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Significance Of Earthquakes In The Bible
What are earthquakes and what exactly is the significance of earthquakes in the bible end times? Earthquakes are defined as a sudden and violent shaking of the ground. This shaking very often causes great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action. In recent years we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of earthquakes in diverse places. As well as the increase in number, we have also seen an intensity in their magnitudes.
17 Reasons Why God Sends Earthquakes In Different Places
As the number of earthquakes increase around the world, we must ask ourselves the question of why God sends earthquakes in different places. Here are 17 biblical reasons why God allows earthquakes to shake the very foundations of this earth. As we get further into the end times, we will see a tremendous increase in floods and earthquakes.
#1 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
When angels descend from heaven upon the earth
Suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it.
#2 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes make mankind recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and recognize Him as Lord
Matthew 27:50-54
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance.
#3 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes awaken people out of their sleep both naturally and spiritually. Earthquakes bring forth both resurrection and revival.
Matthew 27:50-53
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Matthew 28:6-7
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, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
#4 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes open the prison doors, shake foundations, wake up people, set captives free and bring salvation to the lost. Earthquakes occur to bring light to those who sit in dungeons (inner prisons) and in darkness.
Acts 16:23-36
And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
What Must I Do To Be Saved
Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
#5 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes occur to show the beginning of sorrows, they signal the coming of Jesus and the end of the world.
Matthew 24:7-8
The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
Mark 13:8
For nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many lands, and famines. These herald only the early stages of the anguish ahead.
Great Earthquakes In The Land
Luke 21:7-11
Master!” they exclaimed. “When? And will there be any warning ahead of time?”
He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come announcing themselves as the Messiah, and saying, ‘The time has come. ’But don’t believe them! And when you hear of wars and insurrections beginning, don’t panic. True, wars must come, but the end won’t follow immediately— for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and famines in many lands, and epidemics, and terrifying things happening in the heavens.
What The Bible Says About Earthquakes In The Last Days
As we watch world news events, and line them up with the Word of God we are truly seeing an increase in earthquakes as we get closer to the second coming of Christ. This reason was so important for us to understand that it was repeated three times in the gospels. By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.
#6 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen after the Lord passes through the land and before He speaks
1 Kings 19:11-12
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
#7 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes come to bring distress and judgement. These earthquakes happen suddenly in an instant when the Lord of Hosts visits a city to bring wrath and judgment on that land.
Isaiah 26:1-6
Woe to Jerusalem, the city of David. Year after year you make your many offerings, but I will send heavy judgment upon you, and there will be weeping and sorrow. For Jerusalem shall become as her name “Ariel” means—an altar covered with blood. I will be your enemy. I will surround Jerusalem and lay siege against it, and build forts around it to destroy it. Your voice will whisper like a ghost from the earth where you lie buried.
But suddenly your ruthless enemies will be driven away like chaff before the wind. In an instant, I, the Lord of Hosts, will come upon them with thunder, earthquake, whirlwind, and fire.
#8 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes come after the Lord’s prophets have warned and there is no repentance. Earthquakes happen when the Lord roars from heaven and utters His voice. There will be mourning of the people and mountains shall wither because of the punishment for disobedience.
Amos 1:1-5
Amos was a herdsman living in the village of Tekoa. All day long he sat on the hillsides watching the sheep, keeping them from straying. One day, in a vision, God told him some of the things that were going to happen to his nation, Israel. This vision came to him at the time Uzziah was king of Judah and while Jeroboam (son of Joash) was king of Israel—two years before the earthquake.
his is his report of what he saw and heard: The Lord roared—like a ferocious lion from his lair—from his Temple on Mount Zion. And suddenly the lush pastures of Mount Carmel withered and dried, and all the shepherds mourned.
#9 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen in the Day of Battle
Zechariah 14:1-5
Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming soon! On that day the Lord will gather together the nations to fight Jerusalem; the city will be taken, the houses rifled, the loot divided, the women raped; half the population will be taken away as slaves, and half will be left in what remains of the city.
Then the Lord will go out fully armed for war, to fight against those nations. That day his feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a very wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will escape through that valley, for it will reach across to the city gate. Yes, you will escape as your people did long centuries ago from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the Lord my God shall come, and all his saints and angels with him.
#10 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen to show forth signs in the heavens and the opening of the sixth seal in heaven
Revelation 6:12-17
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves 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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
#11 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen when the seventh seal in heaven opens. This great earthquake will occur when the worship and intercession of the saints go up before God as a sweet perfume and the response to their worship and prayers is then mixed with fire from the altar and hurled back down to earth by the angel.
Revelation 8:1-6
When the Lamb had broken the seventh seal, there was silence throughout all heaven for what seemed like half an hour. And I saw the seven angels that stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.
Then another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; and a great quantity of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people, to offer upon the golden altar before the throne. And the perfume of the incense mixed with prayers ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.
Then the angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed and rumbled, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake.
Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts.
#12 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes occur when the two prophet witnesses arise in resurrection life and ascend to heaven. Brings a reverential fear of God upon mankind.
Revelation 11:3-14
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
After 3 1/2 Days
Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
#13 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen when the seventh trumpet is sounded in heaven, it brings judgement, rewards and destruction. It is the time when the Kingdom of God is proclaimed.
Revelation 11:15-19
For just then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting down from heaven, “The Kingdom of this world now belongs to our Lord, and to his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”
And the twenty-four Elders sitting on their thrones before God threw themselves down in worship, saying, “We give thanks, Lord God Almighty, who is and was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry with you, but now it is your turn to be angry with them. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants—prophets and people alike, all who fear your Name, both great and small—and to destroy those who have caused destruction upon the earth.”
Then, in heaven, the temple of God was opened and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed and roared, and there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.
#14 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen when the Lord goes out to battle for you and gives you great victory over your enemies.
1 Samuel 14:12-15
Then they shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here and we’ll show you how to fight!”
“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan exclaimed to his bodyguard, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”
So they clambered up on their hands and knees, and the Philistines fell back as Jonathan and the lad killed them right and left, about twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre of land. Suddenly panic broke out throughout the entire Philistine army, and even among the raiders. And just then there was a great earthquake, increasing the terror.
#15 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes occur when the presence of God brings His revenge, fury and wrath to His enemies.
Nahum 1:2-6
God is jealous over those he loves; that is why he takes vengeance on those who hurt them. He furiously destroys their enemies. He is slow in getting angry, but when aroused, his power is incredible, and he does not easily forgive.
God shows his power in the terrors of the cyclone and the raging storms; clouds are billowing dust beneath his feet! At his command the oceans and rivers become dry sand; the lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade away; the green forests of Lebanon wilt. In his presence mountains quake and hills melt; the earth crumbles, and its people are destroyed.
Who can stand before an angry God? His fury is like fire; the mountains tumble down before his anger.
#16 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes happen as the Lord’s army advances
Joel 2:9-11
They swarm over the city and run along its walls.
They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows. The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
The Lord is at the head of the column.
He leads them with a shout.
This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders.
The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing.
Who can possibly survive?
#17 Reason Great Earthquakes Occur:
Earthquakes occur when “It is done”. This seventh angel with the seventh vial of Gods wrath announces completion, divine perfection and finality.
Revelation 16:17-21
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Then a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne. It said, “It is finished!” Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, and a big earthquake. This was the worst earthquake that has ever happened since people have been on earth.
The great city split into three parts. The cities of the nations were destroyed. And God did not forget to punish Babylon the Great. He gave that city the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger. Every island disappeared and there were no more mountains. Giant hailstones fell on the people from the sky. These hailstones weighed almost 100 pounds each. People cursed God because of this plague of the hail. It was terrible.
The Lord Will Shake Both Heaven and Earth
As we examine the scriptures and carefully consider the times we are living in, we see that the increase of earthquakes in both number and intensity is confirmation of the end times and a prophetic sign of Christ soon return.
So see to it that you obey him who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we refuse to listen to God who speaks to us from heaven!
When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once again I will shake the earth, but I will also shake heaven.”
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