PTNews
August 2018
Published 10 times annually
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
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Volcanoes in the Last Days
“And I will [show] wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” Joel 2:30-31
By Mike Wingfield
People around the globe, are being confronted with the reality that our planet is experiencing an unusual increase in volcanic activity. Kilauea on the big Hawaiian island continues to erupt at this time, showing no signs of decreasing activity. In addition, several news sources indicate that “A rising blob of hot rock recently detected under Vermont suggests the region might not be as stable as scientists once thought.” (www.newsweek.com, December 19, 2017) Geologists are reporting that there does not seem to be any concern this super volcano under the New England area will erupt any time soon. In addition to these volcanoes, for several years now, a few geologists have had a growing concern that one of the world’s largest dormant volcanoes may be showing signs of rumbling back to life. This super volcano is located in Yellowstone National Park, which covers portions of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Yellowstone has witnessed an increase in earthquake swarms and eruptions of geysers that indicate geothermal activity is increasing in the area. If this volcano were to have a major eruption, it would radically change the course of modern history on a global scale for many years. Once again, geologists are telling the public there is no reason for alarm. They claim that all of their studies indicate this volcano will not experience another major eruption for thousands or tens of thousands of years.
While we witness this increase in volcanic activity, those of us who know the prophetic Scriptures need to remind ourselves and others that these secular scientists are the same ones who deny that God created the world. They also deny the solid physical evidence of the horrific consequences of the global flood in the days of Noah, which was accompanied by massive geological upheaval. Furthermore, they do not have a clue concerning the approaching geological cataclysm the Bible predicts will take place in the last days. Let us examine the evidence.
What is a volcano and why do they erupt in certain locations?
Scientists have identified about 1,500 land volcanoes around the world. It is believed there are many more volcanoes in the deep canyons of the oceans. Of these known volcanoes, only about 550 are active. In the last few months, 35-50 of these volcanoes have erupted simultaneously. For several decades, an average of 25 volcanoes erupted at the same time. So this indicates an increase in volcanic activity.
Volcanoes are extremely powerful catastrophic events. For example, when Mount Saint Helens (a category 5 volcano) erupted on May 18, 1980, it released 24 megatons of energy. That is equal to the energy released by 1,200 nuclear bombs like those dropped on Hiroshima, Japan to end WW II. Consequently, we should be reminded that God has much more power at His disposal in His creation than man does with his feeble nuclear arsenal. The sheer volume of energy that will be released when the global earthquakes and volcanic eruptions strike this planet during the Tribulation Period is beyond anything we can begin to imagine.
According to scientific data, the earth is about 4,000 miles from the surface to its center core. The crust of the earth, which contains dirt and rocks, is only 5-25 miles thick. Just below the crust of the earth are thousands of miles of a deep ocean of hot flowing magma (liquid rock). Closer to the crust of the earth the temperatures of the magma are between 1,600 and 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is believed that temperatures at the core of the earth could be around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Earth’s crust is literally floating on a deep ocean of magma inside of the earth. This could be compared to ice on a lake during the winter. The crust has a multitude of fractures that form what are called tectonic plates. Think of this being like the cracks in the shell of a hard-boiled egg. Picture those pieces of the egg shells like the plates in the earth’s crust. Some are small and some are larger. These fractures are weak places in the crust where most earthquakes and volcanoes occur. There is an enormous amount of pressure in the interior of the earth due to earth’s gravitational forces. Obviously, this internal force is always pushing the magma to find the weakest area in the crust. When this takes place, the pressure causes an eruption on the surface of the earth, releasing steam and magma from inside the earth. This is the mechanism that creates volcanoes.
How are volcanoes described in the Bible?
The word volcano does not appear in the Bible because this word was only coined about 400 years ago. However, the Bible does mention volcanoes by describing their eruption features. The Bible describes volcanoes as blood, fire, pillars of smoke, and brimstone. For example, in Joel 2:30-31, God says: “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” While speaking about destroying an invading army against Israel, God said in Ezekiel 38:22: “And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
In the Bible, magma is described as the blood of the earth. The Hebrew word for dirt is “adama.” The word for blood is “dam.” Therefore, according to the original language of the Bible, one can see the word blood in the word for dirt or earth. For example, Isaiah 26:21 says: “For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”
The following description by geologist Mike Strickler supports the biblical view of earth’s magma: “Basaltic magma is like the blood of the earth – it’s what comes out when the earth’s skin is cut the whole way through. …The earth as an ecosystem is analogous to the human body.” (www.stanfordbloodcenter.org/between_a_rock_1/) Under our skin is a red flowing substance called blood. In a similar way, just below the crust of the earth is a red flowing substance called magma.
Volcanoes are also described in the Bible as fire and pillars of smoke. Anyone who has seen the eruption of a volcano can understand that this is a perfect description of a volcanic eruption. The extremely hot magma burns everything it comes in contact with. Many times, when volcanoes erupt, the eruption is accompanied by ash that is
blown upward with terrific force into the upper atmosphere. It certainly looks like smoke coming out of a furnace. Compare this with Revelation 9:2: “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.”
The Bible also describes volcanoes with the word “brimstone.” Brimstone is a yellow-colored stone that contains sulfur. Sulfur is one of the main components of magma that forms the rocks that accompany a volcanic eruption. Archeologists have found great amounts of sulfur rocks at the destruction sight of Sodom and Gomorrah. (www.biblicalscholarship.com) These stones give testimony to the sudden geological upheaval that took place in this region when God destroyed the wicked cities in this region with “brimstone and fire.” (Genesis 19:24)
Are volcanoes a part of God’s divine judgment during the end-times?
According to the Bible, our earth is moving toward major geological upheaval that will alter the planet for God’s future purposes. According to Psalm 102:25-26, the heavens and earth are growing “old like a garment.” This means that God is actively exercising His sovereign control so that the earth will geologically deteriorate, gradually breaking up like a garment, just as He planned before the foundation of the world. That means that the tectonic plates of the earth will continue to become more fragile, so that earthquakes and volcanoes will increase in frequency and intensity. This is exactly what Jesus said about the last days. While speaking about the signs of the Tribulation Period, Jesus said: “And great earthquakes shall be in [different] places.” (Luke 21:11) An examination of a geological map showing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions indicates that they are occurring along the fractures of the tectonic plates. Historical statistical data indicate that earthquakes and volcanoes are increasing in frequency and intensity.
Near the beginning of the Tribulation Period, a massive global earthquake will trigger colossal volcanic eruptions. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood …” (Revelation 6:12) Notice that this verse demonstrates that the earthquake created a condition where the sun and moon were darkened, which is the language describing the result of volcanic ash being blown up into the upper atmosphere.
As previously mentioned, enormous geological upheaval was a part of God’s judgment of the earth in the days of the global flood in Noah’s time. God told Noah: “I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13) Genesis 7:11 and 8:2, report that God broke up “the fountains of the great deep” during the 40-day period of judgment. God used His power of nature to unleash His wrath in the past, and according to the Apostle Peter, He will do it again. “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:6-7)
During the Tribulation Period, numerous volcanic eruptions will spew large volumes of ash into the upper atmosphere. This ash will gradually collect to form thick clouds that will block the sunlight during the day and the moonlight during the night. Early in the Tribulation Period, the ash will cause one-third of the inhabitants on earth to be in the dark during normal daylight hours. (Revelation 8:7, 12) This thick cloud will continue to grow as ash continues to pour out of volcanoes during the Tribulation. By the end of this 7-year period the entire earth will be enveloped in an eerie darkness. (Revelation 16:10) While speaking about the time of His revelation at the end of the Tribulation Period, Jesus said: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light..” (Matthew 24:29) The prophet Joel describes this unique period of time as: “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness…” (Joel 2:2)
Many Biblical texts indicate that the land of Israel will be the center of divine geological catastrophes. At the heart of this geological activity will be one of the most dangerous earthquake fault lines in the world – the Syrian/African Rift Valley. This fault line travels from Lebanon through the Jordan Valley into the Sea of Galilee, then down the Jordan Valley through the Dead Sea, and continues through the Arava Valley and the Red Sea into Kenya. This deadly fault line is where two major tectonic plates (the African Plate and the Arabian Plate) collide with each other. This fault line has been the location of many geological disasters in Biblical history and will play a major role in God’s judgments in the end times. Geologists in Kenya were greatly puzzled that this rift valley started to split open a few months. During the first 10 days of July, there were 10 earthquakes at the Sea of Galilee and several earthquakes at the southern end of the Dead Sea. Geologists in Israel are warning their government that it is time to prepare for the big quake that is coming in Israel.
When Russia and Iran and their Magog coalition invade Israel in the 
future, Israel will experience a major earthquake that will trigger some or all of the 15 dormant volcanoes that dot the landscape of the Golan Heights in Israel and Syria to erupt. (Ezekiel 38:18-22) With Russia, Iran, and Turkey already in Syria, and the earthquake activity in the Galilee area, it appears that things are shaping up for the fulfillment of this prophecy.
At the end of the Tribulation Period, a series of geological catastrophes will take place around Jerusalem, which is only 14 miles from the Great Rift Valley. The gigantic earthquake mentioned in Revelation16:18 at Christ’s return will trigger a major volcanic eruption on the Golan Heights and Galilee area that will create a river of magma that will flow down the Jordan Valley to the level of a horse’s bridle. Understanding that the blood in Revelation 14:14-20 is the blood of the earth helps to solve a riddle that has puzzled Bible students for hundreds of years. This also helps to explain the nature of the mysterious death of the Antichrist’s army as described in Zechariah 14:12: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” This is a perfect description of what happens when human flesh comes into contact with magma.
This same earthquake will split the Mount of Olives and lift up Jerusalem, exposing a major water aquifer that will produce a river that will flow out of the Temple Mount. (Zechariah 14:4-10; Joel 3:18; Ezekiel 47:1-12) At this same time, this earthquake along the Rift Valley will force the huge water aquifer under the Arava Valley to be lifted up so that it will flood the desert. Then, the prophecy of Isaiah about the desert will be fulfilled. “The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose [actual Hebrew word indicates this flower will be a water lily] … [and] in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.” (Isaiah 35:1, 6-7)
What are God’s purposes behind the geological cataclysm in the last days?
The Lord will unleash numerous global earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis during the end-times. Why? There are at least three major reasons for all of the geological calamities at the end of this age. First, as in the days of Noah, God will unleash His fury against the wickedness of man. Isaiah wrote: “For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” (Isaiah 26:21) Mankind would do well to know that God is not ignoring the daily acts of violence and rebellion against Him and His law. I am often reminded of the fact that more people live on earth now than at any other time in the history of the planet. There are currently 7.6 billion people on earth. Many of them will die as a result of the carnage of the Antichrist’s wars. The Antichrist and his demonic kingdom will “devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” (Daniel 7:23) However, the majority of the world’s population will die as a result of the horrific judgments of God’s wrath poured out upon the entire earth. God revealed to the prophet Isaiah that as a result of the global geological disasters, “the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” (Isaiah 24:6) The entire 24th chapter of Isaiah gives a detailed description of the geological holocaust that will unfold during the 7-year Tribulation Period. Isaiah 24:19 says: “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is [thoroughly cracked], the earth is moved exceedingly.”
The second major purpose for the geological upheaval of the Tribulation Period will be to prepare the earth, and especially Israel and Jerusalem, for their role during the millennial kingdom. The earth’s surface before the flood did not have high mountains and deep valleys. “Mountains were relatively low and ocean beds relatively shallow as compared with present conditions.” (John W. Whitcomb, Jr. & Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Flood, p. 268) As a result of the geological upheaval during the time of the flood, the earth’s surface was radically altered. Before the flood the earth was probably one big land mass that made it possible for all of the land animals to travel to the ark. The prophetic Scriptures indicate that the geological destruction of the Tribulation Period will probably return the earth’s topography back to the way it was before the great global flood in Noah’s time. Isaiah points to this in his revelation about the kingdom: “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.” (Isaiah 40:4) The Tribulation Period will end with the most powerful earthquake in the history of planet earth. John describes this earthquake in Revelation 16:18: “and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” As a result of this earthquake “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” (Revelation 16:20) This certainly speaks of the formation of a uniform global topography, much like the earth’s topography before the global flood.
The third divine purpose for the geological upheaval of the Tribulation Period is to glorify God and force man to be humbled before the Him. In Isaiah 2:10-22, Isaiah repeatedly states that the Lord will arise “to shake terribly the earth.” (Isaiah 2:19, 21) In this passage he declares the intended divine results. It will be “for the glory of [God’s] majesty.” (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21) And, “the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:11, 17) In this same passage, the prophet repeatedly states that the Lord will shake the earth in order to humble man and to destroy his pride and arrogance.
At the end of this age, many of the inhabitants of earth are living in luxury. We have become very dependent upon our utility systems, transportation systems, creature comforts, the abundance and variety of food, entertainment opportunities, and communication systems. For many, they are so independent and comfortable that they think they do not need God. Therefore, abruptly, and without warning “sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) Suddenly, life will take a horrific turn that will leave most of these people in life-threatening circumstances.
I am convinced that Psalm 46 has been written for those who will be living through the geological upheaval of the Tribulation Period. This psalm talks about a time when “the earth be removed” (verse 2), “the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” (verse 2), “the waters thereof roar and be troubled” (verse 3), and “the earth melted” (verse 6). Finally, the psalmist exclaims: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.” (verse 8) After all of this, God declares: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (verse 10)
During the Tribulation Period, God will strip away all of the forms of man’s modern lifestyle. Mankind will be forced to either shake his fist at God in defiant rebellion, or humble himself and be still and know that He is God. We know what they did in the days of Noah and we know what they will do in the future. They will blaspheme God and die in their sin. (Revelation 16:11)
As volcanoes continue to erupt around the world, let us keep listening for the shout that will take us out!