The Beginning of Sorrows
A period of intense trouble is shortly on the horizon that will stretch over a seven-year period and will impact the entire earth and its inhabitants. Revelation describes events that would make a remarkable movie, but friend this is not fantasy or the imagination of wicked producers. This is the WORD OF GOD predicting that the earth is entering into the beginning of sorrows that is to usher in the Great Tribulation period. Trees and grass will burn, water will become undrinkable, the sun will scorch men. Also, there will be the advent of , unbelievable plagues, devastating nuclear wars that will kill millions and the rise of an evil world leader bent on world domination and the removal of everything Jewish and Christian that will soak the earth in its greatest bloodshed since its creation. The Tsunami of 2004 was a unique event for many reasons and the belief of this writer a further step forward to the "beginning" of sorrows about to envelope Planet Earth, spoken of by Christ. God is getting the church ready for the rapture, an event that will gather His own to Himself and remove the church from an earth destined for judgment and death. It's getting late with each passing day and each natural disaster that seems to increase in scope, intensity and power each day.
By Chris McDonald
TEXT: Matthew 24:1-8 - And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. [3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. [5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. [6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.
God is getting the church ready for the rapture. I know that goes in the face of
most of what we hear today in modern pulpits which preach the Lord is preparing
the church to take over the earth but let this archaic sounding preacher
proclaim it loudly – I do not want to take over an earth destined for judgment
and destruction! Jesus is coming soon and He’s coming for those LOOKING for His
Second Coming!
Hebrews 9:27-28
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28]
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for
him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
On December 26, 2004 at 7:00 A.M.,
something unexplained and unexpected occurred deep beneath the Indian Ocean. Off
the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, the entire Aceh province was jarred by a 9.0
magnitude earthquake. Within minutes, the water had risen several inches,
washing numerous fish up on the shore. This unusual incident attracted many who
ran to the shore line to catch the fish. In hundreds of South Asian vacation
resorts, the great tragedy that lay ahead just minutes later was oblivious to
hundreds of thousands.
Suddenly, a violent wave inundated
the entire coastline and without warning, thousands were caught in a 30-35 foot
wall of water, a wave, a tsunami, that suddenly appeared, tossing people and
objects on the beaches in a devastating fury unknown to the world since Noah’s
flood. This 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is estimated to have released the energy
of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs.
In May 2005, scientists reported that the
earthquake itself lasted close to ten minutes when most major earthquakes last
no more than a few seconds; it caused the entire planet to vibrate at least a
few centimeters. It also triggered earthquakes elsewhere, as far away as
Alaska.
We carried related stories on the
Earth's axis tilting on the Prayer Watch section of this website for weeks
following the event. As late as June 2005 the earth was still reeling on its
axis from the force of the wave. The tragedy became catastrophic with the loss
of nearly 200,000 lives in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia,
Myanmar, Malaysia, Maldives, Seychelles, Tanzania, Bangladesh and even SOUTH
AFRICA and Kenya, 3,200 miles away. That’s how powerful a force existed behind
this wave. Because of limited communication technology in the area and no large
warning systems, the surrounding nations with large coastal areas experienced
what scientists called the worst natural disaster in the history of that region
of the world. Within 24 hours, the Western world added the term “tsunami” to its
vocabulary.
The term comes from a Japanese word
that comes from tsu meaning “Harbor,” and nami
meaning “wave,” which makes its meaning literally, “the wave that comes into the
harbor.”
In addition to the word tsunami, the
world also began to hear the word, “tectonic” plates which are slabs of rock
between 50-650 feet thick and carry the earth’s continents and seas on an
underground ocean of much hotter, semi-solid material. Danger erupts, as it did
on December 26, 2004, when a major volcanic eruption or an earthquake occurs,
especially under the water. If the pressure under the sea is strong enough, it
can create a shifting in the plates that produces not only a major earthquake,
but in turn creates, as it did that fateful morning, a tsunami. A Tsunami is a
series of great seas waves, triggered by underwater earthquakes.
These underwater quakes usually take
place in what are known as “subduction” zones. In these zones one section of the
earth’s crust, called a tectonic plate, moves over or under another. A giant
rupture causes the seafloor to warp, displacing a vast amount of seawater. This
raises the sea level and sets off the tsunami. The devastation of December 2004
was created when the India and Burma plates collided, causing the wave to form.
Billions of tons of water pounded the shores of 14 nations in a matter of hours!
The collision of the plates produced:
• Waves as high as 35 feet
• Waves traveling between 400 and 500 miles per hour
• Waves that caused death 3,200 miles away on the coast of Africa (in the
opposite direction by the way)
• The deaths of more than 200,000 people, over a third of them children
• A 9.0 magnitude earthquake which was the strongest quake worldwide in nearly
40 years.
The experts indicate that the 9.0
quake was the fourth largest since 1899 when records were first kep. It was the
fifth worst in world history. Just as in the days of Noah’s flood, the people
“knew not until the flood came and took them away.”
Matthew 24:39
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
Earthquakes In The Last Days
Jesus warned that in the last days
one of the signs we were nearing His soon return would be that of earthquakes in
divers places.
Matthew 24:3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?
Matthew 24:7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there
shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
There have always been earthquakes of
various magnitudes for centuries. However, there has been a massive increase in
the number of quakes, the variety of their locations and the intensity of their
strength in our generation. Just in the past twelve months of the date of this
writing in early 2006 we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of strong
to severe earthquakes all over the world. The most recent since the December
2004 event was a nearly 8.0 magnitude quake that hit NE Pakistan on 10-08-05,
killed nearly 100,000 people and affected nearly 5 MILLION in Pakistan and
India. Fears the death toll could rise as high over the 100,000 mark are
warranted due to the fact that the region of the affected quake is in store for
harsh winters that will inevitably bring on such things as hypothermia and
pneumonia, which will strike the weak, injured and vulnerable.
To compare this year with three interesting years of
prophetic significance, in the years 1947, 1948, 1949, there were only three
major earthquakes during that time-frame when Israel was rebirthed as a nation.
In the year 2004 there were thousands of quakes that rocked the land masses from
one end of the earth to the other. In 2005, there were thousands more. The year
of 2006 has not seen a major earthquake yet, but believes me, more are coming.
The Earth Shook
Most people before 2004 were somewhat
familiar with land earthquakes but not with underwater quakes. Also unknown to
most was the fact that when this 9.0 underwater quake occurred, the entire earth
shook. Some speculated that there was a slight shifting in the rotation of the
earth. Over the news right after, we heard the new by-word for the last few
years – “Biblical proportions.” That term “Biblical proportions,” which the
media used to describe the magnitude of devastation brought on by the tsunami of
2004 and again during the the Pakistan quake of 2005, will heard again this
year, possibly many times over. Remember it – that too will be a new term added
to our vocabularies. It’s the season of testing we’re about to enter into prior
to the rapture.
The term “BIBLICAL” was used by
people in the media that did not even realize the depths or scope of what they
were saying. In reality, the Bible DOES predict a time when the entire earth is
going to shake violently. At one time this verse was considered the wild
imagination of a Hebrew prophet named Isaiah, but it speaks of the future of
this planet:
Isaiah 24:19-20
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is
moved exceedingly. [20] The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy
upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
The prophet Haggai also saw a mighty
shaking of the earth and the sea:
Haggai 2:6-7
For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will
shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; [7] And I will
shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill
this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
These prophecies were spoken nearly
2,500 years ago! Once considered impossible, now seem only possible, but
PROBABLE. Scientists say the tsunami forged a 600-mile long crack at the bottom
of the ocean, literally causing a split at the bottom of the sea. The 9.0 quake
caused the entire earth to be moved and impact was so powerful that the earth
was actually shifted slightly onto its axis.
Prophetically speaking, the tsunami
of 2004 was another birth pang spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:
Matthew 24:7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there
shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
The word, “sorrows,” is an old
English word used when a pregnant woman went into labor pains. As she began to
feel the intensity of the birthing pains, it was said she was entering the time
of her sorrows. The Greek word Matthew used is odin, which means a
time of grieving, but also means, “birth pains.” Just as believers will enter a
time of travail and pain before Christ’s return, so the earth itself will enter
its own time of birth pains which will be manifested through famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes. In Romans 8:22, Paul identified this time as the
time when creation itself will travail:
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now.
The last 24 months has seen the earth
do just that in an unprecedented and BIBLICAL way! The Scriptures, the early
church fathers and contemporary scholars have identified a time in the future as
the Great Tribulation.
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mark 13:34
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and
gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the
porter to watch.
Rev. 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
This period of intense trouble will
stretch over a seven-year period and will impact the earth and its inhabitants.
Revelation describes events that would make a remarkable movie, but friend this
is not fantasy or the imagination of wicked producers. This is the WORD OF GOD
predicting that the earth is entering into the beginning of sorrows that is to
usher in the Great Tribulation period. Trees and grass will burn, water will
become undrinkable, the sun will scorch men. Also, there will be the advent of ,
unbelievable plagues, devastating nuclear wars that will kill millions and the
rise of an evil world leader bent on world domination and the removal of
everything Jewish and Christian that will soak the earth in its greatest
bloodshed since its creation.
Rev. 8:7
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood,
and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and
all green grass was burnt up.
Rev. 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as
it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the
fountains of waters; [11] And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the
third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter.
Rev. 16:8
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto
him to scorch men with fire.
Rev. 13:1-3
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his
heads the name of blasphemy. [2] And the beast which I saw was like unto a
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of
a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
[3] And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound
was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
2 Thes. 2:2-7
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. [3] Let no
man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4]
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God. [5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these
things? [6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his
time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Jesus was not mincing words when He
said that if it were not for the days being shortened for elect’s sake- NO FLESH
WOULD SURVIVE!
Matthew 24:21-24
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be
shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days
shall be shortened.
As these horrifying disasters grip
the earth, the author of Revelation (the Holy Spirit) reveals that men will
react to the destruction by seeking to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. They
will not escape:
Rev. 6:15
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: [17] For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The rocks (or caves) are found in the
mountains; dens may be special, underground hiding chambers prepared by world
governments for their leaders. Some of these places are found in Virginia where
several underground complexes are prepared for the President and His Cabinet in
the event a nuclear disaster struck America. These are self-contained and people
could survive there for months and years.
When the Bible says “men hid
themselves in the dens,” it could be pointing to a period of time when the world
is plunged into such war that unconventional weapons will be unleashed in a
massive way, killing millions.
As the earth shakes, kings and rich
men will head to their dens and the common man will run to the caves and the
mountains. The depression of this will cause many to seek to end their life –
BUT DEATH WILL NOT BE FOUND SO EASY. In a culture today that promotes death and
destruction, it will be lost at a time when men see the ugliness of sin and its
consequences and seek after it in real ways. At one point, satanic torments will
sting men like scorpions and those seeking to die will not be able to.
Rev. 9:1-12
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth:
and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. [2] And he opened the
bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great
furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the
pit. [3] And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them
was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. [4] And it was
commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any
green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God
in their foreheads. [5] And to them it was given that they should not kill them,
but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the
torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. [6] And in those days shall men
seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee
from them. [7] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto
battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces
were as the faces of men. [8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their
teeth were as the teeth of lions. [9] And they had breastplates, as it were
breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots
of many horses running to battle. [10] And they had tails like unto scorpions,
and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five
months. [11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless
pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath
his name Apollyon. [12] One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more
hereafter.
Neighbor, all these things are AHEAD!
ALL of these things are coming upon Planet Earth, and the shakings of the last
few years in the elements and atmosphere are the BEGINNING of the coming sorrows
that will encompass those who don’t know Christ and have rejected Him as their
Savior and Lord. Those who reject in unbelief the CROSS of Christ and the
blessing His Finished Work there brought to those who believe, then take on
themselves the WRATH and JUDGMENT associated with the CROSS!
America and Coming Earthquakes
America’s west coast has been living
in expectation of the “big one” for years. Geologists always speak of a large
earthquake that could occur at any time. The main fault line in California is
the San Andreas Fault. This fault consists of two plates running through
California: the Pacific Plate on the west and the Noth American plate on the
East.
It is more than 800 miles long and
reaches at least 10 miles deep into the earth. The prediction is that eventually
the plates will shift, causing one of the largest earthquakes in American
history. In 1989, San Francisco experienced a foreshadowing of such an event
with a devastating 7.0 quake that killed hundreds.
However, as serious the situation in
the west, there is also cause for alarm on the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic
region of the nation as well. The New Madrid fault line, which lies within the
central Mississippi Valley and extends from northeast Arkansas into southeast
Missouri, western Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Illinois is the largest
fault line in America! This area registers an average of 200 small tremors a
year. A major quake in this area is considered more dangerous than the San
Adreas area out west. Why one may ask? Because the ground in the New Madrid
area would make a quake more widespread.
One of the last two major quakes
along the New Madrid fault was in 1811-1812, when three quakes, estimated to
have been larger than 8.0, struck in a three-month period. The second event was
in 1895 when a 6.8 earthquake in New Madrid was so strong that the church bells
rang in Boston! Both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers “ran backwards!”
In 1906, California experienced its
worst earthquake near San Francisco. The 1989 quake was not as severe as this
one, which struck on April 18, 1906 at 5:13 a.m. Fire burned and crumbled
buildings for four-and-a-half- square miles, leaving over 200,000 homeless. The
recently revised death toll stands at 3,000.
It’s interesting to read historical
accounts of the quake, not so much about the quake itself, but the view of the
nation regarding the quake. In 1940, most Americans believed the earthquake was
a sign of God’s judgment on the city for its wickedness. If a Bible believer
makes this same type statement today about any type of natural disaster they are
cut to shreds with verbal criticism – WITHIN and WITHOUT the church! Most
Christians would act smug toward the notion. The modern gospel of prosperity,
the government of 12, the premise we can have purpose with God even if we’re
lost has created a lopsided understanding of God.
Jeremiah 5:4
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the
way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.
The first shaking of the earth (which
we plan to write on in a few weeks) actually took the lives of people who
REBELLED against God’s authority in Moses and Aaron. This rebellion was in
essence a type of rebellion of the Lordship of Christ, of whom Aaron stood as a
type, as High Priest of Israel. Jesus is our great High Priest today, praying,
interceding for the Church and those lost without Him at this very second. He
“EVER” intercedes today for you and I. Korah, Dathan and Abiram stood up in
rebellion (Numbers 16) and the earth opened up, and Korah and his house fell
alive in the opening in the ground going down to hell alive.
Numbers 16:1-5
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and
Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
[2] And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two
hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of
renown: [3] And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against
Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore
then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? [4] And when
Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
Numbers 16:31-35 - And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all
these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: [32] And the
earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men
that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. [33] They, and all that
appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon
them: and they perished from among the congregation. [34] And all Israel that
were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth
swallow us up also. [35] And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed
the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
The first shaking of the earth that
took lives was over a rebellion of God’s authority. Future shakings are coming
as well friend, mark my word! The Lord is about to shake ALL that can be shaken.
For the child of God, this is not a time to fear, it is a time to humbly seek
God’s face and REPENT of our condition before Him. Israel responded to the
judgment of God by MURMURING instead of standing in AWE of a HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD
who is JUST and FAIR IN ALL HIS DEALINGS WITH MAN.
As a result, 250,000 more died as the
result of a secondary plague sent by God to bring the nation into repentance
before Him.
Numbers 16:41-46 - But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of
Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the
people of the Lord. [42] And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered
against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the
congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord
appeared. [43] And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the
congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [45] Get you up from among
this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon
their faces. 46] And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein
from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation,
and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the
plague is begun.
That is the attitude of the nation
right now – MURMURING. Instead of this nation coming to God in humility, most
speak things against God in “hard speeches,” and mock Him and those who call on
His name in every vile way imaginable. At the day of this writing, the world has
just witnessed an Islamic uprising because of a stupid cartoon depicting
Mohammed as a murderer and terrorist (AND YOUR POINT IS????? – that’s exactly
what HE WAS!) As a result of rioting in the Muslim world, several have been
killed and many others injured. Had some liberal news writer lampooned Christ in
a similar fashion – NOTHING would have been said. If anything, he would have
been applauded and joked about in board rooms across America. Neighbor, we’re
headed for a SHAKING. We’re living in the time of the Beginning of SORROWS!
Jude 1:15- To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,
and of all their hard speeches which
ungodly sinners have spoken against him. [16] These are murmurers,
complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great
swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Christian, if you are one that
murmurs, you need to REPENT of that attitude and sprit right NOW! You are doing
something that ungodly sinners do. When we murmur and complain we anger God!
Enoch, who we wrote about in our last journal, preached that these men “walk
after their own lusts,” “speak great swelling words,” and have “men’s persons in
admiration because of advantage.” Sort of sounds like the political talk at
Coretta Scott King’s funeral the other day when former President Jimmy Carter in
a SHAMEFUL display of having NO CLASS slammed President Bush instead of paying
homage to Ms. King. Joseph Lowery, a so-called believer who calls himself a
Baptist preacher – HE'S NEITHER – called President Bush a liar and said because
we went to war in Iraq there is now no money for the poor here in America.
That’s the spirit of MURMURING and complaining and it brought judgment through
the shaking of the earth upon Korah. Friend, it’s going to bring a shaking to
America very soon if we don’t repent.
A Future Shaking Unlike Any Other
John predicted the most devastating
earthquake that is to occur in the world’s history will take place during the
latter part of the 7-year Tribulation period.
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the
world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Rev. 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev. 16:18
And 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.
“Great” in the Greek text means
megas and means “exceeding great.” This earthquake will be so massive
and intense that it will cause th entire planet to reel on its axis – similar to
what happened in a small way on December 26, 2004. Such an earthquake will cause
a great change in the climate, impacting all aspects of the Earth.
After this earthquake, massive
hailstones will follow:
Rev. 16:21
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight
of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the
plague thereof was exceeding great.
A Jewish talent weighs 113 pounds!
Friend, it don’t take a genius to see that what is ahead is going to be terrible
and BIBLICAL in scope! The “GREAT’ and “TERRIBLE” day of the Lord is nigh.
Isaiah 2:11-21 (NIV) The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the
pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 The
LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is
exalted (and they will be humbled), 13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and
lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, 14 for all the towering mountains and all the
high hills, 15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, 16 for every
trading ship and every stately vessel. 17 The arrogance of man will be brought
low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18
and the idols will totally disappear. 19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and
to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth. 20 In that day men will throw away to the
rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to
worship. 21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags
from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake
the earth.
Joel 2:1 (NIV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let
all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close
at hand--
Joel 2:11 (NIV) The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond
number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great;
it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Joel 3:14 (NIV) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of
the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Zephaniah 1:14-15 (NIV) "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming
quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of
the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and
anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds
and blackness,
Zephaniah 1:18 (NIV) Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save
them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world
will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth."
Zechariah 14:6-9 (NIV) On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7
It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD.
When evening comes, there will be light. 8 On that day living water will flow
out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in
summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day
there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
Malachi 3:2 (NIV) But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when
he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 (NIV) for you know very well that the day of the Lord will
come like a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10,12 (NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The
heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and
the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.12 (NIV) as you look forward to
the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction
of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Isaiah said the day of the Lord will
be a day when the Lord “punishes” the PROUD ones and the Kings of the earth.
Isaiah 24:1
Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it
upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
Isaiah 24:6
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are
desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Isaiah 24:18-20
And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall
fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be
taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations
of the earth do shake. [19] The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean
dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. [20] The earth shall reel to and fro
like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression
thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Isaiah said they shall “cry aloud
from the sea,” (14) and the Lord would be exalted in the “coastlands of the
sea.” (15). The possibility of this prophecy could be fulfilled by a series of
events we witnessed on December 26, 2004! The events coming will affect the
coastlands of many nations. The 2004 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra may
have occurred five miles under the ocean, but it was equal to the power of a
million atomic bombs, according to researchers, including Kerry Seih of the
California Institute of Technology.
The wave of death in December 2004
made the earth to wobble. The massive quake caused the earth to spin three
microseconds, or three millionths of a second, faster, and tilt about an INCH on
its axis. He also said this slight change was unlikely to cause any long-term
effects.
Another interesting thing scientists
said about this type quake was that should it happen over and over it could
cause the earth’s rotation to be changed – AND SHORTEN THE DAYS! This aspect was
another preview of coming events!
Matthew 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but
for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Our solar calendar is based on a
365.25 days a year. God’s original calendar however is a 360-day a year
calendar. If God is using His prophetic time compared to our present solar time,
there would be a difference of 35 days. Therefore, the time of the Tribulation
may be “shortened” by slightly over 36 days. Jesus said that if this does not
occur – NO FLESH WILL SURVIVE the coming events on Planet Earth.
Another possible explanation of the
shortened time could involve future tsunamis and earthquakes that could change
the rotation of the earth and literally shorten the days. When the Hebrew
prophets saw the earth reeling and shaking like a drunk, with massive number of
casualties and deaths, we can see now how these unusual predictions could come
to pass in our time. WE GOT A PICTURE OF THIS ON DECEMBER 26,
2004!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The cry of the coastlands Isaiah
mentioned was HEARD on December 26, 2004. Future events will bring cries as
well. The prophetic word identifies the seas and coastlines as future places of
trouble. Several Biblical judgments in the Great Tribulation will affect the sea
and marine life as recorded in Revelation. One such judgment is mentioned in
Revelation 8:10-11:
Rev. 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as
it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the
fountains of waters; [11] And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the
third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter.
This falling star will poison the
waters and cause death in a third of the world. If a large star or meteorite
fell on impacted ANY ocean of the world, it would produce HUGE tidal waves,
bringing gigantic walls of water crashing over the coastlines of the continents,
including NORTH AMERICA, CANADA and SOUTH AMERICA.
In Closing
In the follow up journal to this one
we will look at three levels of warning God always gives societies and yes, even
the church before moving in judgment. This journal was to set a foundation of
thought that we are living in the time of the beginning of sorrows! In Noah’s
day, warnings were etched in brick and stone. Today, we have 66 books of God’s
HOLY WORD, translated into ENGLISH full of warning and admonition to live HOLY,
righteously and soberly in a world destined for judgment. I say at the end of
this journal today what I said at the beginning. God is getting the church ready
for the rapture! I pray you are ready to go at any moment – be it death or
translation.
I leave you today with the words of
the Apostle Jude, who admonished the church that would exist during the
generation near the last, a time when men would speak “hard speeches,” and walk
“ after their own lusts.” We’re living in that time right now friend!
Jude 1:17-24 - But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before
of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; [18] How that they told you there
should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly
lusts. [19] These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the
Spirit. [20] But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, [21] Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. [22] And of some have
compassion, making a difference: [23] And others save with fear, pulling them
out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. [24] Now unto him
that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy, [25] To the only wise God our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Written by Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, those are the words of someone translated and caught up to God, who by
FAITH was taken because “HE WALKED WITH GOD!” I admonish you today to ask the
Holy Spirit today to PURGE your heart of the idols of this world and cling to
God in this fateful hour. Jesus is coming. I don’t care what the crowd who don’t
believe in a rapture are saying, or even those who don’t preach the soon Coming
of Christ saying the church is destined to stay here so there is no need to
prepare – JESUS IS COMING! Get ready for the rapture. BUILD YOURSELVES UP IN
YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH – PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep yourselves
in the LOVE OF GOD, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING,
LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING, LOOKING for the mercy of the Lord Jesus
Christ unto eternal life! Praise God.
Pictures from the coastlines when the deadly Tsuamni hit on December 26, 2004. (Left: Map of SE Asia Rim where most damage, death occurred)
Appendix One - Details On The Tsuamni
Appendix Two- Bibliography for Journal