Volume 45 Issue Seven July 2026
Last Trumpet Ministries ∙ PO Box 806 ∙ Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
Seismic Shifts“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:27-29
When an extraordinary change occurs, whether culturally or politically, it is often called a “seismic shift.” For example, when Donald Trump won the presidential election in November 2016, The Washington Post published a story with the headline, “Trump maps out a new administration to bring a seismic shift to Washington.” (1) An entry for the term found in YourDictionary defines “seismic shift” as meaning “a fundamental reorientation of a state of affairs.” (2) Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary simply defines it as meaning “a great change.” (3) While “seismic shift” is often used by the media to report a life-altering story, the term itself originates from the study of earthquakes. “Seismic” means “of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake,” (4) and “seismology” is “a science that deals with earthquakes and with artificially produced vibrations of the earth.” (5)
As we move past the halfway point of 2026, the world is experiencing rapid changes that could be aptly described as a series of seismic shifts. The political landscape in the United States is changing in ways that could have profound implications for the country's future. International relations are being reshaped by war, potentially leading to a major transformation of the Middle East. But we can also consider seismic shifts in their most literal sense: in recent weeks, there has been a notable uptick in earthquake activity.
The Beginning Of Sorrows
Earthquakes have long captured the attention of Bible-believing Christians. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ specifically mentioned them in his Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24. In Matthew 24:7-8, Jesus warns, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Even now, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are battling a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus, which can rightly be called a pestilence. The Middle East is still in a volatile state as a shaky ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is sputtering like a lawnmower engine deciding if it wants to start. The war between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing, with recent reports indicating that Ukraine is causing trouble for Russia with its massive fleet of drones. Officials at the United Nations are warning that disruptions of the global energy supply caused by a three-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz could worsen famine. It is only fitting that these days of turmoil should also be marked by earthquakes.
War, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes are not new, but when Jesus describes them as “the beginning of sorrows,” he likens these events to the birth pangs of a woman in labor. According to Strong’s Concordance, the original Greek for the word translated as “sorrows” refers to “the pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs.” Thus, the implication is that as we move through time and draw closer to the return of our Saviour, these troublesome events will become more frequent, just as a woman’s contractions during childbirth grow closer together.
