[Seventh in a series of posts on Last Things]
Encore Post:
Before the world comes to an end, Jesus told his disciples that there would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences. Fearful things and strange signs would appear in the heavens. (Luke 21:11, Matthew 24:7) As with wars and rumors of wars, these signs aren’t of much help in predicting the Second Coming of Christ. After all, disaster is part of the curse that Adam and Eve received for committing the first sin. St. Paul describes creation as subject to futility, groaning like a woman in childbirth. (Romans 8:20-22) Jesus uses the same image for these very signs: “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8)
Pastor Hans Fiene observes that, because of the fall, creation is cursed and has been turned from harmony with us to hostility toward us. The world that once gladly yielded its fruits now resists us with disease, floods, famine, fire, storms, drought, and every kind of disaster. To survive, human beings must exercise dominion over it.
These signs were present from the very day Jesus predicted they would be. Even as Jesus died on the cross, an earthquake struck the Holy Land and the sun went dark during midday. Famine struck during the dark days of the AD 60s and 70s. Throughout the millennia that followed, natural disasters have destroyed countless lives.
Many Christians have concluded that these events will become more and more frequent as we get closer to the Second Advent. Perhaps. The problem is that we will never know for sure whether such events indicate Christ’s return in our generation. The key to understanding what these events tell us is to realize that they describe the whole age from the Ascension to the Second Coming. They are not like the prophecy of the Virgin Birth, the town of Bethlehem, or the precision of Psalm 22 describing the crucifixion.
Instead, they are signs of a creation in labor. Just as labor pains remind a mother that the child is coming, so earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and disasters remind us that this present creation is passing away and that a new creation is coming. Every earthquake, famine, pestilence, and disaster reminds us that this creation is fallen and that our hope cannot finally rest in this world. The groaning of creation points forward to the day when Christ will make all things new.
These signs remind us that the world is cursed and will one day fail. They keep us from becoming too comfortable in our sin and warn us to repent and cling to Christ. For the same Lord who foretold these birth pains also promised the new heavens and the new earth that will follow them.
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
©2019-2026 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@msn.com
