The waters in the Pacific are rapidly changing from their current La Niña condition to the warmer El Niño within a few short months.
The La Niña is a long, cold stretch of water that forms off the coast of South America, while the El Niño is a warm stretch of water that is expected to bring with it potentially catastrophic weather patterns.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “El Niño can affect our weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. With this shift, areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding.”
The change in weather pattern also brings with it staggering economic consequences for the countries that are hit the hardest by the transition.
According to the journal Science, the El Niño patterns of 1982-83 and 1997-98 had worldwide financial losses of $4.1 trillion and $5.7 trillion, respectively.
The current estimates for the developing weather pattern are expected to be in the range of $3 trillion over several years.
“There’s an economic legacy of El Niño in GDP [gross domestic product] growth,” says Christopher Callahan, an Earth system scientist at Dartmouth College. “That primarily occurs in the countries in the tropics that are strongly affected by El Niño. But this effect is quite large.”
So how are weather pattern changes linked with the decline of morality in the end times of the Earth?
Jesus prophesied what believers need to be on the lookout for when the “beginning of sorrows” occurs in Mark chapter 13.
The earth is subject to the Lord, and while these occurrences are not the coming tribulations the book of Revelation warns are coming, between the opening of the scrolls and pouring out of the bowls of judgement, the signs leading up to the Tribulation will also be filled with environmental upheaval.
The El Niño pattern is capable of causing severe drought in certain regions, leading to a loss of crops and potential famines. As the waters warm, the nutrients of the ocean that are brought up by the cooler El Niña are no longer raised from the depths leading to a potential loss of fish, which fishermen rely on for food and business.
Having the biblical literacy of when the end times do begin in their entirety is a necessity for believers to navigate such trying times, and put their faith in the One behind it all. There are clear cut instructions for Christians in the meantime. Continuing the Great Commission is a priority for every follower of Jesus, as is staying watchful for His return and being in prayer continuously.
Should disasters rise in the wake of the changing weather patterns, such as droughts, famines, floods, mudslides or any number of crises, Christians can prepare themselves and their ministries to be able to offer aid to those affected by these disasters.
As these occurrences will most likely increase as the world moves toward the end times of Revelation, the commands from the Word of God are clear:
- Be watchful (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Pet. 5:8; Mark 13:33)
- Be in constant prayer (Col. 4:2; Luke 21:36; Eph. 6:18)
- Be ready for the Lord’s return (Luke 12:40; 2 Pet. 3:10; Matt. 24:44).
Abiding the Word of God and spending time in its wisdom, constantly, will prepare and fortify believers in a world that is not only turning away from God but consciously removing Him from their presence.
James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
