By Dianne E. Butts:

It has happened again. According to msnbc.com, late Wednesday, March 14, 2012, “a series of earthquakes rattled Tokyo and northeast Japan…in the same region hit by last year’s devastating tsunami.” If we’re looking at God’s Word, we might find God in prophecy about earthquakes.

In Bible chapters Matthew 24 and Luke 21  Jesus said, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11, NIV 1984).

The question, then, becomes, are we seeing greater earthquakes than ever before? In 2011 we saw several major earthquakes and tsunamis:

Sunday, January 2, 2011: Araucania, Chile, is hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Friday, February 11, 2011: a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks from off shore 30 miles north of Concepcion, Chile.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (local time): 6.3 quake rattled Christchurch, New Zealand, the same area hit with a 7.1 magnitude quake on September 4, 2010. An aftershock on June 13, 2011, caused considerable additional damage. A series of large aftershocks hit Christchurch again on December 23, 2011 (local time).

Sunday, February 27, 2011: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck just south of Concepcion, Chile, one year to the day after the 8.8 magnitude quake devastated the area.

Friday, March 11, 2011: An 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits northeastern Japan triggering a massive tsunami causing a meltdown in three of six reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The Pacific Ring of Fire according to Wikipedia, is a 25,000 miles horseshoe-shape ring around the Pacific Ocean where 90% of the world’s earthquakes (89% of the world’s largest earthquakes) occur. The Ring of Fire is so named because it is home to over 75% of the world’s volcanoes.

In a similar article on TheChristianPulse.com, I wrote, “Three of the four ‘corners’ of the Ring of Fire were hit with large earthquakes in 2011. Is it time for the fourth ‘corner’ to feel the earth shake? That would be the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States or southwestern Canada.”

Today, many people believe we are seeing earthquakes increase in frequency and intensity right before our very eyes. However, the USGS government earthquake web site says, “The number of large earthquakes (magnitude 6.0 and greater) has stayed relatively constant.”

Still, why would God allow such devastation and loss of human life? The Bible tells us Creation itself groans because of the sin of mankind. Romans 8:18-22 says in part, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up the present time.” The groans of the earth, just like the cumulative sin of mankind, will increase until the return of Jesus Christ. But it is God’s nature to use even these extreme difficulties to bring people to believe in Him, because what is at stake for their eternity is even more dire.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Please pray that people will find God in prophecy about earthquakes as you view this tribute to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan: