Fire From the Sky: Meteors and Biblical Prophecy

ROGUE ASTEROID COULD STRIKE EARTH IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS!

The recent discovery of a huge crater on the sea floor near South America and other data has led scientist to believe the age of dinosaurs ended when a large comet or meteor struck the planet approximately 65 million years ago. After watching comet Shoemaker-Levy9 ravage the planet Jupiter in 1994, they are even more convinced that such an event is not rare by astronomical and geological standards. Most of us are not given to fantasy, fanaticism or fiction but prefer careful examination and weighing of facts before arriving at conclusions. Worrying about threats of extinction from 'doom-sayers' must take a back seat to paying our mortgages and getting our kids through college. Being able to trust in a loving Creator who has our best interests in mind is the best assurance of a fullfilling future!

We must be aware, however, that our loving Creator is also a Just God that will not forever tolerate continued and growing evil in this world. Check out The Book

The Bible is the most amazing piece of literature ever written and continues to astound those who study it's depths for truth. In the first chapter of Genesis, verse 1 and 2:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep..."

The 'American Standard Bible' interprets formless and void as waste and emptiness. Computer experiments done with the 'Teraflops' supercomputer at Sandia Laboratories show the sequence of events occuring with a large meteor strike.

If the impact is in one of the oceans, the meteor will stike the water and drive deeply into the earth's mantel. Exploding, a super-hurricane force shock wave will move outward and fire balls of debris would rain on the earth, pulverizing and incinerating vegetation and life it comes into contact with. Tidal waves moving outward deluge the coastal areas and tons of supher dioxide from the earth's core would rain down on the seas and fresh water makingthem toxic to fish and animals. Lack of oxygen in the water might cause a tremendous growth of algea, perhaps 'red tide', making the sea appear the color of blood. Finally, the dust cloud from the meteor residue and burning plants would obscure the sunlight, cooling the planet and perhaps causing an 'ice age'.

Such an event happened several times in earth's early history when a meteors approximately 6 miles wide destroyed most of the life existing at that time. A dark, wasted and empty world would surely be the result and a blank canvas upon which God prepares the earth for us (Genesis 1:3-31).

Most everyone has heard the familiar story of God raining 'fire and brimstone' on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: But most have not seen the significant evidence of an extreme astonomical event around 1400 BC. In the 10th chapter of Joshua, verses 11-14:

"And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died: there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Isreal killed with the sword.

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Isreal, and said in the sight of Isreal, 'Oh sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.'

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves on their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.

And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Isreal."

Meteors from heaven destroyed an army with such force that it must have literally appeared to stop the earths rotation for several hours! It was confirmed by an astrophysicist at Princeton University that a collision between a meteor/comet could affect the rotational speed of a planet depending on the mass and trajectory at impact.

Several objections were made by the professor to Joshua's event: 1. If the planet was stopped by an impact, it should be permanent. 2. A sudden stop would cause super-hurricane force winds and massive tidal waves. The answers are my own theories:

One real possibility is that the earth was struck in such a way as to temporarily tilt it off axis so that the Middle East would have been similar to Alaska in the summer; mid-night sun. To actually stop the earth would be quite a bit more complicated. The earth has a very thin crust; only 4 to 10 miles thick and a molten core. This allows for it to 'float'; the different tectonic plates grinding together cause earth quakes and volcanos erupt between them. Theoretically, though this would indeed cause many world-wide earthquakes, the outer crust might be made to slow down momentarily and the inner molten core continue to rotate until friction 'pulls' the crust along again. You can demonstrate this by taking a mixing bowl a filling it with a thick liquid consisting of flour and water. Place the bowl on a free spinning pedistal like a 'lazy susan'. Using a single blade of an electric mixer, start mixing the liquid until the bowl and pedistal start to spin. Remove the blade and touch the bowl very briefly and release; enough to slow or stop the bowl. Notice that the mixture continues to rotate and the friction caused the bowl to start spinning again!

Any one who has driven in heavy traffic with a cup of coffee in their lap can identify with the sudden stop disaster! You can, however, take your coffee and fly at 1000 mph (the approximate rotational speed of earth) and decellerate at .14 mph/sec over a 2 hour period and you will come to a complete stop without a ripple in the cup! From the passage in Joshua, we noted that God threw multiple stones from heaven over an unknown period of time. Remember the pictures of the 'string' of comet pieces (Shoemaker-Levy9) that hit Jupiter?

If Joshua's event was similar, then the earth was hit by a series of projectiles in such a way as to decellerate the planet and avoid the 'sudden stop' catastophe. (Remember that in the weightlessness of space that even a 200 pound astronaut can manipulate objects that may weigh many tons!) The earth's crust was momentarily slowed while the inner molten core continued to rotate. After approximately 8 hours, the friction brought the outer skin back into normal rotation again. But, saying all that, it is still much easier to see the temporary earth tilt as the explanation.

The prophet John was not know as a man of science: Nor is there any historical evidence indicating he may have witnessed a large meteor strike during his life time. He penned these words of future cataclysm from his exile on Patmos some 90 years after the death and resurrection of Christ:

Revelation 8:6-12

"And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown down to the earth; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

And 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 creatures, which were in the sea died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

And the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters;

and the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

And the fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were smitten, so that a third of them might be darkened and the day might not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way."

John's account is an accurate description of the aftermath of an approximately 2 mile wide meteor striking either the Atlantic or Pacific ocean areas today. Contrary to the movie notion that this might be 'Armagedon', this prophecy was one of many given in Revelation to indicate the immediate return of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom. It is only the beginning of what is known in scriptures as 'The Great Tribulation' which will last seven years. (Note: Though many have tried to guess the exact time, it is not for us to know. Only to live our lives as if i t was going to happen today!) It is the last great battle between Christ and His armies against the forces of evil which is the true 'Battle of Armegedon'. But take heart! This is not the end, but only the beginning of a peaceful 1000 year reign of Christ on earth as it's rightful King!

By accepting Jesus death on the cross as payment for your sins and shortcomings, and His resurrection by God the Father for your hope of eternal life, you can be part of His cheering children rather than a sorrowful soul at the throne of judgment!

As you watch Hollywoods attempts at dramatization of a meteor collision with the earth, remember that John told you first 2000 years ago!