#292

Prophetic Concerns For 2024

Asteroids, UFOs, Solar Flares, WWIII

When talk of what could happen in 2024, all of the issues I just listed could dominate the headlines of the world’s papers although in the digital realm we can read about them there as well. Actually, I don’t know of anyone who still reads newspapers let alone has them delivered to their homes. But I digress. Doomsday aficionados always like to point to any report of an asteroid as the next great danger to our planet and it is a valid one, although detecting one and stopping it are two different things. UFOs always seem to pop up as a distraction when some drop of bad news for the government or politicians is imminent. But will these aliens really pose a threat to us? The sun always goes through cycles of intensity where a solar discharge could come flying from it that could disrupt our electrical grid and throw us back to the 19th century as it would also fry all our devices that use electricity. Oh, did I also bring up WWIII? Some commentators and folks that like to prognosticate about conflicts, say in Ukraine and the Middle East point to these areas and caution us that another world war could grow from either one or both of them. But for students of Bible prophecy, are any of these found in Scripture?

Asteroids Are Mentioned

In the Book of Revelation, one such asteroid could be mentioned:

Then 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 water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. (Rev 8:10-11, NKJV)

Some prophecy experts say this is an asteroid although it does say it is a star. According to an author who specializes in end-time prophecies, Tom Horn, these verses and others point to the effects of multiple asteroids hitting the earth during the Tribulation. He details this in an article from mycharisma.com why he thinks this wormwood star is an asteroid:

First of all, he says, if an astronomer were to read about the four trumpets in Revelation 8, he would see sign after sign of an asteroid strike.

“The first trumpet sounds, and what happens? Fire falls, and particles fall down from heaven, burning,” he says. “And they catch the grasses and the fields on fire. That’s exactly what would happen ahead of a very large asteroid or body where you have the debris that’s being pushed out in front of it, breaking up as it enters the atmosphere.”

Secondly, Revelation describes a stone like a mountain that is burning as it falls down to the earth. It strikes the ocean, destroying the ships in the sea. Horn says this could be a binary asteroid, in which one part hits the earth and one part hits the sea. Or it could be one asteroid that breaks apart as it enters the atmosphere.

In the third trumpet of Revelation, Wormwood pollutes and corrupts the waters. And then in the fourth trumpet, darkness envelops the sky and blackens everything.

Horn, who had a vision where he saw it happen, also wrote a book about it titled The Wormwood Prophecy and in it he cites scientific sources like NASA who apparently are tracking such an asteroid named Apophis that could hit earth on April 13, 2029.

UFOs That Don’t Come In Peace

As I mentioned in my lead, some people believe we are going to see more aliens and the vehicles that brought them here in 2024. For my money, these beings are really demons and want to deceive people into following any belief that disproves the Bible and that there is a God. Some people actually believe that these aliens will pull off a rapture event either by ridding the planet of “unbelievers” or by taking away the real believers to some cosmic hideaway as the ones left behind destroy the earth. Regardless of what theory is thrown out there, it is deception 101 and it could fall into line with the great delusion mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11:

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie…(NKJV)

I could see the remaining media outlets explaining the real Rapture of the church this way.
Solar Flares

If you want to see the world thrown into chaos, losing electricity and even the use of anything that uses power from electricity such as things that are battery powered, would do it. On this point I don’t see a lot of Bible verses that cover that, but there are some who find such activity as we read in an article from thebiblemuseum.com:

According to NASA a massive solar flare would be one of the largest natural disasters which could happen to a first world country.

It would cause the failure of electric power grids, leading to power blackouts, possibly lasting for up to 10 years!

All electrical equipment would be either badly damaged or rendered useless. Petrol would be very scarce due to the inability to refine oil and the breakdown of pumps.

This would cause the collapse of the economy with millions of people dying due to a lack of medicines or food.

A solar flare prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ is possibly described in the Bible, in Revelation chapter 16. This same chapter includes the battle of Armageddon, which is presumed to be a literal event, which takes place at the time of Jesus Christ's return.

Here are those verses:

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. (Rev 16:8-10, NKJV)

The article goes on to refer to the War of Gog and Magog and make the connection of an army fighting without conventional weapons because electricity is gone:

The description of ancient weaponry and not modern technology could all be explained if a massive solar flare has knocked out all communication and modern weaponry and defences.

There are over 100 000 Russian and Ukrainian Cossacks in Southern Russia, many highly trained in sword fighting and horsemanship. They are well known for their pogroms against the Jews under the Tsars. Cossack Units are now part of the modern Russian army.

Another World War?

The only world war in the Bible up next would be Armageddon that will occur at the end of the Tribulation. But that doesn’t stop people who are not students of Bible prophecy to bring up another world-wide conflict as a possible event in 2024. To be fair, another global conflict could happen since neither of the first two world wars are mentioned in prophecy either. So, if we go down that road, where would such a war start? The Middle East is always a possibility, but so could a fight with Russia. Or it could break out in the China region over Taiwan or Pakistan or India. North Korea is capable of starting such a war, as well. Some military experts believe that China is trying to get the United States embroiled in 3-4 conflicts as a strategy to weaken us and take advantage of our military being stretched too thin to them repel an attack from them. It could actually explain why America isn’t seen in Bible prophecy. However, for me, I don’t see that happening, but it could. What should we do in the face of all this uncertainty? This verse is a good one to follow:

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest, thoughtful men of prayer. (1 Pet 4:7, TLB)

And of course this one is always another good one:

So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up! For your salvation is near.” (Luke 21:28, TLB)