(no title)

What are the odds?? Meteorite hits three homes in Indonesia

Posted on May 1, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

In January, I read with amazement that a doctor’s office in Lorton Virginia was the site of a meteorite strike. The mango-sized meteorite had plunged straight through the roof of the office building and hit the floor, narrowly missing doctor and patients. Thank God no none was injured. I thought to myself, ‘how often does that happen??’ Meteors hit the earth’s atmosphere very frequently, but rarely enter the lower stratosphere without burning up. That one survived the entry and made it all the way to the ground, and then found an occupied building, seemed to me to be long odds.

Since January we were treated to an astounding display of fireballs across many parts of the earth, most recently two weeks ago across six Midwestern United States.

Fireballs and meteorites … Small pieces of space debris (usually parts of comets or asteroids) that are on a collision course with the Earth are called meteoroids. When meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere they are called meteors. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere, but if they survive the frictional heating and strike the surface of the Earth they are called meteorites. We have been seeing an unusual number of them lately. Even more unusual are that meteors are hitting earth with such frequency.

Then yesterday I read that a Blast in East Jakarta believed to be meteorite hit three houses, destroying them–

“Police and astronomers are investigating Thursday’s blast from a falling object that damaged three homes in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, which witnesses claim was a meteorite strike. Forensics experts from the police and National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) investigators are combing the site, with the latter saying that while there was no conclusive proof the damage was caused by a meteorite, it was the most likely explanation. Police ruled out earlier speculation that the incident was a gas canister exploding. One house was moderate damage and two adjoining properties suffered minor damage after blast on Jalan Delima II. There were no reported casualties. Lapan researcher Abdurrahman said no fragments of the projectile had been found but the deep crater in the floor of the house, the residual heat footprint and melted items pointed to a meteorite. “I suspect the object impacted at high velocity, hit the floor, bounced back and hit the ceiling, then fell back down,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult to recover the fragments, what with the rubble and broken glass, and it being so dark in here.” “

A meteorite hit three houses? The scientist in the article confirmed my suspicion that “This kind of incident is extremely rare in Indonesia,” he said. “Usually an object that falls to earth is burned up in the atmosphere before reaching land.” Today the object was confirmed to have been a meteorite. In that article the same scientist reminded us that just a few months ago, “A meteor the size of a house hits Earth and explodes in the atmosphere with the energy of a small atomic bomb. Frightened by thunderous sounds and shaking walls, people rush out of their homes, thinking that an earthquake is in progress. All they see is a twisting trail of debris in the mid-day sky. This is what happened on Oct. 8th (2009) around 11 am local time in the coastal town of Bone, South Sulawesi. ” It was the largest blast on earth since 1994. The Indonesian object was large and the resulting atmospheric explosion may have been the equivalent of several Hiroshima bombs.

Rare indeed? Not anymore. This occurred a few days ago

“An unidentified object, thought to be a fragment of a meteorite, has landed on a beach near Tel Aviv. Israeli police released mobile phone footage of something burning in the town of Bat Yam, as people gathered round to look. Witnesses said the object began burning as it hit the ground. It has now been taken away to be examined.” The link is to a BBC video and shows the stone-sized burning object laying on the sand and shells with people standing around it in their bathing suits, surf crashing behind them, and occasional pans to their perplexed faces.

The biggest asteroid to hit Earth on any given day is likely to be about 15 inches, in a given year about 13 feet, and in a given century about 20 meters.Now, the odds of your house being hit by a Meteor are 182,138,880,000,000 To 1. In words, that is

182 quadrillion, 138 trillion,880 billion.

to compare,

Odds of injury from shaving: 6,585 to 1
Odds of injury from mowing the lawn: 3,623 to 1
Odds of fatally slipping in the bath or shower: 2,232 to 1
Odds of dating a super-model: 88,000 to 1

Odds of dating a millionaire: 215 to 1
Odds of finding a four-leaf clover on first try: 10,000 to 1
Odds of getting a royal flush in poker on first five cards dealt: 649,740 to 1
Odds of becoming a saint: 20,000,000 to 1

So,… fireballs have been streaking across the skies like streamers. And despite odds in the quadrillions, within the last 12 weeks a meteorite has hit four homes. (That we know of.) Jesus told the disciples in Luke 21:25 that the end times would be characterized by, among other signs, signs in the sun and the moon and the stars.

These things are happening because Jesus said He increasingly would alert us to His presence and to the times. The only way out is not to cap the oil well and it’s not to rebuild the Indonesian home that was destroyed by the meteor and it’s not to print a boatload of money and it’s not to pass health care legislation. It is JESUS. His salvation is available to all people on the planet, and all one needs to do is recognize their sins are a rebellion against God. His holiness is everlastingly enduring and our sins are everlastingly enduring, and the two will never meet unless you take the bridge that is Jesus and accept His work on the cross as your redemption. If you ask Him to forgive those sins and submit to Jesus, you will be saved!

end time, gulf of mexico, oil spill

Does the oil platform explosion and oil spill have prophetic implications?

Posted on May 1, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

UPDATE HERE: Answer to title question: YES

photo credit: Edison Chouest Offshore

On April 20 an explosion decimated the Deepwater Horizon BP oil well 50 miles off the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. It killed 11 and injured 17, four critically. The explosion that occurred released oil from the deepest part of the Gulf in a hot oil volcano, presenting unprecedented containment problems. Initially, the explosion attracted little attention but as the oil continued to gush, heads perked up and brows suitably wrinkled. A few days later, the magnitude of the problem became apparent:

April 22: Gulf oil rig run by BP explodes, sinks: massive spill threatens entire Gulf shore
April 29: Obama sends SWAT teams to Gulf Oil Rigs
April 30: Second Gulf oil rig tragedy: overturns near Morgan City LA
April 30: No relief in sight as oil spill reaches LA shoreline:
April 30: Leaked secret government report: Government fears Deepwater Horizon well could become unchecked gusher “A confidential government report on the unfolding spill disaster in the Gulf makes clear the Coast Guard now fears the well could become an unchecked gusher shooting millions of gallons of oil per day into the Gulf.”

The issue now is a tragedy not only for the oil rig workers and families, not only for the Gulf Shore states, not only for the United States, but for the world. How can an oil rig explosion have worldwide implications? And further, how does it fit into the warnings about trouble in the end times?

ENVIRONMENT

Of course, the environmental damage is heartbeaking. Ten species are already at risk. “North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: The Great Bluefin Tuna, prized for sushi and sashimi, is one of the species most in danger of slipping into extinction. Traveling down across the Atlantic seaboard, bluefin tuna spawn in the Gulf of Mexico between mid-April and mid-June.” The predicament for the tuna is the same for many other species: the grasses along the Gulf shoreline provide nursery habitat for the eggs and spawning fish.When the oil coats the grass it will kill it.The timing of the spill is also part of the problem not only is it spawning season, but the migratory birds that travel from the north to south America rest along these shores also. Beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds are at risk. Those that build their nests on the ground and feed on invertebrates are susceptible to oil on the beaches. Some migratory shore birds fly nearly the length of the Western Hemisphere and use barrier islands in the Gulf for key resting and refueling spots on their journey as well as migratory songbirds — warblers, orioles, buntings, flycatchers, swallows and others. There are roughly up to 5,000 dolphins in the Gulf area between the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts and the oil rig, many giving birth right now.

FOOD/FISHING

The Gulf accounts for a fifth of U.S. commercial seafood production — including 75 percent of our shrimp. The crude that enters the coastal estuaries areas will cause “a dramatic drop in seafood recruitment, possibly for years to come,” says George Crozier, executive director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. This is already “the worst case scenario for shrimpers, oyster harvesters, crabbers — all the commercial fisherman,” says fishing boat charterer Brent Roy. The Baltimore Sun is more blunt, they just said “ecological devastation”: “The oil that began washing ashore Friday in Louisiana could devastate one of the richest coastal ecosystems in the country and cripple a major source of the nation’s seafood, a top Maryland scientist warned Friday.” So seafood will become scarce, and expensive. This, already in the face of US food inflation spiraling out of control. Fresh and dry vegetables prices are up 56.1% over last year, in one example.

SHIPPING

“The biggest grain-shipping port in the U.S. may be disrupted by the spread of the BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to depress domestic prices by encouraging importers to buy from South America. More than half of the grain inspected for export from the U.S., the world’s largest grower of corn and soybeans, is shipped from the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the Port of New Orleans.”

COMMERCE

In an already poor region, “As oil begins flowing ashore from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico, coastal communities from Louisiana to Florida are bracing for what could turn out to be an unprecedented and long-lasting economic disaster for the region.” London Times reports, “The cost to Louisiana’s fishing industry could be $2.5 billion (£1.6 billion) while the impact on tourism along the Florida coast could be $3 billion, according to Neil McMahon, an analyst at the investment firm Bernstein.” Like the current economic disaster isn’t enough… more losses in an area ill-prepared to wait it out. Six states are in declared emergencies and the National Guard has been called out in LA to fight the spill.

And there’s this as-yet little discussed impact:

The news reports say that it may take weeks to months to cap the well that is 210,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf each day. Hurricane season starts June 1. “The strong winds in hurricanes, sweeping across the surging waves they have created, such up a considerable amount of surface water and blow it inland. This time, however, those winds could also end up picking up a considerable amount of the oil slick floating on the sea’s surface, which would be deposited as rain well inland, damaging croplands and forests, too.” Think about it- What happens when you mix oil with salty water? It results in a mayonnaise like light foam, an emulsion. A lot of foam can be created from a small amount of oil. The emulsion could become easily airborne under high winds. As the hurricane makes landfall, the oil foam would be plastered on everything for hundreds of miles . When trees, grasses, plants, animals, ect get pounded with the foamy winds they will get a thin layer of oil. That thin layer of oil mixed with sea water will kill any vegetation. Normally Texas receives its first tropical storm on average around June 6.

“The following is not public,” reads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Emergency Response document dated April 28. “Two additional release points were found today in the tangled riser. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought. Asked Friday to comment on the document, NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen said that the additional leaks described were reported to the public late Wednesday night. Regarding the possibility of the spill becoming an order of magnitude larger, Smullen said, “I’m letting the document you have speak for itself. In scientific circles, an order of magnitude means something is 10 times larger. In this case, an order of magnitude higher would mean the volume of oil coming from the well could be 10 times higher than the 5,000 barrels a day coming out now. That would mean 50,000 barrels a day, or 2.1 million gallons a day.

God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth and the authority to rule over the animals. “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Man, have we ever messed up creation. And have we ever messed up spiritually. There are two truisms, and they are absolute: God always judges nations’ sins, and God does have a point at which there is no return, when judgment is sure and imminent. I’ve written about national sin and judgment twice recently. Just a few weeks ago, I posed the question, “Has America’s point of no return been reached?” In that article, I explored the biblical concept of national sin and judgment; and under what condition that judgment occurs. America was the blessed nation, the city upon a hill, and in the article I wrote in September, I explored the background to America’s original commission and its peril in going away from it.

It is impossible to understand all the ramifications of this unfolding tragedy. It is clear that there are many. It is not for me to say whether this disaster is a judgment or not. However, knowing that America was founded on a golden commission, that we have abandoned it for sin, destruction, perversion, idolatry, profanity, immorality, and violence on a national scale, and knowing that God always judges these things when the point of return has been reached, it is logical to assume that our troubles from this disaster have only begun!

We as Christians can be Light and Salt in a fallen world. Pray for the leaders who are dealing with this disaster, that they themselves would pray, not for success in cleaning up the oil or that businesses don’t suffer, but for repentance! And pray that if repentance does sweep over the states and the nation, that it is not too late.

oil rig

Reuters: Second oil rig in US Gulf of Mexico overturns

Posted on April 30, 2010 by elizabethprata

Second drilling rig overturns in Louisiana
HOUSTON
Fri Apr 30, 2010 5:29pm EDT

HOUSTON (Reuters) – The Coast Guard said Friday it was responding to another oil drilling rig accident near Morgan City, Louisiana.

A “mobile inland drilling unit” overturned in the Charenton navigational channel south of U.S. Highway 90 near Morgan City, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries, the Coast Guard said. The floating shallow-water rig was not immediately identified and the importance of the channel was not clear.

The vessel has a 20,000-gallon diesel fuel capacity, but the Coast Guard, citing officials on the scene, said there was no fuel leaking.

As a precaution, 500 feet of oil spill containment boom was deployed around the rig and an additional 500 feet were being brought in, the Coast Guard said in its statement.

(Reporting by Bruce Nichols)

aliens, end time, prophecy, stephen hawking, UFO

Alien contact COULD be dangerous, Hawking says? No, it WILL be

Posted on April 29, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Does it seem like all of a sudden the news is all about Aliens, UFO’s, and the search for life that originated off this planet? It is not your mind playing tricks on you. It is news of the highest sort that is reaching the populace’s ears and eyes, from established media outlets like CNN and the BBC, and from NASA, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration. Within the last week:

NSA to amp up search for extra-terrestrial life
Alien life is making news lately, and now NASA looks to lead the charge.

NASA Announces Wednesday Media Teleconference About Search For Extraterrestrial Life
NASA will hold a news media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, April 28, to discuss the status of agency-sponsored astrobiology research, including the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life and the study of how life began on Earth. Topics also will include the quest for evidence of life on Mars, the habitability of other celestial bodies, and future technology research.

Should we fear space aliens?
Physicist Steven Hawking says making contact with alien life could be dangerous … Stephen Hawking’s new documentary premiered Sunday night on the Discovery Channel. In it, he claimed that intelligent alien life almost certainly exists and that the search for it is valuable. He also suggested that the potential threats posed by contact with alien intelligence should discourage us from actively sending out messages to the cosmos.

Aliens have been here for 50 years (this was originally broadcast in 2008 but it is surfacing on Youtube in a big way in the wake of the recent discussion from Dr. Stephen Hawking about aliens on the Discovery Channel)
CNN Wolf Blitzer: A group gathering here in DC to discuss their UFO sightings, but it’s no crackpot convention, former are high-level govt an military officials sharing what they’ve seen in the skies. Tell us about it Gary: Gary Tuchman: a panel discussion within the beltway to discuss what might be happening in the Milky Way… have extraterrestrials visited us here here on earth? 14 men from 7 different countries participated in a panel discussion…One participant says, “We want the US Government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down to earth and conventional terms. Instead our country needs to reopen its official investigation that is shut down in 1969.”

LUCIFER instrument helps astronomers see to the most distant observable stars
A new instrument with an evil-sounding name is helping scientists see how stars are born. Lucifer, which stands for (deep breath) “Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research,” is a chilled instrument attached to a telescope in Arizona. And yes, it’s named for the Devil, whose name itself means “morning star.” But it wasn’t meant to evoke him, according to a spokesman for the University of Arizona, where it is housed. Lucifer is part of the Large Binocular Telescope, which happens to be right next to the Vatican Observatory on Mt. Graham in Tucson. That’s right, the Vatican has an observatory in Arizona, manned by Jesuit astronomers. Now its next-door neighbor is named for the Devil.

Pradeep Mallik writes in the Achmedabad Mirror, “Stephen Hawking’s remarks on the existence of aliens have set the tongues and fingers of scientists and amateurs wagging. People are watching keenly the television programme that has one of the most celebrated theoretical physicists of our times taking people on an odyssey through time and space, and cyber chatterati are busy blogging and discussing his views that any contact with aliens is fraught with danger for us on the earth. … Hawking’s counsel comes from his mathematical deduction that aliens do exist. The real challenge, he says, is to find out what they might actually be like. The alien life forms might not be the kind of neighbours that people on the earth have been looking for — intelligent and friendly.”

Of all the folks opining about the current alien brouhaha, Mallik has it right and Hawking has it right- but for reasons they have no clue about. Mathematical deductions aside, there IS intelligent life that exists off this planet, has visited this planet, and is not friendly. That’s because they are demons, commonly known as fallen angels. You know, the ones who sided with Lucifer in the times of yore.

It should not be surprising that people are ready to accept the myth that it is light-bringing aliens who exist, not demons. Satan deceives the whole world (Rev 12:9). No wonder, for satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, (2 Cor 11:15). We are so obviously being pre-programmed to accept the ‘beings’ soon to irrupt into the world and make false claims that they are superior and helpful. What could be more convenient and wanted by an evil devil than a populace that is ready to accept the notion that higher beings exist, when it comes time to bombard the earth after the restrainer is taken out of the way?

For when the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, His ministry of restraint will cease. God took the Restrainer out of the way at the last world-wide judgment, before the flood. (Genesis 6:3) Imagine this globe, already evil, then having no restraint in morals, violence, or Christian ethic?

If one doubts the attempts to pre-program the populace to accept softening language around the notion of the devil, just read this caption regarding the LUCIFER telescope:

“Courtesy of Lucifer: This image depicts a stellar nursery in the Milky Way about 8,000 light years from Earth. Such clouds are typically opaque to visible light, but infrared light can penetrate them. The Lucifer instrument helps telescopes see that light. The E and N signify east and north. credit Anna Pasquali/via University of Arizona”.

Lucifer is NOT courteous nor is he helpful, but the caption containing those words in conjunction with Lucifer, is telling. The devil’s name means Light, and we already know from the 2 Corinthians verse he disguises himself as an angel of light and so do his evil followers. Many of the sightings thus far have been of disks of light. There’s the Phoenix Lights. There’s the Yakima Lights, where a scientists states “The most common UFO seen at Yakima is the Ball of Light or Sphere of Light. These balls are typically orange in color or white in color, and are seen hovering or moving slowly. They appear to be inquisitive.”

As Chuck Missler wrote of the verses in Genesis 6 which mention the fallen angels’ entry into earth after the flood, “Another reason that an understanding of Genesis 6 is so essential is that it also is a prerequisite to understanding (and anticipating) Satan’s devices and, in particular, the specific delusions to come upon the whole earth as a major feature of end-time prophecy:

Luke 21:26 —
men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 —
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:11 —
For this reason)God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,

Do not be deceived! Not everything supernatural is from God!

creator of the universe, end time, God, hubble, prophecy

Ode to Hubble?

Posted on April 24, 2010August 4, 2020 by elizabethprata

In this nicely written article, the scientists behind the Hubble Telescope and the ingenuity of the scientists are extolled. More on the point of the blog entry in a moment, but first, information about the photo from Hubble Site: “This craggy fantasy mountaintop enshrouded by wispy clouds looks like a bizarre landscape from Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” or a Dr. Seuss book, depending on your imagination. The NASA Hubble Space Telescope image, which is even more dramatic than fiction, captures the chaotic activity atop a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The pillar is also being assaulted from within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas that can be seen streaming from towering peaks. This turbulent cosmic pinnacle lies within a tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. The image celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hubble’s launch and deployment into an orbit around Earth.”

“NASA’s best-recognized, longest-lived, and most prolific space observatory zooms past a threshold of 20 years of operation this month. On April 24, 1990, the space shuttle and crew of STS-31 were launched to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope into a low Earth orbit. What followed was one of the most remarkable sagas of the space age. Hubble’s unprecedented capabilities made it one of the most powerful science instruments ever conceived by humans, and certainly the one most embraced by the public. Hubble discoveries revolutionized nearly all areas of current astronomical research, from planetary science to cosmology. And, its pictures were unmistakably out of this world.”

“At times Hubble’s starry odyssey played out like a space soap opera, with broken equipment, a bleary-eyed primary mirror, and even a space shuttle rescue/repair mission cancellation. But the ingenuity and dedication of Hubble scientists, engineers, and NASA astronauts have allowed the observatory to rebound time and time again. Its crisp vision continues to challenge scientists with exciting new surprises and to enthrall the public with ever more evocative color images.”

It says in 2 Timothy 3:2 that at the time of the end, “… men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy”. I find it interesting – and sad – that this article extols the virtues of the scientists who made the device that reveals the universe, while failing to boast about the God who created it. The photo shows it’s not an ode to the Hubble Telescope, it is an Ode to God.

theology

Battle of the Headlines

Posted on April 23, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I was at a rest area in South Carolina, and stopped short on the way inside. The newspaper machines were lined up along the walk, each with their large graphic photo touting the main headline. The photo on USA Today’s front page was a man holding a football in front of three crosses.

A shining star, or a flop in the making?
By Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY
NASHVILLE — Thursday is the day every NFL team tries to find a gridiron savior. And in this NFL draft, the most intriguing question is this: Is legendary Florida quarterback Tim Tebow a potential pro football miracle worker — or another college football golden boy who will flop? He plans to convince non-believers. “I believe I’ll be drafted as a quarterback and used as a quarterback,” he says in an interview with USA TODAY, responding to doubts about whether he has the skills to make the transition to the NFL. “My dream is to be a quarterback.” The Christian missionary has spent a lot of time turning the other cheek the last few months while preparing for Thursday’s first round of the three-day draft extravaganza in New York (ESPN, NFL Network, 7:30 p.m. ET). Despite the urgings of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tebow will not attend the festivities at Radio City Music Hall, as many top draft prospects do. His stock has risen because of the promise he has shown in recent workouts — he is projected as probably a second-round selection — but skeptics abound. Most recently, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was secretly recorded in a bar, disparaging Tebow. “It’s very hard to wrap your brain around him; I just don’t see how anybody can think he’s anything but a long-term project,” says Trent Dilfer, the Super-Bowl winning quarterback-turned-ESPN analyst. “But you don’t pick players in the first or second rounds who are projects. You pick starters.” Chief among Tebow non-believers is ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who says, “I never thought Tim Tebow was an NFL quarterback.” He suggests sturdy 6-3, 235-pound Tebow could convert to the hybrid fullback-tight end position of H-back. “When I hear that, I take it to heart. It motivates and pushes me,” Tebow says. “I am very passionate, very emotional. Whatever I do, I give everything.”

Retreat!

Posted on April 22, 2010 by elizabethprata

I am going on a Christian retreat Thursday. I have wireless connection at the place I am going to but I’ll be busy so no promises on updates for a few days. I’ll try though. 🙂

end time, end time. prophecy, katla, signs in the sun, volcano

Signs in the sun

Posted on April 20, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

The scriptures say that in advance of the rapture and the ensuing Tribulation, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,”

The sun has been interestingly busy lately. Though the sunspot activity has been strangely down, prominences are up. Big ones. The Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, a division of NASA pick of the week states “No less than three prominences erupted over a nine-hour period (Mar. 13-14, 2010) as the STEREO (Behind) spacecraft captured the action in an extreme UV wavelength of light. Prominences, which are cooler clouds of gas tethered to the Sun by magnetic forces, often become unstable and break away out into space. But, it is rare to see three of them erupt in such a short span of time.” [italics mine]

Wow. Three prominences breaking away. Rare. However, just a few weeks later we have this:

The SOHO pick of the week site reported “The largest eruptive prominence observed in years blasted into space (April 13, 2010) and SOHO was lucky enough to have caught a key moment of it. As observed in extreme UV light, the plasma cloud was caught about mid-step in its liftoff above the Sun’s surface. (Ground-based observers says the eruption took about two hours.) It was not obvious what triggered the breakaway, but it may have been associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). Prominences are cooler clouds of gases that hover above the Sun, tethered there by magnetic forces. Occasionally, as seen here, they break free and blast into space.”

Here is a few-second video of the prominence blasting away from the sun’s limb. It gives a great idea as to the sun’s power. The video is compressed into a few seconds but is actually 19 hours of activity. Start by looking at the sun’s 11 o’clock position.

It’s when the CME enters earth’s atmosphere is when things get hairy. The magnetism from the ejection plays havoc with our electronics. Usually the CMS’s are light enough by the time they hit earth only to give us some vivid Auroras. But if a CME is powerful enough when it hits earth, it would have the same effect as an Electro-magnetic pulse, the effects from a nuclear bomb. All electronics would be zapped.

But back to the actual solar activity lately. The ‘largest one in years’ blasted off from the sun on April, but a week later another huge one blasted away again. Shucks, and they said such things were occasional!

Spaceweather.com reports:
“Another huge prominence blasted away from the sun yesterday, April 19th. The massive tendril of plasma was nearly a quarter the diameter of the sun itself when the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) snapped this picture:”

The eruption catapulted a billion-ton Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) out of the sun’s atmosphere. Good thing it wasn’t aiming for earth. We should feel no effects.

Spaceweather.com source: “The sun is powerful active, and much about how and why it does things stumps astronomers. Back here on earth, Iceland’s active Eyjafjallajokull volcano is famous for its paralyzing ash, which has grounded thousands of planes in Europe and disrupted travel worldwide. Even more amazing, however, is its white-hot lightning:”

” “Seeing this lightning crackle among the exploding lava and ash was the experience of a lifetime,” says Olivier Vandeginste, who took the picture on April 18th from Hvolsvollur, Iceland. It is well known that volcanoes produce lightning, but scientists aren’t sure why.”

Eyjafjallajokull is a gentle giant compared to her neighbor, Katla. When Katla erupted in 1821 it lasted over a year and caused worldwide famine because the spring and summer simply never came. History has shown that when Eyjafjallajokull erupts, Katla always follows. “Locals Believe Katla Volcano in Iceland Near Eyjafjallajokull Will Erupt in Seven Days” “The earthquake build up since the beginning of the year and subsequent eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull seem to be triggering the larger neighboring volcano, Katla. For the last two days, Katla has shown a dramatic 200% rise in activity. Geophysicists at Iceland’s Institute of Earth Sciences call Katla a vicious volcano that will be locally and globally damaging.”

Another Iceland Volcano To Erupt? Katla Could Be The Worst “The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull has grounded much of international travel to a halt, but if a nearby volcano named Mount Katla should erupt, it has the potential to be many times more devastating, says a Texas A&M University volcanologist who has done research in the area for decades. Jay Miller who has made numerous trips to Iceland over the past 25 years to study the volcanoes there and currently is a research scientist in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, says that an eruption from Katla could dwarf anything seen so far from Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced Eye-jaff-jalla-jok-kul). “It’s a much larger volcano, and in the past, we know its eruptions have been much larger, too,” Miller explains.”

The following juxtaposition interested me. The Drudge Report had this Iceland ash cloud photo on the top of the page for over a day recently:

It reminded me of the recent fictional movie 2012, which alleges that the Mayan prophecy of the world ending will come to pass in dramatic and CGI-laden fashion:

I think it is one thing to read in the news about volcanic eruptions, solar disturbances and such, but actually seeing the force, majesty, and fear-inducing, raw power of these things is another. And when you see them, remember that “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17) Jesus is the One who holds it together, takes it apart, and renews it. (Acts 3:21). Therefore,

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” Acts 3:19-20

theology

God is in control and He has been since Ancient of Days

Posted on April 18, 2010August 6, 2020 by elizabethprata

The Hebrews use the term “Ancient of Days” for God so as not to accidentally say His name and blaspheme. Ancient of Days is a poetic sounding name, and a lovely one. It is also comforting. It rings with authority and by its own name has a timeline that precedes us mere humans and will outlast this earth and the Church Age. It is and was and forever will be, since ancient times. He and His throne IS the Ancient of Days!

Micah says:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.” [Micah 5:2]

Daniel is a difficult book to interpret prophetically, but, then again, maybe not so difficult when you remember “scripture interprets scripture.” In 2Peter 1:20 Peter wrote: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,” He was not saying that we would not understand it. Nor is he saying that we should not try to interpret it. He was saying that the interpretations are given to us, that they are contained in the bible. Scripture interprets scripture. How about this example:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea” is found in Rev. 21:1. However, we are told in Isaiah 57:20 – “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud.” (NASB). For one to interpret the Revelation verse correctly you have to have known from Isaiah that when the sea is referred to symbolically it means sinners, or the wicked. Scripture interprets scripture.

Let’s take a look at the following from Daniel 7:15-27–

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’
19 “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 ‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25 ‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’

First, in Daniel 7:15-16,

“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this.“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things:” The student of bible interpretation is given a gift here, because the interpretation of the verses was placed within the same chapter and only a few verses away, not far apart like in Revelation and Isaiah.

What a blessing, that the prophet Daniel could approach the one giving the prophecy and ask for its interpretation! We are granted another blessing in verse 18, when we read, “‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’” This is a reminder and an assurance to us and to those post-rapture believers who must go through the chaos.

Then a few verses later we see another blessing as Daniel asks for the meaning of the fourth beast and of the horns. The vision is one of torment and anguish and war and usurpation and all sorts of chaos, but in the midst of the interpretation we receive blessing because suddenly there is order. Not order on earth, but we read of order in the heavens:

“until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” [Daniel 7:22] Ahh, blessed order! The Ancient of Days came! And judgment was passed. In this word judgment from the Aramaic it is not judgment as in wrath and discipline, but the word ‘din‘ as in courts. And the time arrived. You see that nothing is being done in knee-jerk response to the chaos. Nothing is reflexive, judgment is appointed to occur in due course. Indeed, in verse 26 our eyes turn from the chaos on earth yet again and seeing the court come to order. Every few lines we flip from earth to heaven and the chaos on earth back to heaven. This is a gift to us, the reader, for before we get too upset at the chaos that must come we are given a picture of the orderliness

‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.”

And finally in verse 27b “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ ”

From the beginning of the terrible sights that are revealed to us through Daniel’s vision, we are given knowledge of the interpretation, assurance and reminder, judgment which bespeaks of a legal solidity, a seated court who carries out the judgment in a weighty and time-appointed process, and the final blessing that it shall be so forever.

What the bible is saying to us here is that:
-scripture interprets scripture (all truth is contained in its covers, no need to guess, and it’s available to everyone)
-interpretations will be given if you ask (but you have to ask)
-the Ancient of Days is ancient and is in control from before Genesis 1:1 and will be forever
-He does things in an orderly way through legal and weighty means in His timing and rendered through judgments and courts,
-no matter what the chaos is on earth you can always look up to find the peace and orderliness of His control from on high

Selah!

damascus, end time, hizbullah, prophecy, syria

Israel defines Hizbullah as a division of the Syrian army

Posted on April 18, 2010 by elizabethprata

I always watch for Damascus in the news. With Israel and the rest of the Middle East in tensions unseen since 1967, I take the threats from one to the other seriously. Remember, Isaiah 17:1 says “Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.” Since Damascus has never been destroyed and is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, this prophecy uttered 1500 years ago has not come to fruition. Yet.

In the Jerusalem Post today:
“Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that any missile attack against Israel by Hizbullah would result in retaliation against Syria, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. According to the UK paper, Israel’s missive – sent earlier in April – defined Hizbullah as a “division of the Syrian army,” a military branch of Damascus in Lebanon.” [italics mine

The statement by Israel was prompted because “Last week, the Kuwait-based Al-Rai reported that Syria had transferred Scud missiles to Hizbullah. According to the report, the missiles were recently transferred to Lebanon.”

Tense times indeed. With the prophesies of the Psalm 83 war, Isaiah 17, the current Syrian missile crisis, the end times judgments upon Edom/Jordan) and other wars to come, it doesn’t take much imagination to see that soon, missiles will fly.