While most of America was singing “Silent Night” in the last few days, Indonesia, Thailand and India were crying TRAGEDY! With the death toll of over 42,000 the world sees the massacre of the biggest earthquake in the last 40 years. Geoscience Australia said the quake, measuring 8.1 on the Richter Scale, hit the Macquarie Rise in the Pacific Ocean at 1.59am (AEDT).
I grieve for the massive amount of people who have died in this recent catastrophe. However, I am conscientious of the use and abuse of these events by current prophecy teachers. In fact, many are declaring that this is a direct fulfillment of Matthew 24: 7: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Is this truly a sign of the end of the church age where Christ will come and rapture his people and consequently inaugurate the seven-year period of tribulation? Amidst much turmoil and despair, I believe the church needs to take a sober look at the text of Scriptures and history and return to grieve for the families of those killed and pray that even in these times the glory of God would be manifested.
In this brief article, Gary Demar explains that recent earthquakes or any others that may come are not signs of future events.
Earthquakes: Are They Signs of the End?
By Gary DeMar
The Asian quake that hit off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, was the world’s fifth-largest since 1900 and the biggest since a 9.2 quake hit Prince William SoundAlaska in 1964. The death toll of more than 11,000 in six countries will undoubtedly rise. Prophecy writers are sure to point to this mega-quake as the sign that the “rapture” is near. They will point to Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse that “in various places there will be famines and earthquakes” (Matt. 24:7). How can earthquakes be a sign of the end when devastating earthquakes, even greater than this most recent one, have been recorded for thousands of years? Today’s prophecy “experts” will argue that it’s the increase and magnitude of modern earthquakes that make them significant for determining that we are living in the last days. “The Lord obviously meant earthquakes of unprecedented seismological dimension.”1
Jesus simply says that “in various places there will be famines and earthquakes” (24:7). He says nothing about an increase in their number. Luke writes, “there will be great earthquakes” (Luke 2:11). Jesus was describing signs that led up to the destruction of the temple that would take place before that first-century generation passed away (Matt. 24:33-34). Like famines (Acts 11:28), “great earthquakes” are part of the biblical historical record. Two earthquakes are mentioned in Matthew–when Jesus was crucified (27:54) and when the angel came down to roll the stone away from the tomb where Jesus was buried (28:2). This second earthquake is said to have been “severe.” Acts records “a great earthquake” that shook “the foundations of the prison house” (Acts 16:26). These earthquakes occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Continue reading “Biblical Sobriety During Tragedy!”