Suffocating Ocean

According to a recent study in the highly respected journal Science, “Ocean dead zones with zero oxygen have quadrupled in size since 1950… while the number of very low oxygen sites near coasts have multiplied tenfold” (The Guardian, January 4, 2018). Because most sea life cannot live in these dead zones, scientists predict that mass extinction and ecological collapse could occur if the trend continues. Rising ocean temperatures have led to the deoxygenation at sea, and “coastal dead zones result from fertiliser and sewage running off the land and into the seas.” Scientists report that “The decline in ocean oxygen ranks among the most serious effects of human activities on the Earth’s environment” as it suffocates and kills fish and destroys habitats (Smithsonian Insider, January 4, 2018).

But there may be prophetic significance to what is occurring. Jesus predicted that one of the signs of the end of the age would be widespread natural disasters (Matthew 24:7). The prophet Hosea warned that because human beings would violate the laws of God, “the land will mourn… even the fish of the sea will be taken away” (Hosea 4:1-3), and the Apostle Paul says that “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” as a result of man’s misguided activities (Romans 8:22). However, the Bible also reveals that eventually God will bring His judgment on this earth before the return of Jesus Christ. At that time, a third of the sea will become blood and a third of the living creatures in the sea will die (Revelation 8:8-9), as God punishes mankind for their defiance, their sins and rejection of Him.

Yet there is good news ahead! The Bible reveals that Jesus Christ will return to the earth (John 14:1-3). He will bring a “restoration of all things,” including the environment (Isaiah 11:1-9; 35:1-7; Acts 3:19-21). Ultimately, healing waters will flow from Jerusalem and restore sea life once again (Ezekiel 47:1-10). To learn more about the Earth’s future recovery and the exciting changes ahead, be sure to watch “Hope for the Future.”