Does God Call For Our Attention Through Earthquakes

Mat. 24:33 and Other Verses

1.       God Called Attention To His . . Rules

          With An Earthquake. Exo. 19 17-18; 20: 1,3,7-8

          Ex 19:17-18 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain* quaked greatly. NKJV

Ex 20:1,2,4,7-8, 1 And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image —

7 "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. NKJV

2.       God Called Attention To His . . Redemption

          With An Earthquake. Mat. 27:51-54

          51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" NKJV

3.       God Called Attention To The . . Resurrection

          With An Earthquake. Matt. 28:1-2

          Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,* and sat on it. NKJV

4.       God Called Attention To A . .

          Revival With An Earthquake. Acts 4:29-31

                  29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,

30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

NKJV

Illustration John: He Challenged God in Prayer

Opposition to the revival was being raised in other parts of the island. An evening was given to waiting upon God in the home of an elder. Around midnight Duncan turned to the local blacksmith: "John, I feel the time has come for you to pray." With his cap in his hand John rose to pray, and in the middle of his prayer he paused, raised his right hand to heaven, and said: "Oh God, You made a promise to pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground, and, Lord, it's not happening." He paused again and then continued: "Lord, I don't know how the others here stand in Your presence; I don't know how the ministers stand, but, Lord, if I know anything about my own heart I stand before Thee as an empty vessel, thirsting for Thee and for a manifestation of Thy power." He halted again and after a moment of tense silence cried:

"Oh God, Your honor is at stake, and I now challenge You to fulfil your covenant engagement and do what you have promised to do." Many who were present witnessed that at that moment the house shook. Dishes rattled in the sideboard, as wave after wave of Divine power swept through the building. A minister standing beside Duncan turned and said: "Mr. Campbell, an earth tremor!" But Duncan's mind, however, was in the fourth chapter of Acts, where the early Christians were gathered in prayer and, we read: "When they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."

Illustration                    Donald: The Boy Who Prayed

Among those converted the following night was a fifteen-year-old boy who became an outstanding helper in the revival. This lad became a "frontline" prayer-warrior. Duncan called at his home one day and found him on his knees in the barn with the Bible open before him. When interrupted he quietly said: "Excuse me a little, Mr. Campbell, I'm having an audience with the King."

But the most outstanding example of God's anointing upon him was in Bernera, a small island off the coast of Lewis. Duncan was assisting at a Communion service; the atmosphere was heavy and preaching difficult, so he sent to Barvas for some of the men to come and assist in prayer. They prayed, but the spiritual bondage persisted, so much so that half way through his address Duncan stopped preaching. Just then he noticed this boy, visibly moved, under deep burden for souls. He thought: "That boy is in touch with God and living nearer to the Saviour than I am." So leaning over the pulpit he said: "Donald, will you lead us in prayer?"

The lad rose to his feet and in his prayer made reference to the fourth chapter of Revelation, which he had been reading that morning: "Oh God, I seem to be gazing through the open door. I see the Lamb in the midst of the Throne, with the keys of death and of hell at His girdle." He began to sob; then lifting his eyes toward heaven, cried: "O God, there is power there, let it loose!" With the force of a hurricane the Spirit of God swept into the building and the floodgates of heaven opened. The church resembled a battlefield. On one side many were prostrated over the seats weeping and sighing; on the other side some were affected by throwing their arms in the air in a rigid posture. God had come!

5.       God Called Attention To The . . Release

          Of Paul and Silas With An Earthquake. Acts 16:25-26

          25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. NKJV

6.       God Called Attention To The Lord’s . . Return

          With Earthquakes. Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13; 16:18

          Rev 6:12 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. NKJV

          Rev 8:4-5 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. NKJV

          Rev 11:13 3 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. NKJV

          Rev 16:18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. NKJV