“I believe the earth itself is groaning (Rom. 8:19-22) in anticipation of the Lord’s return. Part of this groaning includes floods, volcanoes, tidal waves, hurricanes, and earthquakes.”

-Jim Bakker in “Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse”

A massive earthquake struck just before 1 p.m. local time yesterday near the Russian island of Sakhalin. The tremors from the quake were felt as far as away as Tokyo, Japan over 800 miles away.

The US Geological Survey rated the quake at 7.7 at a depth of 388 miles. The depth of the quake made it unlikely that any major damage would impact surrounding cities. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated a tsunami was unlikely due to the depth of the quake.

The location of the quake is similar to another quake in 2007 where two people were killed and ten injured. However, those two quakes were much more shallow than Monday’s quake. Those quakes also destroyed hundreds of buildings and homes.

Japan’s Meterological Agency reported the quake at 7.3 and that no damage is reported in the nation.

The 7.7 quake is one of the strongest of 2012.