The term "alarming" refers to something that causes fear, anxiety, or concern. In the context of the Bible, events or messages that are alarming often serve as divine warnings or calls to repentance. The Bible contains numerous instances where God uses alarming situations to capture the attention of His people and prompt them to turn back to Him.

Old Testament Examples

1. The Plagues of Egypt: One of the most alarming series of events in the Old Testament is the ten plagues that God sent upon Egypt. These plagues were designed to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage. Each plague was increasingly severe, culminating in the death of the firstborn (Exodus 7-12). The plagues served as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereignty and a warning against hardening one's heart against Him.

2. The Writing on the Wall: In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar of Babylon witnessed a mysterious hand writing on the wall during a feast. The message, interpreted by Daniel, was an alarming prophecy of the king's downfall and the end of his kingdom. This event underscored the theme of divine judgment and the consequences of pride and idolatry.

3. The Prophets' Warnings: Throughout the Old Testament, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel delivered alarming messages of impending judgment due to Israel's unfaithfulness. These warnings were intended to lead the people to repentance and restoration. For example, Jeremiah 4:19 expresses the prophet's distress over the coming destruction: "My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me; I cannot keep silent, for I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry."

New Testament Examples

1. The Olivet Discourse: In Matthew 24, Jesus provides an alarming description of the end times, including wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution. These signs are meant to prepare believers for the trials to come and to encourage them to remain faithful. Jesus warns in Matthew 24:6 , "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come."

2. The Book of Revelation: The Revelation to John contains many alarming visions of the end times, including the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls of God's wrath. These apocalyptic images serve as a warning to the unrepentant and a call to perseverance for believers. Revelation 14:7 urges, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of water."

3. The Parable of the Ten Virgins: In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish. The alarming moment comes when the bridegroom arrives, and the foolish virgins are unprepared. This parable emphasizes the importance of spiritual readiness and vigilance.

Theological Implications

Alarming events and messages in the Bible often serve as a catalyst for spiritual awakening and transformation. They remind believers of the seriousness of sin, the reality of divine judgment, and the urgency of repentance. The Bible encourages believers not to be overcome by fear but to trust in God's sovereignty and faithfulness. As 2 Timothy 1:7 states, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

In summary, the concept of alarming in the Bible is closely tied to God's redemptive purposes, calling His people to awareness, repentance, and faithfulness in the face of impending judgment or crisis.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Alarm.

2. (a.) Exciting, or calculated to excite, alarm; causing apprehension of danger; as, an alarming crisis or report. -- Alarmingly, adv.

927. behal -- to alarm, dismay
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to bahal Definition to alarm, dismay NASB Word
Usage alarm (2), alarmed (3), alarming (2), haste (2), hurriedly (1), kept ...
/hebrew/927.htm - 6k

Accidents, not Punishments
... Not only have there been catastrophes so alarming that the blood chills at their
remembrance, but column after column of the paper has been devoted to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/accidents not punishments.htm

Chapter xlv
... He wants to draw their thoughts away from the alarming disclosure he has just
made. We can well understand the reaction of the brothers. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlv.htm

Matt. vi. 24
... For He was not contented with His former sayings, many and great as they were,
but He adds others also, more and more alarming. [906]. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxi matt vi 24.htm

"A Strange Lad!" Said Abbe Vergniaud, Abruptly. ...
... When the worst cocotte of the age begins to lose her beauty, the prospect is so
alarming that she thinks there may be a possible hell, after all, and she ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/corelli/the master-christian/viii a strange lad said.htm

Matt. Iii. 7
... stones to raise up children unto Abraham," he added, "And now also the axe is laid
unto the root of the trees," [472] by all means making his speech alarming. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xi matt iii 7.htm

Massillon -- the Small Number of the Elect
... Were I here, my brethren, for the purpose of alarming, rather than instructing you,
I had only to recapitulate what in the holy writings we find dreadful with ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/massillon the small number.htm

Instructions to Catechumens.
... And as in the case of little children, masks, and other bugbears are not in themselves
alarming, but seem to little children to be alarming, by reason of the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/instructions to catechumens.htm

Contradiction Between Our Life and Our Christian Conscience.
... If the requirements of the Christian doctrine seem strange and even alarming to
the than of the social theory of life, no less strange, incomprehensible, and ...
/.../the kingdom of god is within you/chapter v contradiction between our.htm

A Fall and a Recovery, 1800-1857.
... homewards. At the next General Synod (1825), however, they made an alarming
discovery. In ... schoolmates. The case was alarming. If ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter iii a fall and.htm

Indiscreet Importunity.
... own way, although He knows it is ruinous, and even putting into their hands the
scorpion they have mistaken for a fish, is an indubitable and alarming fact. ...
/.../dods/how to become like christ/indiscreet importunity.htm

Alarming (3 Occurrences)
... n.) of Alarm. 2. (a.) Exciting, or calculated to excite, alarm; causing apprehension
of danger; as, an alarming crisis or report. ...Alarming (3 Occurrences). ...
/a/alarming.htm - 7k

Alarmed (28 Occurrences)

/a/alarmed.htm - 14k

Frightful (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Scary, alarming, appalling. 2. (a.) Full
of that which causes fright; exciting alarm; impressing ...
/f/frightful.htm - 7k

Thunder (48 Occurrences)
... a thunderbolt. 3. (n.) Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon. 4. (n.)
An alarming or startling threat or denunciation. 5. (n ...
/t/thunder.htm - 25k

Recoil (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To draw back, as from anything repugnant,
distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink. 2. (vi ...
/r/recoil.htm - 7k

Mortality (3 Occurrences)
... to population, or to a specific number of the population; death rate; as, a time
of great, or low, mortality; the mortality among the settlers was alarming. ...
/m/mortality.htm - 8k

Alarms (1 Occurrence)

/a/alarms.htm - 6k

Jude (4 Occurrences)
... We cannot fail to perceive how much darker and more sinister is that of Jude. The
evil, alarming certainly in Peter, becomes appalling in Jude. ...
/j/jude.htm - 40k

Nero
... because of the trial of Paul, a Roman citizen, at Rome (about 63), or the growing
hostility of the Jews, or the increasing numbers and alarming progress of the ...
/n/nero.htm - 41k

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