I've been reading Psalm 46 lately. The first 3 verses read "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging"..
The led me to reflect on another verse Luke 21:11- "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven". The word "great" in talking about earthquakes could be more literally translated "mighty and violent".
Of course, one thought leads to another. Given the recent earhquakes in the news lately, that made me wonder. Are there really more earthquakes today than in previous years? I decided to look it up on the internet. They say the internet knows everything, right?
I found several sites showing earthquake data, all of them showed the same things. Indeed, there's MUCH more earthquake activity than at any time in recorded history. In fact, the number of strong earthquakes today is well over 10 times higher than any year before 1995. We've gone from an average of 5 quakes a year worldwide, to almost 70. Here's how the numbers break down..
Year Num
==== ====
2009 66
2008 41
2007 55
2006 33
2005 49
2004 48
2003 69
2002 45
2001 7
2000 7
1999 13
1998 10
1997 6
1996 1
1995 5
.
.
.
Before 1995, there were between 1 to 5 per year. That's quite a jump! Could it be the prophecy of Jesus is coming true? I think it's very likely. Why would Jesus give us a sign to look for, if it wasn't really a sign? Given the things going on in the world right now, I wouldn't doubt we're close to the end. It's best to be prepared.
"It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back— whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping". (Mark 13:34-36)
