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Ray Montgomery
Discerning political and spiritual times and seasons - from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Christian Testament.

Asteroid Apophis and its End-Time Message

Asteroid approaching Earth.
(Wikimedia Commons. Image by Kevin M. Gill.)[1]
Asteroid approaching Earth. (Wikimedia Commons. Image by Kevin M. Gill.)[1]

Personal Disclaimer

I don’t normally preface an article with a disclaimer, but in this case I feel I need to. I have been a fan of space exploration since I was a kid, and it’s something I still follow very closely to this day. I remember when asteroid Apophis was discovered in 2004 and the alarm it caused in the space community, but it has only been in recent years that its end-time message has become clear to me, something I have shared with my friends, but now feel the time has finally come to share publicly.

That said, I have had great reticence in doing so, because nobody else (as far as I know) has made the spiritual connections to the evidence examined below, which greatly concerns me. These connections seem obvious to me, but why do others not see them? It doesn’t help that history is littered with those before me who’ve made similar claims that have failed to materialise, rendering them a laughing stock – and forever labeling them a religious crackpot in the process.

To be clear, I am NOT setting any dates for things about to happen! But I strongly feel the evidence below outlines a coming season, and Hashem expects us to know the seasons. If I’m wrong, then expect an apology to follow. But if I’m right, there’s no time to lose to get our “spiritual houses” in order.

So please don’t dismiss this article outright based on subjectivity. Rather, examine the evidence with an open heart and an open mind. Thank you. Author.

Introduction

In June 2004, astronomers David Tholen, Roy Tucker and Fabrizio Bernardi co-discovered an asteroid provisionally designated as 2004 MN4, but later called 99942 Apophis.[2] It is estimated to be about 335 meters across,[3] and its length of 450 meters is comparable in size to the Empire State Building.[4] Its first pass in 2029 will be closer to Earth than our geostationary satellites,[5] will be visible to the naked eye in parts of Europe, Africa, Australasia, and South America,[6] and will go through what is known as a “gravitational keyhole,” a narrow region of space about 800 meters across that will alter its trajectory, potentially putting it on a collision course with Earth for its second visit in 2036.[7]

In 2004 asteroid Apophis was the first object to score a 2 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale,[8] which was later that year revised up to 4, the highest recorded rating yet. (A second object also scored 2 in 2006 but was subsequently removed).[9]

Such was the alarm in the space community about a potential impact from asteroid Apophis that the Planetary Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing space science and exploration (an organisation I’ve been a member of for 30-plus years), launched a $50,000 competition in 2006 to tag Apophis so as to accurately determine its trajectory, to see if its altered course in 2029 required a future deflection mission to modify its orbit for its second flyby in 2036.[10] First prize was awarded to a team led by SpaceWorks Engineering in conjunction with SpaceDev in 2008,[11] but subsequent observations, combined with precise orbit analysis, allowed astronomers to conclude in 2021 that there is no risk of an impact for at least the next century.[12]

Potential Impact Effects

Asteroid Apophis would fit neatly inside The Battery, a park at the tip of Manhattan in New York City. This image shows an artist’s concept of Apophis in the park to illustrate its size in comparison to the rest of the New York City skyline. (Image: The Planetary Society.)

Comparison of possible size of Apophis to the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower.
(Source: composite graphic from a variety of sources.)[13]
Apophis is nowhere near the size of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, which was likely about 10 km wide,[14] so what damage would it do if it were to impact Earth? This is difficult to answer, as it depends on a number of variables: angle of impact, composition of the asteroid, whether it lands in the ocean (probable) or land (less likely), how near any population centers are from the impact zone (and their population size), whether the asteroid would break up upon entry into Earth’s atmosphere into smaller pieces creating a rain of debris to strike even more places on impact, and so on.

But if it were to land in the ocean it would cause tsunamis hundreds of meters high with devastating consequences when they hit populated coastlines, whereas a land impact could destroy a small city, and/or cause wildfires, death and destruction for tens of kilometers from the impact site. But regardless of where it landed, the dust and debris (or water vapour) would also cause drastic climate change.[15] Recently the dramatic sound – and video – of a meteorite striking Earth was caught on a doorbell camera, reminding us in miniature of what Earth could potentially face lying in the midst of this cosmic shooting gallery!

Historical Interpretations of Eclipses and NEOs

So can solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, planetary alignments and visits from Near Earth Objects (NEOs) – i.e. “signs in the heavens” – be anything other than what they are? These occur frequently, which in ancient times were seen as omens and warnings from the gods.[16] But today we understand what causes eclipses and planetary alignments, and that NEOs are leftovers of the solar system’s rubble that occasionally visit Earth, which amateur and professional astronomers alike search for, and NASA keeps track of.[17]

But even with our understanding of what causes these events, that still doesn’t stop people from interpreting them as signs portending doom and gloom, especially with regard to comets.[18]

The Jewish Calendar Connection

So do these heavenly visitors have any special significance? Other than being wonders in the sky to observe, they’ve had no special significance – as the historical record attests (despite the interpretations attributed to them). But neither have they had a connection to the Jewish calendar either.

But when there is a connection to the Jewish calendar, we need to pay attention.

Lunar eclipses for instance, happen fairly regularly and predictably, often referred to as blood moons (for the Moon’s orange/red appearance), and according to the Talmud, a lunar eclipse is a sign for Israel, while a solar eclipse is a sign for the Gentiles.[19] So when a tetrad of lunar eclipses occurs over a 2-year period, coinciding with the Jewish feasts of Passover and Tabernacles in both years, these have had significance for Israel (with implications for the world), as was revealed in his book Blood Moons by Mark Biltz, brought to a wider audience by Pastor John Hagee, and discussed in depth by Bob O’Dell (co-founder of Root Source) in his excellent 8-part series on the subject.[20]

Additionally, we’ve had visits from dozens of asteroids in recent history, most of which haven’t even merited mention by the media, let alone been named.[21] None have had any special significance, nor had a connection to the Jewish calendar. None that is, except Apophis, which does have a connection to the Jewish calendar, and is therefore significant.

The Tribulation

So why was this asteroid named Apophis?

Astronomers Tholen and Tucker were fans of Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007), a spin-off series from the 1994 sci-fi movie Stargate. They named the asteroid after one of the show’s most persistent villains, Apophis, who was one of the principal threats to the existence of civilisation on Earth.[22] They could have chosen any name, but they chose Apophis, because of the very real threat this asteroid posed to life on Earth reinforced by scientific evidence, as opposed to the media-fueled emotional hysteria founded on pseudo-scientific speculation and religious superstition that has accompanied previous cosmic encounters in generations gone by.[23]

The character in the series is named after the Egyptian god Apophis, the Great Serpent, who is “associated with earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms and death”,[24] the “god of evil, chaos, darkness and destruction… also associated with various frightening natural events such as unexplained darkness caused by solar eclipse, storms and earthquakes”,[25] attributes that not coincidentally characterise the Tribulation as mentioned in the Bible, a time referred to as the “Day of the Lord,” or “Jacob’s trouble”:

The great day of the Lord is near – near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath –

        • a day of distress and anguish,
          • a day of trouble and ruin,
            • a day of darkness and gloom,
              • a day of clouds and blackness –
                • a day of trumpet and battle cry. Zephaniah 1:14-16 (NIV)

See, the day of the Lord is coming – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger – to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. Isaiah 13:9-10 (NIV)

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble. Jeremiah 30:7 (ESV)

The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? Joel 2:11 (NIV)

The Tribulation will last seven years:

And he [Gog of Magog (Ezekiel 38, 39), known to Christians as the Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: [under the principle of a day-for-a-year this equates to seven years] and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27 (NIV)

In short, it will be a 7-year period of time unequaled in history, marked by various divine judgments, celestial disturbances, natural disasters, war, famine, and plagues as detailed across 11 chapters from Revelation 6–16.[26]

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth… There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Revelation 6:8,12-14 (NIV)

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains… For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again. Matthew 24:6-9, 21 (NIV)

Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come… Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine… I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Joel 2:1-2, 10, 30-31 (NIV)

The Significance of Apophis

I realise with what I am about to say, given the backdrop of cautionary tales replete with human hysteria, failed prophecies of doom and gloom and fanatic suicidal cults (such as the cult of Heaven’s Gate, where 39 followers committed suicide in San Diego in 1997 believing that a UFO was concealed in the tail of comet Hale-Bopp which would help them ascend to heaven),[27] that I’m venturing into territory where angels fear to tread regarding signs in the heavens, territory that hasn’t prevented generations of previous religious pundits from venturing into, citing the same scriptures I do, with the same warnings I’m giving, and with the same outcomes I’m proposing – all of which have amounted to nothing, having subsequently been proven to be false, and rendering them a laughing stock in the process. And believe me, if what I am about to say is true, then I sincerely hope and pray that I’m wrong, and if so, I will be the first to admit it.

But there is something different about the times in which we are living, given that all three Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – are anticipating the arrival of their respective Messiahs in the very near future: for Jews it’s the Messiah; for Christians it’s Jesus Christ; and for Muslims it’s the Mahdi. That convergence, together with the two existential threats facing civilisation today (the climate crisis and the rise of Islam),[28] create an end-time context rendering the two visits of Apophis and their connections to the Jewish calendar as portentous – and unique – in human history.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years. Genesis 1:14 (ESV, emphasis is mine)

To highlight that this should be treated as highly significant and not just dismissed as mere coincidence, given that the odds of an asteroid this size visiting so close to Earth only happens once every 800 years on average,[29] consider the following:

    • That astronomers would name this asteroid after a character from a TV show, who was the embodiment of the Egyptian god Apophis (the god of lightning, thunder, storms, earthquakes, death, and destruction) – attributes which describe the Tribulation mentioned in the Bible. They could’ve chosen any other name (which would render this discussion moot), but they didn’t; they chose Apophis.
    • That this asteroid would have the highest rating yet recorded on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. Had it rated lower it wouldn’t have garnered the intense scrutiny in the space community that it warranted, and instead been added to the dozens of other unremarkable asteroid visits documented so far. It would’ve also rendered this discussion moot.
    • That both visits would occur on the same day, April 13, which is notable. Different dates would have weakened this discussion considerably.
    • That the first visit in 2029 would be visible to the naked eye for much of the world to see, the closest an asteroid of this size has gotten in the 50 or so years asteroids have been closely tracked, or for the next 100 years of asteroids we have discovered so far,”[30] which sets this asteroid apart as a truly remarkable event.
    • That the second visit in 2036 coincides with the Jewish Feast of Passover.[31] Had there been no connection to a Jewish feast date it would’ve removed the spiritual dimension and rendered this discussion moot.
    • That this asteroid would make two visits to Earth seven years apart, both of which coincide with the Jewish shemitah cycle, 2029 and 2036.[32] It could’ve been any other number of years apart (which would’ve rendered this discussion moot), but it wasn’t. And had it not coincided with the Jewish shemitah cycle, it would’ve removed the spiritual dimension – and also rendered this discussion moot.
    • That the two visits of asteroid Apophis seven years apart happen to be same as the length of the Tribulation period described in the Bible. Had it been any other number of years apart it would’ve removed the spiritual dimension – and rendered this discussion moot.
Asteroid Apophis’ orbit, whose return seven years later is on the same day, April 13.
Cosmic coincidence? Or Providential precision by Divine design?
(Graphic: Author).

In short, that its name Apophis describes the Tribulation;

  • and that the two visits outline the Jewish shemitah cycle;
    • and that the second visit coincides with the Jewish Feast of Passover;
      • and that the 7-year difference between both visits is the same as the length of the Tribulation;

only strengthens, underlines and validates the spiritual dimensions of the case, which therefore demands our attention.

Which I think is the point Hashem is trying to get across!

So given that if any one of the above statements was either missing (thus weakening the case), or different in any way (thus dismissing the case entirely), or not connected to the Jewish calendar (thus losing its spiritual dimension and dismissing the case entirely), is it too outlandish to infer that the aggregate evidence above suggests that the timing of the two visits of Apophis in 2029 and 2036 delineate the Tribulation, and are by intelligent design and divinely ordained, rather than occurring by random happenstance? And if this is so, then the more important question becomes, what does this mean for humanity?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world… Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV, emphases are mine)

So without wishing to become yet another false prophet of doom guilty of seeing patterns in random information (a condition known as apophenia[33]) while peddling conspiracy theories based on pseudo-scientific superstition with radical religious fervour only to be proven wrong with the passage of time, I propose the following:

I believe the aggregate evidence of asteroid Apophis detailed above – with its connections to the Jewish calendar and scripture – is:

  • a divinely orchestrated celestial “sign in the heavens;”
    • whose advent designates a pre-ordained “season in human history;”
      • warning us silently in a “voice loud and clear” of the Tribulation to come – for all who would listen and take heed.

Therefore, its spiritual message that the “end of this age is upon us” should be taken seriously, for I believe the Lord is speaking to the world in no uncertain terms, for those who have “ears to hear what the Spirit is saying” – a familiar refrain repeated throughout the Christian Testament.

The Spiritual Message

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:1-4 (NIV)

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called:

The Lord Our Righteous Savior. Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NIV, emphasis is mine)

I believe the interpretation of the spiritual message being conveyed by all this is:

    • The first visit of asteroid Apophis in 2029 on April 13, visible to the naked eye for much of the world to see, heralds the start of the Tribulation season (not the day it begins!) – a 7-year transition period to a new age – signaling the beginning of the end of man’s reign on Earth.
    • The second visit of asteroid Apophis in 2036, also on April 13, heralds the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of a new age of peace and justice (not the day He arrives!) – validated by the Jewish Feast of Passover on that date.

N.B. I am NOT saying that the Tribulation will begin on April 13, 2029, and I am NOT saying that the Messiah will appear on April 13, 2036! The point I’m making is that the same date for both visits of asteroid Apophis seven years apart is not coincidence, but designed by divine appointment to get our attention, for they outline the season of the Tribulation, and we are expected to know the seasons, but not the day:

“When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Matthew 16:3 (NIV, emphasis is mine).

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen…” Matthew 24:36 (NLT, emphasis is mine).

Or to put it another way:

    • The name of the asteroid, Apophis, is the link to the Tribulation.
    • Both visits on the same day, April 13, are to get our attention.
    • The first visit in 2029, visible to the naked eye, is to get us to look up and see what’s happening.
    • The multiple connections to the Jewish calendar and scripture highlight the divine origins of the message, which in turn demands a response from us.

I think it takes much more faith to cavalierly brush aside this celestial signature as synchronous superstition, to dismiss its timing as mere coincidence, and to ignore the warning the message contains, than it does to believe that Hashem has announced the Tribulation – and emblazoned it across the heavens – for anyone who has “eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to comprehend what the Spirit is saying to the world.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22 et al. in the Christian Testament, paraphrased and expanded).

Also consider that when about 20-25% of scripture is devoted to the end times,[34] why would God let that season approach without warning us about it first? After all, He warned the Jewish people across a significant portion of scripture about the impending siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple (586 BCE) through the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Micah – a momentous event, but which pales in comparison with the significance, importance and implications for the end of the age. The answer of course is that He has (for those who dare – or care – to look), for He wouldn’t have us be ignorant. What we do with that message though, is up to us.

Summary

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31 (NIV)

So given that about a third of scripture is devoted to prophecy,[35] that about half of all prophecies have come to pass so far,[36] and that a quarter of scripture is related to the end times (as indicated in the previous paragraph) which is unfolding before our eyes – some of which has already been fulfilled in recent history with the rest to be fulfilled in the very near future – we need to begin to seriously consider what else the Bible has to say, the direction our lives will take over the next 11 years, and our relationship to the Divine.

For the Age of Man is coming to an end, the Messianic Age is upon us, and the transition between the Ages (the Tribulation) is being proclaimed in the heavens above – which leaves us without excuse.

  • We ignore the Bible’s message on God’s sovereignty;
    • we ignore the aggregate prophetic message of the Bible;
      • we ignore the message of His plans for humanity’s redemption;
        • we ignore what that message requires of us in response;
          • and we ignore this “message in the heavens from Hashem”…

at our peril!

For we have been warned! But to be forewarned is to be forearmed, giving us time to assess the message of Apophis, time to consider our response to spiritual matters, and time to determine our destiny accordingly.

Epilogue

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ASV)

I wrote this article in early December, finishing it around Christmas/Hanukkah. But as I stated at the beginning, I had great reticence in publishing it – until now. And now I know why.

On January 15, President Biden gave his farewell speech, which included a proclamation of where America is right now, the decisions she is facing as a country going forward, and what the world faces with the rise of generative AI. In effect, he warned of the implications of AI for society and the world if left unchecked, and defined the crossroads of the coming season in America. And once those words were uttered the reticence inside me disappeared, and this article that had lain dormant for weeks suddenly burned within me to be published, in the same way that Hashem’s words burned within Jeremiah and which he could contain no longer:

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)

For the next season – the Tribulation – couldn’t be declared until the current one had been defined, which President Biden has now done, and which we are now entering into with President Trump’s inauguration. A distinct season has just begun, while the next one looms on the horizon.

Endnotes

[1] Source: Wikimedia Commons. Author: Kevin M. Gill

Licensed: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Earth_Impacting_Asteroid_(27953609286).png

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis

[3] https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/

[4] https://starwalk.space/en/news/apophis-asteroid

[5] https://www.planetary.org/articles/will-apophis-hit-earth

[6] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-spacecraft-will-visit-apophis-once-earth-rsquo-s-deadliest-asteroid-threat/

https://magnifymind.com/what-would-happen-if-apophis-hit-earth/

[7] https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-99942-apophis-encounters-2029-2036-2068/

[8] The Torino Impact Hazard Scale is a scale from 1 to 10, which categorises the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects. Objects with a Torino scale of 1 are discovered several times a year, but are removed once their trajectories are established with more observation that eliminates any possibility of impact.

https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/torino_scale.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torino_scale

[9] https://www.universetoday.com/10138/asteroid-2004-mn4-gets-the-highest-score-on-the-torino-scale/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torino_scale

[10] https://www.universetoday.com/1080/tag-an-asteroid-win-a-prize/

[11] https://www.planetary.org/press-releases/0226_planetary_society_names_winners_of

https://spaceworkseng.com/archive/Foresight_Final_Report.pdf

[12] https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/

[13] Composite graphic created by author using images as follows:

Empire State Building: from cleanpng.com, no attribution needed

https://www.cleanpng.com/png-empire-state-building-chrysler-building-new-york-l-2252219/download-png.html

Asteroid: public domain (NASA): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asteroid_wh.jpg

Eiffel Tower: Wikimedia Commons, author Parisdrive. Brown background and fleur-de-lis removed.

Licensed: Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parisdrive-logo.png

[14] https://www.space.com/dinosaur-impactor-origin

[15] https://www.grunge.com/611337/heres-what-would-happen-if-apophis-hit-earth/

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/astronomy-questions-answers/if-asteroid-99942-apophis-ever-strikes-earth-how-big-would-the-crater-be/

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/neil-degrasse-tysons-dire-asteroid-tsunami-warning-for-north-america/news-story/92113ce68b4eff36442167605a569016

https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-pedia/what-if-apophis-hit-earth/

https://starwalk.space/en/news/apophis-asteroid

[16] In the spring of 44 BCE for example, the appearance of a comet was interpreted as a sign of the deification of Julius Caesar following his murder, which his son Augustus capitalised on, and Virgil recorded in his epic poem the Aeneid; in 258 CE the Perseid meteor shower was interpreted by Christians to be the tears of St. Lawrence following his martyrdom that year; while the Bethlehem Star (was it a comet, a planetary conjunction, a supernova, or?) was interpreted as a sign that guided the Magi to Jesus’ birthplace.

https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/symposia/science-and-superstition-interpretation-signs-ancient-world

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-ancient-civilizations-reacted-to-eclipses-180983894/

https://theconversation.com/how-ancient-cultures-explained-comets-and-meteors-100982

https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-star-of-bethlehem-can-science-explain-what-it-was/

[17] https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/near-earth-object-program/

[18] 15 greatest comets: https://www.astronomy.com/science/15-greatest-comets-of-our-time/

1811: The Great Comet was seen as a portent of the upcoming war against Russia in 1812, which Napoleon used as a sign of impending victory, while in China, some leaders of the Eight Trigram Sect thought the comet was an auspicious blessing for their ambition to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1811

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Napoleon%27s+comets%3A+the+world+took+notice+when+two+%22great+comets%22…-a0491091930

1910: Global panic accompanied Halley’s comet in 1910, which many thought would be the end of the world, and yet here we are.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/halleys-comet-1910

1973: Comet Kohoutek came with dire warnings of disaster, all of which failed to materialise.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/kohoutek-comet-of-the-century-failed-to-impress-but-it-wasnt-such-a-disaster-after-all-180983330/

1997: The tail of comet Hale-Bopp was believed to conceal a UFO by a cult in San Diego called Heaven’s Gate, which would help them ascend to heaven, but instead led to the deaths of 39 of its followers in a mass suicide.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Heavens-Gate-religious-group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven%27s_Gate_(religious_group)

[19] https://juchre.org/talmud/sukkah/sukkah2.htm#29a

[20] These tetrads of lunar eclipses coinciding with Jewish feast dates are very rare, with only eight such occurrences in the past 2,000 years. As revealed by Biltz and O’Dell, all eight have had special significance for Israel (with implications for the world), which the hundreds of other lunar eclipses in the same time period haven’t had, other than being interesting phenomena to observe.

https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/blog/third-blood-moon-tetrad-occurring-passover

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Video

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-1

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-2

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-3

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-4

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-5

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-6

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-7

https://bit.ly/Blood-Moons_Part-8

[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_asteroid_close_approaches_to_Earth

[22] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Tholen

[23] Personal disclaimer. I too, am a fan of Stargate SG-1, and had I been the astronomer who discovered the asteroid, I would’ve named this asteroid Apophis for precisely the same reasons.

[24] https://www.worldhistory.org/Apophis/

[25] https://mythology.net/egyptian/egyptian-gods/apophis/

https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/apep/

[26] https://www.gotquestions.org/tribulation.html

[27] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Heavens-Gate-religious-group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven%27s_Gate_(religious_group)

[28] https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-two-existential-threats-facing-civilization-today/

[29] https://web.archive.org/web/20160115022151/http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/apophis/

[30] According to Dani DellaGiustina, planetary scientist and principal investigator for NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX Mission to asteroid Apophis:

https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-osiris-rex-spacecraft-to-visit-another-near-earth-asteroid-apophis/

[31] https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/pesach-2036

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/custom.html?year=2036&country=1&hol=8516473&holm=1&df=1

[32] https://adamah.org/shmita-at-adamah/

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/538797/jewish/When-is-the-next-Sabbatical-year.htm

[33] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia

https://psychcentral.com/health/apophenia-overview

[34] I posed the following question to ChatGPT:

How much of scripture in both the old and new testaments as a percentage is devoted to a discussion of the end times?

ChatGPT answered with the following (excerpted):

Old Testament: Estimates vary, but roughly 20-30% of the Old Testament is thought to contain prophetic material, a portion of which can be related to the end times.

New Testament: Scholars estimate that eschatological content makes up about 20-30% of the New Testament.

Combined Estimate: When considering the entire Bible, scholars estimate that 20-25% of Scripture contains material directly or indirectly related to eschatological themes. However, this figure depends on how one defines “end times,” as many passages are multi-layered and open to interpretation.

This percentage reflects the Bible’s overall emphasis on God’s redemptive plan, culminating in the restoration of all things.

[35] https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/22673/Bible-One-Third-Prophecy.htm

This link says 30%: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/understanding-end-times-scriptures-and-prophecies-in-the-bible.html

This link says 26.8%: https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/much-bible-prophecy/

[36] Scriptures devoted to prophecy don’t take into account the Exodus story, for instance, which is told in the Bible as a narrative of historical events as they unfolded, without revealing that it is a prophetic model for a second Exodus yet to take place at the end of the age, as discussed in detail in Sinai to Zion by Joel Richardson; and two books by Travis Snow: The Biblical Feasts and the Return of Jesus, and The Passover King to name three examples.

Nor does it take into account the multi-layered prophetic aspect of the Feasts of the Lord, which are simply presented in scripture as weekly/annual requirements for the children of Israel to keep. These multi-layered prophetic aspects include the role they have played in Church history, the role they are to play in the life of the believer, the role they will play in the End Times, and their fulfillment in the modern state of Israel with its parallel fulfillment in the Church (one fulfillment of which I wrote about in my article The Birth of the Messianic Era), to name but a few (there are many other overlapping and dove-tailing levels of historical fulfillment of the Feasts of the Lord).

Nor does it account for the prophecies yet to be revealed:

But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Daniel 12:4 (NIV)

Nor does it factor in the multiple layers of prophetic fulfillment that prophecies can have, as some prophecies can have up to seven layers of fulfillment:

      1. They were fulfilled in the lifetime of the prophet.
      2. They were fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
      3. They were fulfilled in the early Church.
      4. They were fulfilled in the Church Age historically.
      5. They are to be fulfilled in the life of the believer.
      6. They are to be fulfilled in the End Times.
      7. They are to be fulfilled at the coming of the Messiah.

So with all this in mind (and many other examples not listed above), the percentage of scripture devoted to prophecy increases exponentially, illustrating the multi-layered, multi-faceted, and multi-dimensional mind of God as contained within His Word, the Bible, to mankind – with many more layers yet to be discovered I have no doubt.

About the Author
Ray Montgomery, originally from New Zealand, now resides in California. He has been researching Christian and Jewish history since 2008, which led to co-authoring two books on the Christian history of the persecution of Jews. This research inspired the formation of www.tenfromthenations.org. His first solo work discerning biblical and spiritual times and seasons will be published in 2024.
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