In recent years, our planet has been suffering an increasing number of natural disasters: earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts , floods and a devastating tsunami. Some of these crises, though less dramatic, such as global warming and the consequent retreat of glaciers and Arctic ice cap, raised questions in many minds about its causes. Are these events result still poorly understood natural laws? Is the human abuse of the environment the real cause? believers of different religions also arise if these disasters are punishments sent by a wrathful deity. The Bible believers have reflected on the respective roles played by God and Satan as the protagonists of last instance in a cosmic drama. Will these calamities point towards a culminating event in human history?
In trying to understand what role God plays in natural disasters, we must avoid falling into the trap promoted by Satan, namely, that the disasters of the last days history from an insulted and angry God. Precisely this is how Satan has been painting since Eden God and before. However, according to the Bible, we are in the middle of the last hours of a cosmic conflict, the Great Conflict that has plagued the world since there was a "war in heaven o" (Revelation 12:7).
A look at Bible prophecy
In Revelation we read that towards the end of human history God through their angels will "holding the four winds of the earth so that no wind might blow on earth or the sea, nor on any Tree (7:1). Before the end of time, this land will have seen all kinds of woes afflicting the continent, the sea and vegetation. But we have not yet seen anything like what happens when the winds of destruction are completely freed from the holding capacity of the four angels who take their orders directly from God himself. 1
Why even stop the wind? God's people has not yet been completely sealed with the approval of the Lord "written on his forehead "(Revelation 14:1). The divine seal of approval will be placed on those who can adequately represent the world, tell the truth about God and testify of his power, that is, again, what Satan has been trying to prevent a very long time . Here are people who are now ready to stand firm amid the anxieties of the last days described in the closing verses of Revelation 6. And what about those winds? represent the evil work of Satan which are to be released from the restraining hand of God. All this can best be understood in light of the Great Conflict. It is the reproduction of the book of Job, but a colossal scale, fire falling from the sky and burn the sheep from Job and his servants, gangs of bandits who roam at will, a great wind of heaven that destroys a house and kills his sons (Job 1 and 2). Satan is incredibly evil! And it remains the same today as it was in days of Job.
Satan's role
The well-studied Satan's strategy has always been to confuse, deceive and destroy the peace of the world. It was "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). Why? To remove all hope and trust among the billions who live on earth that someone more powerful, accurate and fair rules over the universe But where is God? God, within the purposes of the Great Conflict, allows the final attack of deception and grief, not only about a man named Job, but now all over the planet. Job Everything finally came to know about what was behind the disasters that were suffering he and his family, including fire from heaven and a devastating wind-God let him know later. But until then, were times very bitter. Job learned only later that God had been challenged by Satan, who was angry because Job was blessed with a great family and abundant prosperity. Satan accused God of favoritism, that the reason Job was so faithful in his religious obedience was because God had placed a "fence" around and so he bought his obedience (Job 1:8-12, 2 :3-7).
And then appear amateur theologians who come to explain to Job why he had to experience these terrible disasters (Job 2:11-13). What we read in the following chapters the book are the various arguments that many people still used today to explain the terrible calamities. It is because Job is hiding terrible secrets of bad habits and God is punishing. Or because God only listens to the righteous and ignore others because it is a just God, or is so holy and righteous anger that download only against the wicked, or that Job is getting even less punishment than he deserves. We hear many echoes of the three "friends" of Job today on the Internet, in the mass media and in many pulpits. The apostle Paul clearly says Satan is "prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2) .2 It is a myth! is the great antagonist of God, who does everything he can to distract, demoralize and destroy men and women. And for reasons only God knows, will gradually remove the restraining power has been practicing so far on the murderous plans of Satan. 3
Jesus describes the future
Of course, this planet always had earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes (typhoons), and famines. Some of the worst known occurred long ago, causing much more damage than we have experienced in recent years, although today there are more people living in the same areas. During the last days of earthly ministry of Jesus asked his followers for signs of end times and his promised return. Among other indicators, Jesus said: "hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not alarmed, because you need all these things, but still not the end. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows " (Matthew 24:6-8).
In other words, the world will always be wars, earthquakes, plagues and disasters. But there are specific signs that he outlined in Matthew 24 and 25, such as the gospel preached in all the world, and then return (24:14). compared the last days of planet Earth with the last days before Noah entered the ark (24:37-39). illustrated his delayed return to the delay of a boyfriend appear in Wedding (25:5).
In reflecting on the disasters of recent years, we noticed a difference with the past. In a graphic picture, the increased frequency and intensity would be an exponential curve with an upward slope of the curve that rises rapidly in contrast to a projected increase would be expected as a straight line upward. Can anyone deny that hurricanes, floods, pestilence, bankruptcy, moral degradation, depletion of water sources, runaway energy consumption and similar situations are increasing with astonishing speed? 4 Most people live with a feeling that everything is disjointed with respect to the type of life that was even a few decades ago. There seems no way to turn back the clock. The escalator, is the rising or falling, seems to go faster and faster. And in all breeds a sense that we can not get out of that ladder, which increases when the news of recent disasters are issued by the global media and reach our computadoras.5
An Adventist perspective
For over 150 years the Seventh-day Adventists have been proclaiming to the world that human history is fast approaching its end, as predicted by God in Scripture. We are encouraged that millions of other Christians have also begun to focus their attention and hope in the soon coming of Jesus. In addition, there are now dozens of pages on the internet that are dedicated to the events of recent days. The book series and movie-selling "Left Behind" amplify the feeling that something awful is about to occur. However, due to our understanding of biblical prophecy, not believe that Christians will be rescued in a rapture (rapture) secret or that Israel is leading in the events of recent days. Nor do we expect an Armageddon where modern armies fight on the plain of Esdraelon.
The optimists are right: the world will not end in a whimper or a bang. world's nuclear powers do not incinerate the earth, nor do we suffocate in our own waste, we did not dry out in mass starvation. The pessimists also are right: even vaccines that can be stored for physical problems we face today, there is no vaccine to protect us from the moral tide of garbage that permeates everywhere in the modern life, especially in the "civilized" West. All satellite positioning and clean fuel cars will not quell the growing hatred that infects the communities and nations.
Conclusion
Understanding the precise interaction between human factors, natural and supernatural disasters occur that our world is experiencing rising is beyond human knowledge. For the believer in the Bible, however, some things are certain: Satan seeks to destroy as many people as you can with the means available. But ultimately truth will triumph and God and his faithful will finally vindicated. We live in the final days of earth history. Each day is precious and unique.
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is patient with us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will melt with fire, and earth and the works that are therein shall be burned. Since all these things shall be dissolved, what ought you to be in holy and pious way of life, waiting for and hastening the coming Day of God! " (2 Peter 3:9-12). Are you ready, am I ready?
Author: Herbert E. Douglass (Th.D., Pacific School of Theology) theologian and scholar Adventist key figure in the movement "Last Generation Theology." He was president of the Altantic Union College, an editor of the Herald Review; Preidente the Weimar Institute, vice president of Adventist Heritage Ministry: Amazing Facts consultant ... was one of the editors of Adventist Bible Commentary. He is the author of 24 books, including Messenger of the Lord, Pacific Press, 1998) and God at Risk (Amazing Facts, 2004).
References: 1. Angels are circling the world, rejecting Satan's claims to supremacy, which arises because of the large crowd of his supporters. We did not hear the voices of angels, nor see with natural light work of them, but their hands are linked around the world, and not sleep monitoring to keep at bay the armies of Satan until it is completed the sealing of the people of God "(SDA Bible Commentary on [Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Publ. Assoc., 1990] t. 7, p. 978). 2. "Satan is at work in the atmosphere of being poisoned, and we depend on God to protect our lives: our life now and eternal. And because we are in the position we are in, we need to be wide awake, fully committed, fully converted and fully devoted to God. But we seem to sit as if we were paralyzed. God of heaven, wake us up! "(Ellen White, Selected Messages ([Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1967], v. 2, p. 59). 3. " Satan also work by through the elements to harvest souls crowds still unprepared. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature and uses all his power to control the elements as far as God permits. ... Bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Now he is at work. Exercises its power in all places and in a thousand ways: in misfortunes and calamities of the land and sea, in great conflagrations, in the terrible terrible hurricanes and hail storms, in floods, cyclones, tidal waves in and earthquakes. Destroy the crops almost ripe and they follow the famine and distress spread through the air emissions mephitic and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are more and more and become more and more disastrous. The destruction will fall upon men and animals "(Ellen White, The Great Controversy [Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1977], pp. 646, 647). 4. "It has shown me that God's Spirit is being withdrawn from the earth. Soon be denied the protective power of God to all who continue to disregard His commandments. ... The evil is becoming so common a thing that it no longer shocks the senses as it once did "(Ellen White, Events of the last days [Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1992], p. 28). 5. "When God's restraining hand is removed, the destroyer begins his work" (ibid., p. 114) .
