Earthquakes

by Micky Galloway

Certainly living in Southern California, we are familiar with earthquakes. This is not new. We are currently immersed with warnings about earthquake preparedness as we have been so many times before with previous major earthquakes. Some will be moved to make better preparations; others will ignore the warnings, perhaps having good intentions.

The Scriptures speak of several earthquakes.

Moses on Sinai. Before God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave the Ten Commandments, a great shaking of the mountain occurred. “And mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly” (Exodus 19:18). No doubt the earthquake prepared both Moses and Israel for the important truths the Lord was going to communicate. This awesome shaking event continues to be remembered in the New Testament as the context for God’s delivery of His Law (Hebrews 12:18-21).

Korah’s Rebellion in the Wilderness. A crisis of leadership developed among the children of Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 16:1-40). Korah and all his men were killed and their possessions taken, as the land on which they were camped split apart and closed back upon them. “And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly” (Numbers 16:31-33). God destroyed them because they rebelled against Him.

Elijah on Mount Horeb. God spoke to Elijah at Mount Sinai (Horeb) as He did to Moses after the occurrence of an earthquake. “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:11-13). Elijah, who had been hiding in a cave, realized that the Lord does not need to use a mighty earthquake to speak, but can, in His meekness, reveal Himself simply in a “still, small voice.”

The Crucifixion in Jerusalem. Perhaps the most remembered earthquake was at the time of the crucifixion of Christ. “And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:51-54). The barrier between God and man was not removed by the earthquake tearing the Temple’s veil, but by His Son being offered as “the Lamb of God” for the sin of the world.

Jerusalem Meeting for Prayer. Following the day of Pentecost, the assembled church in Jerusalem received the report of threats and persecution from the Jewish leaders. That compelled them to pray that the spread of the Gospel would continue. After the prayer, the place where they were gathered was shaken by an earthquake as believers spoke boldly. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

The Philippian Jailer. A great earthquake was involved in the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Paul and Silas had been put in prison and as they were singing and praying about midnight, “and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:26). This earthquake led the jailer to ask, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The jailer wanted to know what to do to be saved from his sins, from the wrath of God which is to come upon the ungodly. As an unbeliever, he was told to “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Then they “spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house.” His repentance is seen in that he “took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately” (Acts 16:32-33). The world has been taught that this man was saved at the point of faith, but a careful reading of the text will indicate that he heard, believed, and obeyed the word, being baptized the same hour of the night.

The Hebrew writer said, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. And this (word), Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:26-29). Down through ages past God has shaken the earth as he took out of the way false gods, passed judgment upon his people of the Old Testament, removed nations, and such like.

With all the warnings to prepare for “the big one” (earthquake), people will remain unprepared. Likewise, spiritually many will continue as in the days of Noah. “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man” (Matthew 24:37-39). At the end of time there surely will be a shaking of the earth. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first …” (I Thessalonians 4:16). Can you imagine the earth being opened up as every grave will be opened? Jesus said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).

As horrible as it is to read of folks being buried under rocks of concrete and debris as the result of earthquakes, I am reminded of the time of God’s judgment when people will cry and “say to the mountains and to the 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 their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

We cannot yet predict an earthquake. Jesus has said regarding His coming, “Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42-44). With such certain warnings many will unfortunately remain unprepared.