Category: hail

Posted in hail, prophecy

A little known prophecy in Job

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I’m sure you have read (and admired) the following verse from Job a million times. But have you ever considered the prophetic aspects of this powerfully packed scripture? Job 38 is the climactic chapter where God speaks to Job about His own sovereignty over creation, time, and over all the peoples of earth.

EPrata photo

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?” (Job 38:22-23)

Have you ever noticed the phrase, “the time of trouble”? Other translations say reserved for “the time of distress”. You will also notice the reference to “the day” of battle and war. These are standard phrases referring to the days of the Tribulation. (For example, Jeremiah 30:7, Obadiah 1:14, Joel 2:11).

God has used hail before in judgment and He will do so again. In the past, He used hail during the plagues He sent to Pharaoh, in themselves pictures of the Revelation judgments of the coming Tribulation.

“The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field“. (Exodus 9:25)

The future judgment will contain another plague of hail-

And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Revelation 16:21)

Gill’s Exposition says of the Job 38 verse,

Of hail we have instances in Scripture, as employed against the Egyptians and Canaanites, Exodus 9:25; and of a reserve of it in the purposes of God, and in prophecy against the day of battle with antichrist, Revelation 16:21.
And though there are no instances of snow being used in this way in Scripture, yet there is in history. Strabo reports, that at Corzena and Cambysena, which join to Mount Caucasus, such snows have fallen, that whole companies of men have been swallowed up in them; and even armies have been overwhelmed with them, as the army of the Gauls and such quantities have been thrown down from mountains, on which they have been lodged, that towns, towers, and villages, have been laid prostrate by them and in the year 443, a vast snow destroyed many.

I am so awed by prophecy. The (probably) oldest book of the Bible, Job, (~2000 BC?)contains a prophecy that is parallel to the last book of the Bible, Revelation (~90AD). God has His plan and who can thwart it? He has set aside some for eternal condemnation and others for eternal joy. He has stored aside His wrath to be unleashed upon them, and hail will be part of that stored-up unleashing. He is precise and will do what He says and it will come to pass to the Nth degree.

The Bible is awe-inspiring in its depiction of our God, who authored it and revealed to us what He wants us to know. Part of that knowing is seeing His prophetic mind and His plans come to pass. I praise Him for all His plans, ways, perfections, prophecies.

The purpose of prophecy is:

The disclosing of the will and purposes of God through inspired or Spirit-filled human beings. The OT emphasises the importance of prophecy as a means of knowing God. Many OT prophecies find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

1. Contents of Prophecy

That which is given by the Spirit to the prophet can refer to the past and to the present as well as to the future. However, that which is revealed to the prophet finds its inner unity in this, that it all aims to establish the supremacy of Jehovah. Prophecy views also the detailed events in their relation to the Divine plan, and this latter has for its purpose the absolute establishment of the supremacy of Jehovah in Israel and eventually on the entire earth.

von, O. C. (1915). Prophecy, Prophets. In J. Orr, J. L. Nuelsen, E. Y. Mullins, & M. O. Evans (Eds.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Vol. 1–5, p. 2464). Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company.

Above all, prophecy shows who is LORD over all creation. It points to Jesus. It is history unfolding as it was laid down from the beginning. The LORD has stored up hail and snow, reserved for the day of distress. He will do it.

Further Reading

The Institute for Creation Research has a great intro to Job: Introduction to the book of Job – “It contains more references to Creation, the Flood and other primeval events than any book of the Bible except Genesis, and provides more insight into the age-long conflict between God and Satan than almost any other book. Remarkably, it also seems to contain more modern scientific insights than any other book of the Bible.”

Chuck Swindoll, Job, “Instead of asking where God is in the midst of your pain, the book of Job affirms God’s control and asks us, “Where are we in our pain? Are we trusting our Creator, even though we cannot understand our circumstances?”

Grace to You, “The Book of Job, “The author recounts an era in the life of Job, in which he was tested and the character of God was revealed. New Testament writers directly quote Job two times (Rom. 11:35; 1 Cor. 3:19), plus Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 show Job was a real person.”

Posted in hail, prophecy

A little known prophecy in Job

Posted on by elizabethprata
I’m sure you have  read (and admired) the following verse from Job a million times. But have you ever considered the prophetic aspects of this powerfully packed scripture? Job 38 is the climactic chapter where God speaks to Job about His own sovereignty over creation, time, and over all the peoples of earth.

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?” (Job 38:22-23)

Have you ever noticed the phrase, “the time of trouble”? Other translations say reserved for “the time of distress”. You will also notice the reference to “the day” of battle and war. These are standard phrases referring to the final days of the Tribulation. (For example, Jeremiah 30:7, Obadiah 1:14, Joel 2:11).

God has used hail before in judgment and He will do so again. In the past, He used hail during the plagues He sent to Pharaoh, in themselves pictures of the revelation judgments of the coming Tribulation.

“The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field“. (Exodus 9:25)

The future judgment will contain another plague of hail-

And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Revelation 16:21)

Gill’s Exposition says of the Job 38 verse,

Of hail we have instances in Scripture, as employed against the Egyptians and Canaanites, Exodus 9:25; and of a reserve of it in the purposes of God, and in prophecy against the day of battle with antichrist, Revelation 16:21.
And though there are no instances of snow being used in this way in Scripture, yet there is in history. Strabo reports, that at Corzena and Cambysena, which join to Mount Caucasus, such snows have fallen, that whole companies of men have been swallowed up in them; and even armies have been overwhelmed with them, as the army of the Gauls and such quantities have been thrown down from mountains, on which they have been lodged, that towns, towers, and villages, have been laid prostrate by them and in the year 443, a vast snow destroyed many.

I am so awed by prophecy. The (probably) oldest book of the bible, Job, contains a prophecy that is parallel to the last book of the bible, Revelation. God has His plan and who can thwart it? He has set aside some for eternal condemnation and others for eternal joy. He has stored aside His wrath to be unleashed upon them, and hail will be part of that stored-up unleashing. He is precise and will do what He says and it will come to pass to the Nth degree.

The bible is awe-inspiring in its depiction of our God, who authored it and revealed to us what He wants us to know. Part of that knowing is seeing His prophetic mind and His plans come to pass. I praise Him for all His plans, ways, perfections, prophecies.

The purpose of prophecy is:

The disclosing of the will and purposes of God through inspired or Spirit-filled human beings. The OT emphasises the importance of prophecy as a means of knowing God. Many OT prophecies find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

1. Contents of Prophecy

That which is given by the Spirit to the prophet can refer to the past and to the present as well as to the future. However, that which is revealed to the prophet finds its inner unity in this, that it all aims to establish the supremacy of Jehovah. Prophecy views also the detailed events in their relation to the Divine plan, and this latter has for its purpose the absolute establishment of the supremacy of Jehovah in Israel and eventually on the entire earth.

von, O. C. (1915). Prophecy, Prophets. In J. Orr, J. L. Nuelsen, E. Y. Mullins, & M. O. Evans (Eds.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Vol. 1–5, p. 2464). Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company.

Above all, prophecy shows who is LORD over all creation. It points to Jesus. It is history unfolding as it was laid down from the beginning. The LORD has stored up hail and snow, reserved for the day of distress. He will do it.

Posted in God, hail, storms

Hail’s destructive path in the Midwest

Posted on by elizabethprata

Severe storms rolled through Iowa and Nebraska yesterday. Unfortunately, more are forecast for today. I was amazed at the hail damage in Nebraska from the violent storms that rolled through. I have seen hail dent cars many times, but I’ve never seen hail puncture them!

Storms hit Midwest, ‘dangerous evening’ forecast
Homes and cars in parts of Nebraska and Iowa were pummeled Tuesday by baseball-sized hail and damaging winds as potentially dangerous storms targeted a swath of the Midwest, including the Omaha area, where flooding left dozens of drivers stranded and prompted home evacuations. The National Weather Service said reports of extensive hail damage and flooding had trickled in as storms pushed into Nebraska and moved into neighboring Iowa, where winds of up to 85 mph were recorded. Up to 4 inches of rain was expected in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Weather Center Live meteorologist Shawn Reynolds tweeted yesterday at the height of the storms: “It’s the day from #hail: More than 130 storm reports of hail today”

Thunderstorms leave wake of destruction in Council Bluffs, southwest Iowa

@nonpareilonline: A floating car in #CouncilBluffs (Iowa
sent in by @melaniexyz & others

In Blair Nebraska, there were injuries from hail at
Walmart parking lot, 12 taken to hospital, conditions unknown.

Above photo was tweeted on Shawn Reynolds’ stream,: “RT @AdamPeters: Hail damage in Blair, NE via @Michaeldkrueger’s cousin #newx“

In Treynor Iowa, hail damages a house

Above photo tweeted from Shawn Reynolds’ stream: “This is just nuts RT @KWWLSchnack: Hail damage in #Treynor from storms Tuesday afternoon. #iawx“

driftwood1963 Instagram, “Wickedness falling from the sky!
#iowa #storms #crazy #wicked #hail #thunderstorms”

Here is a collage of damage from yesterday’s weather put together by The Weather Channel

I’m not a weather expert by any means but it seems to me that though we had a few years of rising tornadoes and worse damage from them, that this year tornadoes haven’t been the bid bad mama of weather. There are fewer tornadoes, while hail storms seems to be the weather destroyer in 2014. Here is a graph that seems to confirm that there are fewer tornadoes this year: (thank goodness!)

You notice that unusually, there were no tornadoes in January or February. It is a fact that 2014 is the slowest start to tornado season ever, and gratefully, no fatalities.

I searched insurance websites to see what the claims from weather damage have been for the last few years.

The Rocky Mountain Independent Insurance Agents bulletin reported that “The nation has experienced severe storms (wind, tornado, hail) that are occurring with more intensity and affecting more areas of the country. While scientists debate why these storms occur, no one argues with their effects—extensive property damage and, many times, loss of life.

Fast Fact: National Hail Statistics: Damage caused by wind and hail cost State Farm and its policyholders more than $3.9 billion in 2012, according to an April 2013 analysis by the insurer. Texas was the state with the most wind/hail losses, followed by Illinois, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana, New Jersey, Kentucky and Colorado. (source)

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that “Hail Damage Claims in the United States, between 2010-2012, more Frequent, Severe Storms Drive 84 Percent Claims Increase.” In Montana, it is reported that the year 2013 was a record-setter for hail damage.

Here is some information from the National Weather Service regarding hail safety tips:

“Imagine a baseball dropped from an airplane flying at 30,000 feet … imagine that baseball reaching speeds of 120 MPH as it falls to the ground … and imagine you’re under it! Imagine you’re driving along at 70 MPH…or your crops are under the hail producing thunderstorm…or your home is under the thunderstorm… Hail causes $1 billion dollars in damage to crops and property each year.”

The article discusses how hail forms, how to size hail, why some hailstones are irregularly formed, the largest hailstone ever recorded in the US, and more.

Whenever I read of a hail storm I can’t help but think of the 100 pound hail that will pound men during the Tribulation. Revelation 16:21 says

“And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”

One hundred pound hailstones are not normal. It is not natural. The Weather Underground reports that “The largest officially recognized hailstone on record to have been ‘captured’ in the U.S. was that which fell near Vivian, South Dakota last summer (2010) on July 23rd. It measured 8.0” in diameter, 18 ½” in circumference, and weighed in at 1.9375 pounds.”

So when the 100 lb hailstones fall men will know that it is God, because such large hailstones have never fallen in the world to date. These hailstones will be larger by a factor of ten.

Give glory to the God in heaven now, for His restraining hand, for His blanket of mercy and common grace He delivers to the Godly and the ungodly every day. We have air to breathe, a creation to live upon, blessed rain in season, food to eat. We have the knowledge of the Gospel and for those who don’t, the opportunity to share it. His grace and mercies are manifold. There is much to praise.

When the large hail falls upon the city during the Tribulation, and men curse God, it shows us just how depraved we are. When faced with irrefutable proof of His existence, in creating such large plagues of hailstones, man in his pride still will not bow down.

Bow now to the Comforter, the Prince of Peace, the Loving Son, and Great Shepherd. Or you will bow later, Romans 14:11 says. Excerpt then, you would bow before God as His enemy. Bow now in grace as His friend. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:30-31)

Posted in God, hail, jesus, rapture

Crazy hailstorm in Denver and Pennsylvania, photos (updated)

Posted on by elizabethprata

I was torn about tonight’s blog essay. I had prepared about 80% of an essay about the unusual earthquakes happening this week. Then I became entranced with the phrase “ears to hear” and discernment, and spent time in prayer and listening to a sermon about it. But yesterday and tonight I’m watching in amazement the severe weather beating up the eastern half of the United States- the thunder and lightning and wind, and especially the hail!

There was epic hail in Denver and environs last night and tonight it is happening in Pennsylvania now. I mean epic. People were flabbergasted and weather forecasters were astounded. Let me show you.

————————–

UPDATE Friday, May, 23. Shawn Reynols at Weather Center Live just tweeted, “Almost 500 reports of #hail since Tuesday. Insane.”

————————–
First Choice Weather ‏@1stChoiceWeathr Incredible hail along 222 in Lancaster. Thanks to @s_sstormchasing

RT @Stormrushdotnet: Hail storm in Reading, PA shattered my mom’s apartment windows. Wow. #pawx

4 inch hail in Binghamton NY photo by National Weather Service NY

Tennis ball sized hail in Danville PA photo by Kevin Pursel

Tornado warned area in Franklin VA photo by @MartinMMC

 Windows shattered from golf ball sized hail. Wyomissing, PA via @t_franco12

Today it has been stormy from Va to PA to NY. Last night it was the middle of the country. Here is a shot of a thunder and lightning storm rolling in to Cleveland OH-

Epic #OHwx –> RT @BuzzFeedStorm: Thunderstorm approaches downtown Cleveland, Ohio, earlier tonight – @JeffreyRStroup

Crazy pic of hail from Colorado Springs, Colo. via @KKTV11News:

Incredible #COwx –> RT @COWeatherguy: @WCL_Shawn @coloradowx hail for you!!

I saw a video of inside malls, where the hail had easily broken the skylights and hail and rain was pouring in, one in CO and one in PA. Here is a CNN report of the CO hail storm, and there were tornadoes too.

 Tornadoes, large hail smack Colorado
“A fierce weather system — featuring baseball-sized hail and multiple tornadoes — ripped through Colorado on Wednesday afternoon, spurring warnings to people in and around Denver to take cover. The frenzy was tied to a dangerous super cell thunderstorm that, in addition to heaps of hail, produced a number of twisters, according to storm chasers on the scene. The National Weather Service said there were reported tornado touchdowns in Watkins, East Denver, Aurora, Byers and Leader. One witness, Jeff Piotrowski, said shortly after 3 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) that he had personally seen five tornadoes on the ground not far from Denver International Airport. … The weather service’s Boulder branch retweeted a photo of about 6 inches of accumulated hail in Denver’s Green Valley Ranch, plus another showing Highway 470 restricted to one lane because of the hard, white stuff.“

Here is a news article about the hail from Weather Channel
Hail the size of ping pong balls sent pedestrians running for cover in Colorado Springs, and cars slid on the hail along Interstate 70 in Aurora. The hail piled up several inches deep, dented cars and broke windows out of some homes. Officials used snow plows to clear the hail from the main airport access road. Frontier Airlines says 13 of its flights were canceled due to its aircraft being damaged by hail. … Wednesday marked the second day in a row a hail storm hit the Denver metro area.
Thunderstorms packing hail and dangerous lightning also made their way across Illinois and Indiana on Wednesday.

Two days of epic hail is interesting. The bible says of hail, one of many verses,

He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country. 
(Psalm 105:32-33)

Easton’s Bible Dictionary says of hail: “one of the plagues of Egypt ( Exodus 9:23 ). It is mentioned by Haggai as a divine judgment (Haggai 2:17 ). A hail-storm destroyed the army of the Amorites when they fought against Joshua ( Joshua 10:11 ). Ezekiel represents the wall daubed with untempered mortar as destroyed by great hail-stones (Ezek. 13:11 ). (See also 38:22 ; Revelation 8:7 ; 11:19 ; 16:21 .)”

Even secular man jokes about the plague of hail. Shawn Reynolds of Weather Center Live at the Weather Channel tweeted, “Incredible pics of hail in PA, tractor trailers on fire in AL. Anyone know if the locusts are due to arrive around 5p?“

No, not locusts (yet) but Jesus is due to arrive at some point in the future, the near future by the look of it. I hope that sinful man is prepared by repenting of his sins and submitting to Lord Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the ONLY way. (John 14:6).

And aren’t we grateful God made a way for us to return to Him in heaven! Separated no more! Though He reveals His power in the weather, He revealed His love through His Son, Jesus.

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Posted in God, hail, power, tribulation

Tremendous storm in Denton TX

Posted on by elizabethprata

A major hail & rain storm occurred in Denton TX this evening, and a tornado also. Here are some photos of the softball sized hail. Some of these photos are just unreal.

Texas Storm Chasers ‏@TxStormChasers

TWC Breaking ‏@TWCBreaking 3h. #Hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter fell in Denton TX around 3:45p

It is always amazing to think of the power of God. Seeing photos like this reminds me. And they also remind me that this is but a minute portion of His power. He has been patiently holding it back. But the full cup of His unleashed power in wrath will be fully unleashed during the tribulation, when 100 pound hailstones fall from the sky to crush men.

And great hailstones, about one hundred poundsd each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Rev 16:21)

He is surely a long-suffering God!

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Posted in birth pangs, earthquake, hail, prophecy, weather, yellowstone

Largest earthquake in years hit CA, another large quake in OK, Hail in Hong Kong (UPDATE: quake at Yellowstone-biggest in 30 years)

Posted on by elizabethprata

Update at bottom.

California is being rattled by the biggest earthquakes they have felt in years. Southern California Public Radio reports,

Quakes continue to rattle California
“A strong aftershock to Friday’s 5.1-magnitude earthquake in Orange County shook Southern California this afternoon. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the 4.1-magnitude tremor struck two kilometers southeast of Rowland Heights at 2:32 p.m. The Rowland Heights office of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said there were so far no reports of damage. More than 100 aftershocks have rattled the region. No major damage and no injuries have been reported, but police in the city of Fullerton say 20 apartment units and half a dozen homes were red-tagged, displacing 83 people. Some residents have since returned to their homes.”

What is the third largest United States earthquake active zone? #1 is Alaska, and #2 is California. Can you guess the third? It’s Utah! Then Hawaii, and also the Pacific Northwest. In this article, a seismologist explains why earthquakes happen in CA and why they don’t understand why they happen in places like New England where there are no similar faults.

Is California overdue for a big earthquake? Was the recent earthquake in Los Angeles a warning of more to come? ‘Earthquake Storms’ author John Dvorak shares his thoughts.
“…But it’s not just Californians who should pay attention to his exploration of earthquake science, the unfolding mysteries of geology, and the gaps in our seismic knowledge. As he notes in an interview, plenty of other parts of the country are vulnerable to earthquakes, including the Northwest, the Midwest, the South and – yes – even the Big Apple.”

It’s a good article, I recommend it.

I was reading through my twitter stream last night and those who live in the quake area are plenty nervous and sick of all the felt-aftershocks. Or foreshocks. One man wrote that a run on earthquake survival supplies had left his local store empty, except for one hand tool, the tool to turn off your gas valve. The 1906 quake, as devastating as it was, paled in comparison to the damage caused by fires after the quake was over. Even after a 5.1 quake where there is not much visible physical damage, the cracks and breaks in gas lines are an ever-present danger.

Meanwhile, also last night, a 4.3 magnitude quake hit Crescent Oklahoma according to that link from USGS. Here is a (breathless and amazed) news report:

Two 4.3 quakes, several tremors rattle central Oklahoma
“Wichita, Kan. — Two magnitude 4.3 quakes, along with several weaker ones, rattled central Oklahoma late Saturday night into Sunday morning. And residents throughout KAKEland report feeling the temblors. The first quake, a magnitude of 3.5, was recorded just before 11 p.m. Saturday It was centered about 13 miles north of the town of Crescent. At the same location, another 3.5 occurred at 1:37 a.m. Sunday. It was followed by a 4.3 about 15 minutes later and then a 3.3 at 2 a.m. The shakers didn’t end there. A 3.5 and a 3.6 were recorded between 3:07 and 3:10 a.m. A second 4.3 followed at 3:42 a.m. These three quakes were also centered about 13 miles from Crescent. But wait. There’s more.

Source

A 2.8 tremor occurred at 4:06 a.m. and a 2.7 at 4:51. Both were a few miles south and west of the others. The KAKE newsroom has been inundated with calls since the quakes were felt in south-central Kansas. A KAKE employee reported feeling his apartment shake for a few seconds near downtown Wichita. We have received reports from across Wichita and portions of Butler County from viewers reporting feeling the earthquake. The USGS has received reports from across Oklahoma and Kansas, including the Kansas City-area. One Wichita resident reported feeling three tremors at her apartment near Harry and Rock Road.

“I thought nothing of tonight’s until I was turning off my hall light and noticed my picture on the wall was crooked,” she said in an email to KAKE News. She then noticed a long crack in her wall. “17 inches long by 7 inches at the bottom,” she said. “This most definitely happened tonight. It’s by our front door hall and we pass it countless times a day.” We’re still not done yet. Let’s go back to Saturday and venture a little further south-southeast to Choctaw. That’s on the eastern edge of Oklahoma City, and where at 2.7 tremor was reported at 7:36 a.m. Another of the same magnitude hit at 4:36 p.m. A 3.7 occurred at 10:08 p.m., followed a 2.6 at 12:49 a.m. Sunday. Several earthquake reports ranging from a 2.7 to a 3.5 were scattered about central Oklahoma from Wednesday through Friday.”

Over in Hong Kong, they are having a massive storm, complete with strobe lightning. In addition, reporter James Reynolds (@typhoonfury) reports,

“Lots of reports of hail over Hong Kong right now, this is quite rare being in tropics.”
Black rainstorm warning now over HK, first of year, impressively early!
Continuous strobe effect lightning over Hong Kong, impressive storm! Winds picking up!

Mayo ‏@SungEmpress wrote

“7:45pm Amber Rainstorm Warning, then 8:15pm Red, and at 8:40pm Black Rainstorm. That much rain being dumped in Hong Kong right now!“

Here is a screen shot of others’ reaction to frozen precipitation in the tropics:

Crazy weather continues. (Pray for the families affected by the terrible mudslide in Washington State). Please be safe wherever you are. God will continue to rattle the earth’s population with events of this sort, as we are told the birth pangs will continue to increase. (Matthew 24:3). God holds the world in His hand, and everything that happens on it is by Him for From Him or allowed by Him. (1 Corinthians 10:26). It is safer to be in Jesus than to be in the world.

————-update————-

Earthquake Rattles Yellowstone National Park, No Damage Reported
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Yellowstone National Park in Montana early Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damage.  Peter Cervelli, a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said the quake, which hit at 6:34 a.m. local time, was centered almost in the middle of Yellowstone National Park, near the Norris Geyser Basin. He said any damage from the temblor would likely be minor, adding that there are not many visitors in the park at the moment.  The quake was not expected to trigger any volcanic activity, Cervelli said.  Jessica Turner, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Service, said the quake was the most powerful to hit the park since 1985. She said residents in the town of West Yellowstone felt the quake.

[USGS puts significant quakes in pink, such as this one at Yellowstone]

Posted in abortion, demonstrate, hail, pro-life, satan

I am not making this up…pro-abortion activists chant "Hail Satan!"

Posted on by elizabethprata

“Pro-choice protesters shouted, “Hail Satan!” as an attempt to drown out pro-lifers’ rendition of “Amazing Grace.” ” Read more from The Washington Times

This is a good blog post:

“Ever found yourself looking for a way to initiate a conversation about God, but not sure exactly how to start? The Best Question to Ask When Starting a Conversation About God”

Crisis in Arab world gives Israel strategic breathing room, says Amos Harel.

The Middle East Is on Fire: An Unsettling Wrap-Up of the Death, Destruction and Chaos From Around the Globe

The global fiscal has not gone away, Portugal may re-ignite Europe crisis
“Having won praise for taking tough measures to restore the financial health of the eurozone state, Portugal’s government has been rocked this week by the resignation of two ministers who quit because of waning public support for its program of austerity. … anxious investors sold stocks and bonds heavily Wednesday on fears that the government may collapse.”

Belgium’s king may abdicate. All Belgium awaits his speech

Church Curmudgeon said, “”Hymnals make you look down during worship.” said guy who spends 70% of the time staring at his phone during the service.” @ChrchCurmudgeon

Posted in Britain, hail, Singapore, weird weather

Extremely rare: hail falls in Singapore, floods, strange weather prompts British weather summit

Posted on by elizabethprata

Hail reported in western end of Singapore
“Residents in the western end of Singapore are reporting incidences of hail. Hail is a form of solid precipitation and consists of irregular lumps of ice. Mr Lucas Ho, 28, playwright and teacher said: “The torrent came in a five-minute burst; something was clanging on my windows and I went to my front door to see what was going on. I never thought I’d see hail in Singapore.” There is no indication at the moment if the hail stones are related to the haze.”

You have to know that hail is rare in a place where the news article has to explain what it is. Singapore has only had hail once or twice in the past. Ever. This article explains why-

“A severe hail storm along with damaging winds and heavy rain was seen across Singapore Tuesday afternoon. This is an extremely rare event for the island nation that only lies two degrees from the equator and never experiences temperatures below the freezing mark through a good portion of the lower atmosphere. Therefore hail of any size is a extremely rare event.”

They mentioned the “haze” in Singapore. The island nation has been experiencing a heavy haze of late. People are wondering if the haze and the hail are related.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesia plans air tactic as Singapore haze worsens
“Air pollution in Singapore soared to record heights for a third consecutive day, as Indonesia prepared planes and helicopters Friday to battle raging fires blamed for hazardous levels of smoky haze in three countries. The blazes in peat swamp forests on Indonesia’s Sumatra island have sent massive plumes of smog across the sea to neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, both of which are growing impatient with Indonesia’s response to the problem that occurs nearly every year.”

“Singapore is suffering its worst haze in history. Singapore’s main index for air pollution hit a measurement of 401 at midday Friday, exceeding previous highs of 371 on Thursday and 321 on Wednesday, both of which were record readings. Those measurements were classified as “hazardous” and can aggravate respiratory ailments. Plagued by the stifling smell of burning vegetation that crept even into homes and offices in this wealthy city-state, residents flocked to pharmacies to buy protective face masks after Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged people to remain indoors as much as possible.”

“I don’t know if it’s just my imagination but even indoors, my throat is starting to feel weird,” said business manager Tan Joa-Quim. “I want a mask but my company has a limited supply, which we prioritized for the older and less healthy staff, and a lot of shops have sold out.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weird weather has been occurring on the other side of the world also. In Alaska, they are experiencing a heat wave.
“The jet stream, the river of air high above Earth that generally dictates the weather, usually rushes rapidly from west to east in a mostly straight direction. But lately it seems to be wobbling and weaving like a drunken driver, wreaking havoc as it goes. … The most recent example occurred in mid-June when some towns in Alaska hit record highs. McGrath, Alaska, recorded an all-time high of 94 degrees on June 17. A few weeks earlier, the same spot was 15 degrees, the coldest recorded for so late in the year.”

Terrible rains have caused flooding in northwestern India, killing 1000 people so far.

“Home Minister Sushikumar Shinde told reporters that the death toll will exceed the figure of 1,000 given on Sunday by the Uttarakhand government. More bodies were being found as troops and disaster rescue teams cleared debris from buildings and houses destroyed by flood waters, Shinde said. The unprecedented heavy rains triggered landslides and floods in the Ganges River last week, washing away thousands of houses and roads and cutting communication links in large areas of Uttarakhand.”

“Unprecedented” rains, and that in a country that experiences monsoon every year…

Britain’s weather has gotten drunk, too, going crazy and forgetting what season it is. After their coldest spring in 50 years, they are now dealing with this-

“Britain’s weather has now got so bad even the Met Office is worried: Forecasters to hold meeting over floods, droughts and even snow in May. Britain’s weather has now got so bad even the Met Office is worried: Forecasters to hold meeting over floods, droughts and even snow in May. The photo caption says: “Wintry: A blanket of snow covers Teesdale in County Durham on the first Bank Holiday in May this year, an event which has helped spark a Met Office summit.”

God is in control of the weather. Though satan can be the originator of some weather disasters, (Job 1:9-12, 19), he can only do so at the Lord’s permission. Ultimately, all weather is in the hands of the Creator.

“The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.” (Psalm 29:10)

“For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof…. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still..” (Psalm 107:25, 29)

God sends earthquakes, cold, snow, and fire. (Isaiah 29:6, Psalm 78:47, Job 37:6)

He controls the lightning and sends the wind. (Jeremiah 10:13, Exodus 10:19)

While every natural disaster is not a punishment from God, “God does use weather catastrophes — even resulting in deaths, or the destruction of beasts or property — but with a purpose: to unsettle the apathetic, to punish and judge, to alter our course of action, or to instill the fear of God.” (Source).

The Book of Revelation is an orderly progression of promises from long ago being fulfilled: the UNcreation. God will dismantle all the world’s systems, including weather.

(Revelation 6:12-13; Revelation 8:7-8; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:8; Revelation 16:18, 21; Revelation 6:12-14)

The creation should make you think of the Creator. I say “should” because it says so in Romans 1:20,

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

In the next verse it says that people who consciously or subconsciously know that God exists when they see creation, refuse to acknowledge Him,

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,” (Romans 1:21a)

and eventually they “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,”

(Does ‘Mother Earth’, ‘Gaia’ or ‘the weather gods’ sound familiar?). Think of it this way, when you see hail, then all hail the power of Jesus name! Worship Him who created the creation!

Whether you are admiring a gorgeous sunrise, a calm sea, a snow capped mountain, or a powerful tornado or even hail at the equator, thank God for His creation, which is cursed with sin now, but will be restored to its perfection at the end of time. And what a day that will be!

Posted in God, hail, India, weather

Freak storm: hailstorm with ice boulders rain down in Indian villages

Posted on by elizabethprata

The Daily Mail has the story, along with their typically fantastic photos

Nine people killed as freak hailstorm rains massive boulders down on Indian villages
Hailstones the size of boulders have rained down on villages in southern India.
“At least nine people were killed when the violent weather hit several villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The hailstorm which lasted for almost 20 minutes, destroyed crops, houses and live stock, causing devastating financial implications for residents. It was once-in-lifetime experience for people living in seven villages in Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally. The hailstones started falling from the sky on Tuesday night and covered the entire villages under the snow-like blanket.”

This area in India which received the hail is prone to huge hailstorms. The Weather Underground reports,

“The deadliest hailstorms, and perhaps the largest hailstones, in the world occur on the Deccan Plateau of northern India and in Bangladesh. The heaviest authenticated hailstone ever measured was one of 2.25 pounds that fell in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh on April 14, 1986. The stones size was not measured although anecdotal reports claimed the stones were the size of “pumpkins”. Ninety-two people perished as a result of the storm although how many of these can be attributed to the hail is uncertain. A hailstorm in the Moradabad and Beheri districts of India killed 246 people on April 30, 1888, the deadliest hailstorm on record in modern history.”

But even this storm has the Meteorological Office scratching their heads.
“HYDERABAD: Two days after a severe hailstorm lashed parts of Chevella mandal in Rangareddy district, a two-member team of meteorologists from the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) visited the affected areas, but were clueless as to what caused the unusual phenomena and were only able to give textbook answers. … Officials said that hailstorm normally occurs during summer months but not in January. … When asked if the hailstorm of such a scale as the one witnessed on Wednesday ever occurred, Rao said that there was no record and did not rule out such a possibility.”

Here is a gentle reminder:

God controls the weather. He either sent the storm or He allowed satan some latitude to cause it. (Job 1:9-12, 19; Isaiah 30:30).

The other reminder is that He will send 100lb hailstones in the Tribulation.

“And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.” (Revelation 16:21)

You notice the verses ‘they cursed God for the hail’. The people by that time will know it is God sending these things as plagues, or judgments. It is better to know it now, before the judgment comes.

Do you acknowledge God is King (Psalm 29:10)? Do you understand that you are a sinner, that He sent His Son as the sacrifice to die for your sins, and God accepted the sacrifice by raising His Son from the dead to reign in heaven, and who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead? That’s the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

Posted in greece, hail, syria

Random news for you: Syria, Greece, apocalyptic hailstorm, more

Posted on by elizabethprata

Here is a random roundup of interesting news for you:

Photos of “apocalyptic-like hailstorm in Dallas.” That was the Weather Channel’s headline. The photos are really amazing. Remember, God does send hail. I can’t say that He specifically did this time, but He does at times.

Hail damage in Texas — RT @adamccecil:
Thanks to some tennis ball sized hail my car is done for!
#unlucky pic.twitter.com/MaS9RlBD

“… the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.” (Joshua 10:11)

“He destroyed their vines with hail…He gave up their cattle also to the hail….” (Psalm 78:47-48)

Sun blasts huge magnetic bubble at earth
“For the second day in a row, an active region on the sun has erupted with a coronal mass ejection (CME), blasting a beautifully dynamic magnetic bubble of energetic plasma in the direction of Earth. It is powering through interplanetary space at a breakneck speed of 1,360 kilometers per second (that’s over 3 million miles per hour!) … Active region 1504 (or AR1504) is a magnetically intense region that is crackling with flares and it has rotated in our direction. Powerful arcs of magnetic field are protruding deep from within the solar body, pushing back the hot outer layers of the sun’s photosphere, exposing the cooler, (comparatively) dark interior. A beautiful complex of sunspots is the result — shown in the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory image, below.”

US moves USS Enterprise into Pakistani waters. The news article is from the Pakistan Times, and they claim the US move violated international law.

The situation in Syria is very precarious. Prophecy-wise it is pregnant with possibilities, a 9th month pregnant. (Isaiah 17)

Sky News: UN Says Syrian Town Has ‘Stench Of Bodies’
“UN observers have visited al Haffa town in the province of Latakia and reported that nearly all government buildings have been burned down.The UN Supervisory Mission in Syria said observers in Haffa reported finding it all but deserted with a strong stench of dead bodies and almost all government institutions gutted from the inside.”

Joel C. Rosenberg has been writing constantly and in a bit more breathless fashion that he usually does. Today he wrote: “Will Syria implode?”

“Will Syria implode in a bloody civil war even worse than the horrific violence already underway? That’s the big question right now. Weapons are pouring into both sides.,the government and the rebels. Russian Czar Vladimir Putin is reportedly sending more arms to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iranian leaders are also standing squarely with Assad. Meanwhile, Israel is worried about a civil war and Syrian implosion. More instability in the epicenter poses severe risks to the Jewish State. No one wants Assad in power. But if he falls, could his successor be worse? And when will the Bible prophecies concerning the complete destruction of Damascus come true? Christians need to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Syria. We also need to pray and work to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all Syrians and strengthen the underground Church there. God has been moving powerfully in Syria in recent years — see here. By God’s grace, The Joshua Fund has been investing in the spread of the Gospel in Syria, especially through an evangelistic film made by Syrian Arabs called “DAMASCUS” — see here. Please pray that the Lord will give us much wisdom as we seek to continue to serve the church in Syria at this critical moment.”

The situation in Egypt is very precarious. Prophecy-wise it is pregnant with possibilities, a 9th month kind of pregnant. (Isaiah 19).

New Political Showdown in Egypt as Court Invalidates Parliament
“Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled that the Islamist-led Parliament must be immediately dissolved, while also blessing the right of Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister to run for president, escalating a battle for power between the remnants of the toppled order and rising Islamists.”

Spain and the European economy is also very precarious. The election in Greece Sunday will do much to decide the direction of the euro, pundits tell us, citing a choice for the Greeks between electing the candidate who said he will accept the offered austerity package (result: instant poverty), or electing the candidate who said he will reject austerity (result: imploding under their debt). Either way, the Greek economy seems done for. There have been billions pulled out of banks in advance of the election, and thousands are hoarding canned food. Spain is not faring better, despite their bailout this week.

Moody’s cuts Spain’s credit rating, citing rescue
“Moody’s Investor Service cut the Spanish government’s credit rating Wednesday, a direct result of the rescue package lined up by European leaders over the weekend. The rating lowered Spain’s rating from A3 to Baa3, which leaves it in investment-grade status but just one notch above junk.”

Michael T. Snyder has a good essay on how an economic collapse works. It is not an all-at-once event, he said. It is like waves coming up on a sandcastle. Bigger eaves take chunks away (like in 2008) and smaller waves chip away at the structure (like since 2008). But all the while the castle is crumbling.

Speaking of judgment-inducing news, Pentagon to Celebrate Pride Month Nearly a Year After Repealing Ban on Gays. “The Pentagon will host its first ever celebration of gays and lesbians in the military this month, which was recently proclaimed by President Barack Obama as LGBT Pride Month.”

Really, how close are we?? Meantime, here is some good news:

“your hands, all peoples!  Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High,  is to be feared,  a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us,and nations under our feet. He chose our  heritage for us,  the pride of Jacob whom he loves.” (Psalm 47:1-4)

Till next time: “May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face to shine upon us, Selah”. (Psalm 67:1)