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.

Marine heatwave hits Pacific, raising fears of a new hot ‘blob.’ The impact has mostly been limited to the upper 50 meters of the ocean. What do we know about the number Five (5)? 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than usual. 5 days in a row.

Phenomenon could be as damaging as ‘the blob’ that caused algae blooms and killed sea lions several years ago

The Guardian. September 8, 2019

The ocean off the western coast of North America is five degrees Fahrenheit hotter than usual after warming at an unusually rapid rate, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).

It has been dubbed the “north-east Pacific marine heatwave of 2019”.

Marine heatwaves are defined as oceanic events in which the surface temperature of the water is warmer than 90% of past measurements for at least five days in a row. The current heatwave is the second-largest since scientists started tracking the phenomenon in 1981, Noaa reported on Friday.

If the abnormal patch does not dissipate soon, it could become as destructive as the so-called “blob” of warm water in the same area that, in 2014-2016, created toxic algae blooms, killed sea lions and endangered whales by forcing them to forage closer to shore.

Oceanographers started to notice something strange back in June in a triangle-shaped mass of ocean stretching from Alaska to Hawaii to southern California. The direct cause of the heat is weak winds, though these conditions do not usually persist for months at a time as they have done this year. Warm water has also lingered from the previous extreme heat event.

“It went from a little bit warmer than average to about as warm as we’ve ever seen it, in just three months,” said Nate Mantua, a research scientist at Noaa’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, California.

“It’s not clear to me that there’s a simple link between persistence of this weather pattern and longer-term climate change,” Mantua added. “There might be. It’s still an evolving field and there are a lot of open questions.”

The oceans have absorbed about 90% of excess heat linked to the climate crisis. “That’s played out over many decades now, and it’s a slow process compared with this event, which has happened in just three months,” Mantua said.

It is also not known if there have been major impacts on marine life, mostly because researchers have relatively little monitoring equipment in the 4m square miles of ocean affected. Oceanographers are starting to see subtle effects in the distribution of some species, Mantua said, such as tuna that are hanging out closer to the coast to avoid the warmer waters.

The impact has mostly been limited to the upper 50 meters of the ocean. “If it persists for one to two years, then warming will penetrate to deeper depths,” Mantua said.