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.
A gas explosion ripped through a Russian lab storing deadly diseases like smallpox, anthrax, and Ebola. Gas cylinder explodes on the 5th floor.
Alexandra Ma. Business Insider•September 17, 2019
A research lab in Siberia that stores dangerous pathogens including smallpox, anthrax, and Ebola was hit by a gas explosion on Monday.
A gas cylinder exploded in a sanitary inspection room on the fifth floor of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology building in the city of Koltsovo. The lab — also known as Vector — confirmed the explosion in a statement.
The explosion led to a fire in an area of about 30 square meters (323 square feet), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the state-run Tass news agency reported.
The explosion appeared so severe that local authorities sent 13 fire engines, the state-run RT news channel reported. The fire was put out shortly after.
The room had been undergoing repair work and wasn’t being used at the time of the explosion, Vector said.
A construction worker was taken to a nearby hospital with third-degree burns, RFE/RL reported. He was in the intensive-care unit, Tass reported, citing the hospital.
Officials have opened a criminal investigation into lab authorities over the explosion, the Sib.fm news site reported.
There was no biohazardous material in the room at the time, Vector said. Other pathogens — like smallpox and Ebola — are stored elsewhere in the building, RFE/RL reported.
All the glass in the Vector building was broken, RFE/RL and Tass reported. The structure, however, was unharmed, Vector said.
Koltsovo’s mayor, Nikolai Krasnikov, said the explosion posed no biological or any other threat to the surrounding population, Tass reported.
Vector is one of only two places in the world authorized to store live specimens of the smallpox virus — the other is the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Vector, founded in 1974, is one of the biggest virus and bioresearch labs in Russia. It was previously used for Soviet bioweapons research, RFE/RL reported. It’s now used to develop vaccines for infectious diseases including swine flu, HIV, and Ebola, Tass said.