Ten Earthquakes in the Bible

The science and the supernatural

Earthquakes: natural and supernatural

Earthquakes are devastating events that happen all over the world. When they occur, we tend to think of them only as natural events.

However, the Bible highlights many instances where earthquakes were purely supernatural. That is, God used earthquakes to show His majesty and power, like at Mt. Sinai when the Israelites were about to meet Him for the first time. And the prophet Zechariah promised that a massive earthquake will occur when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. In fact, the Mount will be split in half.

Earthquakes in Scripture were also used by God to make a point (like with the prophet Elijah), or to judge someone (the unfortunate Korah). Both of those incidents are further explored below.

The Science: So, what is an earthquake?

Simply put, an earthquake is the movement of a portion of the earth’s crust. You see, the earth is like a ball that is made up of four different layers. The outer most layer of the ball, the part that you can see, is the crust. That’s the part of the earth that we live on.

Even though it’s not always obvious, the earth’s crust is made like a giant jig saw puzzle. Those puzzle pieces are called tetonic plates and they can move around. Sometimes when the plates slide past each other, they get stuck. When they become unstuck it causes an earthquake.

The energy created from the movement of the plates is called a seismic wave. Seismic waves are the vibrations from the earthquake which travel through the crust and produce the shaking we feel. The seismic waves can cause much devastation — especially in densely populated areas.

The Supernatural: Earthquake activity in the Bible

During biblical times, most people considered earthquakes to be the result of both divine activity and judgement. And they were right. Although there are more earthquakes mentioned in Scripture, these are only a few of the notable ones.

• #1. Let’s start with the Big One. The book of Revelation predicts an earthquake like none other during God’s judgment. In fact, the Scripture reports that it will be the worst earthquake the earth has ever experienced!

• #2. When God descended upon Mt. Sinai to meet with the Israelites it was a fearsome sight! Lightning flashed across the sky and peals of thunder roared across the land as the Almighty descended onto the mountain in the form of fire. The Bible reports that the mountain shook violently.
• #3. Korah, a leader of the Israelites, led a short-lived mutiny against the great prophet Moses. The Lord punished him and all of his fellow conspirators in a most unique way — the earth split open and swallowed them all.
• #4. Johnathan was heir to the throne of Israel. One day while on the battlefield, he devised a daring plan to defeat the Philistines, an arch-enemy of the Israelites. He trusted God for victory and moved ahead with the plan. Then the Lord sent an earthquake which panicked Johnathan’s enemies.
• #5. The prophet Elijah hurried to Mt. Sinai when the evil Queen Jezebel threatened to execute him. When Elijah arrived, God caused three events to happen: a mighty windstorm that loosened the rocks on the mountain, an earthquake, and a fire.

• #6. There was a momentous earthquake in Jerusalem the moment Jesus died on the cross. The quake was so powerful that rocks split apart and the tombs of dead people opened up.
• #7. The apostle Paul interfered with the money-making scheme of some wealthy men. As a result, he and his accomplice Silas were both tossed into prison. Around midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing to God. Suddenly an earthquake shook the entire prison. A jailhouse miracle occurred on the spot — the chains of all the prisoners fell off and the doors of the cells flew open!

• #8. In order to prepare the disciples (and us) for His second coming and the Last Days, Jesus spoke about certain events that would serve as warning signs for His return. He warned that there would be massive deception accepted by the masses, wars, famines, and earthquakes occurring in the many places around the world.
• #9. The prophet Amos mentions an earthquake which occurred during the reign of King Uzziah.
• #10. The prophet Isaiah warned the people of his day (and today as well) about God’s wrath on Judgment Day. On that day He will punish all who reject Jesus. Isaiah’s vivid portrayal is terrifying. He promises that God will “shake the earth.”

More fascinating facts about earthquakes

• Earthquakes aren’t confined to just our earth. Seismic activity has also been detected on the moon (called moon quakes) and on Mars (called marsquakes) and Venus (called venusquakes)!

• 90% of all earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire, an area of the Pacific Ocean.
• Scientists estimate that about 500,000 earthquakes occur every year.
• Though rare, earthquakes occur at the bottom of the planet — Antarctica!

If you liked this article, then check out ‘Why John the Baptist was Decapitated’ here or ‘God or Satan: Who are You Going to Serve?’ here. You also may enjoy ‘The Time Israel Demanded a King’ here. Subscribe so you never miss an article.

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