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The largest earthquake in the past 40 years and the resulting deaths of around 150,000 people from 33-foot tidal waves was described by Gordon Brown as a disaster of almost biblical proportions. This thought was echoed by Washington Post reporter, Michael Dobbs, who was swimming off a Sri Lankan island when the tidal wave flooded in: ‘The speed with which it all happened seemed like a scene from the Bible – a natural phenomenon unlike anything I had experienced before.’ He went on to write in the paper: ‘Disaster struck with no warning out of a faultlessly clear blue sky. ... I was a quarter way around the island when I heard my brother shouting at me, “Come back! Come back! There's something strange happening with the sea.”’ The earthquake measured 9 on the Richter scale and, according to Italian scientist Enzo Boschi, head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute, it was so strong that it even disturbed the rotation of the Earth. The last 30 years have seen a dramatic increase in killer earthquakes, the most devastating to date happening on July 28, 1976 in Tangshan, China when 240,000 were killed. In December 2003 there were a string of 11 earthquakes over 6 on the Richter scale happening between December 21st and 29th, the most serious of which was at Bam in Iran killing around 40,000. However all of these disasters were localised events unlike the tidal wave which has devastated coastal areas around the Bay of Bengal and caused death and destruction as far away as Somalia and Tanzania. Tim Marshall of Sky News commented on December 28, 2004, “There’s never been anything like this in recorded history – a multi-nation disaster - and it requires a multi-nation response.” The UN has described it as ‘a disaster which has had a truly global effect.’ The tidal wave did not recognise international borders as it crashed ashore, nor did it make any difference whether areas of Sri Lanka and Indonesia were under the control of the government or separatist rebels. Dramatic images captured on video holiday makers’ cameras have been flashed around the world and ensured that its impact is felt in every nation. There is fear of a similar catastrophe happening elsewhere, including the possibility that a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands could cause a massive landslide on the island of La Palma and trigger tsunami waves in the Atlantic 150 feet high which would devastate coastal areas of Europe, Africa and America. The immense human tragedy engulfed rich western tourists staying in luxury hotels and poor villagers and fishermen. In country after country, children have emerged as the biggest victims of Sunday's quake-born tsunamis — thousands and thousands drowned, battered and washed away by huge walls of water that have wiped away huge numbers from an entire generation of Asians. Millions of people have been made homeless and had their livelihoods destroyed. Disease, caused by rotting bodies and fresh water and food supplies being cut off, is the next threat to the already traumatised people of the region. As Christians watching all this our hearts and sympathy go out to all who are victims of this disaster and we should help in the relief effort and pray for all involved. At the same time we have to see this as a powerful warning of the events that are prophesied for the end of days, which will burst upon the world with devastating results. Jesus said an increase in earthquakes and in disease would be a sign of His coming: ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’ Luke 21.10-11. He also referred directly to the sea being a cause of destruction: ‘And on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, lift up your head, because your redemption draws near.’ Luke 21.25-8. In the book of Isaiah we read of the devastation which will come on the earth before the Day of the Lord, the Old Testament equivalent of the Second Coming of Christ: ‘The earth is defiled (polluted) under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. … The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. … The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut. Its transgression shall be heavy upon it.’ Isaiah 24. The response of many people in the world to disasters like this is to blame God or to say that there is no point in having faith in Him. Instead we are encouraged to have faith in our common humanity and seek a global political solution to the threat of world catastrophe. If the disaster strikes across international borders and pays no attention to race and creed, should we not be seeking a united world without conflicts over borders, race and creed? This is the message which is increasingly influential in the 21st century and is preparing the way for both the mindset and the conditions to make people willing to accept the globalisation process which is leading to the world government prophesied in Revelation for the end of this age. If all the people in the world were united in love for God and one another and acknowledged the truth of the Word of God, I would agree that a world government would be the best solution for the affairs of this planet. However the existence of powerful forces of evil and deception in the world means that a world government in this age would be a dictatorship not a means of saving the world. In Revelation 13 we read that in the last days of this age there will be such a world government led by one known as the Beast or Antichrist who will offer a solution to the global problems coming on the earth but will in fact bring about the time in the Bible known as the Great Tribulation of which Jesus spoke when asked by the disciples about the signs of His second coming: “For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved, but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24.21-2. The coming Antichrist will offer a way out of the crisis coming on the earth. He will promise peace and security, but will not be able to deliver on this promise. In 1 Thessalonians 5.3 we read, ‘For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them as labour pains on a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.’ As tourists were relaxing on the beach and fishermen were going out for another day’s work, suddenly destruction came without warning and thousands were swept into eternity in a moment of time. For the most part people were unprepared for this having forgotten God or mocking at the message of the Gospel, imagining that this life is all that there is and ignoring the fact that ‘It is appointed for men to die once and after this the judgement.’ Hebrews 9.27. Many others bitterly contest the claim of the Lord Jesus when He said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Me’ (John 14.6). In today’s politically correct world you do not get any credit points for saying that Jesus is the only way to God. But when we cross over from this world to the next we will all discover that there is no other name than the name of Jesus given under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4.12. Then it will be too late, so now is the day of salvation when we need to put our trust in the Lord Jesus. The disaster made no distinction between the rich and the poor, differences of race or religion. As we read in Revelation 6.12-17: ‘I looked when He opened the sixth seal and behold there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood … and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?” All these things happening in the world today are a sign that the time of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ is getting near. This time will be a judgement of God on a world that has mocked and rejected His commandments and the offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus. The only way to escape this judgement is to repent and believe in Him right now: ‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given assurance of this by raising Him from the dead.’ Acts 17.30-31.
31st December 2004
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