Blog note. Jesus indicated that ‘fearful sights’ (various natural disasters) would occur leading up to the time known as the Tribulation and Great Tribulation (a combined seven year period of great destruction on earth). Although these types of things have occurred in the past for centuries and thousands of years, they could be identified as the ‘season of the times’ due to the ferociousness of these events. They would be occurring in greater intensity, severity, frequency, size, duration, scope … just like the pains that a woman experiences in labor the farther along she is in the labor process. We are in the ‘season of the times’ that comes just before the seven (7) year Tribulation/Great Tribulation period
… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11).
… 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; (Luke 21:25)
… 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; (Luke 21:26)
… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)
Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains, growing in intensity, frequency, size and duration.

Parts of the Arctic are on fire. Scientists are concerned.

Morgan Hines. USA TODAY•July 23, 2019

It’s the opposite of hell freezing over: Satellite images are showing areas of the Arctic catching fire.

From eastern Siberia to Greenland to Alaska, wildfires are burning. While it isn’t uncommon for these areas to see wildfires, there is cause for concern now, Thomas Smith, an assistant professor in environmental geography at the London School of Economics, told USA TODAY. 

“The magnitude is unprecedented in the 16-year satellite record,” said Smith. “The fires appear to be further north than usual, and some appear to have ignited peat soils.”

What they’re looking for in the satellite images, Smith said, are hot spots across a very large area that can indicate peat fires. Peat fires – unlike regular forest fires, which last only an hour or so before moving on – last for days or months. The longevity of these fires is because peat burns down into the soil.

Pierre Markuse, an image processing expert, produced the images using raw data from different satellite systems including the American Landsat, Aqua and Terra satellites and the European Sentinel satellites from Copernicus.

“Some images are natural color images, pretty much like a normal photograph, others include infrared data to show hot spots and look through smoke,” Markuse told USA TODAY.

If what scientists were seeing from the satellite images were just regular bursts of flames, it wouldn’t be as concerning.

Peat fires smolder, like a cigarette might, for long periods of time. They ignited at the end of June, Smith said, and it appears that they’re still burning.

The reason it’s concerning is because of what the peat fires emit: greenhouse gases.

“The fires are burning through long-term carbon stores (peat soil) emitting greenhouse gases, which will further exacerbate greenhouse warming, leading to more fires,” Smith said.

Climate change is making wildfires in the Arctic far more likely to occur, Smith said.

Mark Parrington, a senior scientist in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, agreed.

“We know the Arctic has been warming at about twice the rate of the global average,” Parrington told USA TODAY. “What this means is that, following ignition, the environmental conditions have been ideal for the fires to grow and continue.”

The emissions resulting from peat fires, Smith said, are massive.

“These are some of the biggest fires on the planet, with a few appearing to be larger than 100,000 hectares (380 square miles),” Smith said. “The amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitted from Arctic Circle fires in June 2019 is larger than all of the CO2 released from Arctic Circle fires in the same month from 2010 through to 2018 put together.”

But assessing the actual damage that the fires and their emissions are causing is difficult, according to Parrington.

While Smith said that the fires are too remote right now for people to worry about health impacts, the smoke from the fires could travel between continents and affect air quality in places far away from the source, according to Parrington.

In terms of stopping the fires, there really isn’t much that can be done, Smith said. Some firefighters are responding in Alaska since the fires are are further south, he said, but in the Siberian Arctic, only rain can put out the fires.