On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, terrorists bombed and destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York with a hijacked plane. Over 2000 lives were lost. The world mourned because many countries were affected. This happened in the 37th week of the year. Things do not just happen. They happen in their appointed times and seasons. What does the 37th week have to do with the 9/11 kind of misfortune?
Disasters are common in the 37th season. 1937 was a year of notable disasters. Ohio River flood of 1937 that happened between January-February left a million people homeless and 385 people dead. On March 18, 1937, in New London School, Texas, a natural gas explosion killed over of 295 students and teachers. This is the worst school disaster in American history in terms of lives lost. On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg disaster occurred. A German airship burst into flame when mooring to a mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey. 36 people died. On May 30, the Chicago Police Department shot and killed 10 unarmed demonstrators in the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre. On July 28, George VI escaped assassination by Irish Republican Army. On September 2, the Great Hon Kong Typhoon killed about 11, 000 persons. On October 2-8, President of Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo, ordered Dominican troops to kill thousands of Haitians living in Dominican Republic in what is now called the Parsley Massacre. On November 11, the Kogushi Sulphur Mine collapsed in western Gunma, Japan, and killed at least 245 people. The 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, was caught up in a coverup scandal that led to his unprecedented resignation. Charles Colson, founder of the Prison Fellowship International emerged from that saga to become a major house of a God. In the 37th year of the United States, on January 23 1813, the River Basin Massacre took place, in which 30-60 captured American soldiers were executed by Native in Michigan. In the 37th year of Nigeria (October 2, 1996 – October 1, 1997), there were at least 8 bomb explosions targeting citizens in different parts of the country.
There are four kinds of disasters that come in the 37th season:
1. Disasters that come to facilitate people’s journey to destiny. In Genesis 37, there was disaster in the House of Jacob. Joseph went out to see to the welfare of his brothers – in obedience to his father, Jacob. He never returned. He was to be killed by his brothers but God intervened and scattered their plans. They rather stripped him of his clothes, sold him to strangers as slave; dipped his clothes in animal blood ,and lied to their father that a wild beast had destroyed him. That was a heaven-sent transport to his royal destiny; and they couldn’t cover the scandal. The Watergate scandal happened in the season of the 37th president of the United States, Richard Nixon. The president resigned. Chuck Colson was among those indicted in Watergate-related crime. He spent seven months in jail, encountered God there, and became founder of Prison Fellowship International operating in over 150 countries today. God used that 37th season mess to give him a message and a ministry. God uses disasters, in the 37th season, to advance his purpose.
2. Disasters that come to test your knowledge of God and your confidence in Him; and to reveal God’s sovereignty and power. In Isaiah 37, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened to overrun Judah and to sack her king, Hezekiah. The king of Judah cried out to Isaiah, the prophet, and to the Lord. The Lord of heaven and earth and sea assured him that the cause of Sennacherib would not prosper. True to His Word, the Lord defended the city and stoped the king of Assyria from invading or entering Judah. He heard rumors of an invasion of his country, returned home, and was murdered by his own children.
3. Disasters that come to wake God’s people from slumber. Haggai is the 37th book of the Bible. In that book, God’s people suffered terrible disasters. When they sought God concerning it, the Lord said He made it happen to awaken the people to their responsibility of rebuilding the temple. Haggai 1:9-11 says, “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” Haggai 2:17 says, “I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the LORD”. On Tuesday, September 11, the second day of the 37th week of 2001 (a core second-season day), terrorist hijackers plane-crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and destroyed it. Many lives were lost. That was the work of evil men; but I also believe it was a wake-up call to the United States.
4. Disasters that glorify God by showing His power, not to stop what could happen but, to undo what had been done. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet was transported, in a vision, to a valley of dry bones scattered all over the place.. God told him to speak life into the dry bones. He did. The bones came together, received flesh and breath, and became a mighty army. It was in the 37th year of Joash king of Judah that a dead man’s body thrown into Elisha’s tomb revived. It was in the 37th year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, that Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon and released him from prison. The 37th season is for undoing what the enemy had done.
The 37th chapters of the Bible reveal that the enemy wants to see people dead in the 37th season; but God intervenes to save life in the same season. He gives the wicked for a ransom for the wicked. Genesis 37:18 says, “…even before he came near them, they conspired against him to KILL him”. Psalm 37:32 says, “The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to SLAY him”. Isaiah 37:36 says, “Then the angel of the LORD went out, and KILLED in the camp of the Assyrians…and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses-all dead. Isaiah 37:38 says, “…it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons… STRUCK HIM DOWN WITH SWORD…” Ezekiel 37:9 says, “…breathe on these SLAIN that they may live.”
This 37th week, put your confidence in God. Pray and speak the word. Wickedness and the wicked will not triumph over you. Whatever slays men in the 37th season will not succeed in your life! There were three attempts to assassinate the 37th President of the United States (April 1972, May 1972, and February 1974) but all failed. This week I decree in the name of Jesus, that wherever sunlight touches and moonlight reaches, evil and wickedness shall not triumph. Heaven has overruled the conspiracy of ‘the darkness’ and ‘the waters’ against the plans and purposes of God. The situation may seem hopeless but God will turn it around for His glory and for the good of His people. Psalm 37 guarantees that God will not leave His own to the desire of the evil one. This gives us hope that evil and wickedness will not triumph in the 37th season and especially this 37th week of the year. Happy 37th week!
