228    The Bible and the Future of the World 

    On the Day of Repentance, God will call sinners to fasting and self denial, 

to true sorrow for sin and true conversion. God wants people to respond on 

that day with fasting and prayer, with a change in heart and in behavior. 

Some who reject this call to repent will cover their sinfulness and their fear 

and their confusion by celebrating. They will eat and drink and entertain one 

another. They will shut their minds and hearts to God's call by engaging 

themselves in amusements and self indulgences. It will be hard for these 

persons to repent from sin at a later time. If they do repent later, their sin 

will be forgiven them, but the negative effect of this sin upon their lives will 

persist even to the last day of their lives. 

A Decrease in Abortions 

     Beginning on the Day of Repentance, the power of sin will be weakened, 

the faith of Christians will be strengthened, and as a result there will be a 

sharp decrease in the number of abortions worldwide. People will repent 

from all kinds of sin, including the sin of killing the unborn child. Many 

people, in moving closer to God, will then realize how very evil is the sin of 

abortion. Those who have had abortions, or who have encouraged or helped 

others to obtain abortions, and some of those who have performed 

abortions, will be very sorrowful and much afflicted because of this sin. 

 Thus says the L

ORD

: `A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter 

weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for 

her children, because they are not.'   (Jer 31:15). 

Compassion and Prayer 

      `And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of 

Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look 

on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns 

for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first 

born.'   (Zech 12:10). 

    The Day of Repentance will lead people to an increase in the spirit of 

compassion for other persons and in prayerful supplication to God. The 

phrase  the inhabitants of Jerusalem  means that this gift is given to faithful 

Christians throughout the world. Holy Scripture often uses Jerusalem and 

Israel to refer prophetically to the Church (cf. Mt 19:28; Rev 21:2). 

    On the Day of Repentance, many faithful Christians will experience 

sincere sorrow at the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Holy Scripture says 

that they will mourn and feel true sorrow  when they look on him whom 

they have pierced.  It is by our sins that we have pierced Jesus on the Cross. 

Jesus suffered and died because of our sinfulness. Thus, many Christians