This is a continuation of a synopsis of Matthew 24, and today we are writing about the fourth sign Jesus gave to indicate His return is near.  Jesus said, "Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences..." Matthew 24:7.  

We will look at a fifty-year history of pestilences, or epidemics/pandemics, throughout the world to determine a pattern and identify the status of pestilences today:

In the 1950s there were 2 pestilences worldwide:  the bubonic plague and the Asian flu pandemic.

In the 1960s there were 2 pestilences worldwide:  a worldwide cholera pandemic and a worldwide Hong Kong flu pandemic.  

In the 1970s there were 3 pestilences worldwide:  a worldwide cholera pandemic, an outbreak of smallpox in Yugoslavia, and a smallpox epidemic in India.  

In the 1980s there were 2 pestilences worldwide:  a worldwide cholera pandemic and a worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic.

In the 1990s there were 4 pestilences worldwide:  a worldwide cholera pandemic, a worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic, a plague epidemic in India, a meningitis epidemic in West Africa.

In the 2000s there were 33 pestilences worldwide:  a worldwide cholera pandemic, a worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic, a dengue fever epidemic in Central Africa, a SARS coronavirus epidemic in Asia, a plague epidemic in Algeria, a leishmaniasis epidemic in Afghanistan, a dengue fever epidemic in Indonesia, an ebola epidemic in Sudan, a yellow fever epidemic in Mali, a dengue fever outbreak in Singapore, a plague epidemic in Congo, a malaria epidemic in India, a dengue fever epidemic in India, a Chikungunya virus outbreak in India, a dengue fever epidemic in Pakistan, a dengue fever epidemic in the Philippines (2x), an ebola epidemic in Congo, a polio outbreak in Nigeria, a dengue fever epidemic in Puerto Rico, a dengue fever epidemic in the Dominican Republic, a dengue fever epidemic in Mexico, an ebola epidemic in Uganda, a dengue fever epidemic in Brazil, a dengue fever epidemic in Cambodia, a hand, foot and mouth disease epidemic in China, a bubonic plague epidemic in Madagascar, a dengue fever epidemic in Bolivia, a hepatitis B outbreak in India, a dengue fever epidemic in Australia, a worldwide mumps outbreak, a meningitis outbreak in West Africa, a worldwide influenza pandemic.
Source:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics

Jesus said there would be pestilences in the earth preceding His return, and the numbers speak volumes in our generation.  The ancient prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah said that the "Prince" (Jesus) would come (Ezekiel 44:3) when the Jews were gathered from all nations and when Israel "blossomed like a rose" (Isaiah 35:1).  Well, the nation of Israel was "born in one day" (Isaiah 66:8), the Jews have gathered into Israel from all nations (Isaiah 11:11-12), and since 1948, when Israel became a nation in one day, the barren desert land has indeed blossomed like a rose!  For those of you who still do not believe; nothing may convince you then, and it is very sad that you would consider risking your eternal soul for the sake of unbelief, when the signs are all here, right before our eyes.  Tomorrow, God willing, we will discuss the fourth sign of His return, spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24.