Foreshadowing or Warning Signs?
Warning signs abounded in 79 AD, Pompeii, Greece. Earth tremors increased in strength and frequency, while water sources that had been around for centuries dried up. Livestock grew restless, and birds and wildlife exhibited erratic behavior. However, the people of Pompeii carried on as usual, buying and selling in the markets, debating in public forums, dining with friends and family, all the while, pressure built under Mt. Vesuvius. The lifelike poses of people frozen in ash after the volcanic eruption are the heartbreaking reminders that the people of Pompeii either missed or ignored the warning signs.
In writing, the term used for warning signs is foreshadowing. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, lightning splits the chestnut tree, foreshadowing a fracture in their relationship. In Token’s The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins struggles to relinquish the One Ring, hinting at future struggles regarding the ring’s corruptive power. Additionally, in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, remarks about Ender’s realistic simulations tease the final twist in the story.
Current events have raised questions about whether we’re experiencing a foreshadowing of things to come or the foretold warning signs from the Bible that Jesus prophesied in Matthew chapter 24. While there are Bible scholars much more qualified than I to answer this question, I want to highlight a couple of instructions that Jesus gives in Matthew 24, after His disciples ask about signs of the end times, that we can start following now.
“Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Mat. 24:4) Verse five goes on to say, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” To avoid deception, we must spend time with Jesus and in the Word. The flock recognizes its shepherd’s voice. I can pick my husband’s voice and that of my children out of a crowd, and as I become more nearsighted, I identify my boys in sports not by their jersey numbers but by their walk. To know Jesus, we must be in His presence through prayer and reading the Bible, so that we may know the truth and the truth will set us free, especially from deception.
“See that you are not troubled.” (Mat. 24:6) We are not to worry even when things look bleak. A storm came while Jesus was asleep in a boat. His disciples woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!” Jesus replied, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?” Trusting God means not relying on ourselves. To be honest, I struggle with this. I’m a planner. I like to have a plan A, B, and C. Life has shown me how little control I have and that not everything goes according to my plan, but it does go according to God’s plan. Jesus also states in Matthew 24:6, “for all these things must come to pass.” God is in control. When the end comes, He will redeem the world from its evil nature and usher in a new heaven and earth. Our hearts shouldn’t be troubled because the earth is experiencing growing pains. Ultimately, we will rejoice.
“Be ready.” (Mat 24:44) Our minds, hearts, and spirits need to be ready at all times for we do not know the hour of Jesus’s return, but our focus shouldn’t be on the things of this world, which are temporary, but on things unseen that are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:8).
I want to leave you with one last verse that has encouraged me in troubling times. Psalm 46:1-3:
"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah."