Signs From the Heavens

A monster hurricane off the coast of Florida

In his famous discourse he had with his disciples shortly before he was crucified, Jesus Christ revealed several specific signs that would alert his followers that the time of the end was near.

Christ revealed that one of those signs concerned turmoil in the heavens and in the earth's atmosphere: "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." (Luke 21:25-26)

That prophecy was fulfilled with the recent, devastating Hurricane Sandy that struck America's east coast, causing extensive flooding and an estimated billions of dollars worth of damage. As hurricanes go, Sandy could turn out to be one of the worst storms to ever strike the United States. Even worse, it struck an area that wasn't equipped to handle that type of severe weather. According to cnn.com: "One thing that makes this storm unique is not so much its 75 mph sustained winds, but the fact that such hurricane force winds extend 175 miles out from its eye. That portends to affect hundreds of miles of territory, on both sides of Sandy's eye, hit hard by destructive winds, with an even bigger swath getting tropical force-level gusts and drenching rains."

There's little doubt that Christ's prophecies concerning the end times are now being fulfilled. He prophesied that earthquakes and famines would increase throughout the world in the last days (Matthew 24:7) and we've seen the fulfillment of that prophecy since the dawn of the 20^th Century. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported 330 earthquakes across the world from 1900-1950. However, since 1950, the USGS has reported over 1,000 earthquakes across the world, an astounding increase of over 300 percent from the 1900-1950 period. Is This the Time of the End? - Prophecy Review Online

Christ's prophecy concerning signs in the heavens certainly entails more than just massive hurricanes, F-4 tornadoes and monster blizzards. But these signs are just the beginning of things that are far worse to come. Some self-styled experts attribute these increasingly troublesome storms to so-called "Climate Change" or "Global Warming." But there's scant evidence that alleged increases in carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere are responsible for this extreme weather.

Rather, the increase in violent storms is the direct result of God's judgment upon a sinful world that is growing more depraved with each passing year. Consider that Hurricane Katrina, the monster storm that struck the city of New Orleans in August, 2005 and did an estimated $81 billion in damage, came just days after President Bush had successfully coerced Israel into turning over the Gaza Strip to her sworn enemy the Palestinians. That land was given by God to the Jewish nation and wasn't meant to be turned over to an enemy of Israel. After Israel relinquished Gaza, the Palestinians turned that territory into a launching pad for terror and rocket attacks against the Jewish nation.

This is what the Lord said through the ancient Hebrew prophet Ezekiel concerning those who would divide up Israel's land: "In my burning zeal I have spoken against the nations, and against all Edom, (ancestors of Arab nations) for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland." (Ezekiel 36:5)

Was Sandy God's judgment against the United States? If so, then why? Consider that five of the states that were severely impacted by the storm (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York) have legalized gay marriage. A sixth state that suffered significant damage from Sandy is New Jersey that currently has a bill pending in its legislature that would legalize gay marriage if passed. Furthermore, New York City is the hub of America's mainstream media that has become a propaganda tool for President Barack Obama. The media has been relentless in its attacks against conservatives, Christians and the nation of Israel. That media has also been complicit with Obama in helping him cover up the widespread corruption that has become the signature of his administration.

Certainly, the United States hasn't been the only recipient of destructive weather in recent times. Nearly every nation on earth has experienced severe weather or devastating earthquakes that has resulted in the loss of life and billions of dollars worth of property damage. But since the United States is considered the leader of the free world, it has an obligation to set a moral example for the rest of the world. When the nation promotes unfettered abortions, same-sex marriage, violence and sexual depravity through its entertainment industry, then it deserves God's condemnation and judgment. For example, President Obama, who is the de facto face of the moral free world is working to reverse DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that was signed into law in 1996 by President Clinton.

What lies ahead for the world concerning Christ's prophecy? The apostle John who recorded the Revelation in about 90 A.D., revealed that the last days on earth preceding Christ's return will be marked by even more violent and unstable weather than we've ever seen. Using descriptive, metaphoric language to describe seven trumpet judgments from God, John wrote this: "The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up." (Revelation 8:7)

That sounds similar to global warming, only it will result from God's judgment rather than some manmade source. Then, John wrote this: "The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the living creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." (Revelation 8:8-9) This sounds like some sort of manmade disaster that will plunge into the oceans and be so toxic that it will kill a significant amount of marine life and even destroy ships and submarines.

 

Then, John revealed this: "The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter." (Revelation 8:10-11) This sounds like some sort of deadly, radioactive chemical that might come from a nuclear weapon and contaminate a significant portion of the earth's drinking water.

Finally, John recorded this: "The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night." (Revelation 8:12) This reveals that God's impending judgment upon the world entails darkening the sun, moon and stars so that the earth is plunged into darkness.

Are we living in the last days? If the increasingly violent weather is any indication, then indeed we are. Tragically, as the world continues to rebel against God by ignoring his laws and mocking his commands, we can expect more monstrous storms such as Hurricane Sandy in the upcoming future.