In last week's blog, I began to talk about Measles, one of the (4) epidemics I am focusing on as a sign Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:7-8 that points to his return to the earth. While writing however, I was interrupted by news of Cuba's earthquake. Now let's take up where we left off about Measles.
Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia has this to say about Measles:
"Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus. Measles is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person's nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious - 90% of people without immunity sharing a house with an infected person will catch the Measles.
The classical symptoms of measles include four day fevers, the three C's - cough, coryza (runny nose) and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
History - The Antoine Plague, 165-180 AD, also known as the Plague of Galen, who described it, was probably smallpox or measles. The disease killed as much as one third of the population in some areas, and decimated the Roman army.
In roughly the last 150 years, measles has been estimated to have killed about 200 million people! During the 1850s, measles killed a fifth of Hawaii's people. In 1875, measles killed over 40,000 Fijians, approximately one-third of the population. In 1954, the virus causing the disease was isolated from an 11 - year old boy from the United States, David Edmonston, and adapted and propagated on chick embryo tissue culture. To date, 21 strains of the measles virus have been identified. Licensed vaccines to prevent the disease became available in 1963."
When asked by his disciples what would be the conditions of the world prior to his return to the earth, (Matthew 24:3) Jesus' answer included "pestilences" which means epidemics, such as Measles, Bubonic Plague, HIV AIDS, West Nile Virus, H1N1, Flu, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, the common cold, just to name a few.
Many of us don't realize that many of the diseases that we have become accustomed to and think little about, are actually the fulfilment of the conditions that Jesus said would be in existence upon his return to Earth! We are living in those conditions at this very moment!
Next week I will focus on yet another epidemic which points to the return of Jesus, HIV AIDS, as we continue in our series of Signs of Jesus Return!
Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia has this to say about Measles:
"Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus. Measles is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person's nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious - 90% of people without immunity sharing a house with an infected person will catch the Measles.
The classical symptoms of measles include four day fevers, the three C's - cough, coryza (runny nose) and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
History - The Antoine Plague, 165-180 AD, also known as the Plague of Galen, who described it, was probably smallpox or measles. The disease killed as much as one third of the population in some areas, and decimated the Roman army.
In roughly the last 150 years, measles has been estimated to have killed about 200 million people! During the 1850s, measles killed a fifth of Hawaii's people. In 1875, measles killed over 40,000 Fijians, approximately one-third of the population. In 1954, the virus causing the disease was isolated from an 11 - year old boy from the United States, David Edmonston, and adapted and propagated on chick embryo tissue culture. To date, 21 strains of the measles virus have been identified. Licensed vaccines to prevent the disease became available in 1963."
When asked by his disciples what would be the conditions of the world prior to his return to the earth, (Matthew 24:3) Jesus' answer included "pestilences" which means epidemics, such as Measles, Bubonic Plague, HIV AIDS, West Nile Virus, H1N1, Flu, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, the common cold, just to name a few.
Many of us don't realize that many of the diseases that we have become accustomed to and think little about, are actually the fulfilment of the conditions that Jesus said would be in existence upon his return to Earth! We are living in those conditions at this very moment!
Next week I will focus on yet another epidemic which points to the return of Jesus, HIV AIDS, as we continue in our series of Signs of Jesus Return!
