Natural Disasters

A 2011 survey revealed that almost 40 percent of Americans agree or mostly agree that natural disasters are a sign from God.* While it is important not to read too much into a cold winter or a destructive hurricane, one publication described the weather several years ago by saying, “It was a disaster.”† The country had just been through the deadliest tornado season on record. Weather events that year cost the country $52 billion. A once-in-five-hundred-year flood had inundated the Mississippi River Valley.‡ Does this mean Jesus is coming back soon? Yes, it does.

But we have to be extremely careful how we allow natural disasters to inform our theology. It is impossible to know how much time remains before the return of Jesus, and it is important to resist the temptation to speculate.

Unlike mileage signs that tell us how far we are from our destination, the signs of Jesus’ coming are more like the highway markers informing us which road we are on. Other than knowing we are close and getting closer to the return of Jesus, it isn’t possible to know exactly when He will return. However, we can know we are on the right road, and the signs we see in the world today tell us that we are definitely journeying rapidly in the direction of the return of Jesus. Social, environmental, religious, and political developments alert us that time is short. While we are encouraged that we can expect to see Jesus return soon, we are prompted to do all we can to reach as many as possible with the saving good news. One day the last sermon will have been preached.

The last Bible study will have been given.

There is no need to speculate as to how much time we have, but we can know that Jesus is coming back soon.