2020 has been a volatile and disturbing year. With all the historic, tragic world events, perhaps this year is the end of the world. It’s crazy to think this way, but it’s also not that far-fetched to think the world is headed towards the end. Considering all the destruction and turbulence, is God finally getting the world’s attention? Maybe the year 2020 is the end of the world or the arrival of salvation.
The world seemed to be humming along, gearing towards the start of a new decade. In the United States, the economy was soaring and life as we knew it seemed relatively normal. Then, a series of events started happening that gave us pause and caused major disturbances in our world.
This is not meant to signify a doomsday attitude or tone. But these main events of 2020 indicate signs that perhaps the world could be approaching the end or it’s the arrival of salvation.
2020 Apocalyptical Fires in Australia; End of the World or Arrival of Salvation?
Although the fires started in 2019, they seemed to become quite newsworthy at the beginning of the year. It wasn’t just the fires, it was images of dead kangaroos and koala bears that were disturbing.
And, practically the whole continent was on fire. Sure, fires happen all the time and most of us just ignore them (unless they were happening to us). But this fire lasted months and just felt completely different than anything seen before.
What if these fires represent the end of the world in 2020? Although, maybe 2020 is the year of salvation, meaning God will save us from this destruction.
The U.S. and Iranian Tension; Either the End of the World or the Arrival of Salvation
On January 3rd, the U.S. assassinated Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near Baghdad International Airport. Moreover, Soleimani was the second most powerful person in Iran behind Ayatollah Khamenei.
Considered a retaliation by the U.S. for years of killing Americans, the death created a buildup of Iranian forces headed towards American forces in Iraq.
A few days later, Iran launched several missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq. Then, just hours after the missile attacks, Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 passengers.
War, or a major battle, seemed to be inevitable. Perhaps not now, but when? Maybe 2020 is the beginning of WWIII, where it’s the end of the world or the arrival of salvation? Is God coming to save us?
China Confirms First Cases of Coronavirus in Wuhan
As it seemed like tensions were increasing in the middle east, China confirms on January 7th a new virus in Wuhan (later named the Coronavirus). At the time here in the U.S., it didn’t seem that big of a deal.
Throughout the years, we went through Ebola, SARS, and even H1N1, but didn’t give those diseases much attention at the time. Most Americans probably thought that the Coronavirus was probably going to be another SARS or H1N1. In other words, it was going to come and go quickly, not really impacting our way of life.
More on the Coronavirus will be covered later in this article below.
Major Volcano Eruption Strikes the Philippines
Again, no big deal as this didn’t seem all that alarming (unless you lived in the Philippines or had family there). The Taal volcano erupted on January 12th, the first time in 43 years. A total of 39 people lost their lives and over 400,000 people needed to evacuate the area.
NBA Star Kobe Bryant & Daughter Gianna Die in a Helicopter Crash
The sports world (and the entire world) stopped for a few days when news broke about Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash. Then, we learned that his 13-year-old daughter Gianna also died in the crash. And another family that was friends of the Byrants lost their lives on the same helicopter, too.
For most people, this was probably one of the hardest things to deal with at the time. Whenever we hear about famous celebrities passing away, it seems to always take our breath away. This seemed truly surreal that someone like Kobe Bryant, a person “larger than life”, could tragically pass away. And the fact his daughter died, too, makes it difficult to accept.
Trillions of Locusts in Africa; 2020 End of the World or Will Salvation Arrive?
Like something out of the Bible, trillions of locusts invaded eastern Africa. Not only was this alarming, but this felt like something out of a horror movie. And there were two waves of locusts that arrived, with a third wave potentially coming over the summer.
The world’s agriculture and livelihoods have been affected. What will the future look like for this region of the world? Furthermore, are these locusts a sign that 2020 is the end of the world or the arrival of salvation? Did God send the locusts or is he stopping them?
Mighty Floods in Indonesia Inundate Thousands of Homes & Businesses
Floods rained down on Indonesia, especially the capital city of Jakarta. Thousands of homes and businesses were displaced. Over 60 people died from the floods.
To make matters worse, because of the environment, Jakarta is currently sinking into the Java sea. If things don’t improve soon, tens of millions of people will be homeless and/or dead.
President Donald Trump is Impeached & Then Acquitted
In the history of the United States, only three presidents have been officially impeached. President Donald Trump was impeached in December. In February, he was acquitted on both articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
This is never a good sign to see the most powerful leader in the world accused of misconduct. It’s not a good look for the president, congress, and the U.S. government. Does this show that our leaders are failing us or does it show an increasing level of political division? Perhaps both.
BREXIT Becomes Official as the United Kingdom Leaves the European Union
After a few years of bickering and protests, the United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union. Some people support this decision while others do not. This decision is very symbolic.
What will this landmark decision do to the future relationship between Europe and the United Kingdom? Is this a sign of freedom and independence or a sign of a malcontent division?
Riots in India Lead to Death & Destruction
In Delhi, India, riots which included tons of bloodshed and property destruction killed 53 people. Most of the people who died were Muslim, killed by Hindu mobs.
The riots were the result of a reaction from the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi’s elections, where a mob scuffle violently removed a group of Muslims from blocking the road in protest.
Earthquakes Strike Turkey and the Caribbean
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the eastern region of Turkey. The earthquake killed 41 people and injured 1,600.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean between Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba. This was the largest earthquake in the Caribbean since 1946.
The Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads Throughout the World
As time moved along through 2020, the Coronavirus became a real pandemic. Governments were calling for a state of emergency. Businesses and schools closed, as the order to stay home and wear masks became the new norm.
By the end of April, over 200,000 people worldwide had died from the Coronavirus. As of the middle of June, over 450,000 people worldwide have lost their lives.
In the United States alone, over 120,000 Americans have died. The U.S. currently has the most recorded deaths from the Coronavirus. These are more American deaths than World World I. And, these are more American deaths than the Vietnam and Korean Wars combined.
The scary reality about the Coronavirus is that it’s invisible, there is currently no cure, and nobody knows when it will end. Life as we have known it has changed forever. Could the Coronavirus be signaling the end of the world or the arrival of salvation?
Oh, Come On– Now We Have to Deal With “Murder Hornets”?
Seriously, this is just getting ridiculous. Really? Murder Hornets?
In the spring, large Asian hornets arrived in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The name probably scared more people than the Coronavirus. But in actuality, they got their name because they have been known to kill honeybees in a violent way.
The sad truth is that honeybees are already struggling to survive. Add Murder Hornets to the equation, and this becomes even more complicated for the honeybees and our ecosystem.
Susan Milius, a life science writer, wrote a story in Science News about the Murder Hornets. For more information on these insects, read her article at https://www.sciencenews.org/article/asian-giant-murder-hornet-sightings-washington-canada.
George Floyd’s Death, Protests, Riots, and Demand for Social Change
For the last five weeks throughout May and June, the world has exploded with rage and anger. Sadly, George Floyd (a black man) was unnecessarily killed by a Minneapolis police officer (a white man) which was caught on video. This act caused widespread protests and riots throughout Minneapolis.
Black Lives Matter emerged with protests against police brutality. Demands for social change marched on. Rioting and looting erupted. The protests, riots, and looting spread all over the world like the Coronavirus.
The United States looked like a third world country whose citizens revolted against their government. Burned buildings and cars, fighting and arrests, looting and anger, where all sights unusually seen in America. Through all this anger, demands for defunding police departments worked its way into government action.
Large societal organizations like the National Football League and the healthcare industry started dialogues and taking actions about racial disparity.
Will this all lead to civility and peace or a nation divided? Or, will this lead to a race/class civil war?
The Fall of the U.S. Economy
The economy heading into 2020 was very stable and growing. However, with the Coronavirus pandemic and the closing of businesses, unemployment surged. Wall Street started to take a major hit.
In January, the United States unemployment rate was 3.6%. As of March, over 40 million Americans filed for unemployment. In April, it surged to 14.7%.
In March, the Dow Jones ended the day falling -2,997.10 points. This was the single largest point drop in history. Also, this was the second-highest percentage point drop ever at -12.93%. And this represented a bigger crash than the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
India vs. China Himalayan Border Conflict
Recently, India and China engaged in a conflict on the Himalayan border. The fight resulted in 20 Indian soldiers killed, as it’s unknown how many Chinese soldiers died. This skirmish is over the LAC or the Line of Actual Control, which is a loosely defined border between China and India-controlled Kashmir.
Although this border control goes back to 1962, the tension between these two countries has existed for many years. Could this conflict and tension lead to something bigger down the road?
Does This Mean the World is Coming to an End?
Is 2020 the year the world comes to an end or is it the arrival of salvation? Honestly, the world is probably not going to end in 2020. However, none of us are God and none of us knows what is coming next.
What we do know is that the year 2020 has been incredibly weird and symbolic. Doesn’t it somewhat feel like an apocalyptic time we are experiencing?
We’ve practically had a whole continent on fire in Australia.
A volcano erupted.
An international sports star and his daughter die in a helicopter accident.
Swarms of locusts and hornets invade.
Floods and earthquakes happened.
Governments are divided. Leaders are not leading.
Countries are parting relations with each other.
Fighting is ensuing with major wars possibly on the horizon.
Murder, protests, and riots are happening all over the world.
Global economies are falling.
And of course, a global pandemic has swept over the world and killed hundreds of thousands of people.
This is just all bad. These are incredibly strange times with an eerie feeling of doom.
Is 2020 the Year of Salvation?
According to Christianity, salvation has already arrived with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, could the arrival of the Coronavirus and all the other tragic, scary events that have happened in 2020 be another salvation? Is God trying to get the world’s attention to bring back His people to Him?
Salvation is defined in the dictionary as the following.
The act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.
Deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.
courtesy of dictionary.com
As Christians, we believe we were saved by Jesus Christ. But I just wonder if God has seen enough from his people over the last 2,000+ years.
Have we stopped following His commandments? Did we stop loving each other as God loves us? Are we living a life that is not worthy and pleasing to God? I wonder if God needed to send a message (or in this case 15 big messages), in order to get our attention.
Now that He has our attention, what are we doing about it? Are we reconnecting with God and establishing a new, more powerful relationship with Him? How are we asking for forgiveness from God, ourselves, and each other? Are we helping our neighbors and friends in their journey through 2020?
If the answer to a lot of these questions is “no”, then wouldn’t now be a great time to go on a journey towards “yes”?
What Should the Arrival of Salvation Look Like?
Since God has already given us salvation, technically we don’t need to worry about 2020 being the end of the world. However, I don’t think this is God’s turn to save us. This is our turn to save ourselves from ourselves and run to God.
I don’t think God is going to one day just end the world, like flipping a switch. I believe human beings are going to end the world one day, unless we change our behaviors.
God gave us free will. He also gave us the planet Earth. He basically said, I created all of you differently and uniquely, but gave you all one place to live. All you have to do is love me, love yourself, and love your neighbor. If you do this, I will share my kingdom with you when your time is done on Earth.
But somewhere over the last 2,000+ years, we stopped loving God (or took him for granted), we stopped loving ourselves, and we stopped loving others. This time around, we need to save ourselves from ourselves.
The year 2020 can potentially be the year we change into how God intentionally created us to be. Salvation arrives the moment we accept God into our hearts and intentionally try to live a life worthy of God.
Still not a believer in salvation, check out how God saved me from a car accident https://thefaithfuljourney.com/god-came-to-me-in-a-car-accident/.
Yes, 2020 (and beyond) can be saved. Yet, it is up to each of us on our life journey to have faith in God, in ourselves, and in humanity.
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