A minor earthquake in Israel on Wednesday went largely unnoticed, but a rabbi who is an expert in end-of-days clues hidden in numerology re-interpreted the data, noting they indicate a truly earthshaking change is about to be revealed: the birth of the Messiah.

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale gently shook the country. At around 8:00 pm, the earthquake began, with its epicenter approximately 150 miles off the Mediterranean coast between the northern cities of Haifa and Hadera, according to the Geophysical Institute.

This was the first serious earthquake felt in the Holy Land since January when a 3.6 magnitude tremor was felt in the north of the country. Israel is seismically active, located along the Syrian-African fault line, which runs along the Israel-Jordan border, part of the Great Rift Valley that runs from eastern Lebanon to Mozambique.

Experts estimate that a major earthquake is statistically due to strike Israel every 80-100 years. The last major earthquake to hit the region was in July 1927; with the epicenter in the northern part of the Dead Sea. Several cities were severely damaged and close to 300 people were killed.

In recorded history, the Jordan Valley experienced major earthquakes in the years 746 and 1033. Scientists are more concerned about southern Israel which they estimate gets hit by a significant earthquake greater than magnitude 6 every 500 years, with a wide margin of error. The southern section hasn’t been active since 1212, over 800 years ago.

An article in Haaretz in February gave the following estimates:

“Once every 1,000 years, Israel is shaken by a quake bad enough to leave 70,000 people homeless and could kill several thousand. And once every 2,500 years, we can expect a quake that leaves 200,000 homeless and could kill at least 7,000 people, estimate the statisticians.”

Similarly, a 2016 report by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s Home-Front Readiness Subcommittee found that if Israel were to be struck by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, an estimated 7,000 people would be killed, another 8,600 injured and 377,000 left homeless. In addition, the country could face damage of up to NIS 200 billion.

Though clearly traumatic, Massive earthquakes in Israel are prophesied to accompany the multinational Gog and Magog conflict that will signal the end of times.

On that day, when Gog sets foot on the soil of Yisrael—declares Hashem—My raging anger shall flare up.For I have decreed in My indignation and in My blazing wrath: On that day, a terrible earthquake shall befall the land of Yisrael. The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that move on the ground, and every human being on earth shall quake before Me. Mountains shall be overthrown, cliffs shall topple, and every wall shall crumble to the ground. Ezekiel 38:18-20

Rabbi Yekutiel Fish, an expert in Jewish mysticism who blogs in Hebrew under the title ‘Sod Chashmal,’ pointed to several details in yesterday’s quake that indicated it had end-of-days significance.

“The epicenter was almost 250 kilometers off the Israeli coast,” Rabbi Fish said to Breaking Israel News. The rabbi noted that as the Mediterranean tremors continue, they may move out to sea. “This distance hints at the 270 days of gestation before birth. The gematria (Hebrew numerology) of הריון (pregnancy) is 271, the completion of the 270 days of gestation and the beginning of the birth process. It was located off the coast of Hadera, which is Heder (the room) of ‘Yah’ (God). The sages refer to the womb as the ‘room of God.’ The quake measured 4.4 on the Richter scale which is equal to the gematria of ‘dam’ (blood), which is 44.”

Rabbi Fish explained the meaning behind these mystic connections.

“The blood begins when the pregnancy ends and the birth begins,” Rabbi Fish said. “The quake was in the ocean which symbolizes the womb.”

“The earthquake on Wednesday marked the end of the waiting period,” Rabbi Fish said. “It was the official day of the beginning of the birth of the Messiah.”

The rabbi noted that the word for mercy is ‘rachamim,’ derived from the word ‘rechem’ (womb).

“This is the final period in which people can do t’shuvah (repentance, literally ‘return,’”) Rabbi Fish said. After this, there will be no mercy because it is the end of the time in the womb, the time we live in rachamim.”

Rabbi Fish noted nature is the aspect of God reflected in His name ‘Elohim’, which refers to God’s attribute of judgment. Natural catastrophes are to appear in the end-of-days to display this aspect of judgment in order that people will repent and return to God.

“The entire world will be judged before the Moshiach (Messiah),” Rabbi Fish told Breaking Israel News. “Nature will change, be less normal, because God will be guiding it in a more direct manner.”

“This will be especially true during the War of Gog and Magog,” he said. “The war will be unique in that it won’t be simply a war between countries. God will play a major role via nature, through natural disasters.”

Rabbi Fish stated that the natural disasters preceding the Messiah will be universal but Israel will be spared the more destructive aspects.

“Even now, we see hugely catastrophic earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes around the world,” Rabbi Fish said. “Here in Israel, the earthquakes are very mild. That is because Israel has the protection of the tzaddikim (righteous), living and dead, revealed and hidden.”