A World in Crisis: Jesus Said Redemption is Near

The Lord Jesus Christ was well-aware of the future events regarding the earth. It was Jesus that spoke of the future destruction of the Jewish Temple almost 40 years before it occurred in A.D. 70 (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). It was Jesus who gave the apostle John the revelation that bears the same name (Revelation 1:1).

The events in the world can cause stress, depression and fear and may leave many people wondering where it is all going – what will be the result?

The Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples there would be signs to indicate his return to the earth to establish God’s Kingdom. He will make Jerusalem the captial city from where he will reign as King (Isaiah 2:1-5). When Jesus returns he will ultimately destroy sin and death and righteousnes and peace will be the order of the day (1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Revelation 21:1-5).

In Luke 21, Jesus tells his disciples what the signs of his return to the earth are:

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

Jesus said there would be distress or anxiety among the nations. The current situation between nations has intensified, the climate situation is dire and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the fear and anixety. In fact, Jesus likens this time to the turbulence of the roaring and crashing of waves on the sea. The combination of these troubling events causes people to lose heart.

Consider the information from the following two articles:

BBC News, “A world in crisis even without the pandemic: Five looming problems” (May 14, 2020)

A renewed arms race between the US and Russia as the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires in February 2021.

Heightened tensions with Iran With the US withdrawal from the JCPOA agreement,

Iran is warning of “grave consequences” if the US succeeds in having the United Nations embargo renewed that prevents countries from selling various kinds of advanced weaponry to Iran.

Israel’s annexation bid in the West Bank? Prime Minister Netanyahu is proposing to annex areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which would essentiallyl make them a permanent part of Israel.

Brexit: It hasn’t gone away – Britain is set to leave the the E.U. on December 31st; however, the pandemic has caused an economic slump that was not anticipated when the deal was negotiated. What are the consequences for all parties involved?

Climate change: The really big one – The global pandemic begs the question of how the international mind-set has changed regarding addressing this most complex internaltional challenge.

Added to these great concerns with global implications, consider some of the global the effects of the COVD-19 pandemic from and article entitled,

World Economic Forum, “5 crisies that could worsen under COVID-19” (May 14, 2020)

  • The COVID-19 pandemic may increase the number of people battling acute hunger, the United Nations says.
  • Climate change policies are coming second as officials focus on fighting the virus.
  • Income losses for informal economy workers could be “massive”, according to the International Labour Organization.
  • The pandemic could result in 7 million unintended pregnancies, the UN warns.
  • Many mass vaccination campaigns are being temporarily suspended.

The impact of the coronavirus crisis might be extending further than you think.

It’s no longer just the human and economic costs of the pandemic sparking the concern of scientists and humanitarians – other crises are at risk of being neglected by policy-makers or unwittingly exacerbated by the outbreak.”

God, the Creator is in control and has revealed His plan of eternal life on this earth in the future. He has given this authority to His son, Jesus. Jesus, in turn, is providing us with the information that lets us know what to look for. Jesus said, “So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31)

Jesus said these events occurring in the world that are alarming and cause very strong negative reactions would be the conditions that exist before he returns to establish his Father’s eternal Kingdom on this earth.

Jesus requires that we believe in his Father, the promises He has made, and the salvation offered through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

For more information, contact us at: https://www.christadelphians.ns.ca/contact.

Photography by Dawn Armfield (pexels.com).

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