Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The earth is currently engulfed in turmoil and great perplexity, and according to the Bible it’s scheduled to accelerate greatly, as the second coming of Jesus approaches nearer each day.
This fact should not be a downer nor should it cause undue stress, for even though we are all concerned about the rapidity of final movements, we shouldn’t be consumed by them for they have been written so we can cherish a lively hope of Christ’s soon return.
The secular mind is increasingly perplexed as to how quickly things have snowballed into an avalanche by which norms folks have become accustomed to over the years, are being upended almost daily.
It hearkens back to a solemn statement of import in the prophetic writings where the servant of the Lord tells us that final movements will be rapid ones. This means that as we approach crunch time, there will be some strange developments that will baffle your mind, as to how on earth, such and such could take place in such a short period of time.
Here is the statement we are referring to, and it is the will of God that we pay close attention, because He bids us believe His prophets, so shall we prosper. As we read, let us be honest with ourselves, and ask this question: Is she peaking of some future time, or is she speaking of current events. Let’s read:
[Testimonies Vol. 9 pp 11] The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.
The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the near future. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children.
The enemy has succeeded in perverting justice and in filling men’s hearts with the desire for selfish gain. “Justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” Isaiah 59:14.
In the great cities there are multitudes living in poverty and wretchedness, well-nigh destitute of food, shelter, and clothing; while in the same cities are those who have more than heart could wish.
The cries of starving humanity are coming up before God, while by every species of oppression and extortion men are piling up colossal fortunes.
This is the reason why The God of heaven sounds an alarm saying to earth’s inhabitants that even though you might prefer not to hear this it’s not business as usual anymore, because tectonic shifts are occurring beneath our feet, even as we speak. It is not meant to scare you; it is intended as a wakeup call so that we can live in readiness. Let’s read:
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord comes, for it is nigh at hand.
As was spoken before in a previous Bible study, God teaches us by repetition, so if you were to see him repeating Himself through His prophets, it’s not that He is stammering, it’s because He is trying to reach us with some critically important information. Thus, He stipulates that His word must be studied through a process of repetition. Let’s read:
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
Therefore, as persons seek a clearer understanding of why the earth is in turmoil at such a time as this, and as individuals seek direction with what they will need to do, we will need to use the Biblical process of repetition, or, stacking those relevant passages of Scripture one on top of the other, so that a clear-cut picture can emerge.
We begin with the following passages which tell us that not only will the day of the Lord come at a time when most people are not looking for it, but it would be preceded by birth pangs of a catastrophic nature, which will only increase with frequency and intensity, as the great day approaches. Let’s read:
1st Thessalonians 5: 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
The Cleveland Clinic on Labor pains:
If you’re in labor, your contractions:
[1] Get stronger or more intense over time.
[2] Occur more frequently or closer together.
[3] Last between 40 and 60 seconds each time.
[4] Cause pain across your entire abdomen, sometimes radiating to your lower back and legs.
[5] Become so intense you cannot walk or talk during one.
Therefore, one of the parameters by which last day events can be measured is the increasing intensity and frequency of weather-related events. In other words, as the various storms are brewing in political and religious circles, there will also be a noticeable uptick in actual storms and unnatural occurrences in earth, sea and sky. Let’s read:
Isaiah 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
These two passages taken together, in the context of the former one that we read in 1st Thessalonians 5, verse 2, tell us with certainty that there is going to be a dramatic increase in storms, both in severity and frequency, as the coming of Jesus looms large on the horizon.
The prophecy in Luke 21:25, which speaks of the sea and the waves roaring, is a direct reference to storm surge, tsunamis, and king tides, which are increasing in severity and intensity. Thus, all these occurrences are just symptoms of the deeper problem of a world in turmoil.
But the Scripture tells us that we should search out the truth diligently, as did the Bereans in Paul’s day to see whether those things are so. The following is a chart of all category 5 hurricanes which occurred in the Atlantic basin since 1924 to the present time.
As you study the chart, observe how the frequency is increasing, just as the labor pains spoken of in the 1st book of Thessalonians clearly states. The chart is taken from The Weather Channel, a reliable source nationwide, for information on storms, and weather related events. Let’s read:
The truth is the truth, because if you have 24 cat 5 hurricanes over a 74-year period from 1924 to 1998, but then you have 20 cat 5 hurricanes over a period of only 22 years, that sounds a lot like labor pains to me, since the contractions seem to be coming more intense and more frequently.
Indeed, whenever you have 20 of the most powerful hurricanes occurring in the last twenty-two years, it means that we must give the prophecies pointing to final events a second look. As we were studying the chart, God kept saying to us to study it more closely, study it more closely.
So, we did, but nothing out of the ordinary popped up, apart from the fact that there is an undeniable uptick in frequency and ferocity. But as we studied the chart more closely, something popped up on the radar, for which we do not have any explanation.
It was observed that for some unknown reason, as the cat 5 hurricanes were increasing in frequency and intensity, (Hurricane Wilma in 2005 was the strongest on record) the years between 2008 and 2015 had no recorded cat 5 hurricanes.
This significantly raised our eyebrows, for the cat fives were increasing in frequency from 2003 to 2007, and then for 8 years, there were none. That got us thinking as to what could have happened in 2008 to 2015 that could have been a factor for the sudden drop off of the cat fives.
We have not a clue, but the facts are the facts, the cat fives stopped for some unknown reason in 2008 and resumed their onward march in 2016, an 8-year span. We have not a clue, just an observation. This leads us to the Bible study, of “Why The Earth Is in Turmoil”.
As was stated before, God teaches by repetition and He bids us to study His word the very same way, by stacking line upon line and precept upon precept so as to get a clearer picture of what He is saying.
In several places in the Bible, the number 6 is often followed by the number 7, and apparently this isn’t for chronological reasons only, because it seems to be something deliberate with a specific purpose.
Thus, as we study, we will observe a definite pattern emerging, as 6 follows 7 over and over again and we will investigate whether that pattern has anything to do with why planet earth is currently embroiled in turmoil. Here we go:
Genesis 1: 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 2: 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Exodus 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Exodus 16:29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exodus 20: 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Exodus 24:16 And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Exodus 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
Exodus 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
Leviticus 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
Deuteronomy 5:13 Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work.
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Deuteronomy 16:8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war and go round about the city once. Thus, shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so, they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
We are seeing a definite pattern emerging, because ever so often, we are seeing the number 6 followed by the number 7, over and over again. We see six days, and then the 7th day, being repeated in that specific order and it’s occurring too many times for it to be a coincidence.
Now, if the pattern had merely stopped with 6 and 7 days, we would safely conclude that yes, God wants us to remember the seventh day Sabbath, and that is a correct conclusion. However, the 6/7 pattern is also observed in years. Let’s read:
Exodus 21:2 If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
Exodus 23:10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof.
11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive yard.
Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Deuteronomy 15:12 And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
And we can go on and on and on, however, we must of necessity address the age of the earth, for it has a direct bearing on why the planet is embroiled much turmoil and unrest.
Evolution teaches that this earth is billions of years old, but when you study the Bible carefully, there is absolutely nothing therein to even vaguely suggest that our planet is more than a few thousand years old. The Scriptures mention nothing close to a million let alone billions of years.
The sacred history teaches us that from Adam to the flood, and then from the flood to Christ was roughly about 4000 years, give or take a few years. And then from Christ to the here and now is about 2000 years give or take a few years. No one can say exactly how many years, because we are not given any beginning date of Creation.
However, this we do know with certainty, that the 2300 day/ year prophecy of Daniel spans the B.C. and A.D periods, and therefore, the earth cannot be anywhere close to a million years. So, let us go back to that passage in Leviticus, and study line upon line as God instructs us to. Let’s read:
Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, when you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
When God created the earth, He established the Sabbath day as a memorial of His creation, and even though after Adam’s transgression, men trampled upon the sacred day, the cycle of 6/7 continued like clockwork. Just because men disregarded the sacred day, it doesn’t mean that the Sabbath loses any iota of its sacredness.
Therefore, the cycle of 6/7 continued to run its own course, entirely independent of man. So, if the earth is approximately 6000 years old, it means that it is due for a sabbatical rest of 1000 years, in order to complete the cycle of 6/7.
Could it then be a coincidence that in Revelation 20, we see the earth at rest for 1000 years. It cannot be a coincidence, because God is a God of order. Thus, the following information is given so that we could know where we are in the stream of time. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.
Obviously, the 1000 years of sabbatical rest which is due, begins at the time of the resurrection. Thus, if Christ’s 2nd coming is the beginning point for 1000 years of earth’s rest, it means that 6000 years would have previously elapsed, because as we observed earlier, 6 follows 7 like clockwork.
That this interpretation is correct, and the only one that is certified in the Bible, can be clearly observed when we study line upon line, precept upon precept and here a little, there a little. Thus, we are about to stack texts one upon the other to confirm the truth in the matter. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Genesis 1: 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Jeremiah 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Question: Why didn’t Jeremiah see any man?
Answer: Because there was no man. The righteous have been taken to heaven and the rest of people have been destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming, thus, there is no man left on the earth as the 1000 years of sabbatical rest begins to run its course. Let’s read:
1st Thessalonians 4: 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord.
That accounts for the righteous dead and the living, but what about those who will not be saved when Christ returns. According to the Scriptures, they will remain very dead during the one thousand years of sabbatical rest. Let’s read:
Revelation 20: 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Jeremiah 4:26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the Lord said, the whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
[D.A pp 413] For six thousand years, faith has built upon Christ. For six thousand years the floods and tempests of satanic wrath have beaten upon the Rock of our salvation; but it stands unmoved.
[G.C pp 659>660] For six thousand years, Satan’s work of rebellion has “made the earth to tremble.” He has “made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof.”
And “he opened not the house of his prisoners.” For six thousand years his prison-house has received God’s people, and he would have held them captive forever, but Christ has broken his bonds, and set the prisoners free. For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth, to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God.
Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other worlds, to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen. It is in this sense that he is bound; there are none remaining, upon whom he can exercise his power.
So, lets go back up to where we first started, and let us answer that question once and for all:
Question: Why the earth is in turmoil?
Answer: It is in turmoil because the first part of the 6/7 cycle has almost run its course, and we are now looking at the soon commencement of the second part, which will be 1000 years of sabbatical rest.
This, together with the proliferation of sin, iniquity, and transgression, is what is now causing the birth pangs we spoke of earlier. This is the reason why turmoil and adversity, including destructive weather related events are increasing with frequency, and intensity.
It is global sinning, and global warming combining that’s producing that undeniable uptick in incidents. In particular, those two sacred institutions that were given to the human family in Eden, namely marriage and the 7th day Sabbath have been for the most part thrown out by popular majorities.
And according to the scripture the mark of the beast will put the final nail in the coffin when a counterfeit day of rest is instituted across the land, usurping the Day God has blessed. Whenever we cross that final threshold, the forces of earth, wind and fire will be let loose, and they will make recent hurricanes look like a breeze. Let’s read:
Isaiah 24: 4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate, therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
[Last Day Events pp 134] When Protestant churches shall unite with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced by the combined authority of church and state. There will be a national apostasy, which will end only in national ruin.
Therefore, the first angel’s message of Revelation 14 cannot be any coincidence for it refers us directly to the same 6/7 pattern we studied earlier. In fact, the last segment of that message is lifted directly from the 4th commandment so that persons may put their finger on the issue. Let’s read:
Revelation 14: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The question we need to answer individually is how can we position ourselves intelligently, knowing that these things would come to pass? The answer is as clear and simple as it gets, for our only safety is to be found in Christ, so that by His grace, we can live in harmony with the laws of His kingdom.
The Christian world generally has no problem with Jesus being the Redeemer, but in His capacity as the Creator, most have come up short. That’s why there is no direct mention of Calvary in the three angel’s messages, because Calvary is not the problem, it’s the 7th day Sabbath that God is calling our attention to.
When we sincerely accept Jesus as Lord, and Savior of our lives, we enter into a covenant relationship with Him, which includes Him writing His law in our hearts while at the same time Christ’s righteousness and grace covers us.
The Christian world has for the most part accepted the grace aspect, but the law part is noticeably and generally missing. We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will show us all what needs to be done. Let’s read:
Hebrews 8: 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
God Bless!