10 August 2010 (Shleshi/Bikkurim) Day #148, 5934 AM
Teshuvah #2 Warnings
Earthquakes, Sinkholes, Oil Spills
Teshuvah is the period of the 40 days period given to believers to get everything right before Yom Kippur, the penultimate of Yahweh's autumnal and annual moedim or Appointments (special times when we are to assemble to meet with Him). Yom Kippur may rightly be viewed as THE END - the end of unrepented sinning that comes about when judgment is past on the one who rebels against the Most High, the end of oppression for the one who is its guiltless victim. At the end of this 40 day period, Yahweh does what the Law of Justice demands after grace has been exhausted.
Today is #2 of Teshuvah in the Biblical Year of 5934, or 2010 in the secular system. There will be an END in the month of October this year, preceded by appropiate warnings, because Yahweh is always generous in giving everyone opportunity to repent. This extends not only to individuals but to churches, families, clans, nations, groups of nations and even the world - in fact any and every grouping of human being. Teshuvah is for all of these - no one escapes, believer and unbeliever alike. The ultimate Yom Kippur marks THE END as we know it and the beginning of a New Era - the Millennium - with a returned Yah'shua (Jesus) as global Regent.
The incidence of earthquakes is up dramatically this year - by 151%! And you will recall that earthquakes are a sign of the end times (Mt.24:7). There is a major earthquake in the world early every day now. Some of the big earthquakes this year have been British Columbia (5.1), Papua New Guinea (6.8), Northeast Taiwan (5.3), the Bering Sea off Anchorage, Alaska (6.7), central Chile (6.5), Indian Nicobar Islands (7.5), Qinghai Province China (6.9), Vanuatu (7.2), and many, many more. In one week alone more than 2000 earthquakes struck southern California and over 100 struck the California-Mexico border in just a few hours. Now people are asking whether the giant Gulf of Mexico oil spill was in fact caused by an earthquake on the New Madrid Fault Line at the bottom of the sea, whether natural or man-induced. Were a 7.7 magnitude earthquake to hit this area, the University of Illinois predicts that it could leave as many 3,500 people dead, more than 80,000 injured and more than 7 million homeless. And if a bigger earthquake were to hit the fault line, it could literally be 'the end'.
Many of you may now know that there have been a large number of sinkholes suddenly appearing all over the world. And whilst sinkholes are not a new phenomenon, there has been a 'epidemic' of them this year, the most spectacular one being in Guatemala which swallowed a 3-storey building and an entire street intersection. A whopping sinkhole 80 meters across suddenly appeared on a soth Chinese playground. Another 8 meter one appeared on a Chinese highway, appeared that was 10 meters deep. These sinkholes have been appearing all over China. One appeared recently in Florida, swallowing up a car with more than 100 of them recorded this year alone in a couple of counties in Florida. A utility truck disappeared down one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and another like it in Mobile, Alabama. You will remember that a sinkhole sent by Yahweh swallowed up Korah and the other rebels in the days of Moses (Num.16). Sinkholes, like earthquakes, are signs of Judgment.
But are you aware of how many plagues have hit the world this year? Turkey has experienced a plague of frogs, Australians are bracing themselves for a locust plague, northern China has had a plague of rats, south Australia has had a plague of mice, half the population of Niger in West Africa is in danger of starving because of a famine, the UK has suffered its driest start to the new year in 46 years, tens of millions are suffering from a horrific drought in West Africa generally, and there's been unprecedented flooding in China (causing a million to lose their homes), Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Russia is experienceding its worst heatwave in over a century that has started up huge forest fires that are wiping out entire villages in their wake and killing thousands. Things are much worse than 'normal'.
Volcanic activity is up too. But I think that is enough data to make the point. And these are just physical phenomena. How many people's lives are being catastrophically shaken by mential and emotional earthquakes caused by relationship break-ups? How many people are disappearing into the sinkholes of despair? How many people are experiencing one plague-like problem after another come to disrupt and decimate their lives? This is not a world at peace with itself because few people are at peace with themselves - I wonder if we are truly able to grasp the magnitude of sin in the world and just how ruinous it is? People need Christ like at no other time!
The sceptics will ascribe all of these things to random, natural phenomena. And indeed, some are 'random' as we view 'randomness' but the point is they were (1) foreknown in detail in advance by Yahweh who permitted or directed them to occur when and where, for His purposes, and (2) they are the product of other things going on in the earth as the ground is cursed because of immorality and wickedness in general. Every demonic invocation just destablises the earth more. The earth was created perfect, it was cursed by Yahweh because of original sin in the Garden of Eden, and when people break the universal Torah they allow dark forces in to curse it even more. Even the magnetic activity of the sun, which can so adversely affect us, was known by Yahweh even berore the sun was made, and is used by Him for His purposes for blessing and judgment.
The Bible speaks of many judgments using natural phenomena which are scheduled to increase in number and intensity in the very end times. I do not know what else 2010 holds but I can say, along with anyone else who has their eyes open and has been watching, that this is not looking to be a very good year at all. We still don't know the extent of the damage in the Gulf of Mexico or indeed what has been going on. I did read yesterday of dolphins being washed ahore dead and one thing Yahweh did show me before the disaster began was a vision of fish trying to get out of the sea and of dead dolphins. Many believe this may be the prelude of the destruction of sea life predicted in Scripture:
"Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed" (Rev.8:8-9, NKJV).
"Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died" (Rev.16:3, NKJV).
Can you imagine life without fisheries? Think of the loss in food production! These are terrible predictions - a repeat of the curse on the River Nile by Moses. First a third of all marine life dies, and then all of it! Whatever the Gulf of Mexico may be, it is certainly pointing us to these events, or may become the first of them judging by some of the worst-case predictions I have heard made by environmentalists.
It is clear for those who want to see, that judgments are happening and that we are in a position to escape them by getting right with Yahweh and listening to His voice so that we can be made physically safe too. Are you where you're supposed to be? Will you be ready when the really big disasters come? Will you get yourself spiritually prepared for the cities of refuge? Part of our teshuvah or repentance is preparing for these things.
May Yahweh bless you as you get your mind and heart focussed on getting right with our Elohim!
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