In Part 1 of this series, we began to examine Jesus' description of
the events that will occur shortly before His return to Earth--events
that are now happening on a much broader scale than ever before. Our
study continues.¦
"Mommy, I'm hungry!"
"There will be famines..." (Matthew 24:7).
Are we living in a time of increased famine? According to a
report by the World Bank, more than 800 million people go hungry every
day, and 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur every day. (1)
The terrible irony is that the world can produce enough food to feed
its expanding population. While some famines are caused by global
warming, drought, or other natural disasters, most starvation in the
world today is due to man's selfishness and inhumanity. War, embargoes,
corruption, economic oppression, and destruction of crops in order to
keep prices artificially high are all partly responsible, and all could
be avoided.
A plagued planet!
"And there will be pestilences..." (Matthew 24:7).
As with war and famine, the increase in severity and frequency of pestilence (plagues) is alarming.
Less than 20 years ago the medical profession claimed victory over a
wide array of bacterial and viral killers. But instead of fading, the
number of cases of infectious diseases skyrocketed throughout the
1990s, and continue to do so. Doctors now warn that the current
resurgence of drug-resistant bacteria strains could prove to be more
deadly than AIDS. (2)
Viral killers
The medical community is now warning that not only are bacterial
plagues on the rise, but viral killers like AIDS and Ebola are
occurring more frequently than ever. Every day more than 16,000 people
become infected with HIV. (3)
Experts warn that other killer viruses could sweep through the human
population as a result of genetic mutation or social changes that favor
the disease.
Cancer, which is considered noninfectious, was virtually unheard of
among our ancestors. Now over 100 different kinds of cancer kill over 6
million people every year.
Jesus said there would be an abundance of plagues and diseases
marking the time of His return. Even though these things will become
increasingly widespread in the days to come, the Bible also tells us
that God can protect and even heal those who trust in Him: "No evil
shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. To you
who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in
His wings" (Psalm 91:10; Malachi 4:2).
The big shake-up
"There shall be earthquakes, in various places" (Matthew 24:7).
The Universal Almanac tells us that there were only 21 earthquakes
of major strength between the years 1000 and 1800. Between 1800 and
1900 there were 18 major earthquakes. In the next 50 years, between
1900 and 1950, there were 33 major quakes--almost as many as the number
in the preceding 850 years! (4)
Between 1950 and 1991 there were 93 major earthquakes--almost triple
the number of the previous half century--which claimed the lives of 1.3
million people around the world.
Our violent world
Another condition that Jesus said would be prevalent immediately
prior to His return would be unrestrained violence: "As it was in the
days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man"
(Matthew 24:37, NIV).
The Book of Genesis tells us that in Noah's day "the earth was
corrupt before God, and was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). We
are all painfully aware that today's news headlines are increasingly
full of tragic stories of senseless violence. In the past 30 years, 1.2
million people have been murdered or have committed suicide in the
United States alone--more than all the men killed in all the wars in
the history of the U.S. (5)
That's entertainment?
Why the increase in violence? Behavioral scientists have concluded
that one of the main culprits is so-called entertainment. In times
past, you had to be on the scene where the violence was perpetrated in
order to personally witness it. Not now.
Dr. Leonard D. Efron, Professor of Psychology at the University of
Illinois at Chicago, observes: "There can no longer be any doubt that
heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the causes of aggressive
behavior, crime, and violence in society." (6)
But even in this violence-filled world, we don't have to live in
fear. The Bible refers to Jesus as "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6),
who promises to all those who love and trust Him: "Peace I leave with
you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
Footnotes:
1. "800 Million People Go Hungry," UPI, Washington, 23 Sep 1996
2. AP, 26 Mar 1995
3. Report on the Global HIV/AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS/WHO, December 1997.
4. The Universal Almanac, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews and McMeel, 1993
5. Harwood, Richard. "Ten Times the Dead in Veitnam," Washington Post (WP), 7 May 1994
6. Feder, Don. A Jewish Conservative Looks at Pagan America. Lafayette, LA.: Huntington House Publishers, 1993
Excerpted from The Future Foretold
