By Douglas S. Winnail
What is really happening in the land “down under”? In early February,
southeastern Australia experienced one of the worst natural disasters
ever recorded in the country’s history. Not long after the nation had
experienced some of its worst floods in decades, it was ravaged by 400
wildfires, driven by 50–mile-per-hour winds on days when the
temperatures soared above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire burned more than
1,100 square miles of tinder-dry countryside, destroying several towns
and more than 1,500 homes and killing more than 200 people and millions
of animals. Residents fleeing the fast-moving fires described walls of
flames more than one hundred feet high that produced a roaring sound
like a huge freight train. People who witnessed the firestorm “said the
inferno was like a nuclear bomb,” as eucalyptus and gum trees (which
contain flammable oils) were literally “exploding” (International
Herald Tribune, February 9, 2009). Satellite photos showed much of
southeastern Australia covered with smoke. The magnitude of the
disaster shocked the nation. Press reports of Australia’s “week in
hell” and rescue workers described the scenes as “horrible… horrendous…
heartbreaking.”
Then, on Friday evening, March 6, just
about three weeks after the disastrous fires, three earthquakes in one
day struck the region around Melbourne, Australia’s second largest
city. The earthquakes, which in some areas sounded like an explosion
and shook buildings, were the biggest to hit the Melbourne region in 36
years (Herald Sun, March 8, 2009). Residents who lived near the
fire areas and experienced the earthquakes pondered the question “what
now?”
As Australians search for the causes of
the sudden firestorm catastrophe and as they attempt to understand why
they are being shaken by earthquakes, it is instructive to see what is
mentioned and what is ignored. The Bible offers a startling perspective
about what is happening in Australia. Scripture indicates that the
catastrophic conditions created by high winds, soaring temperatures and
a severe drought that combined to produce a “perfect fire storm” in
southeastern Australia—and the sudden series of earthquakes—may not be
just a coincidence—especially when other trends in Australian society
are considered. Regrettably, our modern secular society has forgotten
what previous generations once knew and, as a result, the real
significance of important trends goes unrecognized. A century ago, 96
percent of Australians identified themselves as Christian. Today, only
about 62 percent claim to be Christian, more than 20 percent profess no
religion, and only 7.5 percent bother to attend weekly church services.
The decline in Christian religious influence in Australia is a fact of
life.
The Bible reveals that God has a plan He
is going to bring to pass (Isaiah 46:8–10). Long ago, Moses warned the
Israelites that if they would obey God’s laws they would be blessed,
but if they chose to despise and disobey His instructions He would
bring curses upon them (Deuteronomy 28:15–68). Those curses would
include making the heavens like bronze, the earth like iron and
changing the rain to powder and dust “until you are destroyed”
(Deuteronomy 28:22–24). Jesus prophesied that “famines, pestilences and
earthquakes in various places” would be among the signs that would
announce the approaching end of the age and His imminent return
(Matthew 24:7). Down through the centuries, God sent prophets to warn
His people that their disobedience would bring serious consequences.
God warned through the prophet Jeremiah, “O house of Israel… I am
fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you.… Because My
people have forgotten Me.… they have caused themselves to stumble.…
from the ancient paths” (Jeremiah 18:6–15). Jeremiah states further,
“Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness.… Because they
have forsaken My law… and have not obeyed My voice… but they have
walked according to the dictates of their own heart” (Jeremiah
9:12–15). God told the prophet Ezekiel to warn “a rebellious nation…
the children of Israel” that “I will judge you according to your ways,
and I will repay you for all your abominations” and that “disaster will
come upon disaster.… then they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel
2:3; 7:5–8, 25–27).
Forgotten Laws
One
of the fundamental laws of sexual morality that God gave to His chosen
people to set them apart from other nations was the absolute
prohibition of homosexual relationships that God said were an
abomination in His sight (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17).
However, today, these divine instructions are considered antiquated and
irrelevant by people who think their ideas are more rational and
enlightened—especially in Australia. In the last 25 to 30 years, the
land “down under” that once claimed to be 96 percent Christian, has
legalized homosexuality, promoted same-sex marriage and become the
stage for the largest gay pride festival in the world today, the Sydney
Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. The most recent event attracted
300,000 tourists to southeastern Australia and generated millions of
dollars for the local economy. Ignoring the Scriptures last year,
nearly 100 ministers and clergy apologized to homosexuals for how they
have been treated in society (news.bbc.co.uk, March 1, 2008).
These actions by religious leaders validate the warning of the prophet
Isaiah, “O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy
the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12).
Sadly, the secular media fails to make
any connection between the fact that the cities of Melbourne and Sydney
are located in southeastern Australia—the site of the fires and
earthquakes. However, these two cities also hold the largest homosexual
communities in Australia. The media fails to mention the earthquakes
took place on the evening before the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
parade that invites thousands of homosexuals and transvestites to
celebrate their lifestyle in public—and take guided walking tours
labeled the “Sodomite” and “Homosexual” Walks. The media fails to
mention the fact that the horrendous firestorms and the worst drought
in the nation’s history have occurred at the same time that the
Australian government has recognized same-sex marriages and attempted
to make Australia the most “gay-friendly” country in the world. As one
reveler at the Gay Mardi Gras exclaimed, “This is my first year at the
parade, and I am absolutely loving it” (Charlotte Observer,
March 8, 2009). Long ago, Jeremiah prophesied about our time today,
“Are they ashamed of their conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they
do not even know how to blush” (Jeremiah 8:12).
Critics may scoff and claim intolerance
and abuse, yet these biblical instructions and prophecies are facts of
history. Bible prophecies clearly warn there will be serious
consequences—especially for Israelite nations that were called to be
lights to the world—when the laws of God are ignored or broken.
Australians need to understand that the real reasons for the worst
drought in the nation’s history, the horrendous firestorms and
earthquakes are immoral actions that God said will bring disastrous
consequences to nations that condone such behaviors. In the days ahead,
we will see more prophesied disasters come alive—if Israelite nations
continue their plunge toward Sodom and Gomorrah.