Updates

Year End Update 2016

Professor J

Prophecy Sign: Earthquakes and Earthquake Swarms
Mark 13:8 – “There will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines.”
Luke 21:11 – “And there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

The question of whether earthquakes are increasing is a common question about the timing of end times prophecies.   Scripture states that “great” earthquakes will appear in various (or diverse) places and that they will be like the beginning of birth pains. The total number of quakes has increased each year since 2012.
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2016
This year, 2016, has been another remarkably quiet year for “great” earthquakes, but the total number of earthquakes (119198) are 4.8 times the average from 2005 to 2012 (24815), and just over 6.5 times the amount in 2012 (18328).

  1. Quakes in the 8.0 and above range were NOT recorded at all this year, Praise Yahweh.
  2. Quakes in the 7.0 to 7.9 range (16) were 107% of the average since 1900 (15).
  3. Quakes in the 6.0 to 6.9 range (129) were 96% of the average since 1900 (134).
  4. The number of large earthquakes (145) this year was 97% of the average since 1900 (150).
  5. The total number of earthquakes (119198) is once again 6.5 times greater than the total number in 2012 (18328), and 1.3 times greater than the total number in 2013 (91423).
  6. The total number of earthquakes (119198) is 3.75 times greater than any in any of the years prior to 2012 (31777 in 2008).

On December 1st what first appeared to be quakes in numerous places around the world turned out to be the Earth itself ringing like a bell. This “vibration” or ringing seems to be emanating directly from the Earth’s core. But, on December 28, beginning just after midnight, a swarm of over 200 earthquakes hit in the Hawthorne, Nevada area; three of the quakes were over 5.6 in magnitude.

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Prophecy Sign:  Signs In The Heavens
Luke 21:25  – “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.”
The heavens in 2016 have been pretty quiet, with the exception of the two comets headed this way in late November, and the brightest and largest super-moon since 1948. There will not be another super-moon until December 25th 2034.

Prophecy Sign: Flooding
Luke 21:25  – “And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring . . .”
Major flooding occurred in Louisiana during August, impacting Texas and Mississippi as well. Iowa and Minnesota were flooded in July. Nova Scotia and Windsor in Canada also experienced flooding this year. Overseas floods impacted the Dominican Republic, England, Wales, Jakarta, Tanzania, and New Zealand. In Early December, Israel was impacted by torrential rains and flooding along coastal areas.

Prophecy Sign: Famines/Pestilences
Luke 21:11 – “There will also be famines and pestilences . . .”
Nigeria has been plagued with famines this year due to severe drought conditions. Ethiopia and Somalia have also been hit hard again this year. The Zika virus has been prominently in the news this year, especially in Brazil and the United States. Acute flaccid myelitis, a polio like disease, has continued to paralyze people worldwide. There have been forty-four cases of Elizabethkingia anophelis this year, which affects the bloodstream. Several cases of antibiotic resistant super-bugs were noted. Dengue fever has been reported in Hawaii and in Burkina Faso.

Prophecy Sign:  Mass Deaths
Hosea 4:3. –“The beasts of the field, the fowls of heaven; and the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.”
As of November 28th there were 521 known mass death events across 80 countries. The figures for the year are astronomical. These deaths include bees, dolphins, fish, seals and sea lions, starfish, whales, turtles, frogs, birds, ducks, and cattle. Hardest hit are the fish and other sea creatures, followed closely by the bird populations. The bee population alone has seen 133 known mass death events in 30 countries as of November 28th, 2016.

The www.endtimes-bibleprophecy.com website says it this way: “Millions of Fish and massive numbers of various marine creatures are washing ashore dead. Birds are falling dead out of the sky, and millions of poultry and wildlife are dying from avian flu. Some people say this is all a mystery. Some say these are all natural die offs. Some people say that Chemtrails is the cause. Some say this is caused by Fukushima. Some people say this is due to man’s pollution. And others say this is God’s judgment. Whatever the cause, we know one thing for certain, that this was prophesied to happen in the Bible.” [Bold emphasis mine]

Other Signs
Tornadoes/Cyclones
According to the NOAA National Weather Service, as of November 25, 2015 there have been 598 confirmed tornadoes in the United States. Poland, Belarus, Russia, Italy, South Africa, the Philippines, Brazil, China, and Uruguay experienced one or more tornadoes this year. The tornado that hit China in June killed 99 people and 846 others were injured, many of them critically. Worldwide, the total fatalities is 124.

Volcanoes
Volcanic activity in 2016 is continues to rise. In an area just 10km from Rome, the ground has been rising 2-3mm per year, in what appears to be the reawakening of a long dormant volcano. Another dome in Central Andes in the Altiplano-Puna Plateau is also showing signs of growth. Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano erupted in October and sent a smoke and ash cloud just short of seven miles high. In October Mexico’s Colima erupted, Iceland’s Katla volcano has been rumbling, causing several earthquakes, and Indonesia’s Mount Barujari Volcano erupted sending a plume about a mile high. New Zealand, Myanmar, Vanuatu, and the Philippines are all on alert. In the first week of December 2016, alone, eleven volcanoes erupted.

Conclusions
Mark 13:8 – “. . . . These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
The question of whether the heavenly and earthly signs are increasing as do birth pains during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, is a valid question for the days in which we live. Earthquake and volcano activity are both on the rise, but overall, I believe that the birth pains have not yet fully manifested. Before the world is verifiably experiencing what Yeshua terms birth pangs, false prophets will arise who will mislead many, lawlessness must increase, and the gospel will be preached to all the nations. Only after these things, will the third trimester pangs begin and the end come.

For an excellent update on general Biblical Prophecies of 2016, Click Here to see Jan Markell’s essay.

Final Thought
Prophecy continues to unfold as foretold by the Hebrew Prophets. The day is coming when Yahweh will show his strength on the mountains of Israel. What is prophesied will come to pass, what is foretold will be made known. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – get busy reaching the lost.