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geological formations exist along the
Kurile-Kamchatka-Aieutian arch
system. Here the Pacific plate is
diving under the·Eurasian plate.
The Philippines are and the Mar–
ianas are are examples of build up of
extrudcd melting earth roek from the
sea floor in past history.
Famous Tectonic Rifts
The Japanese are is another example
of earth-folding movement and wide–
spread volcanie extrusions near plate
boundaries. The famous Mount Fu–
jiyama is but a volcanie eone rising
within the are.
Along J apan's eastern shorc an
edge of the Paeific plate is moving
undcr the Eurasian continent. Onc
result is the 5-mile deep J apan
Trench. Another is frequent earth–
quakes.
When a continental plate is being
torn apart-as along the Great Rift
Valley in Africa and around Lake
Baikal in the Soviet Union-the land
surface gradually rips. Great lake
regions often fill in such rifts.
In addition to colliding, running
over or under each other, plates also
grind past each other. In the process
they also bend or crack (fault) rock.
Such is the case along California's
San Andreas Fault. Here the north–
ward-moving Pacific plate rubs past
the North American plateat a ra te of
about 2 inches a year. A vast web of
fault systems underlies the area. The
ominous earthquake implications of
this plat.e interraetion in California
has bcen widely reported in recent
years.
Volcanoes-Brother of Earthquakes
Most volcanoes are also born along
platc boundaries. Eighty percent of
volcanoes occur in belts of compres–
sion, where plates converge. Fifteen
percent occur where plates diverge.
The rcst oeeur elsewhere in plate
areas. The Hawaiian islands are sueh
an exarnple of the latter.
The rnidplate Hawaiian area of
the lithosphere is moving over a "hot
spot" in the mantle. It is one of the
few places where lava pushes up
through thinner ocean plates. Earth–
quakes in this area are related to
volcanie forees.
H istorian-philosopher Will Du-
April 1980
rant made an astute observation
when he said, "Civilization exists by
geologieal consent, subjeet to ehange
without notice."
How appreciative we should be of
the beauty and blessings of the earth.
And that God has through human
history granted as much stability for
human civilization as He has.
Earth seience should humble man–
kind-for powerful, threatening
forces over which he has no control
are under his feet.
Bible prophecy frequently warns
of earthquakes and other seismic
disruptions. T he book of Revelation
unveils earth-shaking events, which
will humble a haughty and rebellious
human race in the closing days of
man's civilization before the return
of Jesus Christ. "And great earth–
quakes shall be in
divers places .
.."
said Jesus Christ (Luke 21:11 ).
Whether you accept the authori ty
of the Bible or not, earthquakes "in
diverse places" will affect major
areas of civilization in this decade–
and more likely than not, your life.
Read the accompanying article
beginning on page
28
to understand
why. o
PLOT
(Continued from page 20)
the assault-including impressive
logistics such as a plan to hold out
against a lengthy siege-convinced
Saudi authorities that the plotters
had been exposed to a high degree of
military training. The action had
been carried out like a small-seale
military operation.
1nterrogations of captured insur–
gents eonfirmed Saudi suspicions.
Many admitted they had been
trained in camps at Lehaj in adjoin–
ing South Yemen-a Marxist state
with close ties to the Soviet Union!
The incident, they said, had been
carefully planned for about si x
months.
A senior Saudi Arabian official
direetly involved in dealing with the
terrorists concluded that the action
"was sponsored by international or–
ganizations, probably Russians, to
undermine the stability of Saudi
Arabia." This assessmen t corre-
sponds to Western intelligence re–
ports.
Saudi " Pearl Harbor"
The press has referred to the November
incidents in Meeca and Medina as Saudi
Arabia's "Pearl Harbor." The Saudis
had been taken total!y by surprise.
For the moment, the Saudi royal
family remains more or less firmly in
the saddle. But whether it will be
able, in the long run, to withstand
eontinuing international revolu–
tionary pressure has yet to be seen.
The evidence is overwhelming that
international forees are bent on the
eventual overthrow of the eonserva–
tive Saudi monarchy. Their s1,1eeess
would be a grave development for the
Free World, vastly altering the geo–
political pieture in the Middle East.
At stake is the very keystone of
Middle Eastern stability. A top
NATO military analyst recently
noted that "the
most important aim
of American politieal and military
poliey must be the maintenanee of
the government of Saudi Arabia."
An overthrow of the present Saudi.
leadership would be a disastrous–
even fatal- blow to Western politieal
and economie interests in the Middle
East. Especially now, following the
cbaos in lran and the resultant
decline in Iranian oil produetion. At
9.5 million barreis a day, Saudi Ara–
bia remains the most critica! produc–
er by far of all the Persian Gulf oil
states. Saudi Arabia holds fully a
quarter of the Free World's known
oil reserves.
The Joss to the Western world of
Saudi Arabia would utterly paJe into
insignificance both the revolution in
Iran and the Soviet military interven–
tion in Afghanistan.
Bible prophecy indicates that in the
not-too-distant future, a great "kingof
the north"- leader over a powerful
European confederation-will find
himself in a confrontation with an
Arab "king of the south"-possibly
over the very question of oil supplies!
Many countries of the Middle East
will be subsequently overthrown by
European military intervention in the
region (Danielll :40-41 ).
Keep your eyes on the volatile Middle
East. The propheeies oftheBible are fast
moving toward fulfillment. o
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