The Grim Reaper circles the globe

The Grim Reaper has his hands planted firmly around the world's throat, if the avalanche of recent news is any indication. A myriad of killer diseases is making its way across the face of the planet, leaving an unparalleled trail of death and destruction. AIDS, deadly Ebola, West Nile Fever, and Mad Cow disease are threatening vast numbers of people as the list of terrorized nations swells at an alarming rate.

AIDS escalates east and west

The world marked World AIDS day on December 1. According to the annual "Aids Epidemic Update" report released last week from the United Nations and World Health Organization, the AIDS crisis is rapidly gaining momentum. A BBC article on Thursday November 30 reveals shocking new figures, including the fact that 36 million people around the world are now living with HIV or AIDS. Although central and eastern Europe is a region with one of the lowest number of HIV cases, it suffers the world’s fastest HIV case growth rate. Russia, in particular, is expected to be especially hard hit "where experts predict more than a million people will be infected by HIV within two years. In fact, more new HIV infections have been registered in Russia during 2000 than all previous years put together...," according to the BBC report. "There are now almost 70,000 cases of full blown Aids registered with the National Aids Centre in Russia - compared to just over 5,500 last year." For the mathematically-challenged, that translates into a whopping 1300 percent increase in just one year! UN and World Health Organization officials estimate that Russia's real totals are actually between 300,000 and 700,000!

The bad news doesn't stop there. Reuters had a story the same day stating that Asia is next on the hit list of this viral psychopath. "We have a major challenge over the next five years as this virus moves into the large demographic countries of Asia," says Gordon Alexander, senior program adviser for UNAIDS in India, home of 3.7 million HIV/AIDS-infected people. Edwin Joseph Judd, the United Nations Children's Fund representative in China, agrees. "China is on a fast track to having a big epidemic. The truth of the matter is that the 600,000 cases as it is now is just the beginning...Unless there's really substantial action in the next three, four years, the real danger is that we will have 10 million cases of HIV/AIDS in the year 2010, or worse."

But "ground zero" continues to be in Africa, where the situation is described as catastrophic. In yet another related article on Thursday November 3, AFP painted a bleak picture of the crisis there where a full 70 percent of the world's HIV/AIDS cases are located. "In Botswana, the worst affected country, more than one in three adults -- 36 percent -- are suffering from HIV or AIDS." South of the Sahara there are now 25.3 million Africans with AIDS or who are HIV positive-- nearly a million more than in 1999. Although the UNAIDS report notes that there is an apparent stabilization of the epidemic in that country, that bit of encouraging news is dampened by the fact that there are probably just fewer people left to infect.

West Nile virus launches all-out attack

In what is predicted to be a severe global threat for the twenty-first century, West Nile Fever has made a lethal debut in many areas of the world, according to a Guardian report on that same Thursday. This killer, which is spread by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds, triggers fatal inflammations of the brain, or encephalitis. Outbreaks have been reported in Israel, Jordan and France, and chillingly, now in America, resulting in the deaths of 7 New Yorkers. "The disease is now firmly established in the US," says Dr Ernie Gould of the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, "It is there for good now. It is hard to see how on earth they can get rid of it."

Why is the disease spreading so rapidly? Well, if all else fails they can always blame the most popular scapegoat for the world's ills: global warming. Whoops! It appears they already did. The Guardian article states "In many cases, human activities - new dams and irrigation works - are helping mosquitoes breed and spread West Nile, say scientists. Global warming may also be having an effect." Goody- yet one more reason to implement international regulations... ratify the Kyoto Protocol and kiss the West Nile virus goodbye.

Ebola: A death sentence

So far, the western hemisphere has been able to keep the deadly Ebola virus at bay, in a NewsMax story, also on November 30. Ebola condemns up to 90 percent of its victims to an agonizing death which begins with a skyrocketing fever and progresses within a week to massive internal bleeding. Victims typically bleed from the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and even through the skin. Up until now, Ebola has been confined to Africa, but fears that it could be imported to the West by infected travelers are very real. "International travel is always a concern," James W. LeDuc, an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Business Week magazine. Presently it is only spread by direct contact, but LeDuc said "Our fear is that it will change into something more like measles or influenza, where there is easy airborne transmission." What sounds like an idea for the next block-buster sci-fi thriller, may instead become a frightening reality.

Mad cow panic overtakes Europe

German farmer Adam Ries cries in front of a shed housing calves on his farm in Cham near Regensburg, December 20, 2000. Health authorities had found Germany’s third case of mad cow disease on Ries’ farm on Wednesday, adding to growing consumer safety fears. All 200 animals on his farm will have to be slaughtered. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Another weapon in the plague arsenal is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as BSE or "mad cow disease". BSE is a fatal brain disease of cattle believed to be caused by a "self-replicating" protein (a prion) rather than a bacterium or virus. The human form of the disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), has been linked to BSE exposure, and causes neurological symptoms from dementia to total paralysis and death. Although BSE is wide-spread throughout Europe, no cases have yet been reported in the United States.

Discerning the Times Newsbytes included a story from the Irish Independent on November 30 detailing the EU's dramatic steps to contain this disease by slaughtering two million cattle. (No wonder the cows are mad!) The disease has been spread by infected bone and animal products being fed to other animals or humans. A ban on animal feed, which was supposed to last six months, "will mean that three million tonnes of cattle waste sold to animal feed companies every year in the EU might now have to be incinerated." David Byrne, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection, warns that BSE is a threat to every EU country and that the disease "does not know borders." Economic costs are expected to be high.

The common denominator

What do all of these diseases have in common? They are all a fulfillment of scripture concerning signs of the end times. "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11) The Greek word which is translated "pestilences" actually means "plagues or diseases". No one, not even Jesus, knows the actual day or hour of His return (see Matthew 24:36), but He wants every person to be able to recognize the overall indications which point toward that day. It is similar to how a pregnant woman does not know exactly when her baby will be born, but there are many clues that warn her when the time is imminent. These diseases that are running rampant over the earth, are screaming "Get ready! It won't be long now!"

In addition to fulfilling the promises of the Lord, how might these diseases play in to the big picture as global governance, famines, war and persecution stare mankind directly in the face? Possibly they could be the catalyst that enables the new global governance to create a medical database of every person in the world as a precautionary measure against massive epidemics. Perhaps a world-wide mandatory vaccination program would be an ideal opportunity to inject each human with a microchip- denoting the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation 13:16-17. What if the only way to get the vaccination was to receive the chip?

Economic stability could be affected as well. Mad cow disease is already expected to make an impact, by killing millions of cattle that could have been eaten, sold, or used in other products. Could this be one dynamic that might bring about the famines that Jesus also warned about? Or raise food prices so that people can no longer afford to eat? It will, most likely, be at least one small part of the jigsaw puzzle.

Undoubtedly, the medical costs associated with this upsurge of diseases across the globe will be enormous, as HIV treatments alone cost about $1,000 a month. This will result in higher medical care and insurance rates which will, in turn, affect every aspect of the economy. AIDS strikes hardest at the most sexually active age group in the population – half were infected under the age of 25 – which also is the most economically active segment of the population. Since many victims die by age 35, some countries are already experiencing a negative growth rate.

Maybe the global community leaders will just let the situation spiral downward as they sit back and watch. If someone was to look closely at their faces, a collective smirk might be barely noticeable. Through their eyes, in the grand scope of things, humans are not the precious commodity worthy of being saved-- the earth, trees, animals and air are. Humans are the culprits who are destroying "Mother Earth" and must be stopped at all costs. This is evidenced by the increase in abortions, euthanasia, and other means of population control. These diseases will just propel us into that "people-free utopian world" a little faster.

Jesus explains the events that are coming, not to frighten us, but to prepare us. "...see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." (Matthew 24:6) We can have the assurance that when death, from any source, comes knocking on our doors, we can know that we are headed home where "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4) Those who abide in Him need not fear the Reaper. V bm