“Better yet, the New Testament says that God will test his Elect. They will be persecuted. They will suffer harm for the faith. So an earthquake is just as likely to be a test of the Elect as it is a punishment.”
I would NOT disagree with that, and it is a point equally worthy of consideration.
God sent fireballs down on the cities of the plain in Genesis 19, and the “elect” (Lot and some of his family) were delivered, though in a backslidden state.
I would continue to argue that there is a warfare for the kingdoms of the world in the spiritual realm (many political decisions are a consequence of it), and the judgments of Daniel and Revelation include the culmination of such with the Man of Sin (either the devil incarnate or directly controlled) ruling from the desicrated temple in Jerusalem over all of the earth’s nations for a period of time in the future.
In that, there is a whole lot of satanic selling going on, including the souls of men (Revelation 18:13).
I wholesale agree.
. . . folks seem to forget quite easily that New Orleans was a center of outrageous corruption, sin of every serious flavor flaunted routinely . . . and even a revelry and glorifying of sin.