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