ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE HEAVENS BUT ALSO THE EARTH
Mar
14
Written by:
3/14/2011 12:00 AM
ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT
ONLY THE HEAVENS BUT ALSO THE EARTH
Mar. 13, 2011
(Heb 12:26 NIV) At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." (Heb 12:27 NIV) The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
There is a similar bible passage in the book of Haggai in the Old Testament. (Hag 2:6 NIV) "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. (Hag 2:7 NIV) I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.
My last two messages concerned hearing the voice of God. I stated that one of the ways that God speaks to us is through circumstances. The shakings that have been coming on the earth and those that will come are extreme circumstances that God uses to speak to people. For Japan a good example was World War II. After the war had ended Japan was devastated. All the large cities except Kyoto, the industries and the transportation system were severely damaged. Also, Emperor Hirohito had renounced his divinity. Japan became very open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A friend, Jake DeShazer, came to Japan in 1948. He had been a Japanese prisoner of war in China. During the time Jake DeShazer was in prison he received a Bible. Through reading the bible he became a Christian. God then called DeShazer to become a missionary to Japan. For seven years he travelled throughout Japan by car with a loud speaker as many thousands of people wanted to hear why a former Japanese prisoner of war had returned to Japan as a Christian missionary. Missionaries referred to the seven years after the war as the seven golden years because Japan was very open to the Gospel. Jake DeShazer spent a total of 29 years as a missionary in Japan. Jake DeShazer died two years ago at the age of 95.
The bible describes many events that will happen before the return of Jesus Christ. These events are referred to as the signs of the end of the age. They will come with a great shaking that will affect all that live on the earth. Let’s look at the signs in Luke. (Luke 21:7 NIV) "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" (Luke 21:8 NIV) He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. (Luke 21:9 NIV) When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." (Luke 21:10 NIV) Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (Luke 21:11 NIV) There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
There have been many wars, earthquakes, famines and other fearful events since the time Jesus ascended into Heaven. However, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus Christ returns. Since 1980, the frequency of major earthquakes has increased greatly as well as deaths from earthquakes.
Number of Earthquakes Magnitude 8.0 or Greater:
1950 – 1959 = 3
1960 – 1969 = 3
1970 – 1979 = 3
1980 – 1989 = 4
1990 – 1999 = 6
2000 – 2009 =13
Total Deaths From All Earthquakes:
1980 – 1989 = 58,880
1990 – 1999 = 114,646
2000 – 2009 = 471,012
2010 = 226,729
New Zealand just experienced a devastating earth quake in Christ Church just 7 months after another powerful earthquake. The country of Japan is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. Every year there are thousands of minor earthquakes in Japan. During the 21 years that we have been in Japan there have been a few very powerful earthquakes, including the Great Hanshin earthquake. In the past week buildings were swayed by earthquakes in the Tokyo area. The quakes left Japan unscathed. However, the quakes are a reminder of the threat of the “big one.” Tokyo sits on the intersection of three continental plates. Tokyo was devastated by a great earth quake in 1923 as well as one in 1855. Tokyo has suffered a severe earthquake every 70 years or so since records have been kept in 1600. It has been 88 years since the city was last hit by a major earthquake in 1923. The next major earthquake is long overdue.
The great shaking that is coming upon the earth will not be just earthquakes. There will be famines and pestilences as well as wars. The last great war before the return of Jesus will be the War of Armageddon in Israel. The great shaking upon the earth will bring about a great harvest of souls. (Hag 2:7 NIV) I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. The book of Revelation, the last book of the bible, also tells about a great harvest of souls. (Rev 7:9 NIV) After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Rev 7:10 NIV) And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7:11 NIV) All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, (Rev 7:12 NIV) saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Rev 7:13 NIV) Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" (Rev 7:14 NIV) I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The above message was finished to this point on Thursday night, March 10th. I was going to write the conclusion to the message Friday or Saturday. However, Japan was struck with the biggest earthquake every recorded in Japan on Friday afternoon, March 11th. The earthquake was the fourth biggest recorded in the world since 1900. Japan also has had two of the 10 deadliest earthquakes ever recorded with the loss of over 100,000 from each earthquake. It has been reported that over 1000 lives were lost from the Sendai earthquake and the tsunami that followed. If an earthquake of the same magnitude struck near Tokyo it is possible that hundreds of thousands of lives would have been lost. Today as I drove to our home and church in Awaji from our home church in Inagawa-cho it seemed as if life was normal in our part of Japan. However, in the areas devastated from the Sendai earthquake life was far from normal today.
LARGEST EARTHQUAKES
1. May 22, 1960 Valdivia, Chile 9.5
2. Mar. 27, 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska USA 9.2
3. Dec. 26, 2004 Sumatra, Indonesia 9.1
4. Nov. 4, 1952 Kamchatka, Russia (then USSR) 9.0
5. Mar. 11, 2011 Sendai, Japan 9.0
6. Feb. 27, 2010 Maule, Chile 8.8
7. Jan. 31, 1906 Ecuador, Columbia 8.8
8. Feb. 4, 1965 Rat Islands, Alaska USA 8.7
9. Mar. 28, 2005 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.6
10. Mar. 9, 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska USA 8.6
Many friends of ours as well as tens of thousands of other people e-mailed or called people in Japan from all over the world to see if their friends or loved ones were OK after the Sendai earthquake. It was the same after the earthquakes in Christ Church, New Zealand. Each life that was lost is a tragedy. When I started writing this message I had no idea such a great shaking was coming to Japan before I would give the message on Sunday, March 13th. However, the shakings that has come to Japan through the Sendai earthquake and tsunami will be a great gain for Japan began if many people in Japan turn to Jesus Christ and receive the free gift of eternal life. (Hag 2:7 NIV) I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.