Tom Kovach
The beasts of the earth
Have we crossed a Biblical point of no return?
By Tom Kovach
"I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth." (Revelation 6:8, New American Standard Version)
I've spent a lifetime contemplating things that most people — at least, until recently — spend much of their lives trying not to think about. (Recently, however, disasters and terrorism have become popular prime-time TV entertainment. The drama programs "24" and "The Unit" contain material that used to be relegated only to good-quality military training films.) I've been in gang fights, horse fights, and courtroom battles. I've made scuba dives, freefall parachute jumps (including one that didn't go so well), had loaded guns pointed at me at close range, and have been shot at. In short, I've learned to face a lot of fears, and not let them overwhelm me. But, a recent news item from England, linked via WorldNetDaily brings to mind a frightening possibility. It is presented here in the spirit of Ezekiel, Chapter Three. In that chapter, God warns Ezekiel not to withhold His messages from the people of Israel, no matter how terrifying, in the hopes that people will heed the warnings. In some cases, there was no escape for the destruction that was to follow.
The recent news item said that Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom had decreed that "chimeras" (human-animal hybrid embryos conceived in the laboratory) have a right to life — even though those same bishops agree that "chimeras" should never be created in the first place! The existence of such an "interspecies embryo" seems to cross several lines. First, for the first time in recorded human history, humans will be able to create a new life form that is only part human. (There are legends that such experiments took place on the lost continent of Atlantis, which was reputed to have advanced science, but no supporting documents have ever been found. More about that possibility later in this column.) Second, because the "chimeras" are part of experiments in fertility treatments, the possibility exists for the implantation of such an embryo in a woman's womb! (The British government plans to make that illegal. But, laws against abortion haven't stopped that heinous practice, either.) Third, the same set of laws that would allow the laboratory creation of "chimeras" would also abolish the legal requirement for a baby to have a father; thus, the door would open for lesbians to have babies on a routine basis — without "violating" their identity by having sex with a man. Fourth, the creation of such an "interspecies embryo" would seem to be the scientific moral equivalent of bestiality.
Is our world crossing a point of no return?
There were various times and events in the Bible that incurred God's wrath against His people, and/or against the people of various nations. But, are there some things that could incur God's wrath against the entire world? And, if so, then what are those things? And, do any current events fall under the description of such "trigger" events?
Certain things anger God. One is murder, as evidenced by God's swift reaction to Cain's murder of his brother, Abel, in a fit of envy. Another is violence (senseless harming of others, especially for greed), as evidenced by God's destruction of the world with a flood. In the days of Noah, the whole earth was "filled with violence." (Genesis 6:11-13) Another is arrogance, as evidenced by God's personal intervention to confuse the languages at the Tower of Babel, to prevent the rise of another global government and a tower that would "rise to the heavens." Another thing that angers God is the perversion of His design of creation through the sexual union of a man and a woman, as evidenced by His repeated commands to "do not tolerate" homosexuality and bestiality (Leviticus, Chapters 19 and 20). In stark contrast, today's "gay" activists condemn those that hold traditional views as being "intolerant." (Oh, how we should support those brave few "intolerant" preachers that encourage their congregations to stand firm against the tide of political correctness!)
The modern laboratory fertilization of the "chimeras" seems to cross all of the above lines at once! God's design is being arrogantly altered. For what purpose? So that lesbians can have babies?! (In Bible times, being "fatherless" was considered a curse. In modern times, some actively seek that condition for their children!) And, what about the embryos that are not "needed" (as if any were)? They are destroyed. And, what about those that live? (No one knows the answer, for no one knows exactly what will be created by this hideous process.) What will the new creature do? What (or, whom) will it eat?
Most animals in the wild are naturally afraid of humans. But, if scientists create an animal that is half human, what will happen to that natural fear? If humans are currently preserved from becoming mere "prey" by that natural fear, and if genetic tinkering erases that fear, then what will happen if the new creature develops an appetite for human flesh? Or, what will happen if the new creature comes to perceive itself as "more highly evolved" (read: "arrogant"), and decides that it is the rightful heir to any (or all) of the property of the humans that came before it? Will the new creature have the intelligence of a human, and the strength of an animal? And, which animal? Will it live in a building, or in the wild? Will governments try to harness the strengths of such a creature as some sort of new super-soldier?
Are scientists creating a new breed of "beasts of the earth," which will attack and kill one-fourth of mankind in the near future? Or, would a new breed of soldiers be given the power "to kill with the sword" as they roam about their new "domain"? And, if the chimeras are the new super-soldier, then what about the "failed" experimental creatures? Will they become the "beasts of the earth"? Or, will they become the "undead" population of Hades that is following with the Death rider on the pale horse?
Before writing off these questions and concepts as the mere products of an over-active imagination, consider the following parallels. Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus made some predictions about "the time of the end." One of those was, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man." (Luke 17:26, New King James Version) As mentioned above, in the days of Noah, the whole earth was filled with violence. We are all-too-familiar with the "wars and rumors of wars" that we read about in the daily news. But, what about the violence done in abortion mills every day? What about the violence of elderly abuse? What if the cells of aborted babies are used in experiments, and yet another life form is created? Would the product of such an experiment be legally "alive" or "dead"? If dead, then would the living half-animal become an occupant of Hades (the world of the dead) as described in Revelation 6:8? These are ethical questions that some people might be willing to overlook in the face of enough government grant money.
In the ancient world, kings held onto political power by convincing their subjects to sacrifice their children to idols. In the modern world, "leaders" convince their subjects to sacrifice their children to ... themselves, upon the altar of "convenience." Some of the worst punishments from God came upon those populations that sacrificed their children (usually to the demon idol Molech). We are doing that today with an efficiency that would make Hitler proud.
If there really was a continent of Atlantis, then it was destroyed in the flood of Noah's time. (The evidence would make an interesting presentation, and has parallels of its own.) Was it the seat of a global government? Did that government give some sort of grant money for advanced scientific experiments conducted there, and did some of those experiments involved genetic engineering? If so, then was that the reason that the Bible says that the whole earth was "filled with violence"? And, was that the reason that God told Noah to allow aboard the ark only the animals that He would send in pairs? Jesus said that He would return to stop the self-destruction on Earth at a time that was "as it was in the days of Noah."
then and now
In the earliest centuries of human history, there was only one language. Without linguistic and cultural differences, it stands to reason that there was also only one government. God destroyed it in the flood. Only two generations later, Nimrod (the grandson of Noah) tried to establish another global government (with its capitol at the Tower of Babel). God destroyed that by confusing the languages. There have been many attempts at global government since then, but all have failed. One that had a lasting effect was the ancient Roman Empire, which Jesus personally confronted via Pontius Pilate. Will Jesus soon return to confront another attempt at global government (the United Nations)?
Scientific discoveries often occur long before the general public learns of them. Television had its "Golden Age" in the late 1960s, was introduced to the public at the 1948 World Fair in New York, but was actually invented in 1925. The Internet came to public use in the mid-1990s, but was invented in 1969. If the public is only now learning of the existence of "chimeras," is it possible that at least one has already been created? If so, what has been its fate? Is it living out a meager, animal-like existence in a cage somewhere? Or, is it at the other extreme of existence? Is such a "chimera" gifted with super-human strength, intelligence, voice, and/or appearance? Could such a one be compared to the "nephilim" described in Genesis 6:4? If so, then the parallel becomes even more astounding as one considers that they are mentioned as part of the description of the world just before God's decision to destroy it with the flood. Will the "chimeras" begin to rule the earth now, just as the "nephilim" did in the days of Noah? Will such a situation bring about king-worship and violence, thus provoking God's world-destroying wrath, as it did in Noah's time?
And, if the above concepts are correct, will that gifted "chimera" rise to become the predicted king of the world known as the Antichrist? (Has he already been living among us?) If so, just imagine how angry God would be to see that, not only is someone usurping the place reserved for His Holy Son, but that the usurper is also a half-animal. If so, it would certainly add a new degree of meaning to his other title: The Beast.
"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28)
© Tom Kovach
"I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth." (Revelation 6:8, New American Standard Version)
I've spent a lifetime contemplating things that most people — at least, until recently — spend much of their lives trying not to think about. (Recently, however, disasters and terrorism have become popular prime-time TV entertainment. The drama programs "24" and "The Unit" contain material that used to be relegated only to good-quality military training films.) I've been in gang fights, horse fights, and courtroom battles. I've made scuba dives, freefall parachute jumps (including one that didn't go so well), had loaded guns pointed at me at close range, and have been shot at. In short, I've learned to face a lot of fears, and not let them overwhelm me. But, a recent news item from England, linked via WorldNetDaily brings to mind a frightening possibility. It is presented here in the spirit of Ezekiel, Chapter Three. In that chapter, God warns Ezekiel not to withhold His messages from the people of Israel, no matter how terrifying, in the hopes that people will heed the warnings. In some cases, there was no escape for the destruction that was to follow.
The recent news item said that Catholic bishops in the United Kingdom had decreed that "chimeras" (human-animal hybrid embryos conceived in the laboratory) have a right to life — even though those same bishops agree that "chimeras" should never be created in the first place! The existence of such an "interspecies embryo" seems to cross several lines. First, for the first time in recorded human history, humans will be able to create a new life form that is only part human. (There are legends that such experiments took place on the lost continent of Atlantis, which was reputed to have advanced science, but no supporting documents have ever been found. More about that possibility later in this column.) Second, because the "chimeras" are part of experiments in fertility treatments, the possibility exists for the implantation of such an embryo in a woman's womb! (The British government plans to make that illegal. But, laws against abortion haven't stopped that heinous practice, either.) Third, the same set of laws that would allow the laboratory creation of "chimeras" would also abolish the legal requirement for a baby to have a father; thus, the door would open for lesbians to have babies on a routine basis — without "violating" their identity by having sex with a man. Fourth, the creation of such an "interspecies embryo" would seem to be the scientific moral equivalent of bestiality.
Is our world crossing a point of no return?
There were various times and events in the Bible that incurred God's wrath against His people, and/or against the people of various nations. But, are there some things that could incur God's wrath against the entire world? And, if so, then what are those things? And, do any current events fall under the description of such "trigger" events?
Certain things anger God. One is murder, as evidenced by God's swift reaction to Cain's murder of his brother, Abel, in a fit of envy. Another is violence (senseless harming of others, especially for greed), as evidenced by God's destruction of the world with a flood. In the days of Noah, the whole earth was "filled with violence." (Genesis 6:11-13) Another is arrogance, as evidenced by God's personal intervention to confuse the languages at the Tower of Babel, to prevent the rise of another global government and a tower that would "rise to the heavens." Another thing that angers God is the perversion of His design of creation through the sexual union of a man and a woman, as evidenced by His repeated commands to "do not tolerate" homosexuality and bestiality (Leviticus, Chapters 19 and 20). In stark contrast, today's "gay" activists condemn those that hold traditional views as being "intolerant." (Oh, how we should support those brave few "intolerant" preachers that encourage their congregations to stand firm against the tide of political correctness!)
The modern laboratory fertilization of the "chimeras" seems to cross all of the above lines at once! God's design is being arrogantly altered. For what purpose? So that lesbians can have babies?! (In Bible times, being "fatherless" was considered a curse. In modern times, some actively seek that condition for their children!) And, what about the embryos that are not "needed" (as if any were)? They are destroyed. And, what about those that live? (No one knows the answer, for no one knows exactly what will be created by this hideous process.) What will the new creature do? What (or, whom) will it eat?
Most animals in the wild are naturally afraid of humans. But, if scientists create an animal that is half human, what will happen to that natural fear? If humans are currently preserved from becoming mere "prey" by that natural fear, and if genetic tinkering erases that fear, then what will happen if the new creature develops an appetite for human flesh? Or, what will happen if the new creature comes to perceive itself as "more highly evolved" (read: "arrogant"), and decides that it is the rightful heir to any (or all) of the property of the humans that came before it? Will the new creature have the intelligence of a human, and the strength of an animal? And, which animal? Will it live in a building, or in the wild? Will governments try to harness the strengths of such a creature as some sort of new super-soldier?
Are scientists creating a new breed of "beasts of the earth," which will attack and kill one-fourth of mankind in the near future? Or, would a new breed of soldiers be given the power "to kill with the sword" as they roam about their new "domain"? And, if the chimeras are the new super-soldier, then what about the "failed" experimental creatures? Will they become the "beasts of the earth"? Or, will they become the "undead" population of Hades that is following with the Death rider on the pale horse?
Before writing off these questions and concepts as the mere products of an over-active imagination, consider the following parallels. Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus made some predictions about "the time of the end." One of those was, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man." (Luke 17:26, New King James Version) As mentioned above, in the days of Noah, the whole earth was filled with violence. We are all-too-familiar with the "wars and rumors of wars" that we read about in the daily news. But, what about the violence done in abortion mills every day? What about the violence of elderly abuse? What if the cells of aborted babies are used in experiments, and yet another life form is created? Would the product of such an experiment be legally "alive" or "dead"? If dead, then would the living half-animal become an occupant of Hades (the world of the dead) as described in Revelation 6:8? These are ethical questions that some people might be willing to overlook in the face of enough government grant money.
In the ancient world, kings held onto political power by convincing their subjects to sacrifice their children to idols. In the modern world, "leaders" convince their subjects to sacrifice their children to ... themselves, upon the altar of "convenience." Some of the worst punishments from God came upon those populations that sacrificed their children (usually to the demon idol Molech). We are doing that today with an efficiency that would make Hitler proud.
If there really was a continent of Atlantis, then it was destroyed in the flood of Noah's time. (The evidence would make an interesting presentation, and has parallels of its own.) Was it the seat of a global government? Did that government give some sort of grant money for advanced scientific experiments conducted there, and did some of those experiments involved genetic engineering? If so, then was that the reason that the Bible says that the whole earth was "filled with violence"? And, was that the reason that God told Noah to allow aboard the ark only the animals that He would send in pairs? Jesus said that He would return to stop the self-destruction on Earth at a time that was "as it was in the days of Noah."
then and now
In the earliest centuries of human history, there was only one language. Without linguistic and cultural differences, it stands to reason that there was also only one government. God destroyed it in the flood. Only two generations later, Nimrod (the grandson of Noah) tried to establish another global government (with its capitol at the Tower of Babel). God destroyed that by confusing the languages. There have been many attempts at global government since then, but all have failed. One that had a lasting effect was the ancient Roman Empire, which Jesus personally confronted via Pontius Pilate. Will Jesus soon return to confront another attempt at global government (the United Nations)?
Scientific discoveries often occur long before the general public learns of them. Television had its "Golden Age" in the late 1960s, was introduced to the public at the 1948 World Fair in New York, but was actually invented in 1925. The Internet came to public use in the mid-1990s, but was invented in 1969. If the public is only now learning of the existence of "chimeras," is it possible that at least one has already been created? If so, what has been its fate? Is it living out a meager, animal-like existence in a cage somewhere? Or, is it at the other extreme of existence? Is such a "chimera" gifted with super-human strength, intelligence, voice, and/or appearance? Could such a one be compared to the "nephilim" described in Genesis 6:4? If so, then the parallel becomes even more astounding as one considers that they are mentioned as part of the description of the world just before God's decision to destroy it with the flood. Will the "chimeras" begin to rule the earth now, just as the "nephilim" did in the days of Noah? Will such a situation bring about king-worship and violence, thus provoking God's world-destroying wrath, as it did in Noah's time?
And, if the above concepts are correct, will that gifted "chimera" rise to become the predicted king of the world known as the Antichrist? (Has he already been living among us?) If so, just imagine how angry God would be to see that, not only is someone usurping the place reserved for His Holy Son, but that the usurper is also a half-animal. If so, it would certainly add a new degree of meaning to his other title: The Beast.
"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28)
© Tom Kovach
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
