Earthquakes in Diverse Places

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#1
It is never a great idea for me to start a thread when I just have the inklings of something forming in my mind because it usually causes people to come in and be snotty with me as if I cannot wonder or work it out as I go along in conversation and hear the viewpoints of my brothers, or as if just to ask a question is reason to smack me down as ignorant. But I'm not smart, so I'm going to post it anyway. :)

Haven't there always been earthquakes in diverse places? So then, what would make this verse of any value? What might we be missing?
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
113
#2
The frequency will increase and be very noticeable. But yes there have been earthquakes in diverse places since sin entered the world.

Same thing with wars and rumors of wars.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#3
<--------immediate reaction on people being snotty



I was always under the impression that it was something like, "Little did they know at the time, that there were continents like Australia, the Americas, and Antarctic. And little did they know at the time that there was a whole lot of land east of them, south of them and way, way north of them."

Never really got beyond thinking that, so don't know if I'm right.
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#4
<--------immediate reaction on people being snotty



I was always under the impression that it was something like, "Little did they know at the time, that there were continents like Australia, the Americas, and Antarctic. And little did they know at the time that there was a whole lot of land east of them, south of them and way, way north of them."

Never really got beyond thinking that, so don't know if I'm right.
Yes, they didn't have an awareness of the diverse earthquakes but they were in their own little...space on earth. They did travel by boat but..

So the op thought came to me because I heard someone say Jesus has already come back. So I read Mathew and Luke again to try to understand how the heck someone could believe this.

So Jesus was telling them the signs to know when His time of return was close. But He wasn't giving them something they couldn't possibly understand. He wouldn't just toss a verse in there that didn't have to happen!

Makes sense to me anyway. :)
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#5
The context is these things like birth pangs, will increase

they will increase in number, and increase in severity just like a woman in labor experiences an increase in the nimber of contractions, and the increase of severity, in a exponential value also.

In other words. When the days draws near, the number and severity of these earthquakes (natural disaster) famines, diseases, etc etc will be noticably more frequent and more powerful
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#6
Yes I agree EG. And it would be reasonable to think if this happened that there would be writings and historical accounts of there being an occurrence such as this on earth.
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
113
#7
From Adam Clarke's commentary:

Earthquakes, in divers places - If we take the word σεισμοι from σειω to shake, in the first sense, then it means particularly those popular commotions and insurrections which have already been noted; and this I think to be the true meaning of the word.

But if we confine it to earthquakes, there were several in those times to which our Lord refers; particularly one at Crete in the reign of Claudius, one at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos. See Grotius. One at Rome, mentioned by Tacitus; and one at Laodicea in the reign of Nero, in which the city was overthrown, as were likewise Hierapolis and Colosse. See Tacit. Annal. lib. xii. and lib. xiv. One at Campania, mentioned by Seneca; and one at Rome, in the reign of Galba, mentioned by Suetonius in the life of that emperor.

Add to all these, a dreadful one in Judea, mentioned by Josephus (War, b. iv. c. 4). accompanied by a dreadful tempest, violent winds, vehement showers, and continual lightnings and thunders; which led many to believe that these things portended some uncommon calamity.

Source:

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/matthew-24.html

 
D

Depleted

Guest
#8
The context is these things like birth pangs, will increase

they will increase in number, and increase in severity just like a woman in labor experiences an increase in the nimber of contractions, and the increase of severity, in a exponential value also.

In other words. When the days draws near, the number and severity of these earthquakes (natural disaster) famines, diseases, etc etc will be noticably more frequent and more powerful
The problems I have with that one:
1. When this was written, Pompeii was still a thriving city then. Rome was just getting to the point of tiffed with the Christians, and already at that point of kicking the Jews out of their land. The average life expectancy in Rome at that time was about 30 years old, because they didn't yet know drinking out of lead cups was a bad idea, and there were a lot of people carrying a lot of diseases in and out of the area. Matter of fact, it was about to get much worse for the whole region when an Emperor decided to annihilated all of that new cult -- Christians.

Then...

2. I can't think of a time in civilization where there weren't a bunch of natural disasters, famine and sickness going on somewhere. The more we know of the world, the more we hear of it. When I was young, someone calculated up that there were 50 years in the entire history of mankind when there wasn't war. There have been a few years since then that America wasn't at war, but the USSR/Russia was when we weren't.

I can see ebbs and flows of all these things, but I can't see getting-worser at all. If anything, it tends to be getting a little bit better, because now when a nation has a famine or huge natural disaster, other countries send supplies.

If this was birth pangs, then was childhood any easier? Or are we really going to go so global on the natural disasters that it makes the destruction of the Roman Empire, WWI and WWII seem like a cake walks?
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#9
The problems I have with that one:
1. When this was written, Pompeii was still a thriving city then. Rome was just getting to the point of tiffed with the Christians, and already at that point of kicking the Jews out of their land. The average life expectancy in Rome at that time was about 30 years old, because they didn't yet know drinking out of lead cups was a bad idea, and there were a lot of people carrying a lot of diseases in and out of the area. Matter of fact, it was about to get much worse for the whole region when an Emperor decided to annihilated all of that new cult -- Christians.

Then...

2. I can't think of a time in civilization where there weren't a bunch of natural disasters, famine and sickness going on somewhere. The more we know of the world, the more we hear of it. When I was young, someone calculated up that there were 50 years in the entire history of mankind when there wasn't war. There have been a few years since then that America wasn't at war, but the USSR/Russia was when we weren't.

I can see ebbs and flows of all these things, but I can't see getting-worser at all. If anything, it tends to be getting a little bit better, because now when a nation has a famine or huge natural disaster, other countries send supplies.

If this was birth pangs, then was childhood any easier? Or are we really going to go so global on the natural disasters that it makes the destruction of the Roman Empire, WWI and WWII seem like a cake walks?

The problem I have with this is if things are always the same, and they never get worse. Then how can any one know when the birth pangs have begun? Jesus is not going to talk about a period of time and claim things that no one can ever determine when that time is.

 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
#10
I would offer the key is in difference between the word sign alone and wonders two different words....two thoughts. (1) Signs. (2) Signs and, or with wonders. With wonders representing amazement like the revealing of a previous promise not seen by which God authenticates the men sent by him,.

Christ had already made it clear it’s a evil generation as natural man (no faith) that does seek after signs and or with wonders. And no sign as a wonder would be given . A sign alone is something we can observe and not something to seek after. Like the sign of the times ,or the sign of the season

Signs alone are used as an observation of things already occurring. .In effect Christ who did not directly answer their question was saying no man knows the day or hour like time of Noah , the rains came like a thief in the night catching everyone completely unaware other than Noah and his family who were building the Ark ,

He was simply saying things would be going as normal right up till the last day Just as in the days of noah when every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart was only evil continually.(no faith that comes from hearing God )

Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

It is men that are trying to make it a wonder
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,173
2,536
113
#11
Yeah earthquakes have always been in diverse places but the fact it is a sign of a prophetic event would mean he was not speak of just any kind of earthquakes. I mean we are talking horrific earth shattering kinds of quakes completely abnormal even by level ten standards and it would be more than noticeable. These kinds of quakes will be a part of a time this world has never seen and never will again that is why they are so intense and horrific and whats worse is that they will be all over the place. People who say it has happened and Jesus has already returned clearly do not understand exactly how severe all this is going to be I doubt i could even image the level of horror it will be and I am very good at creative writing.

Jesus mentioned this as a sign to pay attention to for a reason because it will be extremely profound and not even all the skeptics in the world will be able to deny how unnatural these quakes will be that and along with everything else that will come with them will have the world at it's knees.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#12
The context is these things like birth pangs, will increase

they will increase in number, and increase in severity just like a woman in labor experiences an increase in the nimber of contractions, and the increase of severity, in a exponential value also.

In other words. When the days draws near, the number and severity of these earthquakes (natural disaster) famines, diseases, etc etc will be noticably more frequent and more powerful
Exactly....increase with severity and occurance......and this has happened and is happening...!
 

mcubed

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2013
1,449
218
63
#13
It is never a great idea for me to start a thread when I just have the inklings of something forming in my mind because it usually causes people to come in and be snotty with me as if I cannot wonder or work it out as I go along in conversation and hear the viewpoints of my brothers, or as if just to ask a question is reason to smack me down as ignorant. But I'm not smart, so I'm going to post it anyway. :)

Haven't there always been earthquakes in diverse places? So then, what would make this verse of any value? What might we be missing?


This is a great question... Lets look at the Scripture Math. 24:7 [FONT=&quot]Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot] There will be famines[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] and earthquakes in various places.[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Why is it important? Y-shua said it. What might be missing? The reader does not believe the Scripture is the infallible, inerrant Word of G-d... So maybe there is an error with the reader in how they procive G-d and His Word? That is what is MISSING!!!! How do you perceive G-d, Y-shua, The Holy Spirit and HIS WORD? Did G-d miss it or is His Word the the true Word of G-d?[/FONT]
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#14
The problems I have with that one:
1. When this was written, Pompeii was still a thriving city then. Rome was just getting to the point of tiffed with the Christians, and already at that point of kicking the Jews out of their land. The average life expectancy in Rome at that time was about 30 years old, because they didn't yet know drinking out of lead cups was a bad idea, and there were a lot of people carrying a lot of diseases in and out of the area. Matter of fact, it was about to get much worse for the whole region when an Emperor decided to annihilated all of that new cult -- Christians.

Then...

2. I can't think of a time in civilization where there weren't a bunch of natural disasters, famine and sickness going on somewhere. The more we know of the world, the more we hear of it. When I was young, someone calculated up that there were 50 years in the entire history of mankind when there wasn't war. There have been a few years since then that America wasn't at war, but the USSR/Russia was when we weren't.

I can see ebbs and flows of all these things, but I can't see getting-worser at all. If anything, it tends to be getting a little bit better, because now when a nation has a famine or huge natural disaster, other countries send supplies.

If this was birth pangs, then was childhood any easier? Or are we really going to go so global on the natural disasters that it makes the destruction of the Roman Empire, WWI and WWII seem like a cake walks?
That's what I think, that it's going to go global and severe. We know the world is wearing out like a garment. My clothes start to fray at the seams and develop holes like in the knees and butt. And it makes sense to compare the world wearing out like a garment because there are seams (tectonic plates) and sinkholes that occur.

Otherwise, what He said seems to have no real value because it has all just gone on as always and will continue to do so. There have always been earthquakes in diverse places, so the verse has no...value unless it can be seen.

I think about other verses too, like the earth shakes to and fro, mens hearts stop because of fear, so bad that they die on the spot from heart attacks, and not heart attacks caused by old age but from FEAR. And the one about the bottom of the sea could be seen. That happens with a major tsunami, which is caused by an earthquake. But was that verse concerning just one little spot on earth or is that verse for all men and all places? Tsunamis have always happened. It would have to be global for it to have any real meaning. Otherwise, God is just saying something that is an everyday normal occurrence. He is just saying that all will continue as it always has...do you see what I mean?
 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
2,270
369
83
#15
Just like birth pains get closer and closer together until a baby is born, earthquakes will get closer and closer together until Christ returns.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,095
6,479
113
#16
..............sigh............

Folks see earthquakes as an instrument of destruction.......why do they not realize that earthquakes are an instrument of construction as well?
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#17
Maybe because they have never seen an earthquake construct their house and belongings...?
Or construct their loved dead one back to life...?
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,095
6,479
113
#18
Maybe they have never seen mountains or islands either, but that does not change the reality that earthquakes are an instrument of construction as much as destruction.

Kinda like storms........they have their use for good and for not so good.......as recorded in Job.
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
822
113
#19
Okay, you have convinced me. I will no longer think of earthquakes razing whole towns and killing thousands of people. I will instead focus on islands and mountains. :rolleyes:
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
#20
Exactly....increase with severity and occurance......and this has happened and is happening...!
Yes something we can observe..we could start a pool as to the day of delivery, the last day ?