The fact that God speaks and acts through earthquakes, shocks and after shocks is well established in the Bible. When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi, an earthquake set them free and facilitated their leading the Philippian jailer and his family to faith in Jesus Christ:

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.” (See Philippians 16:25-31)

An earthquake occurred at the time that the stone was rolled away at Jesus’ tomb by an angel at the great event of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This was a time when God was showing to the world that Christ was already raised bodily from the dead and that the tomb was empty:

“And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” (Matthew 28:2)

Earthquakes are used in the Bible, and I believe today, as a time marker, as is the case in the book of the prophecies of Amos:

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (Amos 1:1)

Earthquakes also serve to protect Israel, God’s covenant people, from the destruction of their enemies, as in the case of the future attack on Israel by Russia, Iran, and other Islamic nations:

“In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. (Ezekiel 38:19, NASB)

Jesus stated that earthquakes would occur in the last days as prophetic markers and as warnings for the faithful to be ready:

There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be TERRORS and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:11)

Notice how complete this pronouncement is for us to see today!  The Ebola outbreak should be taken as God’s warning that we are only at the beginning of the times of the “plagues in various places” that are to come! Notice that “there will be terrors.”   We have seen the terror of the beheading of an American Journalist by an ISIS terrorist.  This is only one example of the “terrors,”to come.  These  terrors are arising in these latter days through the demonically directed attack by anti-Semitic Islamic terrorists upon all representatives, participants, and protectors of Israel and the Jews.  The Aramaic translation of this verse is insightful:

“Great earthquakes shall be in various places, and there shall be famines and plagues and panics and TERROR, and great signs from the sky shall appear and there shall be great storms.” (Luke 21:11, ABPE)

We are hearing continued warnings about the 6.5 earthquake in Napa California, that there will likely be more to come!  Experts believe that an earthquake many times worse than the one on August 24th can soon shake the West Coast with catastrophic consequences for human life and property.  We are hearing of concerns over the effects this will have on the tourist season and even the price of wine!  Like the days of impending judgment in the Old Testament when people continued to focus on the wrong things, so, in these latter days, many don’t notice that it is the Lord who is speaking, warning, and calling mankind to Himself!

Earthquake, plagues, terrors, signs in the skies and storms are but a few of the predicted divine indicators that we are in the latter days!  How will you respond to what God is saying?

God loves the world and so is warning the world that there are eternal consequences for sin and for rejecting His Son Jesus Christ who came to save us and who is coming back! (John 3:16)  We will watch and pray for Napa California and all of America.  We all need to pay attention to what God is saying about His love for us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  God wants us to know that He is active in the world and our lives, especially if we know Jesus Christ as personal Savior. (John 1:12) God wants us to understand how He speaks through His Word, the Bible and through Bible prophecy.  He wants us to notice the signs indicating that Jesus is coming soon!