WORLD NEWS & PROPHECY
A World in Crisis:
What Lies Ahead? The year 2020 has been a time of upheaval throughout the world. As we wind down the calendar year, what should Beyond Today readers understand about what has happened and what it means for the future? by Darris McNeely
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or me, the year 2020 began with a Jan. 1 flight into Hong Kong. Tens of thousands of protestors were in the streets of the city that day continuing their monthslong protest against the Communist Chinese Party (CCP). Four days later our group flew back to the United States just as China was admitting to the world that a new virus strain called Covid-19 was loose in the city of Wuhan and posed a serious threat. It was an ominous start to what would become the most tumultuous year in recent history. As we approach the close of the year, it is a good moment to examine what has happened on the world scene to gain understanding of what it means in the larger context of Bible prophecy and God’s purpose in history. None of the events of the year happened in a vacuum, cut off from divine involvement. Many rightly wonder if we have moved closer to the time of Christ’s intervention in world affairs to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
Vision of the biblical prophet Habakkuk
Throughout the year I’ve been regularly reminded of a passage of prophetic scripture about God’s rule over the nations. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet has a vision of God standing among the nations in a moment of crisis, the nations shaken by events. He writes: “I see God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden. “Pestilence marches before him; plague follows close behind. When he stops, the earth shakes. When he looks, the nations tremble. He shatters the everlasting mountains and levels the eternal hills. He is the Eternal One!” (Habakkuk
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Beyond Today
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B Tm a g a z i n e . o r g
3:3-6, New Living Translation). This is a vision of God marching among the nations in judgment. It is as if He stands taking stock—measurement—of the events among the people of the earth. There is a stirring and trembling among the nations and, interestingly, pestilence and plague. Things that seem certain and unmovable—mountains and hills—are shattered and crumble. The scene is of disarray among the nations. God is judging in what appears to be a prelude to more events to come. This is a scene telling us God is ever-present, with nothing escaping His knowledge. He is the judge of all the earth. His purpose in history and prophecy progresses at His pace and according to His timing. The scene here is intended as a comfort for us, as we might “tremble” with uncertainty at the events of this year, wondering what lies ahead and hoping for a return to “normal,” whatever that might be. This is a scene to give us hope in a time of trouble. Let’s examine some of this “shaking” among the nations today. Covid-19 and its fallout
As I write this (in early September) we are seeing many nations emerge from the worldwide shutdown created in March in response to the threat of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of projected deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic. The world quickly shut down travel, business, sports, restaurants and entertainment to contain the virus. Within a month millions became unemployed. Nations mounted massive medical efforts to test, treat and deal with this new virus for which there was no known cure nor vaccine. Thankfully, actual deaths were far below projections and the world is gradually reopening.
