In scripture, the east wind symbolizes God’s judgment upon the wicked. As Job said, “Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night. The east wind carries him off and he is gone.” (Job 27: 21)
Against ancient Israel, Hosea declared: “I will have no compassion… an east wind from the Lord will come, blowing in from the desert…” (Hos. 13: 15). “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” (Hos. 8: 7)
Against Judah, Jeremiah declared: “Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies.” (Jer. 18:17).
The east wind brought the Assyrians, who destroyed Israel in 721 B.C. The east wind brought the Babylonians, who destroyed Judah in 587 B.C. And then, the east wind came to Assyria and Babylon in turn.
We can experience our own personal “east wind.” It might come as a life-threatening or disabling illness or accident. It could be the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a spouse or child.
The east wind can also plunge a whole nation into a “crisis era” that may last for decades.
These east wind “crisis eras” usually start with some shocking event that acts as a catalyst for change. The mood of the nation suddenly shifts. The nation’s overreaction sows the seeds for more crises.
I believe our nation is on the edge of a new east wind “crisis era.” At present, the wind is shifting back and forth between a north wind and an east wind. I expect that the east wind will become the prevailing wind for years to come.
But disaster is not inevitable. God’s Judgment can be averted, modified, or postponed by repentance. Nineveh repented, and its judgment was postponed for a generation (Jonah). “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live.” (Ezek 18: 32).
And with God’s judgment comes deliverance as well. In Exodus, The east wind created the seven years of famine. But the east wind also parted the waters of the Red Sea, creating a path of escape for the Israelites.
God has a plan and future for those who trust in him, even in east wind times. As Jeremiah told the Jews in exile, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jer. 29: 11).
The four winds may blow, but in “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter” God’s Word stands true and God’s love endures:
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” (Isa. 43: 2). The mighty wind power is sacred.
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(Heb. 13:5)
“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.