Tornadoes hit and two declare ‘state of emergency;’ What does the Bible say about tornadoes?

Tornadoes have been active:

February 25, 2016

A Virginia County is declaring a state of emergency after a storm passed through, damaging scores of buildings, injuring several people and killing one man.

Appomattox County Administrator Susan Adams said by phone Thursday morning that about 100 structures were damaged. She says about 20 of those were severely damaged, including some that were flattened. She says those numbers may go up as damage is assessed around the county.

Adams says the governor has been informed of the extent of the damage and may visit the area Thursday.

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8:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service says at least eight tornadoes hit Tuesday in Louisiana, where two people were killed.

That eight tornadoes include four EF-2 tornadoes that were responsible for the major damage in Convent and LaPlace, along with an EF-2 in Livingston Parish and one in Paincourtville (PAN’-koor-vil).

Meteorologist Fred Zeigler tells The Associated Press the tornado that destroyed a Convent trailer park and killed two people was an EF-2 tornado, with winds of 111-135 mph. Other EF-2 tornadoes were confirmed in Livingston, Paintcourtville, and the one in LaPlace, which destroyed or badly damaged at least 200 homes in several subdivisions. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-latest-virginia-guard-gears-up-to-help-after-storm/2016/02/25/0d0f73bc-dbb9-11e5-8210-f0bd8de915f6_story.html

February 25, 2016

The tornadoes that killed four people in Virginia on Wednesday were the state’s first deadly February twisters on record.

Three people died in the small town of Waverly and a fourth person was killed in Appomattox County, according to local officials. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/02/25/deadly-february-tornadoes-virginia/80918824/

February 25, 2016

A tornado outbreak stretched into a second full day of destruction and tragedy as the storm system shifted into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, killing four more people in Virginia.

The storm system has spanned hundreds of miles and more than a dozen states since the first tornado was spawned early Tuesday morning in Texas. Since then, hundreds of residences have been demolished and towns in several regions are faced with an extensive cleanup from these damaging storms. …

Pennsylvania

Multiple buildings in Salisbury Township were destroyed by the storm Wednesday, including two 600-foot chicken houses, the AP reported. …

Washington D.C.

More than 4,000 of Pepco’s customers were affected by power outages as of Wednesday night, according to the company’s website. Most of those outages had been restored by Thursday morning. …

New York

High winds tipped over a tractor-trailer on the George Washington Bridge Wednesday night, reports ABC 7. …

North Carolina

Severe storms left damage in the Tar Heel State Wednesday afternoon. In Wayne County, a mobile home was destroyed by strong winds or possibly a tornado near Indian Springs, according to an NWS storm report. …

South Carolina

Darlington County officials confirmed to the Morning News that 58-year-old Michael Gaines Sr. was killed by a falling tree brought down by strong winds Wednesday. …

Florida

For the second time in as many weeks, a large tornado, rated EF3, left major damage Tuesday night in Escambia County, located in the far western portion of the Florida Panhandle. Gov. Rick Scott, who traveled to Pensacola to view the damage and declared a state of emergency for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, said the twister heavily damaged more than 70 homes and 24 apartments in Escambia County. …

Mississippi

Lamar County officials confirmed to WDAM-TV that there was one tornado fatality near the town of Purvis on Tuesday. …

Alabama

The NWS has confirmed five tornadoes in Alabama from this tornado outbreak:

EF1: Marion County, near Hackleburg

EF1: Houston County

EF1: Houston and Dale counties

EF0: Pickens County

EF0: Houston County

Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency early Tuesday evening as the storm systems approached Alabama.

Georgia

A survey crew from the NWS confirmed an EF1 tornado hit Grady County in southern Georgia Tuesday night. The twister had maximum winds of 90 mph and was 400 yards wide, according to the damage survey. It was in progress for 12.9 miles.

Texas

Classes were canceled Tuesday in two southern Texas school districts after power outages and damage made it dangerous for students to attend. https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/tornado-severe-weather-outbreak-south-east-coast-news

Tornadoes injure at least hundreds and cause severe damage nearly every year.

While the terms ‘tornado’ and ‘cyclone’ are not in the NKJV, KJV, or the DRB (Douay Rheims Bible), some translations of the Bible (like THE MESSAGE) do use them, and those that do not tend to use the term ‘whirlwind,’ which is basically what a tornado/cyclone is.

The Bible shows that whirlwinds are one of the forms of weather that God controls:

3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.

The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet. (Nahum 1:3)

God teaches that because of disobedience He will scatter people and use a whirlwind:

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’

11 But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.” (Zechariah 7:8-14)

21 A cyclone sweeps them up — gone!
Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them;
they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide —
23 Pummeled by the weather,
blown to kingdom come by the storm.’
(Job 27:21-23, THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.)

12 Woe to the multitude of many people, like the multitude of the roaring sea: and the tumult of crowds, like the noise of many waters.

13 Nations shall make a noise like the noise of waters overflowing, but he shall rebuke him, and he shall flee far off: and he shall be carried away as the dust of the mountains before the wind, and as a whirlwind before a tempest.

14 In the time of the evening, behold there shall be trouble: the morning shall come, and he shall not be: this is the portion of them that have wasted us, and the lot of them that spoiled us. (Isaiah 17:12-14, DRB)

The following is telling of a time when at least some of the descendents of Ephraim (currently dominating lands such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) will face a major destruction from a tornado:

5 Even though Ephraim ran wild,
the black sheep of the family.

“God’s tornado is on its way,
roaring out of the desert.
It will devastate the country,
leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage.
The cities will be gutted,
dear possessions gone for good.
16 Now Samaria has to face the charges
because she has rebelled against her God:
Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks,
pregnant women ripped open.
(Hosea 13:15-16, THE MESSAGE)

In the above, notice that Samaria is also affected. This seems to be a reference to the ‘melting pot’ of the USA (Samaria was a melting pot mixture of Babylonians and Israelites).

The following also seems to be directed towards the end time descendents of Israel (Israel, also known as Jacob, places his name on the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48:14-16):

16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the Lord,
And glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:16)

6 For from Israel is even this:
A workman made it, and it is not God;
But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

7 “They sow the wind,
And reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no bud;
It shall never produce meal.
If it should produce,
Aliens would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up;
Now they are among the Gentiles
Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria,
Like a wild donkey alone by itself;
Ephraim has hired lovers. (Hosea 8:6-9)

The passage in Hosea 8 is clearly referring to the descendents of Israel, including Ephraim and Samaria. Notice that they are among the Gentiles and some go to Assyria (end time Germany). There are enough references to whirlwinds and the end time descendents of Israel that it seems like one or more major tornadoes are prophesied to affect them. For more details, see Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?

The following, presuming it is intended literally, indicates that there will be a very major tornado in the time of the end:

9 Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury —
A violent whirlwind!
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart.
In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. (Jeremiah 23:19-20)

23 Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.

In the latter days you will consider it. (Jeremiah 30:23-24)

The fact that this is predicted at least twice in Jeremiah suggests that this will whirlwind will be a major event.

Notice, also the following:

13 God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Ammon
— make that four — I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She ripped open pregnant women in Gilead
to get more land for herself.
14 For that, I’m burning down the walls of her capital, Rabbah,
burning up her forts.
Battle shouts! War whoops!
with a tornado to finish things off!
(Amos 1:13-14, THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language)

6 And it shall be at an instant suddenly. A visitation shall come from the Lord of hosts in thunder, and with earthquake, and with a great noise of whirlwind and tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire. (Isaiah 29:6, DRB)

30 And the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall shew the terror of his arm, in the threatening of wrath, and the dame of devouring fire: he shall crush to pieces with whirlwind, and hailstones.

31 For at the voice of the Lord the Assyrian shall fear being struck with the rod. (Isaiah 30:30-31, DRB)

23 He brings the princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.

24 Scarcely shall they be planted,
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. (Isaiah 40:23-24)

Thus, though some of these passages may also have a figurative sense, major tornadoes are predicted in biblical prophecy.

Now, does this mean that those most affected by tornadoes are necessarily worse sinners than those less affected?

The biblical answer is no.

Notice the words of Jesus:

45…He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4-5)

God uses weather and other events to try to get people’s attention.

God does not want people to suffer, but to turn to Him:

10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”‘ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:10-11)

God wants people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). He uses weather for correction and for His mercy (Job 37:13).

Will you heed the weather warnings?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? Here is a new YouTube video titled Does God Use Weather?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Do Christians Sin? This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is also a link to a video titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
False Conversion Have you really been converted? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this article on this important subject.
All About Water Baptism What is baptism? Would you like to know more about it. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. As far as early history, see also Baptism and the Early Church.
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?