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[Sea Salt]

What do you think about climate change and the disasters described in the book of Revelation?

Do you think that there are any correlation between the end times disasters prophesied in Revelation and climate change?

The book of Revelation [esp 6–18] details the destruction of the earth; rivers, the atmosphere, vegetation, animals, the ocean, sea creatures are destroyed and humans die by the millions. Thousands of square miles of earth are destroyed as well.

I realize that these prophecies tell of God's justice poured out on a wicked world but is it possible God would use our own destruction of the planet to pour out His wrath?

[jimwalton]

I've studied Revelation quite a bit, and it's pretty tough to nail it down. I do believe, however, that natural disasters and cataclysmic phenomena are going to be part of the picture. I think it's very reasonable, as we look at how things are going environmentally (global climate change, pollution, destruction and depletion of natural resources) to assume that some of what Revelation talks about will be self-imposed. God occasionally uses natural events to accomplish his purposes (an east wind that caused the Reed Sea to part, most likely an earthquake that caused a section of the Jericho wall to collapse, etc.). It wouldn't surprise me that we may be participating in our own demise.

In Romans 1.24-32, we read several times that "God gave them over to..." It indicates that God allowed their actions to take them to their own destructive ends. That could indicate a "yes" answer to your question: "Is it possible God would use our own destruction of the planet to pour out his wrath?" There's also a place in the Old Testament where God judges the people not by doing anything active, but simply withdrawing his hand of protection. When he stops protecting them, they are now vulnerable to the consequences of their own behavior as well as destruction from external forces.

Another part of Revelation contributing to natural disaster is warfare. There are plenty of figures in Revelation that can easily be pictures of war, and we know what kind of destructive power war, and especially nuclear war, has on the ecological systems. If nuclear war were to break out, we can easily picture destroyed vegetation, poisoned water, creatures destroyed, and humans dead by the millions.

Unfortunately, we can envision all of these in our possible future, and terrifyingly possibly in our very near future.