US President Donald Trump has reversed a key scientific ruling that had underpinned all federal action to curb planet-warming gases since 2009. The “endangerment finding”, which concluded that six gases including carbon dioxide and methane were a danger to human health, had formed the legal bedrock of federal efforts to rein in emissions. Yet Donald Trump has now declared it had “no basis in fact”. And the White House says its reversal constitutes the “largest deregulation in American history”

So glaciers are melting worldwide. The Alps could reach their peak loss rate as early as 2033 to 2041. Depending on how quickly the planet warms, this period may mark a time when more glaciers vanish than ever before. Worldwide, the peak glacier loss rate will occur about ten years later and could rise from 2,000 to 4,000 glaciers lost each year.

And Planet Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. A new Arizona State University-led study highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, with staggering implications for freshwater availability.

The negative implications of this for available freshwater are staggering. 75% of the world’s population lives in 101 countries that have been losing freshwater for the past 22 years.

Nearly three quarters of the world’s population can expect strong and rapid changes in extreme temperatures and rainfall in the next 20 years; unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut dramatically, according to a new study by scientists from the Center for International Climate Research.

A study, published in the journal Nature Communications by an international team of climate scientists and permafrost experts shows that, global warming will accelerate permafrost thawing and as a result lead to an abrupt intensification of wildfires in the Subarctic and Arctic regions of northern Canada and Siberia.

A 2024 Pew poll on Americans’ top concerns, the economy landed at #1 while protecting the environment came in 14th and dealing with climate change came in 18th. A survey, conducted by Ipsos found that one in two Americans said they are not very or not at all exposed to environmental and climate change risks. Yet the warming planet has intensified hurricanes battering coasts, droughts striking middle American farms, and wildfires threatening homes and air quality across the country.

And we have learned that about one billion people face crippling heat from a 2C rise in global temperatures, according to the UK’s Met Office predictions. And data from the Lancet Countdown report says heat-related deaths among people over 65 years old reached a record high in 2019 – with about 345,000 deaths.

It is true that human society world wide has changed more rapidly, violently and fundamentally in the last 200 years than in any other period.

Doctors saved the lives of millions. Dictators sacrificed the lives of millions. Populations are exploding in Africa and birthrates are declining in Europe. Technology produces both worldwide prosperity and pollution at the same time.

Should we look upon the first century of the third millennium with optimistic hope or with fatalistic trepidation? Is the world and our society heading towards a wonder-filled new age, or toward a doomsday? Are Gog and Magog, (Gog u-Magog in Hebrew, and Yajuj and Majuj in Arabic) coming? Or are they already here? Or are both occurring almost concurrently because breakdown is often a prelude to breakthrough?

The long tradition of trying to foresee the eventual goal of human history started with the Prophets of Israel over 2,700 years ago. The Biblical vision of a Messianic Age may provide us with guidance in understanding the social, economic, scientific and cultural upheavals that will sweep society as it engages the next stage.

Greenpeace East Asia found that 14 new coal plants were approved from January to June 2024 with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts (bad news), down 80% from 50.4 gigawatts in the first half of 2023 (good news).

Usually it is the dramatic dangers of the pre-Messianic tribulation that are emphasized by Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars and teachers. I will focus on the positive signs developing throughout the world that accord with the hopeful Messianic visions of the Biblical Prophets.

In many religious traditions, redemption is defined in terms of individual enlightenment or personal salvation. However, the Prophets of ancient Israel conceived redemption as a transformation of human society that would occur through the influence of the teachings of future prophets, like Jesus and Muhammad, and the catalyst of a transformation of the Jewish people.

This transformation, which will take place in this world at some future time, is called the Messianic Age. The difficult transition to the Messianic Age is called the birth pangs of the Messiah. Isaiah 54:5 states: “For your Maker (God) is (like) your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.” This verse highlights God’s intimate, covenantal relationship with His people Israel), promising restoration, protection, and comfort.

The birth of a redeemed Messianic world may be the result of an easy or difficult labor. If everyone would simply live according to the moral teachings of his or her religious tradition, we ourselves, energized by God, bring about the Messianic Age.

But, if we will not do it voluntarily, God will bring it about through social and political upheavals, worldwide conflicts, inflation and generation gaps.

Prophets are sent to a nation to issue a warning that their behavior has consequences, and these consequences must be faced on Judgement Day. This Messianic agent of God (with several forerunners and many disciples) will be a descendant of King David, with great leadership qualities; greater even than Prophets Moses, Jesus or Muhammad.

The arrival of the Messianic Age is what’s really important, not the personality of the agents who bring it about, since they are simply the instruments of God, who ultimately is the real Redeemer.

The Messianic Age is usually seen as the solution to all of humanity’s basic problems. This may be true in the long run but the vast changes the transition to the Messianic Age entails, will provide challenges to society for many generations to come.

For example, the Prophet Isaiah, 2700 years ago, predicted that someday there would be a radically new world in which Jerusalem would be fulfilled with joy for “no more shall there be in it an infant that lives only a few days.” (65:20)

Where does the Messiah fit in with all of this? He will still have lots to do when he arrives. Most Orthodox Jews would not commit themselves to any individual as a Messiah unless he successfully rebuilds the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy of Zachariah, “He shall build the Temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, he shall sit on the throne and rule, there shall be a priest before the throne, and peaceful counsel will exist between both of them.” (Zachariah 6:13)

Now that a large part of the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel, and resurrected a Jewish State, one might think that rebuilding a small temple of the Temple Mount where Solomon originally built one almost 3,000 years ago, would be relatively simple.

But a Muslim Shrine- The Dome of the Rock, presently occupies the site. Often erroneously called the Mosque of Omar, it is not a mosque and it was not built by Omar. It was built in 691 by Abd-Al-Malik and it is regarded by Muslims as the third holiest site in the world. Any attempt to replace the Dome of the Rock would be a terrible anti-Messianic act.

There is however open land on the Temple Mount, and a small Jewish house of worship, equipped to broadcast religious services worldwide, could be built adjacent to the Dome of the Rock and 600 feet north of the Al-Aqsa mosque, (provided the Muslims cooperate) and fulfill the words of Prophet Joel (3:16) who states: “The Lord broadcasts from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem”

Most observers agree that anyone who could arrange such Jewish-Muslim cooperation would really be the Messianic Ruler of Peace (Prophet Isaiah 9:5) Christian support for such a cooperative venture would also be important, and anyone who can bring Jews, Christians and Muslims together in mutual respect and cooperation would surely fulfill the greatest of all Messianic predictions: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning knives; nation shall not take up sword against nation, they shall never again teach war.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Indeed, such Jewish/Christian/Muslim cooperation would not be possible without great spiritual leadership in all three communities. Thus, each community could consider its leadership to be helpers of the Messiah. Indeed, such Jewish/Christian/Muslim cooperation would not be possible without great spiritual leadership in all three communities as was foretold: (“Saviors [plural] will come up on mount Zion” Prophet Obadiah 1:21)

This would fulfill the culminating verses of Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, as enlarged upon by Prophet Micah (4:3-5), “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning knives. Nation shall not take up swords against nation, they shall never again teach war, but every man shall sit under his grapevine or fig tree with no one to disturb him, for it is the Lord of Hosts who spoke. Though all peoples walk each in the name of its God, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever.”

There will be no peace until both Palestinians and Israelis declare the chant ‘From river to sea’ becomes an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, and not death, destruction, or hate. We can make it truly aspirational by making it focus on both peoples first, and the land second. “From the river to the sea Palestinians and Israelis should be freed of hatred and suffering by ‘a two state for two peoples sharing of the land peacefully solution.’”

If all Arabs and Jews can live up to the ideal that ‘the descendants of Abraham’s sons should never make war against each other’ is the will of God; we will help fulfill the 2700 year old vision of Prophet Isaiah: “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel  will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the heart. The LORD of Hosts will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-5)

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)