On April 18, 1906, an earthquake near 8.0 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco. California, killing about 3,000 people and nearly 30,000 buildings. Massive fires resulted from aftershocks, requiring some 20,000 people trapped by the fires to be evacuated onto a navy ship. The mayor called for the enforcement of a dusk-to-dawn curfew and authorized National Guard soldiers to shoot-to-kill looters.
“Words from Above” in the Bible tell us that earthquakes are one of the many events that will occur in what it calls the last days. Luke 21 says that there will be earthquakes in various places, along with famines, great signs from heaven, pestilences, and fearful sights, and that these events will only be the beginning of sorrows. Isaiah 13 associates earthquakes with the wrath of the Lord occurring in the day of His fierce anger, speaking of course of His judgment upon the earth.
The apostle John wrote about visions he saw about the future, which included a great earthquake which destroyed one tenth of the corrupt city of Jerusalem, killing seven thousand residents of the city because they rejected the God of heaven. John also speaks of an earthquake that caused the sun to become as black as sackcloth and the moon to become as red as blood. He also speaks of flashes of lightning, thunders and lightnings, and a great earthquake such as had never occurred since the beginning of time.
The Bible also speaks about another special time when an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus on April 3, 33 A. D. When Jesus declared ”It is finished” at midday as He died on the Cross on Mt. Calvary, the curtain of the sanctuary of the Temple was split in half from top to bottom, a great earthquake occurred, the rocks were split in two, and a number of dead saints of God were resurrected from their tombs and walked into the city of Jerusalem, most likely causing quite a stir. The tearing of the curtain in the Temple symbolized the removing of the barrier between God and man which was created when the devil introduced sin into the world. When the Roman centurion in charge of the soldiers who were responsible for crucifying Jesus saw the sky grow dark and the earth quake, he concluded that Jesus truly was the Son of God.
Residents of the earth can avoid the earthquakes of the last days by being prepared to accompany Jesus to heaven when He returns to the earth for His Church. That preparation is possible because of what Jesus did on the Cross when the earth shook at midday.
Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville. Everyone is welcome to attend. For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.
