Editorial: World to end, again

Teach Brian Tamaki Love protest outside Destiny's Church in Rotorua. Photo / file.

Like his idol Donald Trump, self-appointed Bishop Tamaki of Destiny Church, has taken to tweeting his sermons, using the character limit to keep his messages well within the attention span of his followers.

His latest sermon on Twitter is we should take note of the portents pointing towards the "end times", shorthand for the universe's last gasps before an exasperated and disappointed God destroys his creation in a fit of pique.

If that is the case, surely the efforts of Bishop Tamaki and Pastor Hannah to lay up treasures on Earth are pointless and a waste of the congregation's tithed contributions.

In July, Hannah shelled out on a Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 450 Coupe, valued at more than $153,000. Perhaps she intends to get some fast driving in before the apocalypse.

Like most amateur soothsayers, Bishop Brian neglects to give a date for the end of the world. Either he's vague on details or he is hoping a warning will suffice and that the sinners will all stop sinning, the homosexuals will straighten out and God will forgive humanity and let us live here a little longer. As a reward, He might even give Brian another Harley-Davidson and his wife another Mercedes-Benz.

Since the sudden reformation of sinners is unlikely, it seems the bishop is right about the end of the world - at least in his own mind - and he points to natural disasters as proof that we're all going to Hell in a hurricane. While his forecasts might be a bit wobbly as to timeframe, Brian's followers will be feeling smug.

"Earthquakes. Floods ... Famines ... Diseases ... Wars and widespread deception are just few of the end time signs," he tweeted on August 30, so he has certainly done his research.

Personally, I'm grateful for the warning and I hope I have time to return my library book, pay my debts and get the washing in before Armageddon.