Have you ever felt ashamed to admit your Biblical worldview? Even though resolute and convinced in your heart on such matters as the Resurrection, His Second Coming, the 6-day creation, eternal life, salvation … etc., you nevertheless may feel cowed by the godless Leviathan of prevailing culture.

After all, we live in a society that arrogantly elevates its worldly wisdom to a state of manifest superiority, therefore condemning all bona-fide, literal, Bible-believing Christians as simpletons. In public secular life, it is the prevailing and a priori view. Before examination … before discussion … before any reasoning, if you are associated with a Bible-believing perspective, by the popular mores of our culture and the world, you are therefore presumed to be primitive and stupid.

Not so.

However, this paradox is not new. The Bible has always recognized that this would be the case. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). By definition, then, a world that does not believe in God is foolish. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

In fact, the Gospel was specifically designed to be acceptable to babes and as foolishness to the wise. But yet, the worldly wise are not left with any excuse. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Foolish Crowds Lead Astray

Isn’t the majority always right? We note that the annals of history well document the apparent and unexplainable stupidity of societies and human crowds. The classic work on this subject was written by the Scottish journalist Charles Mackay in 1841, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.[i] Many of the stories in the book, frankly, are beyond belief, though true. Stupidity is on display most when prospects of gain entice people to suspend reason. Another excellent book that chronicles such behavior is Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises by Charles P. Kindleberger.[ii]

We learn how every now and then a viewpoint arises, which is so convincing and inherently logical that it captures the crowd, and how it becomes near impossible—psychologically, at least—to counter its premise. At such times, an arrogance born of a seeming zombie-like consensus assumes its position to be beyond reproach … in fact, beyond Truth itself. When that happens, anyone holding a contrary view is thought stupid. In reality, it is the exact opposite.

While this phenomenon is highly visible in financial markets, it certainly also applies to fads in conventional wisdom. With respect to such matters as salvation and biblical truth, the crowd—the entire world—regards them as foolishness. However, it is the world that is foolish. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:22-23).

Just how then can Truth be defended, if we are seen to be contrarian simpletons? Actually, there is little cause is to feel shame or inferior. Simple truths and logic are all that is required. The Holy Spirit must be relied upon to do the rest of the convicting in any case. For as the Bible says, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalms 8:2; see also Matthew 21:16).

As such, we next present 10 Conundrums. They represent a random sample of “infant logic” (of many we could list) that trumps the worldly wisdom of fools. They collectively are an appeal of simple logic (reasoning) to the person who would be open to acknowledging God and His Son, Jesus Christ and the foolishness of the world.

There is nothing to be ashamed about. As Paul, says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Why? “[…] because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

1. Intolerant or Not

The world accuses Christians of being intolerant and anti-choice. These criticisms are designed to incapacitate credibility and discussion. However, it is not foolish to be intolerant. To endorse tolerance implies that there can be no absolute truths. For example, if you truly believe that 2 plus 2 is 4, then you must be intolerant to maintain that belief. We would certainly hope that the engineers who are designing automobiles and airplanes are intolerant on matters of the physical sciences.

The charge of tolerance is targeted at Christianity because it endorses Truth … a single answer … one way. Yet, the charge is wrong. The world (and many liberal, so-called Christian leaders) insists that while there are many ways to God, that all are going to the same place. In this respect, Christians are pro-choice and pro-tolerance. We say that there are two places. We do not intolerantly demand that everyone must go to the same place. Rather, people are free to choose between the two destinations of Heaven and Hell. God invites choice: He says “[…]choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve […]” (Joshua 24:15). The God of true Christianity want you to choose Him and to choose to recognize His Son.

2. The Fossil Record

The fool says that God is not the Creator, and that mankind evolved from slime. According to the accepted theories of the “wise scholars,” complex life occurred spontaneously. This primordial life advanced gradually to give rise to the King of Apes, the human being.

Anyone without any prior indoctrination on the matter of the accepted teachings of “evolution” would most certainly be inclined to look at the evidence very differently. A simple child would possess the logic to refute the theory of evolution.

Just what does the evidence show? Thousands upon thousands of extinctions, life forms that no longer exist, and catastrophic mass annihilations. What we see is that many complex, developed life forms—from dinosaurs to rodents—come to an end and not to new life. It is not a picture of new life forms evolving, but preexistent life forms moving to extinction.

All creatures can be shown to appear suddenly in the fossil record. To this day, there is yet no conclusive evidence of a continuum of links between the different stages of evolving life forms that is theorized. Palaeontologists have been digging for evidence for more than a century, and are still no closer to having proved their godless theories. How much more time will we allow them before calling them fools?

The obvious conclusion? There are only two choices. By process of elimination, one must give ascendancy to the existence of God, the one that the Hebrews called Yahweh. All life came originally from the Creator. Ever since, all life has come from life. Nevertheless, the fool says it can’t be so, because there is no God.

3. The Anti-You

The Big Bang theory, which proposes how the mass of the universe could have come from nothing, is still a popularly-received fantasy. To explain how matter could have been created from nothing, anti-matter was invented. Matter plus anti-matter equals zero. How convenient … and absurd. It remains a theory as it cannot be proven, and moreover, falls woefully short of being the ultimate answer to “beginnings.” It does not answer why, how, or what suddenly triggered a big bang in the first place.

However, suppose a big bang did happen. Anti-matter must therefore be the exact mirror image of matter, though in a different dimension. Simple logic of babes would argue that an anti-universe must also exist. Further, it follows that there must also be an anti-you. Somewhere there is another you … namely, an anti-you. Should you and your anti-you ever come together again, you would be nothing. Though this may seem comical, it is only a logical extension of the folly of the Big Bang Theory. Even babes would agree.

4. Proofs of False Branding under Christianity

Experts (so called “higher critics”) argue that the Bible is not a reliable document and that at worst, it is either a fabrication or a product of mankind’s progressive imagination. Says one pastor, “There’s been a virtual consensus among scholars for the past 30 years that the Bible is not some divine emanation […]. The authoritative Word of God For All Time is but a human project filled with contradictions and the conflicting worldviews and political perspectives of its authors.”[iii]

What is so revealing is that such people (as quoted above), who hold no significance for the Bible and deny the deity of Christ, still want to be called Christian. Why does it not interest them to start a new religion based on their new ideas and so-called insights? Rather, they choose to preach “the doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1) from under the false branding of Christianity. That betrays their true nature and subversive agenda. The fact that this “brand substitution” occurs primarily only with Christianity, proves that it is a faith worth counterfeiting. Why counterfeit something that has no value?  Where would be the gain for the enemy?

5. Old Testament Provenance

Interestingly, scholars today still decry the fact that we do not have the original autographs of any of the Scriptures. Only 60% of the Old Testament is reliably proven, they charge. However, we have more evidence of Christ’s existence than of any other human in the history of mankind before … say 1500 AD. He lived. And, if so, then ponder on the thought that while He was with us, He never saw the need to revise anything of the Old Testament. He is not recorded to have said: “Dear disciples, while I am here with you, there is need for a little correction. The Old Testament has become corrupted over the years and is full of fables. I must make some editorial corrections while I am here with you.” This did not occur. At the threat of torture and individual death, none of the 12 disciples admitted that such a conversation ever happened.

Yet, that is the very premise behind the impetus of Islam. Mohammed introduced his visions some 600 years after Christ ascended, saying that he was sent to correct the beliefs and Scriptures of the Jews and Christians. Today, given the many manuscripts that have been found (most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls), we know that the Scriptures did not change in the 600 years that intervened between Christ and Mohammed. As such, any revisions that Mohammed would have been sent to make, would all have had the endorsement of Jesus Christ. Therefore, from a Christian perspective, both could not have been a prophet of God. In Christ’s case, he claimed and proved that He was the Son of God.

The Bible does claim for itself the fact that it is divinely inspired. The mere fact that it still exists today in a highly reliable and documentable form is a miracle in and of itself. The fact that God’s Word has been put into the grubby hands of mankind for a period of least 2500 plus years, and still survives relatively unchanged is remarkable.

At the same time, the fact that there have been minor transcription errors, only helps to prove that it is indeed genuine. Were it to have been completely without transcription flaws for such a long period of time, this could only be due to fraudulence.

Yet, there are no other ancient written works in the history of mankind that come with such extensive provenance and proofs as the books of the Bible. Moreover, it is also the most accurate history book of all time. Secular scholars verify these facts, though they may not choose to believe its words. The bottom line: If you cannot disprove that Jesus Christ existed and validated his claims with miracles and a resurrection, then you must at least believe the literal testimony of the Old Testament.

6. The Collective Amnesia of History

Whether identifying with an institutional religion or not, everybody is religious in the sense that all must hold a “worldview” … namely, a philosophy of the meaning and purpose of our life. In the end, try as one might, he will not be able to disprove that a certain person, Jesus Christ, existed on earth at one time. Furthermore, you will also not be able to disprove in a court of law today that this man was crucified, died, was buried, and was resurrected. You cannot deny these facts without destabilizing the foundations of the entirety of ancient history.

Did Hannibal (247–183 BC), the Carthaginian, cross the Pyrenees with his elephants to fight the Romans? Why, of course he did, you may say. Indeed, on the basis of the account of Polybius (ca. 200–118 BCE), these general events did occur. However, this would be an accepted historical fact based on a single surviving account. There is no other reference in any document of the antiquities that makes an earlier reference to this event. Yet, Hannibal’s accomplishment against the Romans is considered a proven, historical fact. This is one of potentially thousands of examples. Then, why not consider the life and times of Jesus Christ proven and factual? If so, then the Bible’s Gospel must be historical fact, as well.

7. Backward Language

There are numerous arguments beyond count that challenge the views of atheists and evolutionists. An interesting one is observed by linguists (scholars that study languages). Contrary to evolutionary theory, which would argue that human language developed slowly from primitive forms, the exact opposite evidence is found. Not only does language appear suddenly in the historical record (according to linguists, possibly some 20,000 years ago), but also in highly sophisticated form. In fact, the earliest languages (extinct for the most part) are the most sophisticated. By comparison, for example, the English that we speak today is simplistic in structure. How is this possible if there is no God … and no Creation?

8, Atheist’s Paradox

There is no God? The fool who takes this stance, does so at great peril. To wager that there is no God, alone is madness in terms of probability theory. The Atheist’s Paradox is named for the logical impossibility of proving that a greater being does not exist. One must first become God to disprove the existence of all other gods. If one is not God, one has no way of disproving that there is a God.

In any case, if there is no God, mankind is lost. He is back to the primordial slime, with no answers to the “beginning and end.” This is the Catch-22 that terrorizes the thinking of the atheist. He or she has no purpose.

9. Random Minds Explaining Randomness

A most hilarious observation is that people who argue that the entire universe and all life is a result of “randomness,” will yet argue their points with words that are obviously not randomly chosen and that occur at a time of their choosing. They do not see the contradiction. According to their perspective, creation and the very intelligence of humans is the product of random events. The very occurrence of our logical conversation with them, is therefore apparently also an accident of randomness and total coincidence.

Order does not come from randomness. The second law of thermodynamics (entropy) has yet to be overturned.

10. The Answers of Evolutionism Found Wanting

Evolutionism is a religious belief system that fails to satisfactorily answer the questions that hauntingly harbor in the souls of all mankind. Why do I exist? What is my purpose? What happens to “me” after I die? Is my existence meaningless? What thinking and intellectually-honest person will not admit such thoughts? The fact that these questions even exist, is itself a refutation of the naturalistic theories of the origin of man. Concepts such as are revealed by these questions do not and cannot “evolve” from primordial slime, nor are these organically transmitted from one living organism to another.

The greatest atheist thinkers (whether scientists or philosophers) have no answer to these “why” questions. “Why does the universe even go to the bother to exist?” questions the famous physicist, Stephen Hawking. The fact that all mankind has ingrained in them such concepts as “love” and “justice,” alone proves naturalism cannot explain the inner thoughts and destinies of man. These are ideas that evolution has neither the need nor the means to develop. What human being does not feel wronged when some action is deemed to be “unfair”?

Yet, our society taunts literal Bible-believers as being “primitive” should they hold the view that the theory of evolution is not supported by evidence (which it is not). It can only be out of a spirit that refuses to acknowledge the existence of a loving, moral and severe God. Nevertheless, evolutionism is one of the most dogged religions there is.

Thoughts to Ponder

The questions we have posed provide an effective test of anyone’s worldview. We have discussed 10 “randomly” selected points that are intended to encourage people’s “reasoning” to acknowledge true Wisdom; to perhaps challenge the worldly wisdom of the wise.

While proper “reasoning” should lead us to open our hearts and minds to the truth of the Bible, ultimately generating obedience to a personal Savior, Jesus Christ, the fact remains that logic is not enough alone to change hearts.

Why did God require that we first believe and take the step of faith, before He will open up the heavens and revelation to us? God, in His wisdom, has wanted it to be so that people must first believe in Him.

Though people may have been provided with many proofs of Jesus Christ’s existence, we are still called to make a choice to “believe.” “Truly, truly I tell you, the one who believes in me has eternal life” (John 6:47). Once you have taken the a priori position that God exists and that the Bible is His Word, you will discover yourself to have adopted a belief framework that is in harmony with all known truth and facts, the beginning and the end, the purpose of the universe … the ultimate explanation of all action and impulses … none contradicting each other.

As Scripture says, only then does one come out of darkness. “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

Human beings are highly functioning creatures that have been given a mind. The faith that is compelled by the facts and proofs of the Bible does require us to think … to reason … to process … to work out our faith. It is the cults and the religions based on falsehoods and unsupportable principles, that do not tolerate questions or clear thinking. They seek to circumvent the natural defense of the mind (that being skepticism).

“[…] if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).
[i] Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, with a foreword by Andrew Tobias (1841; New York: Harmony Books, 1980).
[ii] Charles P. Kindleberger, Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, New York: Basic Books, 1978.
[iii] Globe & Mail, Mar 22, 2008, “Religion: Taking Christ out of Christianity.”

In Part I of this series on prophesied natural disasters, focusing upon earthquakes, we had reviewed the “earthquakes in diverse places” mentioned by Christ. We also examined the first four of the five apocalyptic seismic events mentioned in the book of Revelation. Crucially, we had concluded that the earthquakes mentioned by Christ are not the same as the ones mentioned in Revelation. We continue our review of the apocalyptic earthquakes.

The fifth and greatest earthquake of all time occurs at the time of the seventh bowl (or vial) judgment. It most certainly is a global earthquake, said to affect the “islands.” It again is accompanied by “voices, thunderings, lightnings,” and again hail (this time, precipitation the weight of a talent, which is the equivalent of 25.5 kilograms or 56 pounds).

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 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, andso great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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 (Revelation 16:17-21).

This final and most catastrophic earthquake of all history is also the frequent topic of Old Testament prophets. It coincides with the final judgment, taking place at the time of Armageddon (possibly also the quashing of Gog) and the smashing of all the capital cities of the nations, including Babylon the Great. It is just prior to the restoration of Israel. A number of prophets speak of this time. Says Joel:

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice fromJerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel (Joel 3:14-16).

Haggai also is given a vision of this time:

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts (Haggai 2:22-23).

This last earthquake of judgment, positioned at the very end and at the time of Armageddon, is also confirmed by Isaiah in several Scriptures:

Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! (Isaiah 5:25-26, NIV). Also, […] The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again (Isaiah 24:18-20).

We have hardly exhausted the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets, not to mention connecting them to the judgment ofBabylon the Great. See also these Scriptures: Isaiah 29:6-7 and Haggai 2:6-8, Ezekiel 26:15, 31:16, Zechariah 2:7-9.

Having briefly reviewed the five earthquakes of the Tribulation period mentioned in Revelation, we note that they are not the earthquakes that Christ told us would happen. The first and fifth earthquakes—bracketing the other three—in this writer’s opinion, represent both the start and end of the Great Tribulation period (the second period of 42 months), framing the time of God’s wrath in the form of supernatural events.

As a matter of interest, this perspective on the timing of Revelation’s earthquakes aligns with the opinion of a number of scholars, who view the events of the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24) in parallel with the first five “seal” judgments of Revelation. As such, the sixth and seventh seals would then occur in the second half of the Tribulation.

Prophecy Keys to Earthquakes

It goes without saying that there remains much debate between scholars that endorse the pre-tribulational view, as to the times of the various judgments mentioned in Revelation (seals, trumpets and bowls). We can hardly contribute to this debate. However, in the matter of earthquakes, here are some of the “keys” that must be considered.

1.  In the book of Revelation, there is no mention of earthquakes before the time of the sixth seal. All five earthquakes mentioned occur from that point forward.

2.  All earthquakes mentioned in Revelation are of “divine” or “heavenly” origin. None are natural phenomena such as are occurring today or as may be the “earthquakes in diverse places” that Christ indicated. All are divinely enacted, either through Christ or angels.

3.  All prophesied earthquakes in the Old Testament are specific to the “day of the Lord” … in other words, those that are caused by divine judgment, and clearly referring to the time of God’s wrath. (Possibly there is one exception, this being the point where Christ’s feet alight upon the mount of Olives, splitting the mountain in Zechariah 14:4.)

4.  All the earthquakes prophesied in the Old Testament as part of the time of wrath are all specific events, most of them global in scope. They are truly apocalyptic and not part of a generic group of earthquakes that occur in “diverse places” on the earth.

Next, we should note the differences between the earthquakes that were prophesied by Christ (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) and the specific ones mentioned in the Old Testament, Revelation and the other New Testament writers.

1.  The earthquakes prophesied by Christ are non-specific to location and number, in that there are multiple earthquakes in various places. By contrast, all five earthquakes mentioned in the book of Revelation are singular and specific events.

2.  The earthquakes mentioned by Christ occur during the period that is called the “beginning of sorrows.” The three accounts of this prophecy in Matthew, Mark and Luke are all in agreement on this point. The earthquakes mentioned in Revelation, on the other hand, all occur at the time of the sixth seal and thereafter. That period is not the “beginning of sorrows,” but rather much later, likely (as in this writer’s opinion) the Great Tribulation period (the second half of the Tribulation period).

3.  Several of the prophecies involving earthquakes in Revelation, correspond to earthquakes prophesied in the Old Testament and elsewhere in the New Testament; whereas the “earthquakes in diverse places,” associated with “nations rising against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms,” along with pestilences and famines, do not.

Are Earthquakes Increasing Today?

Finally, let’s consider this most intriguing question: has the incidence of earthquakes been increasing in recent years and decades? To be scientifically valid—not going beyond what can be validly ascertained from statistics—the answer is “probably not.” This conclusion may be shocking to some. Indeed, this writer has received numerous aggravated responses to this conclusion in the past.

Apparently, some Christians hold great comfort in the notion that earthquakes are already increasing in severity and frequency today. To them, this is seen as a sign that the Lord’s return is near. However, the plain truth is that anyone using proper statistical methods (and, it should be added, adhering to what the Bible actually says) cannot conclusively state that earthquakes have increased in recent times. Seismologists (who are experts in this topic, and other Bible students) have come to the same conclusion.

Consider this quote from the website of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), “In 1931, there were about 350 [seismograph] stations operating in the world; today, there are more than 8,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail, internet and satellite.”

As such, statistics gathering and reporting has served to increase the earthquake counts as well as the perception of their incidence. In reality, occurrences have not risen, just the reporting of earthquakes of smaller size. Earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 (on the Richter scale) or greater—the ones that historically were noticeably cataclysmic, and most likely to be reported—have remained fairly constant. In fact, one earthquake per year exceeding 9.0 on the Richter scale (as was the strength of the recent seismic occurrence in Japan) is considered normal. There are other independently corroborated studies that have come to the same conclusion.

For those who are inclined to disregard statistical validity and to interpret seismic data in a fashion more agreeable to their preferred opinions on the matter of earthquakes, they will discover that similar problems will arise with the other phenomena that Christ said would occur “during the beginning of sorrows.”

We recall that along with earthquakes, there would also occur famines, pestilences, and that nations would rise against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms (Matthew 24:7). Of course, over history, the world has always been subject to wars, famines and pestilences. Should we therefore interpret Christ’s statements to indicate that these phenomena during the “beginning of sorrows” will be much the same as usual? Such an interpretation would not be reasonable either. If so, there would be no need for Christ to give us these indicators to identify a period of heightening sorrows.

Then, can wars, pestilences and famines be said to be increasing in severity and frequency today? The evidence would suggest no … at least, not yet. In the case of wars, they can be shown to be decreasing in recent decades. For example, a recent report of the World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2011) concludes the following:

Interstate war has declined dramatically since the two world wars of the first half of the 20th century. Major civil conflicts (those with more than 1,000 battle deaths a year) increased during the postcolonial and Cold War era, peaking in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since 1991–92, when there were 21 active major civil wars, the number has steadily fallen to less than 10 each year since 2002.

Other research organizations have expressed similar opinions. In the case of pestilences and famines, we can well point to reasons why these may sharply increase in the future. However, the reality is that their incidence around the world has decreased sharply over the past century or so.

At this point in history, both for reasons of limited data and statistical validity, a rise in the frequency and severity of earthquakes cannot be proven conclusively. Confirming this view that the time of “earthquakes in diverse places” is not yet, is the fact that none of the other tandem phenomena of famine, pestilences and wars can be shown as having increased.

Should this really be seen as a disappointment? Is prophecy therefore invalidated? May that never be the case. For one, as we have shown, this conclusion does not overturn Scripture. Our study to this point would argue that the earthquakes that Christ mentions occur during the first half of the Tribulation period … not before, nor after. Moreover, Christ’s return and the Rapture are not delayed by this conclusion. Why? Because the Rapture is “signless” and has always been imminent.

Points to Ponder – Part II

The Lord’s return is not delayed at all by the fact that earthquakes are not yet increasing today. We must conclude that much greater earthquake activity lies ahead for the world. If our interpretation of Matthew 24 and the corresponding accounts of Revelation is correct, a pronounced increase—conclusively noticeable for all of mankind to recognize—will occur during the first half of the Tribulation period. We can conclude that there will be many all around the world. Moreover, these seismic events are not specifically mentioned in the book of Revelation, nor are they part of the “divinely” triggered earthquakes that are instruments of Gods’ wrath in the second half of the Tribulation period.

As disastrous and powerful as the recent Japanese earthquake may have been, it will pale in comparison to the worst yet to come. Not only is the heightened earthquake activity mentioned by Christ yet in the future, but also the biggest earthquakes of all time have yet to occur. With respect to the last one, John the Revelator tells us this: “[…] No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake” (Revelation 16:18).

Most wonderfully for Israel and the remaining Christians at the end of the Tribulation period, is the advent of one more earthquake. This is a local one, occurring on the Mount of Olives.

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 (Zechariah 14:4).

This occurs at the time that Israel’s Messiah finally returns. As his feet touch the Mount of Olives, the hill splits in two. Water flows out of the temple mount, and the new Millennial period begins (Revelation 22:1).