Many people are worried about the climate. There is talk of the ‘greenhouse effect’, on account of the emission of noxious gases by cars and factories. The holes in the ozone layer are getting bigger and larger so that sunbathing is rapidly increasing the likelihood of skin cancer. The weather forecast which includes the expected growing intensity of the radiation of the sun shows one heat record after another. Even in ‘cool’ Holland the records have been broken in recent years. The warming of the planet, even by just a few degrees, causes the icecaps at the North and South Poles to melt, so that the water level of the oceans rises and low-countries such as The Netherlands are increasingly likely to suffer possible floods.
Are these just small ‘signs’, harbingers of what will soon happen when the fourth angel pours his ‘bowl’ out on the sun? If, under the ‘trumpets’, a nuclear war erupts or the earth is hit by several impacts by asteroids coming out of outer space – the climate will be seriously disturbed: with torrential downpours and hurricanes on the one hand, and great droughts and searing heat on the other, because a portion of our protective atmosphere will be destroyed Ordinary small people can do nothing when the forces of nature are unleashed, when the Lord shakes His Creation. Man is powerless, in spite of all his scientific, medical and technical achievements in the face of natural calamities. In 2020 the COVID-19 virus suddenly put the whole world into a ‘lockdown’ position with tens of thousands of casualities, and nobody could help it. Science and technology had not been able to prevent it. The inner state and attitude of the unbroken heart of that ‘last generation of mankind’ is becoming increasingly clear. Instead of falling on their knees and pleading with the Lord for mercy in mass repentance – like the great city of Nineveh did when Jonah preached judgment2 – mankind blasphemes God’s Name. There is no question of change of heart or repentance and conversion. There is the realisation and awareness that God has the power over these ‘plagues’, but humility and repentance? Never! They would rather die cursing than repent. When Nineveh repented, God was sorry for the evil He had threatened to do to them. And then it says: “He relented.”3 Full stop! At least for the time being. For later in history Nineveh was destroyed. This would theoretically also be within the realms of possibility at the end of the end times. God does postpone His judgment sometimes. God’s judgment did not strike Ahab when he repented but it did strike his descendants, who walked in the same evil ways.4 The Bible says in this verse: “but they refused to repent and glorify Him.” There was indeed the possibility of doing so. How terrible it is when people consciously reject the opportunity to repent, thereby choosing their own eternal damnation. It is still possible today to go to the Lord to be saved, fortunately.
• Will plagues, disasters, and ‘great tribulation’ bring people to repentance and accept Christ as Saviour?
• It is said that need and difficult times can teach people to pray. But it is also true that disasters, great needs, problems and difficult times can also teach people to curse. For example, “Where was God when I lost my dear wife, who died suffering tremendously from a terrible disease? And I prayed so much! I don’t believe in God anymore!” The Egyptians hardened their hearts during the ‘plagues’, and the people will harden their hearts during the end time judgments.
• This also brings question marks to the opinion of some, that Israel will be ‘converted’ as a result of the ‘great tribulation’. Anyone who has seen ‘Auschwitz’ seriously should question himself how much more ‘great tribulation’ Israel and the Jewish people would need to endure to bring them to repentance and accept Christ as Saviour. Yet, this is what some Christians are teaching about the ‘great tribulation’.
• Why does the Church expect ‘tribulation for Israel’ but not for the Church? Is there some Christian anti-Semitism here?
• One comes to faith in Christ by the love of God. Faith is God’s gift. Faith is by God’s grace. Faith comes by experiencing God’s love in Christ, not by means of ‘tribulation’.
Bible References:
1.NIV 2.Jonah 3 3.Jonah 3:10 4.1 Kings 21:25–29, cf. Genesis 18:16–33
