Famine In Sudan Illustrates Accuracy Of Bible Prophecy
When Jesus was asked by his disciples, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3 ESV), he first warned them, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, . . . ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8 NIV). During his long response to his disciples’ question, he emphasized, “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:44 NLT). Since there is no way any human can figure out when Jesus will return, Jesus .said we “must be ready all the time.”. What does famine have to do with this?
At some unknown future point, Jesus said that, “‘The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29,30 NIV). The celestial events described here will not be literal, but they do signify great and very sudden dramatic changes on earth. “And then all the peoples of the earth”, meaning the vast majority, will know the end is near for them.
Since Jesus said “the world will see me no more” (John 14:19), this seeing the Son of Man will not be literal, but somehow they will all know he has returned. In fact everyone on earth will know, because, “‘he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him'” (Revelation 1:7 NIV). This ‘coming’ of Jesus will happen very “suddenly” (Luke 21:36 NIV), without warning.
In the meantime, what can we expect to be happening on earth” among other things, Jesus accurately foretold, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7 NIV; ESV; NASB). This is exactly what is happening, as illustrated in the following BBC News article:
Sudan slides deeper into famine, experts say
Reuters“War-hit Sudan is sliding into a “widening famine crisis” that has been marked by worsening starvation and a surge in acute malnutrition, an independent group of food security experts says.
Famine has spread to five areas, with 24.6 million people – about half the population – in urgent need of food aid, the experts said.
The hunger crisis has been caused by the 20-month civil war that has devastated Sudan.
Various mediation efforts aimed at ending the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have so far failed.
The army and RSF had jointly staged a coup in 2021, but a power struggle between their commanders plunged the country into a civil war in 2023.
It has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the UN-backed Famine Review Committee (FRC) warning that a “greater catastrophe” could unfold if the conflict did not end.
The committee is linked to the Integrated Food Phase Classification (IPC) – a global initiative by UN agencies, aid groups and governments to identify famine conditions.
On Monday, Sudan’s military-backed government announced it was suspending its cooperation with the group, accusing it of issuing “unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity”, Reuters news agency reports.
The IPC had first identified a famine in August at the Zamzam camp in Sudan’s Darfur region, where about half a million people were taking refuge.
In its latest report, the FRC said that famine had now also hit the Abu Shouk and al-Salam camps in Darfur’s besieged city of el-Fasher, as well as two areas in South Kordofan state.
“Famine is the most extreme manifestation of human suffering, representing a catastrophic collapse of the systems and resources essential for survival,” the FRC said.
“It is not merely a lack of food but a profound breakdown of health, livelihoods and social structures, leaving entire communities in a state of desperation,” it added.
The FRC predicted that five further areas in Darfur could face famine by May, and there was a risk of it spreading to 17 other areas.
“In areas of high conflict intensity, the hostilities severely disrupted farming activities, resulting in farmers abandoning their crops, looting and stock destruction,” it added.
Both Darfur and South Kordofan have been hit by some of the worst violence, with scores of civilians killed, raped and abducted by gunmen.
In May, US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello said that some estimates suggested up to 150,000 people had been killed in the conflict across the country.”
End of BBC article
“When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come.” And another, a fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him. When He (the Lamb) broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse [of famine]; and the rider had in his hand a pair of scales (a balance). And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius (a day’s wages), and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”—Revelation 6:3-7 Amplified Bible
Famine usually follows closely behind war, as Jesus and Revelation accurately predicted, and as illustrated in the above news article about the famine in Sudan. There have been famines throughout history and there will continue to be famines until the end, according to Bible prophecy. However, these famines are simply part of business as usual for this world, and not a “sign” that the end is just around the corner.