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| The effects of Ebola |
According to Jesus Christ, one of the prophetic signs of the last days will be the spread of deadly plagues and diseases throughout the world: "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:10-11)
Certainly, we've seen dramatic increases in earthquakes and famines across the world since the dawn of the 20th century.
And those fearful events and great signs from heaven? Christ was very likely referring to the appearance of UFOs along with sunspot activity that has threatened power grids throughout the planet.
For example, a sun-storm that occurred in 2012 sent solar debris close enough to the North American EMP grid that could have plunged much of the eastern half of the United States and Canada into darkness for an extended period of time. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm/
But what of the increase in pestilences? Plagues and pandemics have been around since the dawn of human history. Some of them have killed millions of people. For example, during the 18th century, smallpox killed an estimated 60 million Europeans, many of whom were children.
From the 14th through the 18th centuries, the Black Death or Black Plague killed an estimated 75 million people worldwide. Keep in mind that during the time of the Black Death, the earth's population was only a fraction of what it is today. So, the death toll was catastrophic for the time the plague occurred.
Then came the Spanish Flu (1918-1919) that resulted in the deaths of 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Thus, deadly pestilences aren't anything new to the world.
However, during the 19th and 20th centuries, huge advancements in medical science led to the discovery of new vaccines and antibiotics that nearly eradicated such deadly killers as smallpox, polio, rubella and diphtheria. It seemed that no matter how deadly the disease, science finally had the ability to overcome it.
Until recently. In 1981, the HIV-AIDS virus was discovered after unusually high rates of cancer and pneumonia began afflicting homosexuals. While medical treatment and new drugs have significantly slowed the spread of the disease, there is still no cure for HIV-AIDS. It's estimated that about 33 million people globally are infected with the virus.
Not coincidentally, the apostle Paul recorded this in an epistle to the early Roman church concerning God's judgment of those who practice the homosexual lifestyle: "Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." (Romans 1:27)
Now comes Ebola, a deadly disease that World Health Organization (WHO) officials fear could threaten the planet with the type of death and destruction not seen since the days of smallpox and the Black Death. Currently, there is no cure for Ebola--only containment and treatment.
How deadly is this virus? According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, the disease kills about nine of every 10 persons it infects. However, he adds that "It’s hard to say exactly what the [death] rate would be in a modern hospital with all of its intensive care units."
Could the Ebola virus kill millions of human beings across the planet? It has the potential. Only time will tell whether this virus indeed becomes a mass murderer.
In the mean time, remember Christ's prophetic words concerning the signs of the last days. Ebola provides additional proof that we are indeed living in the end times.
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