Did God create earthquakes and other disasters on this earth?

Sincerely,
Magnitude 8.9

Dear Magnitude 8.9,

God didn’t create earthquakes and other disasters; natural disasters are a byproduct of sin.  When God created the universe, He made everything good (Gen 1:31).  The world didn’t have disease, thorns, suffering, and all the other problems we see today.  Originally, Adam and Eve lived in the perfect paradise of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8).  It is only after Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden because of their sin that all the problems we see today began.  The first recorded earthquake didn’t happen until the days of Noah when all the world had turned to violence and evil (Gen 6:5-7).  When the world was flooded because of sin, God broke open the fountains of the deep, which would surely have quaked the planet (Gen 7:11).  The first recorded natural disaster (Noah’s flood) was caused because of sin.  It was mankind’s sin that forced God to flood the Earth to save Noah’s righteous family (1 Pet 3:20). God wanted paradise and peace for mankind, but we have warped His creation because of our sin.

Our hearts go out to those in Japan in this terrible time of suffering.  The devastation in Japan is a reminder that this world is a place of great turmoil and how important it is to place our faith in God while we wait for our eternal home (Heb 11:16).

Will the world end on December 23^rd, 2012?  My little brother was wanting to know.  I already know that no one knows when it will end.

Sincerely,
Soothing Sibling

Dear Soothing Sibling,

Feel free to do your shopping for the holidays in 2012; the world isn’t likely to be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012.  For those of our readers unfamiliar with the 2012 doomsday schtick… we will take a moment to explain this New Age teaching.  The idea that the world is going to be destroyed or transformed on December 21^st (some say 23^rd), 2012 is based off of the Mayan Long Count calendar.  The Mayan Long Count calendar is a non-repeating calendar that was used in Mesoamerica during the height of the Mayan civilization, and because it is a non-repeating calendar (unlike the Roman calendar which repeats every 365 days), it eventually runs out of days.  The last day on the Mayan Long Count calendar is December 21^st, 2012.  Therefore, some folks are expecting a cataclysmic change to the world order on that day.

Now that we’ve explained what it is, let’s explain what it isn’t.  It isn’t right.  We here at AYP are pretty sure that if God was going to hide the date of the end of the world in a conspiracy-theory fashion, He probably wouldn’t hide it in the calendar of a blood-drinking, child-sacrificing, snake-worshipping heathen culture.  But, hey, maybe that’s just us… (insert friendly chuckle here)

As you mentioned, God promises that He will return like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2).  If there is one day this year that you can be guaranteed Jesus won’t return – it is Dec. 21^st, 2012.  Your little brother can sleep easy.

I was saved as a youth, grew apart, and recently started to re-develop my relationship with Christ.  I recently saw an article about Judgment Day, and it quoted various verses and did the math to come to the conclusion that the Judgment Day is May 21, 2011.  From my point of view, the math and verses quoted make sense.  This leads me to my question.

What is your opinion of this article, and how valid do you think it is?

I've added the link to the article below.

The website was: http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html

Sincerely,
Planning Ahead

Dear Planning Ahead,

Many verses that people use to discuss the end of time are used out of context.  Be careful in taking too much stock in what you read on the internet (which is ironic, since this is a website!) or hear through other people.  What matters is what the verses say, not what people think or assume (for example, the article you referenced assumes that the flood happen in the year 4990 BC… an assumption that they never prove, but their entire calculation is based off of).  Most of the articles you find, including this one, that try and pin a date to the end of the world are just a slick ruse that twist Scripture.  2 Thess 2:1-2 specifically warns us about getting too caught up in worrying about when the end will come.

The clearest passages we have on the topic are 1 Thess 5:1-10, 2 Pet 3:3-12, and 1 Cor 15:50-58.  All three of these passages clearly outline what needs to be known about the end of the world.  It is always a good idea to look at the clearest passages first before looking elsewhere.

First, it will come like a thief, and no one will be ready for it (1 Thess 5:2, 2 Pet 3:10).  If the day will only come when no one is expecting it, it only makes sense to not worry about trying to pinpoint that day since God says it is impossible!  The apostles didn’t know when the Lord would come back; if they couldn’t know, we certainly can’t!

Second, we should live every day like it will be our last (1 Cor 15:58, 2 Pet 3:11-12, 1 Thess 5:8-9).  If you are always living a holy and faithful life, it won’t matter when Christ returns.  Live faithfully, and whether you live or die, you will be ready to meet your Lord (1 Thess 5:10).

Will the world end in 2012; everyone is talking about it, and it scares me.  I think it will end in 2012, but I don't know what date (like everyone is saying on December 21).  The Bible states He will come like a thief in the night; the sad part is that 90 percent of the world is not ready for it.  People are out drinking, partying, having sex with other people, and other sinful things. The Bible gave us signs of the end, and we had almost all of the signs.  What do you think?  I am just waiting for the rapture.

Sincerely,
Two Years To Go

Dear Two Years To Go,

Feel free to do your shopping for the holidays in 2012; the world isn’t likely to be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012.  For those of our readers unfamiliar with the 2012 doomsday schtick… we will take a moment to explain this New Age teaching.  The idea that the world is going to be destroyed or transformed on December 21^st (some say 23^rd), 2012 is based off of the Mayan Long Count calendar.  The Mayan Long Count calendar is a non-repeating calendar that was used in Mesoamerica during the height of the Mayan civilization, and because it is a non-repeating calendar (unlike the Roman calendar which repeats every 365 days), it eventually runs out of days.  The last day on the Mayan Long Count calendar is December 21^st, 2012.  Therefore, some folks are expecting a cataclysmic change to the world order on that day.

Now that we’ve explained what it is, let’s explain what it isn’t.  It isn’t right.  We here at AYP are pretty sure that if God was going to hide the date of the end of the world in a conspiracy-theory fashion, He probably wouldn’t hide it in the calendar of a blood-drinking, child-sacrificing, snake-worshipping heathen culture.  But, hey, maybe that’s just us…

You are right; God promises that He will return like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2).  As you mentioned, the world is full of many unprepared people living sinful lives.  We would all be a lot better off if we stopped trying to guess the day everything will end and started trying to be prepared for when it does.  We also noticed that you used the term “rapture” – we recommend you read the article “Caught Up”; it should help clear up some of the misconceptions about that term.

Why hasn't God conquered Satan?  He has the power, doesn't He?  Why does He allow the battle to continue between them here on Earth?

Sincerely,
Battle Weary

Dear Battle Weary,

God has conquered Satan.  When He died on the cross, Jesus vanquished the devil (Rev 12:9-11).  The devil has been cast down to the earth where he can tempt us (1 Pet 5:8), but he no longer has any heavenly power... no one can snatch God's children out of God’s hand (Jhn 10:28-29).  There is a battle still continuing here on Earth, but the ultimate victory has already been decided.  All those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb will be victorious (1 Jhn 5:5).  The only reason that God is waiting to totally destroy Satan is because He is patient; God is patient and desires that everyone have an opportunity to get to heaven (2 Pet 3:9).