An Overlooked Aspect of the Climate Change Debate

The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. talks about a cause of future climate change that no scientific model can predict and that no amount of debate can debunk. The core of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. teaching is simple, but the future predictions are earthshaking.

On Monday the UN climate change conference began in Copenhagen with 192 countries represented. About 100 world leaders are expected to attend various parts of the two-week conference intended to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

An international survey commissioned by the BBC found that "64% of people questioned said that they considered global warming a very serious problem—up 20% from a 1998 poll."

But the recent so-called "ClimateGate" scandal has led to "widening concern about the state of climate science" that "could jeopardize any agreement at this week's summit in Copenhagen," said CBS correspondent Declan McCullagh. "To be sure, many—perhaps even most—climate researchers say any flaw in the leaked data assembled by the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU) does not mean the theory of man-made global warming is false. Nicholas Stern, chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, calls evidence for that theory 'overwhelming,'" Mr. McCullagh wrote.

Still, a Rasmussen Reports survey shows many Americans are not convinced. Over half think it is likely that some scientists have falsified research data, and 35 percent believe it is "very likely." Also 49 percent think the United Nations is not a reliable source of information on global warming.

Besides these doubts, economic realities and different priorities between industrialized and developing countries seem likely to limit the final agreements of the conference.

But in all the debate, is there an important aspect of climate change that is being totally overlooked? The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. talks about a cause of future climate change that no scientific model can predict and that no amount of debate can debunk. The core of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. teaching is simple, but the future predictions are earthshaking.
Cause and effect

One of the key lessons of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. is the lesson of cause and effect. There's the farming analogy that says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
See All...). The wisdom of Proverbs 26:2As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
See All... tells us that "a curse without cause shall not alight." And two long chapters in the books of Moses spell out the causes of blessings and the causes of curses (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28).

These blessings and curses include physical things like good or bad weather and agricultural abundance or famine. Interestingly, the cause of these climate changes goes far beyond our decisions about how to treat the environment. God says the blessings and curses are the consequences of whether we obey His laws (Deuteronomy 28:1And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
See All..., 15).

Part of God's commands deal with how we care for His earth, and God is angry with those who destroy the earth (Genesis 2:15And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of EdenThe land in which the Lord planted a garden for Adam to live in (Genesis 2:15). It was located at the branching of 4 rivers: the Euphrates, the Hiddekel (the Tigris), the Pishon, and the Gihon (Genesis 2:8-14). It was also the location of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:16). to dress it and to keep it.
See All...; RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 11:18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
See All...). But God tells us that how we treat each other and how we treat Him is also a part of the cause-and-effect equation. Sin—disobedience to God's laws—will lead to disastrous climate changes.
Punishment for sin

The mysterious book of RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). is full of warnings of end-time plagues brought about because of humanity's rejection of God. The calamities predicted include the death of "every living creature in the sea" and the sun scorching people with "great heat" (RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 16:3And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
See All..., 9).

Sadly, God tells us that these plagues on the physical environment are necessary to wake people up to the evil effects of sin.

But thankfully the God who sends these plagues will also reverse them, and will create a beautiful new environment in which to start over. In the Kingdom of God under Jesus Christ's rule, the nations of the world will learn not only to care for the environment, but to obey the spiritual laws that create a peaceful climate between people and with God. The prophet Isaiah pictured it like a return to EdenThe land in which the Lord planted a garden for Adam to live in (Genesis 2:15). It was located at the branching of 4 rivers: the Euphrates, the Hiddekel (the Tigris), the Pishon, and the Gihon (Genesis 2:8-14). It was also the location of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:16)., with hunger and disease removed and joy and gladness in their place (Isaiah 51:3For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like EdenThe land in which the Lord planted a garden for Adam to live in (Genesis 2:15). It was located at the branching of 4 rivers: the Euphrates, the Hiddekel (the Tigris), the Pishon, and the Gihon (Genesis 2:8-14). It was also the location of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:16)., and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
See All...; 35:1-2, 5-7)

For a deeper understanding of God's warnings for the end time and the hope He offers on beyond, read Are We Living in the Time of the End? More details are available in "The Destruction of Satan's Kingdom" from the booklet The Book of RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). Unveiled.