All posts tagged: Book of Revelation

Fire near Santee, CA during the 1980s. Credit: Rick Bolin/Flickr/Creative Commons

Apocalypse 5: The Final Occupation

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This is about the end of the book that is at the end of the Bible. It’s the last installment in a series of articles on the book of Revelation, at the end of the Bible. Revelation is a future description of the end of this age in history. Christians are supposed to read this book, but too many of us are satisfied with a few pictures like 666 (chapter 13 and verse 18) and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (chapter 6), and Armageddon, the great final battle (chapter 16 and verse 16). The pictures are interesting, but we are told to read the whole book: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (1:3) We are supposed to make sense of this book, and to understand where we are in history. So, think about something that makes you angry, or someone who has that effect. Now calm down …

St Paul's Cathedral, London, England during the Great Fire attack during World War II, December 29, 1941 Credit: National Archives/New Times Paris Bureau/Public Domain

Apocalypse 4: The Atheist Wars

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I don’t believe in Santa Claus. If Santa was God, I would be an atheist. When my children were little, I took them to the mall before Christmas, where other families brought their children to see Mall Santa. Those children had fun, and got coloring books and candy canes, all for free. So where were my children? In the line up with everyone else. With my Scottish name, it must be clear that I love not spending money, and free anything is attractive to me. I don’t believe in Santa Claus, and I told my children that he was not real, but fake Santa sure was fun. And my wallet stayed safe in my pocket. I have met one atheist who truly did not believe in God. I am a Christian and he was a friend of mine. I never saw him in church, but he probably would not object to a visit. He was an atheist, not a hater. Have you noticed that most people who call themselves atheists are angry at God? They …

Credit: L Geoffroy/Flickr/Creative Commons

Apocalypse 3: The Eco-Apocalypse

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Doomsday cults, and doomsday predictors are everywhere. Some are Christian, but the end of the world is a big thing in most religions. The tradition in Islam is that Jesus will return and rule the world, and the teachings of the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are built around preparing for the end. Secular scientists have a Doomsday Clock, and climate change activists have their warnings about the end and our extinction. RELATED: The Doomsday Clock It seems like we all believe, and that makes us targets for cult groups that can manipulate us and ruin our lives. One group from Korea recently moved to Fiji to escape the coming apocalypse and the leaders are accused of abusing their followers. RELATED: ‘I lost my entire family to a cult’: How one woman escaped Grace Road: BBC Note that the Korean group, like most doomsdayers, are concerned about en eco-apocalypse. They were hiding in Fiji, from a coming famine. I have a serious warning for you: we all believe and we are all …

Desert in Qatar Credit: Sam Agnew/Flickr/Creative Commons

Apocalypse 2: Really, It’s their Fault

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Have you ever thought about the future of war? The experts predict future combat that will be much worse than anything we have seen before. RELATED: Future war will result in destruction ‘beyond our comprehension’, says US General The Bible has been saying the same thing for thousands of years. Human beings have always been good at self destruction. We think we will succeed by conquering and stealing from the neighbors, and we always bring down destruction, in the end. The Christian Bible ends with the book of Revelation. Most people know about images from the book, but most people do not know the book. For example, if I mentioned the Antichrist, or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, people everywhere would have some cultural knowledge, but it’s hard to find even a committed Christian who has read the whole book. Let’s change that. Revelation is one narrative, a story that progresses from a beginning to an end, and it is useful for us to read the whole big picture. Those images that we all …

Storm near Garden City, Kansas, US Credit: Dave Sills/Flickr/Creative Commons

Apocalypse 1: The Boring Part

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Is it possible for people call themselves Christians to fail? Can we be wrong? That’s not a serious question, and the answer is yes. The famous Pentecostal television preacher Jim Bakker went to prison. RELATED: Jim Bakker And the Roman Catholic Church is trying to recover from the scandal of sex abuse by priests. RELATED: Child sexual abuse and the Catholic Church: What you need to know Sometimes we fail, and our failure has two sides; if we do something wrong, we are prevented from doing good things. Damage control to recover from our failures doesn’t leave room for all the good that we should be doing in this world. I think that is a good starting point to understand the Apocalypse. Everyone should read the book of Revelation. In the Christian Bible, it’s the last book, and one that we often talk about. What we seldom do is read the whole book. For me, that is the best starting point to understand the last book in the Bible. “Revelation” gives us images like the …

Volcanic column of smoke on Hawaii's Big Island taken May 7, 2018 Credit: macprohawaii/US Geological Survey/Flickr/Public Domain

A near asteroid hit and volcanic eruption on Hawaii: Apocalyptic shots across the bow?

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During the 18th century, if a naval ship was unable to recognize an oncoming vessel it would fire a warning shot in the general direction of the ship. Under the law of the sea, the ship receiving the shot was expected to hoist its flag so it could be recognized and respond with a shot of its own. It was form of rudimentary communication between ships. With modern communications equipment, the shot across the bow has taken on a more ominous tone. When naval vessels, such as the coast guard, are pursuing another vessel, they will perform a shot across the bow typically in front of the ship telling it to stop. The shot demonstrates that the fleeing ship is within range, sighted and more importantly the pursuing ship is willing to go the next step if it does not come to heel. One has to ask if the world just received a shot across the bow. According to the Bible’s apocalyptic literature, the end times will be marked by massive asteroids slamming into the …

Credit: Maciej Ciupa/Flickr/Creative Commons

Trumpet sounds over Hawaii?

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According to a report on PJ Media, people in Hawaii are hearing sounds in the heavens that for some sound a lot like trumpets. The latest video was recorded on April 4, 2018 (watch below). It is uncertain what the source of these mysterious sounds are. Some are offering natural explanations such as methane explosions or earthquakes deep underground. They could also be caused by tidal waves or shifting sand dunes or even atmospheric conditions. Others have offered up grinding of tectonic plates as a possible explanation, while some believe they may be a result of of yet unknown human activity. In recent years, there have been many videos posted on YouTube about trumpet-like sounds being heard around the world. You have to be careful when watching these videos because clearly some are hoaxes, spawned by those that are legitimate. One of the seemingly legitimate ones involved a video recorded in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada on August 29, 2013: In the end there are probably natural explanations for these sounds. But in the Book of …

Credit: Alan Levine/Flickr/Creative Commons

Who were the imprisoned spirits?

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In what some consider to be one of the most puzzling passages in the Bible, the Apostle Peter talks about how between His death and resurrection, Jesus preached to the spirits that were imprisoned in the days of Noah. 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (1 Peter 3:18-20 NASV) It is a difficult passage to understand. Some believe it refers to Christ preaching to the souls of those who died during the Noahic flood. Certainly this is a plausible explanation. Others believe it refers to Noah preaching to the people while he …

Did John see this creature pouring out of the abyss in the Book of Revelation. Photo: Youtube Capture/The Watchers/L.A. Marzulli

A creature from the abyss?

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The discovery of an odd-looking whale on the beach of  a small cove in Alaska in July is now confirmed to be an unknown, and yet unnamed, species of a black beak whale. Beak whales are normally light. Reports of similar looking whales off the coast of Japan in 2013 are thought to be from the same species. Its reclusive behaviour and dark colour allowed it to escape notice until recently. But it is not the only odd-looking animal found. Another one discovered in Mexico a few years back may even have apocalyptic overtones. A 13-year-old Mexican boy discovered the tiny creäture (seen above) dead by side of the road when the car he was in pulled over so the boy could relieve himself. It is bizarre looking with an almost human like face. Complete with wings, some believe it has an appearance of a locust. The creature was eventually handed over to a Mexican investigative journalist Jaime Maussan who turned it over to a laboratory for examination where it was x-rayed revealing a skeleton. DNA tests at that time could not …

Artist's conception of an asteroid. Image NASA/Wikipedia/Creative Commons

NASA tweets about a massive asteroid blast over the Atlantic on February 6, 2016

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NASA is reporting that on February 6, 2016, an asteroid exploded over the Atlantic ocean about 1,000 kms (620 miles) off the coast of Brazil. The news of explosion was tweeted by NASA’s Ron Baalke. This is the largest asteroid explosion since the one that hit Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013. NASA estimates this year’s explosion was the size of the nuclear bomb that hit Hiroshima in World War 11. But with a blast equal to 13,000 tons of TNT, it was minuscule compared to the 19-meter asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk. Scientists estimated that blast at 400,000 tons of TNT. Nearly, 1,600 people were injured as result of exploding glass caused by the explosion. It is estimated the asteroid off Brazil was about a third the size — maybe five to seven meters wide. NASA says there are several asteroids exploding in the atmosphere each year, but since most happen over the ocean they go unnoticed. Because of the dangerous threats they pose to human life, NASA tracks asteroids. Of the 12,992 asteroids that it …

Market place in Aleppo, Syria Photo: Flickr/alejooo

Was the recent beheading of Syrian Christians by ISIS predicted in the Book of Revelation?

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Christian Aid Mission (CAM) is reporting the killing of 12 Christians by ISIS near Aleppo, Syria. ISIS crucified four of the group and beheaded eight. CAM provides help to ministries and Christian groups in this troubled area of the world. As I read of this account , I again wondered if the beheading of these Christians is actually a fulfillment of the Book of Revelation that is the written record of an end-times vision received by the Apostle John about the apocalyptic events that would occur before the Second Coming of Jesus. Towards the end of his book, John sees a special reward given to two groups who had suffered through the extreme persecution seen in his vision: Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on …

Do trumpet sounds in the sky have a divine origin?

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[by Dean Smith] Around the world, people are hearing strange sounds in the sky that oddly sound like trumpet blasts. They have been heard in Germany, Belarus, US, Canada and the Ukraine. England’s Daily Mail, recently did a story on these sounds describing them this way: “Sounding like a trumpet or a collective from a brass section of an orchestra, a selection of videos shot from Canada to Ukraine, via the US, Germany and Belarus show strange goings on above us.” These blasts have been loud. The one heard in Kiev, Ukraine, in August 2011, was recorded by people almost 40 kms apart. That noise was so unusual, it even made nightly news casts.

ISIS and their ‘loathsome,’ flesh-eating disease?

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According to reports in London’s Daily Mirror, Islamic State fighters (ISIS) are losing a battle to a pesky, miniscule enemy — a sand fly.  The ISIS fighters are being plagued with a flesh-eating disease that can cause sores all over a person’s body. Called Leishmaniasis, it is spread by biting sand flies which pass on a parasite that causes the infection. Left untreated it can result in death. It is estimated between 20,000 to 50,000 people die each year from the disease. In addition to large gaping wounds, Leishmaniasis can cause a fever and enlarged liver and spleen. It can also make a person anemic.

Another end-times event? The Temple Institute has built the Jewish altar

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UPDATED MARCH 23, 2015: [by Dean Smith] Israel’s Temple Institute, based in Jerusalem, just announced it had finished constructing the Altar of the Lord (also called the altar of burnt offering) this past December. The altar would be used for animal sacrifices if a new Jewish Temple is built in Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the last temple in 70 AD. There were two altars in the original temple — the altar of burnt offering — which was just built and the smaller altar of incense. The Institute built the new altar according to the strict measurements and conditions laid out in the Old Testament. The media originally reported it stood 5 meters high (16 feet), however according to information just released by the Temple Institute, the altar is actually five amot high (a Biblical measurement) which works out to 7.7 feet and 24.5 feet wide. It comes complete with a ramp that allows for easy access to the top of the altar where the sacrifices took place.

Book of Revelation warns global warming is coming, just not yet, and not because of CO2

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[by Dean Smith] This past January, it was broadcast that 2014 was the warmest year on record. As I recently wrote, a major English newspaper, The Telegraph, reported there was some re-jigging of the original temperature data that resulted in 2014 winning the award for the hottest year. One area in South America showed some of the highest temperatures. However, when others fact checked the original temperature data they found something strange. Between 1950 and 2011, the original temperature data from rural weather stations in Paraguay showed temperature had dropped 1 degree C. However, once this temperature data was adjusted, the temperature data instead showed a 1.5 degree Centigrade increase.

Is the Book of Revelation coming to pass: Islamic State beheads 21 Christians?

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[by Dean Smith] A video released on the Twitter account of a website used by the Islamic State (IS) purports to show the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians. The same website has shown verified beheadings of westerners. According to the video producers, the execution took place in Tripoli Province, Libya by a group claiming association with IS. On the video, armed IS members march a group dressed in orange down to a beach near Tripoli, Libya’s capital city. Before their execution, one IS member says:

Did NEOWISE discover news of an apocalyptic nature?

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[by Dean Smith] NASA has a program called the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) which, using a satellite with infrared telescopes, scours space looking for asteroids that might prove dangerous to earth. According to an article in The Register, NASA launched the satellite in 2009. It shut down the main telescope in September 2010 when it ran out of frozen hydrogen necessary to keep it cool. NASA put the remaining three telescopes into hibernation in February 2011. In December 2013, NASA reactivated the three working telescopes. And once again they began scanning the heavens above earth looking for lethal asteroids — anything in excess of 110 meters in size and within 7.5 million miles of earth.

Does a mountain-sized asteroid classify as a ‘terror’ from the sky?

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According to The Telegraph, Russian scientist Vladimir Lipunov from Moscow University says he discovered an asteroid the size of a mountain that passes through earth’s orbit every three years. The asteroid — which Lipunov named ‘2014 UR116’ — is a much more serious threat to earth than the asteroid that exploded in the skies over Chelyabinsk, Russia on February 15, 2013. One thousand people were hurt by exploding shards of glass as a result of that explosion. Lipunov says there does not seem to be any threat ‘2013 UR116′ will hit earth, but he added that asteroids’ trajectories are often changed by the gravitational pull of other planets they pass by.

Is the Canadian government moving towards a cashless society?

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The Bank of Canada, which prints and manages Canada’s currency, has stated it is exploring producing its own version of digital money. Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins suggested this move in a speech at the University of Waterloo in Ontario in early November. The announcement, reported in The Globe and Mail, was prompted by the rise of  digital currencies such as Bitcoin. There is concern that virtual currencies could eventually challenge the Bank’s monetary authority.

Regular marijuana usage causes brain abnormalities and memory loss in teens

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According to research out of the U.S., teens who smoke marijuana daily can have brain abnormalities similar to people with schizophrenia. With the push towards legalization of marijuana, researchers from Illinois’ Northwest University wanted a clearer picture of the drug’s impact on a person’s brain.  The results were published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin. This is an important study as marijuana is proving a popular drug among teens. Surveys show 40% of English teens have used marijuana.  In the U.S., it is the most popular drug among young adults.

Mark of the beast, a cross-country race and November 11th

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When Codie Thacker received her bib with the number she would represent in the race, it  sickened her. Her coach, Gina Croley, aware of Codie’s Christian faith, knew immediately there was trouble. Codie attends Whitley County High School in Williamsburg, KY. She was racing in a regional cross-country race — the winner would move on to the state championship. The number Codie received — 666 — represented the Mark of the Beast or Antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelation. 

Does Holland’s blood-red water forewarn of end time events?

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The water in a canal in Nootdorp, Holland turned blood red and it left some residents wondering about its symbolism. The Book of Revelation speaks of cataclysmic events that will mark the Second Coming of Christ. The Apostle John’s end times visions prophesied that oceans and rivers would turn blood red: The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. (Revelation 16:3-4 NASV) An earlier verse in chapter 8 verse 8 says up to a third of the oceans will be affected. This implies not all the water will turn red, but obviously a significant amount and certainly enough to catch everyone’s attention. In perhaps a precursor to this end time event, there are stories of water turning blood red in different parts of the world. The latest was in Nootdorp, Holland.