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Ten things of concern to mankind

by Michael G. Mickey

(4-25-05)

A recent Guardian article asked 10 scientists to name the ten biggest dangers to Earth and assess the chances of them happening.

The article quotes Sir Martin Rees, author of Our Final Century, astronomer royal and professor of cosmology and astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, as saying humans only have a 50-50 chance of making it through the 21st century without serious setback, adding, "Some natural threats, such as earthquakes and meteorite impacts, remain the same throughout time, while others are aggravated by our modern-interconnected world. But now we also need to consider threats that are human induced."

From this point forward, I'm going to list what the Guardian article lists as dangers the scientific community consider to be the ten greatest dangers to the earth and compare those to what Bible prophecy tells us is going to take place in the prophetic future.

Bible prophecy tells us there is going to be dramatic climate change during the Tribulation Period to come, as seen in Revelation 16:8-9: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The article says every species contains an "evolutionary clock", ticking through the generations and counting down towards an inevitable extinction date. The influence of Darwin's theory of evolution is evident within this prediction, but in Scripture we're told, as seen in Romans 8:21-23, all creatures are presently living under the bondage of corruption, waiting for the redemption of their bodies!

I comment a great deal on the pestilences of the end times, particularly on the present threat a global pandemic may erupt on the planet which could see as many as 100 million people die. Matthew 24:7 warns us there will be pestilences in diverse places in the end times.

The Guardian article quotes Professor Maria Zambon - a virologist and head of the Health Protection Agency's Influenza Laboratory - as saying we've had four major flu epidemics in the last century, as well as AIDS and SARS. Zambon rates the chances of a viral pandemic taking place in the next 70 years as very high.

Terrorism:

The article states the odds a major terrorist attack is going to take place within the next 70 years as very high. In Bible prophecy, we're told the end times will be as it was in the days of Noah. How was life in Noah's day?

Genesis 6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

The expert quoted in the article rated the chances of a nuclear war taking place as low. I would definitely not agree with that, especially at this moment when Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. In Scripture, we see several events will take place in the prophetic future which sound pretty consistent with nuclear warfare taking place.

Joel 2:30 states: "And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke."

Revelation 8:7: The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

While I can't be completely certain a meteorite is what we see described in prophecy, something similar in nature is going to occur during the Tribulation Period.

Revelation 8:8-11: And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Hans Moravec, a research professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute in Pittsburgh, is quoted in the article as stating, "Robot controllers double in complexity (processing power) every year or two. They are now barely at the lower range of vertebrate complexity, but should catch up with us within a half-century. By 2050 I predict that there will be robots with humanlike mental power, with the ability to abstract and generalise."

Daniel 12:4 tells us the end times will be characterized by an increase in scientific knowledge. Moravec believes advanced robotics "will be our heirs and will offer us the best chance we'll ever get for immortality by uploading ourselves into advanced robots."

Revelation 13:15 states: "And he [the Antichrist's False Prophet] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

Could the prophesied "image of the beast" be an advanced robotic likeness of him? Although it may sound far-fetched, we need to bear in mind knowledge in this area is doubling every year! Doubling!

Cosmic ray blast from exploding star:

In February of 2005, I commented on a BBC story about a star explosion which took place 50,000 light-years away. The blast was so powerful, according to the BBC's story, radiation from it bounced off the Moon and lit up the Earth's atmosphere!

Luke 21:25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Professor Bill McGuire, director of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London and a member of Tony Blair's Natural Hazards working group, is quoted in the Guardian's article as saying, "Approximately every 50,000 years the Earth experiences a super-volcano. More than 1,000 sq km of land can be obliterated by pyroclastic ash flows, the surrounding continent is coated in ash and sulphur gases are injected into the atmosphere, making a thin veil of sulphuric acid all around the globe and reflecting back sunlight for years to come. Daytime becomes no brighter than a moonlit night."

Does Bible prophecy foresee an event like this? Quite possibly! When a super-volcano erupts, there is a massive earthquake, of course!

Bearing that in mind, we have Revelation 6:12: And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

The prophetic future is going to see some bizarre cosmic events take place!

Revelation 6:13-14: "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."

Matthew 24:9 similarly describes a massive cosmic disturbance will take place: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"