Third Big One?

A warning of a Third Big Earthquake in Christchurch shared by Kathy Robinson (KR), an intercessor living in North Canterbury, is causing a lot of confusion and fear in Christchurch. I take prophecy seriously, so I have prayed about what this means. Here is my take on it.

I believe that KR did hear from God. She was right about a third earthquake, but wrong about the timing and some of the interpretation around her revelation.

We should not forget that Christchurch has already experienced three big earthquakes, in September 2010 (7.2), February 2010 (6.3) and June 2011(6.3) Some of the people in my neighbourhood have had to shovel the silt of liquefaction out of their homes three different times.

The third earthquake in June was the same strength as the one in February, but in some parts of Eastern Christchurch, it did more damage. The June quake left worse devastation in the CBD, as many of the buildings that owners had hoped to repair received further damage meaning they have had to be demolished. Hopes that the cathedral could be repaired were smashed.

I would not classify KR’s revelation as a prophecy. It is more a series of words of knowledge, received in response to questions she asked God. Asking questions of God is a good way to get understanding.

Most Christians would find it hard to know what to do with a revelation like this one, so KR deserves credit for the way she handled it. She gave the word to friends to pray over, before handing it to leaders of the intercession movement to test. The fear arose when other Christians began to hand her word around as if it was a validated prophecy (see Prophets and Prayers).

KRs first word of knowledge was received on 25 Sept 2010, a few weeks after the first earthquake.

One hundred and fifty days!

She seems to have been spot on with this, as it points to the 23 February 2011, the day after the second big quake.

After the February 2011 earthquake, she got a second revelation.

There is more yet to come.

She then asked when, and got one word,

Months

This seems fine to me. After the February earthquake, many Christians felt that it was not all over and that there was another big one to come.

However, being dissatisfied with the level of detail that God has given is risky, because a number of days later, KR sought another word and was given a specific date. This date does not ring true withme. God cannot be inconsistent. He would not give a broad time spread, and then change his mind and give a precise date a few days later. Therefore, I assume that the correct word on timing was that it would happen in a few months.

We should note that other people getting the same date does not prove that a date is from God. The enemy can send the same fiery dart against a number of people (Eph 6:16). The court prophets supporting the King of Israel often had the same word, but they were usually wrong (1 Kings 22:13) (see Dreams of Disaster).

If God said in February that there would be another big earthquake in a few months time, this was a true word, as it was fulfilled when the third big earthquake struck in June 2011.

A few days after getting the date, KR received another revelation,

water and drownings.

This probably came from God, but it has been misinterpreted. Many have interpreted it literally as a tsunami, but this is not right. I believe these words should be interpreted symbolically. Being swamped by water is usually a symbol for being spiritually or emotionally overwhelmed. Drownings can represent the crushing of the human spirit and the choking of hope. Psalm 18:16-17 and Psalm 69:14-15 are examples.

This is what happened after the third earthquake. After the February quake, people got straight out to remove the silt from their backyards. It was hard hot work, but their words were full of hope. “This thing will not beat us. We are resilient people, so we will come through this stronger.” The situation in Eastern Christchurch was totally different after the June quake. People were slow to take on the removal of silt. It seemed like they just did not have the energy to deal with it. They spoke words of despair, not hope. “We have had more than we can take. We cannot cope with any more”. Self-pity emerged quickly, and sometimes turned into complaint.

A thirty something man whom I met on the street looked like someone who would usually be afraid of nothing, but he had big tears in his eyes as he spoke about the uncertainty and fears for his family’s future.

Having seen the effect that the June earthquake had on the people that went through it, I cannot accept some of the scriptures and context that KR put round her words of knowledge. She said,

The impression I received was that the people’s hearts are so hardened that it would become necessary yet again to bring judgment before change would happen.

This assessment sounds like it was made by someone living outside Christchurch. It does not match with what I see here. In the eastern suburbs of Christchurch, where the effects of the earthquake are worst, hearts are not hard. People are worried, frightened, confused, angry, hurt and scared. You can see it on their faces, and when they speak, the stuff in their hearts comes out of their mouths. These are not hard hearts that need to be broken by judgment. They are broken hearts that need to see the love of Jesus and receive the peace of the Holy Spirit (see Hard Hearts).

Concern about prophecies of earthquakes has absorbed a huge amount of spiritual energy. God has things for his people to do in this city. We must be careful that we do not get distracted from his purposes by earthquakes and rumours of earthquakes.

I believe that the revelation received by KR was fulfilled when the third big earthquake struck in June. We will continue to experience aftershocks in Christchurch, but God has not said that we will have another big one. At the end of September, I will be the Eastern Christchurch going about my life as usual. I will try to serve Jesus and walk in the leading of the Spirit. I encourage everyone to follow the leading of the Spirit, not the voice of fear.