Is there a link between an increase in natural disasters and Biblical judgement? Throughout the Bible there are examples given in the history of the earth where the Lord brought disaster upon the residents of our planet for the express purpose of judgement.
Genesis 6:5,7 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. So the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air
Genesis 13:13, 19:4-5, 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. 19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening 19:4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 19:5 And they called to Lot and said to him, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally. 19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.
In Numbers chapter 16, the Lord opened the ground to swallow up Korah, Dathan and Abiram for opposing Moses as the Lord’s appointed leader. David and his family were under constant threat because of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.
In the New Testament, Peter was very specific in stating that after the return of Jesus He would destroy the present heavens and the earth and created them brand new.
2 Peter 3:10,12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
The entire purpose of the Book of Revelation is for the purpose of final judgement by the Lord, upon the earth, for the rejection of Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world. Through three sets of seven judgements each, the Lord will destroy most of the earth. Through the seven Seals, Trumpets and Bowl judgments, almost two-thirds of the human population will perish through the use of natural disasters.
Revelation chapter 8 describes an onslaught of meteors or asteroids that will hit the earth, described as “a great mountain burning with fire“. The sun’s radiation level will be increased burning men, and causing sores upon their bodies. Locusts that are empowered by demons will torment men for five months. The earth will literally be moved out of it’s place in some type of massive tectonic plate displacement, or “polar axis shift”.
Revelation 8:7-8 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
Revelation 8:10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Revelation 9:3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Revelation 9:5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
Revelation 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
In the Book of Matthew chapter 24, as Jesus is describing the period of time just prior to His return, He said that there will be a marked increase in natural dissasters. These events will indicate to those who are present on the earth, that His return in eminent.
Matthew 24:7-30 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows… “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
According to the EM-DAT, the international disaster database, the total natural disasters reported each year has been steadily increasing in recent decades, from 78 in 1970 to 348 in 2004.
These disasters include droughts, tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons and floods and have been increasing over the past 25 years. In 1980, there were only about 100 such disasters reported per year. That number has risen to over 300 per year since 2000. Since these records have been kept, there has been an increase in natural disasters of over five-hundred percent.
Whatever your opinion is of the occurrences of natural disasters, the data regarding the marked increase in frequency and intensity is compelling. It is not a coincidence that this data runs parallel to Jesus prediction that these natural events would indicate to the residents of earth that His supernatural return was near. In fact, the entire purpose of the 3,5oo0 prophetic predictions found in the 66 books of the Bible, of which over 3,00o have already been fulfilled with 100 precision and accuracy, is to prove to the reader that the Bible is a supernatural document from outside the domain of time. The reason that Jesus told us there would be an increase in natural disasters just prior to His return, was to prepare us so that we would not be caught off guard.
The Lord is not willing that any person should perish, but that all men would come to repentance and have an opportunity to obtain salvation and eternal life. For this reason, the predictions and fulfillment of natural disasters has the purpose of bringing us into an awareness that there is an eternal God who orders and controls this universe. He has power over the natural elements of the Universe and often uses them to speak to us and confirm to our heart that He exists and has the ability to control the events of human existence.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…
It is the hope of this writer that as you see the increase in natural disasters occurring over the face of the earth that you will remember that the same God who made all things, also loves you and desires that you would come into a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Rob Robinson
