Given the open hostility most media outlets address Christianity, and in particular, Christian eschatology, I thought it pertinent to take this opportunity to chronicle why the secular media increasingly address phenomena using biblical terminology. At some point soon, I intend to discuss the hurricane's strong rotation so far inland into overwhelmingly red states, and the sluggish and even antagonistic response from the federal government in the weeks leading up to the most consequential election of our lives. It has not been lost on yours truly that something is truly rotten in Denmark. However, my purpose here today is not to dip one toe into the conspiratorial waters of geoengineering (i.e., hurricane steering, weather modification, cloud seeding, etc.) eminent domain, lithium, and quartz mining, etc. until I get my facts straight first. However, if you are interested in that topic, go here to go on your own rabbit trail.
As I said, I want to address something a bit broader in concept, but no less consequential.
The use of labeling everything apocalyptic.
I've noticed (as perhaps you have as well), the surge in a sentiment that's become all too commonplace in our modern era. This would be the increasing appearance of phrases like of biblical proportions, apocalyptic, end of the world, and the last days that routinely appear in our varied headlines since the year 2000.
Hindsight is 20/20
Let’s take a step back to the 20th century—yes, there were moments of fiery rhetoric, but it was far more restrained than today's relentless barrage. Back then, apocalyptic language was reserved for true global upheavals: world wars, nuclear brinkmanship, or catastrophic events. The headlines didn’t throw around the “end-of-the-world” metaphors at the drop of a hat. From the trenches of the World Wars to the Cold War’s “duck and cover” drills, such rhetoric came in measured waves, usually saved for only the severest of crises.
Fast forward to today, where the panic dial is permanently cranked to "high alert." The 24-hour news cycle doesn’t just report the news; it amplifies it, turning every incident—be it a hurricane, a market crash, or a political scandal—into a global catastrophe. Every event is broadcast live, replayed endlessly, shared, tweeted, and repackaged until even routine disruptions seem like signs of the apocalypse. This constant bombardment of doomsday imagery isn’t just happenstance.
The constant fearmongering serves a darker purpose—conditioning society to accept catastrophe as both the new normal and as a consequence of the intentionally ambiguous doom of climate change. It's a deliberate marketing strategy by our spiritual enemy designed not only to desensitize people to constant crises but also to erode their capacity for discernment. By numbing hearts to widespread suffering and stoking confusion, these forces aim to misdirect the blame for natural disasters and societal breakdown, not toward their Marxist and Luciferian agendas, but against the foundational values of Western civilization—particularly capitalism, private ownership, civil liberties, and the Judeo-Christian ethos. The globalist goal is clear: keep the masses distracted, caught up in divisive debates about (pick a topic), and blind them to the deeper, spiritual forces at play.
Rabbit Trail
Not to be nitpicky, but to me, this all comes back to the overusing of phrases like "of biblical proportions," "apocalyptic," and "last days" appearing in the news headlines with increased frequency since the year 2000. The powers that be are committed to double-down on fear-pedaling, and overusing biblical eschatological terminology, not to wake people to the reality that Christ is coming soon, but to desensitize them concerning the true causes of natural disasters. Remember the movie "Armageddon" that came out in 1999? Yep, had nothing to do with the real biblical Armageddon, but everything to do with a rogue comet dismissing God and putting man as the master of our salvation.
This agenda has only been amplified a hundred-fold given the increase in smart devices available, the rise of social media, and the expediency with which breaking news reaches the masses. This rhetoric is particularly escalated during times of global crises, such as significant natural disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical conflicts. From 1900 to 2000, the use of apocalyptic phrases like "of biblical proportions," "apocalyptic," and "last days" in news headlines increased, though it followed a fluctuating pattern tied to specific historical contexts and cultural shifts of the times.
Early 20th Century (1900-1945): Apocalyptic language was sporadically used in headlines during major world events like World War I and World War II due to unprecedented death and destruction. Figures like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini were seen as possible antichrists, but their use was less frequent compared to later decades.
Cold War Era (1945-1991): The Cold War and nuclear arms race led to a rise in apocalyptic rhetoric, with fear of nuclear annihilation spreading through popular culture. Terms like “apocalypse” and “end of the world” became common, especially during tense moments like the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). Religious communities, particularly in the U.S., interpreted global events as signs of the end times, popularizing this language further.
Environmental Movement and Disasters (1960s-2000s): The environmental movement from the 1960s onwards, along with disasters like Chernobyl (1986) and Three Mile Island (1979), increased the use of terms like "apocalyptic" and "biblical proportions" in media discussions on the environment and climate. Concerns shifted from global cooling in the 1970s to global warming by the end of the 1980s, eventually leading to "climate change."
Cultural Shifts (1970s-2000): The 1970s through the 1990s saw a surge in apocalyptic fiction's popularity in movies like Soylent Green, Mad Max, The Terminator, and The Matrix. On a positive note, there was also a renewed interest in Christian eschatology through works like The Late, Great Planet Earth (1970) and the Left Behind series (1990s) bringing the apocalyptic genre back to its biblical origin. Thus, apocalyptic themes, both fact, and fiction, became prevalent in pop culture and the media, with terms like “end times” becoming increasingly popular vernacular concerning the millennium, the Y2K scare, natural disasters, and acts of error and terror, which has continued to pile on the fears of global collapse.
Comparison to 2000-2020:
The use of apocalyptic language steadily increased throughout the 20th century, driven by events like world wars, nuclear tensions, and natural disasters. However, the 21st century has seen an exponential surge in such rhetoric, fueled by a) the exponential transformation of technology, social media, and smart devices, and b) transformative global events including 9/11, the war on terror, financial crises, and widespread pandemics (e.g., avian flu, Ebola, and COVID-19). Massive natural disasters and human-caused catastrophes have further amplified the use of metaphors that invoke world-ending scenarios to get clicks, and likes, or to drive up its algorithms to stand out amidst a sea of white noise. The following is just a sampling of such headlines. (not all links still work)
September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks
a. Headline: "9/11: An Attack of Apocalyptic Proportions"
b. Source: The Guardian on 9/11
Iraq War (2003)
a. "Iraq Invasion: A Conflict of Biblical Proportions"
b. BBC on Iraq Invasion
Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004)
a. "Tsunami: Disaster of Biblical Proportions"
b. The 2004 tsunami killed over 230,000 people across multiple countries, making it one of the deadliest disasters in history. BBC Coverage
Hurricane Katrina (2005)
a. "New Orleans Devastation: An Apocalyptic Disaster"
b. Described as one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to hit the U.S., Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation and displacement. CNN on Katrina
The Global Financial Meltdown (2008)
a. An Economic Crisis of Biblical Proportions
b. BBC - 2008 Financial Crisis
Haiti Earthquake (2010)
a. "Haiti Earthquake: A Catastrophe of Biblical Proportions"
b. The earthquake left over 200,000 dead and millions displaced in one of the poorest nations on Earth. The Guardian on Haiti
Al Gore Warns of Climate Crisis (2010s)
a. 'An Apocalyptic Future Awaits Us'
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster (2011)
a. "Fukushima: An Apocalyptic Nuclear Crisis"
b. NPR on Fukushima
Japan Earthquake: A Tsunami of Biblical Proportions
Mayan Calendar (2012)
a. Mayan Calendar Predicts the End of the World
Typhoon Haiyan (2013)
a. "Super Typhoon Haiyan: A Storm of Biblical Proportions"
b. One of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, it left more than 6,000 dead in the Philippines. CNN on Haiyan
Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (2014-2016)
a. "Ebola Crisis: A Plague of Apocalyptic Proportions"
b. The Ebola epidemic spread fear of a global pandemic, horrifically killing over 11,000 people. The Guardian on Ebola
Nepal Earthquake (2015)
a. "Nepal Quake: A Catastrophe of Biblical Proportions"
b. The earthquake killed nearly 9,000 and destroyed much of Kathmandu's ancient architecture. BBC on Nepal Earthquake
British Exit from the European Union (2016)
a. Brexit Could Mean the End of the World as We Know It
Hurricane Harvey (2017)
a. Hurricane Harvey: Flooding of Biblical Proportions
b. CBN - Hurricane Harvey
Australia Bushfires (2019-2020)
a. "Australia's Fires: A Climate Catastrophe of Biblical Proportions"
California Wildfires (2020)
a. An Apocalyptic August in California
COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-Present)
a. "COVID-19: An Apocalyptic Pandemic"
US Drought (2021)
a. A Drought of Biblical Proportions Is Here
Ukraine Invasion (2022)
a. Russia-Ukraine war: Some pastors wonder about “end of days”
b. KGET News
Israel-Hamas War (October 7, 2023- Present)
a. "Israel Under Attack: An Apocalyptic Day in the Middle East"
b. The surprise attacks by Hamas killed 1,400 Israeli citizens and kidnapped more than 300. Times of Israel on October 7
Hurricane Helene (2024)
a. "Hurricane Helene Turns City Touted as ‘Climate Haven’ Into ‘Apocalyptic’ Disaster Zone" The Daily Beast
Conclusion
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:20-22
Thus, the key to understanding this subtle manipulation is recognizing that, at least concerning the secular media who routinely mock the Bible and Bible prophecy, it’s all part of a broader strategy: to desensitize people to suffering, sow confusion, and to keep the focus off those who are causing much of the problems (i.e., wars, weaponized immigration, open borders, etc.). In doing so, they continue to chip away and systematically dismantle Western civilization, upend norms and traditions that have existed since antiquity, and are setting the stage for the final world government that will truly usher in the apocalyptic ending they so love to mock today.
So why overuse the apocalyptic rhetoric?
Is it simply 'attention-grabbing' headlines to snag likes, shares, thumbs up, and clicks to drive up the algorithm, or is there a more Operation Mockingbird-propaganda messaging behind their sensationalism? It wouldn't be the first time.
After all, it shouldn't surprise us—we've been watching leftist ideology creep into just about every facet of Western civilization over the past 120 years. But you might be asking, what in the green goblin does leftist ideology have to do with the major global crises currently plaguing the planet?
Nothing.
Well, not directly at least.
Indirectly, it has everything to do with it. Authoritarianism has historically been the dominant form of governance, led by rulers such as emperors, kings, czars, and dictators. Karl Marx introduced a Luciferian method for seizing power from the bottom up through subversive or revolutionary means and maintaining power once they had it. Orthodox Marxism focuses on economic systems and class conflict, while neo-Marxism (progressivism) expands to include social and cultural aspects like race, gender, and capitalism (think woke). Either way, it leads to communism.
The post-WWII deep state began to use neo-Marxism among other things as a tool to maintain power through perpetuating division and control over the population. The deep state is comprised of individuals in intelligence agencies, financial institutions, defense corporations, technocracies, and pharmaceuticals, all of which, serve their own ends and operate independently of the revolving political administrations. The two most powerful in the deep state are the eighteen intelligence agencies and the Federal Reserve, which exert significant control over domestic and foreign policy, and the economy, with complex relationships with defense, major asset management firms, globalist organizations, and private industry.
The political revolutionaries of yesteryear were the agitated university students in Ivy League colleges. The political revolutionaries of today, including all manner of silver-haired Marxists, who now hold key positions in federal and global institutions who aim to finally fulfill their dream of a global government. Perpetuating a permanent state of crises by manipulating public perception, is just one facet they use to maintain power indefinitely.
So don't misunderstand me, I'm not straining at the gnat to swallow the camel; evil people will continue to do wickedly in scheming against our Lord (Psalm 2). I'm simply pointing out how the left (both the human and spiritual agents) use disasters to continue to perpetuate their agenda by fearmongering the crisis to get you to part with more of your liberties for their security.
Look, real, devastating disasters happen, and we as a community need to continue to do what we can to help. But here is a sobering thought. If God's prophetic plan should allow us, His Bride, to see such days, what do you think those who are left behind will see after we are Raptured?
As terrible as things happen here, they should not be equated with times of our greatest crisis. The truth is, what's coming is so horrific that Jesus said its appearance and duration would have no equal in all of human history. The next time someone uses that apocalyptic description around you, take the opportunity to share with them what is really coming.
For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Mark 13:19-20
My prayer is that in the time remaining, as weather and conditions upon the earth become increasingly dire, more churches will wake up and take seriously the coming period of hell on earth known as Daniel's 70th Week or the Tribulation. If the world wants to know why the weather, earthquakes, solar flares, drought, famine, and flooding continue to escalate, it's because the earth is increasingly going through the birth pangs that will herald the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25-28