What Old Testament events parallel the earthquake in Revelation 11:13? The Earthquake in Revelation 11:13 “ ‘At that very hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.’ ” Old Testament Echoes of Earth-Shaking Judgment Every time the ground trembles in Scripture, the Lord is making Himself unmistakably known. The quake of Revelation 11:13 calls to mind several earlier moments when God’s presence or wrath shook creation. • Mount Sinai Trembles – Exodus 19:18 “Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke… and the whole mountain quaked violently.” • Context: The giving of the Law. • Parallel: Divine visitation, fearful awe, and a call to obedience. • Korah’s Rebellion – Numbers 16:31-34 “As soon as Moses had finished speaking… the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them…” • Context: Judgment on rebels. • Parallel: Sudden catastrophe, specific death toll, surrounding survivors flee in terror. • Jericho’s Collapse – Joshua 6:20 “When the trumpets sounded… the wall collapsed.” • Context: Trumpet blasts precede the fall. • Parallel: Trumpets also sound in Revelation 11; a city section collapses under God’s decree. • Elijah on Horeb – 1 Kings 19:11-12 “…a great and mighty wind… after the wind an earthquake…” • Context: The Lord reveals His supremacy over nature. • Parallel: Earthquake signals God’s nearness, yet calls for a heart response. • The Quake in Uzziah’s Day – Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5 “You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah…” • Context: A historic tremor remembered generations later. • Parallel: Both Zechariah 14 and Revelation 11 link a Jerusalem quake with the Lord’s coming glory. • Prophetic Gog-Magog Shaking – Ezekiel 38:19-20 “On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel… every wall will fall.” • Context: End-times judgment on invading armies. • Parallel: Universal terror, massive loss of life, global recognition of God’s hand. Prophecies of Final, Cosmic Shaking Several passages foresee one last, climactic quake that will dwarf every previous one. Revelation 11:13 is a foretaste. • Isaiah 13:13 – “I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will shake from its place…” • Isaiah 29:6 – “You will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake…” • Haggai 2:6-7 – “I will once more shake the heavens and the earth… and I will fill this house with glory.” • Joel 3:16 – “Heaven and earth will quake. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people.” Connecting the Threads • Divine Presence – Whether at Sinai or in the end-time Jerusalem, earthquakes herald God’s arrival. • Judgment and Mercy – The quake both destroys (seven thousand perish) and spares (survivors “gave glory to the God of heaven”). • Call to Repentance – Shaking strips away every illusion of security, urging people—then and now—to bow before the Creator. • Certainty of Fulfillment – Past literal quakes assure us the future ones will be just as real. • Glory to God – From Sinai’s fire to Revelation’s city, the ultimate aim is that every knee recognizes His sovereign rule. The Old Testament quakes are not random geological footnotes; they are rehearsals. Each tremor prepares us for the day when, once more, “there was a great earthquake”—and the world finally gives glory to the God of heaven. |
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