Joel 2:31
The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood Before the coming of the great and awe-inspiring day of Jehovah.
Acts 2:20
The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah comes.
Joel 2:10
Before them the land trembles and the heavens rock. Sun and moon have become dark, And the stars have lost their brightness.
Matthew 24:7
“For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.
Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs.
Mark 13:8
“For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in one place after another; there will also be food shortages. These are a beginning of pangs of distress.
Revelation 6:12
And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake occurred; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the entire moon became as blood,
Fulfillment: Because more people live in earthquake-prone areas, the number of lives lost or disrupted as a result of earthquakes has sharply increased.
What the evidence reveals:
The World Disasters Report 2010 says: “Of all large disasters, seismic events have killed the greatest number of people in recent years.”
Each year, from 1970 to 2001, there was an average of 19 earthquake disasters* reported, with an average death toll of 19,547. In the ten years before 2012, the average increased to 28 earthquake disasters per year, with an average death toll of 67,954.
DISASTERS seem to be very much in the news. More people than ever before are the victims of one calamity or another. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, in Belgium, reports that in 2010 alone there were 373 disasters and that at least 296,000 people died as a result.
The number of reported disasters has also climbed noticeably over the past several decades. For example, between 1975 and 1999, well under 300 disasters were recorded each year. However, between 2000 and 2010, the average was close to 400 per year. Perhaps you are among those who wonder, ‘Why are there so many disasters now?’
Although people often label such disasters as “acts of God,” this is really a misnomer. God is not behind the calamities that affect so many people today. Nevertheless, the Bible did foretell that there would be disasters in our time. For example, at Matthew 24:7, 8, we read Jesus’ words: “There will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” Why did Jesus foretell these events, and what meaning do they have for us?
God’s Son, Jesus, was speaking in answer to the question posed to him: “What will be the sign . . . of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) He told of various things that would happen, including calamities like those mentioned above. He then went on to make this significant statement: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31) Those natural disasters, therefore, have great significance for us. They point to a time of momentous changes just ahead.
