Christmas Day 2025 arrives with the planet in restless motion—both geologically and geopolitically. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Taiwan on December 24th at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers near Yujing, while seismic monitors recorded 574 earthquakes worldwide in the past 24 hours alone, including seven magnitude 5.0 or greater events stretching from Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to the Scotia Sea near Antarctica.
The seismic activity coincides with heightened volcanic unrest across multiple continents. Russia's Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka continues its eruptive phase, with satellite imagery capturing large thermal anomalies throughout mid-December. Aviation authorities maintain an Orange alert status as ash emissions threaten air traffic corridors. Meanwhile, Guatemala's Fuego and Santiaguito volcanoes remain active, as does Mexico's Popocatépetl and India's Barren Island—a rare simultaneous awakening that has seismologists monitoring for potential escalation.
In the Middle East, Jordan's armed forces executed precision airstrikes near Sweida, Syria, targeting smuggler operations attempting to move arms and drugs across the border. The Jordanian military confirmed coordination with 'regional partners' before conducting the strikes—a notable development as the new Syrian political landscape continues to take shape following recent upheaval. The operation underscores Amman's determination to secure its northern frontier against destabilizing criminal networks exploiting Syria's transitional chaos.
Israel, meanwhile, faces diplomatic headwinds on multiple fronts. Saudi officials have communicated to Washington that Israeli military operations in Syria are actively undermining normalization prospects between Riyadh and Jerusalem. The kingdom maintains its position that any progress toward an agreement must be conditioned on significant Israeli concessions regarding Palestinian statehood—a stance that has hardened in recent weeks. Simultaneously, IDF forces conducted overnight raids in the West Bank, detaining suspects planning terror attacks in the Kifl Haris and Deir Istiya areas, while striking what military officials identified as a terrorist target in southern Lebanon's Ansariyah area.
Three months after the deadly Allenby Crossing attack that killed two IDF soldiers, Israel returned the body of attacker Abd al-Qaisi to Jordan—a quiet diplomatic gesture as the critical border crossing resumed operations just two weeks ago. The exchange highlights the complex dance of security cooperation and public tension that defines Israeli-Jordanian relations.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing from St. Peter's Basilica, calling for peace in a year overshadowed by conflict yet marked by fragile hopes for Gaza. In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years, a cautious return to normalcy in the town of Christ's birth.
Financial markets offered little holiday cheer for cryptocurrency investors. Bitcoin ETFs hemorrhaged $825 million over five days, with Christmas Eve alone producing $175 million in net outflows. Analysts now characterize the United States as the 'biggest seller' of Bitcoin—a striking reversal for what was once considered the institutional adoption engine for digital assets.
The convergence of seismic instability, regional military action, and diplomatic friction carries unmistakable weight for those watching biblical patterns unfold. The prophet Joel spoke of signs in the heavens and earth before the great day of the Lord—and while earthquakes alone prove nothing, their clustering alongside geopolitical realignment in the very lands of Scripture commands attention. As 2025 draws to a close, the earth itself seems to groan with anticipation. Watch Jordan's increasingly assertive posture, Saudi Arabia's hardening demands, and whether this seismic surge represents isolated tremors or something far more significant.