Quakes are picking up steam; FEMA plans central US Great ShakeOut drill

Jesus said that in the end time there will be earthquakes in diverse places. (Luke 21:11; Mt 24:7; Mark 13:8). There have always been earthquakes. But the entire context of the conversation in which He'd warned about the signs of the time when He would be coming (Mt 24:3) was likened to labor pains. Labor begins slow and increase in frequency and intensity, just as the signs and symptoms of His imminent return to judge the world will indicate. He said that these signs will be famines, plagues, deceptions, false messiahs, and earthquakes to name a few. These are the various things that will increase in intensity and frequency just before He arrives at the end of the Tribulation.

He also said "in various places" or "in diverse places." The Greek word for "various" used in this case is kata. Usually, various when it means various is the word poikilos- as in Mt 4:24 wen they brought to Jesus people suffering from "various diseases". But in Matthew 24:7 kata is used for various, and it means "through out, according to, against". Kata is is translated 52 times as against, which definitely has a judgment tinge to it.

I look at the USGS 7-day earthquake list every day. Earthquakes around the world are listed as they happen. I noticed the last day or so that there are a number of earthquakes in Nevada. Nevada? Yes, Nevada.

Today I find this article:
Swarm of Quakes have Experts Concerned
"Nevada Seismologists are keeping a close eye on an area southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada where hundreds of earthquakes have been detected since Sunday. "It's a little bit concerning in a sense.. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno. He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size. "These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community. Size is not the only reason Kent says they are watching the swarm of quakes closely. The location of these quakes is on top of a fault that has until now remained unknown or has not been active. Kent then made an eerie comparison, "Whats really interesting about most of these earthquakes we've experienced. Short of the Chilean and Japanese quakes; Haiti, Baja, even Christchurch... Were on unknown faults." [emphasis mine]

Unknown faults??? Very interesting. Even more interesting is that the swarm ongoing in Guy Arkansas. I wrote about it in October 2010 just after the swarm began, here. I wrote about it again a couple months later, here. Scientists don't know why there is a swarm there, either, but of concern is that Guy Ark. is kind of near the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The NMSZ is home to one of the country's worst quakes ever.

The New Madrid quakes of 1811-12 "were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States. These events, as well as the seismic zone of their occurrence, were named for the Mississippi River town of New Madrid, Louisiana Territory, now Missouri. There are estimates that the earthquakes were felt strongly over roughly 130,000 square kilometers (50,000 square miles), and moderately across nearly 3 million square kilometers (1 million square miles)." [Wikipedia] 

This map shows areas damaged by the Dec. 16, 1811, magnitude 7.2 earthquake. That earthquake was the first of three major temblors along the New Madrid fault in 1811 and 1812. Credit: Seth Stein, based on results by Susan Hough

Because not many people were living in structures west of the Mississippi at that time, there was not a lot of structural damage, but it certainly was a tremendously impactful quake. It shifted rivers, downed trees, belched a sulphurous vapor, caused the sun to black out temporarily (reminiscent of the effects of the great quake in Rev 6:12 when the sun will be dark as sackcloth), and produced such a shock it went through bedrock and was felt intensely in Norfolk and Philly. The quake even toppled chimneys in Maine and rang church bells in Boston.

If a 7.1 quake of that shallowness and duration happened today, it would be devastating. Emergency Management officials are taking notice of the Arkansas quake swarm, noting the rise in earthquakes around the world, and have gotten ready the Great Central US Shakeout. It is a first of its kind earthquake drill taking place in eleven central US states. So far, 2.2 million people are signed up for the drill. 1.9 million of those are school districts. Participants listed so far on their website are:

Alabama 19,752
Arkansas 103,590
Georgia 205,804
Illinois 100,966
Indiana 569,036
Kentucky 256,197
Mississippi 112,256
Missouri 383,235
Oklahoma 5,020
South Carolina 173,969
Tennessee 256,555

"ShakeOut is linked with the 2011 National Level Exercise (NLE 2011). ShakeOut, the drill will be a prelude to a weeklong national earthquake preparedness exercise starting on May 16. NLE 2011 will simulate the catastrophic nature of a major earthquake in the central United States region of the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). The year 2011 is the bicentennial anniversary of the 1811 New Madrid earthquake, for which the NMSZ is named. NLE 2011 will be the first NLE to simulate a natural hazard."

We received the following email at school and a similar email is also on the Georgia Shakeout website:

"At precisely 10:15 a.m. on April 28, more than two million people across 10 states will participate in the “Great Central U.S. Shakeout,” the largest earthquake drill ever organized in the region. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s (GEMA) Ready Georgia campaign, along with the Georgia Department of Education encourages all Georgia schools to participate in this important event, which will help students and teachers rehearse proper safety procedures should an earthquake strike."

"The recent earthquakes in Japan have taught us that earthquakes can strike without warning and with disastrous consequences. All of Georgia is vulnerable to earthquakes, both from within the state and from sources outside the state."

"So far, more than 147,000 students and administrators from across Georgia have signed up to simultaneously “Drop, Cover and Hold On” – drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. They will be alerted to begin by a public service message broadcast by the NOAA Weather Radio. The event is designed to remind people what actions to take before, during, and after an earthquake, as well as to help government agencies, local organizations and schools plan their response to potential damage and injuries."

Jesus said "there will be earthquakes in various places." The places are getting more various by the minute! Isn't He amazing? Plopping down an earthquake in the spots where there are no known faults? Perplexing the scientists and riling up the people? He is so far above our ways it is incredible!

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
         Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
         So are My ways higher than your ways
         And My thoughts than your thoughts.(Isaiah 55:8-9)

Look up, the Lord has the earth in His hands, and He is shaking us out of our sinful slumber. Turn to Him, shelter under His wing, and be prepared to meet Him when He calls His bride! No amount of 'drop, cover, and hold on' will protect the Tribulation people when the earthquakes really get going. Instead, because I asked Him to forgive my sins and in His grace includes me in His church, I will 'look up, sigh, and fly!'
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