Intro. If you have lived in California for any length of time, you have experienced the sensation of the earth swaying and snapping as the result of an earthquake. The scientists are constantly warning us that the big one is coming. We have a major fault line running almost the length of the State known as the San Andreas fault and as the tectonic plates move over one another it seems that pressure builds slowly and must be released every hundred years or so. When this happens it sends out seismic waves that roll along the surface of the earth, and under the surface. These seismic waves can be measured and monitored and the earthquakes are measured on a scale usually of 1-10. Earthquakes of a magnitude of 7 can cause great damage. A measurement of 8 or more causes catastrophic destruction. Earthquakes are usually felt along certain known fault lines, and are thus localized in areas close to these fault zones.
I. GOD HAS PROMISED THAT A UNIVERSAL EARTHQUAKE IS COMING.
A. 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.
1. Isaiah declares 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
2. Again in 13:13, Therefore I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in day of His fierce anger.
3.
Isa. 24:18 And it shall come to pass, that He who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
4.
Joel 3:16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
5.
Hebrews 12:26,
27 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 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.
6. Finally in
Revelation 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty and earthquake, and so great.
B. These scriptures are all describing events that will take place during the time that is known in the scriptures as the great tribulation.
1. This great tribulation is the judgment of God against the people and nations of the earth for their great sins and their rejecting of Jesus Christ to reign over them.
2. The Law of the Lord is perfect, but man refuses to live by His laws. Our Supreme court has gone so far as to declare the teaching of the Law of God to children in our public schools, unconstitutional.
a. Gods law declares that we are not to kill, lie, cheat, commit fornication, or to steal that which belongs to someone else.
b. The schools must teach the theory of evolution, that man exists apart from the creative acts of God, that we are here by chance not by design leading to the conclusion that there is no real purpose for our existence.
c. They are taught that there is no universal truth or right or wrong, that it is all relevant to the mores of the society where you may live.
3. Is it any wonder that we are having such trouble in our schools today, with students assaulting one another and also the teachers? We have told them that they are animals, and are now decrying the fact that they are acting like animals. In some of the schools they must pass by metal detectors to get into the school buildings, to make sure they do not carry their knives or guns into the classrooms.
4. Can these kind of acts go on forever? How long can a society exist when crime continues to escalate? At what point does the whole system just break down, and the mobs take over the streets?
5. How long will God just stand by and observe?
6. How bad must it get before men say, "God help us."
7. Three women beat a young mother of 4 to death while the crowd just watches. Parents allow a pet rat to kill their infant child. Ten large semi truck load of goods are hijacked every week, but it does not even make the news unless a guard is killed in the hijacking.
8. When is enough, enough? What will it take to turn our society around?
C. This promised shaking of the earth by God is not a local earthquake, nothing so mild as that. If the San Andreas should let go and California suffer immense damage, that would not come close to the catastrophic damage that will incur when God shakes the foundations of the earth. That will be a universal earthquake, it will effect the whole earth.
II. THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT GOD IS NOT GOING TO STAND BY AND LET THINGS GO FOREVER.
A. God is about ready to intervene.
1. Jesus said that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man will come.
a. In the days of Noah, they were experiencing a population explosion.
b. The wickedness of man was great upon the earth.
c. Every imagination of his heart was only evil continually.
d. The earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence.
e. That's like reading the newspaper today.
2. The scripture declares that just before God intervenes, the nation of Israel will be reborn in an environment of turmoil. But when they began to say peace and safety, then sudden destruction would come upon them.
B. There is an abundance of signs in the earth that give hope to the believer in Jesus Christ, signs that were predicted in the scriptures things that would exist and precede the return of Jesus Christ in Glory.
C. One of the final acts of Gods judgment upon the earth during the great tribulation period will be the great universal earthquake.
D. Our text declares, "I will shake the nations and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
III. THE CONDITIONS ON THE EARTH ARE GOING TO GET SO BAD THAT DECENT GOOD PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LONG FOR A CHANGE.
A. Jesus said to the Jews, "You will not see Me again, until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."
Luke 13:35"
1. They did not desire Him when He came the first time. They chose Ceasar to reign over them. They said to Pilate when he asked them if he should release to them their King, "We have no king but Ceasar."
2. The reign of Ceasar was oppressive and cruel. They were made slaves of the government.
3. The government would take by force their earnings, the fruit of their hard labor.
4. When they dared to resist the power of Ceasar, they were all slaughtered.
5. Their choice was foolish, and destructive.
B. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy.
1. When He comes, these will be the conditions that will exist upon the earth. Righteousness, peace, and joy.
2. You cannot have real joy without peace. You cannot have peace without righteousness.
3. Ignorant people who do not know the message the Bible teaches, often refer to the ministers of Jesus Christ as dooms day prophets.
4. Well if righteousness, peace and joy sound like dooms day to you, then I guess that is what we are.
5. As far as I am concerned, the front pages of the newspapers sound like doomsday.
C. Is Jesus your desire today?
1. Would you like to submit to His kingdom?
2. Would you allow Him to rule in your life? Will you live by His rules.
3. What are His rules. Love God with all your heart, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Love God supremely and love one another.
4. What kind of person would find that odious? One who loved themselves supremely.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
