Jesus Christ warned that seismic upheaval would mark the period preceding His return. In Matthew 24, He spoke plainly of “earthquakes in various places,” describing them as birth pains rather than isolated events.
The warning was not meant to stir panic, but discernment. Scripture consistently calls believers to recognize patterns, not dismiss them, and to understand what unfolding events may be signaling, both spiritually and physically.
Renewed Seismic Activity in America’s Heartland
That context frames a recent Daily Mail report on increased earthquake activity in the central United States. According to the article, “a giant seismic zone in the heart of the US has seen dozens of tiny earthquakes break out in the last month, renewing fears of a catastrophic natural disaster soon.”
The report notes that “since mid-November, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has detected at least 38 low-level seismic events along the boundaries of the New Madrid Seismic Zone” spanning Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. While none of the quakes exceeded magnitude 2.6, the timing raised concern because “the fresh activity came almost exactly on the date and in the same location as the last major seismic event to erupt within the NMSZ.”
The Daily Mail further emphasized the long-term risk, stating that researchers have warned the region has “a 40 percent chance of unleashing a magnitude 6.0 earthquake within the next five decades,” adding that a larger event could cause damage on a scale the Midwest is unprepared to handle.
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Bob Jones and Prophetic Warnings of Sudden Release
Decades before renewed attention on the New Madrid Fault, the late Bob Jones issued sobering warnings during a 1997 New Year’s Eve prophetic conference. Speaking at MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jones described a vision involving seismic judgment.
“I have been showing My prophets these things for years. Now walk into it. I am beginning to perform My Word,” Jones quoted the Lord as saying. He recounted seeing “two mighty angels. One was holding the ‘San Diego plate’ and the other, the New Madrid Fault Line,” adding, “When each cup is full, the angel will turn loose, and the quakes will happen. They will be sudden.”
Concerning the central United States, Jones warned, “There will be an enormous earthquake somewhere along the New Madrid Fault line,” saying entire cities would be devastated and that “the Mississippi River will be 35 miles wide when it is all over.” The prophecy framed these events as restrained for a time, but not indefinitely.
Discerning the Times We Are Living In
When modern seismic data and long-standing prophetic warnings are placed side by side, the convergence is difficult to ignore. Scripture praises the sons of Issachar as men “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron. 12:32). That same discernment is urgently needed today.
The Bible also issues a blunt warning in Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” As global events accelerate and natural systems show increasing instability, believers are called neither to fear nor complacency, but to spiritual awareness.
Earthquakes, wars, and upheavals do not replace the gospel, but they showcase its urgency. The signs are not given to satisfy curiosity, but to awaken understanding in a generation watching history move at unprecedented speed.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
