I'm entering serious tin-foil hat territory with this post, but I'm charging on in.
I've been interested in end-times studies for a long time. Prophecies. Book of Revelations. Armegeddon and all that. The end of humankind.
I've done considerable studying on the topic over the years. Collecting bits and pieces in my mind.
I remember one pivotal day on this topic clearly. I was a Freshman at a Big Ten university in the late 70's, enjoying a sunny day at lunchtime out on the Quad. A gentleman interrupted my meal by setting up an easel and starting an impromptu talk. He was drawing maps and interactions of nations as they would be in the end times according to the Book of Revelations. How Gog and Magog (Russia and China?) would join up and march 100 million strong across the Middle East and into Israel for the big battle. The problem to me was that in 1978 these nations didn't line up very well with the prophecy. Russia and China for example, while both Communist nations, were pretty much enemies who often clashed along their common border. So, I noted his talk with interest and filed it away in my mind - taking it out to remember over the years as borders and alliances have changed.
There are preconditions in all these prophecies for every thing to be lined up right. The Anti-Christ has to be walking the earth. The Temple has to be rebuild in Israel. Things like that.
So - here's the tin-foil hat part - it's 2007 and it looks to me like it's all starting to line up.
- The Middle East is a tinderbox like it's never been in a long time with our War in Iraq and with Islamic Jihadists on the march. Iran's President is openly talking about acquiring nuclear weapons and attacking Israel to bring on the Second Coming.
- The Anti-Christ may in fact be already here. I read a very convincing scholarly work a couple of years ago pointing to the likely candidate. The most well known man in the world. A man who could step up on the international stage as a peace leader. A man who has the red dragon in his coat of arms. The Beast out of the Sea, who was born on an island. I'm talking, of course, about the leading candidate: Charles, Prince of Wales. (See "The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea", by Timothy Cohen)
- The prophecy of St. Malachy was a vision listing 112 Popes, ending in the end of the Holy Roman Church with the last Pope - Peter II. Pope John Paul II was number 110, Benedict number 111. There's only one left. If the next Pope chooses the name Peter look out.
- News story this week indicated that a scholar in Israel has pinpointed the location of the Temple in Israel. Plans are in existence to rebuild it.
- News story this week, August 17 indicated that "Russia, China hold joint war games". Uh oh.
Finally, I was looking at articles again this week that deal with the Mayan Calendar. You know, those primitive guys who built the amazing temples that look an awful lot like precise stellar mapping calendars? Well, they made a "Long Count" calender. It has an endpoint - December 21, 2012. I guess I may not need that 30 year mortgage after all.
Relax, all of this is just wild speculation. A collection of disjointed stories that have occupied my attention for 30 years or so.
But that Russia/China joint war games story did send a chill up my spine this week.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Thursday, August 09, 2007
News Bites
I haven't posted for a while now. So, to catch up, here are some quick takes on the news:
1. It was exciting to watch the Space Shuttle Endeavor take off for a mission. It's too bad that space flight has reached the ho-hum state for so long and that we barely notice an event like yesterday, even as masterful a technological event as that was. We'd rather read about a psycho astronaut in a vengeful love triange than to focus on the amazing science of a space launch. But, for what it's worth, I enjoyed it.
2. For a short time, I'll cut Barry Bonds some slack. His home run this week which surpassed Hank Aaron's record was a significant achievement. You have to wish that he would get some time in the sun to celebrate that milestone. But....and unfortunately there is definitely a but, you know it's a tainted record. It's not hard to predict that he will be tried in some tribunal for steroid usage and that the record will be taken off the books. But it was quite a slam, and I'll give him props for a day. He might be all bulked up, but he still had to hit the pitch off a major league pitcher.
3. The surge in Iraq. All of the articles that I'm reading on the conservative sites indicate that there are positive signs that the change in strategy is working. That we might achieve some sense of victory after the blood and treasure paid. Apparently, victory is a problem for Democrat office holders who are heavily invested in Bush's humiliation by defeat. If you hate Bush so much that you dread a victory because it might let George Bush off the hook, you are seriously misguided and should be ashamed of yourself.
4. The presidential debates are burning themselves out already, and it's still way way way too early for average Americans to tune in yet. Does anyone hate all of the candidates yet?
5. At least we're getting the candidates on record, for later use when we tune in. I'm convinced that most of Barack Obama's voters, who are swooning at his every appearance, have very little idea what his positions are. I'm paying attention though, and it's no surprise to me that every position he does stake out on a substantive issue are opposite of mine. When the Supreme Court ruled that partial birth abortion could be curtailed, Obama railed against that decision as an injustice. I couldn't disagree more. When a Federal judge last week struck down a city ordinance in Hazelton PA punishing illegal immigration as unconstitutional, Obama opined that it was a victory for all Americans. Wrong again. It was not a victory for the legal citizens of Hazelton PA. Obama is a classical far left liberal, whose every policy position would be bad for America. That's my take. I'm not swooning.
6. The bridge collapse in Minneapolis does not have me as worried as I thought. Yes, bridges need repair. But I think that they do a pretty good job staying on that, for as massive a project as it is.
The first thought that ocurred to me when I first saw the story, and when I learned that there were workers already repairing the bridge was: Did the repair activity cause the collapse? Did they cut the wrong cable, remove the wrong bolt, have the wrong plan, or put too much heavy equipment on the bridge? Is anyone else asking this? I imagine the investigators are, and they will learn something from it. I'm not too worried that it will happen again.
7. Kudos to George Bush last week for pushing the Congressional reform of the FISA statute to allow wiretapping foreign nationals without a warrant. The Democrat position on this is ludicrous. Are you really wanting to fight a war with court warrants? Do you even acknowledge that we are at war?
The Democrats, and their media supporters, are intentionally distorting the content of the reform. Claiming that George Bush wants to wiretap you and me. Nonsense. The intelligence agents need to be able to monitor foreign actors - potential terrorists - as it happens and not miss a beat. That beat that they miss waiting for a warrant could be the go order for a terrorist cell in the U.S. If so, that's on your heads Democrats.
1. It was exciting to watch the Space Shuttle Endeavor take off for a mission. It's too bad that space flight has reached the ho-hum state for so long and that we barely notice an event like yesterday, even as masterful a technological event as that was. We'd rather read about a psycho astronaut in a vengeful love triange than to focus on the amazing science of a space launch. But, for what it's worth, I enjoyed it.
2. For a short time, I'll cut Barry Bonds some slack. His home run this week which surpassed Hank Aaron's record was a significant achievement. You have to wish that he would get some time in the sun to celebrate that milestone. But....and unfortunately there is definitely a but, you know it's a tainted record. It's not hard to predict that he will be tried in some tribunal for steroid usage and that the record will be taken off the books. But it was quite a slam, and I'll give him props for a day. He might be all bulked up, but he still had to hit the pitch off a major league pitcher.
3. The surge in Iraq. All of the articles that I'm reading on the conservative sites indicate that there are positive signs that the change in strategy is working. That we might achieve some sense of victory after the blood and treasure paid. Apparently, victory is a problem for Democrat office holders who are heavily invested in Bush's humiliation by defeat. If you hate Bush so much that you dread a victory because it might let George Bush off the hook, you are seriously misguided and should be ashamed of yourself.
4. The presidential debates are burning themselves out already, and it's still way way way too early for average Americans to tune in yet. Does anyone hate all of the candidates yet?
5. At least we're getting the candidates on record, for later use when we tune in. I'm convinced that most of Barack Obama's voters, who are swooning at his every appearance, have very little idea what his positions are. I'm paying attention though, and it's no surprise to me that every position he does stake out on a substantive issue are opposite of mine. When the Supreme Court ruled that partial birth abortion could be curtailed, Obama railed against that decision as an injustice. I couldn't disagree more. When a Federal judge last week struck down a city ordinance in Hazelton PA punishing illegal immigration as unconstitutional, Obama opined that it was a victory for all Americans. Wrong again. It was not a victory for the legal citizens of Hazelton PA. Obama is a classical far left liberal, whose every policy position would be bad for America. That's my take. I'm not swooning.
6. The bridge collapse in Minneapolis does not have me as worried as I thought. Yes, bridges need repair. But I think that they do a pretty good job staying on that, for as massive a project as it is.
The first thought that ocurred to me when I first saw the story, and when I learned that there were workers already repairing the bridge was: Did the repair activity cause the collapse? Did they cut the wrong cable, remove the wrong bolt, have the wrong plan, or put too much heavy equipment on the bridge? Is anyone else asking this? I imagine the investigators are, and they will learn something from it. I'm not too worried that it will happen again.
7. Kudos to George Bush last week for pushing the Congressional reform of the FISA statute to allow wiretapping foreign nationals without a warrant. The Democrat position on this is ludicrous. Are you really wanting to fight a war with court warrants? Do you even acknowledge that we are at war?
The Democrats, and their media supporters, are intentionally distorting the content of the reform. Claiming that George Bush wants to wiretap you and me. Nonsense. The intelligence agents need to be able to monitor foreign actors - potential terrorists - as it happens and not miss a beat. That beat that they miss waiting for a warrant could be the go order for a terrorist cell in the U.S. If so, that's on your heads Democrats.
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