Residents of Pompeii Ignored Warning Signs
Naomi and I visited the ruins of Pompeii outside of what is today Naples. The Roman City of Pompeii was destroyed in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gasses. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day. The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers record--weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to Vesuvius’s warning! There are similar "rumblings" in our world. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming day of Judgment (Matt. 24). People need not be caught unprepared.
From a sermon by Stephen Sheane, What is Communion? 12/2/2009