Of Frosts, Bees, and Famines

Already descending those marbled steps that bordered the southern walls of the Temple Mount, Jesus is greeted by His disciples. They were enthralled with the magnitude of the buildings that dotted the mountain before them. Jesus quickly shares with them that the day was soon coming when not one stone would be left upon another in that place. Of course, that necessarily led the disciples to ask Jesus the sixty-four-million-dollar question: When will this take place? Their curiosity had been peeked.

Jesus then began to share with them many signs that would point to the time of the end of the age. Among those Jesus cites are these: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains" (Matthew 24:7-8).

Earthquakes are becoming so commonplace that they hardly make the news, unless they create major chaos and death. Why, just last week there was an earthquake centered in Indiana and felt as far away as Wisconsin. And there was a rather strong earthquake that rocked portions of Chile once again. But, we seemingly are learning to live with the thoughts of earthquakes.

But, the word that intrigued me was that of famines. Now we usually think of famines as a result of drought, a lack of rain. One thinks of the famines that ravage the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. But, might there be other causes of famines. I recently heard a news reporter saying that the freezing conditions that the American deep south experienced just before and immediately after Christmas, could bring a famine of fruits and vegetables that could last well into this year. When was the last time you associated famine with frost? I sure hadn't linked the two.

Then, just this morning, I read an article from AOL News titled, "US Bumblebee Population in Sharp Decline." The article begins, "The population of bumblebees in the United States is in a kind of free fall, dropping 96 percent over the past two decades, according to a new study that has scientists alarmed." Those scientists are theorizing that the sharp decline in bumblebees is due to an increased fungal infection and genetic defects from inbreeding. But here was the interesting quote from Sydney Cameron, the head author of the study and professor at the University of Illinois: "The bumblebee is wild, but it pollinates commercial crops from tomatoes to coffee, and its disappearance would have a dire effect on food sources." He didn't use the word famine, but you know that was what he was thinking.

A declining bumblebee population, coupled with the already well-recorded decline in the honeybee population, and there should be cause for alarm. Without proper pollination, plants will not produce their fruits. Could the lack of bees be another indicator that we are living in the end times? I don't think it is a mere coincidence that record-setting frosts and now a study of declining bee populations both occur within days of each other.

Famines - a reality that seems to have the ability to grow even stronger in the coming year. Just another reason to be ready to hear the trumpet.