| The year 2005 could be portrayed as a year of | | | | barometric pressure of any Atlantic hurricane in |
| unparalleled natural disasters. The Boxer Day tsunami | | | | history. |
| of Dec. 26, 2004, in Southeast Asia, which killed more | | | | Scientists, pointing to changes in the climate, believe |
| than 231,000, set the scene for the year 2005. The | | | | that hurricanes and typhoons will intensify and |
| massive Indian Ocean quake, measuring 9.15 on the | | | | become more frequent as warmer atmospheres |
| Richter scale, sent waves as high as 30 meters and | | | | create added energy for evolving storms. According |
| as far away as 1000 miles in Bangladesh, India, Sri | | | | to scientists in Britain, this year has been the hottest |
| Lanka, and east Africa. The scene looked like | | | | on record in the Northern Hemisphere. Ocean |
| something out of a Hollywood disaster film. Entire | | | | temperatures, recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, have |
| coastlines were altered as the seemingly | | | | also been the hottest on record. What does all of |
| never-ending surging tide pulverized everything in its | | | | this mean? |
| path. An avalanche of donations immediately poured | | | | Concerning the signs of the end of the age, Jesus |
| forth from the international community to the | | | | declared: "There will be signs in the sun, moon and |
| affected area, so much so, that at one point one | | | | stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and |
| charity organization requested that the people stop | | | | perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea" |
| sending cash. | | | | (Luke 21:25 - NIV). One can only conclude that as we |
| The deadly tsunami quickly dwarfed other routine | | | | draw closer to the Lord's return, these events will |
| disasters that were not reported in the front pages | | | | become more severe. In fact, we are already seeing |
| of the media, such as, earthquakes in Iran (612 | | | | the shadows of the 21 judgments revealed in |
| dead), an 8.7 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia | | | | Revelation 6-19 and Matthew 24. I believe that Jesus |
| (1000 dead), or floods in China (567 dead). In India | | | | identified the period that we are living in now when |
| 1000 people died when record rainfalls triggered | | | | he said in Matthew 24:8, "all these are the beginning |
| major floods and landslides. On August 29, Hurricane | | | | of sorrows." Just as the birth pains of a woman in |
| Katrina hit the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts killing | | | | travail become closer and more severe as the time |
| 1,228 people. Later in October, a 7.6-magnitude | | | | of delivery draws near, so also will the events |
| earthquake struck northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan, | | | | preceding the Lord's return. Jesus promised us in |
| and in Indian Kashmir, killing 74,564. Following this, | | | | Luke 21:24: "And when these things begin to come to |
| Hurricane Stan struck Guatemala and El Salvador killing | | | | pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your |
| about 1,000. These seven natural disasters of 2005 | | | | redemption draweth nigh." |
| alone took the lives of nearly 80,000 people, not | | | | We, as believers, should not fear, because we know |
| including the Southeast Asia tsunami of December 26, | | | | that these "signs" are only predictors that our Lord is |
| 2004. | | | | coming soon and that we should prepare ourselves |
| Tropical storm Zeta, named from the sixth letter of | | | | for the next event on the horizon-the Rapture of |
| the Greek alphabet, is now the 27th storm to form | | | | the Church. Paul affirmed: "For the Lord Himself shall |
| in the Atlantic this year. According to Chris Vaccaro | | | | descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of |
| of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric | | | | the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the |
| Administration, this is the first time in 154 years that | | | | dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive |
| the 21 recorded storms in 1933 have been exceeded. | | | | and remain shall be caught up together with them in |
| Of the year's storms, 14 reached the status of | | | | the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall |
| hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma, with sustained winds of | | | | we ever be with the Lord" (I Thess. 4:16-17). |
| 155 miles per hour, registered the lowest recorded | | | | |