I'm not sure why this was brought to mind. I had researched this last year sharing it with family and haven't thought much about it since. I will share with you an interesting, perhaps coincidental, though I don't believe in coincidence, piece of information on our current president.
As you know, Barack Obama is from the state of Illinois, notwithstanding the controversy surrounding his birth certificate, I am focusing on his whereabouts the years just prior to the White House.
Obama began his presidetial campaign, according to Wikipedia, in February 2007. It just so happens that in 2007 the state of Illinois had a 17 year emergence of the cicada (locust) in the Chicagoland area. Here is what the University of Illinois states on their website:
The Next Emergence?
The 17 year cicada broods in the Chicagoland area apparently emerged four years early, in 1969. It then returned to a seventeen-year cycle. In 1986 and 2003, the smaller division emerged. This sub-brood emerges throughout much of the Cook County suburbs, the eastern half of DuPage County, southeastern Lake County, and northeastern Will County. The emergence is a curved band running from Deerfield on the northeast, arcing to Addison and Lisle on the west and Crete on the southeast. The inside of the band arcs across northwestern, western, and southwestern Chicago. Its territory is not as large as the main brood which will emerge in the spring of 2007. The main hatch will be heavier in number and cover a much larger territory.
The Gardeners Network says, "Cicada bugs, also called the "17 year locust", Cicada insects or bugs, arrive by the millions, and can do damage to a variety of young trees and shrubs in your yard."
The connection I make here is biblical. Christians know that the locust army of God will come as a rod of correction to His children:
Deuteronomy 28:42 "All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume."
Joel 1:4 "That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten."
But God promises this:
Joel 2:25 "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you."
Notice that this IS indeed God's army that HE sent. Did the physical locust come down on the people -- of course, but this was a picture of what would happen again, figuratively, during the end days of this flesh dispensation. I want to encourage you to read these passages in full. God promises this will be but His blessings will not rain down until His children meet the conditions of the covenant made. Is it that hard to love our Heavenly Father?
Again, is this coincidence or, is this a warning? Study and decide for yourself.
Abundant blessings! |
May. 2, 2009 - Wow_ really interesting ---
The beginning of wisdom: Fear Our Heavenly Father ....
Thanks for keeping in touch. I was very happy to hear from you : )
Keep your eyes onJesus!
Michele