Signs in the Heavens
7/04/2001, Vince Aquilino
"Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." (Rev 8:8-9)
"There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilence in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. " (Luke 21:11)
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27)
"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls." (Joel 2:28-32)
In the Bible, there are three heavens referred to. There is the air above the earth (the first heaven), the abode of the sun, moon and stars (the second heaven) and the third heaven (the abode of God, His angels and His saints).
There are many passages in scripture that tell us we shall see great signs in the heavens just before the return of Jesus Christ and the Day of the Lord. In Joel 2:30 God tells us He will show us wonders in the heavens (and in the earth) as a sign of the return of the Lord. The word for heavens in Joel 2:30 is the Hebrew word (transliterated) "shamayim" which means the sky (as aloft; the dual perh. alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve). So in this case heavens can refer to both the first and the second heaven.
In previous articles (linked below) some of the recent signs were discussed that point to the soon return of Jesus Christ. This article will bring you more up to date on some of the more recent signs that herald the Lord's return. Israel and in particular is God's timepiece for the many events that lead up to Armageddon and the Day of the Lord. The first event we will discuss comes from Kathleen Mitchell, a prophetic intercessor in the Lord's army. Kathleen writes on the events of May 2, 2001:
"I can't delay in sharing the move of God's hand, which was visible this week over Jerusalem. Tuesday evening just before sundown, a fierce wind roared into Jerusalem. As I waited for a bus at the stop, I noticed a clear squall line....front line...in the sky. There was something very remarkable about it. The wind was blowing between 45 and 60 miles per hour. Therefore, the front should have moved quickly by, with clouds fleeting with it. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the wind was not moving with the front, but against it. Rather that the front moving, the clear squall line was stationary in the sky. Not only that, but the low flying clouds usually hovering under the storm, were neither flying nor hovering. They too were stationary....frozen as it were. I watched for 20 minutes, marking the edge of the storm against a building. If I had taken a photograph of the sky when I arrived at the bus stop, it would have looked the same as when I caught the bus 20 minutes later. People were talking about it everywhere. It was something that couldn't miss being noticed. The common comment was that is was God speaking to His people in some way. The wind continued groaning over the city until around 11 PM that night. By 5:00 AM, a thunderstorm of HUGE proportions hung over the city. It circled and moved for over two hours, until it completed seven passes over the city. The lightening and thunder were unbelievable, but that was not the most significant thing about this storm. The month of May is outside of the rainy season, and well outside of the winter months. However the storm was very cool and dumped an unprecedented about of rain in two hours. Some have said that in parts of the city 12 inches fell. There was flooding all over the city. It is recorded as a record breaking WINTER storm. Roads were blocked off. Enormous sewer covers shot up in the air and gave up water in the form of gushers coming from underground. The aquifers around Jerusalem look in great volumes of water, as a hedge against the drought. God really did something extraordinary on May 2nd. We may not ever fully know what He did. The important thing is that the Jewish people know it was the hand of their God. For those who have not considered Him before, there is a new recognition that He exists and that He is active in this city.
Just as a side note, as I am typing this, another dense dust storm, powered by strong winds, has moved into Jerusalem. Could the stage be in the process of being reset for a repeat performance of a sign and a wonder? THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING YOUR PEOPLE WATER IN THIS DRY AND THIRSTY LAND!! Another interesting note: there is traditional belief among some of the Muslims, that when the great rains come out of season, it will signal the coming of the Jewish Messiah. May it be so!"
This unusual storm in the first heaven speaks of God's hand. In the natural, a thunderstorm that makes seven passes over the city, is unheard of. The fact that there were seven passes, where seven is God's number (the number of perfection), speaks of a sign.
Kathleen noted that the month of May is both outside of the rainy season and well outside of the winter months. However the storm was very cool and dumped an unprecedented about of rain in two hours.
The timing of this storm could be a sign pointing to the soon return of Messiah. Consider the Word of the Lord through the prophet Hosea:
"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." (Hosea 6:3)
Hosea tells us that the Lord will come twice and there is a connection or clue to His return in the reference to rain -- which is a reference to the festivals of the Lord.
The seven Biblical festivals speak not only of historical events like the exodus from Egypt, but also looks forward to the Day of the Lord and Messiah's return. The seven festivals are celebrated in two seasons; the four spring festivals range from the beginning of spring until the ingathering of the barley harvest and the three fall festivals begin at the time of the ingathering of the fall crops. The harvests are connected to the two rainy seasons -- known as the former rain (spring) and the latter rain (fall).
The spring festivals (former rain) commemorate events in Israel's past such as the Passover, the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea and the receiving of the Law (Torah). The work of Messiah during His first coming can be seen clearly in the first coming as Jesus fulfilled these festivals; killed as the Passover (Pesach) lamb on the 14th day of the 1st month (Aviv); buried on the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Hag Ha Matzah); First Fruits for His resurrection; and the giving of His Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Shavuot). For more information on how Jesus fulfilled the festivals of God, please reference the series on "Rosh Ha'Shanah - Is it the Rapture or the Tribulation" (
http://prophecyandcurrentevents.com/thglory/7000year.htm) - especially part 2 of the series.The three fall festivals (latter rain) take place during the seventh month (Tishri) which is the time of the latter rain. As the spring festivals taught of the first coming of Messiah, His second coming can be seen in the fall festivals. The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah - also called Rosh HaShanna) teaches about the coronation and wedding of Messiah; Yom Kippur, speaks of the Day of Atonement, where the High Priest would sprinkle the people for their cleansing (so will Messiah at His second coming); and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) which teached us that God will tabernacle with us.
The time of the Latter Rain is fast approaching and this supernatural storm over Jerusalem which dropped an unprecedented amount of rain well in advance of the fall festivals may be a sign that we are appriaching the return of Messiah: "Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." (Hosea 6:3)
Let's consider some of the other signs in the heavens:
Bill Koenig, on May 23rd, 2001, gives this personal account of yet another sign in the first heaven:
"When arriving this morning at the White House's northwest security gate (the entrance to the West Wing and the Press Room), I noticed that security checks were being handled by phone instead of the computer. I asked one of the guards about what had caused the problem. She said, "you won't believe it but our guardhouse was hit by lightning last night, and it knocked out our computer."
There was also a "tornado watch" last night from Washington eastward, covering all of eastern Maryland. I saw the dark clouds moving east but fortunately there were no tornadoes. (A small tornado did touch down 50 miles south of Washington.)
I believe that the Lord showed last night and today that He was not happy with the visit of the Dalai Lama to the White House. Although this was not his first visit to the White House, it was his first visit to the Bush White House. The Dalai Lama is a distinguished spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, and he has a nice and fun personality. However, he is a false god, who speaks a false message. Most importantly, he doesn’t acknowledge Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Furthermore, isn't it interesting that on the day the Dalai Lama is welcomed to the White House, the other big news to break is Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords’ probable decision to leave the Republican Party to become an Independent, a move that will give the Democrats a majority in the Senate?
This decision will throw the Senate into disarray, affecting all the Republican committee chairmanship positions and making Democratic Senator Tom Daschle the Senate Majority leader.
Moreover, on the first day the Jeffords’ story emerged, the Dalai Lama arrived in Washington, and President Bush and Secretary of State Powell both came out in favor of the Mitchell Report on the Middle East, a report that calling for Israel to stop settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza.
Additionally, to put these events into perspective, John McTernan has noted that Senator Jeffords is from Vermont, the first and only state to approve same-sex unions and a state that is strongly pro-choice. And tomorrow, his expected party defection will throw the U.S. Senate into instability, creating doubts and roadblocks for the president’s upcoming judicial appointments and a variety of legislative programs.
Is the Lord speaking to the Bush Administration and our nation? Absolutely! And there will be no compromises
Considering Bill's observation, one must admit that the balance of power has shifted in the Senate. Coincidence
? In Revelation 8:5 we see the following:"Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake." (Rev 8:5)
These Scriptural events of Revelation occurred immediately preceding the seven trumpet judgements upon the earth. Lightening, earthquakes and thundering can be prophetic warnings of impending judgement. It is possible that this was one. Researchers like John McTernan have shown us very clearly that God is not mocked and that we will reap what we sow. He has shown us the connection between "sin" events and God's righteous judgements as God continues to plead for repentance.
Signs in the Second Heaven
Heavenly events ("signs in moon, stars & sun") are of great significance. Ps19:1The heavens declare the glory of G-d; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
In the celestial heavens, the second heaven if you will, there have been additional awesome signs that are heralding the Lord's Return.
Solar
MaximumFor example, the current Solar maximum is so incredibly violent that it has unleashed the biggest solar flare on record. On Monday, April 15th, at 9:50 am EDT, sunspot 9415 unleashed one of the most powerful explosions ever recorded in our solar system (it was off the charts) -- fortunately the blast was directed mostly away from Earth. Had it been directed toward the earth it might have collapsed the power grid, destroyed the electronics of orbiting satellites, and exposed astronauts to the equivalent of 100's of chest x-rays (we are protected by the atmosphere).
In addition, solar scientists recently spotted a gigantic storm known as active region 9393. The sunspot covered an area equivalent to the surface area of 13 planet Earths making it the largest sunspot of the current solar cycle. What was unusual that sunspots are normally short-lived -- rarely do they persist longer than a single 27-day rotation of the Sun. However, sunspot 9393 is a major exception -- it has already crossed the face of our star twice, and now it appears to be back for yet a 3rd transit making it even more rare. Earlier this year, 9393 unleashed the most powerful solar flare ever recorded -- again directed away from our planet -- coincidence or a sign?
Jupiter - Sign of the Anti-christ?
A bright flash, which grew to the size of the earth in about a minute, was detected near the North Pole of Jupiter. Theories range from an auroral display to some strange interaction with electrons. The amount of energy released is comparable to an atomic bomb blast. No one knows and an impact of some sort is not out of the question.
The ancient Rabbins gave the Hebrew root for the constellation of Sagittarius as "Heth" (or "Cheth") and means "Terrorem" or "Terror." A later Hebrew noun for the constellation Sagittarius interpreted "Cheth" as "a living animal (beast)" (see Genesis1:30.)
Briefly, the planets, Jupiter and Saturn, have anciently been assigned to the anti-christ's "reign of terror." "Satur," "Satr," or "star" are the ominous names associated with Saturn, and Saturn is another name for Satan.
Jupiter is commonly recognized as a symbol of idolatry and paganism. One of the most devastating events in the history of Israel occurred when the image of Jupiter was placed in the Temple of God. The feast of Hanukkah is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees in removing this pagan god from the temple and re-instituting temple worship. Jupiter is symbolic of the anti-christ and we can see the foreshadowing of the anti-christ in the Temple of God exalting himself above God and all that is Holy:
"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. "Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days! "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:15-21)
This "sign" on Jupiter could have been a sign of the anti-christ's reign of terror. On Sunday, June 10, coronagraphs on board the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory observed Jupiter approaching the Sun just as a many-billion ton coronal mass ejection (CME) billowed away from our star. The giant planet will pass less than a degree from the Sun this week -- an event astronomers call conjunction. Is Jupiter's approach to the Sun from our perspective on earth, symbolic of the approach of the final battle between good and evil during the great tribulation?
On June 20, 2001 there was another "sign" involving Jupiter. In South Africa, the New Moon passed in front of the Sun and produced a dazzling solar eclipse. What was unusual was the fact that the Sun was no longer be the brightest object in the sky. The planet Jupiter, only 4 degrees from the Sun, surpassed it. Given that Scripture speaks of the SUN of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings, is it possible that the SUN being temporarily blocked out and Jupiter (symbolic of the anti-christ) rising to prominence as the brightest object in the sky, also speak of the coming reign of terror. This event also occurred at the height of Solar-Max on the sun -- a time of great tribulation on the sun one might remark.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:1-6)
Jupiter provided a sign in 1994 when the Shoemaker-Levy Comet fragmented into 21 pieces and hit Jupiter over a 7 day period from July 16, 1994 to July 22, 1994 -- one might note that we are approaching the 7-year mark from that event in just a few weeks. This was a sign as asteroids will be part of earth's future judgment. Also the impacts occurred over 7 days -- symbolic of the 7 year tribulation period? Could the 21 pieces could be representative of the 21 impending judgements of Rev. (7 Seals, 7 Bowls, and 7 Trumpets)? July 16 , 1994 was also, coincidentally of course, Tisha B'AV on the Jewish calendar. The 9th of Av is a date of particular prophetic significance. It was on this day that the first and second Temples were destroyed, that the 12 spies brought back their ``evil report" to Saul, that the Roman Army plowed Jerusalem with salt, that Simeon Bar Cochba's army was destroyed in 135 A.D., that Rome began to erect the pagan city on site of the Temple dedication, that in 1096 the first crusades began, that England expelled all the Jews in 1290 A.D., that Spain expelled all the Jews in 1492 A.D., and that World War One was declared in 1914 (with Russia launching persecutions against the Jews in Eastern Russia), and in 1942 the plans for the annihilation of Jews were drafted initiating World War II. It is no wonder that the 9th day of Av is still kept as a day of fasting and mourning.
It is also significant that the twenty-one pieces also representing the twenty-one days extending from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of AV. Historically, the twenty-one days extending from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of AV represented a time of bitterness and destruction for the Jews. According to the Rabbis, the demon that prevails during this time is also called "ketev" meaning destruction/bitterness. It was during this exact time of year that the Lord’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled. On the 17th of Tammuz 70 C.E. the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem. For three weeks Roman troops ransacked and destroyed the city until on the 9th of Av, they Temple was burned and not one stone was left upon another.
Jupiter is a symbol of idolatry for the pagan world and the ultimate false idol -- the anti-christ. The Hebrew name for Jupiter is "Tzedeq" and that comes from the word meaning "righteous" or "righteous one". It is from this term that the name Melchizedek is derived denoting "King of Righteousness". So we can see that even in the language that Satan, the usurper, has perverted Jupiter into a symbol of idolatry.
Jupiter also participated in a rare planetary alignment that had the Earth, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in a straight-line alignment by May 5, 2000 -- the six (the number of man) planets lined up for the first time in 6,000 years." What was particularly interesting about that planetary lineup was that their positions, from earth's perspective, placed them in the constellations of Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpius, which some have said correspond to the four beasts of Revelation and Ezekiel.
Asteroids and the End of the Age
"Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." (Rev 8:8-9
)In the Revelation account John describes what he sees as SOMETHING LIKE a great mountain burning with fire striking the sea. As the result of this one catastrophic event, a third of all sea life died. What John is describing could not be a warhead entering the atmosphere as that is very small when compared to John's description of a mountain burning with fire. This is a near extinction level event that will destroy 1/3 of the sea life and could only be caused by a meteor or comet fragment striking the earth.
"The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." (Isa 24:20-23)
In Isaiah 24, Isaiah describes an event, prior to the return of Jesus, which causes the earth to
reel to and fro like a drunkard. This can only be the result of an equally catastrophic event like a meteor or comet striking the earth. There is another possibility -- it could be a pole shift as the earth rotates vertically on its axis due to the instability that has been introduced by the earth's waning magnetic field. This could occur as the result of a close encounter with another heavenly body of sufficient mass. In any event, let's take notice that this is a judgement from God for sin as Isaiah notes that "the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it." Notice also that this preceeds the Day of the Lord when "the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously."Earth will have a close encounter with an extraterrestrial, but it will not be "E.T.", it will be with a asteroid, comet fragment, meteor or the like.
Even scientists recognize that planet earth is in a cosmic pin ball machine, and it is just a matter of time before one scores a direct hit. In fact, there has been a lot of activity of late, including some strange happenings which we discuss a little later in this article. Consider the following events as a harbinger of that future event:
On June 29, 2001, a newly-discovered near-Earth asteroid, named 2001 ME1, sailed past our planet. Fortunately the 1.5 km-wide space rock was 38 times farther away than the Moon. Not particularly dangerous, however, it is the one's that are not seen that pose the greatest threat to planet earth. For example, between March 21st and 31st alone, astronomers discovered 7 Earth-approaching space rocks: 2001 FM129, 2001 FE90, 2001 FB90, 2001 FD58, 2001 FC58, 2001 FA58 and 2001 FO32. Many asteroids have been identified and cataloged. For example, on June 22, 2001, there were 312 known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. Potentially Hazardous Asteroids larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU.
But how many have yet to be discovered? How many are on a collision course that are unknown? For example, space rock called 2001 EC1 missed earth by about one million km (which is close in cosmic distances), however, what is noteworthy is that, the space rock, which measured about one km (0.6 miles) across, had been discovered only days before. Had it struck the Palace of Westminster, it would have wiped out much of London.
On June 6, 2001 Near-Earth asteroid 2001 JV1 passed by Earth only 18 times farther from our planet than the Moon. The 200m-wide space rock was traveling at 10 km/s (22,000 mph) as it streaked through the constellation Cygnus.
On Febuary 24, 2001, a newly discovered asteroid called 1999 AN10, was calculated to miss the Earth by only 38,000 kilometres in 2027 -- an extremely close shave given the Moon orbits 10 times further from Earth. The calculations also suggest that an impact is not possible that year but, in theory, the Earth's gravity could perturb the asteroid's path, possibly leading to an impact in 2039.
On May 29, 2001 an asteroid named 1999 KW4 sailed by our planet just 12.6 times more distant than the Moon. The space rock is a binary consisting of not one, but 2 asteroids in a mutual orbit separated by about 2 km.
On Apr 27,2001, 2 near-Earth asteroids are passed by our planet -- they are 2000 XG47 and 2001 GQ2. 2000 XG47 is a 1.5 km object that comes no closer to Earth than 0.106 AU, but 2001 GQ2, although much smaller (only ~300m across) is much nearer to us -- only 0.02 AU (about 8 lunar distances) from our planet.
On Jan. 18, 2000, a 400,000-pound rock streaked through the sky and slammed into a remote lake in Canada. The meteorite struck Tagish Lake in northern British Columbia and shattered in 500 pieces. It was estimatedthat this meteorite sped to Earth at about 10 miles per second (20 times the speed of a bullet). The Jan. 18 impact was unique since it was the largest ever recorded over land by satellite systems. It’s estimated the 400,000-pound meteorite was 15 feet across before it detonated in the atmosphere with a force of two to three thousand tons of TNT. Two massive explosions could be heard across parts of northern British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska.
In April of this year, 2 boulders from space have exploded in mid-air off the coast of Mexico, say government scientists who just last week declassified the events. The larger of the 2 meteors roared into the atmosphere, releasing the explosive power of 6,000 to 8,000 tons of TNT. The scientists said it was probably about as big as a Volkswagen Beetle and came down in the Pacific several hundred miles off the coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Norte. The smaller meteor fell last August and was about 6 feet in diameter, with about half the explosive power. It came apart over the Pacific off Acapulco. Donald Yeomans of the NASA Near Earth Object Program at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California stated that these events (and others like it) "proves the point that over long periods of time we can expect to be hit."
In fact, there have been impacts with the planet in the past. For example, An asteroid about 60 metres across landed at Tunguska in Siberia in 1908, flattening trees for 13 miles although this meteor was a small one. Consider another space visitor, whose approach to earth, was only detected only 6 days before its fly-by. It originated between Mars and Jupiter and came within 2.4 million miles of the Earth -- only 12 times further away then the moon -- a near hit in cosmic terms. Had this asteroid hit, which is nine times as large as the Tunguska asteroid - were to hit the Earth, the effect would have been devestating. If it landed in the Atlantic ocean, devastation it would cause would be everything within two miles would be vaporized and the east coast of the United States would suffer devestating tidal waves of immense proportion. If it hit land, molten debris would rain down for weeks after the impact, and dust particles would cause effects similar to a nuclear winter".
It is no wonder that the scientific community is taken the possibility of an Extinction Level Event (ELE) very seriously.
On February 12, 2001 history was made as NASA landed the first spacecraft ever to land on an Asteroid. Scientists hope the data from Near (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) Shoemaker, which landed on asteroid Eros, will help them understand the relationship between space rocks like Eros and meteorites that have fallen to Earth. Indeed! Of course this mission had nothing to do with researching the possibility of delivering a nuclear payload to an asteroid in an attempt to divert it from a collision course with earth.
Some scientists say that the landing will, in fact, provide them with information which could one day help them deflect asteroids heading towards the Earth. Dr Louise Prockter, a scientist working on the mission, told the BBC: "Prior to going into orbit around Eros, we weren't sure what asteroids were composed of - whether they were solid lumps of rock or whether they were rubble piles just held together loosely by gravity. "What we know about Eros and other asteroids like it now is that they're actually fairly solid but they've got a lot of gaps and crevasses inside them. "Although we're far from being technologically ready to blow one out of the way if it comes too close, forewarned is forearmed and we have an idea of what we're up against if that ever happens," she said.
On March 13, 2001 UK's House of Lords have called for more action to be taken to protect the Earth from a collision with a large asteroid. Lord Sainsbury said that the government took the threat from space very seriously and was about to take decisive action following a report drawn up by experts last year. This action was prompted due to a relatively near miss of the Earth by a substantial (about one km-wide) asteroid on February 27th, but nobody realized it because the object was not discovered until 3 March, well after its closest approach…"
On a more esoteric note, on June 5, 2000 comet 76P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura came close to the planet Mars generating all kinds of speculations -- in spite of the fact that NASA declared it a non-event. What has raised eyebrows is the fact that this comet has not been sighted since the June flyby of Mars -- adding fuel to the fire that the comet impacted Mars or one of its moons -- in particular, Phobos. There is also speculation that even if the comet did not impact Mars or Phobos, that its near passage may have perturbed Phobos enough to allow it to escape Mars gravity and generate an Earth-crossing orbit.
Since the name Phobos is derived from a root word meaning terror, this has awakened renewed interest in the ‘King of Terror’ spoken about so much in connection with the Nostradamus prophecies. I am by no means declaring Nostradamus a prophet of God, I am merely making the point that the internet is alive due to these so-called "prophecies." The renewed interest in Nostradamus first occurred with the August 1999 Lunar Eclipse which showed three objects once the sun was blocked out. Two of them turned out to be satellites, but the other object remains a mystery and was quickly dubbed as the "King of Terror" - a asteroid hidden by the brightness of the sun.
Adding to the intrigue was, according to Earl Crockett and Gary Goodwin of the Millennium Group, was that NASA sent a satellite to the Mars/76P rendezvous point and then it mysteriously went off-line and online again right around the passage, so unfortunately no images were taken and sent to Earth.
Then there are the mysterious insider reports such as the report circulated last July, which was, supposedly, purposely withheld from the public. This report indicated that on July 12th, 2000, that there had been a strange ‘hump’ in the orbit of Venus. The speculation is that it could have been caused by the passage of Phobos, then assumed to be on the way to Earth after meeting 76P in June, via a close passage by the Sun inside the orbit of Venus.
Given all this and the fact that the sun has broken out with violent storms (which could. of course, be caused by some of the impact debris impacting the sun) is the stuff conspiracy theories are made of.
Be that as it may, there have been some other rare events that do support the possibility of unexpected collisions in outer space.
An astronomer at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, was conducting a routine sky survey on Monday with his colleagues when he spotted a change in the comet, named C/2001 A2. "Hergenrother and his colleagues have been watching this newly found comet for months using a University of Arizona telescope. It was a typical, rather mundane target that was not expected to brighten much. "Then one day, all of a sudden -- whammo -- the thing got a hundred times brighter."
According to NASA, Astronomers have watched comet LINEAR intently in recent months, as it continued to unexpectedly crumble and brighten. Astronomers may find the phenomenon noteworthy because it happens so infrequently. "It's relatively rare," explained Bell from NASA.
Examination in the days ahead showed that Comet 2001 A2 first it broke into 2 pieces just after an enexpected rapid brightening. Now 1 of those 2 chunks has split apart again, and researchers say there may be many smaller pieces now flying through space. The pieces are now drifting apart. No one can yet say how big the pieces are or how large the comet's nucleus was before it broke apart. If the scenario sounds familiar, it's because this isn't the first comet to break apart in recent months. The disintegration act comes just less than a year after another comet, called 1999 S4, broke into several large pieces and countless smaller ones, all in plain view of numerous telescopes.
So we have two rare events that, to-date, defy explanation. Did they collide with a debris field? Who knows? Only God knows! But this we know for sure, planet earth has a divine appointment with an extraterrestrial visitor. Judgement is coming, but in His mercy God cries out to us
: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 12:36)It is time to heed Jesus' council!
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." (Luke 21:25-26)
"There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11)
"This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea that its waves roar--the LORD Almighty is His name." (Jer 31:35)
As we see the signs of His return drawing close, what manner of holy life should we be living? Remember that Jesus is returning for a Holy and Spotless Bride. Whether His return is today or 10 years from now is irrelevant since eternity is only a heart beat away for any of us. So choose this day whom you will serve, ask the Holy Spirit to search you to see if there be any iniquity in you, and then call upon Jesus your Deliverer. He is faithful for forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unfaithfulness.
"Watch and pray, therefore, that you would be counted worthy to escape the judgment that is coming upon the earth and be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
Maranatha!
Expect the Unexpected - Part 2
Expect the Unexpected - Part 3
Signs in the Heavens Audio
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