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, duration and scope.

Europe’s first ever native Zika cases should be a ‘wake-up call’ for the continent. 2,500 (5z5) cases in the past five (5) years were brought in from other countries. “We now have a new exotic disease in Europe.”

The Telegraph. November 5, 2019

The Zika virus has been picked up for the first time in Europe, in what an expert has branded a “wake-up call” for the continent. 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has confirmed that three cases found in August in the French Riviera town of Hyères were transmitted locally, rather than being brought home by travellers. 

Although around 2,500 cases of Zika have been detected in Europe since 2015 – when the outbreak in South America took off – all these infections were picked up and brought back by tourists visiting other continents. 

But the three new cases were acquired locally – people in France were bitten by Asian tiger mosquitoes infected with the virus. 

“It’s one thing for travellers to come back to a country with a disease, that happens all the time,” Professor James Logan, head of the department of disease control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Telegraph.

“It’s another thing completely when a disease is transmitted locally as it demonstrates capacity. We now have a new exotic disease in Europe,” he said. “In many ways this is a bit of a wake up call for the continent.

Prof Logan added that it is likely that there were more Zika infections in France in the summer which were not detected. 

“A lot of people can have Zika without any symptoms, [so] you’re not going to catch every case,” he said. “The fact that there have been three suggests there have been more, but we might never know the true extent.” 

Zika is generally a mild virus, causing a fever, rash or headache – although most people infected will never develop symptoms. 

But the disease is dangerous for pregnant women because it can lead to premature births, miscarriages and birth defects – including microcephaly, which affected some 2,000 children in Brazil. There is also an increased risk of neurological complications, including Guillain-Barré syndrome. 

The presence of the disease in Europe is not entirely surprising, as the Asian tiger mosquito (or Aedes albopictus) has gained a stronghold in much of the continent.

“This species has spread throughout most of Europe now,” Prof Logan said. “It has invaded new countries and become established due to increasing temperatures and climate change making conditions more favourable for them to breed. Increased travel has also played a role.” 

In March, the UK’s Department of Health warned that warming temperatures could bring diseases including Zika and malaria to Britain. And global health experts have urged countries to prepare for climate change to bring infectious diseases into new regions. 

Already in 2019, concerns seem to have been validated – severe dengue outbreaks have spread across the globe, tick-borne encephalitis has been identified in the UK and now locally-acquired Zika has been found in France.

But Prof Logan warned that the UK and Europe are not doing enough to prepare for the introduction of new threats – echoing a report in September which warned that the world is unprepared for new disease outbreaks. 

“I think Europe and UK not particularly good at doing active surveillance on this sort of thing – we need more investment in systems and processes and people on the ground,” he said.

However, according to the ECDC, the risk of developing Zika in France remains “very low”. And the organisation said that the seasonal weather should stamp out the virus. 

“As temperatures are progressively decreasing during autumn, the environmental conditions are currently not favourable for sustained transmission,” the ECDC said. “The risk for the population, including pregnant women and their unborn children, is low.”