Failing Governments and Global Suffering

Failing governments are major contributors to suffering on a global scale. “Venezuela continues to be embroiled in an economic crisis that has included food shortages.... Inflation is at 700 percent, the country continues to be in a recession and ‘basic food and medicine are in severely short supply’… Venezuelans spend their days queueing for hours at supermarkets, but often go home empty-handed” (US News and World Report, September 2, 2016). In Nigeria, “Aid agencies say the humanitarian crisis in north-eastern Nigeria is growing, with more than two million people displaced by the war with Boko Haram… 50,000 children could die from malnutrition unless they receive immediate help, the UN has warned” (BBC News, August 29, 2016). In Syria, “600,000 Syrians now live under siege with up to 300,000 trapped in the city” of Aleppo (BBC News, September 7, 2016). “The UN special envoy for Syria has estimated that 400,000 people have been killed [in Syria] throughout the past five years of civil war” (Al Jazeera, April 23, 2016).

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul lamented, “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs” waiting for the return of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18-22). Bible prophecy states that unless Christ intervenes in world affairs, human beings would destroy themselves (Matthew 24:22). However, the “good news” is that Jesus is going to return as the “Prince of Peace” to put an end to human governments and establish “His government and peace” over the entire earth (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 11:15). As human efforts fail to resolve the causes of global suffering, the need for Christ’s return will become more obvious. To learn more about God’s plan for mankind, watch our telecast, “Why Will Christ Return?”