Yeshua taught that there would be many earthquakes in different places around the world in the end times (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11). Earthquakes can sometimes be the result of a clash of spiritual forces behind the scenes. There was an earthquake when God visited Elijah at Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:11-12), and in the time of King Uzziah (Zech. 14:5; Amos 1:1).
Earthquakes can occur as the result of our prayers, prophecies and praises—when combined with the work of angels and the fire of the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:25-26; Rev. 8:3-5; Rev. 11:13, 19). There was an earthquake at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:18) and also at the time of Yeshua’s crucifixion (Matt. 27:54) and resurrection (Matt. 28:2).
The word for earthquake in Greek is seismos (as in “seismic” and “seismograph”). In Hebrew there are two words. One is simply the word for “shaking” and used in Modern Hebrew for an earthquake, re’idah רעידה.
In Biblical Hebrew there is another word, ra’ash רעש, which can be translated as noise, earthquake, shaking or rattling. The sound of the voice of the Lord can actually shake the earth (Heb. 12:26). This word ra’ash also describes the sound at the supernatural manifestation of the glory of YHVH (Ezek. 3:12-13).
This word is found in three significant prophecies about the end times:
- Resurrection: There is a vivid and detailed picture of the physical reconstruction of bodies at the moment of the resurrection in Ezekiel 37:1-14. At the moment of the resurrection, there is an earthquake shaking, rattling noise: ra’ash (verse 7).
- Great War: When the forces of Gog and Magog attack Israel in the end times, God releases a fiery power to destroy them. This causes a great earthquake: ra’ash (Ezek. 38:19; Is. 29:6).
- Second Coming: When the forces of evil reach Jerusalem, the Lord descends to fight them; His feet stand on the Mount of Olives and a huge earthquake takes place, which splits the mountain in two: ra’ash (Is. 29:6; Zech. 14:4-5).
These passages indicate that the Resurrection, the War and the Second Coming take place at the time of the great earthquake and are part of the same event. Since the rapture is described as coming at the same time as the Second Coming and the Resurrection (Matt. 24:31; Mark 13:27; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 2 Thess. 2:1), it is clear that they are all connected.
The Resurrection, rapture, War and Second Coming all happen at the same time, are part of the same release of power, which also shakes the whole earth. This earth-shaking power is described as being similar to the huge cataclysm at the time of Noah (2 Pet. 3:5-12).
This shaking is to happen just one more time (Heb. 12:26; Hagg. 2:6). This “one more time” is the convergence of these end times events at the “great and terrible day of YHVH” (Joel 2:11, 31; Zeph. 1:14, 2 Thess. 2:2; Rev. 6:12, 16:18).
The Second Coming is described several times in the book of Revelation (1:7; 6:12-14; 11:13; 14:20; 16:18-19; 19:11). In three of these descriptions, there is a great earthquake: seismos—Revelation 6:12; 11:13; 16:18. The earthquake in Revelation 16:18 is said to be the greatest in history and occurs at the same time as the battle of Armageddon (16:16). The earthquake at the battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38) is the same as the earthquake at the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16).
In summary, there will be many earthquakes in the end times, as a result of the clash of spiritual forces. There will be one final earthquake when Yeshua returns, in which power is released to destroy the wicked, raise the dead and transform the saints. The Second Coming, Armageddon, the Resurrection, and rapture all take place at the time of the Great Quake. {eoa}
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
This article originally appeared at tribe.reviveisrael.org.
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