Bible Prophecy
Revelation's Most Urgent Health Warning! 
STORY

The "Endurance" was the name of their ship. To be the first to cross the Antarctic continent was their aim. 
They set sail from England on Aug 8, 1914, just at the outbreak of World War One. The Endurance sailed Southwards to the island of South Georgia and from there battled her way through 1000 miles of pack ice in the dangerous Weddell sea -- a six week effort. On Jan 18, 1915, only about one day's sailing away from her destination, the Endurance became trapped in ice, "frozen" by a sudden, unseasonably low drop in temperature.

For the next ten months the Endurance drifted Northwards helplessly with the ice. On Oct 27th 1915 the order was given to abandon ship. The Endurance had been crushed by the ice but "patient endurance" or "perseverance" was still their motto -- and their hope. Twenty-eight men now had to camp on the ice in thin linen tents with the temperature at -16 degrees Fahrenheit. This was in the days before radio communication and so they were completely cut off from civilisation and no one knew where they were.

They drifted on the ice. Their principal diet was penguin and seal. On April 1916 the order was given to launch the three life-boats they had salvaged from the Endurance. The temperature was -10 degrees F and rough seas poured over the twenty-eight men as they sat crammed in their open boats.

The next seven days and nights were absolutely horrific. The cold froze their clothing. The killer whales scared them at night. The ice threatened to shatter their boats. An ice float they camped on cracked in half tossing one of them into the frigid waters. He was just saved in time. Eventually, totally exhausted, they made a miraculous landing on barren, desolate Elephant Island. They were the first to step onto this Island and they knew that no one would find them there. They did not receive a warm reception from Elephant Island. The howling blizzards ripped into their tents and blew away precious possessions.

And now someone must venture to get help. Shackleton, with five other men set sail on a terrifying gamble. They planned to cross 800 miles of the wildest sea on Earth to reach the whaling stations of South Georgia. They set sail on April 24, 1916. Of their 17 day journey there were ten days of gales. The boat was extremely cramped and the off-duty rest consisted of lying on rough stone ballast in a wet, putrefying reindeer sleeping bag. They were nearly swamped one night by a huge wave. Another night they woke to find the boat staggering under a casing of ice up to 15 inches thick. They ran out of drinking water and as they were trying to land on the rocky shores of South Georgia a full-scale hurricane hit them.

But they endured, and they landed. After a few days recovery Shackleton and two men set off to find the whaling station. They nearly froze to death as they tried to find their way across the uncharted interior of the Island in a 36 hour marathon trek. But they endured and they reached the whaling station.

Shackleton tried three times unsuccessfully to rescue his remaining men -- waiting, hoping and enduring on Elephant Island.
 On Aug 30, 1916, nearly five months since Shackleton and his five comrade's had left the island, they managed to get close enough to the island to rescue the 22 stranded men. Endurance was their motto and endurance, along with God's sustaining (and sometimes miraculous) grace had seen them through to safety.¹

Jesus says: "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mt. 24:13). We need to have an enduring faith in our Leader. He will see is through the storms of the last days. He will come back for us and take us home. His promise is, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Is.41:10; 43:2).