Any Act of God must include the following:
1) Must be in harmony with His purpose
2) He always gives advance warning
3) He always provides a means of escape
If the above criteria is not met, then you have not experienced an "Act of God"! Here is a little discussion on:
To begin this conversation there has to be a few assumptions:
1 - is that it needs to be understood that God is Jehovah God. And
2 - is that the Bible explains and defines that the below gathered research is from Him.
1) Jehovah does have a purpose. Just like he did in the garden of Eden, He purposed man to live on earth in a garden paradise forever. Death was a punishment for the choice of Adam & Eve in their attempt to live independent of their God. So in Genesis 2:15 He took man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. He warned them at Genesis 2:16-17 not to eat the fruit of this one certain tree but that all the rest of the food in the garden they could eat to satisfaction. But if they failed this one simple test of obedience, then according to Genesis 3:3 they would suffer the punishment of death. After this, at Genesis 3:15 he enacted the punishment on Satan, Adam and Eve. His warning had become their destiny. They were all condemned to death. But at Genesis 3:15 He also announces that the "Woman" would crush Satan in the head or kill him. This is a perfect example of an "act of God" which nobody can deny. It fulfills all three parts as required.
2) Here are just a few examples of what is meant by "he always gives advance warning." Now why would he give advance warning and then provide a means of escape in some situations and not in others? In order for an act to be an act of God, it simply must meet all 3 criteria.
2A) Example: Matt 24:3-51
3 opens with the disciples approaching him (Jesus) privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Reading to vs. 51, Jesus gives all the signs as to what to look for to avoid experiencing an Act of God without being able to escape.
4 it says, "In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you,
5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
6 You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.
8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.
9 “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name.
10 Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will arise and mislead many;
12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold.
13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.
14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment),
16 then let those in Ju·de′a begin fleeing to the mountains.
17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house,
18 and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment.
19 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days!
20 Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day;
21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.
22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25 Look! I have forewarned you.
26 Therefore, if people say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence of the Son of man will be.
28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he will send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.
32 “Now learn this illustration from the fig tree: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 Likewise also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors.
34 Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be.
38 For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39 and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken along and the other abandoned.
41 Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken along and the other abandoned.
42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.
45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so!
47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.
48 “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’
49 and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards,
50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know,
51 and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.
2B) Example: Luke 21:3-21
“As for these things that you now see, the days will come when not a stone will be left upon a stone and not be thrown down.”
7 Then they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are to occur?”
8 He said: “Look out that you are not misled, for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time is near.’ Do not go after them.
9 Furthermore, when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified. For these things must take place first, but the end will not occur immediately.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs.
12 “But before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors for the sake of my name.
13 It will result in your giving a witness.
14 Therefore, resolve in your hearts not to rehearse beforehand how to make your defense,
15 for I will give you words and wisdom that all your opposers together will not be able to resist or dispute.
16 Moreover, you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,
17 and you will be hated by all people because of my name.
18 But not even a hair of your heads will perish.
19 By your endurance you will preserve your lives.
20 “However, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near.
21 Then let those in Ju·de′a begin fleeing to the mountains, let those in the midst of her leave, and let those in the countryside not enter into her,
22 because these are days for meting out justice in order that all the things written may be fulfilled.
23 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! For there will be great distress on the land and wrath against this people.
24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.
25 “Also, there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation.
26 People will become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”
29 With that he told them an illustration: “Notice the fig tree and all the other trees.
30 When they are budding, you see it for yourselves and know that now the summer is near.
31 Likewise also you, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.
32 Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all things happen.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
34 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you
35 as a snare. For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth.
36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.”
37 So by day he would be teaching in the temple, but by night he would go out and lodge on the mountain called the Mount of Olives.
38 And all the people would come to him early in the morning to hear him in the temple.
2C) Example: 2 Thess 1:8-10 says,
8 "in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.
9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength,
10 at the time when he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder among all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among you."
3) Obedience to instructions here is a key tool to take advantage of the escape route.
4) In each case cited above, things worked out "just so!" Just as it was prophesied.
Additional Scriptures:
2Peter 3:9 "Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance."
John 17:3 "This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ."
Deut 30:15-20
15 “See, I do put before you today life and good, and death and bad.
16 If you listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God that I am commanding you today, by loving Jehovah your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his judicial decisions, then you will live and multiply, and Jehovah your God will bless you in the land you are going to possess.
17 “But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are enticed and bow down to other gods and serve them,
18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
19 I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants,
20 by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice, and by sticking to him, for he is your life and by him you will endure a long time in the land that Jehovah swore to give to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Matt 7:24-25
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”
