Does God still give warnings through symbolic events? Two tragedies, 20 years apart, seem to indicate He does.

On Feb 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia exploded and crashed. On that day, I wrote the following:

While watching the initial news reports this morning of the disastrous breakup of the space shuttle Columbia, I shared the shock and sadness of all who mourn the loss of the crew. But when I heard that the very first report of sightings of debris from the shuttle was in Palestine, Texas, I concluded this was no coincidence. The space shuttle represents the pinnacle of American pride and achievement. Could God be sending a warning message to us? We must desist in forcing a state of Palestine to come into being on land that God has promised to Israel. The fact that debris landed in Palestine, Texas, seems to be a not so subtle message from the Almighty. Even the name of the shuttle, Columbia, is symbolic. (It is a nickname for America.) Columbia has crashed in Palestine.

Now 20 years later, a catastrophic train wreck happened, in East Palestine, Ohio.

Coincidence? I think not. Both of these events, 20 years apart, occurred in the context of renewed United States efforts to establish a Palestinian state. The shameful, arrogant attempts to prevent Jews from living in their covenant land have persisted. Many of us believe these efforts will bring catastrophic outcomes to America - an impending train wreck.

The prophets of the Bible, whether you believe them or not, are crystal clear about God's emphatic determination to return the Jews to all of Biblical Israel. And those prophetic Scriptures are equally clear about His hot anger towards those who oppose His intentions.

My 2003 conclusion remains the same:

We do not need any kind of special circumstance to understand God's feelings about a Palestinian state and those who are pushing for it. That is clear from the Bible. But if we are wise, we will discern warnings clearly given. While we often cannot easily discern reasons for tragic events, in this case, many indications are evident that this was indeed a warning from God about the United States' treacherous stance regarding a Palestinian state.