"Earthquakes in Various Places"

Hardly a week goes by without a major earthquake being reported. Grabbing headlines several weeks ago was the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti. Tens of thousands of people were killed. Property damage was incalculable. Estimates are that it will take Haiti over ten years to rebuild. Then, during the last days of February, and even more massive earthquake of the 8.8 magnitude variety shook Chili instilling fears of tsunami warnings across the Pacific as far away as Japan and China. And then there was the smaller magnitude - only a 6.0 - that struck Turkey last week.

The seemingly increasing news of earthquakes caused me to do some study. So I went to the website of the US Geological Survey. What a wealth of information I found there. During the first seven days of March there were 73 earthquakes of a magnitude of 5.0 or greater recorded. And there have been 11 significant earthquakes this year already. They estimate that at least 40 earthquakes happen every day, although most are not felt because they are so deep in the earth. In 2008, there were 12 earthquakes of a 7.0 magnitude or greater, with none reaching the 8.0 plateau. But, in 2009, there were 19 earthquakes of a 7.0 magnitude or greater, with one over the 8.0 magnitude scale. And, this year, we have already had one that reached nearly a 9.0. It would appear, at least from the scientific evidence, that earthquakes are increasing both in frequency and in magnitude.

Of course, this led me to do some investigating about earthquakes in the Bible. Did you know that there are only four recorded instances of an earthquake reported in the Bible? (Personally, I thought the number would be higher.) The first one is found in 1 Kings 19:11 - during the time Elijah was at Mt. Horeb. The second one is found in Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5 - referring to a massive earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah. It must have been a tremendous one that years later people still remembered it. (Sort of like Hurricane Katrina in today's history). The third earthquake is found in Matthew 28:2 which opened the grave for Jesus. And the final earthquake is found in Acts 16:26 - which opened the prison doors there in Philippi.

Now, of course the Bible speaks often of earthquakes happening in the end of time. Jesus told His disciples: "There will be famines and earthquakes in various places" (Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11). One such end-time earthquake will occur as God defends His people as Gog leads his coalition into Israel to destroy it and take its plunder (Ezekiel 38:19). A second end-time earthquake will occur when the feet of Jesus touch the Mount of Olives as He comes to claim His throne (Zechariah 14:4). What a moving of the earth that will be! And the Apostle John writes about earthquakes in the Revelation. One such earthquake will destroy one tenth of the city of Jerusalem, causing the deaths of 7,000 people. You can read this account in Revelation 11:13. The final end-time earthquake John refers to is found in Revelation 16:18. John states it will be an earthquake unlike any that the earth has ever seen or felt before. Every mountain will disappear from the face of the earth. Every island will be removed from its place. The devastation will have to be incredibly severe. (It is interesting that the recent earthquake in Chili actually moved one city ten feet in a westward direction...an entire city moved!)

Friends, the earth is shaking, probably in excitement because its day of redemption is drawing near. And I think the shaking will get stronger and more frequent as we approach the time of the King's return. So, if the ground begins to shake under you...get excited!