Biblical, Scientific and Geometric links between Eclipses and Earthquakes
This week during the 4th of July Holiday as our family prepared for our in-home BBQ feast, in Las Vegas, I felt the tremors of the second earthquake experience of my life. The first was in Virginia Beach when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in 2011 cracked the obelisk of the Washinton Monument in DC. This week we felt a 6.4 magnitude “foreshock” on the 4th, followed by a 7.1 magnitude on July 6th. This 2nd quake was 7 times stronger than the first and the 7.1-quake occurred 3.5 days after the total eclipse in Gemini, pictured below.
Figure 1. July 2nd, 2019 Total Solar Eclipse in Gemini
The epicenter of this earthquake was Ridgecrest, CA, 144 miles from Las Vegas as the crow flies. Just because these were the 2nd and 3rd earthquakes of my life, did not mean it was without its Firsts. To have a foreshock, multiple quakes are required. Obviously, this was also my first multi-quake in the space of two days, and there remained a high probability for other quakes to follow. This was the strongest quake to hit the Southern California area since 1999. On the morning of July 12th, 4 days ahead of the eclipse coming July 16th-17, there were further quakes and aftershocks. Around 3am there was a 4.6 magnitude earthquake felt in Seattle, Wa, followed 3 hours later by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock, again at Ridgecrest, CA. The satellite imagery below shows the result of the first two quakes last week.
Figure 2. Cracks in the Earth’s surface following last week’s California quake’s.
A new rupture in Earth’s crust caused by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake near Ridgecrest, California, is seen in these before-and-after views, captured on July 4 and July 6, 2019, by Dove cubesats. (Image credit: Planet Labs, Inc.) 1
Earthquakes are caused by sudden slippage on a Fault. As the slow motion of tectonic plates progresses, friction causes these plates to get stuck at their edges. Once the stress builds on the edge, it overcomes the friction, causing an earthquake to release energy in waves that move through the earth’s crust, which we feel in the form of tremors.
Foreshocks are earthquakes that precede larger earthquakes in the same location. An earthquake is not classified as a foreshock until followed by bigger earthquakes in the same area. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that take place in the same general area during a period consisting of days to years following a larger event. These aftershocks occur in a 1-2 fault lengths range, during the period before background seismic activity level has resumed. Aftershocks are minor readjustments with the part of the fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock. The frequency of these aftershocks generally decrease with time.
If you think there has been an uptick in earthquakes recently, you may be on to something. A new study finds there were more than twice as many big earthquakes in the first quarter of 2014 as compared with the average since 1979.
“We have recently experienced a period with one of the highest rates of great earthquakes ever recorded,” said lead study author Tom Parsons, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California. 2 Also Thorne Lay, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, thinks there’s something interesting happening with the world’s great earthquakes.
Between 1900 and 2004, the average yearly rate of quakes of magnitude 8 and larger was 0.65, Lay told Live Science. In the past 10 years, [2004-2014] that rate jumped to 1.8 — an increase of almost a factor of 3, he said. But only the biggest quakes are becoming more frequent. There isn’t a similar rise in smaller earthquakes. 3
An interesting added element to the 1st quarter of 2014 was the opening of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-15, which began with a Blood Moon lunar eclipse on April 14th, 2014. This also coincides with eclipse activity this month with the first Total Solar Eclipse on July 2nd, 2019 including the seismic activity we summarized above.
On the night of July 16-17, 2019, much of the world can watch a partial eclipse of the full Moon. This will be the last time that the Moon enters the Earth’s dark umbral shadow until the Total Lunar eclipse on May 26th, 2021.
North America will miss this eclipse entirely. The eclipse is visible from South America in early evening July 16. From Europe and Africa, it happens later in the evening July 16. In Asia and Australia, watch for the eclipse to occur during the dark morning hours July 17.
In ancient times eclipses were rare enough to frighten, especially those influenced by astrology, idol myth and superstition, but as scientific knowledge of astronomy spread, eclipses were regular enough for advanced cultures, such as the Greeks and Mayans, to predict. Today, eclipses are cruise destinations for astronomy buffs, and get coverage in current events aspect of the News, but with the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse Tetrads, interest has surged due to Biblical prophetic aspects of these heavenly signs. Also, since this Blood Moon Tetrad Brackets the Total Solar Eclipse @ the North Pole on March 20th, 2015, it also seems to bear relation to the Great American Total Solar of 2017, that forms the baseline of the Giant “X” in the central US earthquake zone known as the Madrid Fault, where a second Solar Eclipse path will cross in 2024, perhaps an ominous warning of God’s impending Judgment.
Figure 1. Paths of Two Total Solar Eclipses in 2017 and 2024 over North America
The New Madrid fault zone is six times larger than the San Andreas fault zone in California and it covers portions of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Back in 1811 and 1812, a series of very devastating earthquakes along this New Madrid fault zone opened some deep fissures in the ground, causing the Mississippi River to run backwards in some places, and were felt as far away as Washington D.C. and Boston. They were the strongest quakes ever recorded east of the Rocky Mountains, and the heart of this “X” falls not only closest to its place of longest duration of eclipse totality, but also precisely in the area where we would expect such an earthquake. This does not mean these two solar eclipses are predicting an earthquake event, but it could serve as a warning for the U.S.A. to repent and turn to God, reminding us the Day of Christ’s crucifixion darkness was marked by a great earthquake.
Matt. 27:50-51
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
This is one of a few instances where earthquakes could be considered miraculous, if not for their timing alone. Of course, the rending of the veil represented how Christ’s sacrifice opened the way to access into the holiest of all-God’s presence in the Throne-room for those made righteous in Christian New birth. Another earthquake involved the Resurrection of Christ in Matthew 28.
Matt. 28:1-7
He Is Risen
28 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; [seismos] for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone [a]from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is Risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
In verse 2 above this earthquake may have resulted from the “ angel of the Lord descended from heaven” when he rolled back the stone from the entrance of Christ’s sepulchure. As the angel sat on this stone it signified that nothing could hold Jesus in his grave, because he had conquered death for all mankind once and for all. During his ministry in Matthew 24, Christ prophesied that earthquakes would be a marker of the end times.
Matt. 24:3-8
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, [b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
This Matt. 24 record has distinct prophetic overtones, that link earthquakes not only to the end times, but also with God’s Judgement.
The graphic above from Daniel Matson shows a 1260 day period between the last Blood Moon of the 2014-15 Tetrad, and the 70 year anniversary of the modern State of Israel’s Independence, wherein a Tetrad of earthquakes occurred at notable intervals. 4 This graphic depicts a seemingly direct link between the Blood Moon Tetrad and the Tetrad of earthquakes that followed in the 1260 day period from 2015 to 2019. Another resurrection record is found in the book of Revelation 11.
Rev. 11:3-14
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty [1260] days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the [b]God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Two Witnesses Killed
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also [c]our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations [d]will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard
a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
It is notable that the 1260 day ministry period wherein these 2 witnesses prophesy is closed out with an earthquake that kills 7000. Assuming this is the 2nd 1260 day period of the Great Tribulation equalling 2520 days, then the added month totaling 1290 days and the additional 45 days, equaling 1335 days could begin here. This is even more interesting when we consider if 2520 lunar and 2520 solar years begin together, the former will run out 75 years before the latter, an astronomical fact unknown to astronomical science in Daniel’s day, but was known in Scripture; (Dan. 12:11-13). We should also note that there are 75 years difference between 1260 (the 2nd half of 2520) and 1335 days. (Because the so-called Prophetic 360-day years are merely the avg. of the Luni-solar year combined, are 35 years less than 2520 solar years. Since 2520 is a key temporal number having factors of three numbers used universally by the ancients to measure time: 7, the number of days in the week. 30, the number of days in the month, and 12, the number of months in the year, we might expect that 2520 is also a number that harmonizes lunar months and days. 2520 lunar years equals 893,004.72 days which is nearly a perfect cycle harmonizing the 29.5305 month with the day because when dividing 893,004 by 12 and then 7, the result is 10,631 days for 30 lunar years, giving the length of the lunar year a value of 354 11/30, or 354.3666667 (The lunar year of 12 months is actually 354.3670582 days). Each year of 354 days can thus be divided into months of 29 and 30 days alternately; and in the cycle of 30 lunar years, 11 intercalary days are required. The number 2520 is also divisible by every number from 1 to 10, without remainder.
Also in Revelation 6 there seems to be a more direct correlation found between earthquakes and Solar-Lunar eclipses.
Rev. 6:12
And I behold when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the Moon became as blood.
Although it is difficult to find a scientist who admits it, it can be demonstrated that there is a minor increase in major earthquakes around the time of the full Moon, based on physical statistics. This is logical as the Moon’s gravitational pull is strong enough to cause the earth’s tides, and a full moon is when the Sun and Moon are pulling on our planet from opposite directions. In some of our planetary tides, the Earth’s crust can bulge up to 55 centimeters from the solar and lunar forces of gravity that are greatest when the three bodies are aligned, during an eclipse. A lunar eclipse is basically a super-full Moon, where its alignment with the Earth blocks the Sun’s light, preventing it from reaching the Moon.
Sun, Moon and Earth aligned during Solar Eclipse.
Likewise, a Solar eclipse is an alignment, but where the Moon and Sun are pulling on the earth from the same direction. Thus if the push-pull of this type of gravitational activity can cause earthquakes, they are more likely to occur during an eclipse.
These Scripture references not only point out links between earthquakes and eclipse activity. There are several references from ancient history which document similar instances, as seen below.
In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an eclipse of the Sun which was greater than any known before and in the sixth hour of the day it became night; so that stars appeared in the heaven; and a great earthquake that broke out in Bithynia destroyed the greatest part of Nicaea. — Phlegon
“… there was an eclipse of the Sun at the time of a new Moon, and in the early part of the same month an earthquake.” — Thucydides
“earthquakes and eclipses of the Sun which came to pass more frequently than had been remembered in former times.” — Thucydides 5
The last quote could be an indicator of an additional factor. What if the earthquake/eclipse connection is cyclical? This is where geometric patterns like the Pi and Phi ratios could provide an explanation of the relationship between eclipses and earthquakes. There is also an added less stable force to be considered, and that force is magnetic. The Sun, Moon and Earth each have magnetic fields, and we know that the Solar and Earthly magnetic fields can vary significantly.
Modern scientists have not been studying these magnetic fields long enough to notice any long-duration patterns. Ancient scientists were unlikely to have been able to measure magnetic fields – but an ancient culture could have noticed a cycle of megaquakes, which are a result of the magnetic interactions. 6
Figure 3. The Blood Moon Pi-Daniel Matson 7
Even as ancient writers noticed a link between earthquakes and eclipses, modern scholars have noted not only the link between luni-solar eclipses and earthquakes,
but also have found geometric patterns like the Pi and Phi Ratios linking these geophysical and celestial events. As seen above in one of many related graphics from Daniel Matson, he has linked the first Blood Moon of the 2014-15 Tetrad, to a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Russia, to the first free worship of the Jews on the Temple Mount in 50 years, via the Pi ratio. He depicts numerous other similar relationships on his website, [watchfortheday.org]. Once we see the relationship of universal geometric constants like
pi and phi linked to these phenomena, it provides another layer beyond the exclusively physical or materialistic view to consider.
Could this all be a lead-up to the final Biblical earthquake referenced in Revelation 16?
Rev. 16:18-20
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18
And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earth-quake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
There is available data linking eclipse/earthquake activity, on Wikipedia, as seen below; 8
Research has been done on every earthquake measuring 6.5+ in magnitude since 1973 (as far back as the USGS records reliably go) against every lunar and solar eclipse. As noted, there does seem to be a connection with the worst quakes of recent times.
What about solar eclipses? Well most of them do not have an obvious earthquake connection. But for those that do, the quakes can be horrific. The pair of earthquakes with the most fatalities in the last few years were Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010 and Kashmir on October 8, 2005. Both of these devastating quakes occurred within 5 days of a solar eclipse.
Lunar eclipses do have an effect. These numbers are for total and partial lunar eclipses, compared to average earthquake rates, from Jan 1973 to the present:
As an example, since Jan 1973 there have been 88 lunar eclipses, and within one day of those eclipses there have been 45 earthquakes of a magnitude of 6.5+. So there’s roughly a 50/50 chance of such a 6.5+ quake occurring in that time frame, whereas it’s only about a third outside of non-eclipse periods.
Below are some recent examples – every full lunar eclipse since 2000, which gets our attention not only due to loss of human life, but to the close proximity of eclipse activity with seismic disturbance:
26 January 2001 – A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Indian Province of Gujarat. The death toll was 19,727, with 166,000 injured, 15 days after the lunar eclipse.
1 May 2003 – 176 people have died and 521 people were injured from a 6.4 earthquake in Turkey’s Bingöl province, 15 days before the lunar eclipse.
17 November 2003 – 7.8 magnitude earthquake at Rat Island, Alaska, 8 days after the lunar eclipse.
23 October 2004 – 6.7 magnitude earthquake in northern Japan, killing 30+ people and injuring more than 2000, 5 days before the lunar eclipse.
6 March 2007 – Two earthquakes struck Sumatra measuring 6.4 and 6.3. Over 60 deaths and 460 injuries. 3 days after the lunar eclipse.
15 August 2007 – 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Peru killed over 600 people, with thousands injured. 13 days before the lunar eclipse.
21 February 2008 – 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia killed 3 people and injured 25. 19 hours before the lunar eclipse.
21 December 2010 – 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Japan, on eclipse day. The following day there was a 6.5 quake in Iran, killing 11 people.
Looking further back in time, the earthquake in Iran on September 16, 1978, the most devastating one of that year, that killed more that 25,000 people, occurred just 3.5 hours before a total lunar eclipse was visible there. [https://survive2012.com/eclipses-and-earthquakes/] 10
The March 19, 2011 SuperMoon—also a full Moon at lunar perigee sparked fears of other natural disasters, and took place 8 days after the 9.0 magnitude undersea megathrust quake—known as the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami—which pulverized Japan and spawned devastating tsunamis that claimed more than 15,000 lives while adding to the causes of nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
[https://phiintheskyradio.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/epidemic-of-sea-mammal-deaths-explodes-as-fukushima-radiation-contaminates-one-third-of-the-earth-naturalnews-com/]
More recently this year on Monday, January 21, 2019 six quakes struck the United States – one measuring a magnitude of 4.7. Four earthquakes have hit Alaska, one hit Oklahoma and another California. The previous night a Super Blood Moon dimly lit the night sky, turning the Moon red.
From a prophetic view “2,520 days from the Fukushima earthquake on March 11, 2011 was Feb. 2, 2018 which is 2,520 Days before Hanukkah Day 1 or Daniel’s Day 1335. On that day the Market closed at 25520, that was 25520 days back from that day to the Vernal Equinox 1948,” significant in forming of Israel as a modern nation-state. The NYSE Market also fell 666 points. [Dan Matson]. 11 The number 2,520 is not only significant
in Biblical Prophecy, and recent earthquakes, but also how the luni-solar cycles form the basis of the 1260 year period, which when doubled gives us 2,520. Every 1260 years
the Sun and Moon return, within less than 1/2 a degree, to the same point in the sky precisely on the ecliptic, within an hour of each other. If we subtract 1260 from 2300 we get 1040 which is a long-awaited solar-lunar cycle that harmonizes all 3 measurements: the Year, Month and Day“ in a near-imperceptible error” of (.11 of a day). 12
In his book The Witness of the Stars, E.W Bullinger, in his discussion of the Saros:
he shows the periods of Jerusalem under the Gentiles in two 1260 years cycles, totaling 2520 years. 13 He depicts the domains of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece as 594 years, and the Roman Empire’s dominion of Jerusalem at 666 years; totaling 1260 years. Both of these periods are calculated in eclipse cycles. The 2nd 1260 year period consists of the Mohammedan conquest of Jerusalem that began in 636-37 AD. 14
“Saros cycles breakdown into two cycles, one of 666 years and the other of 594 years totaling 1260 years. We know that 1260 years is a soli-lunar cycle, so exact that its epact or remainder is only 6 hours. Bullinger stresses not only these aspects of the 1260 year period but also its double-2520 years. 15 E.W. Bullinger believed that these 1260 year periods would foreshadow 1260 day periods in the end-times,
when the final Abomination of Desolation was to be fulfilled, before and during
the Great Tribulation. [2 Thess. 2:1-3].
The breakdown of the 1260 year period pairs the number of the beast as a multiple of the 18 year eclipse [Saros] cycle; since 1260 years is 18, 70-year eclipse cycles [6 + 6 + 6 such cycles] as seen below.
18 x 37 = 666 years, added to
18 x 33 = 594 years
————————-
18 x 70 = 1260 years
totaling = 70 Saros cycles. 16
As we include the conversion rate of Solar and Lunar cycles with not only the calendar year but also earthquakes in the earth’s crust and the financial markets, according to these cycles marking Biblical Prophecy, from the books of Daniel and Revelation, we gain a panoramic view of Biblical history and an
incisive view of end-times prophecy, related to the activities of the Anti-Christ
and his final desolation of the Temple at Jerusalem.
As we realize that Bible Prophecy numbers like 1260, 2520 and 666 to mention a few, are actual solar and lunar eclipse cycles far more accurate than the Metonic or Saros cycles, written into ancient Bible Prophecies of the Old Testament, we can see how far in advance Biblical Astronomical knowledge is ahead of science in human history.
According to Robert Bast; “I listed every earthquake measuring greater than 6.5 in magnitude since 1973 – which is as far back as the USGS records reliably go – and checked them against every lunar and solar eclipse for the same period.” 17.
The study found only a slight increase in earthquakes around solar eclipses. But for lunar eclipses – when the Sun and Moon pull on our planet from opposite directions – the odds of a major earthquake are double. Earthquakes of 7.5 magnitude or greater occur on average every 73.8 days. Within one day of a lunar eclipse, the average drops down to just one in every 33 of those days. Lesser earthquakes also occur substantially more frequently.
This research does not mean that there will definitely be an earthquake every time there is a lunar eclipse. But it does mean that a large magnitude earthquake is about 50% more likely to occur, and a Mag. 7.5+ perhaps more than twice as likely to occur within one day. Therefore the gravitational tug-of-war, with the Sun pulling us from one direction, and the Moon from the opposite direction, is a definite factor.
As we can see in the current period between the July 2nd eclipse and the July 16th-17th the earthquake activity has captivated the attention of many. This requires further observation but for those with Scriptural and spiritual perception there is more going on than just a few stray eclipses and quakes. As usual, your comments and input are welcome!
God Bless!
Footnotes
1. Figure 1. (Image credit: Planet Labs, Inc.)
2. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California, Tom Parsons.
3. Thorne Lay, a professor, University of California, Santa Cruz, in Live Science.
4. Daniel Matson graphic on “A Tetrad of Earthquakes” [watchfortheday.org]
5. [https://survive2012.com/eclipses-and-earthquakes/]
6. [https://survive2012.com/eclipses-and-earthquakes/]
7. Figure 3. The Blood Moon Pi-Daniel Matson
8. [earthquake.usgs.gov.] Wikipedia
9. [https://survive2012.com/eclipses-and-earthquakes/] Bast
10. Ibid
11. Daniel Matson [watchfortheday.org]
12. Parker’s Celestial Cycles, p.22
13. The Witness of the Stars, E.W Bullinger
14. Ibid, p. 181
15. Ibid
16. Ibid
17. [https://survive2012.com/eclipses-and-earthquakes/] Bast
18. Ibid
