Written by Jerry Robinson
Originally Posted on 9/12/2007
Hurricane Katrina, the 'Most Costly Natural Catastrophe in U.S. History' ravaged the Gulf Coast region killing untold thousands obliterating everything in its path soon after landfall on Monday, August 29. Without a doubt, it was a disaster of uncommon proportions. And unfortunately, it seemed that everything that could have went wrong, did go wrong.
New Orleans city officials were fearful that the city's infrastructure, namely the levee systems, would not be able to weather such a massive storm. They were correct. The city of New Orleans was flooded, left beyond recognition, due to breaches in three places of the levee system on the Lake Pontchartrain side of New Orleans. Heavy flooding prompted the city's deputy police chief to boldly claim that New Orleans was 'completely destroyed'.
Despite the persistent media spotlight on New Orleans, Katrina actually made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi. Damage was reported in at least 12 states. According to reports, the hurricane is believed to have killed thousands, and to have displaced more than one million people. Local mortuaries have been told to prepare for "up to 40,000 bodies". Historians assert that a humanitarian crisis on this scale has not been experienced in the U.S. since the American Civil War.
Katrina: 'Act of God?'
As the search for survivors continues, many in the body of Christ have already begun to speculate whether Katrina was an 'act of God.' Many of my colleagues have mentioned that they have received excessive amounts of emails regarding this topic. Week in Review has received numerous emails from concerned readers asking for our official take on the disaster. Was Katrina an act of Divine retribution for America's endorsement of last month's Gaza Disengagement? Is America's judgment at the door?
The Bible's position is clear and has not changed -- America, along with every other nation on earth, is going to be judged. (See WIR's article: The Impending Judgment of America for more on this topic.) But to answer whether or not God sent this catastrophe, I must immediately answer with an emphatic no. According to my theology, the earth's inhabitants are under what is referred to as, the 'dispensation of Grace.' The Bible makes it clear that God's wrath will not be poured out upon mankind until the dispensation of Grace comes to an end. When does the dispensation of Grace end? At the rapture of the church.
The rapture of the church will herald first the outpouring of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16), and then finally, the wrath of God (Rev. 15:7). As devastating as Hurricane Katrina was, it is simply a small glimpse of what the future holds for the 'children of disobedience,' according to the Word of God. (Col. 3:6) The Bible teaches us that God never pours out his wrath without warning. His wrath is coming, and it is coming soon, but this is not it. With all due respect, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina will appear as a blip on the screen compared to what this world is preparing to experience.
Katrina: Judgment For Gaza?
But if God's wrath has not yet been poured out, how do we explain the interesting timing of Hurricane Katrina just days after the Gaza disengagement? Well, we can attempt to understand it in a few ways. First, it is clearly scriptural that God can and does allow devastation in the world. But allowing it is not the same as condoning it. It is true that God may be lifting His divine hand, if I may use that expression, from America. His decision to do so would be completely justified by our nation's actions. Second, with Satan presently reigning as the 'god of this world' (2 Cor. 4:4) havoc and destruction are certain. And if that were not already enough, according to Romans 8:22, 'the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now,' waiting for the redemption of the righteous.
Let's face it, earth's citizens are in a bind. We live in a world that is experiencing the birth pangs foretold by Christ and we have an angry devil running the world's system hitting and destroying anything God allows him to. Simply put, the birth pangs are increasing in intensity and are becoming closer together. With this knowledge, it would be highly unadvisable to blame God for the misfortunes we experience here on this sin-filled earth. Christ said himself: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
God is not to blame for such tragedies. Besides, if God were ready to begin punishing the sins of the world, which city would be safe from his wrath? On the contrary, God has reserved his anger for a specific time period that will last seven years. This seven year time period is known as Jacob's trouble in the scriptures. It is also referred to as the tribulation by Christ himself. (You can read about this time period in your Bible in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and Revelation 4-19)
'Great Conjecture' vs. 'Great Commission'
I will add that the conjecture is certainly interesting. I believe it is a possibility that God could have allowed a direct hit upon America's shores in response to its endorsement of the Gaza disengagement. But let's not begin building our theologies upon that foundation. Instead, let us be about the Father's business. There are people to help, prayers to pray, and hearts to tend to.
So let's not become fixated upon some 'Great Conjecture.' Instead, let's lose ourselves in the 'Great Commission.'
The Great Commission
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." -- Matt. 28:18-20 (KJV)
Jerry Robinson is the founder of Jerry Robinson Ministries, a ministry devoted to taking the Gospel of Jesus' First Coming to the unbeliever, and the Good News of Jesus' Second Coming to the Global church. He is an ordained minister, writer, and speaker and holds university degrees in International Economics and Religious Studies. Additionally, Jerry operates jerryrobinson.org, an internationally known website that archives and analyzes global events through the lens of biblical prophecy.