Japan's Apocalyptic Images

The images coming from Japan seem surreal and, at times, almost apocalyptic. Large ocean-going ships tossed about as if they were plastic toys played in a child's bath. Automobiles piled one on top of another like cords of wood beside a fire pit. Buildings crumbling as if they were made of match-sticks. And everywhere there are the cries of those who survived looking for and mourning those who did not. Honestly, I do not remember seeing such destruction ever in my lifetime.

Two thoughts come to my mind when I view those images. First, the magnitude of the clean-up. Where do the Japanese people begin? How does one begin removing the thousands of cars that awaited transport to the United States and now are only fit for the scrape heap? How does one begin untangling the hundreds of cargo containers that look as if they could grace the front of a giant jigsaw puzzle? Miles upon miles of devastation. Where does one start? And then one begins to ponder who long will it take. (We are still cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina and it has been five years). Then I remembered a statement from Ezekiel 39 - "Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up - the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel (Ezekiel 39:9). After the war with Gog and Magog, it will take Israel seven years to remove the debris. As I watched those images from Japan, I thought of the impending day when Israel will be faced with an even greater challenge - a clean up that will take them seven years to complete. (It will be finished just in time for the return of their King!)

The second image concerns the earthquake itself. What power the world only rarely sees! The consequences of this 9.0 earthquake almost stun one's beliefs. The island of Japan is now eight feet closer to us; the axis of our earth has been changed by four inches; and last Friday was shortened by a fraction of a second. Now it takes a pretty strong force to move an entire island. But then I remembered reading in Revelation about an even greater earthquake yet to come. John writes, in Revelation 16 - "Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. ...Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found" (Revelation 16:18-20).

The Japanese quake was one of the largest ever recorded. But it will pale in significance to that final quake that God will send just before the arrival of His Son. Mountains will disappear! Islands will not only move, but flee away! Every city on earth will collapse and be destroyed! This quake in Japan is a foreshadowing of a greater one yet to come!

We do need to be in prayer for Japan. This is a great opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in that desperate place. And, as we minister to the physical needs to the people of Japan, may God open their hearts so that He might minister to their spiritual needs.