End of the World?

2020 was a terrible year, largely because of the emergence of a new form of coronavirus which we call Covid-19. Millions around the world have already died. 2021 is already looking grim, despite the hope offered by the several vaccines which have been approved and which are being injected into people’s arms as fast as the pharmaceutical companies involved can manufacture the doses.

But wasn’t it ever thus? The Holy Bible predicted that Armageddon would be preceded by pestilence, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, extreme weather, famine, drought and war.

Secret Serranía contributor Paul Whitelock recalls a piece he wrote in 2010 on this very subject.

21 April 2010

So far this year the Earth has suffered 21 major earthquakes and a massive volcanic eruption.  The weather has been the worst for decades in many parts of the world.  Wars continue to be waged around the globe.  There is famine, plague, the continuing AIDS epidemic, the re-emergence of tuberculosis and other “disappeared” diseases.  Is the end of the world nigh?

Since the start of the year there have been major earthquakes – ie measuring above 6.0 on the Richter Scale – in the Solomon Islands (four), California, Haiti, Papua New Guinea (two), in the China-Russia-North Korea border region, Japan (two), Chile (four), Sumatra (two), Turkey, Mexico, China and Spain.

The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull  erupted twice recently, last week pumping a cloud of volcanic dust and glass particles into the skies over northern Europe which has brought airline flights to a halt in the northern hemisphere.

The weather this winter in many parts of the world has been catastrophic: the rain in Spain has been the worst in living memory; snow and ice in northern Europe the worst for over three decades.  Conversely, because the Gulf Stream shifted, Vancouver in Canada didn’t have enough snow for the Winter Olympics.

Huge parts of the Third World continue to be devastated by famine, drought and disease.

And there is widespread economic chaos.

Was this not all predicted in the Holy Bible? In his Gospel, Luke, quoting Jesus, wrItes:

“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

Then He [Jesus] said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

Luke 21: 9-11 (New International Version)

Sleep well!