The Great Shaking
The Great Shaking!.....
By Pastor F. M. Riley
April 27, 2013
“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts,” Haggai 2:6-7.
“See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven,
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews 12:25-29.
Introduction
Over these past three years we have seen so many “signs” of the end of this age, that some are made to wonder from day to day what will happen next? I don’t know! But I do know that…..
The last “sign” the Lord God Himself gave to His disciples in Matthew 24:7, which would indicate the end of this present dispensation was “…..earthquakes, in divers places.” The Lord God immediately followed this statement by saying, “All these are the beginning of sorrows,” 24:8. This indicates to me that the terrible Tribulation period will immediately follow one last great earthquake which will bring this present dispensation to an end. So what do we see occurring today and what is to come? This is the subject matter of this study. Join us for an enlightening study…..
What these text Scriptures Reveal
I hope every reader will notice that it is the Lord God of Heaven who explicitly states in these Scripture texts that He is the ONE [“I will”] who will “shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.” Remember that the Lord God created this earth by His own will, and therefore He can do with it as He wills. He chooses where and when an earthquake is going to occur on the earth, and for what purpose it comes. Compare Isaiah 2:11-22.
Notice also that in each of these Scripture portions it is specifically “the Lord of hosts” which is going to bring this great shaking of the earth to pass. This term applied to the Lord God in the Scriptures always refers to His will being carried out in relation to the future Tribulation period.
The Frequency of Earthquakes Today
We living today are living right at the end of this present dispensation, whether some choose to believe it or not, and just as the Lord predicted, most of the earth today is being shaken by one earthquake right after another. Yes, I am well aware that there have always been earthquakes! But not on the scale which we are seeing earthquakes occurring today.
When I was a child growing up, earthquakes, especially large earthquakes, were few and far between. We rarely heard of an earthquake when I was a child, especially large ones which killed hundreds or even thousands of people. But then in 1948 Israel was re-established as a nation and the
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earthquakes began to increase. But still, a huge earthquake causing massive damage and killing thousands of people was rare, occurring only every several years.
But let’s move forward to the turn of the century. Since the year 2000, the frequency and intensity of earthquakes occurring all over the earth has increased tremendously. Is the Lord God mercifully trying to tell humanity something? Amos 4:12-13 is still in the Bible! The first ten years of this present century large earthquakes increased, but the worst was yet to come. Since 2010 earthquakes have been increasing like never before in recorded human history. Now here in 2013 there is one or more major earthquakes occurring every day somewhere in the world. We are no longer talking about small tremors, but rather quakes of 6 or above on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes of this magnitude do massive damage and kill and injure many people, and they are now happening every day somewhere in the earth. Why this steady increase in massive earthquakes?
A Glaring Omission…..
Perhaps many of our readers have not paid attention to the increase in earthquakes occurring around the world, and the nations in which they are occurring. But I have taken notice of these things!
Each time one of these huge earthquakes occurs somewhere in the world, I wonder why that particular nation was chosen by God to suffer such a quake? Usually it is not too hard to figure out!
Most of the nations of the world have rejected the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible; the only true and living God, and have descended deeper and deeper into depravity, paganism, idolatry, and wickedness.
I have also wondered why the United States of America is not suffering the massive earthquakes which are occurring in other parts of the world on a daily basis? This country is a large nation with a huge land mass, and yet it is not being struck by the huge earthquakes that are occurring in other nations all over the earth every day with increasing frequency. Why? Think about it!
Is it because this nation and people are more righteous than other nations? Sic! Not hardly! This nation, figuratively speaking, literally flows with the blood of somewhere between 55 and 65 million innocent unborn babies which have been callously aborted [murdered] since Roe vs Wade was “legalized” by the morally bankrupt Supreme Court of this country in 1973. Read 2 Kings 21:16, 24:4, Psalm 106:36-38, Jeremiah 2:34, 19:3-6, 22:3, and 22:17, and see for yourself how Almighty God regards the slaughter of the innocent unborn. Even as I write this slaughter of the innocent unborn goes on in this country at the rate of from 3,000 to 5,000 unborn babies being killed every day. Now the present administration heading up the U.S. government is not only endorsing this slaughter, but is encouraging it by funding it with taxpayer dollars.
But as if that isn’t bad enough, the same morally bankrupt Supreme Court “legalized” homosexuality in 1978, and is now preparing to “legalize” homosexual marriage for the whole nation. Read Leviticus, chapters 18 and 20, Romans 1:22-32, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and see how the Lord God regards homosexuality. His inspired Word says that it is an “abomination” to Him. The Hebrew word translated as “abomination” literally means “a stink or stench; to stink.” In other words, homosexuality stinks in the nostrils of the Holy God of Heaven. Yet some twenty states in this country have already voted to “legalize” homosexual marriage, and now both Congress and the Supreme Court are considering “legalizing” it by Federal Law. Read Luke 17:28-30 and Jude 7-8.
Are the American people so spiritually dense and corrupt and have gone so far away from the God of the Bible that they actually believe that God will not visit His judgment upon America for such wickedness? If the American public is that spiritually dense, then they are truly living in “fools paradise” and will be required of God to face the consequences of their unbelief and wickedness. Psalm 9:17 is still in the Bible.
Over these past three years I have watched the increase of these major earthquakes all over the world, and have wondered why the United States isn’t being visited with major earthquakes like other parts of the world? This is so glaringly obvious, that I have come to the conclusion that the Lord God may presently be restraining the earthquakes upon this country, in view of bringing a sudden final severe earthquake upon this nation so large that it will destroy the entire nation and bring a total end to
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America in one tragic 24 hour day!
If this sounds far-fetched to some of our readers, perhaps they should consider that the Lord God long ago prepared the instruments of judgment for every nation and people on this earth, and that certainly includes the United States of America. The Scriptural truth that God does this sort of thing with His creation is clearly set forth in Job 38:22-23. It is then a documented fact that there are three major danger zones in America which could easily tear apart and destroy this whole nation.
These three danger zones are:
First, the New Madrid Fault Line which runs north and south along the banks of the Mississippi River. The largest earthquake ever recorded for this country occurred on this fault line in 1811-12. According to the Geologists who seriously study the fault lines, the New Madrid Fault is now some 64 years past due for another major earthquake.
Second, the San Andreas Fault Line on the west coast of the United States is also now past due for another major earthquake.
Third, the Yellowstone National Park “super volcano” in Wyoming is claimed by Geologists to be some 6 thousand years past due for a major eruption.
Why are these three areas in this country so dangerous and so important?
The New Madrid Fault…..A major earthquake suddenly occurring on the New Madrid fault line could literally split the nation in two by causing all the land in the Mississippi River valley to sink, all the way from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, and form an inland sea. Such a massive earthquake would not only kill millions of people living along the Mississippi River today, but it would literally place a sea between the eastern part and the western part of the United States that no bridge could span.
It is more than coincidence that this very thing has already been predicted to occur by various “psychics” and in dreams and visions received by many people. I am well aware that “phychics” receive their information from the “dark side,” but does that always mean it is wrong? Doesn’t the Bible clearly speak of “familiar spirits?” These are the spirits of fallen angels or demonic spirits which are “familiar” with some events which have already been determined to occur in the future. Significantly, several books have been written over the past thirty years predicting this very event, with some of the books even containing maps illustrating what land areas would sink and what land areas would be left. I don’t vouch for the accuracy of these predictions from the “dark side,” but neither do I ignore and discount them.
The San Adreas Fault…..Also, a major earthquake of huge magnitude on the San Andreas fault line in California and along the west coast could easily result in all of the land on the west side of the San Andreas fault literally falling off into the Pacific Ocean. If that should happen, all of the major cities situated on the west coast would be destroyed with millions of people losing their lives. This too has been predicted to occur by “psychics” and in dreams and visions given to various people.
Both of these fault lines are past due for a major earthquake and are presently in a state of almost constant tremors every passing day. I personally know that earthquake drills have been held in schools and public places in the St. Louis, Missouri area over the past two to three years in an effort to prepare the public for the “big one” that the geologists believe is inevitably coming.
The Yellowstone Super Volcano….But let’s not forget that this country is the host nation for one of the world’s “super volcanoes” located in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It is more than coincidence that a major fault line runs directly through the heart of the city of Los Angeles, California, intersects with the San Adreas fault line, and then runs northeast directly to the Yellowstone super volcano in Wyoming. This means that if there is a major earthquake on one of these fault lines, it would almost surely set off major quakes on the other fault lines, traveling all the way to the Yellowstone super volcano. Significantly, the Yellowstone Park Rangers and Geologists have been carefully monitoring the Yellowstone Chaldera since the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. The surface of the Chaldera at Yellowstone has been steadily rising and becoming warner and warmer for now over 20 years. Large portions of the park have been closed to the public over the past 20 years simply because the surface of the ground has become so hot that it will literally melt shoe soles, and is therefore unsafe for the public to walk upon.
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The Yellowstone “super volcano” has erupted in past history with devastating results. Geologists claim that it is now some 60,000 years past due for another major eruption. This super volcano is so large that when [not if] it erupts it will kill every living thing within 600 miles around it in the initial blast, and spread volcanic ash over the entire nation to the east due to the prevailing winds. It will also put so much volcanic ash high into the atmosphere that the light of the Sun will literally be blotted out, plunging the entire earth into total darkness for several days. Isn’t it interesting that this exact scenario is set forth in the prophetic Scriptures in God’s Word? Read it for yourself in Acts 2:19-20 and Joel 2:30-31.
What I am pointing out here is that the Lord God in His great wisdom and power, already has in place the means of judgment and destruction for this wicked nation, or for any nation anywhere on the earth. The fact that these large earthquakes have occurred all over the earth the past few years, except in this country, makes me wonder if the Lord God has reserved His most terrible judgment for America, a judgment and punishment perfectly befitting the depth of depravity this nation and people have reached in their apostasy and rebellion against the very God who made this nation great? Think about it! And while you are thinking P-R-A-Y and seek the Lord!
The Certainty of the Great Shaking
That there was “a great earthquake” at the time of the crucifixion of Christ, and again three days later at His resurrection, is absolutely undeniable by any true believer. Following His resurrection the bodies of the “first fruit” saints also came out of their graves. Such is clearly stated in Matthew 27:50-54, 28:2-4, Mark 15:37-39, and Luke 23:44-48. Since there was such a great earthquake at the resurrection of the Lord and the “first fruit” saints, then it is perfectly reasonable to expect that there will be another such great earthquake at the time of the resurrection and rapture of New Covenant believers. It is not only reasonable, but should be expected by true believers of God’s Word!
Today, the religious Jews who believe in a coming resurrection of the dead, claim that when their Messiah comes to raise the dead, that His voice will sound like a trumpet to a thousand ells. I find this claim of the Jews to be utterly fascinating. “Ells” is a term used in music. Look carefully and you will find the term in many church hymnals. An “ell” is the measurement of the decibels of sound by which a song is to be sung. A really good opera singer can reach 4 ells of sound with his or her opera voice. However, opera singers never even attempt to reach this high note when performing, for the vibration from 4 ells of sound would shatter every window glass in the opera house. Now consider that the Jews believe and teach that their Messiah [our precious Lord] is coming to raise the dead and that His voice will summon the dead to come forth with a 1000 ells of sound. Glory!
Why this high of a sound? Because all of “the dead in Christ” all over the entire world are to be resurrected from their graves at the same time. Is it then just coincidence that the inspired Scriptures explicitly state, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout [an intelligent call or summons], with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first,” 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Folks, if 4 ells of sound will shatter the window glasses in a building, what will 1000 ells of sound do to this earth? It doesn’t take a great lot of spiritual understanding to believe that the grave of every person who has “died in Christ” will burst wide open and “the dead in Christ” will come forth. Will this be to let “the dead in Christ” come up out of their graves? Absolutely not! The stone did not have to be rolled away to let the body of Christ Jesus come forth at the time of His resurrection. The stone was rolled away to let His disciples and others see that His body was no longer in the grave. So it will be at the time of the resurrection and rapture of New Covenant believers. The greatest witness on earth to those left behind at the rapture, will be the empty graves standing wide open and unoccupied by the bodies of those true believers who have been resurrected and raptured to glory. Glory to God! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
The Great Shaking and the Changes to Come
It ought to be obvious to every reader that the same decibel of sound which is powerful enough to
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open the graves of “the dead in Christ” will also be powerful enough to cause the entire earth to shake with the greatest earthquake that will have occurred up to this point in all of human history. Such a great earthquake is likely to cause many changes in and on the earth. Such as…..
The length of a year…..The inspired prophetic Word plainly points out that the future Tribulation period will be seven years in length. This is two periods of 1,260 days to each period for a total of 2,520 days. Divided by 7, the number of years in the seven year Tribulation [Daniel’s 70th Week], this means that each year will contain only 360 days. 360 times 7 equals 2,520 days. We living today know that each year is composed of 365 days to the year, or each 4th year, 366 days. So what could possibly cause the length of the Tribulation years to be shortened to only 360 days to the year? I’m so glad you asked…..
In both Isaiah 13 and Isaiah 24 the prophetic Scriptures explicitly state that there is going to be “a great shaking” of the earth, to the extent that the entire earth will be moved out of its present orbit. Read it for yourself in Isaiah 13:9-14 and 24:17-21. Since the length of a year is determined by the amount of time required for the earth to make a complete circuit around the Sun, it doesn’t take much intelligence to understand that if the earth is moved out of its orbit, the length of a year will change. If the earth was moved farther away from the Sun, the length of a year would increase, but if it was moved slightly [even minutely] closer to the Sun the length of a year would decrease. Since the years of the Tribulation will obviously be shorter than our present years, then obviously the earth will be moved just slightly closer to the Sun in “the great shaking.” And this means more trouble for humanity left upon the earth after the rapture has occurred…..
The great drouth…..The prophetic Scriptures explicitly teach that during the ministry of God’s “two witnesses,” there will not be a drop of water fall from the heavens upon the earth. Read it for yourself in Revelation 11:6. This will be during the first three and one- half years of the Tribulation period. I am well aware that many “prophecy teachers” place the ministry of God’s “two witnesses” in the last half of the Tribulation. But such is Scripturally impossible if one is going to pay attention to what the Scriptures actually and literally state and teach. I have set forth Scriptural proof of this truth in my Bible study entitled, “The Future Ministry of God’s Two Witnesses.” I will be glad to send this study to any reader upon request. I have had a few readers over the years who wanted to dispute this study, but not one of them has been willing to take the Scriptures and refute the truths set forth in the study. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 is still in the Bible!
The “great shaking” will also obviously play a role in changing the climatic conditions on the earth to the extent that the earth will become much hotter than it is today, and for the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, no rain will fall on the whole earth. Compare Joel 1:8-20 and Revelation 6:5-6. There will obviously be world wide famine and rationing of food and water shortly after the beginning of the Tribulation. Revelation 6:7-8 clearly indicates that millions of people, “the fourth part of the earth,” will die during the first half of the Tribulation from “the four sore judgments,” one of which is “hunger.” Are our readers paying attention to what the inspired Word actually and literally says?
An End-Time Scenario
I am not infallible and do not claim to know every little detail about God’s Word and the future. The minute details of the end of this present dispensation are yet to be revealed, therefore I urge our readers to seriously study these truths for yourself.
We do know the current situation in the world! Israel is in the greatest trouble it has been in since the end of the Jewish Holocaust. The other nations of the earth are faced with the “possibility” of nuclear war becoming a reality at any minute. The whole world economy is teetering on the edge of imminent collapse. Prices of goods and food is soaring, and no nation today is producing the food necessary to feed the masses of humanity. The New World Order leaders are hell bent to establish a one-world government and a one-world economic and religious system, even if they have to do so over the dead bodies of thousands or even millions of people. The whole world population is in a great moral breakdown, having rejected the God of the Bible and having reached the place where “every man is doing that which is right in their own eyes.” Compare Judges 17:6 and 21:25. Sadly, such a
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wicked attitude has even crept into the ranks of “professing” Christianity. This is where humanity is at today! Those true believers who have spiritual discernment know that all of this was predicted in God’s Word and is a clear indication that the coming terrible Tribulation period is staring humanity in the face RIGHT NOW! So how will the transition be made from this present dispensation to whatever the future holds for each of us???
The inspired Apostle plainly told the Lord’s church that when humanity [especially related to the Jewish people] is proclaiming, “…Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape,” 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
Considering where we are at right now on the prophetic time clock, I cannot help but believe that “the great shaking” could occur at any minute of any day. We are already experiencing one major earthquake after another every single day somewhere in the world. Then why is it so unreasonable to believe that at any day or any night “the big one” could suddenly occur and plunge the entire earth into chaos and total darkness? It should be obvious to every reader that when the whole earth begins to shake, every volcano on earth will crack open and begin erupting. We are talking about more than 1,000 volcanoes on the earth, in addition to any new ones that may come into existence when the whole earth is being shaken like a “leaf in a mighty storm.”
The erupting of a thousand or more volcanoes will quickly plunge the whole earth into pitch darkness due to the amount of volcanic ash blown high into the atmosphere above the earth literally blocking out the light of the Sun, Acts 2:20. Yes, I do believe that true believers will be here to see the beginning of this. At some point after the earth is plunged into total darkness, and the earth continues to violently shake, the graves of “the dead in Christ” will be opened, and the “living in Christ” will be “changed,” and we who are true believers will be “caught up to meet the Lord in the air,” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. This will literally fulfill the seven times in the New Testament which allude to the Lord Jesus coming for His New Covenant saints “as a thief in the night,” 1 Thessalonians 5:1.
It will also fulfill the promise of the Lord Jesus to His church and New Covenant believers in Revelation 3:10 that He will “…keep thee from the hour of temptation…” [peirasmos]. I will be glad to send my Bible studies on “PEIRASMOS” and “The Two Hours” to any of our readers who would like more insight into this promise of the Lord. Just request them!
Immediately after the resurrection and rapture have occurred, the Tribulation period will begin on the earth, even while the raptured saints are rejoicing with the Lord in Heaven above. Carefully study “Revelation 4, 5, and 6 and see it for yourself.
Utter Chaos upon the Earth
The inspired Word tells us plainly and explicitly that there was “a great earthquake” which occurred when the Lord Jesus and the “first fruit” saints were resurrected, Matthew 27:51-53. In like manner, there will be an even greater earthquake when all of “the dead in Christ” are raised and “the living in Christ” are caught up to be with the Lord.
But what would be the effects of such a great earthquake upon the earth? We have already mentioned the volcanoes that will likely explode into eruption, blotting out the light of the Sun for several days. But have our readers ever considered that every dam in this country and in other countries around the world will break, releasing billions of gallons of water, causing massive flooding, destruction and death, and depriving hundreds of cities in this country and around the world of the precious drinking water they need for life? Also, likely every bridge in this country and others all over the world will collapse. Mass travel and transportation, as we know it today, will grind to a halt, with cars and trucks and buses becoming mere ornaments littering the landscape. Horses and mules and wagons for transportation will once again become more valuable than any man’s fine automobile.
Conclusion
No, dear readers, I do not know what is going to happen from one day to the next before the resurrection and rapture actually occurs. Neither do I know the “date” when the Lord is actually
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coming. Yet there is strong Scriptural evidence that we are living right at the end of this dispensation, and the Lord could come at any minute. I do not believe that things in this whole world system are going to get better, but will only grow worse and worse from day to day. If there has ever been a time for God’s people and for lost seeking souls to “look up” and call upon and trust the Lord for salvation and deliverance that time is NOW! This is certainly not a time to quit or give up! The lights of home are on the horizon for those of God’s people who have “seeing eyes and hearing ears.” As the old hymn says, “Just a few more weary days, and then, my new life will begin.” Don’t even think of risking losing it all by refusing to believe upon, love, and serve the Lord God who bought your soul and mine at Calvary with His own precious blood. Read again 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, take heart, and press on for Christ and for souls. “Heaven will be worth it all!”
I do believe that the next great prophetic event which will signal the coming of the Lord for His New Covenant saints will be the sudden “great shaking” of this whole earth. So when “the great shaking” begins, don’t panic! Just look up and let your lips be found praising the Lord of glory as all of us who are true New Covenant believers are lifted off the surface of this earth by the mighty power and call of our beloved Savior. Please be one of those readers who meets me in glory!
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Permission is granted to any true believer or Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.
This ministry is supported solely by the free will offerings of those who feel led of the Lord to help us send forth God’s wonderful Word to God’s people and to lost seeking souls.
Please address all comments, questions, and correspondence to: Pastor F. M. Riley, Last Call Gospel Ministry, 184 County Road 108, Harrisburg, Missouri 65256, or to: fmr7sngn@centurlink.net
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