Earthquake Left Water Supply Damage For Hundreds
An earthquake on Hawaii's Big Island has damaged water supply infrastructure for hundreds of residents, compounding the effects of recent storms and illustrating the pattern of natural disasters Jesus said would increase in the last days.
Luke 21:11
Prophetic Fulfillment“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
Why this passage
In Luke 21, Jesus is answering the disciples' question about the sign of His coming and the end of the age. He lists earthquakes among the 'beginning of birth pains' (Matthew 24:8) that will characterize the period before His return.
The phrase 'in various places' indicates these events will be scattered across the earth, not concentrated in one location.
This earthquake on Hawaii—a remote island chain in the Pacific—fits precisely the pattern Jesus described: a significant seismic event in a specific place, causing tangible damage to essential infrastructure like water supply. The verse's original hearers would have understood earthquakes as divine judgments or signs, and Jesus repurposes the expectation as a sign of approaching redemption.
Historical context, theological significance, application today — denomination-neutral, ~1,000-word walk-through.
Behold, the earth trembles and groans under the weight of sin's curse. Jesus Himself warned that 'there will be great earthquakes in various places' (Luke 21:11), not as random tragedies but as birth pangs—signs that the King is returning.
When we see water supplies fail and communities struggle after quakes, we are reminded that this world is not our home. Let these tremors stir our hearts to readiness, not fear, for every shaking earth points to the unshakable kingdom to come.
Today's Prayer
Pray for the residents of Hawaii's Big Island whose water supply has been disrupted, that God would provide for their physical needs and that this trial would turn hearts toward the eternal refuge found in Christ.
Further Scripture
Additional passages that illuminate this event, each grounded in a distinct interpretive lens.
“The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.”
Why this passage
Isaiah 24 is a prophecy of worldwide judgment—the 'Day of the Lord' that will come upon the whole earth because of human sin. The language of the earth being 'broken,' 'split apart,' and 'violently shaken' uses earthquake imagery to describe God's judgment on creation itself for humanity's transgression.
While Isaiah's primary horizon is eschatological (the final judgment), the principle is clear: earthquakes are not merely natural phenomena but are connected to the curse upon creation because of sin (Romans 8:20-22). Every earthquake is a preview of that final shaking.
How it applies
The earthquake damaging water infrastructure on Hawaii is a microcosm of the cosmic shaking Isaiah describes. The 'transgression lies heavy' upon the earth, and we see its effects in broken pipes and disrupted lives.
This is not to say the victims are being punished for specific sins, but rather that all creation groans under the weight of sin's curse. The earthquake is a reminder that this present world order is passing away—and that only in Christ is there an unshakable foundation.
Related by Scripture
Other events we've interpreted through the same passage or hermeneutical lens.
Powerful Philippine quake leaves at least 32 feared dead
Earthquakes & Natural DisastersShares Luke 21:11Magnitude 5.7 aftershock hits off Sarangani — PHIVOLCS
Earthquakes & Natural DisastersShares Luke 21:11Man from Digos City dies after powerful Mindanao earthquake
Earthquakes & Natural DisastersShares Luke 21:11Philippines earthquake kills 15, prompts tsunami fears: All to know
Earthquakes & Natural DisastersShares Luke 21:11Philippines Earthquake: CCTV Footage Of The Moment Tremor Hit Davao City
Earthquakes & Natural DisastersShares Luke 21:11
Community launching soon
Get the invite by email when the Watchman's Wall opens
Share this article
Source: The Associated Press— we link to the original for full context.