Climate change and the message of the Apocalypse.
“The fourth Angel poured out his bowl on the sun and it was allowed to scorch people with heat and fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory,” says the Book of the Final Prophecies, Chapter 16 verses 8 and 9.
The accuracy and contemporary nature of the words quoted above surprise us, even though they were written thousands of years ago. Could we have imagined that one day men would be suffering so much with the intense heat on Earth? According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), because of the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human beings, it is currently predicted that the planet’s temperature will rise by 0.3°C to 4.8°C this century. This will have a direct influence on the sea level and the occurrence of extreme weather phenomena, the magnitude of which are yet unknown.
What is the relationship between the prophecies in the Apocalypse of Jesus and the time in which we are living? Can this book talk about the collective future of Humanity? Scholar and author of the series O Apocalipse de Jesus para os Simples de Coração1 [The Apocalypse of Jesus for the Simple Hearted], journalist, radio broadcaster, and writer Paiva Netto, analyses this in his work As Profecias sem Mistério [The Prophecies without Mystery], on pages 117 and 118 in the pocket book version:
Título da obra: O segundo flagelo.
“The Apocalypse, based on the meaning of its name, which in Greek means Revelation, provides us comfort, because by getting to know it we will not be so ignorant regarding the mechanism of Divine Matters. And this marvelous Book does not refer to prophecies only in a way that some people still so simply understand it: ‘Prophecy is a bomb that is going to explode; it is something that is going to happen, and that is it...’ No! Prophecy is an early revelation of the systematic evolution of Humanity. The maturing process of men and people is found here in this magnificent Book, whose message permeates the Bible and also the Holy Scriptures of many religions, as I explained to you in the first book of the collection O Apocalipse de Jesus para os Simples de Coração [The Apocalypse of Jesus for the Simple Hearted].”
If prophecy is the early revelation of the systematic evolution of Humanity, we must ask ourselves for how long have we, human and spiritual beings, been reproducing these same attitudes in a cyclical way? Can we attribute the destruction of the environmental balance of our planet to God? No! On the contrary: He sent us the Apocalypse more than two thousand years ago as proof of His Love for us, so that we could understand what was repeatedly happening because of our attitudes and, based on this revelation, we could seek to redirect our deeds. This is what we perceive when we analyze the Divine educational purpose of the Book of the Final Prophecies:
“Notwithstanding the fact that men are burning up with ‘the fierce heat’ (see the problem of skin cancer2 and of so many pesticides in our food), ‘they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues’ (16:9). In other words, instead of asking the Creator of Worlds for the enlightenment needed to correct this tragedy, the children still revile His Holy Name, ‘who has power (therefore, in this case, knowledge) over these plagues (16:9), which we human beings fire at one another3,” according to Paiva Netto.
Consequently, there is no reason for not trying to understand the Wisdom expounded for our personal and collective enrichment, which reflects directly in our attitudes. It is important that we at least give ourselves the opportunity to check the veracity of the happenings predicted in the Apocalypse so we understand what the Divine and prophetic part of this millennial message can offer us. This is an individual decision, but with profound and positive repercussions for everyone, as the author of Jesus, o Profeta Divino [Jesus, the Divine Prophet] states: “We urgently need, therefore, to set aside what is arid theory and join forces, form partnerships, and correct our mistakes. After all, we are on Earth. This is our only dwelling! And that demands that we become truly ecumenical citizens, in other words, planetary citizens, globalized in Good. Without this, globalization can become very dangerous4.” Let us get to work!
The active youth of the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit invite you to also take part in this debate about the last book of the Holy Bible, the Apocalypse of Jesus. Write to english@boavontade.com. Also check out other articles by writer Paiva Netto about the final prophecies: www.paivanetto.com.
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1 Radio broadcaster Paiva Netto has produced various radio series, such as the “Apocalypse for the People”, “Apocalypse and the Prophecies”, and, in particular, one that had a very wide reach and was very popular: “The Apocalypse of Jesus for the Simple Hearted”, which went on the air on the Super Good Will Radio Network between October 1990 and February 1992, in more than 450 programs. The series also resulted in 4 literary works that record the ecumenical studies about the Apocalyptic Prophecies: As Profecias sem Mistério [The Prophecies without Mystery], Somos Todos Profetas [We are all Prophets], Apocalipse sem Medo [Apocalypse without Fear], Jesus, o Profeta Divino [Jesus, the Divine Prophet] and Jesus, a Dor e a origem de Sua Autoridade — O Poder do Cristo em nós [Jesus, the Pain and Origin of His Authority — The Power of Christ Within Us].
2 Skin cancer — Among the malignant tumors, skin cancer is one of the most frequent worldwide. It represents almost 25% of the cases recorded in Brazil, according to figures from the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year there are 132,000 new cases, acquired from exposure to the Sun’s ultraviolet rays.
3 Extract taken from the literary work Jesus, o Profeta Divino, p. 77.
4 Taken from the book Jesus, o Profeta Divino, p. 79, written by Paiva Netto.
