EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, WARS, FAMINES AND PLAGUES.
18/02/25 By S N Strutt
Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has naturally occurring earthquake activity been increasing? Does this mean a big one is going to hit? OR We haven't had any earthquakes in a long time; does this mean that the pressure is building up for a big one in the USA?
THE LAST YEAR HAS SEEN A DRASTIC INCREASE - In 2024, a total of 1,374 earthquakes with magnitude of five or more were recorded worldwide as of December that year.
2025 has been off to a rocky start with natural disasters. In just the first two months of 2025, natural disasters have literally rocked, scorched and/or flooded regions around the world. From the Los Angeles County fires to the Caribbean earthquake, the year has been off to a difficult start.
Now, more than one volcano is spewing lava, one of which is in the United States. However, lava flow is a stark contrast to a full-blown eruption. Santorini, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece, could soon be swamped by volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.The island has been rattled by 6,400 minor and moderate earthquakes this week, sometimes only minutes between each quake. Greece’s government declared a state of emergency yesterday, with some 10,000 islanders fleeing from the near-constant tremors.
According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 16 major earthquakes in any given year. That includes 15 earthquakes in the magnitude 7 range and one earthquake magnitude 8.0 or greater. In the past 40-50 years, our records show that we have exceeded the long-term average number of major earthquakes about a dozen times.
The year with the largest total was 2010, with 23 major earthquakes (greater than or equal to magnitude 7.0).
FAMINE: But whilst the number of deaths caused by individual famines is often subject to a good deal of uncertainty, the overall trend over time is very clear: compared to earlier historical periods, far fewer people have died in famines in recent decades. Whether we consider high or low estimates, or something in between, does not affect this conclusion. Famines - Our World in Data
WARS: In modern history, wars have claimed the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Confined to one conflict, no other death toll was more devastating than that of World War ll. Historians are at odds as to the total number of people that lost their lives, but an upper estimate of 85 million puts it significantly ahead of any other wars or conquests in the period 1492-2005.
The Spanish and Portuguese Conquest of the Americas is thought to have led to the death of 55 million people, making it the second most deadly.
When we take into consideration the length of time that the conflicts were fought over though, we get a different picture, revealing the wars with the highest annual death tolls. World War ll had an average 14.17 million deaths per year, compared to 0.51 million for the much longer Iberian Conquest. As our infographic shows, using this measure, World War l moves into second place with its 15 million deaths over 4 years resulting in an annual average of 3.75 million.
PESTILENCES Reasons for Increase
The continuous and increasing spread of zoonotic disease has been tied to numerous factors.
One is increased world travel. Man traversing the planet has long been seen as a cause of the spread of disease. Centuries ago, people travelled by land via trade routes carrying goods from one place to another. Often, along with the exchange of goods and livestock, was an exchange of the foreign zoonotic organisms they carried.
Modern transportation has furthered this expansion as people and goods routinely crisscross the globe. Diseased animals are still transported from place to place—though sometimes unintentionally. For instance, scientists believe West Nile Virus made its way to the United States in 1999 by mosquitos hiding inside airplane wheel wells.
Population density and the resulting poor sanitary conditions are also cited as reasons for the rapid spread of sickness. According to populationeducation.org, “…over 50% of the global population lives in urban areas.
With more people living in dense conditions, there is frequent contact between more individuals, allowing disease transmission to easily occur.” Worsening environmental conditions are also believed to have a negative impact.
Warmer climates and flooding in some areas have allowed certain ailments to flourish—such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever as the parasites that carry them thrive in these environments.
At the same time, drought can cause just as many problems as “viruses, protozoa, and bacteria can pollute both groundwater and surface water when rainfall decreases” (CDC). The lack of water also leads to diverse animal species congregating at or near diminishing water sources, which causes pathogens to spread to new hosts.
The list of reasons diseases are spreading includes other factors such as people’s worsening diets, poor medical facilities, and overuse of antibiotics.
Another Way to View Disease
Of the problems mankind has to overcome—lagging economies, food shortages, battles over religion, war, among others—disease remains a persistent foe. No amount of effort seems capable of making it go away completely. In fact, the more we do, the worse things seem to become.
Many see human beings as just “another species of animal.” To them, disease is simply a natural element of human existence. Yet a review of Scripture sheds different light on how mankind should view the scourge of disease.
First, understand that when God completed Creation He looked over everything He had done and called it “very good” (Gen. 1:31). This meant that it was perfect. God’s handiwork, including the human body, was made to function without the threat of disease.
The apostle John provided a further glimpse into what God meant when he was inspired to record, “…I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul [life] prospers” (III John 2). Disease was not intended as a “fact of life.”
Yet the Creator also established bedrock laws and principles for mankind. One
such law is the familiar rule of cause and effect: if you do this—you can expect that. Certain actions lead to consequences.
This principle manifested itself early on with a promise that disobedience would ultimately lead to death (Gen. 2:17). This plain statement opened the door for sickness and human suffering as a possibility.
Notice an exchange between God and the children of Israel found in the book of Leviticus in which He further explained the consequences of failing to obey instruction: “And if you will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will walk contrary unto Me; then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall venge the quarrel of My covenant: and when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy” (Lev. 26:23-25).
Pestilence—disease outbreaks—were a consequence of failing to keep God’s commands.
Another warning occurred in Deuteronomy 28: “But it shall come to pass, if you will not hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day; that all these curses shall come upon you, and overtake you…The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto you, until He have consumed you from off the land, whither you go to possess it. The Lord shall smite you with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting [drought], and with mildew [flooding]; and they shall pursue you until you perish” (vs. 15, 21-22).
Strong words! God not only described a people being pursued by disease, but He also described conditions that allow it to flourish.
Understand. Every instance of sickness and disease should not be viewed as a “curse from God” on a particular individual. Jesus made this principle clear when He said that some suffer not necessarily because of their personal sin but instead “that the works of God should be made manifest [obvious]…” (John 9:1-3).
Yet this does not negate the fact that poor decisions lead to poor consequences. This can be on a national level as was the case with ancient Israel or on an individual level when people disobey certain health principles and become sick, a topic also covered thoroughly in scripture. (For more information on ways to maintain good health and help avoid the onset of disease, read David C. Pack’s informative booklet titled God’s Principles of Healthful Living.)
The top 10 causes of death
The top 10 causes of death (who.int) In 2019, the top 10 causes of death accounted for 55% of the 55.4 million deaths worldwide. Steve: not mentioned 60,000,000 ABORTIONS in one year. In the USA, where nearly 30% of pregnancies are unintended and 40% of these are terminated by abortion, there are between 1,500 to 2,500 abortions per day. Nearly 20% of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. Guttmacher Institute reports 930,160 abortions performed in 2020 in the United States, with a rate of 14.4 per 1,000 women. CDC reports 629,898 abortions in 2019, with a rate of 11.4 abortions per 1,000 women (excludes CA, MD, NH). 73,000,000 MILLION ABORTIONS/YEAR= 1% OF WORLD POPULATION =100 YEARS =ZERO POPULATION Abortion Statistics - Worldometer (worldometers.info)
AUTO DEATHS 1.35 MILLION IN 2022
The top global causes of death, in order of total number of lives lost, are associated with three broad topics: cardiovascular (ischaemic heart disease, stroke), respiratory (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections) and neonatal conditions – which include birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections, and preterm birth complications.
Causes of death can be grouped into three categories: communicable (infectious and parasitic diseases and maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions), noncommunicable (chronic) and injuries.
Unknown to most, though, disease, especially its sudden increase and its connection with animals, has other implications.
Pestilence in Prophecy
As with so many today, those with Christ when He walked the Earth wondered about prophecy—specifically the timing of His Second Coming and signs indicating the end times.
Remarkably, when asked, Jesus was forthcoming in His response. He told the disciples exactly what would occur and what to look for. Included in the “signs” or indications of the end was increased “pestilences” or plagues and disease epidemics (Matt. 24:3, 7).
The key is that there would be an upsurge in disease. This is obvious because disease is an age-old problem. Its proliferation, though, is an indication of what the Bible refers to as the “end of the age.”
NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED BY WILD ANIMALS?
God’s Word goes further pronouncing what role animals will play. Read the following from the book of Revelation: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8).
Deadliest animals globally by annual number of human deaths 2022 - 70,000 killed by dogs
The last part of the verse means exactly what it says. During the end times, along with war and hunger, animals will be a key cause of death for many millions either through direct attacks or even more problematic, through the spread of zoonotic diseases—recall Spanish flu killed up to 100 million people and Bubonic plague destroyed one-third of Earth’s population! What is coming will be much more severe.
Mosquitos are by far the deadliest creature in the world when it comes to annual human deaths, causing around one million deaths per year, compared to 100,000 deaths from snakes and 250 from lions. Perhaps surpringly, dogs are the third deadliest animal to humans. Dogs are responsible for around 30,000 human deaths per year, with the vast majority of these deaths resulting from rabies that is transmitted from the dog.
The coming disease pandemics will dwarf all that have previously occurred. Hundreds of millions will perish—and this will not only happen in poor, underdeveloped countries.
Horrific epidemics,( COVID-19) the likes of which have never been seen, will strike the world’s wealthiest nations—which will collapse from the impact. The ensuing chaos will affect you, and all of your loved ones. Everything around you will change for the worse. Your life will be at risk.” - LETS HOPE AND PRAY THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER HORRIFIC EPIDEMIC LIKE COVID 19.
Increasing “Pestilence”: a Sign of the End Times
