THE ANCIENT SUMERIANS

            One might well wonder just what in the world the ancient Sumerians have to do with anything in which believers ought to be interested.  I can certainly understand and identify with such thinking, but, believe it or not, there are some very intriguing facts regarding the Sumerians with which we all should be aware.

            First of all, Sumer is considered by most authorities as the oldest known civilization in the world.  It’s location in Mesopotamia puts it squarely in the so-called cradle of civilization, and extensive excavations have yielded numerous inscriptions and texts over which archeologists and other experts have poured for years.  The ancient Sumerian writings actually pre-date even the Hebrew Scriptures themselves.  This, of course, is not to say that they are more valid or possess greater credence than the Biblical record, but it does mean that, given their antiquity, they certainly deserve a preeminent place in any study of ancient history, including

the material that we will be covering in this current study.

            No one really knows where the Sumerians came from, however the Bible certainly gives us pertinent information that demands our consideration.  Shortly after the Noahian Flood, we read the following from Genesis 10:

“And the sons of Ham; Cush, Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan...And Cush begat NIMROD: he began to be a MIGHTY ONE in the earth.  He was a mighty hunter before (Heb. in place of): wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.  And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (Babylon), and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of SHINAR (SUMER).  Out of that land went forth Asshur (Heb. He went forth out of that land into Assyria), and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city” (Gen. 10:6. 8-12).

            Ancient Sumer was the Biblical land of Shinar, the seat of Nimrod’s great post-Deluge empire.  It was, as Genesis 10 relates, a collection of city-states located around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is today southern Iraq.  As you can see from the Biblical text, Babel or Babylon was the first of these great city-states, and probably the one from which Nimrod ruled at the commencement of his reign.  If one consults a map of ancient Sumer, in addition to Babylon, the following major cities will be found: Eridu, Kish, Uruk, Ur, Sippar, Nippur, Adab, Umma, Lagash, Larsa, Eshnunna, Shaduppum, Isin, Jemdet Nasr, and Shuruppak.  Ur, of course, is well known to believers, because it was the home of Abraham, from which He was called by Yahweh to go into the land of Canaan (Genesis 12).

            Sumerian is a linguistically isolated and extinct language.  Interestingly, all attempts to connect it with any other known tongue have so far proved futile.  Sumerian is preserved only on clay tablets in a considerable corpus of texts written in cuneiform.  After about 2000 B.C., Akkadian, a Semetic language, became dominant in greater Mesopotamia, and Sumerian was relegated to the status of a literary language.

            Although translation of the Sumerian texts has been on-going to one extent or another since the early-mid 1800's, it really was not until 1976 when a Russian-born, Palestinian-raised linguistic scholar named Zecharia Sitchin wrote the first of his best-selling Earth Chronicles series, entitled The Twelfth Planet, that genuine interest in the subject became widespread.  Sitchin’s contentions in The Earth Chronicles series are that mythology is not fanciful, but actually the repository of true ancient memories, that the Bible ought to be read literally as a historic/scientific document, as well as a spiritual one, and that the civilizations of antiquity were indeed much greater than is casually assumed by modern researchers, and were, to a great extent, the product of powers beyond those of mere human beings.  Although you may not agree with these conclusions on Sitchin’s part, all three of them possess a good deal of convincing evidence that they are indeed correct.

            The initial book mentioned above is entitled The Twelfth Planet because, in the Sumerian Creation Tablets, direct reference is made to the planetary home of the gods.  The Sumerians called it Nibiru (planet of crossing or passing), and the uni-plural name of their creative deity was the Anunnaki.  Unless you happen to have studied Sumerian history, I can readily understand that words such as these sound quite strange, and that one might indeed wonder what, if any, relevancy they might possibly have to anything that is Scripturally and/or spiritually significant.  I urge you, however, to bear with me as I lay some essential groundwork with regard to the thesis of our study.  We shall return to this and other historical aspects which will be covered later in the article, and I believe that you will see quite clearly the connection that is being made, and how meaningful all of these seemingly unimportant facts really are to the Bible and the plan of the Almighty. 

            Casually dismissed by earlier translators as the purely mythological product of an ancient ignorant civilization, little or no knowledge of the planet Nibiru even existed for years outside of a handful of Sumerian linguistic scholars.  Thankfully, Zecharia Sitchin was and still remains by far the most skilled and most liberated thinking of the elite group of experts.  In spite of the fact that his original determinations and deductions were summarily panned by the critical scientific community, like such talented and rare researchers as Immanuel Velikovsky before him, his critics have through the ensuing years been forced to re-evaluate his conclusions in a far more positive light.

            According to the Sumerian texts, the planet Nibiru has a widely elliptical orbit of some 3,600 years in length.  In other words, one year on Nibiru is equal to 3,600 earth years.  The planet’s orbit is far greater than any of the nine celestial bodies that comprise our solar system.  For instance, Pluto, the outermost planet, has an orbital time period of 248 years, and Neptune, the 8^th planet, takes 165 earth years to revolve around the sun.  

            The Sumerian creation story connected to Nibiru is most interesting, and relates directly to certain specific information contained in the Hebrew Scriptures, and although we will not delve into the details until later in our study, suffice it to say that the most ancient written record in human history is almost surely not mere mythology, but indeed based squarely on actual events, though perhaps somewhat embellished, that transpired thousands of years ago.

            Two of the most critical aspects of the Sumerian creation epic are that the close proximity of Nibiru to the earth always produces an extended period of great cosmic and seismic upheaval and destruction, and, according to the calculations, the planet Nibiru made its last flyby of the earth in or around the year 1587 B.C., and thus its 3,600 year orbit will effect its return in the year that appears in the title of this article, namely 2012 A.D.  I urge you, therefore, to please keep both of these strategic dates in mind, as we will come back later in this discussion to more carefully investigate the ancient Sumerian records, especially with respect to the Bible, and to the subject of our study–THE END OF AN AGE!

THE TWELFTH PLANET

            Zecharia Sitchin entitled his first book regarding the Sumerian Tablets The Twelfth Planet.  On the surface, this would appear to be a rather odd title, but there is a logical explanation for his doing so.  Although initially rejected by scientific scholars, it has now been determined that the great civilizations of the past were  far more knowledgeable and equally more advanced than originally suspected.  This is particularly true with respect to their understanding of the heavens, the movements of the celestial bodies, and the fundamental astronomical truths regarding the earth itself, a number of which were lost during certain historical epochs, only to be re-discovered in later times. 

            Many of the ancients were aware, for instance, that the earth is round (the Bible itself speaks of this truth over 2,000 years before the time of Christopher Columbus, i.e. Isaiah 40:22).  They also understood that the solar system is heliocentric (Sun-centered), rather than geocentric (earth-centered)[this is the conclusion to which the father of modern astronomy, Copernicus, came to in 1530 A.D., and for which the astronomer Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 A.D., and the now world-renowned Galileo was forced to repudiate on pain of death in 1633 A.D., he suffering imprisonment for the rest of his life!]  And, as incredible as it may seem, even the most antiquated of the old cultures, the Sumerians themselves, knew that there were not only multiple planets in the solar system, but also that there were precisely 12 such astral bodies in the group. 

Now if the number 12 sounds ridiculous, we should take note that the Sumerians counted both the sun and the moon in their figures.  Thus there were 10 planets, plus the star around which they all revolved, along with the earth’s satellite–the 10^th planet being Nibiru itself.  Not only are these facts inscribed in cuneiform characters on the unearthed Sumerian Tablets, but ancient relief stone carvings from that era depict the very same information.  If you are puzzled as to how people who lived over 4,000 years ago could possibly know that there were more than the six visible planets in our solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), you are certainly not alone in your thinking.  The same could be said for the design and building of such structures as the famous pyramids on the Giza plateau in Egypt, or the great megalithic ring known as Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in southern England, among many others in numerous, widely-separated parts of the world.  In fact, the answer to these questions is one of the more important facets of this very study, one which will be discussed later in the article.

            Was the ancient Sumerian belief in an additional planetary component of our solar system merely far-fetched, fanciful thinking, the product of darkened, fearful minds?  After all, we sophisticated moderns tend to classify the civilizations of antiquity as being ignorant, backward, superstitious peoples, creators of fairytale-like answers to the questions of life, and inventors of strange, extravagant, imaginary myths of even stranger gods and goddesses and their antics.  Such an assumption has been prevalent for years, but is it valid?  The fact is that more recent scientific investigation and discovery have indeed altered the thinking of many scholars on this issue, and have led to a re-evaluation of the degree to which the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Egyptians, and Babylonians were advanced in their knowledge and understanding.  And this has proven true in the case of Nibiru, the so-called twelfth planet!

            This, of course, begs the question, Is there actually an additional planet in our solar system beyond the nine with which we are all familiar?  And the answer, believe it or not, may well be YES!!  If you should have an immediate negative reaction to the following portion of our discussion, I completely empathize with you, since for some years I was of the opinion that such a notion was indeed ridiculous, being the product of some wild-eyed UFOlogists’ fertile minds.  I must confess to you, however, that this assumption has indeed changed as I have taken the time to carefully study the possibility of a 10^th planet (corresponding to the Sumerian 12^th planet, namely Nibiru) being associated with our solar system. 

            A brief background check reveals that in 1841 John Couch Adams began investigating large residuals in the motion of Uranus, the 7^th planet from the Sun.  Five years later, Neptune was discovered, but certain perturbations in the orbit of Neptune also began to be observed, and astronomer Urbain Le Verrier proposed that yet another celestial component of the solar system existed beyond Neptune.  The search for this unseen astral body continued for nearly the next 100 years. 

            The famous astronomer Percival Lowell, builder of the world-class observatory in Flagstaff, AZ bearing his name, and perhaps most well known for promulgating the theory that there were canals on Mars of apparently intelligent design, was the leading scientist behind the quest for yet another constituent of the solar system during the first part of the 20^th century.  Interestingly, Lowell termed the object of his search as PLANET X, a designation that is still quite familiar and in use today, although not currently applicable to the same astronomical body for which Lowell was seeking in his day.  It is not generally known, but two faint images of what would eventually be the planet Pluto were actually recorded at Lowell Observatory in 1915, but were unrecognized by the astronomers involved until after Pluto’s discovery by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930.

            With the detection of Pluto, most scientists assumed that the search for additional planets in the solar system was complete.  In fact, this is still the general assumption of most people in the world today, but is it correct?  The evidence would suggest otherwise.  Over the last 200 years, the discovery of new planets (at least new to the then existing population) has been based far more on mathematics than it has on the construction of larger and more powerful telescopes.  It has been the unaccounted for orbital irregularities of the outer planets that has led first to speculation and then to determination of the existence of other celestial bodies  in the solar system.  

            Unbeknown to most people, modern astronomers have continued to search for Percival Lowell’s Planet X.  In fact, they have even retained the same name for this 10^th member of the solar system.  Continual perturbations in the orbits of Uranus and particularly Neptune large enough to dismiss the minuscule effect of Pluto kept scientists busy in the quest for a tenth planet.  In 1982, it was finally discovered, acknowledged by NASA, and a year later was actually spotted by an Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS).  Cal-Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), manager for NASA’s Deep Space Program and the leading center in the U.S. for the robotic exploration of the solar system, also reported on the discovery of the so-called Planet X.  In the early 1980's, articles attesting to the new finding appeared in major newspapers, including both the New York Times and the Washington Post.  The Post story, in fact, began in the following manner:

“AT SOLAR SYSTEM’S EDGE GIANT OBJECT IS A MYSTERY - A heavenly body possibly as large as the giant planet Jupiter and possibly so close to Earth that it would be a part of this solar system has been found in the direction of the constellation Orion by an orbiting telescope called the IRAS.  So mysterious is the object that astronomers do not know if it is a planet, a giant comet, a protostar that never got hot enough to become a star, a distant galaxy so young that it is still in the process of forming its first stars, or a galaxy so shrouded in dust that none of the light cast by its stars ever gets through.”

            Shortly after these public announcements, however, a shroud of silence has surrounded the project, and a seriously focused Federal government cover-up undertaken.

            The scientific facts that have been determined thus far with regard to Planet X is that its orbit is highly elliptical, resembling that of a comet more than a typical planetary body.  In addition, it’s orbit is of far greater size than any of the current nine members of our solar system, carrying it far out into space over a revolutionary period of some 3,600 years.  Planet X is also a very large celestial body, possessing a total mass in excess of 100 times that of the earth.  Its magnetic core is exceedingly powerful and clashes with the electromagnetic fields of other planets.  

            In spite of official silence concerning Planet X, research has continued apace since its 1982 discovery.  It is now known that the Hubble Space Telescope has been repeatedly used to observe Planet X, with only a chosen few permitted to see the actual astro-photographs.  The Hubble telescope is equipped with special technological equipment that prohibits any possible interception of its signals by any entity other than NASA.  Over the last 10-12 years, the U.S. government has constructed a total of eight special observatories in various parts of the world for the express purpose of studying Planet X.  Two of those institutions are located in the state of New Mexico. 

            Although there is much disinformation being promulgated with respect to Planet X, solid and dependable scientific evidence of its existence, discovery, and the research accomplished, both past and present, is readily available.  Perhaps the most highly qualified member of the scientific community who has personal inside knowledge of this nature is Dr. James McCanney, a world-renowned astrophysicist, with a double doctorate in both mathematics and nuclear solid state physics.  He has served as professor of physics at Cornell University, and for several years was a consultant to NASA.  He has had a number of scientific articles published, and has written at least three books and several technical manuals.  Dr. McCanney knows about Planet X, and the U. S. government’s ongoing efforts to learn more about it, and now that his ties to NASA no longer bind him to total silence, he has become something of a whistle-blower on this very sensitive subject.

            According to Dr. McCanney, as well as a growing number of astronomers, astrophysicists, geologists, and cosmologists, Planet X has been having and continues to have an ever increasingly negative effect on our Sun, and consequently on our planet as well.  Scientists have kept records of solar activity literally since the 1700's.  Coronal Mass Ejections, or solar flares as we commonly refer to them, follow an 11-year cycle, 5 ½ years increasing to a peak, then 5 ½ years on the decline to a low.  This cycle has been continuously repeated ever since astronomers have been keeping such records. 

            The last 11-year peak transpired in the year 2000, thus the scientific expectation would have been a consistent decrease in solar flare activity through most of 2005, but this has not at all been the case.  Instead, coronal mass ejections have increased during this period, and that increase has been exceedingly substantial.  In fact, the most extensive sun flares in all earth’s known history with respect to both intensity and frequency have been recorded during the last 5 years, and the projections now are, interestingly and incredibly enough, for dramatic increase in solar storms between 2005 and, you guessed it, 2012 A.D. precisely!!

            Astronomers and other scientists in related fields are acutely aware that something major is negatively affecting our Sun.  Some of them are now beginning to seriously consider the likelihood that a fairly large celestial body is moving near to or actually may have already entered the solar system.  That intruder is the mysterious Planet X, which is now no longer being relegated to the ranks of mere science fiction, as was once the case, but rather to the forefront of astronomical research.  Experts, such as Dr. McCanney and others, are coming forth with admissions with regard to Planet X, its history, the intense research that has been on-going among the scientific community for at least the last 23 years, the classification of this project as above top secret, the massive government cover-up at the federal level, and the current thinking on this potentially destructive astral object threatening the earth and its population.

            One of the questions that nags at critics of Planet X is why it has proven so difficult to physically observe and photograph (it most definitely has been seen and astrophotos certainly exist).  Several fairly simple, but very profound facts contribute to this problem.  First of all, the measurable perturbations in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune  indicate a downward gravitational pull being exerted by Planet X on these two outer members of the solar system.  This means that the object is approaching Earth from below the plane of the ecliptic, or the plane of the planetary solar orbits.  This literally means that the best place on earth to view Planet X is at the South Pole, a region unlikely to permit professional astronomers the kind of access they would require to more fully and successfully investigate the approach.  Additionally, due to its unusual orbital plane, the rogue planet can be viewed only during a very small window of time during the month of May.  As far back as 1991, no less an authority than Dr. Robert S. Harrison, then director of the Naval Observatory, wrote an internal abstract covering nearly a decade of theoretical, mathematical, and observational astronomy by a team of NASA and other experts on the  specific location and orbit of Planet X, reaching the above-stated conclusion.

            Dr. McCanney has confirmed that Planet X is following the same path as the well-known Hale-Bopp comet, which means that indeed it is approaching from the southern hemisphere.  His research has also led him to conclude that these two celestial objects are connected, and he revealed something else.  Listed in the New Illustrated Science & Invention Encyclopedia, 1987-89 Edition, Vol. 18, he found heretofore overlooked information regarding Planet X.  Under the heading Space Probes, there is a diagram that shows the 10^th planet and a dark star (our Sun’s dark twin).  In addition, it is now known that both Pioneer 10 and 11 space probes were sent toward the southern hemisphere, and physically sighted both of these objects. 

            Secondly, Planet X, though a large celestial body compared to the size of the Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, is nevertheless not a very bright space object.  It may, in fact, be a kind of star known as a brown dwarf.  Combining this information with the fact that atmospheric pollutants and haze make any kind of direct viewing very difficult, so much so that Dr. David Morrison, Director of Space & Astrobiology at NASA’s Ames Research Center, admitted before the U.S. House of Representatives that, under such extreme conditions, a comet or possibly even a planetary body could literally blindside the earth, escaping definitive detection until within only a few weeks from impact or close flyby.               

            In addition to the already measurably known interaction with the Sun, the approach of Planet X has begun to effect significant atmospheric and meteorological changes on the earth as well–changes with which most of us are acutely and painfully familiar.  This trend has, in fact, been on-going since around 1960, and has shown appreciable increase since 1990 onward to the present time.  There is little or no need to take up much time and space detailing the almost incomprehensible escalating weather, seismic, and volcanic catastrophes that have transpired upon the earth over the last several years.  Anyone who attributes these incredible Earth changes in more recent times to some sort familiar weather pattern that is simply repeating itself as it has done for thousands of years, is, I am sad to say, grossly misinformed.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!

            The approach of Planet X almost certainly will not cause it to actually strike the Earth directly.  The chances of that happening are extremely remote and would result in the utter obliteration of this planet, something which the Scriptures unquestionably rule out.  The point, of course, is that with something the size of such a celestial body literally invading our solar system, it would not be necessary for it to strike our planet in order to precipitate unprecedented destruction–indeed chaos and upheaval of only Biblical prophetic proportions!  All that is required is a reasonably close flyby, which in astronomical terms is not just a few miles, but indeed many. 

            Obviously, of course, this rather crude diagram is not drawn to scale and is quite small, but hopefully it will give you some idea of how Planet X fits into our solar system configuration.  As mentioned earlier, it has a highly elliptical orbit, one that takes it at apogee well beyond the orbital realm of Pluto, the outermost of the basic nine planets.  In fact, it has been suggested that at its farthest point from the earth, Planet X moves in the area of what is known as the Oort Cloud, an immense spherical cloud surrounding the planetary system and extending approximately 3 light years (the distance light travels based on a constant speed of 186,284 miles per second or approximately 5.8 trillion miles per year) from the Sun.  This vast distance is considered the edge of the Sun’s orb of physical, gravitational, or dynamical influence.  It is the source of over 6 trillion comets, including famous ones such as Halley’s, Swift-Tuttle, Hyakutake, and Hale-Bopp.

            With regard to the likelihood that the orbit of Planet X takes it as far out as the Oort Cloud, two more recent studies offer compelling evidence that this, in fact, is precisely correct.  Dr. John B. Murray of the Open University in Milton Keyes, England, analyzed the orbits of comets in the inner solar system that are believed to have emigrated from the Oort Cloud.  He found that a subset originated from a region in the cloud shaped like an arc stretching across the sky.

            One explanation for the unusual pattern, according to Murray, is that it marks the wake of a massive body moving the outer part of the Oort Cloud.  As the object travels, its gravity kicks comets from the arc-shaped region.  To provide the required kick, the object has to be at least as massive as the planet Jupiter, but at least 10 times less than Jupiter’s weight.  His estimate is that the object orbits the sun at a distance 32,000 times farther away than does the Earth.  Dr. Murray’s conclusions were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.  Computer models show that Planet X could not have resided in the Oort Cloud since the beginning of the solar system, but

must have been captured in its current orbit at a later time.

            In a separate research project, a team of scientists, Drs. John J. Matese, P.G. Whitman, and Daniel P. Whitmire, of the University of Southern Louisiana in Lafayette, presented their findings based on studying the identical evidence at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, and published them in an issue of Icarus magazine.  The astronomers discovered evidence of clustering within the Oort Cloud that likely signifies the presence of an unseen planet.  The researchers reported that the object orbits the Sun at an average distance of at least 25,000 times as far as Earth does, and has a mass between 1.5 and 6.0 times that of Jupiter.

            The amount of devastation that would be caused by a relatively close fly-by of Planet X to the Earth is virtually incalculable, both in terms of destruction and death.  It has, however, happened before, and it will occur again.  In a later section of our study we will compare what the Bible has to say about the catastrophic events of the end-time with the likely damage that would be precipitated by a close encounter with the so-called 10^th Planet!!

            According to the ancient Sumerian Creation Tablets, Planet X or Nibiru, will return some 3600 years from its last close passage to the Earth, which was about 1587 B.C.  The math is simple.  Planet X is on schedule to reappear in the year 2012 A.D.  Once again, please keep these two dates in mind, for we shall come back to Planet X at which point their full significance will be discussed.

THE ANCIENT MAYANS & 2012 A. D.

            Although Sumer is perhaps the most ancient of the world’s great civilizations, the rather mysterious Olmec culture in Mexico is certainly the oldest known in Central America, dating back to between 1500-1200 B.C.  The Olmec peoples were, like the Sumerians and Egyptians, also highly advanced, particularly with regard to the technology necessary for creating extraordinary monuments and other structures, along with an extensive knowledge of astronomy and calendar development.  In fact, though greatly separated by time and geographic location, there are a number of similarities between the Olmecs and the earlier people of Mesopotamia and Egypt, the reason for which we will touch on later in this article.

            The Mayan culture derived from that of the Olmecs, inheriting much of the esoteric knowledge, lore, and practice of the peoples before them.  Although the Mayan ancestors go back many hundreds of years prior to the spectacular rise in their civilization, the most prolific and fruitful historical period was between 250-900 A.D.

            The Mayans are of special significance with regard to the subject of this study, and the reason has to do specifically with the calendar system they developed.  The Mayans were adept and dedicated sky-watchers.  In fact, this trait existed among numerous great societies of the past.  How unfortunate it is that they gazed out into the unfathomable universe all around them and wondered and studied and calculated and came to profound conclusions, while we supposedly progressive moderns sit bleary-eyed, staring into our television screens, wondering about nothing, studying nothing, calculating nothing, and drawing conclusions about nothing of any consequence whatsoever!!

            Just as in the case of the inhabitants of ancient Sumer (originally Shumer, and thus referred to in the Bible as Shinar), the Mayans possessed knowledge and understanding long attributed only to more recent civilizations.  For instance, the Mayans knew about the astronomical phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes.  I would give good odds that most of the people walking the face of the Earth today have little or no idea  what this term really means.  For the purposes of our study, however, it is imperative that we indeed understand that meaning.

            Very briefly, the Earth, as we know, is engaged at any one time in several types of motion.  For starters, it rotates around its axis, an imaginary straight line drawn through the planet from pole to pole, and extending northward and southward endlessly into space.  The completion of one such rotation gives us the basis for calculating a day.  In addition, the Earth is also revolving in n somewhat elliptical orbit around the Sun.  One revolution equals the time period we know as a year.  And, aside from these very familiar motions, our home planet is also moving through space in an entirely different fashion, due to the gravitational effect of the Sun, which itself is moving in an orbit of sorts around the Milky Way galaxy, dragging the solar system along with it.

            There is, however, yet another motion, perhaps peculiar to the Earth, which we need to identify, and that is the aforementioned precession of the equinoxes.  It was only recently discovered that the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Olmcecs, Mayans, and Aztecs, all understood the phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes.  Prior to that time, it was merely assumed that these ancient civilizations could not possibly have possessed such knowledge, but they not only comprehended it, but utilized it, especially in their calendar systems.

            Imagine, if you will, that the Earth’s axis is really a visible line drawn through the center of the planet from the North to the South Poles.  Now imagine that there is a pen or pencil attached to the north end of the axis line.  Next, extend this line out into space, and imagine that it reaches all the way to the starry background of the heavens above.

            With these suppositions in mind, note the following explanation of the term in question.  Since the Earth is not a perfectly round object, but is slightly flattened at the poles, with an equal bulge at the equator.  As a result, the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon attempt to pull the equatorial bulge toward them.  Because the Earth is spinning, these outside forces cause the axis of our planet to wobble, shifting ever so slightly.  Gradually, the polar axis that was at one time aligned with a particular star (becoming the North Star) begins to shift until it is in line with another star (thus changing the North Star).  For instance, the current Pole Star is Polaris, but some 5,000 years ago, the north celestial pole was aligned with the star Alpha Draconis.  At the current time, the Earth’s north polar axis is moving toward the first magnitude star Vega in the constellation of Lyra.  Given enough years, this will become the Pole Star replacing Polaris.

            The early astronomers were very careful in keeping records of the celestial movements.  One of the most significant events of every year involved locating the precise spot where the Sun appeared on the Spring Equinox or the Winter Solstice.  Over time they began to notice that the Sun no longer appeared in exactly the same place it did just 70 years prior, but indeed had moved one full degree.  This slow movement, called the precession of the equinoxes, causes the equinox Sun to appear to slip backward against the backdrop of the stars.

            Returning to the model we had earlier established, the pen or pencil attached to the end of the north celestial axis extending all the way to the heavenly background, would, over a period of nearly 26,000 years (25,625 years to be exact), draw out a circle of sorts, eventually returning to its general starting point in the skies.  The time period involved in this particular Earth movement is known as the Great Cycle. 

            The mystery of the precession of the equinoxes appears to have been known to at least some of the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, and Egyptians, long before the Greeks, who are usually given credit for such a discovery.  It is also very apparent that the Olmecs and later the Mayans understood this unusual motion as well.  We know this for a fact, because they based at least one of their calendars on the precession of the equinoxes.

            Let me state at this point that, although I have acquired and read a good deal of information dealing with the Mayan calendar systems, I am by no means an expert.  It is admittedly a fairly complicated issue, and I do not wish to bog down this study with too many technical facts. I will, however, discuss just the basics with you.

            Because the Mayan calendar is based so carefully upon the unchanging movements of the heavenly bodies, it became the most accurate the world has ever known, including those extant today.  The Mayan secular calendar records 3-dimensional time based on a 360-day cycle (18 x 20) known as the Long Count.  The Long Count consists of 13 baktuns of 144,000 days each (5,200 cycles of 360 days), totaling 5,125 solar years.  Interestingly, this specific period of time is precisely 1/5 of a Great Cycle, which, as we have already established, consists of 25,625 years (often rounded off to simply 26,000).  The time period of the precession of the equinoxes, therefore, was divided by the ancients in to five equal parts, each one 5,125 years in length.  They were known simply as ages. 

            When the Mayan calendar was discovered, archeologists were shocked at what they saw, because the final date on their calendar was December 21, 2012 A.D.!!  At this near future point, the Earth will have returned to its starting point in the completion of a Great Cycle.  The Mayans referred to this time as the death of the fifth Sun, or the end of the fifth division of the precessional cycle.              

            Most of the ancient cultures, including the Mayan and Aztec, held a firm belief that a great catastrophe transpired at or near the end of each Earth age.  In fact, the Greek word aion, so familiar to most Bible students, is actually defined as the time period between the catastrophes.  Simple mathematics tells us that the current age in which we live, and which the Mayan calendar clearly predicts will conclude in the year 2012 A.D., began some 5,125 years ago.  That starting date would then be 3114 B.C., or certainly within the 3100 B.C. era             

            The Mayans, by the way, were not the only people who put a special emphasis on this ancient date.  According to most interpretations of the Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, the Kali Yuga (Age of Kali, also known as the Iron Age) began at the same time as the Mayan calendar’s fifth sun (the current age).  And like the Mayans, the Hindus also view the age in which we now live as the last one, in their case leading up to the coming of Kalki, the 10^th and final avatar of Vishnu, who is predicted to arrive riding astride a white horse, and wielding a flaming sword with which he will strike down the wicked upon the earth!

            This, of course, begs the question, as to whether or not there exists any substantive evidence that great Earth changes occurred around this critical period of time.  Amazingly, the answer is yes, according to both Biblical and secular sources!  We will deal strictly with the secular information at this point in our discussion, returning later in the study to see what the Scriptures have to say on the subject.

            According to numerous archeologists and other related scientists today, the date 3114 B. C., give or take a few years, is the very time when construction of most of the great stone circles or rings in the British Isles and parts of Europe commenced, including the world-famous Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, Castlerigg in Cumbria, the Stennes Stones in the Orkney Islands, Newgrange in Ireland, the great circles at Silbury Hill, and those at Marlborough Downs, along with the monuments at Avebury.  Experts to this very day are at a loss to fully explain the sudden appearance of these strange megalithic structures, representing a dramatic break with any known earlier form of architecture.  Why were they built, and how could mere human beings have accomplished such feats, and, of course, who was responsible for their construction?

            In addition, these monuments demonstrate a precise orientation to marking the phases of the Sun and Moon.  The mid-summer sunrise at Stonehenge, and the midwinter sunrise at Newgrange, are both quite spectacular.  In fact, every single one of the ancient stone rings ever discovered have been astronomical in their design, with key aspects of the monuments carefully aligned with very specific and very significant heavenly bodies.  

            Then, of course, there are the dramatic changes in the land of Egypt that transpired around this very same time period.  It was then that the nation was united under one king named Narmer Menes, laying the foundation for the remarkable civilization that was to become dynastic Egypt.  Archeologists and anthropologists, looking back into that ancient era, say that almost overnight the Egyptian civilization sprang forth in full bloom.  Experienced Egyptologists have concluded that this condition must have been caused by a new cultural influence entering Egypt at this point in time.  The question, of course, is who or what?

            The rapidly flourishing Egyptian civilization led to the most famous of all monument construction in the history of the world–the building of the pyramids of Giza, and the Great Pyramid of Khufu in particular.  The date in question–3114 B.C.–would place the beginning of our current world age at a point in time several hundreds years prior to the Flood.  Although dates arrived at based upon the Biblical record alone sometimes are questionable, it does appear that the Bible substantiates the time of the creation of man somewhere in the area of 4,000 B.C.  Archbishop Ussher’s famous chronology of several centuries ago sought to establish a creation date of 4004 B.C.  Since that time, many other ideas have been put forth, but for simplicity’s sake, we will simply utilize Ussher’s dates in this study.

            Based on his calculations, the date of 3114 B.C. would actually be the 890^th year since the creation of Adam.  Perhaps we could term it A. A. (After Adam)!  Therefore, the events marking the beginning of this present age transpired some 890 years after Adam, who, by the way, would still have been alive at the time. 

            When we consider the age in which the antediluvian peoples lived, how are we to satisfactorily answer the questions of who, how, and why there was such an unprecedented building program undertaken from Britain and Ireland, throughout Europe, the Middle East, including the land of Canaan, and down into Egypt itself?  This situation has puzzled scientists for literally thousands of years.  Only the most arch-conservative, stodgy Egyptologists today hold on to the belief that the ancient Egyptians and their slaves actually constructed the Great Pyramid.  We now know for an absolute fact that this would have constituted a humanly impossible task, given the size of the stones involved, the precision of cutting, the distance they had to be moved, and the actual erection of the monument itself, not to mention the design of the structure and its mysterious meaning.  What could have possibly precipitated such an auspicious set of circumstances throughout much of the civilized world of that day?  

            We will definitely want to answer these difficult questions, but for the moment let us leave the issue of the Mayan culture and their incredible calendar predicting the end of the current age in the rapidly approaching year of 2012 A.D., and move on to yet another fascinating aspect with regard to this specific date in the near future.  Keep in mind, not only the two years of 1587 B.C. and 2012 A.D., which we covered in the first section of our study, but also the years 3114 B.C. and 2012 A.D., which, as we have just seen, are related to the ancient calendars of Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations.  For we shall return to and explain the significance of them all in the last portion of this discussion.

GALACTIC ALIGNMENT!!

            Thus far, we have covered two subjects with respect to our thesis.  First, we discussed the ancient Sumerians, and the story of a strange-sounding planet called Nibiru, with its 3600 year orbit, that, according to Sumerian calculations, is supposed to return via a near-Earth passage in the year 2012 A.D., bringing with it destruction and chaos.  Then we took a brief look at what is today known as Planet X, because for years astronomers have been convinced that a 10^th member of our solar system exists far beyond the orbit of Pluto, and that indeed it is presently on a course that could well take it to a near-Earth encounter in just a few more years.  Could Nibiru and Planet X be one and the same entity?

            Secondly, we delved into the remarkable calendar system of the Olmec, Aztec, and particularly the Mayan cultures, showing that these ancient peoples clearly understood the rare celestial movement called the precession of the equinoxes, and indeed based their calendrical calculations on it.  We also discovered that the Mayans, like many of the great preceding civilizations, knew that an age was precisely 1/5 of the Great Precessional Cycle of 25,625 years, or 5125 years.  According to the Mayans and Aztecs, the age in which we now live today will come to an end in exactly the year 2012 A.D.  And finally, based upon the Mayan calculations, we investigated the beginning of this current age, which commenced far back in time in the year 3114 B. C., concluding that, according to scientists, this marked the beginning of the great age of monument-building, and on an unprecedented scale in all of world history!

            Now we are ready to discuss yet a third aspect pertaining to the year 2012 A.D.  It involves something called Galactic Alignment, a term with which you understandably may not be familiar.  Simply put, Galactic Alignment is an extremely rare celestial occurrence whereby the solstice Sun crosses the Galactic equator.

            Living, as we do, on this planet, and busy, as we are, with every form of distraction, it is often difficult for us to focus on the greater realities of our existence.  One of them is that we and our sister planets are all part of a much larger system than the one centered around our Sun.  We belong to a large spiral galaxy called The Milky Way, home of some 400 billion stars, along with their planets, and thousands of clusters and nebulae.  All objects in the Milky Way orbit their common center of mass called the Galactic Center.  As galaxies go, ours is of good size, approximately 100,000 light years across, and containing nearly one trillion solar masses of various types.

            Our solar system is situated within the outer regions of the galaxy, yet well inside the disk, and about 28,000 light years from the Galactic Center.  The center lies in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.  Our Sun, together with the whole solar system, is orbiting the Galactic Center in a nearly circular orbit.  Moving at the speed of 250 km/sec, we require some 220 million years to complete one Galactic orbit.

            The Galactic Center is the source of the photon energy field in which the Earth and its population exist, thus a Galactic Alignment, the immediate subject under discussion, is far more than a mere celestial event, but is actually all about a complete field-effect energy reversal!                                                               

            As we have already mentioned, about every 11.5 years or so, solar activity (Sunspots, flares, etc.) goes through a pattern of increase and decrease in intensity.  In addition, every 3,553 years, the Sun’s magnetic field reverses.  These kinds of powerful changes are not accidental, but rather are evidence of the Galactic Center at work.  John Major Jenkins, in his seminal work Galactic Alignment, establishes the fact that at the end-cycle moment, that is, when the solstice Sun crosses the Galactic Center, electromagnetic beams from the dense core of the Milky Way will swing into our quadrant of the universe, creating great disturbance of the solar magnetic fields, and triggering major Earth changes.

            All star formation is due primarily to these beams sweeping through the galaxy.  We often speak of the universe as expanding or unfolding, and this is not a bad choice of terms.  Indeed, the birth of stars are pictured as part of the galactic epigenesis, causing our Sun, therefore, to be viewed as activated by dynamics governed from the Galactic Center.

            Is it, therefore, a mere coincidence that scientists are now predicting the maximum amount of Sunspot and Sun-flare activity in recorded history to occur in the year 2012 A.D.??  This approaching energy-field reversal, as a result of a rare Galactic Alignment, has actually been building up over the last 45 years or so.  What is interesting is that during the first half of the 20^th century, the Earth’s seismic and volcanic activity were comparatively quiet.  Then, after 1960, the level of such Earth upheaval has increased steadily to the point that the 1990's can accurately be called the decade of disasters.  But the close of the last millennium doesn’t even hold a candle to the opening decade of the  21^st century.  Although only five years or so into the new millennium, natural calamities have already outstripped the devastating 90's!  The surge in major earthquakes, volcanoes, and weather-related catastrophes has already caused the years 2000-2005 to have the distinction of containing more natural disasters than other known period of equal length in human history!  According to the chief scientist for the world’s largest re-insurance company, Zurich Re, “Since 1960, natural disasters are a growth industry!”

            The extent to which our Sun and consequently the Earth itself are affected by the powerful energy transfer at the Galactic Center cannot be overstated.  Believe it or not, modern astronomers know much more about this subject than the general public might ever suspect.  Writing in the science journal Nature, Dr. Scott Hyman, an astronomer and professor of physics at Sweet Briar College, made a startling announcement in March of 2005.  Indeed, Dr. Hyman and his colleagues “had detected something very extraordinary at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy.”  While analyzing low frequency radio wave images taken by the Very Large Array Telescope (VLAT) at Socorro, New Mexico in 2002, Dr. Hyman and his fellow researchers detected an intermittent signal that seemed intelligently directed.  The signal consisted of five highly energetic radio emissions of equal brightness that lasted 10 minutes each, and appeared every 77 minutes over a 7-hour period from September 30 to October 1.  The discovery left the entire astronomy community at that time “scratching their heads.”

            It is now suspected, however, by many astronomers and astrophysicists that what Dr. Hyman discovered in late 2002 was, in fact, confirmation of an amazing reality concerning the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.  Absolute scientific verification has been achieved establishing that at the center of our galaxy is a “whirling disk” with a “Black Hole” that is both swallowing and giving birth to stars!

            How interesting it is that the ancient Mayan astronomers and mathematicians were equally as enquiring as our modern archeoastronomers with regard to the center of the galaxy.  Well over 1,500 years ago, the Mayans knew exactly where the Galactic Center was located in the sky.  They even had a glyph representing it called Hunab Ku, or the Galactic Butterfly.  Much more, their entire cosmology and extremely accurate calendar systems were based on the existence and location of Hunab Ku, and they believed that the future of mankind ultimately depended on what occurred there.  Of course, they believed that the moment of Galactic Alignment in 2012 A.D. would mark the return of their god Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl), and the beginning of a new age upon the earth, so what did these old pagans know anyway?  Right?  WRONG!!  In fact, just to demonstrate that merely because we are dealing with an ancient civilization we can summarily dismiss the Mayan evidence, the hieroglyph which they named Hunab Ku not only represented the Galactic Center, but was designed in such a way as to indicate that the center contained a BLACK HOLE!!

            It need be no great mystery why we are experiencing  more and more world-wide calamities and with consistently increasing intensity.  There is a reason.  These alarming circumstances are not the product of someone’s fertile imagination, nor are they merely the repeat of common natural cycles that human beings have experienced for millennia!  It is the tendency of humans to relegate such matters to the cyclical nature of things.  Doing so alleviates the responsibility for seriously dealing with important issues.  Note Peter’s warning with respect to this attitude as it applies to the Second Coming of the Messiah: 

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (II Pet. 3:3-4).

            No, my friends, the dire catastrophes that are already striking the Earth are REAL, and you can bet the farm that they will become more REAL as time grows shorter, more real than this planet has ever experienced or than we human beings have ever even imagined!

            Whether you or I live to see it all transpire, rest assured that incredible Earth changes are coming.  They will occur as surely as you are alive and reading these words!  History tells us that this will be so; science tells us that this will be so; and, as we shall soon see, the Word of God absolutely confirms that this will be so!!

THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE!

            Now that we have briefly covered the three most important aspects of the 2012 A.D. time-frame from a secular historical perspective, we will return to some of the key earlier points in our study, and bring in the Scriptural evidence to confirm that this near-future date is definitely not some kind of science-fiction, but deserves the most serious of consideration from believers like you and me today.

1.  Planet X

            The ancient Sumerians called it Nibiru, the Babylonians by the name of Marduk.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is referred to as Merodach.  Today, our sophisticated astronomers have given it the simple, yet somewhat eerie sci-fi title of Planet X.  However it is known, it is real, it has been around for a long, long time, and it is coming back again!

            You will recall that, according to the Sumerians, Akkadians, and early Babylonians, the planet Nibiru moved in a very elliptical 3,600 year orbit around our Sun, taking it well outside the solar system for much of its journey.  It is scheduled to return in the year 2012 A.D., meaning that its last close fly-by of the Earth occurred in the era of 1587 B.C.

            If you refer back to the small schematic of the solar system denoting the unusual orbit of Nibiru or Planet X, you will see that there is both a close approach to the earth, as well as an equally close departure once the planet has  actually circled the Sun and is on its way out of the solar system.  Given the exorbitant length of Nibiru’s elongated orbit, the time required for the planet to fly by the Earth, circle the Sun, and then return to a point where it is once again in close proximity to our location, would not be exactly brief, but could take from 100-150 years, during which there would be peak periods of devastation, followed by times of lesser destruction and upheaval, followed again by a crescendo of powerful Earth changes.

            With this understanding in mind, let’s go back some nearly 3600 years ago to the era of 1587 B.C.  Where exactly do we find ourselves in the unfolding of ancient history, particular with respect to the Biblical record?  It doesn’t take too much calculation to determine that 3600 years ago takes us to the time when Israel was in bondage to Egypt, to the era of Moses and Joshua, and the great Exodus brought to pass by Yahweh on behalf of His people. 

            Given the fact that Nibiru or Planet X was in close proximity to the Earth at that time, it is no wonder that we read in the Bible of such incredible events transpiring in nature, and no one has done more to solve the mysteries surrounding these ancient occurrences than Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky.  I have mentioned his work in several previous articles, and do again with high recommendations.

            What Dr. Velikovsky has done is re-constructed the history of Israel and Egypt, particularly the time of the Exodus under Moses and the later entry of the Israelites under Joshua into the Promised Land.  This was one of the great periods of divine miracles, several of an unprecedented nature.  His initial writing on this subject is entitled Worlds in Collision!, and I strongly suggest anyone interested in discovering some of the most fascinating aspects of what really transpired at that critical point in time read, not only the aforementioned book, but also the sequels in the series, namely, Ages in Chaos and Earth in Upheaval.

            Dr. Velikovsky painstakingly amassed evidence so strong as to be overwhelming that at the time of the Exodus and for the next 52 years, the Earth experienced one of the greatest cosmic encounters in its history.  Unfortunately, he concluded that all the various upheavals and disruptions which transpired during the Exodus period were attributable to the planet Jupiter ejecting a large comet-like object that, after swinging by the Earth several times, eventually stabilized as the new planet Venus.  This now appears to be incorrect, but the remainder of research compiled by Dr. Velikovsky is unassailable in its veracity, and in its conclusion that the extraordinary catastrophes that struck the Earth during that ancient era were indeed caused by a planetary body moving into or close to the Earth’s orbit.  It is just that the correct answer is not Venus, but rather our Planet X or Nibiru!!

            By the way, please do not be put off by the fact that I am correlating the movement and effect of a cosmic body passing close to the Earth with what we generally would tend to think of as a divine miracle.  We might better ask ourselves just what a miracle really is?  The plagues that struck Egypt, the opening of the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, and Joshua’s famous long day, are all events that unequivocally occurred, and they did so at the behest of Yahweh.  This, however, in no way rules out His use of the natural world as a means to achieve divine purposes.  In the same way that He might bring a certain nation’s army against ancient Israel in order to inflict divine punishment, so He could just as easily bring about the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt by utilizing another physical aspect of nature.

            When God set His hand to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, He accomplished it in a way that left no doubt whatsoever that it was by His mighty hand that this thing was done.  What I am saying is that the difficulties which befell Egypt during that ancient, but critical time, were experienced, observed, heard, recorded, or otherwise known by an amazing array of witnesses across the face of the Earth.  Indeed, Dr. Velikovsky ably demonstrates in his Worlds in Collision! that the unprecedented events preceding, accompanying, and following the Exodus were felt not only in Egypt and Canaan, but all around the entire world!  What transpired to bring about the incredible upheavals of that era was an outside force that affected the whole planet.  This is why the Eternal utilized the close fly-by of an actual heavenly object to the Earth.  This would have been the sort of thing, the magnitude of which could easily be responsible for a worldwide catastrophe of this caliber!

            Testimony regarding the tumultuous events of the Exodus and their connection to Nibiru or Planet X abounds from sources in various parts of the world.  First of all, it is certainly not accidental or even coincidental at all that Dr. Velikovsky, in Worlds in Collision, dates the arrival of a new planet in close proximity to the Earth to the precise era of the Exodus, in fact, to the very year that Nibiru, based upon its 3,600 year orbit, would have last been close to our planet, namely, 1587 B. C.

            This date also coordinates with the horrific volcanic eruption known as the Santorini Cataclysm, which some scholars have connected with the supposed destruction of Atlantis.  Santorini, also known as Thera, is the southernmost of the Kyklades Islands off the coast of Greece.  The Santorini Cataclysm is also associated with the fall of the great Minoan civilization, situated primarily on the island of Crete, but also including Santorini.

            According to the evidence presented in Worlds in Collision,  with regard to the calamitous events surrounding the Exodus, we read that the people of Peru tell that for a period of time the sun was not in the sky, and then the ocean left the shore, and with a terrible din broke over the continent.  The Choctaw Indians of Oklahoma relate: “The Earth was plunged into darkness for a long time.”  Finally a dark light appeared in the north, “but it was mountain-high waves, rapidly coming nearer!”  According to The Lapland Epic, after the sea-wall fell on the continent, gigantic waves continued to roll and dead bodies were dashed about in the dark waters.

            The Hebrew Scriptures describe that the bottom of the sea was uncovered, the waters were driven apart and heaped up like wall in a doubt tide.  The Septuagint translation of the Old Testament says that the water stood “as a wall,” and the Koran, referring to this same event, says, “like mountains.”  In the old rabbinical literature, it is said that the water was suspended as if it were “glass, solid, and massive” (Worlds in Collision, pp. 70-75).

            Speaking of the time period around 1587 B.C., the Manuscript Troano and other Mayan documents describe a cosmic catastrophe during which the ocean fell on the continent, and a terribly powerful wind swept the Earth.  They believed that perhaps this might even be the end of civilization, attributing the disaster to Hurakan, which just happens to be the source from which we derive our English word hurricane!

            This same theme of a cosmic hurricane is referred to time and time again in the Hindu Vedas and in the Persian Avesta.  The 11^th tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh says that for 6 days and nights the hurricane, deluge, and tempest continued sweeping the land and mankind perished almost altogether!  The Maoris narrate that amid a stupendous catastrophe the mighty winds, the fierce squalls, the clouds, dense, dark, and fiery rushed upon Creation, and swept away giant forests, and lashed waters into billows whose crests rose high like mountains (Worlds in Collision, pp. 67-69).  Indeed, in the Pacific island and southern Asiatic regions of the world, the term from which we get the word typhoon originated during this same historical period.  The Polynesians attributed the disaster to the god Taafanua.  In China, this name was rendered Ty-fong.  Even in Arabic, on the other side of the world, we find that the word tyfoon is a whirlwind!  It is quite interesting as well that Dr. Velikovsky strongly establishes the fact that at the time of the Exodus, there appeared a great comet or approaching celestial object which bore the name of the god Typhon! (Worlds in Collision, pp. 67-69).

            It is written in the book of Exodus 9:18:

“Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.”

            This plague, like all the others with which Yahweh smote the Egyptians at this time, was not confined strictly to the land of Egypt, even though that was its main target.  Reports from other areas of the world of the same kind of event transpiring at the same chronological period can be found in the ancient writings of the Visuddhi-Magga, the Buddhist text on world cycles, as well as the Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan, and the Inca, Mayan, and Aztec records (Worlds in Collision, pp. 51-53).

            In fact, every single one of the plagues visited upon Egypt at the time of the Exodus were also experienced in many places throughout the Earth.  Time and space will not permit a more thorough presentation of the worldwide nature and degree of destruction caused by the omnipotent hand of God in control of a rogue planet passing close to the Earth at the time of the Exodus, but the case has already been made.  Read the books, Worlds in Collision, Ages in Chaos, and Earth in Upheaval for the full story.

            In addition to Earth changes that scientifically confirm the worldwide destructive nature of Planet X’s last passage of our planet at the time of the Biblical Exodus, tree rings from that era clearly show that a major natural disaster struck the entire Earth.  It was during this time period that Niagra Falls were formed, as well as the Great Lakes.  On the other side of the globe, the Sahara Desert abruptly came into existence.  The ocean levels dropped some 16-20 feet, a polar shift occurred resulting in the Mastedon becoming extinct, and, as mentioned earlier, the Minoan civilization came to a sudden devastating end.        

            It is sad that when we 21^st century humans think about the Exodus, the best we can do is recall a few scenes from the 1950's movie, The Ten Commandments. The fact is that the incredible tumult surrounding the Exodus not only brought down the mighty Egyptian empire, but also negatively affected the fortunes of many other countries throughout the world.  The upheaval and dramatic earth changes that transpired at that time combined to form the crisis of the ages!  And, like so many things that God does, the destruction precipitated by the rogue planet Nibiru in the days of Moses and the children of Israel may well be destined to repeat itself or worse when Planet X makes its return to this Earth!

            And speaking of that propitious future time, we might find it more than just interesting or merely coincidental that the Biblical description of the end-time is, by no means, outside the realm of being connected with the chaos that would be caused by a close encounter of the Earth with a large celestial body!  As we proceed to review the Scriptures on this issue, note how well the words in the book of Revelation fit into just the kind of catastrophic scenario we have been discussing.

            In Revelation 6, we read about a series of seals that are opened one after another, with each uncovering a major negative aspect of the latter days.  The first five seals speak of great, but more general destruction and upheaval, such as war, disease, famine, and persecution of believers.  In many respects, these things have been on-going for a long time, and continue to plague mankind today as well.  When we reach verse 12, however, things change.  Note the following:

“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; and the STARS of heaven FELL unto the EARTH, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.  And the HEAVEN departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every MOUNTAIN and ISLAND were MOVED out of their places” (Rev. 6:12-14).

            As you can see, I have emphasized in bold type certain key words that ought to tell us immediately that everything about this sixth seal has to do with dramatic events that come out of the SKY and directly affect the Earth!  There can be absolutely no doubt about this fact.  We usually just refer to this particular seal as the heavenly signs, but only a mere glance at these verses quickly dispels such an inadequate description.

            Quite obviously, the Bible is revealing that something ominous is heading toward the Earth, and even the bravest of men are literally scared to death.  The very next verses in Revelation 6 state this fact in dramatic fashion, saying:

“And the kings of the Earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 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: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17).

            Note that the Sun, the Moon, and the stars all are involved in this approaching destructive power.  When the Scriptures refer to the Sun becoming black as sackcloth of hair, we immediately connect such a statement with a total solar eclipse.  Clearly, in order to produce the distinction necessary to identify whether or not the eclipse is total, the Sun’s corona would have to be visible.  The corona is the irregular luminous envelope of highly ionized gas outside the chromosphere of the Sun.  When a total eclipse occurs, the body of the Sun itself is black, and the corona fans out around the disk.  Indeed, if you check a number of photographs during the period of totality, portions of the corona will actually appear like wisps of hair dancing on the face of the Sun!

            If the Sun is shown experiencing a total eclipse, what about the Moon becoming red as blood?  The answer is the same, in that this is an appropriate description of a total lunar eclipse.  Such events transpire only at the time of a full moon, and, depending upon certain atmospheric and other conditions, can actually produce a red Moon.  Note carefully that if this is a correct interpretation, then there is at least a two-week period involved, since a total solar eclipse occurs only at the time of the new Moon.

            Since total eclipses of both the Sun and Moon are easily calculated years in advance, it may be that the inhabitants of the Earth at that time might know that these celestial events are to transpire, but that would not necessarily have to be the case.  As we know, there is a new Moon and a full Moon each month, and yet there are definitely not total eclipses each month.  Why not?  Simply because the orbit of the Moon is out of alignment with that of the Earth by approximately 5 degrees.  If indeed those upon the Earth knew ahead of time that these eclipses were to occur, there seems little significance to them being included in the Revelation account.  And, it only makes senses that they are somehow connected to the other events that are taking place.  It is, therefore, not at all unreasonable to conclude that either the total eclipse of the Sun or the Moon or both are caused by some sort of powerful heavenly disturbance, something strong enough to exert gravitational pull on our planet which would cause a slight orbital shift, bringing the two objects into collimation.  And this is precisely the sort of action that another approaching astral body would have on the Earth!

            Note also that a great earthquake is mentioned as well.  When the Bible speaks of an earthquake as being great, you can rest assured that it is not referring to any kind of typical seismic activity.  For an earthquake to be included in the opening of the sixth seal, and specifically stated to be of great magnitude, something extraordinary is clearly indicated.  We are, therefore, talking about an earthquake of greater than 9 on the Richter scale, in fact, probably much greater, perhaps in the 12-15 range, something that would be truly Earth-shaking, as well as quaking!!  Again, this could easily be produced by the gravitational and other forces of a planet or large comet passing close to the Earth, so the Biblical description of the sixth seal is unquestionably in line with the kind of damage such a close cosmic encounter would be expected to produce.

            Then we see in verse 13 that the “stars of heaven fell unto the Earth.”  Since we understand that even if one complete star of any size were to hit the earth, it would annihilate the entire planet, literally burning it to a crisp.  No life of any description would survive, and no solid planet would even remain.  Therefore, we can safely conclude that the Bible is not intending to convey that actual stars fall from the sky.  On the other hand, a meteor shower would certainly be indicated, and a celestial body such as Planet X would carry with it a long trail of cosmic dust and debris, very similar to the tails of comets.  Additionally, the comparison in verse 13 with figs being blown off the tree and falling to the ground is a perfect description of a meteor shower, but most likely not one of the regularly scheduled such events that occur annually.  As you know, there are such displays throughout the year, but there would be little or no reason to include the mention of a typical meteor shower in juxtaposition to these very dramatic events going on as the 6^th seal is opened.  This would undoubtedly be referring to a most unusual, devastating rain of meteorites crashing into the Earth, and causing widespread destruction, something that would attract the attention of and affect the entire world.

            We already know that Planet X is not only a large celestial body with a strong gravitational and magnetic force, but that it also is carrying with it an entourage of asteroids, meteors, space debris, dust, and gas–very much like the contents of a large comet’s tail, only perhaps to an even greater extent.  Therefore, the meteor shower to which Revelation 6:13 refers could easily be a description of the Earth passing through the tail of Planet X. 

            When it is able to be more clearly viewed, Planet X will appear to be red in color, and the dust and gases in its wake are of the same hue.  Considering that at the time of the Exodus, the rivers were turned red like blood, it is not surprising at all since this is precisely what we would expect as the result of such a close flyby of Nibiru.  It is also likely that the color red will figure into the end-time events as well.

            Will there also be a pole shift in the latter-day scenario, even as there was during the last passing of Planet X?  Very likely so, and perhaps to a greater degree than before as well.  The description of every mountain and every island being moved out of their locations is certainly as accurate an indicator of a pole shift as ancient figurative language could convey.

            Finally, the short passage describing the sixth seal speaks of a worldwide panic setting in because of what is transpiring upon the Earth.  At least some of the rich and powerful will be gripped with fear, although perhaps not all.  The power elite of this world is fully aware of the existence of Nibiru or Planet X, and its history of great destruction wreaked upon this planet.  They have taken note of these things through the years, and as the time-frame for the return of Planet X draws ever nearer, you can bet that the real powers that be know what is coming, and will be frantically preparing for that difficult future time period.  In fact, such planning has been ongoing throughout most of the 20^th century, and, of course, continues unabated today.

            Of the rich and powerful, Isaiah prophesied:

“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low...And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the Earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the Earth.  In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold...to the moles and the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks...when He arises to shake terribly the Earth” (Isa. 2:11-12, 19-21).

            And the apostle James speaks to the latter-generation of this world’s ruling elite by saying:

“Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and you shall eat your flesh as it were fire.  You have HEAPED TREASURE together for the LAST DAYS...You have lived in pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your own hearts, as in a day of slaughter.  You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you” (Jas. 5:1-3, 5-6).

            You can rest assured that those in control will have done all that is possible to prepare for what they know is coming.  They will have their underground compounds, their supposedly bomb-proof, fall-out safe hideaways, their well-stocked chambers of food and drink to weather the onslaught of the approaching destruction.  But in the end nothing will be able to save them.  The Almighty will not stretch forth His hand to stay the absolute certainty of their defeat and annihilation.  They will have made their final plans for world domination, and it will be rudely and painfully stripped from them at the last moment.  Planet X will not stop for them, nor will it change its appointed course!  It is en route to do the dirty work of Yahweh, and not go away until it has battered this planet to within an inch of its very life!!

            Speaking of that auspicious time, perhaps in the very near future, the Messiah prophesied in Matthew 24:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn” (Matt. 24:29-30).

            We usually connect these words with the language of Revelation 6 regarding the 6^th seal.  Note carefully how the focus is on the HEAVENS, THE SUN AND MOON, THE STARS–THINGS IN THE SKY, and as the book of Revelation goes on to reveal–THINGS COMING OUT OF THE SKY!!  Note the direction people are looking at this crucial moment in time–they are LOOKING UP!!, and they are SCARED TO DEATH AT WHAT THEY SEE!!

            Luke records the following words from Yahshua with regard to this tumultuous time period just ahead of us by saying:

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

            Picking up the story in the book of Revelation, the first natural force mentioned in chapter 7:1 is WIND, for it is written:

“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” (Rev. 7:1).

            Why should God be concerned about wind at this point in the unfolding of end-time events?  He would never be were the Scriptures referring merely to the normal winds that blow over the Earth each day.  These winds are restrained until the 144,000 are sealed.  Why would there be a need to restrain the natural wind to blow?  Obviously, there would be no good reason to do so.  The winds spoken of in Revelation 7:1 are intended to do great damage to the Earth.  Note that in verse 2, it is said:

“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.”

            Planet X is making its approach toward the Earth.  The close encounter of two such celestial bodies would create horrific windstorms on this planet, far greater in magnitude than typical hurricanes or tornadoes with which we are accustomed to dealing.  These would be the kind of winds produced by powerful nuclear blasts that flatten and utterly destroy everything in their path, that can cause huge structures to literally explode from the pressure, except that rather than being confined to specific restricted areas like an atomic weapon, these winds would sweep across the face of the entire globe, creating chaos and devastation in their wake!

            Following the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7, we come to the blowing of the trumpets in chapter 8.  Notice how this part of the story is introduced:

“And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne...And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the Earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings,

and an earthquake” (Rev. 8:2-3, 5).

            Following these words, the first angel sounds his trumpet.  The reason I quoted the passage above is to pose a question at this point in our discussion.  Is it possible that embedded in the unfolding of these dire latter-day events, as recorded in the book of Revelation, a certain pattern exists that is based on the annual holydays?  I believe that this is indeed quite possible, if not very likely, as a matter of fact.

            To recount briefly, recall that the opening of the 6^th seal appears to predict, as part of the heavenly signs, total eclipses of both the Sun and the Moon (Rev. 6:12).  As mentioned earlier, a total solar eclipse requires a new moon, and a total lunar eclipse a full moon.  These eclipses, therefore, would be approximately two weeks apart.  A new moon and a full moon are intimately associated with both the spring and fall festivals.  For the sake of posing this question, however, I am going to focus on the spring holyday period.  The new moon, therefore, would mark the beginning, not just of the month, but also of the sacred year, and the full moon would then be connected with Passover.  And it is interesting that the order of events in Revelation 6:12 is first a total solar eclipse requiring a new moon, followed by a total lunar eclipse requiring a full moon.  In addition, verse 17 states:

“For the great day of the His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

            In the interpretation and fulfillment of Bible prophecy, a day can often mean a year.  Most of us are quite familiar with this principle.  If it is correct that the new moon in verse 12 actually is the springtime sign that commences the sacred year, how appropriate it would be, since that would make verse 17 to say: “For the great YEAR of His wrath is come,” in this instance, a much more meaningful term than the word day.

            In addition, Jewish history takes special note of the part the Passover season has played with respect to signal events that have transpired through the centuries.  For instance, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is believed to have occurred at or very near the time of Passover.  And, in addition to the Exodus itself, when the Israelites finally entered Canaan, the great battle of Jericho ensued at or around the time of Passover.  In the days of Gideon, a great warrior and judge of Israel, the dramatic victory over the Midianites was achieved on or near Passover, and several hundred years later, the miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army under Sennacherib occurred.  The Passover also figured significantly in the Romano-Jewish War of 66-70 A.D., as the historian Josephus records that the divine warning to flee Jerusalem was heard on this special day.  A number of other important events have also happened around this time of the year, and it has led many to believe that the Passover period may well play a meaningful part in the end-time as well.  And, to top it all off, the Sumerian word Nibiru means the planet of crossing or the planet of passing.  It is by no means that much of a stretch to call this heavenly body the planet of passover!

            Next, we have the sealing of the 144,000.  You will note that this is followed immediately in chapter 8 by “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Rev. 8:5).  These words should have a very familiar ring to them, because they are quite similar to what is stated in Exodus 19 with respect to the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, where we read:

“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were THUNDERS AND LIGHTNINGS, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the VOICE of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled...And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount QUAKED greatly” (Ex. 19:16, 18).

            The Jews have always believed that the Law was given to Moses and the children of Israel on the day that would later become Pentecost.  In addition, we also know that the Holy Spirit was powerfully poured out on the 120 saints in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. (Acts 2).  Is it, therefore, possible that the sealing of the 144,000 will transpire on the day the Jews call Shavout or Pentecost?  This certainly remains a distinct possibility, especially if what we see developing in the narrative of Revelation is a holyday pattern, since Pentecost would naturally follow the season of Passover.

            Then after these things, the Bible states that the seven angels with their trumpets are called forth, and in Revelation 8:7, the first actual trump is sounded.  Now one doesn’t need to be too well-versed in the Scriptures to realize that the prominence of trumpets in the end-time prophetic scenario almost surely indicates a connection with the Day of Trumpets or Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah), and this just happens to be the next of the annual festivals taken in their proper order.

            Whether or not there is a genuine holyday pattern with regard to this portion of Scripture and this specific aspect of the end-time scenario, you may draw your own conclusions.  It is certainly an interesting possibility, for this sort of thing is embedded throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  Regardless, however, of your assessment, a brief look at the initial trumpet plagues should provide convincing evidence that the prophesied destruction to come upon the Earth at this critical future time could very conceivably, and indeed almost certainly, be caused by a close encounter of our own planet with another large celestial body.

            Indeed, the first trumpet immediately puts us in just such a setting.  We read in Revelation 8:

“The first angel sounded, and there followed HAIL and FIRE mingled with BLOOD, and they were CAST UPON THE EARTH: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Rev. 8:7).

            Right away you can tell that the setting of this first trumpet plague is something dangerous and destructive coming out of the sky and striking the Earth.  It doesn’t come from the ocean, or the mountains, or erratic weather, or anything earthly, but rather heavenly or skyward.

            Secondly, when we think of hail, we always bring to mind frozen pieces or balls of ice, since this is the common way of using the word.  And indeed, associated with Planet X and almost all comets as well is ice.  In fact, both fire and ice are often part of the debris or tail of such celestial objects.  However, in this particular case, the real plague appears to be attributable to the fire, since a third of the trees and all of the green grass are consumed.  Therefore, the likelihood is, since there is no specific word in Greek for meteorite, that what is meant in this first trumpet plague is a severe hail of meteorites picked up by Planet X as it passes through the asteroid belt on its way toward Earth. 

            It is very interesting that the same sort of event occurred during Planet X’s last close encounter at the time of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, for we read :                                        

“And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt, since it became a nation” (Ex. 9:23-24).

            Next, let’s notice the second trumpet plague recorded in Revelation 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; 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” (Rev. 8:8-9).

            What do you suppose John is describing in this passage?  I don’t know about you, but it seems to me to be following the very same pattern we have already observed since we began this portion of our study.  Following a  worldwide torrent of fiery meteorites that burn up a third of the trees and all of the grass upon the Earth, our planet encounters yet another destructive object from outer space!  John calls it a “great mountain burning with fire.”  Note, of course, that it is “cast into the sea,” indicating the direction from which it is coming, namely UP!!!  From all appearances, this would certainly seem to qualify as a single meteor or asteroidal body, the size of which may have never struck the Earth before.  This would be a space object of huge proportions.  A great mountain could be many miles in circumference at its base, and combined with its height, it would constitute a massive entity.

            Entering our atmosphere at perhaps several thousand miles per hour, this enormous asteroid or space debris of some kind would be so hot as to literally boil the oceans of the world.  Obviously the site of impact would sustain the most destruction, but it undoubtedly would affect the entire planet, perhaps even causing it to shift out of its orbit.  The after-effects would be disastrous, to say the least.

            The warmed water, having had the oxygen boiled out of it, would then be the perfect breeding ground for red algae or red tide as it is usually termed.  It is possible that this is what is meant in verse 8 when it is stated that a third part of the seas became blood.  Of course, this could simply mean literal blood, caused by the death of so many sea creatures.

            In addition, this disaster would precipitate tsunamis or giant tidal waves in many parts of the world.  Seaports would be inundated, and calamitous results would transpire.  The Earth recently experienced a great tsunami in the South Pacific region generating untold damage.  Imagine one of much greater magnitude, and then multiply it by 20 or 30 or more, and we simply cannot comprehend the horror of such an event!

            The third trumpet plague to strike the Earth appears to come in rapid succession on the heels of the first two.  This would certainly be in line with the theory that one great source, namely Planet X, is the cause of all these various disasters.  We read about this next event in Revelation 8:10-11, where it is stated:

“And the third angel sounded, and there FELL A GREAT STAR FROM HEAVEN, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called WORMWOOD: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

            Although this particular plague is a bit different than the others, it still has similar characteristics to the first and second trumpet catastrophes.  Perhaps the most obvious aspect is that, like the other two, it comes out of the sky and strikes or influences the Earth.  In this instance, the drinking water supply of the Earth is directly affected, causing many deaths.

            The passage refers to this object as a great star.  This may possibly be a specific reference to Planet X itself, since this celestial body is, strictly speaking, not classified as a planet, but rather what is known as a brown dwarf star.  A brown dwarf means that it has not yet ignited.  Apparently, by the time of its close encounter with the Earth, it does light up.  This action then would touch off the built up noxious gasses that form a great part of Planet X, leading to the poisoning of the world’s drinking water. 

            Note that the star actually has a name in Revelation 8:11.  It is called Wormwood, which means bitter, so the rivers and fountains of water are turned bitter or poisonous by the fallout from the igniting of Nibiru as it approaches the Earth.  In addition, contained in the tail of Planet X would be a veritable host of toxic material which could negatively impact the fresh waters of the world.

            The fourth trumpet plague is the last one we shall investigate with regard to the subject of this current study.  We pick up the unfolding drama in Revelation 8:11:

“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the Sun was smitten, and third part of the Moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise” (Rev. 8:12).

            Once again, we see that it is objects in the sky that are emphasized in this fourth disaster, just as it is in the case of the first three trumpet plagues.  Here we have a situation that we would anticipate were the Earth to experience a close encounter with a large celestial object, namely a greatly polluted atmosphere. 

            The likelihood that this is the condition to which Revelation 8:12 refers is strong.  Obviously, we could come up with other possible causes for the darkening of the Sun, Moon, and stars, such as a marked increase in the rotational spin of the Earth, thus cutting the actual time of a day and a night by one third.  This, however, is probably not what is meant in verse 12.  The most obvious reality of all is that it is just not stated as such, which, if it were true, would be the simplest and most accurate way of expressing the idea.  There is probably no doubt that some change in the Earth’s spin rate will occur at this crisis time, but it would seem that for all of the named light sources to be decreased by one third that this would be due to particulate matter in the atmosphere obscuring the part of the Sun, Moon, and stars.  This is perfectly in line with what we would expect under such circumstances, since the world would, by this time, literally be on fire and smoke all around the globe.  Volcanic activity would be exceedingly increased due both to the gravitational pull of Planet X, as well as the impact of meteorites and asteroids. 

            The following quote is a few years old, but still is quite on target.  It comes from the June 1989 edition of National Geographic magazine, and the article deals specifically with the likely effects of an asteroid impacting the Earth.  Note how remarkably close the description given in the magazine is to the words of the Scriptures:

“Giant meteorite strikes Earth, setting the planet AFIRE.  VOLCANOES erupt, TSUNAMIS crash into the continents.  The SKY grows DARK for months, perhaps years.  Unable to cope with the catastrophic changes in climate, countless species are wiped off the face of the planet” (p. 686).

            Literally billions of people will be homeless by this time.  There will be little or no electricity, little or no running water, extreme food shortages, massive chaos everywhere with looting, rape, and murder abounding.  Rioting will ensue in many locales.  Travel will be virtually impossible.  It will truly be the end of the world as we have known it!

            Obviously, we could go on and on with graphic descriptions of what such a close encounter with Planet X would be like.  Utter devastation would reign upon the Earth, and indeed set the stage for what is predicted to transpire in other portions of the book of Revelation.  The first four trumpet plagues prepare the world for what is coming.  You can read it for yourself, since our discussion will not be going in that direction. 

            Planet X, whether or not it sounds like science fiction, is REAL, as are the disasters that are prophesied to befall the Earth in the pages of the Bible.  The particular signs and plagues that we have covered clearly demonstrate that they not only could be from a cosmic source entering our solar system and producing a close encounter with the Earth, they almost surely do emanate from such a source!  We already know what that source is.  No one among the ruling powers of this world is going to advertise the fact that Planet X threatens the existence of the human race.  This is not the way things of this nature are done.  Rather, they intend to use these coming catastrophes to their advantage, if at all possible.

            Of course, we know the eventual outcome, and Yahweh is the ultimate victor, but this will not be accomplished without a great deal of trial and tribulation upon the Earth.  The Scriptures speak of men’s hearts failing them for fear, and praying for the rocks to cover them from the horrendous plagues with which the Almighty will smite this entire planet! 

            Remember also that, according to all the information we can gather, the orbital period of Planet X or Nibiru is approximately 3600 years.  Its last appearance was around 1587 B.C. at the time of the Exodus, and the worldwide devastation caused during that ancient period.  Its next scheduled arrival in our solar system will be in the year 2012 A.D.  This date could vary slightly due to the fact that Planet X does not move at an absolute constant speed.  This, along with a number of other factors, forces us to consider the year 2012 as the most likely point in time for the return of Nibiru, not as a fixed date when it must arrive.  So, please keep this fact in mind as you think about and perhaps discuss the possibilities of what this coming event might precipitate.

2.  The Mayan Factor

            The second issues with which we dealt earlier in this article were the incredible Mayan and Aztec calendars, and the fact that the end of the age in which we currently live in, according to those ancient calculations, will occur in the precise year of 2012 A.D.  We learned how the Mayan system is based on the five-fold division of the Great Cycle produced by the precession of the equinoxes.  It takes the Earth 25, 625 years to complete one Great Cycle.  Dividing that figure by 5 gives us individual ages of 5,125 years each.  The current age is the fifth in the series, and thus in 2012 A.D., the Earth will have completed a Great Cycle. 

            From 2012 A.D., we simply go back 5,125 years to determine when the age began, and again, simple arithmetic tells us that this occurred in 3114 B.C.  This takes us to a point in history several hundred years before the Flood in the days of Noah.  Counting forward from the time of Adam’s creation, the year 3114 B.C. would be equivalent to the year 890 A.A. (After Adam). 

            In the earlier part of our discussion, we looked back into that ancient time, seeking to find some kind of significance to the era of 3114 B.C., discovering in the process that indeed this was an incredible point in the history of the human race.  At that time the design and construction of most of the world’s great monoliths commenced, including the renowned Stonehenge in England.  It was during this period also that dynastic Egypt emerged almost overnight, as it were, and the subsequent building of the world-famous pyramids on the Giza Plateau.  Without doubt 3114 B.C. marks a most auspicious commencement of the age in which we live today.

            Earlier we asked the questions as to how such monuments could have possibly been built by mere human beings.  The more information that has been uncovered with regard to these huge ancient structures, the more impossible it has become that man could have accomplished the necessary architectural feats and the literal physical labor required for such successes.

            Simply in their design alone, these ancient stone monuments defy the likely power of human intelligence extant at that point in time.  We now know that virtually all of these impressive structures were particularly aligned to the heavens.  They were astronomical observatories, with various aspects of their construction carefully collimated with specific constellations, stars, and planets.  They were especially interested in the equinoxes and the solstices.

            We now know that the pyramids on the Giza Plateau were not intended to be burial chambers for the pharaohs, as was long touted by scientists.  These imagination-defying structures were built for significantly other reasons.  And speaking of the actual construction itself, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to quickly realize the utter futility of human beings in that day and time to ever devise a workable, efficient method of locating, carving, moving, and precisely placing these huge stones in their present configurations.  The task is too overwhelming–a human impossibility.  Even with our most sophisticated equipment today, we probably could not duplicate the work that was done over 5,000 years again in ancient Egypt.

            The questions with which we are left may be few, but they are significant–Why were such gargantuan structures ever erected in the first place?  How could they possibly have been so perfectly designed and carved?  How could they have been moved by mere human beings, both in terms of getting them to the actual building site, as well as maneuvering them into the most difficult of places and positions?  And, of course, the biggest puzzle of all is who was responsible for building these great edifices, many, many of which still stand intact today, some having actually survived the Flood itself?

            To find the answer to these important questions, we need to consider, from the Biblical perspective, the time period marked by the year 3114 B. C.   As stated earlier, this date is equivalent to 890 years A.A. (After Adam).  According to the Genesis record, the Flood commenced 1656 years A.A., so we are talking about a point in time some 766 years prior to the Noahian Deluge.

            Did something of powerful significance transpire at such an early date in human history?  If so, are we told about it in the Bible?  The answer to both of these questions is an unqualified YES!!  The event that occurred in what we call 3114 B.C., or the year 890 from the creation of Adam became the very reason for Yahweh eventually bringing the Flood upon the Earth.  The Scriptures speak briefly of this signal event, but combined with other evidence, we can build a convincing case for the real culprits involved.  Note the following familiar passage in Genesis 6:

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the Earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the SONS OF GOD saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.  And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.  There were GIANTS in the Earth IN THOSE DAYS, and ALSO AFTER THAT, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became MIGHTY MEN which were of old, men of renown.  And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents Me that I have made them” (Gen. 6:1-5, 7).

            Now I realize that this is a controversial passage of Scripture for many readers of the Bible.  The tendency through the years has been to sanitize what actually happened in this historic incident, but the Bible simply will not allow such a whitewash.  It supplies us with too much evidence that the so-called sons of God were, in fact, sinful angelic beings who descended from heaven to the Earth, had intercourse with many of the women, who then produced offspring known as the Nephilim, but poorly translated as giants in Genesis 6. 

            Just to get the perspective from another translational point of view, here is the same passage from the Jewish Tanakh:

“When men began to increase on Earth, and daughters were born to them, the DIVINE BEINGS saw how beautiful the daughters of men were and took wives from among those that pleased them.  The Lord said, My breath shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.  It was then, and later too, that the NEPHILIM appeared on Earth–when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring.  They were the heroes of old, the men of renown” (Gen. 6:1-4).

            The apostles Peter and Jude both make very pertinent comments on the illicit actions perpetrated by these sinful angelic beings.  Peter writes in his first epistle the following statement:

“For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which He also went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (I Pet. 3:18-20).

            This passage makes reference to our very area of inquiry, for Peter speaks of the fact that during the era before the great Flood of Noah, certain spirit beings were disobedient.  According to this statement, their sinfulness lasted all throughout the period during which the ark was being constructed.

            We are also told that these spirit beings were, at least at the time Peter wrote this letter, consigned to some sort of prison.  The apostle elaborates somewhat on this issue in his second epistle as follows:

“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly” (II Pet. 2:4-6).

            Here we learn that the sinful angels were cast down by God to hell.  As you may know, this particular word is not the typical term used for hell in the New Testament.  There are two others, hades, which simply is a reference to the grave, and gehenna, which is a place in the Hinnom Valley outside Jerusalem where refuse and dead bodies were consumed by fire.  Peter, however, utilizes another word for hell, and that is tartaroo, which in the Greek language refers to the underworld or the abyss.  These fallen angels were therefore put in restraint, being cast into the lowest realms of the abyss (you may recall that the book of Revelation uses the phrase bottomless pit on several occasions.  This would be a place on par with tartaroo.

            Finally, we turn to Jude, who also comments on this ancient event in his short letter, saying:

“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.  Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 5-7).

            Since this issue is not the main subject with which we are dealing in this study, I do not wish to spend an undue amount of time discussing it–just a few more words of explanation should suffice.  It is really hard to overstate the significance of this ancient event.  The evil angels responsible for what transpired gradually took control of the inhabited Earth of that day.  The intermarriage with human women, and the production of the Nephilim, slowly, but surely began to affect person after person, household after household, tribe after tribe.

            The angelic beings became the gods of old.  Most people hold the false notion that the ancients worshiped primarily gods of their own making, whereas the truth is they initially worshiped evil angels.  Their offspring, the Nephilim, became the demigods of the ancient world, and virtually every pantheon that developed in the later civilized countries contained a version of the original pre-Flood deities.  For instance, Apollo was one of the most famous of the early gods.  Unfortunately, most people merely assume that he was just some fictional character, but this is erroneous, to say the least.  We can demonstrate this point quite easily by simply turning to Revelation, chapter 9, where we read the following information:

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the Earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit...And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the Earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the Earth have power...And they had a king over them, which is the ANGEL OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue has his name APOLLYON” (Rev. 9:1-3, 11).

            You see, Apollo not only was around millennia ago, but he is still alive and is now the angel of the bottomless pit, and he still has a future part to play in the end-time Biblical scenario!!

            The Bible does not tell us specifically when the sinful angels descended to the Earth, but there are other ancient writings that do.  For instance, the Book of Enoch, one of the most highly respected of the old non-canonical compositions, supplies the missing information for us, for we read:

““Then I, Enoch, answered and said, The Lord will effect a new thing upon the earth.  This have I explained, and seen in a vision.  I have shown you that in the generations of Jared my father, those who were from heaven disregarded the word of the Lord.  Behold they committed crimes; laid aside their class, and intermingled with women.  With them also they transgressed; married them, and begot children.  A great destruction therefore shall come upon all the earth; a deluge, a great destruction, shall take place in one year” (The Book of Enoch, 105:12-13).

            Note that this ancient writing contends that the initial outbreak of corrupt angelic beings from heaven coming down to the earth transpired at some point in the generations of Jared, the father of Enoch.  Jared, however, lived for 962 years, almost as long as Methuselah himself.  Since he was born in the year 460 A.C., he would not have died until 1422 A.C., only 234 years before the onset of the great Flood.

            Recall, if you will, that the date with we are concerned in this part of our study is 3114 B.C., or, if counting from the creation of Adam, the year would be 890.  As you can easily determine, Jared would have been 430 years of age at the time, with still another 532 years of life remaining.  He was, so to speak, in his prime, thus it is very possible, even likely, that the first descent of evil angels to the Earth occurred some 890 years after Adam, or, as we would normally put it, 3114 B.C., the date on which our current age began.  Adding 5,125 years to 3114 B.C. brings us precisely to the year 2012 A.D.

            The Book of Jubilees, another of the pre-Christian era writings, also comments on this very same passage of Scripture in Genesis 6, and with very similar conclusions drawn.  Note the following quotation from chapter 4, beginning with verse 15:

“And in the second week of the tenth jubilee, Mahalalel took unto him to wife Dinah, the daughter of Barakiel, the daughter of his father’s brother, and she bare him a son in the third week in the sixth year, and he called his name Jared, for in his days the angels of the Lord descended on the earth, those who are named the Watchers, that they should instruct the children of men, and that they should do judgment and uprightness on the earth...and he (Enoch) testified to the Watchers, who had sinned with the daughters of men; for these had begun to unite themselves, so as to be defiled, with the daughters of men, and Enoch testified against them all (angels and mankind)” (Jubilees, 4:15, 22).

            Here this ancient composition accentuates the identical sin as does the Book of Enoch, referring as they both do to the original outbreak of angelic misconduct occurring during the lifetime of Jared.  There are numerous other ancient documents that contain the same basic evidence as the two books from which we have just quoted.  References of various lengths and detail with regard to the sinful angels or Watchers, as they are sometimes called, can be found in such ancient works as The Genesis Apocryphon, the Zadokite Document, The Apocalypse of Baruch, The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, the writings of Josephus and Philo, the Koran, the writings of Iranaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, many historical writings of the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks, in addition to the early stories from the inhabitants of the New Hebrides Islands, the Incas of Peru, the Teutons in Central Europe, a number of the South Sea Islands, the Koreans, the Tango-Fudoki of Japan, the Mahabharata of India, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and pre-Zoroastrian Persian records, among many, many others too numerous to cite in this paper.  In fact, it wasn’t until some 500 years after the time of the Messiah that this correct understanding of Genesis 6:1-4 was finally rejected, being replaced by an idea concocted by Augustine, wherein the sons of God are interpreted as being the sons of Seth, a most ludicrous explanation if there ever was one, yet it became the accepted teaching on the subject.  Talk about a cover-up!!  (For a complete study of this entire subject, please request the article entitled Annihilation - The Rise and Fall of the Pre-Flood World!)

            Today, we don’t normally talk in terms of ages, but this has by no means been the case in the past.  The ancients always did.  It was a subject that they had on their minds quite often.  Do you recall the following passage of Scripture from Matthew 24?

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said unto them, See you not all these things?  Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.  And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  And what shall be the sign of Your coming,

and of the END OF THE WORLD?” (Matt. 24:1-3).

            Every Bible study is familiar with these verses.  They form the prelude to the famous Olivet Prophecy of the Messiah.  Note carefully what was on the minds of the disciples.  They were not interested in who won the ball game last night, or what movies are currently playing!!  No, they were wanting a direct answer from Yahshua Himself as to when the END OF THE AGE would occur!!  Remember that the Greek word translated world in verse 3 is aion, and is best understood as age.  In fact, the very definition of aion can be expressed as follows: the time period between the two great tragedies. 

            People, even the common people, of first century Judea were quite intrigued by the concept of ages.  Did they know what an age  actually was?  Undoubtedly some did.  We know that most of the ancient high civilizations were privy to knowledge and understanding that we arrogantly and erroneously consider to be a product solely of our own modern, scientifically-advanced era.  Just to remind everyone with regard to the correct understanding of an age, it is 1/5 of a Great Precessional Cycle of 26, 625 years.  This long  time-span is also known as the Galactic Year, or sometimes the Platonic Year, the Greek philosopher Plato lending his name to this astronomical phenomenon.  Thus an age is a 5,125 year period of time, with a definite beginning and end, both of which are auspicious, unique, and quite often, destructive. 

            The age to which the disciples were referring  commenced, as we have seen, in 3114 B.C. with the advent of evil angelic beings from their heavenly abode to the top of Mount Hermon in northern Canaan, and will conclude in the year 2012 A.D., with a return of those immoral entities, some of whom will have been released from captivity, and others of whom have been free and active during this current age, and most especially toward the end of

the age, when demonic activity is to greatly increase.

            It is interesting that the angels who sinned chose Mount Hermon as their landing point on the Earth.  From that ancient time forward, this specific area of the world has had a strange, mysterious history.  Intriguingly, Mount Hermon is located precisely as 33.33 degrees north latitude, and 33.33 degrees east longitude, making it exactly 2012 miles from the equator, and 2012 miles from the prime meridian.  In addition, 33.33 degrees of the great circle of the Earth also equals precisely 2012 nautical miles!  Is it possible that the concluding year of this age is embedded in the geo-mathematics with regard to Mount Hermon, the very place where the evil angels touched down upon the Earth, and the place that became one of the most mysterious of religious worship sites in all the world?  It would certainly appear that the answer is an unqualified YES!!

            The incursion of these angelic beings spelled the demise of mankind and the ultimate destruction of the entire pre-Flood world.  Had it not been for these entities, there would have been no need for the Deluge, but the degree and type of evil perpetrated among human beings by the sinful spirits so corrupted the race that desolation was the only choice.

            Ancient records clearly show just how depraved these beings truly were (and are!!!).  They were responsible for the most perverted acts, including genetic modification upon plants, animals, and humans.

            They and their offspring, the Nephilim took over control of the world.  Working through a certain strain of the lineage of Cain, they came to dominate all aspects of pre-Flood life.  Possessing supernatural knowledge and strength, they were able to create and accomplish things impossible for mere man to achieve.  In fact, the famous ancient monuments that we have mentioned in our study, such as the Sphinx, Stonehenge along with numerous other stone rings, and the great pyramids of Giza, all were designed and constructed with the supernatural aid of the Nephilim.  This is precisely the reason why we see this incredible building program undertaken throughout the civilized world, commencing in approximately 3100 B.C., the very time-frame within which the sinful angels invaded Earth.  This is exactly why these great monolithic structures are aligned to certain constellations, stars, and planets, including the Sun and the Moon, because the Nephilim were using these great buildings as astronomical observatories, and as communication devices between the Earth and specific locales in outer space.

            It was generally understood by the ancients that an age ends like it begins, usually in a destructive way.  Is this why Yahshua was led by the Spirit to say the following:

“But of that day and hour knows no man, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.  And knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:36-39).

            If the beginning of this age transpired with the arrival of evil, hostile angelic invaders from outer space, who subsequently took control of the civilized world of that day leading to its destruction, is it possible that the end of this age will pass in like manner, or at least in a fashion that can be compared to its auspicious commencement?  I believe that the answer in an unqualified yes!!

            But if that answer is indeed correct, then the Nephilim must have somehow either survived the Flood, or they will be the offspring of a later irruption of sinful angels.  There is evidence available for both of these possibilities.  This is particularly true when one investigates the lineage of Ham.  The Genesis record makes it crystal clear that it was Ham’s descendants who became contaminated after the Flood. 

            Two of his sons, Cush and Canaan, are especially prominent.  It certainly was not by accident or coincidence that the Canaanites migrated into the very area where Yahweh intended for His own people to ultimately dwell.  And, of course, we know that when the Israelite spies brought back their report, they spoke of seeing the Nephilim in the land.  Remember that the following was stated much earlier at the time of the first outbreak of evil angelic activity:

“In those days, and EVEN AFTERWARD, giants (Heb. Nephilim) lived on the Earth, for WHENEVER the sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes  mentioned in legends of old” (Gen. 6:4).

            Since the Bible plainly says that this evil occurred more than once, it could easily have happened any number of times down through the long run of history, and indeed this is almost certainly what has occurred.  This fact helps us to better understand and explain why the great Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztec, the Inca, all became pyramid builders just like the ancient Egyptians, indeed right down to the same kind of cosmic alignments that have been discovered in virtually all of the monolithic structures of old.  If the same builders were involved in both parts of the world, one would expect there to be a similarity in design and function of such buildings.

            The same might be said to explain the strange long lines and greatly oversized drawings that we find on the Nazca Plain in Peru, most of which can only be viewed and/or appreciated properly from the air.  To see this area of the world is to immediately sense that these major Earth carvings (the ground lines run for miles in perfectly straight lines) are not only unusual, but almost certainly of non-human origin and purpose.

            The mysterious structures in Central and South America, while appearing much later in history than those of Sumer, Egypt, and Europe, are unquestionably related to each other.  Even the identical type of metal key locks the carved blocks of stone together in both areas of the world.  The pyramids, temples, and other buildings and monuments in places such as Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Tiahuanaco, and sites around or near Lake Titicaca, or Palenque, Tikal, Tulum, Chichén Itzá, Copán and Uxmal, located in the Mayan Yucatan region of Mexico, all exhibit similar qualities, and an unquestionable connection to ancient Sumer and Egypt.

            When one considers the fact that these same types of structures down through history have continued to be built in various places in the world, especially on certain South Pacific Islands, and most particularly in southeast Asia, at Angor Wat in Cambodia, for example, we are forced to wonder if the Nephilim, not only continued to exist, but indeed were, from time to time throughout history, compelled to keep moving their major base of operations!   

              The Bible leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever that evil angelic powers will be intimately involved in the end-time upheavals on the Earth.  We are told plainly in the book of Revelation that such an entity named Apollyon is the angel of the bottomless pit, and leads his own army against mankind (Rev. 9).  We are also given the following information regarding sinful angelic activity in the latter days:

 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him...And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child...And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:7-9, 13, 17).

            In addition, we find out that at a certain point in the unfolding of end-time events, four angels who have been bound in the Euphrates River will be loosed (Rev. 9:14-19) to go and slay the third part of mankind.  It is therefore without any doubt that evil angels, including Satan himself, will be present upon the Earth, in great numbers in the latter-days, and wreaking incredible damage and death upon this planet and its inhabitants!

            The age in which we now live is just about over.  The Earth has almost returned to the place it started some 26,000 + years ago.  This final age of the present Great Precessional Cycle is scheduled to come to an end in the year 2012 A.D.  Between now and then should prove to be a time of great tumult, drastic Earth changes, and steadily increasing danger and deception.

            The return of Planet X/Nibiru is inexorable.  Its course is set, its forward motion is sure, and nothing will stop its devastating approach to this Earth!  The governments of the world will be working feverishly during the next several years to continue keeping a tight lid on the truth about this coming disaster, but the information will leak out.  Some will see it, most will not; some will believe it and take action, most will not, being too off-guard because of the innumerable distractions, deceptions, and lies that will abound.  Indeed, difficult days lie ahead for all human beings upon the Earth.

2012 A.D. - THE BIBLE SPEAKS!

            Due to lack of space and time, we have admittedly been forced to present a mere overview with regard to the possible significance of the year 2012 A.D.  We cannot, however, close this discussion without consulting the Scriptures on this issue.  Is there any information in the Bible itself that would confirm what seems from historical and scientific evidence, at least, to be the amazing and powerful truth concerning this particular date?  I believe that the answer is affirmative.

            Although not wishing to be labeled a date-setter with respect to the return of the Messiah, I will obviously be discussing a specific year.  It is not my intention to state or even imply that the Second Coming will occur in 2012 A.D.  It certainly could occur in that year, and there may be good reason to believe that 2012 A.D. is a critical or key point in time for any number of reasons, but I urge you not to assume that I am claiming outright to know precisely when Yahshua will come back to the Earth.

            With that small disclaimer said, I would like to first establish a particular date from Bible prophecy that appears to be correct and definitive.  We read in the book of Daniel, chapter 8, of a vision received by the prophet concerning a ram and a male goat.  These two animals were enemies, and they fought, and the he-goat was victorious.  We are told that the ram was representative of the Medo-Persian empire, and the goat that of Greece.  The record continues, making reference to Alexander the Great and the four generals who divided the kingdom after his death, and speaks particularly of one who would arrive on the scene and cast down the sanctuary and take away the daily sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.  This could well have been fulfilled anciently by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

            Now we come to the critical portion of this prophecy, where we read in Daniel 8, beginning in verse 13:

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed...And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut you up the vision; for it shall be for many days” (Dan. 8:12-14, 26).

            This passage is often referred to simply as the 2300 Days Prophecy, since that particular figure plays the major role in the story.  Like a number of Bible predictions, this one may well have a dual or multiple fulfillment, that is to say, an earlier historical meaning, as well as a more specific end-time application.  When this is the case, the day-for-a-year principle (Ezek. 4:6; Num. 14:34)  is usually intended to be utilized with at least one of the fulfillments. 

            If we take the Daniel 8 prophecy from its beginning and apply the 2300 days in the form of 2300 years, we should arrive at the correct timing for the accomplishment of the prediction.  Remember that the vision began with the story of the ram and the he-goat and their classic battle in which the he-goat defeated the ram.  This is a direct reference to the clash between the Persian forces under the leadership of king Darius III and the armies of Alexander the Great of Macedon.  This signal military encounter is known in history as the Battle of the Granicus River, and it was fought in May of 334 B.C.  This gives us our starting point for calculating the prophecy.

            The 2,300 days will be counted as 2,300 years in this interpretation, but, as stated earlier, this prediction almost surely has a second fulfillment in which the 2,300 figure is to be considered as days, not years.  If we therefore add 2,300 to the date of 334 B.C., adding one year to the total since there is no actual year “0", we arrive at the precise point in time of 1967 A.D.

            Please recall that this prophecy has everything to do with the Temple in Jerusalem, or at least with the area where the Temple should be.  This area is generally known simply as the Temple Mount.  From God’s perspective, when the 2,300 days are fulfilled, the sanctuary is considered to have been cleansed.  Therefore, we should be looking for a very significant event occurring in Israel, more particularly in the city of Jerusalem, and even more specifically with regard to the Temple Mount itself and the year 1967 A.D.

            I am certain that not a single person reading this article has any doubt as to what historical event meets the preceding criteria.  We all know precisely what transpired in 1967, and that occurrence is the fulfillment of the 2,300 Day Prophecy of Daniel 8.  It is not necessary to go into the details of the now world-famous Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab enemies, led by Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria, but suffice it to say that the Israeli forces launched a preemptive strike against Egypt and quickly took control of the Sinai Peninsula.  Against the pleas of Israeli political leaders for Jordan to remain neutral, King Hussein ordered his troops to attack, resulting in yet another victory for Israel.  With respect to the prophecy we are discussing, the territory that most concerns us is the Temple Mount itself, which heretofore had been in Arab hands, and which was taken over by Israel at the conclusion of the Six-Day War, thus completing precisely 2,300 years from the Battle of the Granicus River in 334 B.C., the starting point of the Daniel 8 vision.  The year 1967 stands out as one of the most specific demonstrable dates in fulfilled Bible prophecy!

            Now that we have established a Scriptural connection to the year 1967, we need to consult the book of Daniel, where we are given three sets of numbers that have presented Bible students with difficult problems over the years.  Those figures are 1260 days, 1290 days, and 1335 days.  Every possible explanation has, it seems, been given for these enigmatic numbers.  The answers truly run the gamut!  It is quite likely that you have heard a number of these possible prophetic scenarios.         

            Although I am certainly not going to claim that what I am about to propose is the absolute, definitive answer to the numerical problems presented in the book of Daniel, I do believe that the following information is at least worthy of consideration.  In Daniel 12, we read these words:

“And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?  And I heard the man clothed in linen...when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him that lives forever that it shall be for a TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished...And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY DAYS.  Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE DAYS” (Dan. 12:6-7, 11-12).

              Here we are given the three sets of figures mentioned earlier.  The phrase time, times, and half a time, is simply a somewhat cryptic way of saying a year, two years, and half a year, or a total of 3 ½ years, also expressed in several other places as 42 months and/or 1260 days.  The other two numbers, 1290 and 1335

occur only once in Scripture and only in this particular verse.

            If we consider as years all of these figures which are stated by Daniel in terms of days, we are looking at some rather long periods of time.  If we view the years as being continuous, then that time frame becomes even longer. 

            Going back into history, we find that the most authoritative sources agree that Nebuchadnezzar’s final campaign against the nation of Judah occurred in 584 B.C., two years after the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem.  It was during this time that the Temple was completely sacked by the invading Chaldeans, and the booty transmitted to Babylon.

            If we utilize this specific date, 584 B.C. as the starting point for our calculations, and add 1260 years to our beginning figure, we arrive at the year 677 A.D.  I am sure the first question anyone might have with regard to this date is what possible significance could such an obscure year have concerning Bible prophecy for the end-time?  This is an easily understandable quandary in connection with the year 677 A.D.

            A closer look, however, may give us reason to pause and reconsider this date.  Why?  Because, believe it or not, it has a great deal of importance with respect to Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the so-called abomination of desolation.  Remember that Daniel 12:11 associates the 1,290 days/years with the abomination that makes desolate.  In what way, therefore, is there such a connection?

            In the 7^th century A.D., a great religious/political force arose, centered around the personage known as Muhammad.  It was, and still is today, called Islam.  The prophet Muhammad died in 632 A.D., but Islam continued to grow, preaching a powerful message and combining it with a fierce willingness to fight any opposing force.  Soon, war broke out, and the Eastern Roman Empire was defeated.  This event was followed by military victories over Syria and Egypt.  Palestine was conquered in 636 A.D., and Jerusalem fell 2 years later.

            In 660 A.D., the Umayyad Caliphate gained the ascendency under the leadership of Caliph Mu’awiya I.  The capital was then moved to Damascus, Syria.  Mecca and Medina were considered the two holiest sites in all of Islam, and this remains so to this day, but a third was added during the reign of Mu’awiya I, and that, of course, was Jerusalem. 

            We usually think of Islam as being a religion totally out of sync with Judaism or Christianity, but they really are somewhat related.  Muhammad claimed emphatically that he was not starting a new religion, but was simply preaching the truth that Judaism and Christianity had either neglected or perverted.  Biblical characters such as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and even the Messiah Himself were important individuals in early Islamic theology.  It is, therefore, not surprising that Jerusalem was viewed as a very special place.

            This was only enhanced by the legend from the Koran that Muhammad was taken at night by the angel Gabriel from Medina to Jerusalem, from whence he arose into heaven.  The exact site of his supposed ascension is called Haram al Sharif, and it is located on the Temple Mount, presumably the very rock upon which the Romans had placed the statue of Jupiter Olympus, and where the two earlier Temples of the Jews had stood.

            Once the Umayyad Caliphate was in control, discussion ensued with regard to building a special shrine on the Temple Mount, and what better place to erect it than the very place from which Muhammad ascended.  This would, of course, be an insult to the Jews, and even many Christians, but there was no love lost between the Muslims and Jews. 

            In 677 A.D., the first plans for what would become the Dome of the Rock were completed, and a small model was constructed on the Temple Mount, presumably at the very locale of the ancient Holy of holies in the inner sanctum of the Temple.  The actual building was completed some 10-12 years later.

            The erection of this shrine was a horrific insult to Yahweh, who claimed Jerusalem for Himself and His people.  The Temple Mount had been the most sacred place in the history of Israel from at least the time of King David.  Now, it had been desecrated by the followers of Muhammad.  In this respect, the Dome of the Rock became a form of the so-called abomination of desolation!

            This event transpired precisely 1,260 years from the final Babylonian defeat of Judea in 584 B.C., but how long would the Almighty permit the Islamic forces to control the Temple Mount?  Remember that there are two more prophetic numbers given to Daniel and recorded in chapter 12 of his writing.  Note once again what is said:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the ABOMINATION THAT MAKES DESOLATE set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan. 12:11).

            Please do not get confused over the fact that I am referring to the Dome of the Rock as the abomination of desolation.  As I stated earlier, it is a form of or one of the fulfillments of the abomination.  We certainly are aware that there have been others, such as the desecrations unleashed by Antiochus Epiphanes, and later by the Romans under Titus.  Many also surmise that there will be yet another form of this abomination set up on the Temple Mount, or perhaps even in a newly constructed Temple itself at the time of the end.  But there can be no doubt whatsoever that the erection of the Islamic Dome of the Rock constitutes a major fulfillment of the prophesied abomination of desolation.

            Taking our current date of study, namely 677 A.D., as the starting point to count the 1290 days, again utilizing a day-for-a-year principle, we would simply add the two numbers together, and arrive once again at that most significant date of 1967 A.D, the precise year that Israel regained control of the Temple Mount as a part of their overwhelming victory in the Six-Day War!!  How remarkable that two separate Bible prophecies with completely different symbols and figures, but yet concerning the same event are able to be correctly calculated and come out to the exact same year - 1967 A.D.!

            Now that we have established the significance of this particular year, what does it mean?  After all, at this point in time, we are well beyond 1967, so how can any of this have importance for us today?  Of course, you are probably well ahead of me by now, because there is a third number in Daniel 12 with which we have not yet dealt.  It is in verse 12, and reads as follows:

“Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.”

            Notice that there are 45 days or years between the previous

figure of 1290 and the one in verse 12, which is 1,335.  Daniel is told that those who wait until the 1,335^th year arrives will be blessed.  The wording of this passage makes it clear that we are not to add 1,335 more days or years to the 1,290 figure, but that we simply continue to count from 1,290 until we reach 1,335.  Doing the arithmetic is pretty simple at this stage.  The 1,290^th year is 1967 A.D.  Adding 45 to that number brings us to, of all possible time periods, the year 2012 A.D.!!!

            Once again, let me repeat that I am not stipulating that the Messiah must return in the year 2012 A.D.  What I am doing, however, is offering evidence, both within and outside the Scriptures, that clearly demonstrate that this particular year has the potential for a great deal of meaning with respect to things that will transpire here upon the Earth, as well as what might well culminate in the return of Yahshua.

            In addition to the foregoing information, there are even certain Bible Codes which indicate specifically that the year 2012 will be one of great judgment and desolation upon the Earth.  Perhaps you are like me, or at least the way I used to be with respect to the issue of Bible Codes, in that I ranged from highly skeptical to outright unbelief in their validity.  Of course, I no longer feel this way, due to the fact that the Codes have been tested too many times by too many experts with no particular religious ax to grind, and they have proven to be correct.  I do believe that this subject can be misused, and this has almost surely been done in some instances, but this demerit does not counter the truth that it is divinely embedded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

            There is a Code that runs through the entire Torah, from Genesis to Deuteronomy, with a skip sequence of 20,093, and the following information is conveyed:

2012, large comet, stone-like object, planetary wanderer, 60-mile scatter-gun, whole Earth annihilated, smitten, stricken, crater, ultimate terrifying, appalling, lethal, eradication, axis tilting, it will be crumbled, I will tear to pieces.

            A second Code taken from the book of Numbers with a skip length of 7,317 reveals the following:

Judgment, 2012-2013, hit, shoot, sling, jagged, stone-like body, holocaust, internment, detention, arrest, camp, encampment, army, death, doom.

            There are, of course, other Codes we could delve into, but these two should suffice to inform us that the year 2012 is not merely a date pulled out of some magician’s black hat!  It is real, it is approaching, and it is of immense significance to the inhabitants of planet Earth.

            Planet X will not wait for the world to solve its own problems.  Nibiru does not give a fig about the environment, Mother Earth, Communism, Democracy, good, evil, rich, poor, war or peace.  It is coming, and nothing is

going to stop it.

            Will Planet X not only bring the greatest upheaval and destruction the Earth has ever experienced, but also is it a means of transporting evil spirits to this planet?  The ancient Sumerians tell us that the gods live on Nibiru, ones like those who produced the Nephilim in the pre-Flood times, and later–in other words, fallen, sinful angelic spirit beings who are bound to play an important role in the end-time events that strike the Earth.

            As I write the closing words to this study, the Middle East appears to be moving steadily toward some kind of settlement between Israel and their Arab enemies.  The Israeli pullout of the Gaza Strip will not be the last concession of the Sharon/Peres government.  The West Bank will also be greatly vacated in order to placate the Palestinians.  Were these strategic moves to soon result in a peace agreement, we might well be witnessing one of the signal events that is prophesied to transpire at or near the commencement of the final seven years before the return of the Messiah.

            The prophet Daniel was given the following prediction with which we are all familiar:

“And he (the evil prince to come) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week: 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” (Dan. 9:27).

            It is high time, as the apostle Paul once said, to AWAKEN OUT OF SLEEP!!  We believers who are becoming more and more aware of what is really going on in this world must respond, not by hiding somewhere, or by burying our heads in the sand, or by involving ourselves in all sorts of distractions, but rather by throwing all caution to the wind, putting ourselves squarely into the hands of the Almighty, and allowing Yahshua the Messiah to indwell and empower each of us to go forward and speak the Word with boldness, trusting in God to bless such efforts, and putting all that we have and all that we are on the line as disciples of the Messiah!  It is my fervent hope that the contents of this short article will help in motivating all of us to move in the direction that Yahweh is moving. 

            From 2005-2012 is a 7-year period.  Is it the final week of Daniel 9?  I would say it very well could be.  Therefore, let us keep our eyes and ears wide open, make certain that we are in tune with the Eternal, and that we cut all ties tethering us to this world and the things of the flesh, that we might serve God and His purposes without reservation or hesitation!  Now is the time for the people of Yahweh to rise up and fulfil their divinely-given roles in the dangerous, deceptive, dying world in which we live today!  We will never know what the Almighty will do on behalf of His believers unless we stand up and courageously step out in faith and obedience.  LET’S GO FOR IT!!

For those wishing to do further research into this subject, the following reading material is recommended:

The Book of Enoch

The Book of Jubilees

The Book of Jasher

Galactic Alignment, John Major Jenkins

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012, John Major Jenkins

Breaking the Maya Code, Michael D. Coe

Planet-X, Comets & Earth Changes, Dr. James M. McCanney

Planet X Nibiru, Slow Motion Doomsday, Rob Solarion

The Sumerians, Dr. Samuel Noah Kramer

The 12^th Planet, Zecharia Sitchin

World in Collision, Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky

Earth in Upheaval, Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky

Ages in Chaos, Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky

Hamlet’s Mill, Giorgio de Santillana & Hertha von Dechend

Future Prospects of the World According to the Bible Codes,          Joseph Noah

The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse, Patrick Heron

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