------Tsunami--------

A tsunami (derived from the Japanese language meaning harbor wave) is a long series of waves caused by some kind of oceanic disturbance. Some tsunami waves can be very tall but most are just very long. The waves come into land so fast that they overlap each other causing rapid flooding of the shore line causing much destruction.

There have been a few tsunamis in the past but probably none that has caused as much loss of life as the one that struck the day after Christmas. Jesus spoke of signs of His return as being "birth pangs". When a woman goes into labor she experiences a series of "birth pangs" which tells her that the baby is soon wanting to come out and reveal itself. Jesus is saying the same thing about His return.

Jesus said in Luke 21:25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, sea and the waves roaring; One of the "birth pangs" is the sea and the waves roaring. This means that many catastrophic land events will originate in the ocean. Just a few months after 4 major hurricanes struck Florida and the United States, a devastating tsunami struck 10 countries and has taken over 160,000 lives thus far. The sea and the waves most certainly roared in 2004.

What can we expect in 2005? According to the bible, if Jesus is soon to return, then we have to expect the oceans to get a little wild.

The tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004 was caused by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean. 3 of the 4 gospels has Jesus saying that there would be earthquakes in various places as a sign of His return. History shows that earthquake activity has greatly increased during the past one hundred years with the biggest increase coming in the last decade. Earthquake activity in the ocean goes hand in hand with the sea and the waves roaring.

The book of Revelation, also known as the apocalypse or the revealing, has much to say concerning earthquakes. In chapter 6 beginning with verse 12 we read 12 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. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 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! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

There have been several earthquakes in history that have caused the deaths of thousands of people. Why does God allow this to happen? I suspect that one reason is to keep the population of the world from being complacent with what they have. We have been put here on earth to make a decision regarding God. We can choose to either follow Him or reject Him. Natural disasters are God's way of reminding us that we could be taken at any moment and it also reminds us that we live in a sin scarred world that is under Satan's authority. That is why death is something we are exposed to on a daily basis.

Considering last week's disaster in which over 160,000 people have died. Was there any good that came out of this? Consider the great number of children who lost their lives. Children are covered by the blood of Christ so heaven is their destination when they die.

Many of the areas that were hit were tourist attractions in which sinful activity was rampant. These same children could have grown up exposed to that sinful lifestyle and could have easily became a part of it. Many could have saved their souls by losing their lives.

Natural disasters tend to bring out the compassion in mankind. Going to war against one country while trying to help another one seems like a contradiction but it is evidence of the dual nature of man. Man's spiritual side is constantly at war with his fleshly nature. Man's fleshly nature tends to take a back seat during times of crisis.

For bible prophecy students, last weeks tsunami is just one more evidence that what the bible says is true and that Jesus is indeed returning to Earth.

Copyright 2005 by Gary Goodworth