New Zealand Hit By Deadly Earthquake

A deadly earthquake hit the South Island of New Zealand:

Death Toll From Quake In New Zealand May Top 200

by Mark Memmott

At least 65 people are reported to have died in the powerful earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, earlier today.

But The New Zealand Herald warns that the death toll could climb to between 200 and 300. It says that “construction workers and search and rescue specialists are toiling under floodlights on a cold and wet night to dig out survivors and the dead from buildings flattened by the earthquake that ripped the city apart today.”

The South Island of New Zealand is less densely populated than its North Island. Here is another report:

NZ called ‘unlucky country’ by Moody’s TVNZ

Published: 10:53PM Tuesday February 22, 2011

New Zealand may face another year of anaemic economic growth after Christchurch was hit by a second major earthquake, says Moody’s Analytics, a unit of the global credit rating company.

The nation has been the ‘unlucky country’ over the past three years, unlike neighbouring Australia.

Drought helped push New Zealand into recession in 2008 just as the global financial crisis was kicking off, Moody’s says.

Last September’s 7.1 magnitude quake then undermined any economic recovery and the latest, more-damaging 6.3 magnitude quake “will be another devastating blow to an economy struggling to gather steam,” said Katrina Ell, associate economist at Moody’s Analytics.

The New Zealand economy may now face “another year of anaemic growth due to forces beyond its control.”

The Bible promises blessings (cf. Leviticus 26:3-13) and cursings (cf. Leviticus 26:14-39) for the descendants of Israel, plus it allows for repentance (cf. Leviticus 26:40-46). I do not consider that the receiving of curses is a matter of bad luck. All nations need repentance, and the Anglo-descended ones like New Zealand should realize this more than the Gentile-descended nations do.

The Old Testament warns of increasing curses and disasters for those who do not change based up the receipt of previous curses (Leviticus 26:19-21). This may be what is happening to New Zealand, or it simply may be affected by elements of what Jesus called the “beginning of sorrows”:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

We may be at this prophetic point of “sorrows” as all the earthquakes and other problems that have happened in the past year could be considered as “troubles”.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What is “the beginning of sorrows”? Have we begun or are we about ready for “the beginning of sorrows” to begin.
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?