Is there a correlation between the two little boys in Wenatchee being assassinated by firebombing and burning to death, the cover-up by the 'Third Level', the Wenatchee fire, and God's judgment?
The man in charge of public relations for Edwards Air force base in Southern California told me the devastating wildfires of the Los Angeles area are a judgment from God.
Read Psalms 11and 97.
Without malice.
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Does God Favor Some Nations Above Others?
MANY feel that God favors their own nation above others. But if asked for proof, what could they say? Some might point to accomplishments in their nation’s history—such as military victories or economic growth. They might even call attention to successful programs designed to feed the hungry, to protect those less fortunate, or to promote justice and fair treatment. Others conclude that God favors their homeland because of the natural beauty there.
Such national pride can be found in all lands. Yet, does the Bible support the notion that God favors one nation above others?
An Important Trait of God
The answer is clear if we understand an important trait of Almighty God, one that the Bible describes emphatically. God is impartial. For example, Acts 10:34 says plainly: “God is not partial.” The Bible also says that Jehovah God “treats none with partiality” and that “with Jehovah our God there is no unrighteousness or partiality.” (Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7) God hates partiality; he even equates it with unrighteousness.
You might wonder, though: ‘Did not God favor the ancient nation of Israel above other nations? Was that not evidence of partiality?’ God did single out the nation of Israel in Bible times, and he protected the Israelites in some of their conflicts with other nations. Additionally, the Bible says of God: “He is telling his word to Jacob, his regulations and his judicial decisions to Israel. He has not done that way to any other nation.” (Psalm 147:19, 20) But do God’s dealings with Israel suggest that he is partial? Not at all. Consider three reasons.
First, God singled out Israel in order to benefit all nations. He made a covenant with the forefather of that nation, Abraham, saying: “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves.” (Genesis 22:17, 18) Yes, God’s purpose in dealing with Israel was to produce a “seed” that would make great blessings available, not just to the people of one nation but to people of “all nations of the earth.”
Second, God’s blessings were never limited to the people of Israel. He impartially opened the way for individuals of other nations to join with his chosen people in worshipping him. (2 Chronicles 6:32, 33) Many accepted that invitation and were blessed as a result. The Moabite woman Ruth was just one well-known example of such.—Ruth 1:3, 16.
Third, God’s special relationship with earthly Israel was temporary. In 29 C.E., Israel produced the foretold “seed” in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:16) But Jesus’ countrymen rejected him as the Messiah. He said to them: “Look! Your house is abandoned to you.” (Matthew 23:38) Thereafter, God’s dealings with mankind have been separate from individual secular nations and their conflicts. Rather, he has impartially made blessings available to all mankind.
The ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift to man. (Romans 6:23) It has provided a means of release from sin and death, giving each of us the opportunity to inherit everlasting life. This gift is for individuals “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9) Yes, God wants “everyone exercising faith” in Jesus to have “everlasting life.”—John 3:16.
The good news about God’s Kingdom brings many blessings to those who listen. (Revelation 14:6, 7) It brings hope for the future and provides wise counsel that can lead to a happier life now. Jehovah has impartially arranged that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20; Acts 16:10) That good news is contained in the Bible, a book that can be found—at least in part—in more than 2,300 languages. As a loving Father, Jehovah has made available to virtually every person on earth the “sayings of everlasting life.”—John 6:68; Joshua 1:8.
These and other gifts from God are available to all—yes, to people of all nations, races, and language groups. So, receiving God’s favor and blessing does not depend on our place of birth or ethnic background.
Are Natural Disasters Punishment From God?
The Bible’s answer
The Bible doesn’t teach that God is behind the natural disasters we see today. God’s judgments as described in the Bible are quite different from natural disasters.
God is selective.
The Bible says: “Man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is.”—1 Samuel 16:7.
Jehovah reads the hearts of individuals and destroys only those he deems wicked.—Genesis 18:23-32.
God sends warnings first, thereby giving those who listen to him the opportunity to escape.
Natural disasters, on the other hand, strike with little or no warning, and they kill and maim indiscriminately. To some extent, mankind has made such disasters worse by damaging the natural environment and by building in areas prone to earthquakes, floods, and extreme weather.
Natural Disasters—Why So Many?
DISASTERS seem to be very much in the news. More people than ever before are the victims of one calamity or another. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, in Belgium, reports that in 2010 alone there were 373 disasters and that at least 296,000 people died as a result.
The number of reported disasters has also climbed noticeably over the past several decades. For example, between 1975 and 1999, well under 300 disasters were recorded each year. However, between 2000 and 2010, the average was close to 400 per year. Perhaps you are among those who wonder, ‘Why are there so many disasters now?’
Although people often label such disasters as “acts of God,” this is really a misnomer. God is not behind the calamities that affect so many people today. Nevertheless, the Bible did foretell that there would be disasters in our time. For example, at Matthew 24:7, 8, we read Jesus’ words: “There will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” Why did Jesus foretell these events, and what meaning do they have for us?
God’s Son, Jesus, was speaking in answer to the question posed to him: “What will be the sign . . . of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) He told of various things that would happen, including calamities like those mentioned above. He then went on to make this significant statement: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31) Those natural disasters, therefore, have great significance for us. They point to a time of momentous changes just ahead.
Forces Contributing to Disasters
Nevertheless, many people still ask, If God is not responsible for the disasters, who or what is? We can understand the answer only if we recognize an important truth mentioned in the Bible: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) This verse reveals that it is not God who is behind the distressing conditions in the world, but in many cases, it is his enemy, “the wicked one”—otherwise referred to in the Bible as “the Devil.”—Revelation 12:9, 12.
Guided by his own self-serving objective, this enemy of God views people as disposable. Since he has the whole world under his control, he has promoted that same spirit among mankind. Indeed, the Bible points to this by foretelling that in “the last days,” people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 2) Hence, it is no surprise that the Devil has created a global system that thrives on those and other ungodly traits. He encourages selfish and greedy exploitation that often puts people in harm’s way.
In what way does today’s greedy system promote disasters? A United Nations report on global disasters states: “Populations are too often being concentrated in risky areas such as flood plains. In addition, the destruction of forests and wetlands is harming the capacity of the environment to withstand hazards. Looming above all this is the threat of global climate change and rising sea levels as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations . . . caused by human activity.” Though much of this “human activity” is said to be for economic progress, it is in reality the work of the selfish and greedy spirit that permeates the world.
Consequently, many experts now recognize that indiscriminate human activity has intensified the devastating effects of the disasters that occur. In reality, humans have played into the Devil’s hands by supporting a system that exacerbates disasters.
We see, then, that many disasters are the result of careless human activity. Some disasters would not have been as devastating were it not for where they occurred. In many parts of the world, the effects of natural disasters have been greatly aggravated by the underhanded dealings of unscrupulous individuals or by the fact that masses of people have been forced to live in hazardous areas as a result of the economic or social inequalities inherent in the world today. Of course, some people suffer in disasters, not because of any particular person’s fault or negligence, but because “time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.”—Ecclesiastes 9:11.
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