re portland earthquake bill rea cctr cantua canterbury ac nz wrote his theology clashed with the theology of the local prophets it was out of a very deep understanding of the mosaic covenant and an actute awareness of international events that jeremiah spoke his prophesies the judgement prophesies were deeply loaded with theological meaning in my opinion both the portland earthquake prophesy and the david wilkerson new york will burn prophesy are froth and bubble compared to the majestic theological depths of the jeremiah prophesies perhaps one other thing i should have added is that jeremiah s prophesies about the coming destruction of jerusalem would have been understood by the people of that time to be a full frontal assault on their understanding of their relationship with the lord today the if the general populace hears prophesies like the portland earthquake or new york will burn ones they are unlikely to see it in the context of their relationship or lack of it with the lord they are far more likely to think that they are just the result of the fevered imaginations of a religious nutter that is one reason why i am always deep y suspicious of bald judgement prophesies without any explanation of the reasons for the judgement this doesn t have to be long winded to see a relatively modern example look at abraham lincoln s second inaugural speech the relevant section is below it is this type of spiritual insight which was missing in both prophesies posted here excerpt from abraham lincoln s nd inaugural speech both read the same bible and pray to the same god and each invokes his aid against the other it may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just god s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men s faces but let us judge not that we be not judged the prayers of both could not he answered that of neither has been answered fully the almighty has his own purposes woe unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh if we shall suppose that american slavery is one of those offences which in the provdence of god must needs come but which having continued through his appointed time he now wills to remove and that he gives to both north and south this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offence came shall we discern therein an departure from those divine attribute which the believers in a living god always ascribe to him fondly do we hope fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away yet if god wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bond man s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said the judgments of the lord are true and righteous altogether with malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as god gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation s wounds to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations bill rea o o w u w bill rea computer services centre e mail b rea csc canterbury ac nz university of canterbury or cctr csc canterbury ac nz christchurch new zealand phone fax
