If you thought 2020 and the few years following were wild you had better buckle up. 2024 is stepping up to the plate and saying hold my beer. Let’s look at a few things that have already happened in the first week of 2024 or will happen soon. Hopefully, you won’t read this and think you need to build a bunker.
Have you ever found a cicada shell in your yard? These amazing creatures spend most of their lives underground. Then every so many years they surface shed their shells and fly about freely for a very short time.
What is interesting is the fact that the 13 and 17-year cicadas will co-emerge together this year for the first time since 1903. That is right for the first time since Jefferson was President and Napolean was wreaking havoc all over Europe. No big deal, right? Or is it?
There is mention of the locusts being let loose from the bottomless pit in Revelation chapter 9. Should we be freaking out and considering building a bunker because of some bugs? Probably not. Let’s study these bugs a bit closer. While the term locust is often used to refer to cicadas, they are not the same thing. They are often confused by each other because they look very similar but in function, they are very different. I am sure their emergence later this year is no big deal, mostly sure…
If the whole cicada locust thing isn’t enough to raise an eyebrow let’s consider a few things that have happened in the first week of 2024. After considering these things you may soon be googling how to build a bunker.
Just hours into 2024 there was a massive earthquake in Japan. “The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the remote Noto peninsula – toppling buildings and sparking a major fire.” The earthquake also caused a tsunami, and the current death toll is over 160 people.
Jesus did warn his followers in Matthew 24 when speaking about the signs of the end of times when he said, “Keep watch… There will be earthquakes in many places.” Japan wasn’t the only place to experience an earthquake. There was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake that shook southern California on January 5th. And a pair of earthquakes that shook central Kansas on January 4th. But again, I am sure it is no big deal, and you don’t need to start building your bunker yet.
If earthquakes are not enough to raise an eyebrow about how wild 2024 could be, maybe this will be. What about an alien invasion? On January 5th in Miami, Florida that is exactly what people thought was happening outside of the Bayside Marketplace. There were reports of “eight and ten-foot-tall shadow aliens.” That followed by a massive police response had social media all a buzz. Was it aliens? The jury is still out on that, but it must make you wonder what in the world is going on.
Again, Jesus warns his followers in Matthew 24:4, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you.” Deception is a tool of the enemy. What better way to deceive God’s people than by staging an alien invasion? Assuming aliens are not real.
Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host, believes that UFOs and aliens are very real. He says they have a very dark spiritual, demonic, connection. He recently said, “The second thing that bothers me is the UFO story … If you talk to people who have actual knowledge of it that they gathered themselves, there are parts of that story that I do not understand at all that are really, really, really dark … There’s a spiritual component there that I don’t fully understand. That story bothers me.”
Whether real or not, I believe we will see lots more UFOs and aliens in the news in 2024 as the enemy can use them to deceive people from believing in God.
Okay, enough about aliens. What about wars? Jesus also warned his followers about that in Matthew 24:6, “You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. Those things must happen.”
Much of the news cycle over the past few years has been dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now we have the conflict in Israel between the Israelites and Hamas that has stoked protests worldwide. Live updates on that war can be streamed daily. Tensions continue to build between China and Tawain as they threaten war.
Wars and rumors of wars currently seem a world away and may be the least of our fears stateside. But that could all change as countries like China, Russia, and Iran all warn the United States about their involvement in foreign wars. Time will tell, but are these foreign wars enough to get you to start stockpiling your bunker? Maybe not.
But one must wonder why billionaires and politicians in America are currently building bunkers.
Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is currently building a $100,000,000 underground bunker in Hawaii. He isn’t the only one. Rumors have surfaced about President Joe Biden building an underground bunker at his home in Delaware. There are also reports of 14 other billionaires currently building bunkers that are set to be completed before the end of 2024.
That does raise an eyebrow for me. It makes you wonder what they know that we do not know.
It is easy for anyone to check their news feed and line things up in current events with the words of Jesus and Bible prophecy. For many, this is anxiety-producing. The way that most deal with this is by not dealing with it. By trying to ignore it or explain it away.
Jesus does not want us to live in fear. That is why in this prophecy Jesus says in Matthew 24:6, “Don’t be alarmed.” We don’t have to live in fear or build a bunker to hide in. Last I checked my savings account doesn’t allow for building an underground bunker anyway. At best I am probably rocking with a few extra cases of Ramen noodles and bottled water.
You can either build a bunker or buckle up the full armor of God and get ready to stand firm in your faith.
Remember God does not want us to live in fear. Hiding in a bunker is done so out of a stance of fear. Never in the Bible does God instruct His followers to hide in fear. Never!
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, “God gave us his Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love. He helps us control ourselves.”
With God on our side, there is no reason to fear. That is not to say that things won’t get bumpy. And that is exactly why God offers us His armor to wear. Read Ephesians 6:10-18.
“Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can remain strong against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing. So remain strong in the faith. Put the belt of truth around your waist. Put the armor of godliness on your chest. Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace. Also, pick up the shield of faith. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Put on the helmet of salvation. And take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God’s word. At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
So as 2024 unfolds make sure to “buckle up” the armor of God daily. You need not live in fear or hide in a bunker. God is victorious and we can have confidence if we are faithful to Him.
