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.
Ebola Outbreak In Congo Enters Year 2. Is An End In Sight?
August 1, 2019 NPR
“This is not a happy anniversary,” said Yap Boum, the regional representative for Epicentre Africa, the research arm of Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
On Aug. 1 of 2018, the World Health Organization confirmed four Ebola cases in the conflict-torn east Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the outbreak has slowly and steadily worsened. There have now been roughly 2,700 cases and more than 1,800 deaths from the disease, making this the second-largest Ebola outbreak after the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.
And health officials worry that the Congo outbreak is still far from over.
The challenges of containing it have been immense. The virus is spreading in a deeply impoverished part of the country that has been ravaged by various militias since the final days of the Mobutu Sese Seko dictatorship in the mid-1990s.
“It’s happening in a conflict zone,” said Boum, who’s based in Cameroon but has been traveling back and forth to Congo to work on this health crisis. “One of the pillars of Ebola response is community engagement. So if you cannot reach the community then your response is affected.”
According to Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa director, there have been 198 attacks on Ebola clinics and response teams over the past year, killing seven Ebola workers and injuring at least 58.
“This violence is a reminder that this outbreak is one with unprecedented challenges,” Moeti said.
Adding to the difficulties, Congo’s health minister resigned last week in a power struggle with the president. And this week a second Ebola case was confirmed in the bustling city of Goma on the border with Rwanda, raising fears of regional spread. That patient died a day after being diagnosed.
Amid all this, the World Health Organization is begging for more money from international donors.
In a call with reporters on Tuesday, Michael Ryan, head of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said that WHO has budgeted $350 million for its response for the rest of 2019.
“We received well short of $50 million to cover that,” he said. WHO is still talking with donors and hopes more contributions will come in soon. He didn’t elaborate on why the shortfall is so large but told the press, “You can characterize that donor response as you will.”
One encouraging sign is the slowing pace of new cases over the past few months. But from a historical perspective, the number is still incredibly high.
In the first seven months of the outbreak, health officials saw roughly 30 new cases each week.
Then, in March, the number started to rapidly increase. In one week in April, there were 126 new cases.
Now the tally has dropped to about 80 new Ebola admissions each week. In any other context, that figure would be considered high. Some outbreaks don’t even get to 80 cases in total.
But there have been some successes. This is the first time that a vaccine has been widely used to combat the spread of the virus.
More than 170,000 people have received that vaccine from Merck. There’s talk of deploying a second vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
And even though there’s still no licensed drug to treat Ebola itself, there’s a difference between this outbreak and past outbreaks. Several experimental treatments are now available to patients in Congo.
Officials with WHO say that despite the challenges, they’re making progress. Without the vaccine and the deployment of new therapies, the situation would be even worse, they say.
They also point out proudly that when a family, several of whom were sick with Ebola, crossed into Uganda, they were identified quickly. The virus didn’t spread to anyone else in Uganda.
But many public health officials remain anxious.
“I don’t mean to be overly alarmist, but I’m very concerned about the situation,” said Dr. Daniel Bausch, who has worked on Ebola research for more than two decades. Bausch now directs the United Kingdom’s Public Health Rapid Support Team, which has deployed experts to Congo since the early days of this outbreak.
“I think there’s still a risk of this being like the West Africa outbreak,” Bausch said. “Given the limited amount of vaccine that’s available and the really concerning epi curves [rise in cases] we’ve seen over the last few weeks, I think we should be prepared for a long outbreak that will still go on for many months or years.”
Pestilence
Disease
Death
Virus
Bacteria
Superbugs
Contagion
Epidemic
Pandemic
Spreading from one person to another
Perilous times have come
Pestilence spreading around the world
Pestilence in diverse places
Disease spreading around the world
Disease in diverse places
Disease increasing in frequency
Disease increasing in size
Disease increasing in strength
Disease increasing in duration
Increasing like the pains of a woman in labor