Recent earthquakes / tsunami's

I think its a fair thing to wonder. While I am expectant in my eschatology I am also realistic.

The impact of premillenial eschatology on Christianity has been dramatic. This kind of conversation would have looked much different 100 years ago.

If Christ comes tomorrow I shall rejoice, but I think Baptists have a peculiar predilection towards premillenial angst than others.

 

I don't know about the 'end of days', but I've expected a 'judgement' or 'recompense' for quite some time. God is not mocked. Men can't keep getting more and more wicked like this and nothing happen. IMO, Christ's return could be a very long time away yet.

 

I tend to agree with the above posts. The only question I would have is, are there really more and more powerful earthquakes, or are we just better at measuring them?

 

Compared to previous times in history, when natural disasters occur, there are so many more people affected by them and we find out about them so quickly, that the impact is to assume they are greater in number and frequency-- which is probably not the case.

 

Or it could be today.

 

I'll be safe and just say "birth pangs".
Think about the frequency and intensities.
OTOH, if I'm wrong, then let God be true and every man a liar.

 

Manchester Guardian, Jan. 25, 1927
on p. 9:

and on p.12:

 

Early Baptist Pastor Benjamin Keach refers to contemporary earthquakes, specifically the 1692 Jamaica quake, in his sermon A Trumpet Blown in Zion:

 

Yes, and doesn't the Bible in several places put the "last days" at he time of the NT writing? Or we are suppose to pretend its not there?

So were there earthquakes in the last days as the NT defines it:

John Gill:

and earthquakes in divers places of the world; as, at Crete (n), and in divers cities in Asia (o), in the times of Nero: particularly the three cities of Phrygia, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse; which were near to each other, and are all said to perish this way, in his reign (p);
"and Rome itself felt a tremor, in the reign of Galba (q).''


Albert Barnes


Earthquakes - In prophetic language, earthquakes sometimes mean political commotions. Literally, they are tremors or shakings of the earth, often shaking cities and towns to ruin. The earth opens, and houses and people sink indiscriminately to destruction. Many of these are mentioned as preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. Tacitus mentions one in the reign of Claudius, at Rome, and says that in the reign of Nero the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse were overthrown, and the celebrated Pompeii was overwhelmed and almost destroyed by an earthquake, Annales, 15. 22. Others are mentioned as occurring at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos. Luke adds, "And fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven," Luk_21:11. Josephus, who had probably never heard of this prophecy, and who certainly would have done nothing designedly to show its fulfillment, records the prodigies and signs which He says preceded the destruction of the city.

A star, says he, resembling a sword, stood over the city, and a comet that continued a whole year. At the feast of unleavened bread, during the night, a bright light shone round the altar and the temple, so that it seemed to be bright day, for half an hour. The eastern gate of the temple, of solid brass, fastened with strong bolts and bars, and which had been shut with difficulty by twenty men, opened in the night of its own accord. A few days after that feast, He says, "Before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities." A great noise, as of the sound of a multitude, was heard in the temple, saying, "Let us remove hence." Four years before the war began, Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, came to the feast of the tabernacles when the city was in peace and prosperity, and began to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegroom and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!" He was scourged, and at every stroke of the whip He cried, "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" This cry, Josephus says, was continued every day for more than seven years, until He was killed in the siege of the city, exclaiming, "Woe, woe to myself also!" - Jewish Wars, b. 6 chapter 9, section 3

 

Actually, although they are the beginning of the birth pangs (verse 8), in verse 6, Jesus says:

The last days began with Jesus' time on earth so I don't think earthquakes indicate any specific time. Soon could be 500 yrs. or 50 yrs.

Also, I've read that we are not having more earthquakes than usual. It just seems that way because we've only had the recording equipment to be aware of them in somewhat recent times. Earthquakes have gone for a long time, often in remote regions where most of the world did not know about them.

 

Possibly... can't say for sure..

There have been too many newspaper prophets... I am looking daily for his return.. I don't need no stinkin earthquake to tell me he is returning... :laugh:

The Bible says he will be back... HE WILL be back.

When?... I don't care.

If it is today, Hallelujah!
If it is 1000 yrs from now, Hallelujah...

One thing I do know.. ALL of us will see him at some point in the next 100 yrs...

And some of us may see him today.


And some of our friends and family will die this yr.. some going to Heaven, some going to Hell...

It is, IMO, more important to tell them about Jesus than to sit around looking for earth shaking signs.

I am sure you agree.:thumbs:

 

We have always had natural disasters on this planet, with that in mind, I believe the 'natural' disasters before Christ's return will not be the average we have all the time, it will be above what we've ever seen before to the point theres no doubt it's God. If it were just average what we get all the time it wouldn't draw your attention away from the daily things of life, wouldn't look like a sign of anything. So far we haven't seen that.

 

I agree with this

 

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars...etc, etc

Yes, these things have always happened, however, all we of
the 20th-21st century need to do is click a switch to "hear" of many of the things.

There are many other things which are happening that align with prophecies of the "end times".

But when we see the celestial "signs" (sun darkened, no light from the moon, falling stars, etc, then we will know (if we are still here) that His coming is "even at the doors".

Until then I'll agree with President Obama's statement (underline the word statement) that in terms of the O/P, I don't want to take anything off the table.

HankD​

 

I agree. [adding spurious characters here to satisfy the arbitrary, infernal minium posting requirement.]

 

I agree with your post except the part about I don't care. I don't know when Christ will return. Although I would like it to be soon. I doubt that it could be 2 billion years from now as a couple have suggested in this thread. I believe that "soon" has SOME relationship to what we can understand.

Extremes are possible on both ends. It seems to be fashionable these days to go in the opposite direction of when I was young. Forty years ago I would hear people say they wanted Christ to return soon. Now it almost seems to be a badge of Christian sophistication to say that one doesn't care and that it could be eons. I'm not sophisticated. (Not accusing you of an extreme, Tim.)