Green Box

Albert E. Farley

 Another “tower” has fallen; another mass loss of human life has occurred. On March 11, at 2:46 PM, a 9.0 magnitude undersea megathrust earthquake, with devastating loss of human life and property, occurred 45 miles east of the northern coast of Japan. It lasted six minutes. The earthquake, along with an overwhelming tsunami, resulted in 10,489 officially confirmed deaths, 2,777 injuries, and 16,621 people missing. Of property, 125,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged; 4.4 million households were without electricity; and 1.5 million were without water. There have been over 600 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater. Four nuclear power plants were damaged; three suffered explosions. Two weeks afterwards, the situation remains extremely serious. Japanese officials said the property damage could reach 309 billion dollars, the world’s most expensive natural disaster on record.

 When events such as this occur, we are reminded of the great power of the created forces of nature and of the great weaknesses and vulnerability of man. Was this an act of God’s judgment? Was he punishing the wicked? Listen to Jesus when some told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5. Does God allow physical disasters to occur to punish and to warn? He has done so. An interesting set of questions is asked and answered in Amos 3:3-6, culminating with, “If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” Was this such an act? I do not know.

 Dear friends, I do know this: If you and I do not repent of our sins, our destruction will come – just as surely as destruction came upon the victims of the disaster in Japan. Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 2 Peter 3:9.

 We commend this issue to your close study. Our circulation last month was 2,861. -Albert

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