DAILY ARTICLE - 4/21/06
Is there any hope left for Earth?
by
How much more can planet Earth take --- literally?
A recent Fox News story highlights the fact that a huge coral reef die-off is presently taking place in the Caribbean as a result of record hot water followed by disease. No big deal, right? Wrong!
National Park Service fisheries biologist Jeff Miller is quoted in the article as saying (emphasis added mine), "It's an unprecedented die-off. The mortality that we're seeing now is of the extremely slow-growing reef-building corals. These are corals that are the foundation of the reef ... We're talking colonies that were here when Columbus came by have died in the past three to four months."
Some of this coral can never be replaced, according to the article, because it only grows the width of a dime per year. Pretty dramatic, isn't it?
A University of Texas biology professor, according to a Fox News story, has published a report advocating death for most of the population as a means of saving the Earth. The professor in question is quoted in the story as saying, "What we really need to do is start thinking about controlling our population before it's too late. It's already too late, but we're not even thinking about it."
While the story implies that the professor in question truly believes humanity is a scourge upon the earth, one that needs to be lessened in size, he does, in my opinion, make some valid points, regardless of his core beliefs. He believes Earth would be better off if the human population were smaller because fewer natural resources would be consumed and humans wouldn't continue to destroy animal habitats, which has to be, in my opinion, a fundamental truth.
On RaptureReady.com's opening page, at the bottom of the left-hand column, there is a human population clock I make a point to look at occasionally. All one has to do to see that the professor in question is correct in some aspects of his thinking is sit and watch the number of people on the planet rise for a few minutes, taking into consideration that every single time that clock moves upward, there is:
The earth's size and natural resources remain constant, except in instances where mankind's burgeoning population and pollution are consuming and destroying resources, an example of which may well be the die-off of the coral reef die-off spoken of earlier, if global warming is truly taking place as we're being told it is and we, as in mankind, are the cause of it.
As I'm sure most of my readers are aware, many suggest the phenomena of global warming exists due to mankind's excessive use of fossil fuels which are weakening the earth's defenses against the rays of the sun. Whether that's accurate or not I don't know, but a large percentage of people I talk with who are my age (I'm 42) or older in Virginia, which is where I live, believe the weather has changed dramatically in their lifetimes - the four distinct seasons seemingly being blended together somewhat.
Speaking of global warming and its effects, a Reuters story indicates the head of the World Meteorological Organization is indicating there is growing evidence of a link between global warming and natural disasters such as droughts and flooding.
Excerpt from the Reuters story (emphasis added mine):
The WMO said last week that greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide -- blamed for global warming and climate change -- had reached their highest levels in the atmosphere.
Scientists warn that greenhouse gas emissions must be slowed and reduced if the earth is to avoid climatic havoc with devastating heat waves, droughts, floods and rising sea-levels sinking low-lying island states and hitting seaboard cities.
Carbon dioxide, which the WMO says accounts for 90 percent of warming over the past decade, is largely generated by human activity involving the burning of fossil fuels.
Climatic havoc. That doesn't sound very promising, does it?
An AFP story indicates Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN Millennium Project, recently told a global environmental conference that "ignorance, misplaced priorities and indifference" are "keeping the world firmly on a path to disaster."
Interesting to me, particularly in light of Bible prophecy, Sachs "painted a grim picture of systemic environmental collapse, coupled with war, famine and pandemic disease." Not only that, he indicated that "every single major ecological system we have is already under profound stress."
Bible prophecy makes it clear there will be environmental catastrophe in the Tribulation Period to come. An example of this is found in Revelation 16:3: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Additionally, it is prophesied there will be war, famine, and pandemic disease, as seen in the following passages of Scripture:
Revelation 6:4: "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."
Revelation 6:5-6: And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Revelation 6:8: And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
The rider of the red horse above is symbolic of war. The rider of the black horse is symbolic of famine. The rider of the pale horse is symbolic of widespread death on the earth and is particularly descriptive as to how this will happen: by way of war, famine, death and "the beasts of the earth." As those who read my website regularly know, I am very interested in whether zoonotic disease (any infectious disease which spread to humans from animals) may be what is being referred to in Revelation 6:8 where "the beasts of the earth" will play a prominent role in a quarter of mankind dying in the early stages of the Tribulation Period.
Essentially, I believe Mr. Sachs' dire warnings of environmental collapse, war, famine, death and pandemic disease only serve to remind us of the accuracy of the Word of God.
As detailed in a Fox News story, the following is a description of an ad by the advocacy group Environmental Defense, which hopes to convince Americans they can do something about global warming:
A man stands on a railroad track as a train rumbles closer.
"Global warming?" he says. "Some say irreversible consequences are 30 years away. Thirty years. That won't affect me."
He steps off the tracks — just in time. But behind him is a little blonde-haired girl left in front of the roaring train.
The screen goes black. A message appears: "There's still time."
Powerful imagery, isn't it?
While the Bible makes it clear that those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ are going to be caught up in the air to be with the Lord, as seen in 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, in order to save us from "the wrath to come" (1st Thessalonians 1:10) that is going to fall upon unrepentant mankind, there is nothing any of us can do, regardless of our efforts to stop the "train" that's rolling down the tracks toward all the terrible events prophecy tells us is going to come upon the world, potentially in the not-too-distant future, we can spend our remaining time here reaching out to the lost, pointing them toward salvation which can only be obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! To do otherwise is the equivalent of stepping out of the way of the train, fully understanding it is going to run over people we know if we fail to act responsibly in our faith - friends, family, co-workers and even strangers, all of whom we should have a desire to see come to Christ!
The Bible makes it clear that half of mankind left behind after the Rapture takes place will be dead by the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period. Things will be so horrible that all flesh upon the planet will be threatened with extinction, but the Earth will, assuredly, survive! Why? Because Jesus Christ will not stand idly by while the world His hands made is utterly destroyed. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, our Lord Jesus, will return to the planet at Armageddon dressed for battle! He will roar out of Zion to bring the global warfare, destruction, and wickedness of unrepentant mankind, which will be being led by the prophesied Antichrist and his False Prophet, to a sudden halt, saving both Israel and the entire world. Why? Because, if He didn't, "no flesh should be saved."
While the immediate future looks dire for the unbeliever, all the turmoil and chaos of this present time should have every Christian's eyes looking toward Heaven, watching for the return of Jesus Christ for His saints. Are yours?
SOURCE: Rapture Alert