DailyCelestialChallenge-Thursday-ForcesNature

Hello my brothers from steemit, at #celestialchallenge started by @sirknight my entry is with:The earthquake of the cross

There have been many times in my life while I was living in the east of Venezuela that a family member or friend was approaching me and asking me: "Did you feel the tremor?"

There was an earthquake that shook Calvary at the moment when Christ died. It was like a gigantic exclamation mark written by the finger of God. He referred to the magnitude of the death of Jesus Christ. It was as if God was saying, "Wake up! Pay attention!"

The sudden tremor of the earth was at the exact moment when Jesus gave the cry of victory, "It's over!" And he gave his spirit to the Father.

Source

POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE IN CALVARIO
The Gospel of Matthew says: "Then the veil of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks split" (27:51).

The location of the tremor
"The earth shook" does not tell us the degree of the earthquake that day. This may mean no more of the earth and may have been limited to Jerusalem and Judea. But on the cross, the earth trembled and the fear of combat soldiers experienced it. We must believe in the context. The center of the epic was on the cross. The location of the earthquake was located on Calvary. Our text simply says, "the earth shook and the rocks split."

Was it a natural phenomenon?
Earthquakes are frequent in the Middle East. Why should we pay special attention to this sudden shaking at Calvary? The timing of the event is what draws our attention and the fact that the witnesses "were very scared." It was not a small tremor, but there was no damage either.

Matthew is suggesting that it was another supernatural event. God was involved, God made the earth tremble. By an act of his will, at a precise moment, God touched the earth and shook it.

The earthquake was miraculous. It was the result of divine participation. This was not a normal natural phenomenon. This earthquake was independent of the natural movement of the plates in the earth. It was by an act of God's will that the earth trembled at the moment of Christ's death.

When we consider the other miraculous events taking place at the precise moment of the evening, we can not but arrive at the reasoned conclusion that this tremor is a part of the larger picture of that cosmic event. The supernatural three hours of darkness, the tearing of the great curtain that divides the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the victorious cry and the manner in which Christ died, the division of the rocks and the opening of selected graves, all reinforce the sound of conviction that God did it.

The rocks in the tombs opened. But the most important thing to keep in mind is only certain graves were opened by earthquake. This strange and violent earthquake did not disturb anything else that day.

Source

"A recent study published in the International Geology Review, by German researchers at the Geoscience Research Center, comes to a more enlightening conclusion about the timing of the earthquake."

Witness response
The earth trembled and drew the attention of the Roman centurion at the foot of the cross of Jesus and that "he was very frightened". Records of Matthew: "The centurion and those who were with him guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that had been done, full of fear said: 'Truly this was the Son of God'" (Matthew 27:54).

Luke tells us that the centurion, "When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God saying:" Truly this man was righteous "(Luke 23:47).

Our response to Jesus' death for our sins must be one of praise, thanksgiving, trust, worship and love for him.

We do not know the total effect of all these miracles combined on Calvary to the people they experienced and their families perhaps until the day of Pentecost, when 3,000 people believed in Christ as their Savior (Acts 2:41). They must have been a powerful witness to the redemptive act of God at Calvary. The book of Acts tells us that in the months after Pentecost, many priests put their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

God spoke on the shaken earth
Calvary reminds us of another strong earthquake. God spoke on the mountain. Sinai and the earth trembled in a way that Moses tells us that "The mountains trembled before the Lord,
the Sinai trembled before the Lord, the God of Israel. "(Judges 5: 5) God spoke in that scene and communicated his law to a fallen and depraved people.

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Judgment tremor
The Trembling of Calvary is also a harbinger of another day when the Lord God "For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Little by little I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land" (Hag. 2: 6) . All the created order, the totality of the creation, will make it tremble the next days. It will be the horrible final tremor with the judgment and the consummation of our salvation.

What is temporary and transient will be eliminated, but the immovable-the kingdom of God, will stay. God is going to inaugurate the permanence, the new heaven and the new earth. It will be in response to the fall in the Garden of Eden. At that moment all the eternal purposes of God in creation are brought to their full and final realization. Our redemption purchased by Christ on the cross will be consummated in the glory of Christ (Revelation 21: 1ff; 2 Peter 3: 10-13). Christ will return in His majesty, power and glory (Rev. 19: 11ff.) It is the tremor of the second coming of Christ and the whole universe will be transformed.

The Law as the blood of Abel cried out to appeal the judgment of God, but the blood of Jesus Christ carries a message of cleansing, forgiveness and reconciliation with God for all who believe in Him (Hebrews 12:24). Instead of cursing and calling us to judgment, the blood of Jesus defends our case and cleanses us (1 John 1: 7-9, Col. 1:20). The blood of Abel cried out, the blood of Jesus cleansed.

The blood of Jesus is the blood of a better covenant. His blood speaks of our eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) instead of condemnation and judgment. His blood is the end that takes away our sins (verse 26) that purges our bad conscience (10:22), sanctifies all who believe in Him (10:10, 14). Instead of rejecting us, he reconciles us (10:19), instead of ruining us he brings us blessings. His blood carries the cleansing instead of cursing.

As in the days of Moses, people still do not pay attention to the Word of God and suffer for their disobedience. When God spoke to him on Sinai, "the whole mountain trembled" (Ex 19:18; Ps 68: 7 f). And when Jesus Christ comes a second time it will be like Isaiah spoke of the coming of the day of Jehovah. "When he rises to shake the earth hard" (21: 9, 21). But not only will the earth tremble, but the heavens, too. He says in Isaiah 13:13,

"Because I will make the heavens tremble
and the earth will move from its place
for the indignation of the LORD of hosts,
in the day of the fierceness of his wrath. "

God is going to shake the heavens and the earth at the end of the present world order (Revelation 20:11, 21: 1; 6: 12ff; 16:18; 2 Peter 3:10). The writer of Hebrews said: "His voice then moved the earth, but now he has promised saying:" Once again I will touch not only the earth, but also the sky. " (12:26)

God reveals his eternal purpose on earth with trembling events. God will vindicate his sovereign will. As the Revelation clearly teaches He will exalt the throne of David and everyone will worship him.

Reference

For more information, check his blog:
https://steemit.com/celestialchallenge/@sirknight/sirknight-s-daily-celestial-challenge-new-for-all-steemians

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