wow I never knew that the word translated as earthquake, could mean any tragic unrest. I guess it's easy to grab onto earthquakes since they are completely unpredictable and can have such an effect over an area. Simply saying that there could be an "unrest" doesn't paint an urgent enough picture for dubs
"There will be earthquakes..." Show this site to JW's and watch their faces
by Terry 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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problemaddict
Not trying to muddy the waters here, but I think the data needs to be the crux here, and not the translation of this greek word. not only is it clearly the root of the word "seismic", but when considering a concordance and the useage of the word scripturally, it seems to pretty much almost exclusively refer to an actual earthquake or storm.
I have a couple examples below. While it may be true the word COULD mean unrest, the actual use doesn't seem to suggest it, at least biblically and NT speaking. There are only 14 uses. One of the examples given by Strongs, is the actual scripture in question. So changing this word, although it would bolster our assertions regarding earthquakes, I don't think is rooted in fact.
Think of this. if there was an "unrest" politically for example, could it be seen during an event such as Jesus expiration on the stake?
And behold, there was a great earthquake ( seismos | σεισμ?ς | nom sg masc ); for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled away the stone and sat on it.
When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake ( seismon | σεισμ?ν | acc sg masc ) and what was happening, they were terrified, and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake ( seismos | σεισμ?ς | nom sg masc ), so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
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wha happened?
even if it's just used for earthquakes or a storm, it's not exclusive to a translation of only earthquakes. That kinda kills the theology of dubs regarding the increase in earthquakes as a sign. I guess they would have to also call for an increase in storms as well
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JWOP
At one point the WT did concur that the frequency of Earthquakes has not actually increased, just the damage from them has:
(Awake! March 22, 2002, p.9)
...the number of earthquakes has not substantially increased in recent decades. In fact, the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center reports that earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude and greater remained “fairly constant” throughout the 20th century.
Note, though, that the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy does not require an increase in the number or power of earthquakes. All Jesus said was that there would be great earthquakes in one place after another. Furthermore, he stated that these events would mark the “beginning of pangs of distress.” (Matthew 24:8) Distress is measured, not by the number of earthquakes or how they rate on the Richter scale, but by the effect that they have upon people.