West Coast Tsunami Prophecies: What Does the Bible Say?

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Synopsis

Over the past several months, social media has been flooded with Christians claiming that God has shown them the same warning: a catastrophic tsunami striking the West Coast of the United States. Some describe vivid dreams. Others share visions. Still others say they received a direct word from the Lord. The sheer number of these messages has caused many believers to ask an important question: Should Christians take these warnings seriously, dismiss them completely, or is there a biblical response that rises above both fear and skepticism?

This episode is not an attempt to prove or disprove anyone’s personal experience. Instead, it asks a far more important question: What does the Bible tell Christians to do when someone says, “God showed me?” Throughout Scripture, God warned His people before times of judgment, famine, persecution, and disaster. At the same time, the Bible repeatedly warns about false prophets, deception, and the danger of accepting every spiritual claim without careful examination. Rather than following emotions or popular opinion, believers are commanded to test every message against God’s Word.

Drawing from both the Old and New Testaments, this investigation examines how God has spoken throughout history, the biblical standards He established for evaluating prophetic claims, and the responsibility every believer has to exercise discernment. I also compare today’s West Coast tsunami prophecies with documented modern prophetic claims that preceded major historical events, carefully examining what can be verified, what remains uncertain, and what lessons can be learned from each case.

Whether these current warnings ultimately prove accurate, prove mistaken, or remain unanswered, God’s instructions to His people never change. This episode is about replacing fear with wisdom, speculation with Scripture, and confusion with discernment. My goal is not to tell you what to think about the latest prophecy, but to show you what the Bible says so that the next time someone claims, “God showed me,” you’ll know exactly how Scripture tells you to respond.

Monologue

Good evening, everyone, and welcome back to Cause Before Symptom, where I don’t chase symptoms—I test the cause against Scripture.

Over the past several months, I have watched something unusual happen. My social media feeds have become flooded with Christians claiming they have received the same warning. Some say they had a dream. Others describe a vision. Others say God spoke to them during prayer. While the details often differ, the central message is remarkably similar. They believe a catastrophic tsunami is coming to the West Coast of the United States.

Normally, when one or two people make a prophetic claim, it comes and goes without much attention. But this is different. I am not talking about one person or even a handful of people. I am talking about what appears to be hundreds of Christians from different churches, different backgrounds, and different parts of the country saying they have received a similar warning. Some know each other, but many appear to have no connection at all. That caught my attention, not because numbers prove something is from God, but because it raises an important biblical question.

What is a Christian supposed to do when this happens?

Notice the question I didn’t ask. I didn’t ask whether these prophecies are true. I didn’t ask whether they are false. I didn’t ask whether a tsunami is coming next month or ten years from now. The reason I didn’t ask those questions is because the Bible first asks a different one. Before God tells His people what to believe about a prophetic claim, He tells them how to examine it. That is where I want to begin.

One of the things that concerns me today is that many believers seem to fall into one of two extremes. One group believes almost every prophecy they hear. If someone says, “God showed me,” that settles the matter. Another group rejects every modern prophetic claim before it is even examined because they assume God no longer works that way. As I have studied the Scriptures, I don’t see God encouraging either approach.

The Bible is actually far more balanced than many of us are. Scripture shows us that God has warned people before major events. Noah was warned before the flood. Joseph was warned through dreams. Daniel interpreted visions. Agabus warned the early Church about a coming famine. God has never had a problem communicating with His people when He chose to do so.

But the very same Bible also contains repeated warnings about false prophets, false dreams, false visions, and people who sincerely believed they were speaking for God when they were not. Jesus warned His disciples again and again about deception. Jeremiah confronted prophets who spoke from their own imagination. Ezekiel challenged those who claimed peace when there was no peace. The apostles instructed believers to test the spirits and examine every prophetic claim carefully.

That tells me something very important. God knew there would always be two realities existing at the same time. There would be genuine warnings, and there would be false ones. There would be people faithfully delivering God’s message, and there would be others who were mistaken, deceived, or speaking from their own hearts. If that has always been true, then discernment has always been necessary.

That is why I decided to make this episode.

I am not here to endorse every person making a West Coast tsunami prophecy, and I am certainly not here to mock them. I don’t know what each person experienced, and I refuse to judge someone’s heart. What I can examine is whether the messages being shared can withstand the tests that God Himself established in His Word. If Scripture gives believers a framework for evaluating prophetic claims, then that framework should be applied equally to every claim, regardless of who is making it.

As I prepared for this episode, I spent time researching not only the biblical teaching on prophecy and discernment, but also documented examples of modern prophetic claims that were said to precede major historical events. I wanted to know what could actually be verified. I wanted to know how often these claims were recorded before the event instead of being remembered afterward. I wanted to know whether history could teach us anything that would help us think more biblically about what we are seeing today.

What I discovered reinforced something I have believed for a long time. God’s Word is never behind the times. Long before social media, long before podcasts, long before millions of people could instantly share a dream with the entire world, God had already given His people instructions for moments exactly like this. The technology has changed. Human nature has not. Neither has God’s wisdom.

There is another reason I wanted to make this episode, and I think it is just as important. Fear spreads quickly. All it takes is one dramatic video, one frightening headline, or one emotional testimony, and suddenly people begin wondering if tomorrow will be the day everything changes. Fear has a way of bypassing discernment. It pressures us to react before we have taken time to think, pray, and search the Scriptures.

But fear has never been God’s method for leading His people.

Whenever God warned His people in the Bible, His purpose was never to create panic. His purpose was to produce faithfulness. Sometimes that meant repentance. Sometimes it meant preparation. Sometimes it meant endurance. But it always pointed people back to Him rather than leaving them consumed by fear.

So tonight, I want to ask you to do something with me. Set aside every YouTube video you’ve watched. Set aside every social media post you’ve read. Set aside every opinion, including mine. Open your Bible, and let’s allow God’s Word to establish the standard. If these warnings are genuine, Scripture will help us understand how to respond. If they are not, Scripture will protect us from deception. Either way, the answer is the same.

By the end of this episode, my hope is not that you’ll leave convinced one way or the other about the West Coast tsunami prophecies. My hope is that you’ll leave with something even more valuable. I hope you’ll leave knowing exactly what the Bible says every Christian should do whenever someone looks into a camera and says, “God showed me.”

So let’s begin where every discussion about prophecy should begin—not with personalities, not with predictions, and not with fear.

Let’s begin with the Word of God.

Part 1 – Why This Flood of Prophecies Deserves Careful Attention

I want to begin tonight by making something very clear. The purpose of this episode is not to decide whether every person claiming to have received a vision about a West Coast tsunami is telling the truth. I don’t know what each individual has experienced, and neither do you. Only God knows the heart. The purpose of this episode is much simpler and, I believe, much more important. It is to answer a question that every Christian will face sooner or later. What am I supposed to do when someone says, “God showed me something?”

Over the last several months, I have seen what appears to be an extraordinary increase in these claims. Some people describe seeing enormous waves crashing into coastal cities. Others speak of a great earthquake followed by a tsunami. Some mention specific states. Others avoid details altogether. Some say they received the warning years ago and believe now is the time to speak. Others claim the Lord woke them in the middle of the night with an urgent burden to warn others. Whether you have seen five of these videos or five hundred, it is difficult to ignore that this conversation has become widespread throughout the Christian community.

At first, I wondered if my social media algorithm was simply feeding me more of the same content because I had watched a few videos. That certainly happens. The more time you spend watching one subject, the more the platform assumes you want to see it. But as I continued researching, I found people discussing these warnings across multiple platforms, from different denominations, different regions, and different ministries. Some of these individuals appear to know each other. Many appear to have no connection whatsoever. That doesn’t prove their message is from God, but it does make the subject worthy of careful examination.

One of the first mistakes people make is assuming that numbers establish truth. If hundreds of people are saying the same thing, then surely they must all be right. But the Bible never teaches that truth is determined by majority vote. Throughout Scripture, there were moments when the majority was wrong. In the days of Noah, nearly the entire world rejected God’s warning. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, the majority had gathered around the golden calf. When twelve spies entered the Promised Land, ten returned with fear while only two trusted God’s promise. Numbers alone have never been God’s standard for determining truth.

At the same time, the opposite mistake is just as dangerous. Some people hear about modern prophecies and immediately laugh them off. They assume that because many false predictions have been made throughout history, every modern warning must also be false. But that isn’t what the Bible teaches either. If God warned Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Agabus, and countless others throughout Scripture, then dismissing the possibility that God could warn His people today simply because someone else has been wrong in the past is not a biblical conclusion. The Bible calls believers to something far more challenging than blind acceptance or automatic rejection.

That brings me to one of the most important verses for tonight’s discussion. In 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21, Paul writes, “Do not despise prophecies. Test everything. Hold fast what is good.” I want you to notice that those two commands stand side by side. Paul does not say to despise prophecy, nor does he say to accept every prophecy. Instead, he commands believers to test everything. That single instruction destroys both extremes. It tells the gullible believer to slow down and examine the message. It also tells the skeptic not to reject something before it has been tested.

John gives a similar instruction in 1 John 4:1. He writes, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” That verse has always fascinated me because John assumes something very important. He assumes that believers will hear competing spiritual claims. He doesn’t say, “You’ll never encounter someone claiming to speak for God.” He says the opposite. There will be many voices, many claims, and many messages. The responsibility of the believer is not to panic or become cynical. The responsibility is to test.

But what does it actually mean to test? Does it mean comparing one prophet against another? Does it mean counting how many people had similar dreams? Does it mean looking for the most popular video online? None of those methods are found in Scripture. When the Bible speaks about testing, it always directs believers back to the character of God, the truth of His Word, and the standards He has already revealed. In other words, the test does not begin with the prophecy. It begins with the Bible.

That is exactly why I decided to make this episode. I realized that many discussions online begin with the dreams themselves. One person describes a vision, another adds more details, someone else claims to confirm it, and before long the conversation revolves around personalities rather than Scripture. I wanted to reverse that order completely. Before examining any modern claim, I wanted to know what God had already said about prophecy, dreams, warnings, discernment, and the responsibility of believers. If the Bible has already established the standard, then that standard should never change regardless of who is speaking.

As I continued researching, another question began forming in my mind. Has anything like this happened before in recent history? Have there been other moments when large numbers of Christians believed God was warning them about a coming disaster? If so, what actually happened? Were those warnings documented before the events occurred? Were they remembered only after the fact? Did they produce repentance, fear, confusion, or faithful preparation? Those questions deserve honest answers, not because history is equal to Scripture, but because history can help us understand how people have responded to prophetic claims in the past.

Throughout this episode, I want to keep bringing us back to one central principle. I am not asking you to trust my opinion. I am asking you to compare everything you hear—including what I say tonight—with the Word of God. The Bereans were praised in the book of Acts because they searched the Scriptures daily to see whether what Paul himself was teaching was true. Think about that for a moment. If the Apostle Paul welcomed his teaching being examined by Scripture, then every modern preacher, teacher, prophet, podcast host, YouTuber, and television personality should be willing to submit to the very same standard.

So before I examine a single modern prophecy, before I compare historical examples, and before I discuss any claims about the West Coast, I want to establish one unshakable foundation. The Bible is not silent on this subject. God anticipated that His people would one day hear voices claiming divine revelation, and He lovingly gave us instructions long before social media ever existed. The question is not whether there are many voices speaking today. The question is whether I am willing to let Scripture decide which voices deserve my attention.

That is where this investigation truly begins. Not with a wave. Not with an earthquake. Not with a dream. It begins with the Word of God, because if I get that foundation right, then everything else can be examined with confidence, wisdom, and peace instead of fear.

Part 2 – Has God Ever Warned People Before Disaster?

Now that I have established why I believe this conversation is worth having, I want to answer the first major question. Is the very idea that God might warn His people before a disaster actually biblical? That may sound like an obvious question, but it is an important one because there are Christians on both sides of this issue. Some believe God regularly warns His people about future events. Others believe He no longer does. Rather than beginning with opinions, I want to begin where every discussion should begin—with Scripture.

The first example that comes to most people’s minds is Noah. Genesis tells us that the world had become filled with violence and corruption. Humanity had turned away from God, and judgment was coming. But before the flood arrived, God spoke to Noah. He didn’t simply announce that destruction was coming. He gave Noah detailed instructions. Build an ark. Gather your family. Bring the animals. Prepare. Noah wasn’t warned so he could become famous for predicting the future. He was warned so he could obey.

That pattern is important because it appears repeatedly throughout the Bible. God’s warnings almost always come with purpose. They are meant to produce obedience, not fascination. Imagine if Noah had spent one hundred years giving interviews about the coming flood while never picking up a hammer. The warning would have accomplished nothing. His faith was demonstrated through action. Hebrews 11 reminds us that Noah, being warned by God concerning events not yet seen, moved with reverent fear and built the ark. His response to God’s warning was faithful obedience, not endless speculation.

The next example comes from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Before judgment fell upon those cities, God sent messengers to Lot. Once again, the warning wasn’t given to create panic. It wasn’t even given so Lot could convince everyone else. It was given so he and his family could leave before judgment arrived. Even then, not everyone believed him. Genesis tells us that when Lot warned his future sons-in-law, they thought he was joking. That should remind us that even genuine warnings from God are not always believed by those who hear them.

Then we come to one of the most remarkable examples in all of Scripture—Joseph. Pharaoh had disturbing dreams that no one in Egypt could explain. God gave Joseph the interpretation. Seven years of abundance would be followed by seven years of severe famine. Think carefully about what happened next. Joseph didn’t tell Pharaoh to panic. He didn’t tell him the world was ending. He didn’t encourage everyone to abandon their responsibilities. Instead, he presented a practical plan. Store grain during the years of plenty so the nation would survive the years of famine. The warning produced wise preparation, not fear-driven paralysis.

Daniel gives us another important example. God revealed future kingdoms, conflicts, and events through dreams and visions. Yet Daniel himself often admitted that he did not fully understand everything he saw. In Daniel chapter 12, after receiving extraordinary revelations, he asked about their meaning and was essentially told that some things would remain sealed until the appointed time. That humility is worth remembering. Even biblical prophets did not always understand every detail of what God revealed to them. If Daniel could acknowledge the limits of his understanding, then modern believers should be careful about claiming certainty where Scripture itself encourages humility.

As I moved into the New Testament, I found that God’s pattern had not changed. In Matthew chapter 2, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt because Herod intended to kill the young child. Once again, the warning came with a clear purpose. Protect the child. Leave immediately. God wasn’t satisfying curiosity about the future. He was directing faithful action in the present.

One of the most relevant examples for tonight’s discussion is found in the Book of Acts. A prophet named Agabus stood before the believers and foretold that a great famine would spread throughout the Roman world. Luke records that this happened during the reign of Claudius. But what interests me even more than the prophecy itself is the response of the Church. The believers didn’t panic. They didn’t begin predicting the end of the age. They didn’t divide into camps arguing about whether Agabus was legitimate. Instead, each person decided to give according to his ability so relief could be sent to fellow believers who would be affected by the famine.

I find that response incredibly instructive. The early Church responded to the warning by increasing generosity. Their focus wasn’t on fear. Their focus was on serving others. That is a beautiful picture of biblical preparation. It wasn’t driven by anxiety but by love.

Agabus appears again later in Acts when Paul is preparing to travel to Jerusalem. This time, Agabus takes Paul’s belt, binds his own hands and feet, and says that the owner of the belt will be bound by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles. The believers immediately urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul responds with remarkable confidence. He tells them he is ready not only to be bound but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus if necessary.

That account teaches something I think is often overlooked. A warning from God does not always mean, “Avoid this at all costs.” Sometimes the warning prepares a believer for what lies ahead without changing the path God has called them to walk. Paul’s response wasn’t fear. It was faithful obedience despite knowing the cost.

As I studied these passages together, a clear pattern began to emerge. Whenever God warned His people, the warning served a redemptive purpose. It called for obedience. It encouraged preparation. It strengthened faith. It protected life. It prompted generosity. It equipped believers for suffering. What I did not find was God giving warnings merely to satisfy people’s curiosity about future events.

That observation matters because it changes the questions I should ask about any modern prophetic claim. Instead of asking only, “Did someone predict a disaster?” I should also ask, “What is the purpose of the message?” Is it leading people closer to Christ? Is it calling them to repentance? Is it encouraging wise preparation? Is it strengthening faith? Or is it simply producing fear, confusion, and endless speculation?

There is another lesson that stood out to me. Every warning recorded in Scripture came within the larger context of God’s revealed Word. Noah already knew who God was. Joseph interpreted dreams according to God’s wisdom, not his own imagination. Daniel remained grounded in God’s covenant. Agabus ministered within the fellowship of the Church. None of these examples suggest that personal revelation stands above God’s written Word. If anything, they show the exact opposite. Every genuine warning operated within God’s already established truth.

So, can God warn His people before significant events? After studying the Scriptures, I believe the answer is clearly yes. The Bible provides example after example of God doing exactly that. But that isn’t the end of the discussion. In fact, it is only the beginning. Because the same Bible that records genuine warnings also records false prophets, false dreams, and false visions.

That means believing God can speak is not enough. The next question is even more important. If both true and false prophetic voices exist, how can a believer tell the difference?

That is exactly where Jesus takes the conversation next. And as I discovered, He spends far more time warning His followers about deception than He does describing the disasters themselves.

Part 3 – Why Jesus Warned More About False Prophets Than Earthquakes

If I stopped with the examples from the last section, it would be easy to reach the wrong conclusion. Someone could say, “Well, God warned Noah. God warned Joseph. God warned Agabus. Therefore, I should believe anyone today who says God warned them.” But that is not the conclusion the Bible reaches. In fact, the same God who gave genuine warnings also gave repeated warnings about people who would falsely claim to speak in His name. That is why I believe it is impossible to study biblical prophecy without also studying biblical deception.

The place to begin is with Jesus Himself. When His disciples asked Him about the signs of His coming and the end of the age, they were asking about the future. They wanted to know what would happen and what to look for. If you or I had been asked that question, we might have started talking about wars, earthquakes, famines, or political events. But Jesus did something remarkable. Before He mentioned any of those things, His very first warning was, “See that no one leads you astray.” Think about that. Before discussing earthquakes, before discussing famines, before discussing persecution, Jesus warned His followers about deception.

That wasn’t an isolated statement. As you continue reading Matthew 24, Jesus returns to that subject again and again. In verse 5, He says that many will come in His name and lead many astray. In verse 11, He says many false prophets will arise and deceive many. Then in verse 24, He warns that false christs and false prophets will perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Three separate times in one chapter, Jesus emphasizes deception. That should tell me something about what concerned Him most.

Now compare that with how many people approach prophecy today. Often the conversation begins with the earthquake, the war, the eclipse, the tsunami, or the latest headline. Jesus began somewhere else. He began by preparing His followers to think carefully. In other words, before He taught them what to watch for, He taught them how not to be deceived while watching.

Mark chapter 13 tells the same story. The disciples admired the magnificent stones of the Temple, and Jesus shocked them by saying that not one stone would be left upon another. Naturally, they wanted to know when these things would happen. Again, Jesus answered by saying, “See that no one leads you astray.” The pattern repeats because the danger repeats. Throughout history, every period of uncertainty has produced voices claiming to possess secret knowledge about the future.

Luke records the same teaching with nearly identical emphasis. Once again, Jesus warns His followers not to run after those claiming special revelation. He tells them that wars and disturbances will occur. Earthquakes will happen. Famines will come. Pestilence will spread. But He also says something many people overlook. “Do not be terrified.” That command is just as inspired as the prophecy itself. Jesus never intended His teachings about the future to produce panic among His followers.

As I thought about those passages, I realized something that had never fully stood out to me before. Jesus spent more verses preparing believers for false spiritual voices than He spent describing individual natural disasters. That doesn’t make earthquakes unimportant. It simply shows that deception presents an even greater danger than disaster itself. A tsunami can destroy a coastline. Spiritual deception can destroy faith.

The Old Testament teaches exactly the same lesson. Jeremiah lived during one of the darkest periods in Judah’s history. The nation was approaching judgment because of generations of rebellion against God. During that time, many prophets claimed they had messages from the Lord. The problem was that their messages contradicted what God had actually spoken.

Listen to the words of Jeremiah 23. The Lord says, “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.” That is an astonishing statement. These were not silent unbelievers. They were religious voices confidently declaring that God had spoken. Yet God Himself says He never sent them.

Notice what else Jeremiah records. These prophets continually told the people that everything would be fine. They proclaimed peace when judgment was approaching. They spoke comforting words that originated from their own imaginations rather than from the mouth of God. Instead of calling people to repentance, they reassured them that nothing was wrong. Their popularity did not validate their message. Their confidence did not validate their message. Their sincerity did not validate their message. Only God’s truth could do that.

Ezekiel encountered the same problem. In chapter 13, God rebukes the prophets of Israel who followed their own spirit while claiming divine authority. He describes them as people who saw false visions and lying divinations. Once again, they declared, “The Lord says,” when the Lord had not spoken. Reading those chapters reminded me that false prophecy is not a modern problem. It has existed for thousands of years.

One of the biggest mistakes I think Christians make today is assuming there are only two possibilities. Either someone is a true prophet, or they are a deliberate fraud. But the Bible presents a more complicated picture. Some people intentionally deceive. Others appear to deceive themselves. Jeremiah speaks about prophets who proclaim “the deceit of their own heart.” They become convinced that their own thoughts, emotions, dreams, or desires are the voice of God. That should humble every believer because it reminds me how careful I must be before saying, “The Lord told me.”

There is another reason Jesus emphasized deception before disaster. Disasters eventually end. Wars come and go. Famines pass. Earthquakes stop shaking. But deception has a unique ability to spread from person to person. One persuasive voice influences another. One dramatic story inspires another testimony. Before long, an idea can travel around the world in a matter of hours. That reality has never been more obvious than it is today.

I don’t say that to suggest that every modern prophecy spreads through social influence alone. I simply recognize that today’s technology allows messages to travel farther and faster than at any other point in history. If Jeremiah had to deal with false prophets traveling by foot, imagine how much more important discernment becomes in a world where millions of people can hear a prophetic claim within a single day.

That is why I keep returning to the same question. How should a Christian respond? Jesus does not tell me to become cynical. He does not tell me to become gullible. He tells me to be watchful. Watchfulness is different from suspicion. It is different from fear. Watchfulness is alertness rooted in truth. It keeps one eye on the world while keeping both feet planted firmly in God’s Word.

As I studied these passages together, one conclusion became unavoidable. If Jesus considered deception the first danger His followers would face, then deception deserves to be the first subject I examine whenever modern prophetic claims begin multiplying. Before asking whether a prediction is exciting, frightening, or even plausible, I should first ask whether I am evaluating it the way Jesus taught me to evaluate it.

That brings me to what I believe is the heart of this entire episode. Jesus warned me that false prophets would exist. John commanded me to test the spirits. Paul instructed me not to despise prophecy while also testing everything. Those commands sound simple, but they immediately raise another question.

How do I actually test a prophecy?

Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t leave me guessing. God has already given His people a standard, and that is where I want to turn next.

Part 4 – What Does It Mean to Test Every Spirit?

Now I arrive at what I believe is the heart of this entire discussion. Up to this point, I have shown that God has warned His people before. I have also shown that Jesus repeatedly warned His followers about deception and false prophets. But neither of those truths answers the practical question every believer eventually asks. If someone tells me, “God gave me a dream,” or “The Lord showed me a coming disaster,” what exactly am I supposed to do with that information?

Fortunately, the Bible doesn’t leave that question unanswered.

One of the most quoted verses on this subject is found in 1 John 4:1. John writes, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” I want you to notice something immediately. John assumes that believers will hear spiritual claims. He doesn’t tell Christians to avoid every prophetic voice. He tells them not to believe every one of them automatically.

That little word “test” is incredibly important.

When I hear the word “test,” I think of examining something carefully before accepting it as genuine. A jeweler tests gold. A mechanic tests an engine. A scientist tests a theory. The purpose of testing is not to destroy something. The purpose is to determine whether it is authentic. That is exactly what John is instructing believers to do with spiritual claims.

But notice something else. John doesn’t say to test the person first. He says to test the spirit behind the message. That changes the conversation. Sometimes people become defensive because they think examining a prophecy means attacking the individual who shared it. Scripture makes an important distinction. I can respectfully evaluate a message without pretending to know another person’s heart. God knows the heart. My responsibility is to compare the message with God’s revealed truth.

The Apostle Paul gives another instruction that is equally important. In 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21 he writes, “Do not despise prophecies. Test everything. Hold fast what is good.”

I love the balance of that passage because it protects us from two opposite errors.

The first error is rejecting every prophetic claim before examining it.

Paul says don’t do that.

The second error is accepting every prophetic claim because it sounds spiritual.

Paul says don’t do that either.

Instead, he gives three simple commands.

Do not despise prophecy.

Test everything.

Hold fast to what is good.

Think about how different the Christian world might look today if every believer simply followed those three instructions. Imagine if every viral prophecy was met with prayer, Scripture, patience, and careful examination instead of immediate excitement or immediate dismissal. I believe much confusion could be avoided.

There is another passage that often gets overlooked in discussions about discernment, and it comes from the Bereans in Acts chapter 17. Paul arrives in Berea and begins preaching Christ. Luke tells us that the Bereans were more noble than many others because they received the message eagerly while examining the Scriptures daily to see whether what Paul said was true.

Pause there for a moment.

Paul was an apostle.

He had seen the risen Christ.

He had planted churches throughout the Roman world.

Yet the Bereans still searched the Scriptures to verify his teaching.

Luke doesn’t criticize them for doing that.

He praises them.

That tells me something important. If Paul welcomed his teaching being measured against Scripture, then every modern preacher, teacher, prophet, author, podcaster, or social media personality should welcome the very same examination.

As I reflected on these passages, I realized that Scripture provides a pattern for discernment that is remarkably consistent. God never asks His people to suspend their judgment. He asks them to exercise it according to His Word. Faith and discernment are not enemies. In fact, genuine faith requires discernment because faith rests upon truth, not emotion.

This brings me to another question that I think is worth asking. What should be the first test I apply to any prophetic claim?

For me, the answer is simple.

Does it agree with Scripture?

Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

That verse establishes the foundation for everything else. God will never contradict Himself. A dream cannot overturn Scripture. A vision cannot replace Scripture. A prophecy cannot rewrite Scripture. Every claimed revelation must submit to God’s already revealed Word. If it doesn’t, the discussion is over because God does not speak against Himself.

The second question I ask is this.

What is the message producing?

Jesus said in Matthew 7, “You will recognize them by their fruits.”

Now, I realize Jesus was speaking about false prophets more broadly, but the principle still applies. What kind of fruit is growing from the message? Does it produce repentance? Does it draw people toward Christ? Does it encourage obedience to God’s Word? Does it increase humility? Or does it primarily produce fear, confusion, obsession, pride, or unhealthy fascination with the messenger?

That doesn’t automatically determine whether a prophecy is true, but it tells me something important about its influence.

The third question I ask is whether the message points people toward Christ or toward the person delivering it.

Throughout Scripture, genuine servants of God consistently directed attention away from themselves and toward the Lord. John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Paul pointed people to Christ. Peter pointed people to Christ. Even the prophets of the Old Testament repeatedly called people back to God rather than building their own reputations.

Whenever a ministry becomes centered on one person’s visions instead of God’s Word, I believe that should cause every believer to slow down and become even more discerning.

There is another practical test that I think many Christians forget.

Can the claim actually be examined?

Suppose someone says, “Something significant is going to happen someday.”

How would anyone evaluate that statement?

It is too broad.

Too vague.

Too general.

But if someone claims God revealed a specific event, then over time that claim becomes capable of examination. Scripture never fears examination because truth has nothing to hide.

As I researched modern prophetic claims, I noticed something interesting. Many become more specific after an event has already occurred. Details are added. Memories become sharper. Stories grow larger with time. That isn’t unique to Christianity. Historians have observed that human memory often changes as people reinterpret past experiences through present events. That is why documentation matters. A message recorded before an event carries far more weight than one remembered after it.

I also believe patience is part of biblical discernment.

One of the greatest temptations today is feeling pressured to reach an immediate conclusion. Social media rewards instant reactions. Scripture encourages careful examination. Those are two very different approaches. Sometimes the wisest response is simply to say, “I don’t know yet.” That isn’t unbelief. That is humility.

As I prepared for this episode, I realized something that surprised me. The Bible gives believers far more instruction about how to evaluate prophetic claims than it does about trying to predict future events. God’s concern has always been the condition of His people’s hearts more than their ability to forecast tomorrow’s headlines.

So before I examine historical examples and before I compare them with today’s West Coast tsunami prophecies, I want to establish a simple scorecard that I will use for every claim equally.

Does it agree with Scripture?

Does it point people toward Christ?

Does it call people to repentance and faithful living?

Can it be documented?

Can it be honestly examined?

Does it produce the kind of fruit that God desires?

And finally, does it withstand the tests that God Himself established?

Those questions don’t guarantee easy answers. But they do guarantee that I am approaching the subject the way Scripture instructs me to approach it.

Now that the biblical framework has been established, I think it’s time to ask an important historical question. Have there been documented prophetic warnings in modern times that can actually be examined? If so, what happened? What evidence exists? And what can those examples teach us as I compare them to the West Coast tsunami prophecies being shared today?

Part 5 – God’s Standard for Prophets

As I prepared for this episode, I realized that there is one question I cannot afford to skip. Before I look at a single modern prophecy, before I compare historical examples, and before I discuss the current West Coast tsunami warnings, I have to understand the standard God Himself established for anyone who claims to speak in His name. If I ignore God’s standard and create my own, then this entire discussion becomes nothing more than opinion. Fortunately, the Bible is not silent on this subject. In fact, it speaks with remarkable clarity.

One of the first passages I want to examine is Deuteronomy chapter 18. Moses is preparing the nation of Israel to enter the Promised Land, and he knows they will encounter people claiming supernatural knowledge. They will meet diviners, fortune tellers, mediums, and individuals who insist they can reveal the future. Rather than leaving His people confused, God gives them a clear way to think. He tells them that if someone speaks in His name and the thing they predict does not come to pass, that message did not come from Him. The prophet has spoken presumptuously, and His people are not to fear such a person.

I think there is something incredibly important hidden inside that instruction. Notice that God places the responsibility on the person making the claim, not on the people listening to it. If I stand before others and say, “I believe this may happen,” that is one thing. But if I stand before people and say, “The Lord told me this will happen,” I have moved into an entirely different category. I am no longer sharing an opinion or an impression. I am claiming to speak on behalf of Almighty God. Scripture treats that responsibility with extraordinary seriousness.

That should humble every teacher, every pastor, every evangelist, every author, every podcaster, every YouTuber, and every person who posts videos claiming divine revelation. Speaking in God’s name is not something the Bible treats casually. It isn’t a way to gain attention, grow an audience, or make a message sound more convincing. When someone invokes the authority of God, Scripture says that message can and should be examined. That isn’t rebellion against God. That is obedience to God.

But if I stopped reading there, I would miss another passage that is just as important. Deuteronomy chapter 13 presents a situation that surprises many Christians. In this chapter, Moses describes a prophet or dreamer who gives a sign, and the sign actually comes to pass. Think about that for a moment. The prediction appears to be accurate. By today’s standards, many people would immediately conclude that the prophet must be genuine. But God says something completely different.

The Lord says that if the prophet uses that fulfilled sign to lead people after other gods or away from obedience to Him, His people must not follow that prophet. That passage completely changes how I think about discernment because it teaches that a fulfilled prediction is not the highest standard. A message can appear accurate and still lead people away from the truth. God is more concerned with where a message leads His people than whether it contains an impressive prediction.

That principle has enormous implications today. Suppose someone correctly predicts a natural disaster, an economic collapse, or some major world event. Does that automatically mean everything else they teach is true? According to Deuteronomy 13, the answer is no. Accuracy alone is not enough. The message must remain faithful to God and His revealed Word. A supernatural experience is never allowed to replace biblical truth. Scripture always remains the highest authority.

As I reflected on that passage, I realized that many Christians unintentionally reverse God’s priorities. We become fascinated by predictions while paying far less attention to doctrine. We ask whether someone was right about an event before asking whether they are pointing people toward Christ. God asks the opposite question. He first asks whether the message remains faithful to Him. Only then does He concern Himself with the prediction itself. That tells me I should be much more interested in biblical truth than in dramatic forecasts.

The prophet Jeremiah provides another powerful lesson. During his ministry, Judah was approaching judgment because of generations of rebellion against God. Yet there were many prophets telling the people exactly what they wanted to hear. They promised peace. They promised safety. They promised that everything would soon return to normal. Their message was encouraging, popular, and comforting. Unfortunately, it was also false.

In Jeremiah chapter 28, a prophet named Hananiah publicly contradicts Jeremiah. He declares that Babylon’s power will soon be broken and that the exiles will quickly return home. If I had been standing there, I probably would have wanted Hananiah to be right. His message sounded hopeful. It offered immediate relief from fear. Jeremiah’s response, however, is fascinating because he doesn’t become angry or defensive. He actually says, “Amen! May the Lord do so.” In other words, Jeremiah genuinely wished Hananiah’s message were true.

But Jeremiah immediately reminds everyone that prophets throughout Israel’s history had consistently warned about judgment against nations that refused to repent. Then he says something that deserves careful attention. The prophet who prophesies peace will be known as truly sent by the Lord only if what he predicts actually comes to pass. Jeremiah wasn’t interested in winning an argument. He was willing to let time reveal the truth. That kind of patience is almost unheard of today, yet it reflects remarkable confidence in God’s ability to vindicate His own Word.

Modern culture pressures people to form immediate opinions. Social media rewards instant reactions. The Bible often encourages patient observation. Sometimes the wisest response to a prophetic claim is simply to wait. Waiting is not unbelief. Waiting is recognizing that truth does not become less true because I refuse to rush to a conclusion. History has a way of revealing what excitement often hides.

Jeremiah continues this discussion in chapter 23, where the Lord speaks some of the strongest words in all of Scripture regarding false prophecy. God says, “I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.” Every time I read that passage, it causes me to stop and think. These individuals were active. They were speaking publicly. They appeared confident in what they were saying. Yet God declares that He never sent them.

What strikes me even more is God’s explanation of what genuine prophetic ministry should accomplish. He says that if these prophets had truly stood in His presence and heard His words, they would have turned His people from their evil ways. That statement is incredibly important because it reveals God’s purpose. Throughout Scripture, true prophetic ministry consistently calls people back to repentance, obedience, and faithfulness. It doesn’t merely predict events. It seeks transformed hearts.

That observation has shaped the questions I ask whenever I hear a modern prophetic warning. Does this message primarily call people to seek Christ more deeply? Does it encourage repentance? Does it strengthen faith? Or does it simply create anxiety about tomorrow? Those are not insignificant questions because God’s prophets were never merely forecasters of future events. They were covenant messengers calling God’s people back to Him.

Jesus adds another essential principle in Matthew chapter 7 when He tells His disciples that they will recognize false prophets by their fruits. I think many people expect Jesus to say they will recognize them by their predictions, but instead He points to fruit. Fruit develops over time. It reveals the health of the tree producing it. Character, humility, love, sound doctrine, and faithful obedience cannot be separated from genuine ministry. Spiritual gifts never excuse spiritual immaturity.

As I look across the Christian landscape today, I sometimes wonder if we have become more impressed with extraordinary experiences than with ordinary faithfulness. We are fascinated by dreams, visions, and predictions, yet the New Testament repeatedly emphasizes qualities like humility, patience, gentleness, self-control, and love. Those qualities rarely go viral, but they consistently identify mature followers of Christ.

Paul reinforces this principle in Galatians chapter 1 with one of the strongest statements found anywhere in the New Testament. He says that even if he himself—or even an angel from heaven—should preach a different gospel, that message is to be rejected. Think about the significance of those words. Paul does not exempt supernatural experiences from examination. Even an angelic appearance must submit to the gospel already revealed.

That passage establishes what I believe is the highest rule of biblical discernment. No dream has authority over Scripture. No vision has authority over Scripture. No prophecy has authority over Scripture. No spiritual experience, no matter how dramatic, has authority over Scripture. Everything must be measured against the Word of God because God never contradicts Himself.

As I gathered all of these passages together, I realized something that gave me tremendous confidence. God has not left His people defenseless. Long before the internet, long before livestreams, and long before millions of people could instantly broadcast a prophetic claim to the entire world, God established a framework that remains just as dependable today as it was in the days of Moses, Jeremiah, Jesus, and the apostles. That framework is not based on emotion, popularity, or charisma. It is based on truth.

So before I examine a single modern case study, I already have the questions Scripture teaches me to ask. Does the message agree with God’s Word? Does it point people toward Christ rather than toward the messenger? Does it call people to repentance and faithful obedience? Does it produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit instead of fear and confusion? Can it withstand honest examination? Is it willing to be tested rather than demanding unquestioning acceptance? Those questions do not guarantee that every answer will be easy, but they ensure that I am approaching the subject the way God instructed His people to approach it.

Now that the biblical standard has been firmly established, I think it is finally time to ask what history can teach us. Have there been modern prophetic warnings that were documented before major disasters? Which claims can actually be verified? Which stories grew larger only after the events occurred? And when I compare those historical examples to the West Coast tsunami prophecies being shared today, do they measure up to the standard God established in His Word? Those are the questions I want to explore next.

Part 6 – Modern Prophecies: What Does the Historical Record Show?

Now that I have spent time establishing the biblical standard, I think it is finally appropriate to examine modern history. This is where I believe many discussions go off the rails. People often begin with stories they heard from a friend, a video they watched online, or a testimony that has been shared so many times it begins to sound like established history. But one of the things I learned while researching this episode is that stories and documentation are not always the same thing. The older I get, the more I appreciate the difference. If someone claims that God gave a warning before a major disaster, I want to know one thing before anything else. Can I verify that the warning actually existed before the event took place?

That may sound like a simple question, but it turns out to be one of the most difficult questions to answer. It is surprisingly easy to find people saying, after a tragedy, “I knew this was coming,” or “I had a dream about this years ago.” It is much harder to find dated sermons, published books, recorded messages, or written documents that clearly show the warning existed before the event. That doesn’t automatically mean someone is being dishonest. Human memory is far more complicated than we sometimes realize. People often remember events differently after something dramatic has happened. That is exactly why documentation matters.

One of the first events I researched was the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. After the tsunami, countless stories began circulating about people who supposedly dreamed of giant waves before the event. Some claimed to have warned family members. Others believed God had shown them the coming disaster in visions or prayers. As I dug into those stories, however, I found that very few could actually be documented before the tsunami occurred. Many accounts appeared only after the tragedy had already become international news.

That doesn’t necessarily prove those experiences never happened. It simply means I cannot verify them historically. As someone trying to exercise biblical discernment, I have to be honest about the difference. There is nothing wrong with saying, “I don’t have enough evidence to know.” In fact, I think that kind of humility is often missing from discussions about prophecy. If I cannot establish that a warning was publicly recorded before an event, then I should avoid presenting it as established fact.

While researching that same tsunami, I found another interesting contrast. There were indigenous communities living on islands in the region who recognized natural warning signs. They noticed the unusual behavior of the ocean. They understood what those signs meant because their ancestors had passed that knowledge down through generations. Entire villages moved to higher ground and survived. Their survival did not depend upon a supernatural revelation. It depended upon wisdom that had been preserved and acted upon. I think there is an important lesson there. God often protects people through ordinary wisdom just as surely as He can through extraordinary intervention.

The next event I examined was the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. Once again, after the disaster, numerous claims appeared online from individuals who believed they had received warnings beforehand. Some of those claims were sincere. Others were impossible to verify. As I compared them, I noticed the same pattern I had seen with the 2004 tsunami. Stories multiplied after the event much faster than documented evidence before the event.

That observation doesn’t disprove the existence of genuine warnings. What it does prove is that Christians should be careful about repeating stories simply because they are widely shared. If I repeat something that cannot be verified, I may unintentionally strengthen a narrative that rests more on repetition than evidence. As believers, I think we should love truth enough to distinguish between what can be demonstrated and what remains uncertain.

I also looked into William Branham because his name frequently appears in conversations about disasters affecting the West Coast. Branham spoke about judgment coming upon America and made statements that many people have connected to California and the Pacific coastline. Over the years, some of his followers have argued that his predictions will eventually be fulfilled exactly as described. Others have pointed out that several of his prophetic claims either failed or remain unfulfilled decades later.

What interested me wasn’t joining that debate. What interested me was comparing his ministry to the biblical standard I established earlier. Was everything documented? Were the claims consistent? Were they specific enough to evaluate? Did they point people toward Christ? Were they fulfilled as stated? Those are the questions Scripture teaches me to ask. Once again, I found that careful examination is much healthier than either blind acceptance or automatic rejection.

Then I turned my attention to Harold Camping. Many of you probably remember the enormous attention surrounding his predictions that Christ would return on specific dates. Billboards appeared across the country. People spent their life savings promoting the message. Some sold homes. Some quit jobs. Families were deeply affected. Then the dates came and went without the predicted events taking place.

I don’t bring up Harold Camping to ridicule him. I bring him up because there is something important to learn. Sincerity is not the same thing as accuracy. I have no reason to believe he deliberately set out to deceive people. I think he sincerely believed his calculations were correct. But sincerity alone cannot make an incorrect prediction true. That is why God’s standard remains so important. A person may be completely convinced that God has spoken and still be mistaken.

As I reflected on Camping’s predictions, I couldn’t help thinking about the people who followed them. Many became discouraged. Some became embarrassed. Others questioned their faith altogether because they had placed confidence in a prediction instead of in Scripture. That is one of the reasons I believe discernment is such an act of love. Proper discernment protects believers from unnecessary disappointment while keeping their confidence anchored in God’s Word instead of in human certainty.

During my research, I also noticed another pattern that repeats itself throughout modern history. After nearly every major disaster, someone eventually discovers an old sermon, an old recording, or a vague statement that seems to fit what happened. Sometimes the comparison is impressive. Other times it requires stretching the original words well beyond what they actually said. That is why context matters. It is easy to make an old prediction appear astonishing if enough details are added after the fact.

I realized that historians deal with this problem constantly. They distinguish between primary sources and secondary sources. A primary source is something recorded at the time an event occurred. A secondary source is someone later describing or interpreting those events. I think Christians can benefit from applying that same discipline when examining prophetic claims. If I have a dated sermon, a published book, or a recorded message made before an event, I have something I can evaluate honestly. If I have only stories repeated years later, I should be much more cautious.

As I continued looking through these modern examples, something became increasingly clear. The strongest cases are rarely the loudest ones. In fact, many of the most dramatic claims become weaker the closer I examine the evidence. On the other hand, some quieter cases appear more credible precisely because they were documented before the events occurred. That doesn’t automatically prove divine inspiration, but it does give me something concrete to evaluate instead of relying on memory alone.

Another lesson stood out to me throughout this research. Genuine biblical discernment is comfortable saying, “I don’t know.” I think our culture has become uncomfortable with those three words. We feel pressure to choose a side immediately. Either everything is true, or everything is false. Either every dream comes from God, or none of them do. Scripture doesn’t force me into those extremes. Sometimes the most honest answer is that the evidence is incomplete, and until more information becomes available, I will continue testing rather than rushing to conclusions.

Looking back over the historical record, I don’t believe it supports blind skepticism. At the same time, I don’t believe it supports blind acceptance either. What it consistently supports is careful examination. Some claims appear stronger than others. Some collapse under scrutiny. Some remain unresolved. That is exactly why God gave His people a standard instead of telling them to rely on emotion or popularity.

All of this brings me back to where this episode began. Today, there are hundreds of Christians claiming they have received warnings about a West Coast tsunami. Rather than immediately placing those claims into one category or another, I want to compare them against everything I have learned from Scripture and history. Do they resemble the documented patterns I have already examined? Do they meet God’s standard? Are they producing the fruit that Scripture associates with genuine prophetic ministry? Those are the questions that matter most, and they are the questions I want to explore as I turn my attention directly to the current West Coast tsunami prophecies.

Part 7 – Comparing Today’s West Coast Tsunami Prophecies

Now that I have spent time looking at both Scripture and history, I think it is finally time to return to the question that started this entire episode. How do today’s West Coast tsunami prophecies compare with the biblical standard? Notice that I did not ask whether they are true or false. I asked whether they measure up to the tests God has already given His people. That distinction is important because I am not trying to reach a conclusion before the evidence allows it. I am trying to think the way Scripture teaches me to think.

One of the first things I noticed during my research was the sheer number of similar claims. People from different parts of the country describe dreams involving giant waves, coastal destruction, earthquakes, or people fleeing to higher ground. Some say they received these dreams years ago but remained silent until recently. Others claim they have only recently received the warning. Still others say they have experienced the same dream multiple times. On the surface, that certainly gets your attention.

The obvious question becomes whether hundreds of similar claims strengthen the case. Humanly speaking, most of us would say yes. If one person tells a story, we remain cautious. If one hundred people tell similar stories, we naturally become more interested. But I have to be careful not to replace biblical reasoning with human reasoning. The Bible never says that truth is established simply because many people agree with one another.

There are several possible explanations for why so many people could be sharing similar experiences. The first possibility is that God is genuinely warning many believers at the same time. Scripture certainly shows that God has spoken to multiple people during significant moments in history. Before Christ’s birth, several individuals received divine revelations concerning the coming Messiah. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel, saying that God would pour out His Spirit and that sons and daughters would prophesy while old men dreamed dreams and young men saw visions. The Bible does not forbid the possibility that God could impress a similar message upon many hearts.

The second possibility is that sincere believers influence one another without realizing it. This should not be controversial because all of us are influenced by what we hear. If I spend several hours watching videos about earthquakes before going to bed, it should not surprise me if my dreams include earthquakes. That doesn’t mean I am dishonest. It simply means my mind continues processing what it has been absorbing throughout the day. God designed our minds to remember, imagine, and process information, and sometimes those processes become mixed together.

Today’s world makes that influence far more powerful than it has ever been before. A single video can reach millions of people within a matter of days. One dream leads to another testimony. Another testimony encourages someone else to share an experience they might otherwise have kept private. Before long, a common theme begins spreading through the Christian community. That does not automatically prove divine origin, nor does it automatically prove human influence. It simply reminds me that I must be careful not to confuse widespread discussion with independent confirmation.

There is also a third possibility that I think deserves consideration. It is possible that some people genuinely experienced something from the Lord, others sincerely misunderstood what they experienced, and still others were influenced by what they heard from those around them. Real life is often more complicated than choosing between only two extremes. The Bible itself contains examples of genuine prophets, mistaken individuals, and false prophets all existing during the same generation. That should encourage humility rather than quick conclusions.

As I listened to many of these modern warnings, I noticed something else. The details are often very different. Some describe Northern California. Others describe Southern California. Some mention Oregon and Washington. Others speak about the entire Pacific coastline. Some connect the event to a massive earthquake. Others focus only on the tsunami. Some suggest the event is imminent. Others refuse to give any time frame at all. While the central theme is similar, the details frequently vary.

That observation matters because Scripture places importance on truth, not general impressions. If someone predicts that “something significant” will happen somewhere along thousands of miles of coastline at some unknown time in the future, that claim is difficult to evaluate. The West Coast is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Scientists have long acknowledged the possibility of major earthquakes and tsunamis because of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and other well-known fault systems. A general warning about a possible tsunami is not the same thing as a specific prophetic revelation.

This raises another important question. Are these messages calling people primarily to repentance, or are they primarily describing coming destruction? As I read through the Old Testament prophets, I found that judgment was almost never the final point. Isaiah called people back to holiness. Jeremiah pleaded with Judah to repent. Ezekiel urged the people to turn from their wickedness. Jonah walked through Nineveh proclaiming judgment, but the purpose was repentance. Even when destruction was announced, the deeper message was always about people’s relationship with God.

That became one of the most important questions I asked throughout my research. When I listen to these modern warnings, where does the emphasis fall? Is the central message, “Turn back to Christ while there is time”? Or is the central message, “Watch this disaster because it is almost here”? Those are not the same message. One focuses on the condition of the heart. The other focuses primarily on the coming event. Scripture consistently places greater emphasis on the heart.

I also found myself paying attention to the attitude of the messenger. Throughout the Bible, God’s servants rarely seemed excited about judgment. Jeremiah became known as the weeping prophet because the burden of God’s message broke his heart. Jonah became angry when Nineveh repented because he wanted judgment instead of mercy, and God rebuked him for that attitude. Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem even while warning about its coming destruction. Genuine prophetic ministry is marked by compassion, not enthusiasm for disaster.

That is another helpful question for discernment. Does the messenger appear grieved by what they believe God has shown them, or do they seem energized by the attention surrounding the prediction? I cannot judge another person’s motives, but I can observe whether the overall tone reflects the character I repeatedly find in Scripture. God’s prophets carried heavy burdens. They were not entertainers. They were not celebrities. They were servants who often wished their warnings were unnecessary.

There is another point that I think deserves careful thought. None of these modern warnings change the responsibilities God has already given believers. Whether a tsunami comes next year or a hundred years from now, I am still called to love God with all my heart. I am still called to love my neighbor as myself. I am still called to forgive others, preach the gospel, care for those in need, pray faithfully, and remain holy. No prophetic claim can replace those daily responsibilities.

That realization brings tremendous peace because it reminds me that my obedience does not depend upon knowing tomorrow’s headlines. If I spend all my energy trying to predict the future while neglecting the commands God has already given me, I have missed the point. Jesus repeatedly emphasized faithfulness over speculation. He called His followers to be ready at all times, not because they possessed secret information, but because they were living obediently every day.

As I compare today’s West Coast tsunami prophecies with everything I have studied in Scripture and history, I arrive at a simple conclusion. I cannot honestly dismiss every claim without examination because the Bible teaches that God has warned His people before. At the same time, I cannot honestly accept every claim simply because many people are repeating it. Scripture commands something better than either extreme. It commands discernment rooted in God’s Word.

So where does that leave me? It leaves me exactly where I believe every Christian should stand. I remain open to what God may choose to do, but I refuse to lower the biblical standard He has already established. I will continue testing every message against Scripture. I will continue looking for truth rather than excitement. I will continue valuing documented evidence over rumors and careful examination over emotional reaction. Most importantly, I will continue remembering that my confidence is not found in any modern prophecy. My confidence is found in the unchanging Word of God.

That naturally leads to one final question. Suppose, for the sake of argument, that God really is warning His people about a coming event. How did faithful believers in the Bible respond when they received genuine warnings from the Lord? The answer to that question may be the most practical lesson of this entire study.

Part 8 – How God’s People Responded to Genuine Warnings

As I have worked through this study, I keep coming back to one simple observation. The Bible doesn’t just record God’s warnings. It also records how faithful people responded to those warnings. That may be the most practical lesson of the entire episode because it shifts my attention away from speculation and toward obedience. If I want to know what Christians should do after hearing a warning, the best place to look is at the men and women who actually received warnings from God.

Let’s begin with Noah once again. Most people remember the flood, but they sometimes forget what happened before the rain ever began. Noah didn’t spend decades trying to convince everyone he was a prophet. He spent decades building an ark exactly as God instructed. His faith was demonstrated by obedience. Hebrews tells us that Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, moved with reverent fear and prepared an ark for the saving of his household. His response to God’s warning wasn’t panic. It was faithful action.

There is something else about Noah’s story that I think deserves attention. Noah could not control whether anyone else believed him. He couldn’t force his neighbors to enter the ark. He couldn’t make the world repent. His responsibility was simply to obey the instructions God had given him. I think that is a lesson many believers need today. We often become consumed trying to convince everyone else of what we believe is coming instead of faithfully doing what God has already called us to do.

Joseph provides another remarkable example. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, he didn’t encourage Egypt to give up. He didn’t tell people to abandon their farms because famine was inevitable. Instead, he developed a practical plan. During the years of abundance, grain would be stored so there would be food during the years of famine. That wasn’t fear. That was wisdom. Joseph’s preparation didn’t compete with faith. It was an expression of faith.

I think there is an important principle hidden in Joseph’s story. Biblical preparation is usually practical rather than sensational. God didn’t tell Joseph to isolate himself in the wilderness. He didn’t tell him to spread panic throughout Egypt. He gave him wisdom to manage resources responsibly. The warning resulted in stewardship. In many ways, Joseph’s example reminds me that trusting God and using common sense are not opposites. They often work together.

Then I think about Lot. The angels urged him to leave Sodom because judgment was coming. Yet even after receiving that warning, Lot hesitated. The angels literally took him by the hand and led him out of the city because of the Lord’s mercy. That detail has always encouraged me because it reminds me that God’s mercy often accompanies His warnings. God’s purpose wasn’t simply to destroy Sodom. His purpose was also to rescue those who belonged to Him.

At the same time, Lot’s story contains another lesson that is easy to overlook. When he warned his future sons-in-law, they thought he was joking. They couldn’t imagine such a thing ever happening. Genuine warnings are not always believed. That has been true throughout biblical history. But notice that Lot’s responsibility was not to make everyone believe him. His responsibility was to respond faithfully to the warning he had received.

One of my favorite examples comes from the Book of Nehemiah. Although the situation is different from a prophetic warning, the principle is remarkably similar. As the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt, enemies threatened to attack at any moment. Nehemiah didn’t tell the workers to stop building because danger was near. He also didn’t pretend the danger didn’t exist. Instead, Scripture says they worked with one hand while holding a weapon in the other. They prayed, they remained watchful, and they continued the work God had given them.

That balance is beautiful.

Nehemiah refused two opposite errors. He refused panic, and he refused complacency. He recognized the reality of the threat while remaining committed to God’s calling. I think that is one of the healthiest pictures of biblical watchfulness found anywhere in Scripture.

But perhaps the most important example for tonight’s discussion is Agabus. Earlier in this episode, I mentioned that Agabus warned the early Church about a coming famine. I want to slow down and look more carefully at what happened next because I think it provides one of the clearest New Testament models for responding to prophetic warnings.

Notice what the believers did not do.

They didn’t argue endlessly about whether Agabus was legitimate.

They didn’t begin calculating dates.

They didn’t abandon their responsibilities.

They didn’t create a movement centered on the prophecy itself.

Instead, Acts tells us that each disciple determined to send relief to believers who would be affected by the coming famine. Their response was generosity. They prepared by helping others.

I find that remarkable because the warning immediately turned their attention away from themselves. Instead of asking, “How can I save myself?” they asked, “How can I help my brothers and sisters?” That is exactly the kind of fruit I expect to see from a genuine work of God’s Spirit. It produces love rather than selfishness.

Agabus appears again later when Paul is preparing to travel to Jerusalem. This time the warning is deeply personal. Agabus tells Paul that imprisonment awaits him if he continues his journey. The believers immediately beg Paul not to go. Yet Paul’s response is one of the most courageous statements in the New Testament. He tells them he is ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus if necessary.

Think about what that teaches.

A genuine warning from God does not always mean changing direction.

Sometimes it means preparing your heart for what lies ahead.

Paul didn’t interpret the warning as permission to avoid God’s calling. He interpreted it as preparation to remain faithful despite suffering.

That completely changes the way I think about modern prophetic warnings. If God were to warn His people about a coming hardship, the purpose would not necessarily be to escape every difficulty. The purpose might be to strengthen faith, deepen dependence upon Him, and prepare believers to remain faithful regardless of what happens.

Jesus taught the same principle throughout His ministry. He repeatedly warned His disciples that persecution was coming. He told them they would be hated because of His name. He warned them about imprisonment, betrayal, and suffering. Yet He never told them to abandon the mission. Instead, He told them to remain faithful to the end.

That may be one of the greatest differences between biblical warnings and many modern discussions about prophecy. Scripture consistently points believers back to faithful obedience. It reminds God’s people that whatever tomorrow brings, today’s responsibility remains the same.

As I compare these biblical examples, a clear pattern emerges. Noah built. Joseph stored grain. Lot obeyed. Nehemiah kept building while remaining watchful. Agabus encouraged practical preparation. Paul remained faithful to his calling. None of them surrendered to panic. None of them became consumed with endless speculation. Their attention remained fixed on obeying God in the present.

I think there is tremendous wisdom in that pattern. It reminds me that preparing for tomorrow should never prevent me from being faithful today. If I become so focused on a possible future disaster that I neglect my family, my neighbors, my church, or my relationship with Christ, then something has gone terribly wrong. God has never called His people to live in constant fear of tomorrow. He has called us to trust Him one day at a time.

That brings me back to the current West Coast tsunami prophecies. Suppose, for the sake of discussion, that some of these warnings are genuine. What would Scripture encourage me to do? Would it tell me to panic? Would it tell me to obsess over every new video that appears online? Would it tell me to spend every waking moment trying to decode the latest dream?

I don’t believe so.

Scripture would call me to repent where repentance is needed. It would call me to strengthen my faith. It would call me to care for my family and my neighbors. It would encourage wise preparation where appropriate. Most importantly, it would remind me to remain faithful to Christ no matter what tomorrow holds.

That is exactly why I believe biblical warnings are ultimately messages of hope rather than fear. They remind me that God is sovereign, that He has not abandoned His people, and that my responsibility has never changed. Whether tomorrow brings peace or difficulty, prosperity or hardship, my calling is still the same. Love God. Love my neighbor. Remain faithful. Walk humbly. Trust the Lord.

As I close this section, I think there is one final issue that needs to be addressed. If God’s people are called to respond with faith instead of fear, why do so many modern prophetic discussions leave believers anxious, overwhelmed, and constantly worried about the next catastrophe? I believe Scripture has an answer to that question as well, and it may be one of the most comforting truths in this entire study.

Part 9 – The Difference Between Watchfulness and Fear

As I have listened to many of these modern prophetic messages over the past several months, I have noticed something that concerns me. Regardless of whether the warnings are true or false, many believers are living in constant anxiety. Every earthquake becomes the earthquake. Every unusual wave becomes the beginning. Every headline becomes another confirmation that disaster is only hours away. I understand why that happens. If someone genuinely believes a catastrophic event is about to occur, fear is a natural human response. But I also have to ask another question. Is that the response the Bible encourages?

One of the commands repeated throughout Scripture more than almost any other is, “Do not be afraid.” That doesn’t mean God expects His people to ignore danger or pretend that suffering never exists. It means fear is never supposed to become the controlling force in a believer’s life. The Lord repeatedly reminds His people that He is with them, even when they walk through difficult circumstances. His presence is meant to produce confidence, not panic.

The prophet Isaiah records the Lord saying, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Notice that God doesn’t promise His people a life without challenges. Instead, He promises His presence in the middle of those challenges. That is a completely different kind of security than the world offers. The world’s security depends on circumstances remaining stable. God’s security depends upon His unchanging character.

Paul echoes that same truth in 2 Timothy 1:7 when he writes, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” I think that verse deserves careful attention because Paul is not saying believers will never feel fear. He is saying fear is not the spirit God desires to govern our lives. Instead, God gives power to endure, love to serve others, and self-control to think clearly even when circumstances become difficult.

That last word, self-control, stands out to me. Fear has a way of disrupting clear thinking. When people become frightened, they often make decisions they would never make under calmer circumstances. They rush. They assume. They react emotionally. That is true in every area of life, and it is certainly true when discussing prophecy. Fear has a way of bypassing discernment. It urges immediate action before wisdom has had time to speak.

Jesus addressed this very issue during the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 6, He tells His followers not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. At first glance, that might seem unrelated to prophecy, but I think it is deeply connected. Jesus is teaching His disciples not to allow future uncertainties to rob them of present faithfulness. Every day already has enough challenges of its own. Living tomorrow’s fears today only multiplies burdens that God never intended us to carry.

That doesn’t mean Christians should ignore legitimate risks. If someone lives in a coastal community where emergency officials have established tsunami evacuation routes, learning those routes is simply wisdom. Keeping reasonable emergency supplies is wisdom. Paying attention to official warnings during an actual earthquake is wisdom. Those actions are not fear. They are responsible stewardship. There is a significant difference between practical preparation and living under the constant weight of anxiety.

As I reflected on the stories of Noah, Joseph, Nehemiah, Agabus, and Paul, I noticed something they all shared. None of them were paralyzed by fear. They took action, but their actions flowed from trust in God rather than panic. Noah built faithfully for years. Joseph organized wisely. Nehemiah continued rebuilding while remaining watchful. Paul continued his mission even after learning imprisonment awaited him. Faith never eliminated responsibility, but neither did responsibility replace faith.

One of the dangers I see today is that some believers spend so much time watching for signs that they slowly stop doing the things Jesus clearly commanded them to do. Hours are spent searching for the next prophetic video. Entire evenings disappear following one prediction after another. Conversations become dominated by speculation about future events while prayer, Bible study, evangelism, and serving others quietly begin to fade into the background. Whether intentional or not, prophecy begins replacing discipleship.

I don’t believe that is what Jesus intended.

When I read the Gospels, Jesus consistently calls His followers to remain faithful while they wait. In the parable of the talents, servants are expected to continue working until their master returns. In the parable of the ten virgins, the emphasis is on being prepared, not on successfully calculating the exact hour of the bridegroom’s arrival. Again and again, Jesus emphasizes faithful living over successful prediction.

There is another subtle danger that I think deserves attention. Fear can become spiritually addictive. That may sound like a strange statement, but think about how quickly dramatic headlines capture attention. Every new warning creates another rush of urgency. People begin expecting constant excitement. Before long, ordinary Christian faithfulness begins to feel almost boring compared to the latest prediction circulating online.

The problem is that God rarely works through constant emotional excitement. More often, He works through quiet faithfulness. He shapes character over years, not hours. He teaches patience, perseverance, humility, and love. Those qualities develop slowly. They don’t usually generate millions of views on social media, but they are exactly the qualities the New Testament celebrates.

Philippians chapter 4 offers another beautiful reminder. Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Then he says that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Notice that Paul doesn’t promise answers to every question about the future. He promises peace in the middle of uncertainty.

I think that distinction is important. Sometimes I want certainty when God offers peace instead. I want detailed knowledge of tomorrow when God reminds me to trust Him today. The Christian life has always been a walk of faith. If God revealed every future event in advance, faith would no longer require trust. Instead, He gives enough light for today’s obedience while asking me to place tomorrow in His hands.

Psalm 46 has become one of my favorite passages whenever discussions about disasters arise. It begins by saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Then it continues with words that sound remarkably relevant to tonight’s topic. “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.” Think about that imagery. Even if the earth itself is shaken and the seas roar, the psalmist says God’s people have a refuge that cannot be shaken.

Notice what the passage does not say. It does not say disasters will never happen. It does not say believers will never experience hardship. It says God remains present even when creation itself seems unstable. That is the foundation of biblical confidence. My peace does not come from believing I can predict every future event. My peace comes from knowing the One who holds the future.

As I compare that biblical perspective with many modern discussions about prophecy, I notice a significant difference. Scripture consistently redirects my attention toward God’s character. Modern conversations often redirect my attention toward the next prediction. One strengthens faith. The other can unintentionally strengthen anxiety. That doesn’t mean every prophetic warning is false. It simply reminds me that whatever I hear should ultimately draw my eyes back to Christ.

Perhaps the greatest test of any prophetic message is not whether it leaves me frightened about tomorrow. Perhaps the greater test is whether it leaves me trusting God more deeply today. If a message drives me into prayer, repentance, humility, and greater dependence upon Christ, it is producing fruit consistent with Scripture. If it leaves me trapped in endless fear, constantly chasing the next prediction while neglecting the clear commands already revealed in God’s Word, then something is out of balance.

As I bring this section to a close, I want to leave you with one simple thought. Watchfulness and fear are not the same thing. Jesus commanded watchfulness. He never commanded panic. Watchfulness keeps my eyes open while my heart remains at peace. Fear closes my heart while my imagination runs ahead of God’s promises. One produces faithful obedience. The other often produces confusion.

That leaves one final question before I conclude this study. After examining Scripture, history, and today’s prophetic claims, what should a Christian actually do tomorrow morning? Not in theory, but in everyday life. The answer, I believe, is wonderfully practical, and it brings this entire discussion back to the simple faithfulness that has marked God’s people from the beginning.

Part 10 – So, What Should Christians Do Right Now?

As I come to the end of this study, I want to leave you with something practical. Throughout this episode, I have examined Scripture, looked at history, compared documented modern prophetic claims, and applied the biblical tests that God established for anyone claiming to speak in His name. But all of that study leads to one final question. What should a Christian actually do tomorrow morning? Not next year. Not after another video appears online. What should a follower of Christ do when this episode ends?

The first answer is surprisingly simple. Stay rooted in the Word of God. Before opening another social media app, before watching another prophecy video, before listening to another prediction, spend time reading the Scriptures. Every dream, every vision, every warning, every sermon, and every teaching must stand beneath the authority of God’s Word. The Bible is the only revelation that I know with complete certainty came from God. Everything else must be measured against it.

I also believe Christians should pray for wisdom instead of demanding certainty. James writes that if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. I think that verse becomes incredibly important during times like these. Sometimes I want God to answer every question about tomorrow. Instead, He promises wisdom for today. Wisdom often proves far more valuable than knowing every detail of the future because wisdom teaches me how to live faithfully regardless of what tomorrow brings.

The next response is one that appears throughout the entire Bible whenever God warns His people. Repentance. Whether I read Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, or Jesus Himself, the message continually points people back to their relationship with God. If hearing discussions about future judgment causes me to examine my own heart, confess my sins, forgive others, and draw closer to Christ, then something good has already come from the conversation. Every day is the right day to repent because none of us are promised tomorrow.

I also believe this is the time to strengthen the areas of life God has already entrusted to me. If I have a family, then I should love them well. If I belong to a church, I should serve faithfully. If I know people who need encouragement, I should encourage them. If someone needs to hear the gospel, I should share it. The commands Jesus has already given me are not placed on hold because I am wondering about future events. In fact, the uncertainty of tomorrow should motivate me to become even more faithful today.

As I studied the lives of Noah, Joseph, Nehemiah, Agabus, and Paul, one pattern kept repeating itself. None of them became consumed with trying to predict every future detail. Instead, they obeyed the instructions God had already given them. Noah built. Joseph prepared. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. Paul continued preaching Christ. Their faithfulness was found in daily obedience, not constant speculation. That should encourage every one of us because daily obedience is something every believer can practice.

I also want to say something about practical preparation because I know some people will ask. If you live along the Pacific coast, there is nothing wrong with understanding your local emergency plans. There is nothing wrong with knowing evacuation routes, keeping reasonable emergency supplies, or paying attention to official warnings during an actual emergency. Those are acts of wisdom, not fear. Proverbs repeatedly teaches that wise people prepare for foreseeable dangers. Practical preparation and biblical faith have never been enemies.

What Scripture does warn against is allowing fear to become the controlling force in my life. There is a tremendous difference between being prepared and becoming consumed. If I spend every waking hour searching for the next prophecy, watching every new prediction, or living in constant anxiety about what might happen tomorrow, then fear has quietly become my teacher instead of God’s Word. Jesus never called His disciples to live that way. He called them to watch, to pray, and to remain faithful.

There is another lesson I hope every Christian takes away from this study. Be careful with your words when discussing prophecy. If I don’t know something with certainty, I should be willing to say, “I don’t know.” Those three words require humility, but humility has always been a mark of spiritual maturity. There is no shame in admitting that some questions remain unanswered. In fact, pretending to know what God has not clearly revealed has caused tremendous confusion throughout church history.

I also want to encourage you not to mock those who believe they have experienced something from the Lord. Some may be mistaken. Some may be sincere. Some may have misunderstood what they experienced. Some may have received a genuine impression from God. I don’t know every person’s heart, and neither do you. Scripture never commands me to ridicule people. It commands me to test every message. There is a world of difference between exercising discernment and showing contempt.

At the same time, don’t surrender your discernment simply because someone appears sincere or emotional. Sincerity is not one of the biblical tests for prophecy. Confidence is not one of the biblical tests. Popularity is not one of the biblical tests. The number of followers someone has is not one of the biblical tests. God has already given His people the standard, and that standard has not changed in more than three thousand years. Every message must agree with Scripture. Every messenger must ultimately point people toward Christ.

As I worked through all of the research for this episode, one truth became clearer than anything else. Whether these West Coast tsunami prophecies prove accurate, prove mistaken, or remain unanswered, they do not change the gospel. Jesus Christ is still Lord. He still died for our sins. He still rose from the grave. Salvation is still found through Him alone. The Great Commission has not changed. The greatest commandments have not changed. My responsibility before God has not changed.

That realization brings tremendous peace because it reminds me that my faith does not rest upon correctly identifying the next major world event. My faith rests upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. If I build my life upon headlines, I will always be shaken by the next headline. If I build my life upon predictions, I will always be waiting for the next prediction. But if I build my life upon Christ and His Word, then I have found a foundation that does not move even when the world around me does.

I think that is exactly what Jesus meant when He spoke about the wise man building his house upon the rock. Storms still came. Rain still fell. Floods still rose. Winds still blew. The difference was not that one man avoided storms while the other experienced them. The difference was the foundation beneath their feet. One foundation collapsed. The other remained standing. That is the picture I want to leave you with tonight.

If a tsunami comes someday, Christ is still Lord. If it never comes, Christ is still Lord. If these warnings are genuine, Christ is still Lord. If many of them are sincere misunderstandings, Christ is still Lord. My peace is not found in knowing every future event before it happens. My peace is found in knowing the One who holds the future in His hands.

So after everything I have studied, everything I have researched, and everything I have shared tonight, I keep returning to the same passage that has guided this entire episode. “Do not despise prophecies. Test everything. Hold fast what is good.” Those three commands eliminate fear, eliminate gullibility, and replace both with biblical discernment. I cannot think of a better way for a Christian to respond to the West Coast tsunami prophecies than the way God Himself instructed His people thousands of years ago. His Word was sufficient then, and it is still sufficient today.

Conclusion

As I close tonight’s episode, I want to thank you for taking this journey with me because I know this subject can stir up a lot of emotions. Some of you may have come into this study convinced that every one of these West Coast tsunami prophecies is from God. Others may have been equally convinced that every one of them should be dismissed without another thought. My hope is that, regardless of where you started, you leave with something far more valuable than my opinion. I hope you leave with a greater appreciation for what God’s Word actually says.

When I first began seeing these videos appear one after another, I could have responded in one of two ways. I could have accepted every claim simply because so many people were saying similar things, or I could have rejected every claim because history is filled with failed predictions. Instead, I decided to ask a different question. What does the Bible tell me to do when someone says, “God showed me?” That question changed the direction of my research, and I believe it led to a much more important conversation than simply asking whether a tsunami is coming.

Throughout this study, I found that Scripture consistently holds two truths together. The first is that God has warned His people before. Noah was warned before the flood. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams before the famine. Agabus warned the early Church before hardship arrived. The Bible gives no reason to believe that God is incapable of warning His people. He certainly can, and He certainly has throughout history.

The second truth is just as clear. God repeatedly warns His people about false prophets, false dreams, false visions, and deception. Jesus spoke more about guarding against deception than He did about earthquakes. Jeremiah confronted prophets who spoke from their own imagination. Ezekiel challenged those who claimed the Lord had spoken when He had not. John commanded believers to test the spirits. Paul instructed the Church not to despise prophecy while also testing everything. Those commands were not written because God wanted His people to become suspicious. They were written because He wanted His people to become discerning.

One of the greatest lessons I learned while researching this episode is that discernment requires patience. It is easy to become caught up in the excitement of a prediction. It is equally easy to become cynical after seeing predictions fail. Neither response reflects the balance I find in Scripture. The Bible repeatedly encourages believers to slow down, examine the evidence, compare every message with God’s Word, and allow truth to stand on its own. Truth never fears examination.

I also discovered that history teaches an important lesson. Many stories become larger over time. Memories change. Details are added. Rumors spread quickly. That is why documentation matters. It is why Scripture matters even more. God never intended His people to build their faith upon rumors, personalities, or internet trends. He gave us His Word as the standard by which every spiritual claim can be measured.

If there is one thought I hope stays with you after tonight, it is this. My responsibility as a Christian has not changed because hundreds of people are discussing a possible tsunami. Tomorrow morning, I am still called to love God with all my heart. I am still called to love my neighbor as myself. I am still called to forgive those who have wronged me, to care for those in need, to remain faithful to my family, to pray, to study the Scriptures, and to share the gospel. Those responsibilities remain unchanged whether a tsunami comes next month, next century, or never at all.

That truth brings tremendous peace because it reminds me that faithfulness is always more important than forecasting. God has never judged His people by how accurately they predicted the future. He has consistently called them to walk humbly, obey His commands, and trust Him one day at a time. The future belongs to God. My responsibility belongs to today.

If you live on the West Coast, there is nothing wrong with being prepared for known natural hazards. Wisdom has always been part of biblical living. Learn your local emergency plans. Take reasonable precautions. Care for your family. Those things are not acts of fear. They are acts of stewardship. But never allow preparation to replace trust or fear to replace faith.

Above all else, don’t let this conversation distract you from the greatest reality of all. Every one of us will one day stand before God. Whether through a natural disaster, old age, illness, or the return of Christ, every life eventually reaches its appointed day. The greatest preparation any person can ever make is not storing supplies or studying predictions. The greatest preparation is knowing Jesus Christ, walking in repentance, and living each day in faithful obedience to Him.

So I want to leave you exactly where the Apostle Paul leaves the Church in 1 Thessalonians. Don’t despise prophecies. Don’t become cynical. At the same time, don’t believe every claim simply because someone speaks confidently or because thousands of others are repeating it. Test everything. Compare every message with Scripture. Hold tightly to what is good, and reject what does not withstand God’s standard.

If you do that, then whether tomorrow brings calm seas or troubled waters, your foundation will remain secure. The world may shake. Headlines will come and go. Predictions will rise and fall. But the Word of God will remain exactly as it has always been—true, trustworthy, and sufficient for every generation.

Until next time, keep asking questions, keep searching the Scriptures, and never stop testing every symptom against the true cause. Grace and peace to all of you, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

Bibliography

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.
• The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.
• The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1769.
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• Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012–2015.
• Longman III, Tremper. Jeremiah, Lamentations. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.
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• Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2000.
• Walton, John H., and Craig S. Keener, eds. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.
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• Acts 17:11; Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 18; Genesis 6; Genesis 19; Genesis 41; Isaiah 8; Jeremiah 23; Jeremiah 28; Matthew 6; Matthew 7; Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 John 4; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Timothy 1; Philippians 4; Hebrews 11; James 1; Psalm 46. (Primary biblical passages examined throughout this study.)

Endnotes

1. The primary purpose of this episode is not to determine whether current West Coast tsunami prophecies are true or false, but to examine how Scripture instructs believers to respond whenever someone claims to have received a revelation from God.
2. The central biblical framework for this study comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21: “Do not despise prophecies. Test everything. Hold fast what is good.” This passage establishes the balance between rejecting all prophetic claims and accepting them without examination.
3. 1 John 4:1 commands believers to “test the spirits” because many false prophets have gone out into the world. The command assumes that Christians will encounter competing spiritual claims.
4. Acts 17:10–12 presents the Bereans as a model for biblical discernment because they examined the Scriptures daily to verify even the Apostle Paul’s teaching.
5. Deuteronomy 18:20–22 establishes that those who claim to speak in God’s name bear responsibility for the accuracy of their message.
6. Deuteronomy 13:1–5 demonstrates that even fulfilled signs and wonders do not validate a messenger if the message leads people away from the worship and obedience of the true God.
7. Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 13 contain some of the strongest biblical warnings against prophets who speak from their own imagination while claiming divine authority.
8. Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 all begin Jesus’ teaching on the end times with warnings against deception before discussing wars, earthquakes, famines, or other signs.
9. Matthew 7:15–20 teaches that false prophets are ultimately recognized by their fruit rather than by popularity or extraordinary claims.
10. Galatians 1:8–9 establishes that no dream, vision, angelic appearance, or prophetic experience can overturn or supersede the gospel already revealed.
11. The biblical examples of Noah (Genesis 6–9), Joseph (Genesis 41), Daniel (Daniel 2; 7–12), Agabus (Acts 11:27–30; 21:10–14), and Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus (Matthew 2:13–15), demonstrate that God has warned His people before significant events.
12. In every biblical example examined, divine warnings served a redemptive purpose by calling people toward obedience, repentance, preparation, or faithfulness rather than merely satisfying curiosity about future events.
13. The response of the early Church to Agabus’s famine prophecy in Acts 11 was practical generosity rather than panic, demonstrating a biblical model for responding to prophetic warnings.
14. Paul’s response to Agabus in Acts 21 illustrates that a genuine warning from God does not always mean avoiding hardship but may instead prepare believers to endure it faithfully.
15. During the preparation of this episode, modern prophetic claims associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, William Branham, Harold Camping, and other widely discussed prophetic movements were examined for historical documentation and compared against biblical standards.
16. A distinction was maintained throughout this study between documented evidence existing before an event and testimonies or recollections that emerged only after an event had occurred.
17. The historical method employed in this episode distinguishes between primary documentation created before an event and retrospective accounts recorded afterward. This distinction is essential when evaluating modern prophetic claims.
18. No attempt has been made to judge the sincerity, motives, or spiritual condition of individuals sharing West Coast tsunami prophecies. The evaluation has been limited to comparing messages against the biblical standards established in Scripture.
19. The possibility that multiple individuals could independently report similar dreams is acknowledged, while also recognizing that widespread social influence and repeated exposure to similar information can shape human expectation and memory. Scripture therefore requires testing rather than assuming either divine origin or human fabrication.
20. Biblical discernment requires both humility and patience. In some cases, the most honest conclusion is that available evidence is insufficient to reach certainty.
21. Practical emergency preparedness for known natural hazards is consistent with biblical wisdom and stewardship and should not automatically be confused with fear or unbelief.
22. Throughout church history, numerous individuals have claimed prophetic insight regarding future events. This episode intentionally focuses on principles of biblical discernment rather than attempting to authenticate or invalidate every historical claim.
23. The command to remain watchful should not be confused with living in continual fear. Jesus consistently called His followers to faithful endurance rather than anxious speculation.
24. Psalm 46, Isaiah 41, Philippians 4, and 2 Timothy 1:7 collectively emphasize God’s presence, peace, and faithfulness during times of uncertainty and crisis.
25. The conclusion reached in this study is that Scripture neither commands believers to believe every prophetic claim nor to reject every prophetic claim. Instead, Christians are instructed to examine every message carefully, measure it against God’s Word, retain what is true, reject what is false, and continue living faithfully regardless of future events.

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