Jesus told his disciples on the Mount of Olives, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Matt. 24:7-8 and Luke 21 uses the term “great earthquakes” when speaking of the same event.
As I have watched the video images flash before me over and over these last few days, my heart has been breaking for all the people of Japan and all those around the world who love them and love that place. How can such heartache be carried except that we help carry it for each other? I pray, “Oh, Lord, what I can do from so far away? How do you want me to help? I feel as powerless to help as those who were powerless to save themselves.” I can give money, yes, but everything in me wants to go over there and start helping physically. Unfortunately, I don’t have a way to do that. So I will try to help in other ways. One of those ways is to share what God is trying to tell us through this event and so many like it.
Of course, I asked myself, “does this fit into a trend of increasing earthquakes?” I couldn’t resist finding out. As I suspected, the quakes are getting stronger in intensity, and most years they are increasing in number, especially since the year 2000. Marked increases actually began around 1986, then took another jump in 1994, and have taken another big jump since 2006.
Birth Pangs = Increasing Trends
The process of giving birth usually starts slowly, almost imperceptibly, then gradually increases in frequency AND intensity. If we are truly in that process, the numbers should prove it. Here are a few pieces of information that I have gleaned, thanks to a couple of blogs and the USGS website. See the links section to go to the original data if you want more information.
Between 1986 and 1996 (incl), a period of 11 years, there were “just” 15 earthquakes listed by USGS of magnitude 7.0 or greater. This is not markedly different (albeit a slight decrease) from previous (similar periods) of 20th century, where an average of about 18 might be expected.
But between 1997 and 2007 (incl), also a period of 11 years, there were 99 earthquakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater : This is more than a six-fold increase on the previous similar period – and is a stark increase on any earlier decades in 20th century too.
Between 2008 and 2010, only a short 2-year period, there were 51 earthquakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater. What do you think that number will look like over an 11-year period in comparison with the above? If the trend stays consistent, it would be in the neighborhood of 250! Of course, nature is not that systematic, and numbers will rise and fall somewhat, but the following USGS chart shows that the numbers are definitely on the rise. For instance, notice that we jumped from 16 in 2009 to 21 in 2010. What do you think 2011 might look like? We’re already had 7 so far, and it’s only mid-March.
| Just to refresh our memories, here are the major earthquakes 6.9 and above, just from last year.2010 01 03 – Solomon Islands – M 7.1 |
| 2010 01 10 – Offshore Northern California – M 6.5 |
| 2010 01 12 – Haiti region – M 7.0 Fatalities 222,570 |
| 2010 02 27 – Offshore Bio-Bio, Chile – M 8.8 Fatalities 577 |
| 2010 03 08 – Eastern Turkey – M 6.1 Fatalities 51 |
| 2010 04 04 – Baja California, Mexico – M 7.2 Fatalities 2 |
| 2010 04 13 – Southern Qinghai, China – M 6.9 Fatalities 2,968 |
| 2010 05 09 – Northern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 7.2 |
| 2010 07 23 – Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.3 |
| 2010 07 23 – Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.4 |
| 2010 07 23 – Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.6 |
| 2010 09 03 – South Island of New Zealand – M 7.0 |
Caviat
Past performance cannot necessarily be taken as a clear indication of future trends so we must be careful how past events are interpreted. However, it is clear we are currently living in a time when earthquake frequency has increased, it will be interesting to see if the immediate future maintains this trend.
End Times…
The trends as recorded support the wider realization of prophesy about the “End Times”, namely that an increase in earthquake activity is a pre-requisite for the “second coming of Jesus Christ” foretold in the Bible. It does not indicate how close we are to this event, but suggests it is not too far away.
End Times Technology
Aren’t we glad that research has the use of the technology used to record the above measurements and report them to us? God has helped us with the tools of awareness through the good things that technology can do for us, in helping us notice the trends and be ready, on the alert, as He directed us.
One news story showed a woman here in the U.S. who was looking for her daughter in Japan and hadn’t heard from her until today. She said, “I had my Bible, my cell phone, and my computer.” Many news stories have recorded family members showing how “facebook helped me find my loved ones.” Who would have ever dreamed that a “silly little social sharing network like facebook would someday have such an important role in finding the lost?
Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted, and to seek those who are lost, in such a more profound way. May we use the tools at hand to help in this endeavor, so that souls may not be lost forever, simply because we didn’t communicate with each other as we should. I urge you to use the tools at hand as He directs. Share the good news, and share this blog as a tool if you wish.
In this light, let’s take a fresh look at Jesus’ last earthly instruction, “Go therefore [even electronically] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20
I have often thought of those Matthew 24 verses in these days……Maranatha!