There are, in the Bible, some very dire forecasts or prophecies. The Apocalypse, also called the Book of Revelation, speaks of some terrible events. Consider this vision seen by John on Patmos:
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, . . .
Revelation 6:12-13.
It is not surprising that the word apocalyptic is used to describe world-wide destruction, such as the effects of a global nuclear war.
There are other places in the Bible which speak of terrible events. The Gospel of Mark quotes Jesus as saying:
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
Mark 13:8.
Both prophesies speak of terrifying events. And both speak of earthquakes. Earthquakes can be extremely destructive. And they can occur with little or no warning. The earthquakes predicted in the Bible, though, seem to be particularly cataclysmic.
Some interpret these prophesies as referring to worldly disasters. They see events here as the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. Perhaps, though, these earthquakes are a different kind of earthquake. Perhaps the Lord is talking to us about something deeper than natural phenomena.
The coming of Jesus, or the Messiah, had been forecast in the Old Testament. There would come a king to rescue the Jews. And He did come as a king, but not the kind of king that they expected. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He would not deliver them from the Romans but from a deeper, a spiritual enemy.
Perhaps it is the same with earthquakes? Yes, there have been and always will be earthquakes. And perhaps there will be earthquakes in the future far worse than we might ever imagine. But the Bible is not given by the Lord to teach us about worldly events. His Word is given to bring us light about what is spiritual.
We count on the ground beneath as being stable. This is one reason an earthquake can be so frightening. What we rely on for stability can suddenly no longer be trusted. And the consequence is that structures that depend on this firm foundation can suddenly collapse.
What about a spiritual earthquake? There are certain things that people count on for stability in spiritual things. Certain beliefs form the foundation of their faith. And structures such as church organizations, rest upon such foundations.
What is happening now? What has been happening for over a couple of hundred years, but is now accelerating? Churches are collapsing. The foundational beliefs that people once accepted are shaken. They are accepted no longer. And churches that people at one time trusted are trusted no longer.
This upheaval is prophesied in the Bible. It is described as a series of earthquakes along with other distressing things. There are famines, because people are not being fed good wholesome spiritual food by their churches. People are also losing their spiritual way. The lights in the sky, the sun, moon and stars–representing a clear vision of the Lord, faith in Him and the things we need to know about Him–are no longer there to give direction.
There is a great deal said about these things in the books that Swedenborg wrote, books that he said he had been commanded to write. And there is also a great deal said about some far happier predictions. If you go to the last two chapters of the Apocalypse or Book of Revelation, you can read of a wonderful city that will descend to earth. And if you take some time to read what Swedenborg writes about this city, you will be thrilled.
Despite the miserable state of so many churches, there is hope.