Amphibian ‘apocalypse’ caused by most destructive pathogen ever & ‘The Worst Disease Ever Recorded”
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans infection in the skin of a salamander (A. Martel and F. Pasmans)
National Geographic reported the following:
Amphibian ‘apocalypse’ caused by most destructive pathogen ever
For decades, a silent killer has slaughtered frogs and salamanders around the world by eating their skins alive. Now, a global team of 41 scientists has announced that the pathogen … has damaged global biodiversity more than any other disease ever recorded.
The new study, published in Science on Thursday, is the first comprehensive tally of the damage done by the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). In all, the fungi have driven the declines of at least 501 amphibian species, or about one out of every 16 known to science.
Of the chytrid-stricken species, 90 have gone extinct or are presumed extinct in the wild. Another 124 species have declined in number by more than 90 percent. All but one of the 501 declines was caused by Bd.
“Chytrid fungus is the most destructive pathogen ever described by science—that’s a pretty shocking realization,” adds Wendy Palen, a biologist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia who wrote about the study for Science. …
Researchers say that we can’t reverse the damage that Bd has already done. …
Many the affected frogs live in Central and South America, though outbreaks also occur across Europe, North America, Australia, and Africa. … In the early 20th century, human activity—such as trade and war—accidentally spread the fungus around the world. 03/28/19 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus/
Notice something related to this from the Atlantic:
The Worst Disease Ever Recorded
Bd—Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in full—kills frogs and other amphibians by eating away at their skin and triggering fatal heart attacks. …
The fungus hasn’t acted alone; humans have been its unwitting accomplice. A genetic study led by Matthew Fisher from Imperial College London suggested that Bd had originated somewhere in Asia. From there, one especially virulent and transmissible strain spread around the world in the early 20th century—a time when international trade was booming. Infected animals could have stowed away aboard ships, or been deliberately transported as food, pets, or pregnancy tests. Either way, the killer strain eventually spread to five other continents.03/28/19 https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/bd-frogs-apocalypse-disease/585862/
What do amphibians like frogs and salamanders eat?
Insects.
Insects including mosquitoes, flies, and mites that can carry various diseases.
The loss of amphibians brought to mind the frog plague in Egypt.
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. 3 So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.”‘”
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.'” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:1-7)
Pharaoh did not care for the frogs and wanted them gone:
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”
9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”
10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”
12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said. (Exodus 8:8-15)
But not only did the land stink, the loss of frogs may well have been a factor in God deciding that the next plague would be lice:
16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'” 17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
18 Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said. (Exodus 8:16-19)
Could the loss of amphibians lead to some type of insect explosion that would cause diseases to impact humans?
That would seem to be a possibility.
Consider that Jesus Himself warned that the “signs” of the end of the age would include pestilences:
7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7b-8)
11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:11)
While the above will likely include human-engineered pests, natural pests are also expected to be an issue.
And as far as famines go, there has also been a tremendous loss of bees around the world (see EU further bans neonicotinoids to protect bees), and bees are necessary for the pollinization of a significant portion of the human food supply:
Bees are the prime pollinators for around a third of most crops around the world, with some estimates putting that figure at 80 percent for crops in the United States, making CCD and its resulting significant depletion of honeybees a concern, the researchers say. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/6798/20140510/pesticides-and-colder-winters-triggered-collapse-of-honeybee-colonies.htm
The use of neonicotinoid pesticides/herbicides by humans looks to have been a major factor in the loss of bees (see also Bees seem to get addicted to pesticide that may be devastating their population).
Humans were supposed to tend and keep the earth (Genesis 2:15). Yet humans, in various ways, have been destroying the earth. Jesus will have to intervene. When He returns:
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)
In the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation, the ride of four horsemen are described. The passages about the fourth horseman are as follows:
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)
So, the opening of the fourth seal is the time that the pale horse of death is apparently increasing death by war, hunger, and pestilences (the beasts of the earth).
The late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) warned back in 1982, that the destruction of insect eating creatures, like birds (which also eat amphibians) could allow for the “exponential growth” of insects. (Armstrong HW. The Unthinkable Will Happen. Sermon: June 19, 1982)
The idea that certain insects would grow exponentially has been a concern for some time.
The Bible warns that pestilences will become a major issue, that will increase during the beginning of sorrows and carry through into the Great Tribulation.
Dreadful pestilences will come and we are seeing reports that may be precursors to that.
The Apostle Peter wrote:
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:1-13)
The Apostle Paul wrote:
20 Do not despise prophecies. (1 Thessalonians 5:20)
Heed Jesus’ words:
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”(Luke 21:34-36)
Do not think that the world will continue as it has.
UPDATE 03/31/19: The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) has now put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans?
On March 28, 2019, Science reported a study about how Chytrid fungi had been devastating amphibian species around the world. Dr. Wendy Palen claimed, “Chytrid fungus is the most destructive pathogen ever described by science.” What does it do to the skins of frogs and salamanders? It appears to have caused 90 species to go extinct. Could a reduction in amphibians possibly lead to increases in the populations of certain insects? Could such insects carry pathogens that could harm humans? Jesus spoke of famines and pestilences as part of the beginning of sorrows–could what is happening to various species be setting up the conditions for that as well as the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse? Will things stay as they were or is change coming? What can you do about it? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Here is a link to the sermonette video: Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans?
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Differences Between Islam and the Continuing Church of God What are some of the main differences? Are there any similarities? A video of related interest is titled: Islam: Any Christian Concerns or Similarities?
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
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