“Fires will break out unexpectedly and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames” (Last Day Events, p. 24).
It is heartbreaking to see the deadly fires and heat waves devastating our world. Our hearts and thoughts go out to all the victims as we witness the loss of lives and property. The damage is not over as the fires and heat continues to rage and the death toll continues to rise.
- Northern California is being devistaed by wildfires as 3,400 firefighters battle an firestorm that has left two firefighters dead and 500 homes destroyed. [1]
- Dozens of fires are still burning in Kineta, Greece, 30 miles east of Athens. Residents have had to flee to the beach and jump into the water just to escape the blazing inferno. The death toll has climbed to 80 but is expected to rise. [2]
- Japan has just declared a national emergency due to a deadly heat wave that has already killed 65 people. They are seeing historic temperatures as more than 22,000 people suffered heat strokes and were taken to the hospital. [3]
- Here in the Southwestern United States some communities are battling with 120 degree temperatures. [4] Many places in Texas, Arizona, Utah and California are seeing record temperatures as officials are warning people to stay indoors.
- The choking levels of smoke created by wildfires at Yosemite National Park has made the air so hazardous that the air pollution is worse than in Beijing, China – one of the world’s most polluted cities. The air around the park has become unhealthy to even breathe. [5]
Many believe that these events are simply due to normal fluctuating weather patterns, because during the summer months we always have fire seasons. But the weather conditions we are seeing are not normal. Over the last couple of years we have been experiencing some of the most extreme natural disasters ever witnessed before. Human life and property are being threatened as these catastrophes become more frequent and intensive. [6]
We are given an explanation as to why this is taking place:
“In fires, in floods, in earthquakes, in the fury of the great deep, in calamities by sea and by land, the warning is given that God’s Spirit will not always strive with men” (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 3, p. 315).
The more evil and sinful our world becomes, the less protected we seem to be. God is being rejected more and more as our society legislates sin and evil through laws. [7] The rise in extreme weather conditions is in proportion to the rise of extreme corruption, idolatry, wickedness, drunkenness, violence and crime. What is it going to take for people to return back to God in humility, repentance and obedience?
“Ought men to be surprised over a sudden and unexpected change in the dealings of the Supreme Ruler with the inhabitants of a fallen world? Ought they to be surprised when punishment follows transgression and increasing crime? Ought they to be surprised that God should bring destruction and death upon those whose ill-gotten gains have been obtained through deception and fraud? Notwithstanding the fact that increasing light regarding God’s requirements has been shining on their pathway, many have refused to recognize Jehovah’s rulership, and have chosen to remain under the black banner of the originator of all rebellion against the government of heaven. The forbearance of God has been very great—so great that when we consider the continuous insult to His holy commandments, we marvel. The Omnipotent One has been exerting a restraining power over His own attributes. But He will certainly arise to punish the wicked, who so boldly defy the just claims of the Decalogue” (Prophets and Kings, p. 276).
Sources:
[2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/25/greece-wildfires-rescuers-search-charred-homes-death-toll-74/
[3] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-heatwave-latest-death-toll-killed-natural-disaster-hot-weather-high-a8461336.html
[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-southwest-swelters-temps-120-forecast-174416080.html
[5] https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/23/yosemite-fire-parks-air-pollution-now-worse-than-beijings-due-to-heavy-smoke/
[6] https://www.livescience.com/414-scientists-natural-disasters-common.html
[7] http://adventmessenger.org/the-u-s-supreme-court-continues-to-redefine-marriage-and-families/
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