This Growing Tribulation

Preliminary Phase- Jesus talked about the start of the Tribulation. He called it the beginning of birth pains. That's a funny term which carries a lot of meaning. I think it means, once things get underway and get moving, watch out because there ain't no stoppin'. I truly believe that we may be viewing the front edge of the events which Jesus spoke about, even now. Conflict, famine, and earthquakes are the indicators identified in the book of Matthew. If they prove to be what God’s prophets wrote about, then End Days events are moving forward right now. We are told to watch for national and political divisions: nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. These are big disputes. It seems so many countries are ready to go to war and do battle. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, was a great one of concern which has polarized global powers. Then in September 2023, the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo erupted into violence leading to a military buildup along their border, which could, and may still lead to a second war in Europe. The Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, and the resulting counter offensive have solidified opposing opinions and created serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences even here in the United States. Beyond the U.S., other countries are involving themselves in these conflicts as well: Iran, North Korea, China, and many European nations. Just know: there are many more conflicts around the world than these few which have been mentioned. Currently, refugees are running from Sudan to Chad in Africa to escape the effects of war, while on-going unrest and violence in South America are driving record numbers of people from those countries north. With all of the unrest around the world, you can’t forget about the conflict in our own country. I sense this pervasive attitude that Jesus spoke about. I worry sometimes that the political parties in our own country are simply pulling this nation apart, only because they both want to call the shots instead of creating a shared vision. Seldom does the rule of law matter, laws can change. The upheaval just seems constant. This conflict between, and from within, the political parties became so crippling, that the House of Representatives couldn’t even elect a leader. Essentially, the United States government was frozen, with no driver behind the wheel, from October 3 through October 25, 2023. This historic first illustrates Christ’s claim that a house divided against itself will not stand. Concerning famine, though most have plenty to eat here in the United States, there are places in the world that can’t get sufficient food or water to keep going. War and drought seem to be the main contributors to this lack of necessities. However, if the weather ceases to cooperate, I believe even people of this country will come to realize more than higher prices in the future. The term being used now is “food insecurity”. Prophecy indicates that we should expect more food insecurity and hunger in increasing amounts in the future. Another indicator is Earthquakes. The book of Luke calls them “great earthquakes in various places”. The world does witness those from time to time. Now, however, it seems more regular, like the one that happened in Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, which killed over 52,000 people. Or the earthquake in Ecuador which occurred March 18, 2023, killing 12 people. Or earthquake in Morocco on September 8, 2023, which left more than 2,900 dead. The Afghanistan earthquake on October 8, 2023, killed more than 2,400 people. And finally, the earthquake in northwestern Nepal on November 3, 2023, that left at least 128 dead. So many deadly earthquakes in a single year. But rarely do we give these events much more than a momentary thought. When the news quits reporting about how the survivors are managing, we tend to forget. That’s a bad habit when these events begin happening more and more frequently, as they have been. Luke brings a couple of other interesting indicators forward as well. One which that book tells of is pestilences in various places. The definition of pestilence is a plague or a fatal disease. The recent Covid Pandemic might seem to fit. Another one, RSV, also raises concerns for the very young and the elderly. Beyond new strains of these maladies, it is bothersome when so many of the older sicknesses are becoming resistant to the pharmaceuticals that doctors have commonly used to combat them. What will we do next? Luke has laid out a broader category for our last consideration: fearful events and great signs. Recently there have been volcanos shaking the ground; tremendous storms flooding lands and washing away homes such as the recent flooding in Libya which killed over 11,000 people. There have been extremely hot summers, drying out needed crops. There have been extremely erratic winters dumping heavy snows, at times burying and crushing homes, then later melting into floods. There does seem to be substantial evidence that End Days prophecies are unfolding at this time. So, here is a question for you to think about: Are these indicators just weird stuff happening, or is God revealing His deeds for believers to see so that they might know the season?