⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7 NASV)

New York City and its 8.4 million residents were shaken by a small earthquake that hit the city on Tuesday, Jan 2, 2024, Todd Starnes reports.

According to the US Geological Service, the 1.7 magnitude earthquake struck Roosevelt Island at about 6 in the morning.

Though there were no injuries or damage, there were reports of several small explosions, buildings being shaken, and power outages across the city.

There were also reports of manhole fires, suggesting that parts of the city’s underground electrical system had been compromised.

According to an article by the Associated Press, there was also a 2.3 magnitude earthquake in the Maryland suburb of Washington DC at two in the morning the same day.

Again there were no reports of injuries and damages, but the tremors were felt in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

A powerful 7.6 earthquake hit Japan on Monday, Jan 1, 2024 causing massive devastation, Yahoo News reports.

According to the latest figures, over 60 people are dead. However, this number is expected to climb as rescuers are still digging out people from beneath collapsed homes.

It is estimated that 90% of the homes in the city of Suzu, near the quake’s epicenter, were destroyed. The ground also shifted upwards by 13′ and the change was even picked up by equipment on Japan’s ALOS-2 spacecraft, which reported that the distance between it and the earth had shrunk.

Scenes from the M7.5 earthquake that hit central Japan on January 1, 2024pic.twitter.com/AvuhhUfj6h

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 3, 2024

Last year, there were several major earthquakes reported around the world, including:

• 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in Feb. 2023: Death toll 50,000
• 6.8 magnitude Earthquake in Morocco in Sept. 2023: Death toll 2,900
• 6.3 Earthquake that hit Afghanistan in Oct 2023: Death toll 1,300

As part of Jesus’ prediction of events leading to His second coming, the Lord warned of earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7).

These were to be looked upon as only the beginning of the birth pangs, meaning the main apocalyptic event was yet to come.