concerning death, There are some mentioned in Scripture, but I don't see this particular situation as anything more than coincidence.

Satan doesn't know our date of death, but he does play on our weaknesses. If we yield our mind to his attacks, he will surely use our mind against us. But we are not ignorant of his devices. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I hope this has helped to ease your minds.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn