EARTHQUAKE! A FOREVIEW OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Six days  ago an earthquake measuring 7.8 struck with devastating effect in Nepal. The official death told has passed 5,000, but it could easily be three times that of more. Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Many of Nepal's ancient temples collapsed into piles of broken brick and wooden kindling. The cost of rebuilding has been estimated at $5 billion, or one-fifth of Nepal's total GDP. Nepal's news media is calling this the Great Earthquake, but as terrible as it was, it is a "walk in the park" compared to what the Bible prophesies for the future. Daniel called it "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (Daniel 12:1), and Jesus called it "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21). Every Bible prophecy has come to pass precisely as prophesied, including the amazing prophesies that described every aspect of Jesus' life, including the name of His very birthplace and the words He spoke on the cross. Nothing in this life is more certain than Bible prophecy. 

Jesus said the coming Tribulation will be greater than every trouble that this deeply troubled world has ever experienced. Greater than the most devastating earthquake. Greater than the rampages of any ancient tyrant. Greater than the modern world wars or the berserk ruinations of Stalin or Mao. Greater than every terrible plague and famine. Nepal's earthquake is a mere foretaste of the coming Tribulation. 

Consider the loss of life. Jesus warned that the number of deaths in the Tribulation will be so far-reaching that "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved" (Matthew 24:22). 

Consider the destruction of property. In the Tribulation, there will be destruction from the great wars and from other things described in the book of Revelation, but consider the destruction that will occur from just one of the judgments that will occur at that time. "And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent..." (Revelation 16:21).  A talent is more than 100 pounds. 

Consider the shaking. As terrible as it was, the shaking of Nepal's recent quake was like a gentle rocking of a baby's crib compared to the following: "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. ... And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Revelation 16:18, 20). I wonder what that one will measure on the Richter scale? 

Consider the destruction of idols. The media is bemoaning the destruction of "Nepal's ancient heritage," referring to her oldest Hindu temples. But God condemns idolatry in the strongest terms. The very first of the Ten Commandments says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:3-4). In the coming Tribulation, every idolatrous temple and false religious system that is contrary to God's Word will be destroyed. "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish" (Isaiah 2:17-18). 

Consider the humbling of man. When an earthquake hits, it is a very humbling event. Man is utterly powerless before such things. For a little time, strutting and self-sufficiency cease. It is usually a fleeting impression, though, and soon the survivors are back to normal, which is walking in the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). In the coming Tribulation, prideful, God-rejecting men will be humbled and there will never again be a "back to normal." The Tribulation is called "the day of the Lord," because in that day the blessed Creator will be exalted to His rightful position as Lord of the earth. "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low" (Isaiah 2:10-12). 

The Bible says that judgment is God's "strange work," because what He most delights in is salvation. He has done everything He can to provide salvation to mankind by sending His only begotten Son to suffer and die on the cross to atone for man's sin. Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days, and for 2,000 years the gospel of salvation has been proclaimed throughout the earth. The Bible has been translated into every major language (and most minor ones) and the gospel is available in every form of media known to man, from print to the Internet. There is no excuse for the fact that the vast majority of people the world over have ignored God's most gracious offer of salvation and have continued their lives in impenitence and unbelief. Friend, time is short. "Earthquakes in divers places" is one of the signs that Jesus gave of the end times. Are you ready to face your Maker?

SIGN POSTS ALONG THE WAY

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3, NKJV)

In the Jewish Scriptures before the birth of the Lord Jesus (our Old Testament), there were many prophecies about the coming Messiah (i.e., Jesus, the Christ). Some of those prophecies described the Messiah as coming to rid the earth of those who do not serve God. These prophecies described a kingly Messiah who was coming to conquer and reign. Other prophecies of the Messiah described His death in payment for our sins. These prophecies described a servant Messiah who would suffer at the hands of men.

Before the birth of the Lord Jesus, the Jewish people studied the messianic prophecies to understand what God would do. Many of these people often did not understand that the prophecies were talking about two separate comings of the Messiah. His first coming would be in a servant role to redeem man to God by suffering death on a cross (Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12). The second would be in a kingly role as a conqueror of all evil and the deliverer of God’s people (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 7:13-14). Unfortunately, many people only looked for the kingly Messiah who would deliver the Jewish people from the tyranny of Roman rule (Acts 1:6). Since the servant prophecies did not seem to fit this view of the Messiah, those prophecies were often ignored or misapplied.

As a result, when the Lord Jesus came, the people thought that He was the kingly Messiah who would set up God’s kingdom in Jerusalem. A few days before Passover, these people spread palm branches and clothes in the road to welcome their coming king (John 12:12-13). When the Lord Jesus failed to fulfill their understanding of the prophecies, these same people turned against Him, demanding His death (John 19:14-15).

The Jewish people made a common mistake when it comes to biblical prophecy. They thought that the primary purpose of prophecy was to describe what would happen in the future. They also added too many assumptions based upon their limited understanding of the prophecies. Even though the prophecies were fulfilled (to that point) exactly as given, many of the Jewish people did not recognize it because they were not fulfilled the way they expected. We must be careful to not make a similar mistake when studying end-time prophecies.

Throughout the Bible, God has provided many end-time prophecies for us. These prophecies serve two major purposes. First, when they come to pass, they assure us that God has everything under control (John 13:19; 14:29: 16:4). He is not surprised by the events taking place.

The second major purpose of these prophecies is to show us where we are in God’s plan. In this sense, prophecies are similar to city limit signs. When you reach the city limit sign for your destination, then you know where you are. Bible prophecies are not always intended to function as mileage signs. That is, they do not often tell us how far we have to go before we arrive. Instead, Bible prophecies often show us when we arrive at certain points in history.

For example, the Abomination of Desolation is a type of sign post that tells Christians when we are entering the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15,21). Some will probably not know ahead of time when the Great Tribulation will start. However, when we see the Abomination of Desolation, we will know that the Great Tribulation has started. Therefore, the Gospel writer tells us that it is important to understand the prophecy about the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15). Besides serving to show us when we reach a certain point in history, this prophecy about the Abomination of Desolation also serves to assure us that God is not caught off guard by the works of the enemy.

When studying end-time prophecies, avoid the temptation to be too specific about how the prophecies will be fulfilled. Primarily, seek to understand enough about the prophecies to recognize them when they come to pass. If you do that, you will be least likely to miss these important sign posts provided by God.