SUPER QUAKE:
What Does The Bible Say?
by Pastor Max Solbrekken

According to historical records, earthquakes greatly  escalated in intensity, frequency and geographical diversity during the 20th Century! 

Jesus Christ gave us a comprehensive, flawless prophecy concerning end-time phenomena including war, famines, pestilence and “earthquakes in divers places” in answer to His disciples query “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world”?

EARTHQUAKES SPEAK FOR GOD, and have done so since the beginning of time; a sign as well as a message from the Almighty to us all! Often, earthquakes are a WAKE-UP CALL for us to repent & get right with God - a warning of impending judgment and a call to righteousness!        

The FIRST scientifically monitored earthquake occurred at Antioch, Syria on May 20, 526 AD and took the lives of 250,000 people. There is no record of its magnitude, but it was certainly great to create so much havoc and death!

Another powerful earthquake (9.0) shook Shensi, China on Jan. 24, 1556 claiming 830,000 lives and on Oct. 11, 1739, Calcutta, India was rocked by a mammoth quake leaving 300,000 dead. Again, we have no record of its magnitude!

The Lisbon shaker claimed 20% of the population on Nov. 11, 1755 registering 8.6 on the Richter Scale and was felt many miles away from its epicenter. SIXTY THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE KILLED! 

Even though only 503 died in San Francisco’s April 18-19, 1906 quake, it registered 8.3 on the Richter Scale and much of the city was destroyed with $500 million in damages!       

On Sept. 1, 1923 an 8.3 magnitude quake took 200,000 lives in Yokohama, Japan and another with the magnitude of 8.3 shook Nan Shan, China on May 22, 1927. On Dec. 26, 1939 the earth shook again with great intensity - 7.9 on Richter Scale - in Erzincan, Turkey taking 30,000 lives.

In the 1950’s & 1960’s, earthquakes were recorded in India, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Morocco, Chile, Yugoslavia and Alaska with intensities as great as 8.7 and as low as 5.8. The Alaska quake occurred on March 27, 1964 and took 131 lives.          

On May 31, 1970 an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.7 shook Northern Peru and claimed 66,796 lives. The Feb. 4, 1976 quake in Guatemala brought great destruction and death claiming 22,778 lives. It registered 7.5 on the Richter Scale, and on July 26 of that same year, 242,000 people died in the 8.2 horrific killer quake that hit Tangahan, China.

SOME RECENT EARTHQUAKES

The Global Volcanism Network of the Smithsonian Institute has provided us with the following information.

Earthquakes in 1993 & 1994 have struck Bolivia (8.2), Columbia (6.8), Indonesia (7.3), California (6.8), Papau New Guinea (7.0), Mexico (7.2), Guam (8.0), Fiji (6.7) and Japan (7.0).

On June 15, 1999 central and southern Mexico was struck by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake which killed a number of people and injured hundreds more.

And in August and September, 1999, three powerful earthquakes hit Turkey (7.4), Greece (5.9) and Taiwan (7.6). There was great loss of life and property in both Greece (Sept. 9) and Taiwan (Aug. 17) while the quake in Western Turkey was responsible for the deaths of upwards to 60,000 people!

And two strong earthquakes (6.0 and 5.3) hit Greece on May 24 and 26, 2000 but caused little or no damage or injuries because their epicenters were located under the seabed, south of Kalamata and northwest of Athens, respectively!

EARTHQUAKES OVER 6 ON RICHTER SCALE

1880-1890 1   1940-1950    4

1890-1900 1   1950-1960    9

1900-1910 3   1960-1970   13

1910-1920 2   1970-1980   46

1920-1930 2   1980-1990   53

1930-1940 5   1990-2000   ??

(Excerpted from Prophecy in the News)

In the list of signs pointing to Jesus Christ’s soon return - given by Jesus Christ Himself - is earthquakes occurring in many diverse places!

As you can see by World Almanac statistics which we have included in this article, EARTHQUAKES are increasing in magnitude, intensity & varied geographical locations across our troubled world!

For years, all eyes were on the expected Super Quake which has been predicted to occur along California’s fault lines. And earthquake watchers are continuing to keep a close eye on Los Angeles, San Francisco & other cities in California!

Their focus, however, has shifted somewhat recently and informed minds are saying that the next ‘Big One’ could be in Tokyo or another city in Japan!         

On December 28, 1974 an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 literally shook Northern Japan - about 95 miles from the nearest city - with very little damage or loss of life due to its isolated location. In 1994, several strong tremors - 6.5 to 8.0 on the Richter Scale - occurred in ocean regions surrounding Japan.

Earthquake watchers (experts) are fearful that a large earthquake may strike Tokyo in the near future. If an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 occurs in the Tokyo area, because of the geographical structure of the ground, Tokyo would literally sink, burying millions in the wake of its  power!

On January 17, 1995 an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck the Kobe area in Southern Japan with thousands killed & wounded. News sources stated that it was the most powerful earthquake to happen during the past 50 years!

Going back to July 28, 1976, ‘History’s Most Disastrous Earthquake’ struck Tang Shan, China. The grim facts are that 242,000 died and hundreds of thousands were injured. According to an Associated Press report, Jan. 17, 1995: a total of 800,000 fatalities (and possibly as many as 1 million) occurred at the time of the earthquake and as a result of injuries incurred!               

An in-depth study of God’s Word confirms that Satan is the “Prince of the Power of the Air”, and can engineer catastrophic events to bring about his evil work of death, destruction & confusion - like in the case of Job’s children being killed by a ‘devil engineered storm’.

Earthquakes however, have been used by the Lord to convey a message to a wicked society that they must repent & turn around!

HERE ARE SOME CLASSIC ACCOUNTS OF GOD SPEAKING TO US THROUGH EARTHQUAKES & WHY:

God manifests His greatness, power & glory in the earthquake. Man is brought low when God shakes the earth. God speaks through the earthquake and His message brings man to his knees!              

NO. 1 - ON MOUNT SINAI!

“And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” (Ex. 19:18) Holy BIBLE

“See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven.” (Heb. 12:25)

“The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.” (Ps. 68:8)

God revealed His holy presence on Mt. Sinai through thunder, lightning, a cloud and the loud voice of the trumpet that continued growing louder as smoke came from the mount as a great furnace & THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN QUAKED GREATLY. Man was brought to his knees & convicted of his wickedness as God issued His Ten Commandments. God is holy and we must not forget that!

NO. 2 - ON MOUNT CALVARY!

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matt. 27:51,54)

An EARTHQUAKE made the earth tremble & shake at the moment of Jesus’ death on Golgotha. Three hours of darkness covered the earth just prior to His death during which time God judged His Son because of our sin. When Jesus cried, “It is finished”, salvation was complete and the “fountain was opened” for sin & uncleanness. (Zech. 13:1)

When Jesus Christ died on Golgotha’s hill for our sins, the veil in the temple was rent in twain - from the top to the bottom - thus proclaiming that the death of Jesus had effectively REMOVED THE BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. No more priests or high priests mediating between God and sinner would be needed. Jesus Christ Himself became the mediator between God and sinning humanity!

GOD SENT THE EARTHQUAKE as a message to sinning mankind that the “Man on the Middle Cross” was none other than God the Son, Who at that moment was reconciling the world to Himself through His efficacious and substitutionary death!      

NO. 3 - AT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!

“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and His raiment white as snow: And for fear of Him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” (Matt. 28:1-4) HOLY BIBLE

When the angel of the Lord appeared at the tomb of Jesus, the guards who were standing watch, fell like dead men! God sent an EARTHQUAKE simultaneously, which made the earth to shake. The guards were overcome by the awesome presence of God’s messengers. An angel rolled away the stone and sat upon it.             

When the believing women arrived, the angel said, “Fear not for I know you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead...” (Matt. 28:5-7)

The Bible declares that Jesus Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. (Rom. 1:4)

God sent His holy angel with a shattering earthquake to impact the world both physically and spiritually at the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

NO. 4 - AT AN APOSTOLIC PRAYER MEETING!          

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word, By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus.

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31)

Jesus is the head of the Church and knows how to encourage His people. The disciples who were forbidden to speak or to teach in His Name, “went to their own company” of believers and repeated the threats which the chief priests and elders had made.        

As they prayed, the Holy Ghost fell upon them and God sent an EARTHQUAKE to shake the place, demonstrating His all-power!

They were filled with Holy Spirit power, and instead of being intimidated they were “bold as lions”!

NO. 5 - FREEING PAUL & SILAS FROM PRISON!

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

“And suddenly there was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s hands were loosed.          

“And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.” (Acts 16:25-27)

God also knows how to surprise His people. He used an earthquake to free His servants, Paul & Silas!

As these men of God - who had been beaten and chained - began praying & singing praises to God, suddenly He came onto the scene in mighty power!

An EARTHQUAKE shook the prison. The doors were opened and “everyone’s hands were loosed”.

This great exhibition of God’s power resulted in the conversion of the jailer and his family. And Paul & Silas’ release from prison!

NO. 6 - AS A SIGN OF COMING OF CHRIST AND END OF AGE!

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matt. 24:7)
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.” (Mark 13:8)

“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” (Luke 21:11)

God is showing His mighty power in this end time age and will continue to do so in even a more dramatic way than He has in the past.

Jesus declared that EARTHQUAKES would be one of the outstanding signs of His Second Coming and God’s judgment upon this wicked world.        

Some of the other signs He gave are wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, backsliding and persecution, as well as mighty revivals across the world!

God alone is to be exalted! Man must recognize this and come before His All Powerful Presence in humility, repentance and faith!

NO. 7 - OPENING OF SIXTH SEAL!

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.

“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

“And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17)          

Wondrous and apocalyptic phenomena will accompany the opening of the sixth seal. The sun will be darkened, the moon will turn to blood, stars will fall from the heavens, the sky will roll away like a scroll.

There will be a GREAT EARTHQUAKE and every mountain & island will be moved out of their places. WHAT A WARNING TO PUNY MANKIND!

God will bear His mighty arm and His great wrath will be poured out upon Christ rejecters and God haters, during the awful ‘Great Tribulation’ period!         

NO. 8 - BEFORE THE SEVEN ANGELS SOUND THEIR TRUMPETS

“And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightning's, and an earthquake.” (Rev. 8:5)

As the seven angels prepare to sound their trumpets, an angel will take a censer which is filled with fire from off the holy altar of God and cast it upon the earth.

There will be voices, thunderings, lightnings and an EARTHQUAKE! This will happen just prior to God’s Final Judgments falling upon the earth. And when the seventh angel sounds his trumpets there will be lightning's, voices, thunderings, great hail & another earthquake!

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament; and there were lightning's, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” (Rev. 11:19)           

NO. 9 - WHEN TWO WITNESSES ASCEND!

“And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Rev. 11:13)

There will be a great EARTHQUAKE when the two tribulation witnesses - who shall be slain - will rise from the dead and ascend up to Heaven in a cloud!

This will happen at the close of the ‘seven years of Great Tribulation’. One tenth of the city will be destroyed and 7000 men will die. God is the great judge and recompenses just judgment for iniquity!

NO. 10 - THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE AT SEVENTH SEAL!

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, IT IS DONE. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning's; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

“And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

“And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (Rev. 16:17-21)

WHEN THIS GREAT EARTHQUAKE SHAKES THE WORLD, THE CITIES OF THE NATIONS WILL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED, EVERY ISLAND WILL VANISH, THE MOUNTAINS WILL DISAPPEAR AND GREAT HAILSTONES WILL FALL FROM HEAVEN, AS GOD POURS OUT HIS WRATH!             

Without doubt, the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh and earthquakes are another SIGN pointing to His nearness. This corrupt, immoral, perverted, unjust & evil world will one day receive her just rewards!

Satan, the false prophet and the anti-Christ will all be judged and damned forever along with those who have believed their lies!

The recent (June 6, 2000) magnitude 7.9 quake that rattled Sumatra, Indonesia, leaving dozens dead and thousands homeless, again speaks to us that God’s Word is flawless and prophecy is being fulfilled to the letter!

WITHOUT DOUBT, JESUS IS COMING SOON!

It behooves us all to make doubly sure that we have our “wedding garments on” and that we are ready for the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”!

You may ask as did the Philippian  jailer, “ What must I do to be saved?”               

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