NewsTsunami - Mid-Trib Research Center

Olivet Discourse

Mid-Trib Research Center

Preparing The Bride of Christ For The Wrath of God

Tsunami Discussion A friend asked us the other day if the December 26th tsunami that struck the largely Muslim region of southeast Asia was a product of merely natural occurrences or if it was something supernatural. The remaining future prophecy is replete with predictions of earthquakes. In Haggai God says the whole earth will be shaken, including the seas. Can we place this particular earthquake and tsunami into the context of prophetic scripture? Not with 100 percent precision; however, we believe that as time accellerates exponentially closer to the advent of the Tribulation, the events of scripture will begin to be fullfilled at consequentially exponential rates. This is certainly the beginning of the birth pangs which will mark the advent of the rise of the Antichrist. Let's take a close look at a few passages from scripture to see what kinds of things the Lord says about earthquakes and tsunami's that will happen with increasing frequency as we approach the Last Days:
The Tsunami in Scripture Haggai 2:5-7: ⁵"According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' ⁶"For thus says the LORD of hosts: "Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; ⁷and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts." Habakkuk 3:8-13 ⁸O LORD, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? ⁹Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. ¹⁰The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high. ¹¹The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear. ¹²You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. ¹³You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah		Elders' Commentary: Pastor David Whitney quoted this passage from Haggai Chapter 2 where it clearly in verse six describes the seas being shaken. Also note that after the nations are shaken they will come to "The Desire of All Nations," which, of course, is another name for Christ. The news has shown that World Vision, one of the oldest, largest and best trusted of the Christian relief organizations, is already there to pass out not only water, food and material goods but the scriptures in the people's native languages so that they might come to Him! I later found this passage from Habakkuk 3 where the prophet asks the LORD if He was displeased with the rivers. In verse nine the arrows of the Lord are His children--those carrying the gospel into this region are fulfilling this prophecy. We know this because the Psalmist speaks of them this way: "⁴Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. ⁵ Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."--Psalm 127:4-5 [NIV] The most remarkable part of this passage to me is verse 10. The mountains tremble, the overflowing of the water passes by [like the scenes we've seen so graphically in the news], "the deep [of the ocean] uttered its voice" is similar to the description some of the tsunami victims have described: Fox news has shown interviews with a group of villagers who were largely saved from the tsunami because their ancestors had told them to watch out for when the sea disappears, as it did just before the tsunami struck, and to run for the hills to avoid the catastrophy of the tidal wave. Here also the prophet speaks of the sea "lifting its hands on high." A perfect description for the giant, rolling, several-hundred-foot-high wave of a tsunami, like that of one raising one's arms above one's head. In verse 11 again we see a reference to arrows--God's children going in response to the call of the Master. The waves/walls of water certainly marched through the land in indignation, trampling the nations with His wrath as verse 12 reads. Habbakkuk seems almost to have seen the same news footage we have seen. Finally in verse 13 we see the LORD going forth, exacting the salvation of His people, as so many stories of Christians who were spared have come in and are becoming plenteous. Lastly we see the LORD striking the heads of households of the wicked, and indeed we are hearing stories of hundreds of children who have been orphaned by the catestrophe.
This leaves us with the question of the appropriate Christian response. Scripture again gives us the answers. We are called to grieve with those who grieve, to mourn with those who mourn, but not as those who have no hope. Christ came to "to bind up the brokenhearted,... to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn" Isaiah 61:1-2 As Christians we mourn the loss of life, even the wicked who may never have received the gospel, if not for any other reason than that they too were made in the image of God and therefore their lives were precious. Pray for those acting as Christ's arms, binding up the broken hearted and the wounded. Pray for their protection from the elements, from disease, and from criminals who would seek to disrupt the relief efforts by pillaging and hording it so they may sell it to the highest bidder. Pray especially for those children who are now orphans. Pray for the Spirit's guidance regarding sponsoring a child with either World Vision or Compassion International. If the LORD has given you the means, consider adopting an orphan too. Thomas P. Milley