FULFILLED PROPHECY : THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS - 12
Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Org
Last Updated : July 23, 2006
More News Reports On Droughts, Famines And Droughts In The
Bible, True Cause Of War And Other Calamities, God's Hand Of
Judgment, Doubting God's Righteous Judgments, Deliverance Of
The Righteous, Our Dependence Upon The Word, Exposed By The
Word, The Lord Turns Away, Spiritual Famines Then And Now
Let us begin by sharing some additional news reports
regarding the many droughts which have recently, and which
continue to plague, different parts of the world, such as in
Africa, the United States of America and the Middle East:
----- Begin Quotes -----
U.S. Drought Worsens
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The drought in the Northeast and
Mid-Atlantic states is at a crisis point in some areas.
Water restrictions have been imposed, fish are dying and
crops are baking in the fields. Even Halloween is
threatened.
From Virginia to New England and westward to the Ohio
Valley, drought conditions that, in some areas, began years
ago have led to restrictions on water use, increased the
danger of fire and turned farmland into agriculture disaster
areas.
Maryland received a foot less rain than normal from July
1998 through June 1999, the driest one-year period for the
state since 1965-66.
Some 400 miles to the west, farmers in Ohio are feeling the
same pain. "The beans aren't even knee-high yet, and they
should be waist-high," lamented Ron Rockhold.
Fish are dying as water levels in lakes and streams dip
dangerously low æ
In Pennsylvania and Virginia, millions of fish are dying in
arid riverbeds and from excessive heat, which depletes
oxygen levels in water. In a tributary of Virginia's
Pocomoke River alone, about 1 million fish were found dead
last week.
The drought also has taken its toll on large cities such as
New York, where rainfall totals are 18 percent below normal.
In Central Park, like much of the region, the bushes have
wilted and the grass has turned to straw.
Drought alerts and warnings have been in place in New York
state for the past two weeks, along with Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.
Michael Wyllie, meteorologist at the National Weather
Service in Brookhaven, New York, said the drought on Long
Island is one step below "extreme."
In addition to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, there are
also drought conditions in other portions of the United
States:
* The water levels of all five Great Lakes are below
normal and Lakes Michigan and Huron are 17 inches below last
year's high.
* Rainfall for the past 30 days has been 50 percent below
normal from northern Nevada eastward into Idaho and northern
Utah westward into northern California.
* Alaska, which has had several months of below normal
rainfall, is on increased alert for fires.
* Hawaii has been suffering subnormal rainfalls since the
beginning of the year.
. . .
'Normal' Rain Won't End Drought
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The drought that's now the worst on
record for farmers in four Northeastern states -- and one of
the worst elsewhere in the country -- could continue through
the winter and lead to higher food prices, U.S. officials
said Friday.
"Throughout much of this country we have seen the worst
drought since the Dust Bowl days (of the 1930s)," said
Clinton.
"In Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island, this is
the worst drought for farmers ever recorded," the president
said, revealing information compiled by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
Four other states -- Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York
and West Virginia -- have experienced their second-driest
growing season, NOAA said.
In addition, April through July of this year ranks as the
second driest such period on record for the Northeast as a
whole. (The driest was in 1965.)
"Such a natural calamity can have devastating consequences,
not only for farmers, but for small businesses and
communities that depend upon a thriving agricultural
sector," Clinton said.
. . .
Researchers: Texas Drought Toll At Least $2.1 Billion
DALLAS (CNN) -- The devastating drought that has parched
Texas will leave a legacy of at least $2.1 billion in
estimated losses -- the largest agricultural hit since a
seven-year dry spell during the 1950s, state researchers
said Wednesday.
Cotton has suffered the most, with more than $700 million in
lost crops, officials said. Only 3.3 million acres of upland
cotton are expected to be harvested this year -- 40 percent
less than in 1997.
Droughts typically lead to higher produce prices, due to a
shortage of crops, but not this year.
With cattle prices down, farmers cope with the worst drought
in 40 years.
The cotton crop is being called one of the "worst ... ever"
in Texas.
"There have been other years when several weather-related
factors contributed to losses, but this year only one -- the
unrelenting, searing heat -- demolished the crop," said Carl
Anderson, an economist at the extension service.
The drought has put more than 14,000 Texans out of work --
from migrant workers to farmers -- and job losses continue
to climb.
. . .
Searing Drought Forcing Farmers Into Extinction
CARTER COUNTY, Oklahoma (CNN) -- Thousands of farmers are on
the brink of bankruptcy as months of searing heat combined
with no rain has left watering holes dried up, fields baked
and crops roasted.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman is scheduled to tour farm
areas in Oklahoma and Texas Tuesday as they continue to
suffer one of the worst droughts in recent memory.
In southern Oklahoma, where the earth is cracked from waves
of blistering heat, ranchers are having a hard time
remembering the last time it rained. Correspondent Charles
Zewe reports from these hard-hit areas.
. . .
U.S. Drought Aid For 6 States
WASHINGTON -- The federal government will provide emergency
drought assistance to farmers in six Mid-Atlantic states,
President Clinton announced Monday.
In West Virginia, alone, farmers are expected to have
drought losses surpassing $80 million. The state's
agriculture secretary says he expects 10 percent of the West
Virginia's 21,000 farmers to go out of business this year
because of the drought.
Gov. Cecil Underwood has already declared an agriculture
emergency for the state.
About 30 percent of the state's rural wells are dry and
aquifers are being rapidly depleted, said Gus Douglass, West
Virginia's agriculture secretary.
"We would need about 15 inches of rain to make up for the
loss, but the damage is already done. We could easily lose a
couple thousand farmers this year," Douglass said.
The drought started last fall, and officials are predicting
it will become one of the worst in state history.
. . .
Strange Brew:
Bringer Of Bounty And Famine, El Ni–o Keeps Experts Guessing
(CNN) -- The village of Pringluan nestles in the eroded
hills along the southern coast of Central Java, one of a
necklace of islands left without water as Indonesia's worst
drought in 50 years takes hold. For villagers it brings back
horrific memories of the last great drought in 1962, when
they survived on boiled barks and rats. They say all they
can do now is pray for rain. Across Indonesia, more than 250
people have died of famine or cholera blamed on lack of
clean water.
----- End Of Quotes -----
If we examine the Holy Bible closely, we discover that, like
the previous news reports, it too is literally filled with
occurrences of droughts and famines in the ancient lands of
the Middle East. Consider the following examples:
"And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down
into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in
the land." Genesis 12:10, KJV
"And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine
that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto
Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar."
Genesis 26:1, KJV
"And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as
Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all
the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of
Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread:
and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph;
what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the
face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses,
and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in
the land of Egypt." Genesis 41:54-56, KJV
"Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that
there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of
Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he,
and his wife, and his two sons." Ruth 1:1, KJV
"And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a
sore famine in Samaria." 1 Kings 18:2, KJV
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in
the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before
him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and
seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets."
2 Kings 4:38, KJV
"And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they
besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore
pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's
dung for five pieces of silver." 2 Kings 6:25, KJV
"And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine
prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people
of the land." 2 Kings 25:3, KJV
"And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the
famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for
the people of the land." Jeremiah 52:6, KJV
"Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible
famine." Lamentations 5:10, KJV
"But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in
the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years
and six months, when great famine was throughout all the
land;" Luke 4:25, KJV
"And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified
by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout
all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius
Caesar." Acts 11:28, KJV
As I mentioned a moment ago, in his modern way of thinking,
man views these disastrous events as natural occurrences
which result from normal scientific principles; however,
unlike men of science who have become hardened of heart and
spiritually dull of hearing, if we Christians delve deeper
into the Scriptures, we discover that the natural forces of
the Earth are governed and controlled by the very Hand of
the Lord Himself, and that He uses these forces to either
chastise or bless the people of the Earth, including His
very own children. The ancient Israelites were fully aware
of this fact, as can be seen by the following verses taken
from Moses' warning and King Solomon's prayer:
"Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived,
and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he
shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land
yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the
good land which the LORD giveth you." (Deuteronomy 11:16-17)
"When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they
have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place,
and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou
afflictest them: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the
sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou
teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give
rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for
an inheritance. If there be in the land famine, if there be
pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be
caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of
their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there
be; What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man,
or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the
plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward
this house: Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and
forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his
ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only,
knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) That they
may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which
thou gavest unto our fathers." 1 Kings 8:35-40, KJV
The children of Israel knew perfectly well that when they
were defeated by their enemies, or when drought, famine or
other plagues consumed them and their land, it was because
the Lord was sorely displeased with them, and He was dealing
with them because of their sins. The Lord was intervening
directly in their lives, by means of the forces which He had
ordained since the foundation of the world. Having clarified
this point, consider now the following examples where the
Lord tells them directly by way of His holy Prophets, that
He is indeed sending these things upon them:
"Then there was a famine in the days of David three years,
year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the
LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house,
because he slew the Gibeonites." 2 Samuel 21:1, KJV
"Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored
to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and
sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath
called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land
seven years." 2 Kings 8:1, KJV
"Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the
whole staff of bread." Psalms 105:16, KJV
"Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will
punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their
sons and their daughters shall die by famine:"
Jeremiah 11:22, KJV
"And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,
among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I
gave unto them and to their fathers." Jeremiah 24:10, KJV
"And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom
which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of
Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of
the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the
LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the
pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand."
Jeremiah 27:8, KJV
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them
the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make
them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine,
and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed
to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an
astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the
nations whither I have driven them:" Jeremiah 29:17-18, KJV
"Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye
feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and
the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after
you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it be
with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to
sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine,
and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or
escape from the evil that I will bring upon them."
Jeremiah 42:16-17, KJV
"A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and
with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and
a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I
will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will
draw out a sword after them." Ezekiel 5:12, KJV
"When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine,
which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send
to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and
will break your staff of bread:" Ezekiel 5:16, KJV
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp
with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations
of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by
the famine, and by the pestilence. He that is far off shall
die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the
sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by
the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them."
Ezekiel 6:11-12, KJV
Having now read all of this Scriptural evidence, as honest
Christians, the question we must each ask ourselves is this:
Does God continue to deal with the people of the Earth as He
did in times past, or are the calamities which are currently
occurring throughout the world only the result of natural,
scientific forces and causes, and man's inhumane treatment
of his fellow man? Naturally, my question is rhetorical in
nature, because the Scriptures once again provide a clear
answer for us:
"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed." Malachi 3:6, KJV
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Hebrews 13:8, KJV
From these verses, we can safely conclude then, that God's
Hand of Judgment does indeed remain active in the world
today, just as it has for the past six thousand years; and
that if different nations and peoples are now suffering from
droughts, famines, wars, diseases and other plagues, then it
must all be a part of the Lord's Divine Plan in some way. It
seems to me that either the Lord is punishing such people
due to their sins of unbelief and rebellion against Him by
embracing false religions, even though many of them have now
heard the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in some way, or else
perhaps He is allowing the rich and the powerful to fill up
their cup of iniquity by oppressing the poor for a time,
until the Lord chooses to intervene at His Coming. Perhaps
it is even a combination of both. As I point out in other
articles, one thing I do know with all certainty, is that we
cannot, and should not, doubt the Righteous Judgments of the
Lord, even if we do not understand them. As the Prophet
Isaiah, the Patriarch Job and the Apostle Paul were inspired
to write:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9, KJV
Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that
contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth
God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the LORD, and
said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will
lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will
not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. Then
answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and
declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment?
wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?"
Job 40:1-8, KJV
"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast
thou made me thus?" Romans 9:20, KJV
Sadly, this is precisely the ungodly attitude which has been
embraced by many people in the world today. They have become
so proud, and so vain in their imaginations, and so haughty,
that they either claim that God does not exist, or else they
judge Him harshly and question His ways. 'Well, if I was
God...' they say; or, 'If God is love, then why...'; or 'If
your God is so powerful...'; and on and on they go with
their foolish lies and false accusations. Such people would
be wise to take heed to the following wise counsel offered
almost three thousand years ago:
"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be
hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven,
and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."
Ecclesiastes 5:2, KJV
To continue with the previous thought, if certain nations
and peoples are currently suffering under the oppressive
hands of the wicked without just cause, the Bible makes it
very clear that in due season, if they are indeed righteous
in the Lord's eyes, God will indeed grant them relief. Due
to its length, I cannot possibly quote it here, but I highly
encourage you the reader to read Psalm thirty-seven. Jesus
Himself quoted from this Psalm when in Matthew chapter five
He said:
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5, KJV
While we have concentrated this section of our series on
physical famines, it is important that you realize that the
Bible also discusses another kind of famine; that is, a
spiritual famine. A spiritual famine results when people are
deprived of the Word of God which maintains their spiritual
health, stamina, vision and faith. To understand this
concept, please consider the following verses:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that
keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18, KJV
"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;
I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my
necessary food." Job 23:12, KJV
"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine
gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
Psalms 19:10, KJV
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God." Matthew 4:4, KJV
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God." Romans 10:17, KJV
The simple truth of the matter, is that as Christians, we
can no more do without the Word of God, than we can survive
without our daily meals. Once we alienate ourselves from the
Word of the Lord, we lose the vision, we lose our way, we
lose our spiritual strength, we lose our faith, we become
spiritually unclean, and if the situation continues for very
long, we may just end up losing the battle! As I explain in
such articles as 'Revelation's Babylon The Great Whore',
there was a time in ancient Israel when the leadership and
the people had become so backslidden in heart, that they
began to persecute and kill the Lord's Messengers, the
providers of His Word, because they simply did not want to
hear the truth of God's Word. As in the example of King
David and Nathan, the words of the Prophets exposed their
sins, and it cut them to the heart; just as we see in these
verses:
"If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had
sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin."
John 15:22, KJV
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart." Hebrews 4:12, KJV
"BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed thereto according to thy word." Psalms 119:9,
KJV
"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you." John 15:3, KJV
Because they rejected the Word of the Lord via His Prophets,
they were unclean in His sight. The situation got so bad,
that God finally told His Prophet, Amos, to tell the people
that He was going to withold His Word from them, because
they were no longer worthy of it. He also told the Prophet
Jeremiah to not even pray for the Israelites, because He
would not hear their prayers. In short, as I explain in such
articles as 'Beholding The Evil And The Good', God turned
His eyes away from seeing their suffering, and His ears away
from hearing their cries: Consider the following verses:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send
a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst
for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they
shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the
east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the
LORD, and shall not find it." Amos 8:11-12, KJV
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up
cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me:
for I will not hear thee." Jeremiah 7:16, KJV
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a
cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time
that they cry unto me for their trouble."
Jeremiah 11:14, KJV
"Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for
their good." Jeremiah 14:11, KJV
Biblical history seems to indicate that for a period of
several hundred years, following the return from Babylon,
until the coming of Jesus Christ, which thus began the New
Testament era, there was a period of silence. It is said
that a few of the Prophets may have continued to write under
pseudonyms, or pen names. It was during this period of the
Grecian and the early Roman rule, that the Pharisees, the
Sadducees and other legalistic groups became established in
the Jewish religion, and the Written Law was elevated above
the Oral Word of God via the Lord's Prophets. As I explain
elsewhere, this is why the Lord had so many verbal battles
with His enemies during His Earthly Ministry. They were
legalists who could not handle the freedom of the Spirit.
It is believed by some people, particularly by some of the
Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists, that the previous verses
from the writings of the Prophet Amos, may be an indication
of a similar great spiritual famine which will occur in our
current time, when the worldwide Church is suddenly, and
without warning, raptured out of the world; thus leaving a
spiritual void for the forces of darkness to fill through
the Beast, the False Prophet, the Antichrist, etc. While I
personally do not agree with the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
theory, I can agree that the world may be about to face a
spiritual famine of serious proportions as they are denied
the true Word of the Lord. In fact, as I point out in such
articles as 'In Defense Of The KJV' and 'Have You Read The
New Scriptures Yet?', it may be that this spiritual famine
has already begun, as the Word of God has been corrupted,
perverted, and in fact replaced by all of the many modern
translations of the Bible, which I refer to as the NCRAP
versions. These versions are robbed of Spirit, and they are
robbed of truth due to intentional manipulation.
If we add to this fact the many false shepherds, false
doctrines and false practices which have already invaded
organized religion, it definitely seems like a spiritual
famine has begun. One thing is for certain, the Bible does
speak of one final famine which will befall the mysterious
Babylon the Great Whore. Consider this verse:
"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and
mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with
fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
Revelation 18:8, KJV
As we continue this series in part thirteen, I will briefly
re-mention war and God's vessels of wrath. I will also talk
about man's wisdom versus the Power and Will of God, the
wicked heart of man, and the financial manipulation of the
Black Horse of the Apocalypse. The bulk of part thirteen
will be dedicated to the discussion of the many hurricanes,
typhoons, tropical cyclones, floods and tidal waves which
have plagued the world in recent years. I trust that you
will join me.
[ Click Me ] Go To Part Thirteen . . .