A Sign of the Times
Until just recently only very few people alive had ever experienced what we are facing today, a worldwide pandemic. A pandemic is the global outbreak of a disease. There have been many events throughout history when pandemics of diseases spread over large segments of the population. Back in the 14th-century mankind faced the Black Death that killed as many as 200 million people. There were many other pandemics such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis, the Spanish Flu, Malaria, or more recently, Ebola, HIV/AIDS and today the coronavirus. Diseases are endemic with humanity. Once it infects people it tends to spread exponentially through individuals that spread to others in their social networks before it’s isolated, diagnosed and remedied. Until a mass alarm is sounded it will continue to spread… even then people have to work as a unit to stop spreading the disease until a necessary cure is put into massive distribution. Imagine, the world must come together as one unit in order to solve a problem that affects them all?
It is not just the diseases that we are witnessing; we are also witnessing hundred-year floods that are happening in successive years, raging fires that burn thousands of acres, entire towns with untold personal property damages, and even droughts and famine across the plains of Africa and other regions of the world. Why are there so many things that appear to be happening over such a short period of time? Could this be merely a sign of the times that we are living or could it be a warning to us that because of our actions or, lack thereof? We are causing a fissure in God’s delicate creation and the times are letting us know this loudly and quite clearly.
For those of you that are familiar with Biblical prophesies there are other explanations for what we are facing, which has to deal with the signs of the coming of the end times. Regardless of the reasons why we are experiencing what is happening, this not “normal” and we should not treat it as just another casual passing event. It the time for the children of God to get on your knees and make sure they are right with God and that He abides in them as well. If you have no relationship with God then either you find a way or you will be left to your own devices. Each of us has free will choice!
I agree with King Solomon when he described that life was: “Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” Later on, in that passage he stated: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” King Solomon was one of the wisest men that have ever lived, according to our holy scriptures. He was highly favored by God but still, he sinned and fell short of what God expects of His children. I find it totally amazing that throughout the history of mankind there have been repeated trends that each generation seems to face, yet we don’t appear to learn from history.
Solomon said: “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun, sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes ever returning on its course. All the streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.” That was written thousands of years ago yet they ring true today. What does it all mean? Is it meaningless! If so it has been meaningless throughout times so what is the purpose of this continual meaninglessness?
If you read any of the great prophets that God chose to speak through to the people… these holy men were able to look ahead in time and tell the people what was to come. But, did that make the people turn back to God and seek His counsel? Did it make them fear God and turn from their wicked ways? No! What we are facing today is the same old patterns with possibly the same old meaningless results and what is the purpose… what is the gain!
I am reminded of the story of the prophet Jonah. God instructed him to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their wickedness had come up before God. Instead, Jonah ran away from God because he did not think those wicked people deserved God’s saving and tender mercy. Because of his defiance, he ended up in the belly of a large fish for three days only to be vomited out later and washed up on the shore and then the second time he abided by God's instructions. He traveled to this city of Nineveh and did as God instructed. God also told him what to say and this time Jonah obeyed. The people took heed to the Word of God and turned from their wicked ways so God spared the city from destruction. Johan knew this would happen… that is why he attempted to flee from the mission God instructed of him. This is what Jonah said to the Lord after God forgave the people of Nineveh:
“Isn’t this what I said, Lord when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah was angry with the Lord and prayed to die. In the end, God spared Jonah but he felt that all this was meaningless because of the wickedness of the people who do not seem to want to change from their wicked ways. Johan was angry, but it was not up to him regarding which people God decides to spare.
Skipping forward to current times we seem to have gotten worse rather than better with an arsenal of history behind us to learn from. We seem to always revert back to our wicked ways causing calamity after calamity and to what avail… God is still gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Where does this all end? Is mankind destined for doom and annihilation or will God continue to extend grace and unearned mercy? My humanity says that we do not deserve what God gives but I am not God and my vote does not count. I am also wicked and sinful so like Jonah I do not deserve anything from God, yet God appears to be slow to show His anger against me.
Once you start studying the Word you learn of all the repeated times when mankind fell short of God’s righteousness yet He forgave them, picked them up and extended His unearned grace. Is this a continuous cycle of humankind… what does it all mean? Everything that is being done has been done already and there is nothing new under the sun. Will we turn to God requesting His forgiveness and mercy that we do not deserve? Will we ever learn? Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless! These are the signs of the times we are living so take heed. Selah!
