Dear BPCWA worshipper, Last week, we saw how an earthquake in a corner of the world could also trigger far wider destruction through a tsunami in other continents. God’s power infinitely exceeds man’s control and ability to withstand. Another instance of God’s demonstration is the one seen in the city of Pompeii. Many archaeologists, researchers, documentaries, and websites have documented the fate of this city, revealing to us much of what happened there. God, in His wise purpose, allowed this city to be encased for centuries to tell its woeful tale for centuries to follow.

Pompeii, a city of luxury for the pride and enjoyment of man. Pompeii was an ancient city in southern Italy. The city was allied with Rome and eventually colonized. The area around Pompeii became very prosperous due to the desirability of living on the Bay of Naples for wealthy Romans. It was an important passage for goods that arrived by sea and had to be sent toward Rome or southern Italy. In its heyday, it was a wealthy town with numerous fine public buildings and luxurious private houses featuring lavish decorations, furnishings, and artworks. Its buildings included the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, the Forum Baths, and the Forum that was lavishly embellished with colonnades and temples to reflect the city’s civic pride. Such buildings raised the status of Pompeii as a cultural centre in the region, as it outshone its neighbours in the number of places for entertainment, significantly enhancing the social and economic development of the city. All this was damaged by an earthquake in about AD 62, believed to be about 5 to 6 on the Richter scale. On the day of the earthquake, there were to be two sacrifices, as it was the anniversary of Augustus being named “Father of the Country” and a feast day to honour the guardian spirits of Pompeii. Chaos followed the earthquake; fires caused by oil lamps that had fallen during the quake added to the panic. This brought widespread damage, including the destruction of temples of the pagan gods. One cannot help but recall how God toppled Dagon, the idol of the Philistines. After the quake, many buildings were restored, and damaged frescoes were covered with newer ones. Emperor Nero (infamous for his persecution of Christians, as we have studied in 1 Peter) offered financial aid to support the city after the first quake. Buildings and the city plan, including the Forum, were improved.  For residents then, Pompeii would seem to have bounced back from the effects of the quake. Nero and his wife visited the city in about AD 64 to offer sacrifices and made gifts to the Temple of Venus, the city’s patron deity. Another smaller earthquake occurred in AD 64 while Nero was in Naples performing for the first time in a public theatre. Nero’s affinity for Pompeii, coupled with his actions and support for the city, cemented the bonds and made the city deeply loyal to Nero. 

Inescapable destruction. At about noon on August 24, AD 79, a huge eruption from Mount Vesuvius showered volcanic debris over the city of Pompeii, followed the next day by clouds of blisteringly hot gases. The eruption lasted for 2 days. Around 1:00 p.m. in the first phase of the eruption, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, spewing up a column of volcanic debris and deadly hot gases between 15 to 30 km into the stratosphere with a spread of pumice and ashes forming a 2.8m blanket to the south, towards Pompeii. An earthquake caused buildings in Pompeii to collapse at this time, killing the occupants. At some time in the night or early the next day, the next phase of pyroclastic surges engulfed Pompeii with a 1.8m deep layer. The rapid-moving flows were dense and very hot, wholly or partly knocking down all structures in their path, literally incinerating or suffocating any living beings who remained. The nearby cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Oplontis were buried in fine pyroclastic deposits, pulverized pumice, and lava fragments up to 20m deep. These were accompanied by additional tremors and a mild tsunami in the Bay of Naples. By the evening of the second day, a haze in the atmosphere remained, screening sunlight from the area. Buildings were destroyed, the populace was crushed or asphyxiated, as the city was buried beneath a blanket of ash and pumice. For many centuries, Pompeii slept beneath its pall of ash, perfectly preserving the remains and the story of God’s Hand for the world to uncover. The remains of those who died are frozen in time of their last moments – some attempting to flee or hugging a loved one or clinging on to their hoard of possessions while trying to protect their treasures as they died. Encased within the city’s remains were signs that the wicked Emperor Nero enjoyed much popularity in the city. Pompeii was the birthplace of his second wife. Even when Rome eventually turned against Nero, Pompeii demonstrated an affinity for Nero. Archaeologists uncovered graffiti on the walls that praised the Emperor and Empress.  

God’s mighty Hand. Why did God bring such destruction upon Pompeii? Man may never know, but we can certainly trust that the God who watches over His creation every second has a purpose that is wise, just, and always good. 1) Don’t love or trust in the temporal. Pompeii is hauntingly preserved as a lesson for all to realise that man can hide and even revel in their “success”, but is quickly brought low by God. The ruins of Pompeii continue to be a visually striking reminder of those who trusted in uncertain riches instead of the living God. A life in the pursuit of luxury and pleasure is but vanity, easily eclipsed in God’s Hand. Everything that you would rather give your energies to will all be razed to the ground one day. Only what is done and lived for Christ will last. As we learned in last week’s sermon, everything that God gives to us is to be used for Him. 2) Worship of idols will be judged. Of even greater vanity and abomination is the worship of idols. Venus, the Roman goddess whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory, could not help Pompeii. Well has the Psalmist declared, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. . . They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” (Ps 115:4, 7-8). Do you have invisible idols in your hearts which are not carved statues? Do you idolise men? Man puts his trust in that which is untrustworthy, setting aside and despising the worship of the true and living God. 3) Our lives can end suddenly. Pompeii had seen many earthquakes but continued to thrive as a bustling and prosperous city. I am sure that the residents who were living in the lap of luxury and revelling never thought that there would be an earthquake in AD79, which would envelop them so completely and kill them almost instantaneously. Our days are numbered, and God holds them in His Hand. God, in His merciful longsuffering, can give warnings for us to repent, but we can continue to resist. Do you persist in known sin, thinking that your life is fine and perhaps even survived multiple calamities? Take heed, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2Pe 3:9). 4) God’s judgement is sure. The city may have had a powerful benefactor in Emperor Nero, but aligning themselves with a wicked man would only have incurred greater judgement. While Pompeii continued in debauchery and idolatry, it was seemingly living a secure life of wealth and luxury. God will judge one day. Certainly, the reality is that unbelievers will definitely be condemned, because God promises that one day, “the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15). Christ’s first coming was as a meek and lowly lamb. Don’t presume upon this meekness as you go against Him. When His judgement comes, you will want to flee but will find no place to escape His fierce wrath. Believers will not be spared either, for the loving Father promises, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). It will be painful, but it will be deserved if we do not repent early. Man, do not be wise in your conceit to oppose God, His workings, and His work. God sends warnings, and if you do not repent, inescapable judgement will surely come.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2Pe 3:10-12)

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor