In the fourth part and the penultimate part of our series, let’s cast our spotlight on yet another dimension related to the ongoing Global crisis triggered by a Pandemic.
Clues and Contemplation…
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.” (Luke 21:11 ESV)
With the escalation of natural disasters and onset of this Global pandemic is not a clearer, bigger picture emerging? Are not all Christ’s Second Coming prophecies getting fulfilled right in front of our eyes? Are not all “clues” pointing to that grand event? Are not the natural calamities “warning shots” of the imminent terrible tribulation period so as to say, “Hey, if you are so shaken up with Global lockdowns of a few weeks, how then would you expect yourselves to endure horrific tribulation of longer duration when the Earth would come to resemble a mini-hell”? In the given circumstances, the wise would do everything in their power to avoid a repeat of a “Global pandemic”, right? Likewise, it would serve us well to set right our relationship with our Heavenly Father through Christ without any delay.
“For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again” (Matt 24:11 NLT)
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:1-2 NLT)
Did many scoffers of Biblical prophecies ever envisage in the past that one-day the whole wide World would be under a “lockdown” because of a global pandemic? Lo and behold…such a day has come to pass as proof that any Biblical prophecies are true especially as regards the Lord’s Second Coming (See Luke 21:11)!
Way back in Sept, 2012, in the predominantly eschatological message titled “Kreegah, Tarzan Bundalo” (please for a minute do not think I have lost my senses) inspired by the good Lord I had written…(I am reproducing the same below verbatim)
————————————————————————————————-
Says a WHO website
“Current epidemiological models project that a pandemic could result in two to 7.4 million deaths globally.
If an influenza pandemic were to occur today, we could expect the virus to spread rapidly due to the interconnected nature of the world and the high level of global travel.” (Source : http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/)
Wouldn’t it stun even a lay onlooker when the above WHO statement is compared with a Biblical Prophecy that reads thus:
“But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased” (Daniel 12:4 NLT) (The entire message may kindly be accessed by clicking…)
————————————————————————————————-
When we consider the fact that all Christ’s First Coming related prophecies were fulfilled like
a) His miraculous conception (Isaiah 7:14/Matt. 1:18/Luke 1:26-38)
b) Birth in Bethlehem (good 70 miles away from Nazareth) at a time his earthly parents were living in Nazareth (Micah 5:2/Matt. 2:1/Luke 2:1-7)
c) Triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (celebrated as Palm Sunday in Christendom –.Zechariah 9:9/Matt. 21:1/Luke 19:28-40)
d) Betrayal by an acquaintance (Psalm 41:9/Zechariah 11:12/Matt. 26:14-16/47-49/Luke 22:1-5/47-48)
e) Sufferings on the cross (Psalm 22:15/Matt. 27:35/Luke 23:33)
f) Resurrection (Psalm 16:10/49:15/Matt. 28:1-10/Luke 24:1-8)
g) Ascension (Psalm 69:18/Acts 1:9-11/Ephesians 4:7)
…Should we not firmly believe that all His Second Coming related Prophecies would also be fulfilled? Now consider this too…
In the book, Science Speaks, Professor Peter Stoner used “the Law of Compound Probability” to assess some of the prophecies relating to Christ. Simply stated, this law is used to calculate the odds against a “chance” fulfillment of such predictions when compounded by a specific set of conditions, requirements, or qualifications. His findings were carefully evaluated by the American Scientific Affiliation, and were found to be sound and convincing. By this method, he was able to show evidence that would rule out coincidence, chance or human manipulation in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
Stoner started by calculating the probability of one individual who could precisely fulfill only eight prophecies relating to Christ. He computed the odds at 1 in 10 (17th power), the same as 1 followed by 17 zeros. This is the equivalent of covering the entire state of Texas 2 feet deep in silver dollars, specially marking one of them, and instructing a blindfolded man to pick the right silver dollar on the first try!
Dr. Stoner then computed the odds of one individual that could fulfill just 48 prophecies relating to Christ. He calculated the odds at 1 X 10 (to the 157th power) — or 1 followed by 157 zeros. This figure is astronomical and beyond human comprehension, but Christ fulfilled over 300 distinct prophecies, written by different men of different professions (from a shepherd to a King) living at different times, over a time period of 1400 years, in three different languages from 2 continents! Oh Boy, the harmony of the Scriptures when it comes to pointing to the COMING SAVIOR and its eventual fulfillment (First Coming) is jaw-dropping!
Remember the Word (another name for Christ… See John 1:1) always keeps His word (See Matt. 24:35), so you can always take the Word at His word when He says:
“…Surely I am coming soon…” (Rev 22:20 NLT)
At this poignant moment in human history, all of us need to pose a contemplative, introspective question: “Am I alert to face my Lord, if He were to come today? And am I alerting others?”
A fore-taste of the tribulation period is already being experienced first-hand the World over.
While on the subject of “Quarantine”, while the good Lord ensured that Noah and his family lacked nothing inside the Ark, what about those Christians especially on the “provisions” front in these days of “Quarantine” and subsequent economic upheaval? Take heart…like the good Lord provided for Prophet Elijah in his “quarantine” period, He would for you and me too in this time of global crisis (See I Kings 17:1-9)!
Prayer: Father in the manner of great Saints of yore enable us to deeply depend upon Thee whilst tiding over this Global crisis, even as we are heralding the News of the imminent Rapture of the Church. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
Hyderabad-India
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “A Cure for a Virus Deadlier Than the Corona Virus” mini-series, please click here.)