What does the Bible say about Earthquakes?
The Bible mentions earthquakes in various contexts, reflecting literal and metaphorical uses. In a literal sense, earthquakes are sometimes depicted as manifestations of God's power or signs of His intervention in the world. For instance, when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, Mount Sinai was described as being covered in smoke and quaking greatly (Exodus 19:18), symbolizing God's mighty presence. Similarly, the New Testament recounts an earthquake occurring at the moment of Jesus Christ's resurrection, which symbolized the profound impact of His victory over death (Matthew 28:2).
Metaphorically, earthquakes in the Bible can represent a shaking or a profound transformation of circumstances, often related to God's judgment or the end times. The Book of Revelation, which speaks extensively about the world's end, describes a series of cataclysmic events, including earthquakes that serve as signs of the final judgment and the coming of God's kingdom (Revelation 6:12-14; 16:18-20). These instances highlight the Bible's use of earthquakes as powerful imagery to convey God's omnipotence, the transient nature of the earthly realm, and the inevitability of divine judgment and redemption.
Also read: Are Earthquakes Signs of the End Times? for more insight on modern earthquakes and their relation to the end times.
Top Bible Verses about Earthquakes
Luke 21:11 - There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Revelation 11:13 - And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Matthew 24:7 - For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Mark 13:8 - For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Acts 16:26 - And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
Revelation 16:18 - And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
Matthew 28:2 - And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
Isaiah 29:6 - You will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.
Zechariah 14:5 - And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
Revelation 6:12 - When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,
Haggai 2:6 - For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
Psalm 60:2 - You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters.
Hebrews 12:26 - At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
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Read more quotes about Earthquakes in the Bible in the collection of scriptures below: