God’s Warnings by Earthquakes
© 2023 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matthew 24:1-7)
God’s Word, the Bible, repeatedly mentions earthquakes and other “natural disasters.” When Jesus Christ died His sacrificial death on the cross, God sent an earthquake to emphasize the occasion. This convinced the centurion that he and his soldiers had just killed the Son of God (see Matthew 27:54). God sent another earthquake to accentuate the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. God also used an earthquake to break Paul and Silas out of a maximum security Roman prison. The Gospel of Mark predicts a coming time of great national conflicts accompanied by earthquakes. Luke’s gospel predicts earthquakes in various places. They shall be accompanied by famines, disease, fearful sights, and great signs from Heaven (Luke 21:11). Finally, God warns of the greatest earthquake yet to come. It shall be more severe than all others having occurred since He placed man on earth (see Revelation 16:18). Throughout history, God has also used a worldwide flood, fire, hail, and various insect plagues to accomplish His purposes. In all of this, Scripture indicates that,
“… all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Those who’ve heeded God’s warnings, and asked His forgiveness based on Christ’s sacrificial death, shall be blessed through it all. However, those who become angry at God over His sovereign acts only invite His ultimate eternal punishment.
When you experience or hear of earthquakes, are you able to trust God’s promise of goodness to you? The only alternative is to resent His sovereignty, or to continue ignoring Him. This would invite eternal disaster upon your soul.
Which response have you chosen?
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