In the last days, during the apocalypse of Jesus Christ and in the judgments of the LORD, which shall accompany the Lord's coming in that "day," the time will be identified by five succeeding earthquakes. These earthquakes are noted in the book of The Revelation at:
The effect of these 'quakes will be felt throughout the earth. The heavens darken; part of the sky itself disappears. The sun turns black; the moon has a visibly red color. A smoke moves through the heavens toward the earth; stars - bolides - meteors - fall out of the skies, ominous portents of a coming destruction by the 2,000,000 "heads" and "tails" of a heavenly cavalry charging out of its hitherto storage place in the depth of the heavens. Then, mountains and islands move out of their places, as Isaiah (40:3-5) has prophesied concerning the Lord's coming
The world recognizes the wrath of God's anger at the event of the first earthquake. The first 'quake produces deep anxiety among many peoples of the world. "Upon the earth, (is) anguish of nations with perplexity." There is inundation of the coasts by "the sea and the waves roaring" from cataclysmic actions in the heavens, and seismic response under seas.
Three of the Gospel records indicate that the shaking of the earth has a cause over which the nations have no control. Why is this so? Because, the "powers [prodigies; planets] of the heavens shall be shaken" by the arm of the LORD in order to fulfill His Word, per Hebrews 1:10-12, that "...the heavens are the work of Thine hands. They shall perish but Thou remainest; and they all shall become old as does a garment and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up and they shall be changed..." The heavens are ruled by God. When it pleases His purpose and His will, He makes changes in the heavens. The earth is scheduled for a change in the near future, so we look for "new heavens" and a "new earth" in which righteousness dwells...
The second earthquake of "the day" brings a fire and a hail of stone which severely torments one third of the earth. Then the first six trumpets of the LORD sound. His voice of "seven thunders" speak between the last two trumpet soundings. This first "hail" falls from the skies upon men for about five months. Cold fear, and expectation of a greater judgment to come, make many peoples utterly callous and insensitive toward their own kin and kind. Men blaspheme the name of God for their afflictions.
The third earthquake, another great one, occurs at the time of the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and prior to the judgment on the disobedient and those who destroy the earth.
Another earthquake, the fourth, quickly follows. This earthquake corresponds to the event written of in Zechariah 14 and to the things enumerated in Isaiah 24. It is accompanied by a second "hail" from the skies. The newly constructed temple is opened for the reign of Israel's messiah and Israel's restoration under the glory of the LORD.
The last earthquake, a dreadful one, is described as "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great" ends the day of God's wrath against all the ungodly of the world. This last 'quake eliminates many islands and mountains. It occurs when "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" are gathered together in the valley for the LORD's slaughter.
This last 'quake brings a great "hail" - the third hail - out of the sky to destroy everything which it strikes. This final shaking of the earth destroys all the Babylonish things which the vials of God's wrath did not touch upon. See Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51. The ancient kings of Assyria and Babylonia figuratively caused the "land of beauty" to shake in fear during their invasions of the promised land when the LORD anciently shook the earth in wrath and vengeance. And, the LORD has declared through Isaiah, the prophet, that He will again shake the heavens and move the earth out of its place in the coming final day of His wrath and vengeance upon all the disobedient and ungodly among men.
Jeremiah said, "At the noise of the taking of Babylon, the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations," (50:46). The particulars of the ancient destruction worked against Assyria and Babylon in judgment are also recorded in Isaiah's prophecies in Chapters 13 and 14. The movements of the earth in those days are examples of the movements in the heavens for "the days" to come. If God does not make literal changes in the heavens and in the earth as an introduction to the new heavens and the new earth, how are we to understand His Word? The prophets did not speak in figurative language nor of symbolic things not relevant to the reality of their day! The prophets spoke of great and of dreadful experiences of earth shakings and of unnaturally behaving heavenly phenomena, and of changes which affected the chronology of the times and the seasons, calling for a re-order of the calendar among all the nations of the world. The Almighty GOD is in command when "the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."
Some like John, in the book of The Revelation, may genuinely and fervently wish to see the day of the LORD, however bitterly it first begins to fall upon Israel and the Jewish people.
But the majority will hold onto their gold and their silver to the bitter end. Others who never knew the truth about the kingdom of God may find a way out of the troubles of "the day." There are only two ways out; one a broad way, simply do nothing and die, the second, to be prepared to escape death, most especially the "second death." That way is narrow and must be made ready now.
The person who is called and taught from the Holy Scriptures, and accepts the things of the covenants and promises, who is then baptized for the remission of sins, will be saved out of the destruction which is scheduled to come upon the whole world. His safety is, however, conditional upon the fact that he must remain faithful to the Lord until his death, the end. God's grace is only on those who follow His commandments to do the work of faith.
Reconciliation of the nation was a tough matter to accomplish. The LORD pleaded with and exhorted the Jewish people to follow and obey His Word by the ministry of the holy prophets for over one thousand years. Their natural tendency was to be like the nations around then, to follow after their own desires. It is now two thousand years more since the nations leaders rejected their appointed king, and the redemption of the promises and covenants. Today the nation has most of the land promised, but they are willing to return parcels of it to their enemies in return for "peace and security." It is "not for their sakes, but for (His) Holy Name's sake" that they have maintained any strength against adversity since 1948!
Does the adoption as sons of God, the glory, the covenants, the Law, the priesthood and the promises made to the fathers mean so little to them yet? Do they still look for their Messiah to come and save them from their enemies? Some individuals among the people may be "ashamed of their iniquities." The national intransigence will not deter the LORD. Despite their past attitudes and rebellions, the LORD will do what He promised for His chosen people. Israel will suffer for this last rebellion; but it will not be cut off as a people. The "desire of all nations shall come." The LORD will fill His house with the glory due His name. All the nations of the world will together rejoice in the name of God according to His teaching during the coming "new" age.
Much nonsense has been written about the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ by Christian expositors, and by some not so Christian! There is a theme of common - profane - history interwoven into the pages of the prophecy, a thing which is explicitly forbidden to be added to the prophecy. It is forbidden thing, likewise, to take away from the words of its prophecy.
Where logic and wisdom prevail, it is obvious that the second coming of the Lord has not yet occurred - although, the day of his return may happen very shortly! What is therefore written in the book is likely then to happen very shortly also. During his ministry Jesus made many comments about the end of Gentile times - the times of the surrounding nations - and about the day of his return. The Gospels are liberally sprinkled with these morsels of information. He went away, into a cloud of the heavens, and John states in the Revelation, (1:7), "Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, even they which pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail on account of him. Yea, ameen." Yes, indeed! ...a strong statement of prophecy. The earthquake of his coming and of his immediate presence will swiftly affect all Israel first, then the surrounding nations, and thereafter the whole world.
Details are written in the Hebrew Holy Scriptures of how the end of God's purpose for the nation is accomplished. Zechariah 12, which Revelation 1:7 confirms, says that the wailing and mourning in Jerusalem will be like the great mourning (for a beloved king) which occurred in Hadad-Rimmon in the valley of Megiddon, [where against counsel and in rebellion against God, King Josiah and his army intervened in the battle of Carchemish. There Nebuchadnezzar decisively defeated Egypt to gain control of the Middle East. But Josiah was struck down, and died of his wound; his death was a needless tragedy and a folly.] The final battle with the nations at Har-Mageddon will not end with the death of Israel's king!
The last battle - at this ancient battle site - is mentioned along with the Lord's coming "as a thief" in the Revelation at Ch. 16:15-16. The field around the hill and valley of Megiddo is about 55 miles north of Jerusalem. It overlooks the plain of Esdraelon further north. When the Lord's feet again touch the Mt. of Olives, the mighty earthquake occurs. Being a great earthquake, it carries a magnitude of eight on the Richter Scale. According to Zechariah, the circumstance of the earthquakes compare with certain ones that occurred in and following the reign of Azariah (Uzzah), king of Judah, during the time of Amos and Isaiah. Josephus, in Antiquities, IX. x. 4, states that the quakes of those days leveled the cities on the Mediterranean coasts, and in Palestine, from Damascus to Gaza! Atlantis disappeared. These quakes happened during the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, between 767 B.C. and 687 B.C.
It is written that in "that day" the light will not be clear, nor dark; it will be neither day nor night. And at evening time, it will be light, says Zechariah. The natural phenomena which accompany the "great day" of the LORD and the earthquakes will be illuminated by the glory of God.
All the people remaining in Israel are then to be reconciled to God. "It is done," according to His will, per Revelation 16:17. When the terrain surrounding Jerusalem is realigned as a plain by the earth's continual shaking, the city of Jerusalem itself will be elevated. The city will be safely settled in its own place.
New law will go forth out of Mt. Zion. The Word of the LORD will thunder forth from a new Jerusalem. For "the LORD, my God, shall come, and all the holy ones with Thee, ...and the LORD shall be king over all the earth. In that day shall there be one Lord, and His name, One."
The earth will no longer be under the curse of disobedience and death.