People everywhere are unnerved by daily events: Wall St., hurricanes, brain-eating amoeba.

Earthquakes.

With recent news of earthquakes in such odd places as Colorado and Washington D.C., I was reminded of the famous pronouncement by Jesus that earthquakes in “diverse” places would be one of the hallmarks of the last days.

The Gospels contain this account, such as in Luke 21:11. Luke also mentions that Jerusalem would be “trampled down” by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The truth is, that is a controversial passage in that no one can say with certainty just what that means. Many conservative Bible scholars point to the liberation of Jerusalem’s Old City by Israeli paratroopers on June 7, 1967. The Israelis declared all of Jerusalem as their undivided capitol in 1980.

If that is true, and Luke’s account is referring to our time, we see that “weird” earthquakes are also a tell-tale sign. The damaged spire at the National Cathedral is a particularly strange site. I have noticed of late a turning-away of support for Israel, among American Christian leadership.

I want to be specific about that: American Christian leadership. The people are strong in their support (even if it is not as widespread as has been claimed), but prominent leaders like Bill Hybels are embracing the Palestinian narrative.

Could it be that the God of Israel is shaking the nations, due to their treatment of Israel? This is the message in Joel 3.

Whatever the source of the earthquakes, there is no question that they are occurring in far-flung places, now. People have often mistakenly compared these Gospel pronouncements to “increasing numbers” of earthquakes, but that is not what Scripture says. It says “diverse” places.

And that is certainly happening.