V RaptureChrist Newsletter
June-July 2004

Many people are worried that increased levels of carbon dioxide will cause a greenhouse effect with run away global warming. This would promote coastal flooding because the mighty glaciers would start to melt.  The higher global atmospheric temperatures would cause the oceans to warm up resulting in increasing storms including more powerful hurricanes.  Meanwhile, in interior regions the excess heat would cause more rapid evaporation and desertification.

The "Greenhouse Effect" is caused by carbon dioxide trapping heat that would normally be radiated out into space. Our atmosphere acts like a greenhouse by first allowing in sunlight (solar or short wave radiation) to pass through and heat the Earth, while trapping most of the heat (thermal or long wave radiation) normally radiated out from the surface our planet. This causes surface temperatures to rise.

In the last 200 years the amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased exponentially due to the burning of fossil fuels to run cars, heat homes and power industries.

Deforestation also contributes to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in two ways.  It releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when the trees are burned, and it decreases the capability to absorb carbon dioxide when the trees are gone, which is what trees normally do (they use the carbon molecule in the carbon dioxide to make more wood).  Not only that, a reduced forest cover causes an increase in the albedo (reflectivity of  a surface hit by solar radiation).  Trees usually absorb solar radiation and turn it into growth.  A desert reflects solar radiation and turns it into heat. 

Deforestation also has reduced cloud cover allowing more solar radiation to reach the ground that would normally have been reflected by the "white" clouds back into space making the greenhouse effect even worse.  

One movie The Day After Tomorrow, which was released on Friday, May 28, deals with the problem of catastrophic global climate change. This movie was based on a book, The Coming Superstorm, written by Witley Strieber and Art Bell.  In this movie, global warming causes massive storms followed by a  flash freeze and a return to the ice age.  Scientists are now  discussing if this could happen in reality.  Leading climatologist, Dr. Schrag of Harvard University,  speaks about the fact and fiction of  "The Day After Tomorrow" and what global warming might mean for our future.

What does God say?

Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 

Luke 21:26
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for apprehension of those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

It appears that we will have horrible storms far worse than we currently have now.  Instead of normal hurricanes, these storms will be hypercanes - a new kind of superstorm which has elements of a hurricane and a tornado.

According to present computer models you need 120 degree water to create a hypercane.  An asteroid or comet smashing into the ocean, for example, could generate a great deal of heat to warm up the surface of the ocean to 120 degrees.  Leading oceanographic researcher Kerry Emanuel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and his colleagues have found that the area of the heated ocean needs to be at least 30 miles in diameter to generate a hypercane. 

A normal hurricane forms over a tropical region of the oceans, but one that has been warmed to a lower temperature than a hypercane.  As the air above the water heats up, it starts to rise creating a low pressure zone.  This effect then draws air from all sides and creates a cyclonic funnel which spins due to the coreolis force created by the rotation of the Earth.

In an normal hurricane, there is a limit to the maximum speed of a hurricane due to the friction between the ocean and the wind.   However, in an asteroid-generated hypercane, the enormous heat of the meteor impact would keep fueling the storm.

The result is a funnel-shaped storm like a huge tornado, high enough and strong enough to suction anything in its way high into the stratosphere.

A single hypercane would not be able to do the damage described in the Bible.  It would have to be a series of them, created by multiple meteor impacts.  'A hypercane could only exist over very hot water,' Emanuel explains, 'and as soon as it moved off that hot water--carried by the background flow of the atmosphere--it would die, or turn into a normal hurricane.  So you could get a sequence of these things--one would develop and move off downwind, and then another would develop over the hot water. If that sequence lasted more than a week, it could have dramatic global effects.' 

Does God talk about meteors hitting the Earth?

These are a few of the verses mentioning this occurrence:

Revelation 8:8
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 

Revelation 8:9
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 

The tidal waves will be so great that they will destroy a third of all ships. An impact of that magnitude could theoretically cause a hypercane. 

Whereas Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive natural disaster in US history, caused 30 billion in damage, a hypercane could easily cause trillions in damage with its nightmarish 500 mph winds.

Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 

Scientists warn that extremes in weather are here to stay. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg.

The climactic changes that are to come about before the return of  Jesus Christ are described in the Bible in the book of  Revelation.

Revelation 6:12
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood: 

Revelation 6:13
And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig-tree casts its untimely figs, when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 

This words of Christ could very possibly become true when Earth enters a path of galactic dust and debris.  The two events of stars falling from heaven and the sun becoming black are probably related.  

One scenario is the sun becoming dark due to atmospheric dust generated by the impact of a meteorite and the moon becoming red due to the many meteorites striking its surface.

According to nuclear physicist James A. Marusek "The entire world will be dark within one hour of a large impact.  The impact debris flung high into the stratosphere will cause this darkness.  It will take several days for this debris to fall back to Earth's surface... At about the third day after impact, some light will start to get through."

The Biblical description continues with the following:

Revelation 6:14
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and isle were moved out of their places. 

The Bible predicts a great earthquake that will move every island and mountain from its place.  In fact, it will be more powerful than any earthquakes in recorded history.  There has never been an earthquake so powerful that it moved every mountain on earth from its place in written history.

The above verse puts together the heavenly catastrophe with an earthly catastrophe.

Revelation 6:15
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 

Men's solution to the impending doom is to seek refuge in caves or underground "shelters." 

Revelation 6:16
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 

Revelation 6:17
For the great day of His wrath is come; and who will be able to stand? 

As a whole, mankind will recognize that this is the climatic change that was prophesied by the Bible and realize that  very few will be able to survive.  They remember the words "for as in the days of Noah..."

Luke relates the words of our Lord and forewarns that people would be in great distress.

Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 

The meteors that will fall on the earth would generate so much heat that they would make the water in the oceans get superhot, generating incredible hurricanes, what we have named "hypercanes."

The hypercanes will be several, or a series of them because the Bible states "distress of nations, with perplexity."  People will be in terror, not knowing when this catastrophe will end or where will it hit next.

Revelation 7:1
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 

Much of the destruction will happen from the wind which will probably be generated from the super hot water.

Revelation 7:2
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 

Revelation 7:3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 

As we read in Revelation 7, the servants of YHVH will be spared from the damage done to the earth and the sea from the 4 angels of the winds.  These angels are holding back the winds until YHVH seals the 144,000 and transports them along with a great multitude to Paradise.

Luke relates that mankind will be scared out of its wits.

Luke 21:26
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for apprehension of those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

Luke 21:27
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. 

Luke 21:28
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draws near. 

We who expect to be in the Rapture will have to endure some of the disasters coming upon the earth before our deliverance occurs.  These preliminary signs, as the birth pangs of a woman who is about to be delivered, will serve as a warning that our salvation is near.  When we see the signs in the sun and the moon we will know that we cannot stay on this earth, we need to leave because what is coming upon this earth will be so terrible that very few men will survive.  It is what is called
 "The Wrath of God."