A question that a lot of people are wondering about right now is whether or not the Japan earthquake is mentioned in the Bible.  In particular, many are asking if the earthquake in Japan has anything to do with Bible prophecy.  So is the Japan earthquake in the Bible?

Well, no, the massive earthquake that recently hit Japan is not in the Bible.

However, the Scriptures do tell us that earthquakes will be one of the signs of the last days.

That does not mean that God caused the earthquake in Japan.  That does not mean that God is going to be causing the major earthquakes that are to come.  What it does mean is that an increase in the size and frequency of earthquakes should be a sign to us that the return of Jesus Christ is getting closer.

So where in the Bible does it talk about earthquakes in the last days?

In Matthew 24:7, Jesus declared the following about the last days….

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

In Mark 13:8 we see a similar warning by the Messiah….

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

In Luke 21:11, Jesus mentioned earthquakes as a sign of the last days along with famines, pestilences and “great signs” from heaven….

There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

In the book of Revelation, it tells us that the greatest earthquake of all time will occur just before the end of the Great Tribulation.  Revelation 16:18 says the following….

Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.

So what does all of this mean?

It means that we should expect more very powerful earthquakes as we get deeper into the last days.

Considering what just happened in Japan, that is a very sobering thought.  Many of us will never forget the footage of the massive tsunami in Japan washing cars and homes and people across the countryside as if they were toys for children….

As bad as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan were, the truth is that a lot of stuff much worse than that is eventually headed our way.

In Matthew 24:21, Jesus tells us that the Great Tribulation will be the worst time in all of human history….

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

When Jesus said that, He was not messing around.  We are rapidly approaching a time that will be the most horrible that the world has ever seen.

Are you ready for that?

Those that don’t know Jesus are not going to have any hope in the days ahead.

But that does not have to be you.  The truth is that Jesus came to this earth and died for your sins.  He rose from the dead and now the time of His return from heaven is drawing near.

If you will repent of your sins and give your life to Him, He will forgive your sins and will give you eternal life.

For much more on how to become a follower of Jesus Christ, we urge you to read an article that we posted on another one of our websites entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Salvation?“

The times ahead are going to be absolutely horrible.  By the time all is said and done, billions are going to die.  The earth is going to be an absolute wasteland.  There is going to be more suffering and more agony than during any other period of human history.

But it can be a time of great victory and adventure for you – if you know Jesus.

So what do all of you think about the recent earthquake in Japan?  Please feel free to leave a comment with your opinion below….

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
-Matthew 24:7-8

What in the world is going on with the earth?  The number of major earthquakes that we are experiencing is absolutely unprecedented.  So just what in blazes is going on?

Well, the reality is that Yahshua (Jesus) told us that there would be earthquakes in the last days.  He told us that this would be a sign that His return was getting closer.  In fact, the earthquakes and the other signs of His coming are supposed to be like birth pains – getting stronger and more intense as we get closer to the day.

And the truth is that earthquakes certainly are getting stronger and more intense.  Just consider the following examples from just this year….

*On January 12th, Haiti was devastated by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that claimed the lives of over 200,000 people.

*On February 27th, Chile was rocked by a magnitude-8.8 earthquake that was one of the largest in recorded history.

*A pre-dawn 5.9-magnitude earthquake collapsed homes and killed more than 50 people in a mountainous region of southeastern Turkey on Monday.

*Seven intense aftershocks hit Chile on Friday morning, including one that measured 6.6 on the Richter scale.

*The city of Taiwan experienced a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Thursday.

*Japan is bracing for the worst after dozens of rare giant oarfish – traditionally the harbinger of a powerful earthquake– have been washed ashore or caught in fishermen’s nets.

*The Irazú volcano in Costa Rica sent panic through neighboring communities recently, as residents reported at least 9 tremors from the volcano during one 30 minute period.

*The U.S. has not even been exempt from the recent spate of earthquakes either.  A 4.6-magnitude earthquake early Saturday morning off the northern California coast rattled residents in that region.

Things are getting crazy out there.  In fact, I would not want to be living in California right about now.  Scientists tell us that they are way overdue for a major earthquake.

But the truth is that there will be very few places that are totally safe before this is all over.  People who think that they are safe because they live in the middle of the United States might want to check to make sure that they don’t live in the New Madrid fault zone.  There are many scientists who believe that an absolutely massive earthquake will completely rip up that region one day.

Plus, anyone who lives on any coast in these days and times is at risk for a tsunami.  The reality is that the earth is packed with major fault lines and volcanos and so the areas that are “completely safe” are very few and far between.

Unfortunately, it is likely that geological activity will continue to only get worse as we get even closer to the return of Yahshua. 

But for those of us who know the Lord, this world is not our home.  We belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and it is in Him that we will find our refuge.

“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
-Luke 21:11

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has essentially destroyed the nation of Haiti has refocused attention on the prophecies about earthquakes in the last days that we find in the Scriptures.  Yahshua (Jesus) told us that we would see an increase in earthquakes as we approached His coming and that this would be a clear sign that the end times was at hand.  Could the unusual shaking that we are currently seeing around the world be an indication that we are approaching the time prophesied almost 2000 years ago?

You see, unfortunately the Haiti earthquake is not an isolated incident.  2010 is already a banner year for major earthquakes.

For example, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook the ocean floor between South America and Antarctica on Sunday.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Guatemala’s Pacific coast near the border with El Salvador on Monday, but fortunately it did not do much damage.

There have already been five magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes in the area of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean so far in 2010.

The annual average of worldwide earthquakes measuring 6.0 or greater is 152.  If the current pace continues, we will see 260 in 2010.

The earth is shaking my friends.

But aren’t we safe from such things in most areas of the United States?

Well, no.

U.S. scientists are predicting that a Haiti-magnitude earthquake will strike along the New Madrid fault in the U.S. some time during the next 50 years.

In 1811, an earthquake along the New Madrid fault was so powerful that it “shook windows and furniture in Washington, D.C., rang bells in Richmond, Virginia, sloshed well water and shook houses in Charleston, South Carolina, and knocked plaster off of houses in Columbia, South Carolina.”

At that time the area of the New Madrid fault was not heavily populated, so the damage was somewhat minimized.  But if a true “killer quake” were to strike along the New Madrid fault now, it could devastate an area all the way from Chicago down to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

But the New Madrid fault is not the only area of the U.S. that is a concern.

The truth is that residents of California live in perpetual anticipation of a major earthquake, and a flurry of recent earthquake activity all over that state is raising concerns that California could be the next spot to be hit by the Big One. 

In fact, a very large number of small earthquakes have been reported all over the state of California in the last 7 days.

So will California be hit by a “killer quake” any time soon?

Let’s hope not.

But scientists are essentially guaranteeing that one will hit that state during our lifetimes.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the “Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast” which was released in 2007.  That report says that California has a 99.7% chance of a 6.7 magnitude earthquake within 30 years.

A 99.7 percent chance?

Ouch.

While most buildings in California would survive a 7.0 earthquake better than most buildings in Haiti did, the truth is that California may eventually see a killer earthquake that is far, far more powerful than the one that Haiti just witnessed.

In fact, there are those who theorize that a truly massive quake could permanently alter the geography of California.

Seriously.

And if we are to take the words of Yahshua (Jesus) seriously (and we should), then we are only going to see an increase in the frequency and severity of global earthquakes from here on out.

So get ready.

A shaking is coming.