Is Jesus Coming Back ? Reason #2

[Guest guest]

This is an offshoot of "Is Jesus Coming Back ? Save Yourself". The reason# 1 presented by the church is still being discussed in that thread. For those who want to move on let me present reason #2.

 

Increase in Earthquakes :

 

Also prophesised to be as birth pangs (Mathew 24:7), a recent study shows a dramatic increase in earth quakes, worldwide,just since the decade of Israel's rebirth. In the 1940s there were 51 above Richter 6.0; the 1950s, 475;the 1980s 1085; and the 1990s, 1524.

 

 

[Tarun 6]

Earthquake Evidence.

At this rate, after 45 yrs, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" will surely reclimb pop charts back up to #1 in no time.

[Guest guest]

May not. By that time Jesus would have reincarnated and the world peace would have come. Sorry, if it is your favorite pop song, it has no hope of topping atleast as per Christian beliefs.

 

But is there a truth to the predictions of earth quakes and increase in earth quakes ?

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Perhaps the ability to detect earthquakes has improved over the last century.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by jndas:

Perhaps the ability to detect earthquakes has improved over the last century.

 

 

But not in past 50 years.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Are you sure? I have no idea, but would just want to be certain that the ability to detect earthquakes hasn't been improved in the last 50 years. 50 years ago was the entire world covered with such equipment?

 

Personally I feel earthquakes are increasing, but it may just be that we receive more exposure to the news through TV and newspapers than we did in the past.

 

 

[This message has been edited by jndas (edited 05-27-2002).]

[Avinash 0]

Even if it is accepted that earthquakes have really increased, how do we know that Jesus is going to come soon? May be that after a few decades the earthquakes will be much more and that will be the time when Jesus will come? It is written in Mathew that we will not receive light from sun and moon when Jesus has to come again. Do we have any evidence to say that such a day is near?

[theist 1]

ram,

 

You may also want to read the last two verses in the book of Revelations.Perhaps even all of Revelations.

 

I can't decipher it myself but good luck.

[karthik_v 0]

Earthquakes that measure 6.0 on Richter are not really disastrous. Truly monstrous earthquakes occur beyond 7.0 on the Richter scale. But, even they can hurt only modern cities that have concrete buildings. Only a quake that measures 8.0 and above can have disastrous effects on any economy, even agrarian, as the entire topography caves in and ends up in fissures.

 

Some of the major seismic zones are Turkey, the area around dead sea, Japan, California/Nevada, the Himalayas and Alaska. Each of these areas has experienced on an average 1 earthquake per century that measures over 8.0 on Richter. this has been the consistent figure since 11th century CE. US Geological Survey has explained as to how they calculate the magnitude of past quakes. The only increase in the present century has been in the quakes between 5.0 and 6.5 on the Richter scale and they occur on the fault lines over which dams have been built. This has nothing to do with Jesus. Or could it be that the earth is quaking at the thoughts of Jesus's second coming? His first visit resulted in the creation of the monstrous Vatican which finally culminated in the creation of Hitler. Sure, Mother earth must be quaking at the very thoughts of Jesus's re-entry. Does some know if we can create Trishanku swarka where Jesus can hang out instead of coming here?

[Guest guest]

Karthik, how do we account for the increase in the number of earth quakes of 5.5 to 6.0 Richter ?

 

The point I would pick on is the increase in famine around the world which is mentioned in the same stanza in Mathew. Is it really true that there is increase in famine around the world ? Atleast I was given to believe that the world poverty level has gone down. Is that true ?

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Karthik, how do we account for the increase in the number of earth quakes of 5.5 to 6.0 Richter ?

When the life water-points of the earth are blocked, the result is earthquakes. This is presently being done by construction of skyskrapers, dams, and drilling for oil. The earth breaths through natural springs. When these are blocked the eart shakes to reopen them.

 

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by jndas:

When the life water-points of the earth are blocked, the result is earthquakes. This is presently being done by construction of skyskrapers, dams, and drilling for oil. The earth breaths through natural springs. When these are blocked the eart shakes to reopen them.

Let that be so. The fact is no one could have predicted the rise of sky scrapers and hence the increase in the number of earth quakes 2000 years ago. What is important is the fact that there is increase in the number of earth quakes - not the cause. Does this not establish the prophetic power of Jesus, his second coming and the end times ?

 

 

[theist 1]

karthik said:. Sure, Mother earth must be quaking at the very thoughts of Jesus's re-entry. Does some know if we can create Trishanku swarka where Jesus can hang out instead of coming here?

 

 

I'm sure I can find another place to hang out.Aparadhi's can have this spot.

 

ciao

 

[Guest guest]

Karthik, it is okay to reasonably discuss other faiths and even the spiritual masters. But one should never go overboard. When you do that, it gets some cheap attention but stops the flow of a good discussion. Also it brings down the image of the forum.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

The fact is no one could have predicted the rise of sky scrapers and hence the increase in the number of earth quakes 2000 years ago.

I think any doomsday prophecy would include something about earthquakes, plagues, diseases, etc. Nothing spectacular about that. I'm sure we could find many other prophecies made by all sorts of people that would include "an increase in earthquakes". This isn't to take anything away from a real prophecy that may be there.

[Guest guest]

I am not trying to say there is any thing spectacular there. In fact, Nostradamus prophesizes a lot more detail. But the point is Bible has these prophecies and second coming. Unless we prove that these are themselves interpolations, there is every reason from Biblical stand point to believe Jesus is coming back. Then the question turns to is it now or later ? From Gaudiya stand point, we need to understand why Jesus should come back ?

 

[Guest guest]

24:3 As1 he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things2 happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 24:4 Jesus answered them,3 "Watch out that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ," and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 24:8 All these things are the beginning of birthpangs.

 

This is what I got from the bible on the net. If Jesus is coming back, then it is a great case for Christianity. Why would God send Jesus in the Golden Age after vaishnava philosophy has been established all over the world ?

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

I see the earthquake prophecy as too general, same with prophecising about plagues and doomsday. If today I say there will be an increase in earthquakes and the third incarnation of Nixon will appear from the sky, I may get right on the first point, but that does not validate my second point.

 

Every single doomsday prophecy in the world will follow a certain patern. The main features will be plague, earthquakes, wars, etc. There are probably thousands and thousands of such prophecies in all religions and by all sorts of people. The Bible stands out because it has been propagated throughout the world effectively. Thus when we hear it we think it is unique. Actually we just aren't very well informed (i.e. we haven't been subjected to propaganda) of other prophecies.

 

Personally I believe there is probably a lot of truth to the prophecies in the Bible. But I am presenting doubts from a logical perspective. To prophesize doomsday is way too common to use and then hold to for validating one's other prophecies. Furthermore, there really hasn't been any recordable data to proove that earthquakes have increased over the last 2,000 years. 50 years is a tiny spec of time to base a prophecy on, especially when it isn't backed by longer observation. To say earthquakes have increased over the last 50 years is a meaningless statement unless we know how many earthquakes occured every 50 years for the last 2,000 years. Otherwise it can be passed off as random variation.

 

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Before we continue, could some one post whatever data is available on earthquakes, so we can see what it means that earthquakes have increased.

 

[shvu 1]

 

Also prophesised to be as birth pangs (Mathew 24:7), a recent study shows a dramatic increase in earth quakes, worldwide,just since the decade of Israel's rebirth. In the 1940s there were 51 above Richter 6.0; the 1950s, 475;the 1980s 1085; and the 1990s, 1524.

Since the number of earthquakes increased from the 1950s as compared to the 40s, and also since there has always been war in some corner of the earth, the 50s was a reasonable time for jesus to reappear, which he did not. Based on the above figures, he again had a chance in the 80s and 90s, but he still didn't appear. Apparently Jesus is not ready yet (he may be waiting for a very high value on the Richter scale or he wants a real big war) or it is just another of the many vague prohecies like those of Nostradammus which can be interpreted any way we want and is mapped to an incident after it happens and then say "See...the Bible predicted this, 2000 years back".

 

Cheers

 

 

[Avinash 0]

Since 1900, the earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960, is the biggest in the World with magnitude 9.5 Mw.

[Avinash 0]

Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant. A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more that 8,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail, internet and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes.

 

The records show that the long-term average for the number of earthquakes exceeded in 1970, 1971, 1992, 1995, and 1996, but there was less than half the average number of events in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989. The number of events in 2001, is once again been below the long-term average.

 

 

[karthik_v 0]

Theist Prabhuji,

 

I am sorry for being offensive. Please come back. I will restrain. My attack was not on Jesus, but the church. But, I will tone it down.

[gHari 0]

If we forget all the hype and look at the conversation Lord Jesus had will his disciples we can see a much different truth.

 

They ask "How will we know?" NOTE here that they are not expected by Christ or by themselves to live for thousands of years.

 

He says that some fakes will come, but they should wait for signs like this and that. Since they do not live forever, then we can expect these signs to manifest in their current lifetimes.

 

In other places, where the future is 'revealed' it actually says that 'this generation will not pass away until all these things have passed'.

 

If you ask me "When will Kali Yuga end"?, will I describe to you that you will see this and that and this and that?

 

Well, anway, that is what I saw when I read that Mount of Olives conversation.

 

Many have not accepted that the Messiah has come; many do not accept that he has also come again and we are all the losers cast into hell.

 

[This message has been edited by gHari (edited 05-29-2002).]

[Avinash 0]

If you ask me "When will Kali Yuga end"?, will I describe to you that you will see this and that and this and that?

 

Isn't it possible that when Bible uses the word 'you', it is not only for those living at that time, but for future generation as well?