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Keypoints on this page
	Earthquakes and tsunamis cannot be prevented or avoided. Predicting where and when they will happen is very hard.
	Jesus predicted earthquakes - some real and some symbolic. Some have already happened, while more will happen soon.
	God sometimes uses earthquakes to achieve his purpose. The Bible tells us that he has done so in the past and he will do so again.
	God plans to make dramatic changes to this world in the near future. But there is still time to respond to his invitation to be part of his plans for a better world.

Kobe, Japan, 1995.  This highway was designed to withstand earthquakes

In the last twenty years, earthquakes - and the resulting tsunamis (giant waves) - have killed many thousands of people in Asia alone. Scientists predict that similar disasters are to be expected in the near future in many parts of the world.

Something most of us take for granted is that the earth beneath our feet will stay where it is!  For those who live on the geological fault-lines of our planet, life is not so secure.  In only the last fifty years, more than half a million people have lost their lives in earthquakes.   For those who have never been caught up in such a phenomenon, it’s hard to comprehend the panic and terror as buildings buckle and collapse.  The pictures we sometimes see in the newspapers of broken bridges, contorted railway lines and teetering buildings, hardly brings home the scale of devastation and human misery that accompany a massive quake. 

Predicting earthquakes - a job for the Seismologists
It’s very much in the interests of all those who live in the world’s danger zones, to know where and when the next ‘big one’ will strike.  We know what causes earthquakes.  The earth’s crust is not a uniform skin like the peel of an orange, but a patchwork of areas called plates.  There is a relatively narrow and unstable section of the earth’s crust where some of these plates meet.  The movements and stresses along these fault lines produce the world’s major earthquakes. 

A branch of Geology called Seismology, is concerned with the study of earthquakes.  Probably the only seismologist you will have heard of is the American C F Richter, who devised the Richter Scale for measuring the intensity of earthquakes.  Seismologists have mapped the earth’s fault lines, and from their global network of seismological stations, they ‘listen’ to what is going on in the earth’s crust.  They try to predict when and where the next ‘big one’ will occur so that people living in the danger zones can be warned and have a chance of escape. 

Predicting earthquakes - Jesus
Jesus was not of course a seismologist, but he did make a prediction about earthquakes.  He said:

‘For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.’  [Mark 13.8] 

The Greek word translated ‘earthquakes’ here is seismos, which literally means a shaking and is where our word seismology comes from.  These words of Jesus are part of what is called the Mount Olivet prophecy.  The background to this is that while in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples visited the grand, recently built temple.  His disciples were admiring the architecture when, to their surprise, Jesus told them that the building would be destroyed - and he made it sound soon!  Afterwards, on the nearby Mount of Olives, some of the disciples pressed him to explain how and when this would happen.  What followed was a prophecy of war and destruction centred on Jerusalem.  Part of that prophecy was that there would be ‘earthquakes in various places.’  [Mark 13.8 NIV]

The prophecy fulfilled
Some of those disciples were still alive when almost forty years later, the Roman army destroyed both temple and city.  The Jewish historian Josephus, wrote of the war and famine and earthquakes that occurred at the time.  So it all seems entirely literal.  Jesus had described the actual events that were to befall the city.  However there is a symbolic side to what he predicted.  Jesus makes the all-important link between geological upheaval and times of national upheaval.  As we said earlier, earthquakes happen where the huge plates that form the earth’s crust rub against one another.  In similar fashion, great national and international upheavals occur where the nations of this world rub against one another!

The prophecy yet to be fulfilled
Although Jesus’ prophecy came true for Israel in AD 70, the prediction was more far-reaching than that.  Jesus expanded the prophecy to describe an even bigger event which would involve not only Rome and Israel but many nations.  He said:

‘…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] 

This predicts a larger event than that of AD 70, though the troubles heaped upon Israel then are a forerunner of the troubles ahead when the ‘bigger’ prophecy is fulfilled.  Jesus went on to describe events that will shake the entire world!  He spoke of nothing less than the complete overthrow of the kingdoms of men and the establishment on earth of the kingdom of God.  As earthquakes go, this one is right off the Richter Scale!

San Francisco earthquake, 1989.   Destroyed apartment block

Acts of God
We often hear earthquakes and other natural disasters described as ‘Acts of God.’  In part, that’s a throwback to the dark days when our superstitious ancestors thought that an angry God was responsible for every calamity.  But there is an element of truth about it, as the Psalmist shows:

‘Then the earth shook and trembled: the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth’.  [Psalm 18.7] 

This doesn’t mean that every earthquake is a direct result of the wrath of God.  Some of them are, which is perfectly scriptural.  The earthquakes in AD 70 certainly coincided with the wrath of God over the Jew’s treatment of His son!  On a grander scale, the earthquakes at the overthrow of the kingdoms of this world will coincide with the wrath of God over this world’s treatment of the Jews themselves.  God said through the prophet Ezekiel concerning those who will invade the land of Israel: ‘my fury shall come up in my face.’ [Ezekiel 38.18]   This isn’t as strange and inconsistent as it looks.  In fact it brings the two prophecies together in a perfect way.  Although God often punished Israel for their waywardness, He never fully rejected them as His ‘chosen people.’  God even spoke of the nation as ‘my son.’ [Hosea 11.1]  It is fitting therefore that the mistreatment of His son on both occasions provokes the wrath of God – and brings earthquakes, both literal and symbolic, upon the world.

Earthquakes in Revelation
Most occurrences of the Greek word siesmos are in the very last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation.  The book mentions earthquakes seven times.  We know we are not intended to take these earthquakes literally, because Revelation is a book written in signs and symbols that need to be interpreted.  Though, as we’ve seen already, the symbolic and the literal are often combined when it comes to earthquakes.  Therefore it should not surprise us to find a mixture of the two.

Revelation is a difficult book to get to grips with but it well repays the effort.  The book seems anything but a revelation at first glance.  However like many things, it’s only a matter of familiarity.  In this case it’s a familiarity with the rest of the Bible that will give the clues to many of the symbols.  We’ve already said that earthquakes are synonymous with war and upheaval among nations.  The ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’ are terms used to refer respectively to the rulers and the common people of this world.  When we read in another part of the Mount Olivet prophecy, that ‘...the sun (shall) be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.’  [Matthew 24.29] we can’t take it literally.   Some of the real stars up there are larger than our entire solar system.  They wouldn’t merely fall down on us, they would annihilate everything here!  This is symbolic, picture-language for the eclipse of power that will occur at the time Jesus is talking about. 

If then the heavens, sun, moon, stars etc. refer to the monarchies and governments of the world and the earth refers to the rest of us – the governed – then what does that tell us about earthquakes?   They must clearly be symbolic of great upheavals among the governed, the general public, the common people, or whatever we like to call ourselves.  If there is trouble in heaven, then there are likely to be repercussions on the earth and vice versa: if the world’s leaders are in conflict, or experiencing Divine anger, then the peoples of the world will also have problems.  The prophet Daniel spoke of the great future earthquake as ‘a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.’ [Daniel 12.1]  Clearly then, all levels of society are to be affected.   

Back to Revelation - and Armageddon!
Returning to the references to earthquakes in Revelation, one of them tells us that:

‘…there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.’  [Revelation 16.18] 

Let’s forget the ‘voices, and thunders, and lightnings’ for our present purpose (obviously this refers to disruption in the heavens!), and concentrate on the ‘great earthquake’.   There is an immediate link here with Daniel’s prophecy of ‘a time of trouble, such as never was.’  [Daniel 12.1]   So we must be looking at the same event.  There cannot really be two events of the same ferocity, both the worst since creation.  If you look at some of the preceding verses in Revelation chapter 16, more of the picture comes to light.  In verse 15 Jesus says: ‘Behold, I come as a thief.’  (see Revelation chapter 1.1 for confirmation that this is the voice of Jesus)  This is something Jesus had said before to his disciples (see Matthew chapter 24.43), in another part of his Mount Olivet prophecy when telling them to keep awake to the certainty of his return to this world. 

In Revelation chapter 16 you will see that as a prelude to the great earthquake, the nations are ‘gathered…together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.’  [Revelation 16.16]  Then the final phrase of the next verse is, ‘It is done.’  The stage is set, the players are all in place for the greatest earthquake of all time, for the greatest upheaval ever in the affairs of mankind.

And now the literal
A consequence of the great earthquake in Revelation is that ‘the great city was divided into three parts.’  [Revelation 16.19] - or ‘The great city split into three parts…’ [NIV].  Of course, we have to be careful when trying to include a literal interpretation alongside so much that is symbolic.  In the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah talks about these same momentous events and he adds some startling information.  Remember where Jesus gave his prophecy of the earthquakes that were coming upon Jerusalem? – He was on the Mount of Olives.  Now read what Zechariah says is going to happen when Jesus again sets foot on that same place:

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains… as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.’   [Zechariah 14.4,5] 

There’s nothing symbolic about this - and it coincides with the symbolic great earthquake of Revelation, when Christ returns to the world in person.  The only seeming contradiction is that in Revelation, the city of Jerusalem splits into three and here we have the Mount of Olives splitting into two.  But that may be simply because of the location of the two places, a mile or so apart. The effect of the earthquake could well be to split Jerusalem into three, while at the same time dividing the Mount of Olives in half.  However, it would be wrong to push the literal side too far.  All we know for certain is, that the Mount of Olives will be divided by a great earthquake.  Doubtless Jerusalem will be affected being so near.  However the threefold division may be purely symbolic of some other division of the city. 

Moving back from prophecy to seismology once again, we would expect, based on what Zechariah predicted, that the Jerusalem area would be in one of the world’s danger zones - which it is.  There is a large fault in the earth’s crust that runs right up the Red Sea, between Egypt and Israel, and then continues right up the centre of Israel through the Jordan Valley. Jerusalem is about eighteen miles west of a major fault line; the Mount of Olives is a little nearer.  In seismic terms this isn’t far.

You're in a 'Danger Zone'
No, Jesus wasn’t a seismologist by training, but he knew a thing or two about earthquakes.  Like the seismologists of today, his chief interest lay in warning people in the danger zones.  As far as the symbolic great earthquake that is coming is concerned, the whole world is a danger zone.  The earthquake may centre on Jerusalem, but the shock waves will travel world-wide.  He wants people to know what’s coming so they can be prepared and save themselves.  Or, rather, so that he can save them. 

On the other side of the great Armageddon earthquake, there will be a time of peace and great happiness, when, as the book of Revelation says in one of its clearly un-symbolic verses: (Note this follows the great earthquake in verse 13)

‘…The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.’  [Revelation 11.15] 

So the Bible makes it clear that you are living in a danger zone wherever you are!  

You are in danger of missing out on the greatest time of blessing this world has ever known, as the gospel shows.  Make it your business to know how to prepare now and then be baptised.