earthquakes in the Bible

Earthquakes are among the many phenomena of Israel mentioned in the Bible (Hab. 3:6; Nahum 1:5; Isaiah 5:25).

Day 3 of Creation Week

This day of the Creation Week would likely in earthshaking. Earth’s waters collected in sea basics of the pre-Flood world’s continents. Geologist Steven A. Austin, PH.D. says,

Continents seem to have been uplifted and the ocean floor was depressed during a great faulting process that established the “foundations of the earth.” We are told that angels saw and praised the omnipotent God as the earth-shaking process occurred (Job 38:4-7; Psalm 148:1-6; possibly Psalm 104:5-6). …Can anyone properly comprehend the colossal upheaval that formed continental crust on Day Three? Angels must have watched in awe!

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Noah’s Flood and the post-Flood Earth

Enormous earthquakes began with the Great Flood, as God released great fountains of water pouring from underground (the great deep). So devastating was this worldwide flood catastrophe, sent as a judgment of God, that Earth’s crust was broken into moving plates, and seismic and volcanic activities would have continued for that entire year and throughout the ages since.

Geologist Dr. Steven Austin emphasizes that,

The year-long, global Flood in the days of Noah was the greatest sedimentary and tectonic event in the history of our planet since creation (see Genesis 6-9). One of the primary physical causes of this great judgment was the “fountains of the great deep,” all of which were “broken up” on a single day (Genesis 7:11). The verb for “broken up” (Hebrew: baqa) means to split or cleave and indicates the faulting process (Numbers 16:31; Psalm 78:15; Isaiah 48:21; Micah 1:4; Zechariah 14:4). The enormous upheaval (probably associated with faulting of seafloor springs) unleashed a year-long global flood. God’s purpose was to begin the human race again from the family of Noah.

The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook. —Psalm 77:18

The Psalmist revealed some of the events of the Flood and its end, including what happened to the floodwaters; God lowered the sea basins and raised the mountains, causing the water to drain into the post-Flood world’s much deeper oceans, yet still leaving about 70 percent of the world covered by water.

He founded the earth upon its place,
So that it will not shake forever and ever. [Peace will come during the Millennium.]
You covered it [Earth] with the deep as with a garment;
The waters were standing above the mountains.
At Your rebuke they fled,
At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away in alarm.
The mountains went up; the valleys went down
To the place which You founded for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass over,
So that they will not return to cover the earth. —Psa. 104:5-9

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Then the earth shook and quaked;
The foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken… —2 Samuel 22:8 excerpt; virtually identical to Psa. 18:7

The Psalmist took comfort in God’s protection of His people.

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. —Psa. 46:1-3 excerpt

The first recorded earthquake in Israel happened during the reign of evil King Ahab (1 Kings 19:11,12), although the fall of the great wall of Jericho could possibly have involved an earthquake sent by God.

Another quake took place in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah (Zechariah 14:5).

Earthquakes accompanying the near presence of God

Earthquakes are mentioned in connection with the presence of the Lord (Judges 5:4; 2 Samuel 22:8; Psalm 77:18; 97:4; 104:32).

When Moses and the Israelites witnessed God’s descent onto Mount Sinai, it is recorded that…

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Yahweh descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. —Exodus 19:18 LSB

The Prophet Elijah was privileged to experience this awesome power of God’s presence.

…the angel of Yahweh… “Go forth and stand on the mountain [Mount Sinai, aka Horeb] before Yahweh.”

And behold, Yahweh was passing by! And a great and strong wind was tearing up the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. Then after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a thin gentle whisper.

Now it happened that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” —1 Kings 19:7-13 excerpt

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Judgment of Korah in the wilderness

…the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down to Sheol alive; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. Then all Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” —Numbers 16:31-33 LSB excerpt

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Philistine army camp routed near Geba

And there was a trembling in the [Philistine’s] camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. Then Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there. —1 Samuel 14:15-16

Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection

The most memorable earthquake that took place in New Testament times happened at the crucifixion of our Lord (Matthew 27:54).

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. And the tombs were opened… Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was God’s Son!” —Matthew 27:51-52 excerpt

Later, after Jesus rose from the dead,

…there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. —Matthew 28:2

Philippi prison earthquake

An earthquake at Philippi shook the prison in which Paul and Silas were imprisoned.

And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. —Act 16:26

Prophecies of earthquakes

For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pains. —Jesus Christ in Mark 13:8; compare Matthew 24:7 and Luke 21:11

The prophet Isaiah records God’s plan for the future.

… the foundations of the earth quake.
The earth is broken asunder;
The earth is split through;
The earth is shaken violently.
The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard
And it totters like a shack —Isa. 24:18-20 excerpt

…I will make the heavens tremble,
And the earth will be shaken from its place
At the fury of Yahweh of hosts
In the day of His burning anger. —Isa. 13:13 LSB

From Yahweh of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise,
With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire. —Isaiah 29:6 LSB

The chapters 38-39 of the book of Ezekiel, the Prophet of God records what has been revealed bout the War of Gog and Magog during the time of the Anti-Christ, when vast armies will threaten and attack the restored land of modern Israel.

And it will be in that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh, “that My wrath will mount up in My anger. In My zeal and in My blazing fury I have spoken that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. And the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will quake at My presence; the mountains also will be pulled down, the steep pathways will fall, and every wall will fall to the earth. —Ezekiel 38:18-20 LSB

And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” —Hebrews 12:26

For thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Once more—in a little while—I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. —Haggai 2:6 LSB

The Apostle John witnessed future events during the future Great Tribulation period.

Then I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood… and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. —Rev. 6:12-14 excerpt

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. —Rev. 8:5

… there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. —Rev. 11:13 excerpt

And the sanctuary of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His sanctuary, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. —Rev. 11:19

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air… And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.

And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His rage. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. —Rev. 16:17-20 excerpt

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Article Version: January 10, 2025