An anchor in troubled times

Submitted by Michael S (United States), May 27, 2015 at 02:57

Hi, Waz.

Good comments. I'll jump on board what you said around the middle of the essay, trying all the while to keep in mind that we are talking about "Musings of History".

"At the very least, the [Large Hadron Collider] demonstrates how ephemeral matter is and how misunderstood 'reality' is."

I confess, that I am just as interested in particle physics, probably, as are the people who conceived and built the LHC. While it was being built, however, I was a graduate student in Chemistry, and my position was being threatened by budget cuts. Many Chemists were against the LHC because it was using up precious funds that might have been more "profitably" spent in areas such as supporting postgraduate students in Chemistry. Curiosity about the world around us is a wonderful thing; but the law of diminishing returns is at work even in these circumstances.

My son has not been able to complete undergraduate study, much less graduate, due to a disability. Nonetheless, he is probably more knowledgeable about the things we're discussing than I am. He said that, contrary to your statement, the LHC by and large affirmed the "Standard Model". That was a disappointment to many of the collider's backers, because they were hoping it would lead to the discovery of some significantly new outlook on the universe.

Quoting me, you said,

"[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,"

NASA?

I thought about the atomic bomb, napalm, that sort of thing. NASA is also in the general category of the seemingly miraculous signs the "False Prophet" is supposed to be able to conjure up. A false prophet is someone who gives people a false hope in someone or something other than God. Technology, of itself, is not prophetic.

What is prophetic, is assuring people that our fundamental problems can be solved by something or someone -- in this case, by science and technology. Stephen Hawking, for instance, might be considered as something like a false prophet, in suggesting that we can solve the problem of planet earth's impending self-destruction by colonizing space. He's just one of many promoters and propagandists promoting (in this case, very expensive) scientific endeavors as answers to problems that we pretty much bring upon ourselves. For this reason, I don't think the "False Prophet" of Revelation is an individual; It manisfests a spirit, a shared thought pattern that is transmitted from one person to another (like breath, coming out of one person and into another). Nevertheless, it isn't described by the Bible as a spirit; but as something originating a spirit -- the author of the notion that mankind's salvation will come through technology:

Rev. 16:
[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

You said, "David Copperfield?" No. David is an illusionist, and everyone knows it. I think you were closer with "NASA?" You continued, again quoting me,

[15] And he 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.
[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Obama??

I don't think so. These "devils", such as the "beast" and the "false prophet" are among us today, false hopes in men's hearts that government leaders and scientists can protect them against plagues and calamities. When it comes to identifying individuals, however, who epitomize those spirits of false hope, these should appear during a 3½ year period, some years on the future. Unless Mr. Obama somehow becomes "President for Life", which I doubt will happen, we can expect that this will be someone who comes after him. Hillary? Scott Walker? Pat Paulson III? Alan John Miller? David Letterman? Your guess is probably as good as mine.

The important thing we're dealing with here, is the whole subject of false hope in charlatans and their devices: The Ponzis and Hitlers, Hirohitos and Bin Ladens of this world, who ply their craft in times of both great distress and great prosperity. We need to know that these fellows will be coming out of the woodwork in our days; and to be so anchored in trusting God that we are not led astray by them. That's the reason Revelation and the other true prophetic books were written.

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