Looking Back at 2021
As we reach this last day of 2021, we’re going to take a look back at this last year and what the Scriptures say about the future. When Jesus was asked about when He would return, He usually answered with “soon.” When the apostles would write their letters to churches, they would remind congregations that the Lord would be coming “soon.” Several chapters and books of the Bible speak of signs that point to the return of Christ. Let’s look for some of these signs that may have occurred in the last year.
“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” (Matthew 24:6-8)
In 2021, we certainly had threats and rumors of wars brewing all over the globe: China committing genocide against the Uyghurs, Russia threatening Ukraine, and various other conflicts around the world. The UN World Food Program has warned that the number of people teetering on the edge of famine in 43 countries has risen to 45 million—up by three million this year—as acute hunger spikes around the world. A rare December tornado devastated a town called Mayfield in Kentucky just a few weeks ago, leaving 78 people dead and over 3,000 without power. The storms affected Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, and Arkansas. A new type of earthquake was discovered in 2021 and an unusual earthquake occurred in Mexico producing odd blue lights. Jesus warned us of these things happening, calling them “birth pains, with more to come.” We shouldn’t be surprised when we hear of these things because Jesus warned us they would happen as a lead up to His return.
“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. (…) For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.” (Romans 8:19, 22-23)
We don’t like to talk about bad news very often, sometimes we even intentionally avoid it, but it is important to be aware of the signs happening all around us. We know Jesus is coming soon and the signs of that approaching time are happening now.
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:9-12)
Churches have been burned and desecrated in Canada and pastors have been arrested simply for holding church services. Christian missionaries in Haiti were kidnapped and held as hostages for months. The hatred and persecution of Christians has grown quite a bit just in the last year all around the world. If you stand on Biblical teachings and principles you are often called a bigot or a racist. This type of treatment is certainly a contributing factors to the growing number of people leaving the church/faith. In the U.S., about 3 in 10 adults claim no religion, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey. The survey found that those citing “no religion” is 6 percentage points higher than it was five years ago and 10 points higher than a decade ago.
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Don’t misunderstand, we are not glooming and dooming here, we are not predicting to have any knowledge outside of what the Scriptures and the Spirit instruct—we are simply looking at the signs Jesus gave us and observing the events happening around us. We’re sure that when the Spanish flu followed the first World War and the second World War followed that, while Hitler committed genocide against the Jews, that people must have thought Jesus would be returning any day. We’ve been warned of these types of signs and we would do well to pay attention to them, but we would be wrong to forget that our hope is in Him Who is returning and that the one who endures will be saved. You made it through 2021. Keep enduring through 2022!
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
