Since the coronavirus began to spread at the end of last year, a wave of earthquakes is ranging around the world, overlooked as the fear of infection leads people to ignore the shaking under their feet.
Russia – Japan
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Russia near the Kuril islands that lay off the coast of Japan on Tesday, setting off a tsunami warning. The tsunami warning which was issued also in Hawaii was later cancelled but the large tremor set off small tsunami waves of less than .3 meters. Hawaii is about 3,500 miles southeast of the Kuril Islands.
3-24, at 6pm. Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 has occurred at approximately 4:59 HST in the vicinity of the Kuril Islands.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a Tsunami Watch for the Island and State of Hawaii. https://t.co/qJtOVlHiHa— COH Civil Defense (@CivilDefenseHI) March 25, 2020
Croatia
On Sunday at 6:00 AM,Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb was hit by a 5.3 tremor, the most powerful earthquake the region had felt in over 120 years. The quake caused extensive damage but since it was very early in the morning and due to coronavirus restrictions, few people were on the streets at the time of the quake. The quake caused extensive damage to buildings. Falling masonry from Zagreb’s historic buildings crushed parked cars and blocked roads. The tremor was felt in neighboring Slovenia and southern Austria.
A 15-year-old was in a critical condition and 16 others were injured as a result of the quake.
The health minister, Vili Beroš, emphasized that people should continue to adhere to social distancing restrictions while coping with the earthquake damage. “Earthquakes are dangerous but coronavirus is even more so,” he said.
Croatia’s health ministry ordered people to avoid parks and public squares and much of Zagreb’s public transport network had been closed.
Croatia has 418 cases of the coronavirus and one person has died from the disease.
Oklahoma, USA
Somewhat less drastic though no less alarming, a series of seven small tremors shook Oklahoma over the course of 24-hours. Beginning on Sunday, the wave of earthquakes ranged intensity from magnitude to 1.6 to 2.5. In fact, earthquakes have been rocking the world since the beginning of the year, though media headlines have been focused on the coronavirus pandemic.
Iran, Manila, Japan and Mexico
In the end of December, just as the coronavirus was beginning to spread outside of China, an earthquake shook Iran’s only nuclear reactor.One week later, three major earthquakes hit in Manila, Japan, and Mexico.
Turkey
One month later, an earthquake hit Turkey, killing at least 36 people and injuring over 1,600. Over 400 aftershocks were recorded before the earth subsided.
One month ago, a deadly series of earthquakes hit the Turkey-Iran border, killing at least eight people and injuring 37 more. An estimated 1,066 buildings collapsed .
In the weeks preceding the earthquakes, Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, a mystic rabbi in Israel with a large following, predicted an increase in natural catastrophes, more specifically increased volcanic activity around the world. The rabbi has made several astoundingly accurate predictions in the past.
Israel
While most of these earthquakes shook seismically active regions it should be noted that Israel, sitting on the Syrian-African rift, has also experienced several tremors in the past year. These quakes have been far more gentle. The holy land has experienced over 30 tremors since the beginning of the year but only one, a mile 3.8 shaker off the coast of Haifa, was felt by Israelis.
This is significant as the pre-Messiah war of Gog and Magog is prophesied to be accompanied by earth-changing earthquakes.
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
There is no doubt that volcanic activity is on the rise. There were about 25 significant volcano eruptions globally in the first 18 years of this century compared with approximately 65 in the entire 20th century. This increased activity and intensity are magnified due to recent population growth in the affected regions of the Pacific.
Volcanoes are explicitly mentioned by the prophets as playing a role in the end of days, preparing the world by burning away impurities as a crucible is used in metallurgy to purify metal.
And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on My name and I will answer them; I will say: ‘It is My people’ and they shall say: ‘Hashem is my God.’ Zechariah 13:9
Yuval Ovadia, a lecturer and filmmaker, has a theory based on classical Jewish sources that the end-of-days will be heralded by the appearance of a huge star many refer to as Nibiru. Ovadia claims the gravitational pull of the star as it approaches will be responsible for this pre-Messiah wave of earthquakes.
“Earthquakes and volcanoes are on the increase but rather than look for the cause under the earth, scientists should also be looking to the stars,” Ovadia said. “Nibiru is huge, much larger than any asteroid, and as it approaches, its presence will affect a gravitational pull on the earth, bringing about earthquakes, volcanoes, and even changes in the weather.”