May 4, 2009
Plague: The Third Major Birth Pang of 2009
For the first time in four decades, the world is dealing with the threat of an influenza pandemic. The swine flu virus seems to have started in Mexico and has now spread to dozens of other nations.
A pandemic is an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a large proportion of the human population. In such cases, almost no one has natural immunity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised its six-tier alert to 5, the second-highest. It has confirmed over 200 cases in nine countries, and hundreds of people are being tested for the virus from Australia to New York.
“It is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic,” Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said at a news conference in Geneva. “The biggest question right now is this: How severe will the pandemic be? All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic plans.”
The last pandemic was the 1968-1969 Hong Kong flu. It killed around 1 million people and was mild compared with the global outbreak of the 1918 Spanish flu, which may have killed as many as 50 million.
In a normal year, the flu virus will cause between 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. The people who die of the disease are typically the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. What is troubling about this variant of the swine flu virus is that many of the deaths in Mexico have been young adults in the prime of their lives.
Even though the virus has been given the term "swine flu," it is not spread by hogs. Egypt made the foolish decision to slaughter its pig population of roughly 300,000 based purely on the name of the virus. To help clear things up, the WHO came up with this rather forgettable new name: “Influenza A virus subtype H1N1.” I have a suggestion--how about Mexican flu?
We will probably have to wait several months to find out if this virus will turn into a classic pandemic. Right now, it is occurring when progression of the flu virus is hampered by school being out for summer and people being less confined by winter weather.
Jesus warned that plagues would be a sign of the end times. They are part of the birth pangs that might seem general taken alone, but when factored together, give a clear indication of how close we are to the Lord’s return.
“There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places” (Luke 21:11).
I’ve been watching for the outbreak of a deadly virus for nearly 20 years. Every now and then, we have seen some horrible virus emerge from the jungles of Africa or South America—a virus that has killed a few people and then just vanished. Ebola is one such candidate. The people who caught this nasty bug had their internal organs nearly liquefied.
I believe the reason we have not seen a major pandemic is because of the protective hand of God. As we get closer to the tribulation hour, the Lord is allowing more judgments to be manifested.
AIDS is good example of the stepped-up nature of judgment. At first, people thought anyone could catch the disease, but we eventually learned that AIDS is almost exclusively spread by some form of sin. We are now faced with a virus that anyone can catch.
Plague is actually the second-to-last end-time indicator to be fully active. If swine flu turns into a full-blown pandemic, “supernatural events” would be the last remaining indicator that is showing low activity. I’m not totally sure we will see--on this side of the rapture--the type of supernatural events the Bible says will be performed by the false prophet and the Antichrist.
I think it is very remarkable that this year is only four months old and I’m now reporting on the third major prophetic warning sign. I had previously talked about the global economic meltdown and record levels of violent crime. Because we are told that the last days will advance at an exponential rate, I suspect there will probably be a fourth or fifth end-time component in our near future.
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
-- Todd
In High Places
I read an international political thriller many years ago by Arthur Hailey called In High Places. It involved, as I recall, a fictional account of the intrigues of power at the very highest levels of the Canadian government.
I thought at the time about how strikingly appropriate that title was for the ne’er-do-well doings that the protagonist and cronies were attempting to perpetrate upon the good citizens of Canada during the time frame of the novel. In High Places was a perfect title, I thought. Hailey took the title from the ultimate nefarious activities that the Apostle Paul warns are constantly taking place in unseen dimensions and darkened enclaves of this fallen sphere called Planet Earth: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
At the apex of those wicked dealings in high places is the grand deceiver, Lucifer the fallen one, as described in the Apostle Peter’s warning: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
One senses, if spiritually attuned to God’s Word about the last days, that indeed this generation is well into a battle with wickedness in high places. Satan is stalking about the halls and chambers of power of this and every other nation, seeking to formulate a dynamic that will force humanity into the abyss. America, it seems, is at present on the fast track to that nether region reserved for any people who choose to do what is right in their own eyes rather than stay within God’s righteousness.
Luciferian influences were on display in the U.S. House of Representatives the past week when the House voted 249-175 to grant special rights to those who choose to practice homosexuality, an activity God’s Word, the Bible, condemns as an abominable sin. The U.S. government thus took a tragic step toward the abyss, with the nation in tow. The powers that be in the high places of this once-great country expressed, even if unwittingly, the desire to consort with the powers and principalities–the wickedness—in those high places.
Through ignorance and/or willful disregard for the Creator whose law declares that sexual activity for humankind must be within God-ordained marriage between one woman and one man, for life, a major portion of the people’s representatives slapped the Lord of heaven–and the vast majority of America’s citizenry—in the face with a politically correct act of rebellion.
The action brings to mind an American founding father’s remark about what had just been accomplished. Benjamin Franklin was said to have commented to a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence upon the founding fathers having completed work on the United States constitution: “Well, we have given the people their republic–if they can keep it.”
Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. of the High Impact Leadership Coalition condemned the House of Representatives action, issuing a warning about the nation's future:
“Jackson said the action puts ‘sexual orientation’ in a specially protected class under federal law. ‘Based on history, it really isn't something that needs to be protected,’ he said. ‘There's a problem that this is going to mark the first time that a protected class status is given to … whatever sexual orientation one has.’ He said the experience in other countries has led to prosecution of Christians. In Sweden, for example, a minister was sentenced to 30 days in jail for preaching from Leviticus…” (“House agrees to 'muzzle pastors' with 'hate crimes' plan,” WND, 4/30/09).
Good readers, we are about to, as Benjamin Franklin seemed to fear, lose this God-blessed republic if the Lord does not again intervene in the affairs of men as He did when bestowing His goodness on this nation. Alexis de Tocqueville said that America is great because America is good and that if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease being great. America is no longer “good” when her citizenry fails to hold to account their representatives who go so far contrary to God’s will as to make law that approves that which He calls “abominable sin.”
The Antichrist spirit is alive and thriving today in the sin-darkened high places of America and other nations. Humanistic government will bring mankind to Armageddon. Jesus Christ is the only “good” there is. The King of kings and Lord of lords--who sits in the highest of places--will save man from extinction (Matt. 24: 21-22).
--Terry
